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Casting Mold

In this lesson, students design a casting mold in SOLIDWORKS (or TinkerCAD) software. This mold allows casting of chocolate, soap or wax. Students become familiar with 3D modelling of a two-part mold with individual parts. The preparation is universal and, after casting one mold, another form can be inserted into it within a short space of time. At the end, students check how the complexity of the initial casting model affects the overall look of the casting and whether the fluid has seeped into all the required areas. Chocolate, wax, soap or gelatin can be used as casting material.

Subjects: MathematicsComputingDesign and Technology
Years | Grades: 8th Grade | 12-13 years9th Grade | 13-14 years10th Grade | 14-15 years11th Grade | 15-16 years
Duration: Lesson 1: 90 minutes Print time: ~ 8 hours 30 minutes Lesson 2: 45 minutes

Objectives

Understand the challenges faced when creating casting molds
Design a 3D mold suitable for casting
Manufacture a 3D mold suitable for 3D printing

Tools and equipment

Laptop / computer and mouse
Access to SOLIDWORKS EDU 3D software or any other CAD of your preference
Pen / pencil
BE3D eDee 3D printer with PLA filament
1 x printed demo model of the mold (STL file in the lesson preparation section)
printed casting preparation (STL file in the lesson preparation section)
Cooker with a vessel for heating the casting medium
Oven gloves
Fridge or freezer (to freeze the molds)
Cling film
300 g of chocolate + 150 g vegetable shortening, wax, soap or gelatin as casting material
Kitchen / cooking / culinary thermometer (to get the temperature right)
Water spray bottle (to spray the inside of the mold)

Skill requirements

To participate in the lesson, students should be able to:

Develop their own idea for the cast
Use SOLIDWORKS or similar CAD software at a beginner level
Enter correct 3D print settings in DeeControl layering software
Use BE3D eDee 3D printer

3D models overview

Total print time 25 hours 15 minutes
Total filament 57.3 m
Additional non-printable components
Printed all at once

Casting fixture

8 hours 30 minutes
35.3 m

Casting mold, Part 1

7 hours 30 minutes
11 m

Casting mold, Part 2

7 hours 30 minutes
11 m

Heart shaped cast

1 hour 45 minutes
5 m

Note: Values are calculated for one set of models.

Lesson resources

Lesson plan
Worksheet
Walkthrough
Walkthrough video
Presentation
3D models
3D print instructions
Curriculum Alignment: ISTE standard compliant

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