3D printer for jewelry molds

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Printing with Metals, Plastics, and Castable Resins

Rapid development of additive manufacturing leads to considerable changes in a lot of industries. Some of them use 3D technologies at all the stages of production, starting with 3D scanning and then employing 3D printing for prototyping or end-use parts production. Jewelry is one of the fields where digital technologies have only started their expansion, often being a bridge to traditional methods.

Credit: n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com

Digital revolution in jewelry

The craft of jewelry is as old as time, and it has always involved a lot of skill and time spent on every single item creation. Besides, there are always limitations to human possibilities — however skillful a craftsman was, some most intricate design concepts could only exist in their imagination.

Credit: Pinterest

With 3D printing development, more and more people in the jewelry industry are discovering the opportunities it provides both from the artistic and business perspective.

The traditional method of jewelry manufacturing implies lost-wax casting. Casting patterns creation is an expensive and time-consuming part of the process, and this is where 3D printing can be of great help, becoming a bridge to conventional manufacturing. What’s so good about using digital technologies in such a traditional field? Let’s see.

Credit: fastcastings.com

Why 3D print jewelry

Complete design freedom

As mentioned, there are certain design limitations in traditional production of casting patterns that are made either by hand or using CNC machines. With digital design opportunities and 3D printers capable of reproducing the digital models with extreme precision and accuracy, it’s now possible to create wax casting patterns of any complexity. The use of 3D printing has brought up new standards in the art of jewelry, allowing for the designs that could have never been realized before.

Credit: indiamart.com

Unlimited customization opportunities

Customization is of considerable importance in jewelry as customers often want to get one of a kind adornment. 3D printing provides vast opportunities for custom products, either created from scratch, or by adjusting the already existing design according to the customer’s wish. The customization process doesn’t require additional costs and takes considerably less time and effort than in traditional production, where any changes made upon the product jacked up the price.

Credit: sculpteo.com

Faster prototyping

With 3D printing, customers have a try-on option to make sure the model fits perfectly and completely meets all their needs, before the final part is made. Printed resin prototypes are affordable and quick to make, they feature high quality and precision and can give the true-to-life impression of the future model.

Credit: additive-plus.com

Lower cost

Batch-manufacturing in jewelry 3D printing allows reducing the production costs, as a whole run of wax patterns can be printed in one go, thus saving material and shortening the production time; you can also print different designs at a time. All this makes jewelry manufacturing more cost-effective than ever before.

Credit: hubs. com

3D Printing technologies in jewelry production

Basically, there are two ways of implementing additive manufacture into the jewelry business, namely direct and indirect 3D printing, the former being less common, at least for now.

Direct 3D printing

Direct 3D printing of jewelry implies using metal (SLM or DMLS-based) printers to build the final parts right from the digital models, created in CAD software. The parts can be printed with gold, silver, or platinum alloys or other metal powders. Such an approach completely excludes traditional techniques from the production cycle and turns it entirely digital.

Credit: Pinterest

Despite all the general advantages of 3D printing, discussed above, this particular method is not very popular as it is more expensive than investment casting, and the printed parts require significant post-processing. Besides, precious metals are very difficult to print as they are highly reflective and thermally conductive. So, there are few printers in the market that can work with them. Still, rapid progress in digital technologies can change the situation for the better.

Indirect 3D printing

In this method, 3D printing is used to optimize the traditional lost-wax casting process to speed up the production and make it more flexible and cost-effective.

Credit: reddit.com

The jewelry 3D printing process

First the design of the future piece is created using CAD software. The STL (or other compatible) file is imported to a 3D slicer and prepared for printing.
The model is printed using castable wax materials to make a wax casting pattern. At this stage you may want to print a try-on part first to ensure the fit and design are just right.
The liquid molding material is poured over the wax pattern and left to solidify. Thus a mold for the future part is created.
When the mold is hard, it is placed into a furnace to melt or burn out the wax pattern, forming a so-called negative mold.
The final casting material, which is usually melted gold, silver, brass, or other metal, is poured into the mold and left to cool and solidify.
The mold is removed and the final part is ready for post-processing.

What are 3D printers for jewelry?

For direct metal printing, SLM or DMLS printers are used. However, very few of them can work with precious metals alloys, so other metals, like steel or bronze, can also be used.

Some jewelers create their collections using SLS technology, printing unique modern jewelry pieces with nylon or polyamide.

Credit: dianalaw.com

3D printing of wax casting patterns requires exceptional precision and accuracy, as well as the use of appropriate wax-like materials that can be completely melted or burnt out afterwards. So, the best options possible here are resin or material jetting technologies.

Now let’s see which printer models are the most suitable for jewelry manufacturing.

