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

Casting mold trailer
Play 0:48

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

Casting mold walkthrough
Locked 8:25

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