Additive Manufacturing Graduate Projects (ME 557)

Investment Casting - Jewelry Making from 3D-printed Molds

Investment Casting is a manufacturing process in which metal parts are created through a complex process of mold making and metal pouring. Additive manufacturing allows greater flexibility in design and repeatability than traditional casting.

Four jewelry pieces were designed in SolidWorks and installed on a wax tree and printed in Formlabs castable wax resin. The tree contains a central sprue that provides a pathway for molten metal to follow as it is poured. The tree is covered in a plaster-like material  (“investment”) and heated in a kiln to burn out the wax, leaving behind a cavity.  Molten metal is poured into the cavity. After the metal solidifies, the investment cast is broken, revealing the completed parts. 

Design Considerations

• Sprues on the moon ring created channels to fill to areas of fine detail.

• Thick parts were shelled to minimize expansion forces during burnout.

• Sharp edges should be avoided so that metal must flows smoothly into the mold. The geode part (center) tests whether print orientation will affect feasibility of sharp corners. As seen above, with careful consideration of print orientation and design parameters, manufacturing recommendations can be pushed with success.