The best 3D printers for jewelry 2022

Flashforge WaxJet 400

The Flashforge WaxJet 400 is a professional 3D printer based on MJP (MultiJet Printing) technology. It prints wax casting patterns for investment casting and works with proprietary materials for parts and support structures printing. The device can print layers at the height of 16 microns with the printing resolution of 1200 x 1200 x 1600 dpi and the accuracy of ±0.04 mm / 20 mm, which provides accurate highly detailed models with smooth surface finish. The large build volume of 289 x 218 x 150 mm allows printing multiple models in one go and together with fast print speed makes for high productivity of the WaxJet 400.

Pros

High print quality
Extreme productivity
Highly automated printing process
Large build volume

Cons

Can print with only proprietary materials

Phrozen Sonic 4K 2022

The Phrozen Sonic 4K 2022 is a large resin 3D printer designed for the dental industry, and it absolutely meets the requirements of jewelry production. It sports a monochrome LCD matrix with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 and a build volume of 135 x 75 x 200 mm. The optical system of the device has been improved compared to the previous models. The Phrozen Sonic 4K is equipped with a powerful ParaLED® 3.0 module which provides uniform light exposure and, consequently, uniform layer thickness over the entire area of the print. The minimum layer height of 10 microns ensures exceptional print quality. Phrozen offers a choice of castable resins that can be used with the Sonic 4K 2022 to print mold patterns for investment casting.

Credit: @georgebulte / Instagram

Pros

Fine precision and uniformity of the prints
Fast print speed
Wide choice of materials, including castable resins
Wide connectivity options

Cons

Rather small build volume

Anycubic Photon Mono X

The Anycubic Photon MonoX is a large-format resin 3D printer based on LCD technology. Uniform light exposure over the entire print area is provided by the 8.9" 4K LCD screen and a new parallel light source. The build volume of 192 x 120 x 245 mm and fast print speed stand for high productivity, while the 10-micron minimum layer height allows printing high quality casting patterns for jewelry manufacturing. For better performance and more convenient post-processing the Photon Mono X can be supplemented with the Anycubic Wash and Cure Machine 2.0.

Pros

Fast print speed
Great print quality
Large build volume
Built-in safety functions
Fast and easy set-up

Cons

Print bed is difficult to clean

Original Prusa SL1S Speed

The Original Prusa SL1S Speed is an LCD-based resin 3D printer featuring a 5.96'' monochrome LCD screen with 2560 x 1620 resolution and a new optical system with a four times more powerful UV LED panel than the previous SL1 model. The print speed of the SL1S Speed is remarkably fast — the curing time for a single layer is just 1.4 seconds. Fast accurate printing and compatibility with different types of 405 nm UV resin make the Prusa SL1S a great option to use in jewelry for casting patterns production. The printer can be bought stand-alone or as part of a special bundle of the Original Prusa SL1S 3D printer and the Curing and Washing Machine.

Pros

Fast speed
Excellent print quality
Easy operation
Compatible with third-party materials

Cons

Rather small build volume

Farsoon FS273M

The Farsoon FS273M is an MLS (metal laser sintering) industrial 3D printer featuring rather compact size for a professional machine, still high throughput and impressive build volume which is a cylinder of 275 x 275 x 355 mm. The FS273M can be equipped with a single or dual 500W fiber laser and a high-precision digital galvo system, and can print layers at the height of 20 microns providing detailed precise models that are a must while printing jewelry. The printer is an open material system and is compatible with a great variety of proprietary and third-party metal powders, some of them being suitable for printing end-use jewelry pieces.

Pros

Industrial-grade print quality
High print speed
Sizable build volume
Open material system
User-friendly operation

BLT-S210

The BLT-S210 is an SLM 3D printer capable of printing with a large number of metal alloys, including Titanium, Aluminum, Cobalt Chromium, Stainless Steel, Copper, and a lot more. The 500W laser and F-Theta optical system ensure high-quality metal parts with excellent mechanical properties and repeatability. The compact build area of 105 x 105 x 200 mm is perfect for batch-manufacturing of small jewelry items or for printing larger parts. Operation and maintenance of the device are easy and convenient due to the modular design of the S210. The printer is an open-parameter system, so the user is able to edit 294 parameters to precisely adjust the printing process and get the best result possible.

Pros

15 microns minimum layer height
High-quality prints with great repeatability
Wide material compatibility
Intelligent software

Cons

Needs a lot of installation space

Bottom line

The use of additive manufacture technologies in jewelry has given a boost to the industry development and set up new standards in jewelry design. The possibility to print objects of extremely complex geometries and ultimate customization options open unlimited opportunities for the designers and provide the customers with absolutely new fascinating jewelry pieces.

Choice of technology and 3D printer for jewelry making, pros and cons

Currently, there are many new technologies that are designed to simplify production in various industries. Progress does not stand still and, despite some opponents, 3D printing has its own niche in the production of jewelry.

