Learn the benefits of producing Digital Tooling with an Objet 3D Printer

Digital Tooling – Mold Example

When you think about 3D printing, the first thing that comes to your mind is a prototype. Don’t limit your imagination, as there are many applications that you may be overlooking. One of them is digital tooling: what if instead of printing a part, you print a mold, and then you cast a resin into it to create your part. It is the first step to a world of new possibilities: performance grade parts manufactured in short productions with more materials, more colours, at an inexpensive price. This is a perfect scenario.

In order to try this amazing application, I designed a part in SolidWorks, then used the mold tools to design the digital tooling, built the mold in an Objet 3D printer, and used it to cast a part from urethane resin. The results are awesome: performance grade parts with outstanding detail and surface finish. As there is a huge range of resin types and colors the options are unlimited. Here are the steps I took to generate my digital tooling and the final molded part:

This is only the beginning. When you compare the time and money you save, the results are even more amazing: weeks vs. hours and hundreds vs. thousands. This is a real improvement in productivity and a huge accelerator in your time to market cycle.