3D printing can speed up and reduce the cost of jewelry production due to the low cost of consumables. With 3D printers, jewelers have the ability to quickly change the design of a product and make prototypes at least several times a day. For many jewelry industries, 3D printing is becoming a good alternative or addition to milling machines and other equipment. nine0003

Until now, some believe that handmade is a sign of craftsmanship, especially when it comes to creative work, and models made using 3D modeling and printing are amateurish. But many people forget that behind the computer is the same person who not only mechanically presses the buttons, but also puts his soul into his creation.

Benefits of 3D printing

In order to understand how justified the use of a 3D printer is, you need to know how jewelry is made. This is very painstaking work. No wonder the expression "jewelry work" appeared, denoting a very delicate and complex work. nine0003

Any decoration begins with a sketch. Usually several sketches are made in order to accurately determine the design and location of the inserts. Not only stones are used as decor, it can be elements made of wood, bone, precious metals, it all depends on the designer's imagination.

At the next stage, the product is drawn in a 3D editor. This allows not only to visualize the future product, but also to correct some errors and inaccuracies made at the design stage. nine0003

Ring model

Some craftsmen still carve "stencils" by hand. Such work requires certain skills and perseverance. Usually this is how products are made that will be cast in a single copy.

A finished 3D model can have several ways to be implemented in a physical version - this is milling or 3D printing.

Stencil milling

Currently, 3D printing is not much inferior in accuracy to a milling machine and often has a significant advantage in speed, despite the fact that after printing it is still necessary to separate the supports and clean up the points of contact with the model. Once a physical model has been obtained, it can be cast immediately if the material used is wax or a burnable polymer.

If it is necessary to cast a large batch of products, then a mold is made from the master model made with the help of special rubber for subsequent wax casting. There are many types of rubber that vary in hardness and curing temperature. Rubber is selected depending on the material from which the master model is made. nine0003

For pouring molds, a special machine is usually used - an injector. In some models, you can not only heat the wax, but also vacuum it or leave it under pressure. This helps to reduce the number and size of air bubbles for better pouring of the rubber mold.

In home workshops, silicone is used instead of special rubber. After all, a special machine is needed to vulcanize rubber. But rubber molds are too soft and short-lived for making a large batch of stencils. nine0003

After making the required number of stencils, they are collected in "Christmas trees". "Elks" are waxes soldered to a wax rod. To save space, the distance between them is very small and they resemble fluffy Christmas trees, hence the name. The finished Christmas tree is weighed to calculate the required amount of metal. In some places, stones are immediately inserted into the stencils, unless another mounting option is provided.

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Stencil Christmas trees

Ready "Christmas trees" are placed in a special cylindrical "cassette" without a bottom, which is called a flask, and filled with a gypsum-based molding mass. The flask with uncured gypsum must be evacuated to get rid of unnecessary air bubbles that can lead to defects on the surface of the finished casting.

After hardening, the gypsum flask is sent to a muffle furnace to melt the wax. nine0003

The calcination mode is selected depending on the material of the wax. For wax or burnout polymer, different modes are needed in order for the material to be completely removed from the gypsum!!!!!!

When all the wax is melted, cavities are formed inside the gypsum, repeating the contours of the wax. Metal is poured into these voids. After casting, the flask is cooled and the gypsum mold mass is washed out under the pressure of water. The result is a metal Christmas tree. nine0003

Herringbone after casting

Finished castings are cut from the Christmas tree and washed, polished, if necessary, blackened by the master until the desired appearance is achieved.

3D printers for jewelers

There are several 3D printing technologies that may be suitable for the needs of jewelers. Each has its pros and cons. Some 3D printers are ideal for a large workshop, and some are ideal for a small workshop. nine0003

SLA

SLA or stereolithography is based on the principle of layer-by-layer solidification of a photopolymer resin under the action of a UV beam. The UV beam is focused by means of mirrors on the surface of the resin and illuminates the model in layers.

How the SLA Printer Works

SLA 3D printers were the first to be noticed by jewelers. SLA devices are compact, while they have high printing accuracy. nine0003

Pros and cons

pros

Minuses

Print examples

From prototype to finished product

Cast and printed ring

Rating of printers.

Leadership among the production of SLA 3D printers is held by Formlabs.

Formlabs Form 3

Specifications:

XY resolution: 25 µm

Laser spot size: 85 µm

Laser power: One 250mW laser

Working area size: 14.5×14.5×18.5cm

Layer thickness: 25 – 300 µm

A professional 3D printer that is popular with professional jewelers and dentists. nine0003

Formlabs Form 3L

Formlabs Form 3L

Specifications:

XY resolution: 25 µm

Laser spot size: 85 µm

Laser power: One 250mW laser

Working area size: 33. 5×20×30cm

Layer thickness: 25 – 300 µm

Form 3L differs from younger models in its large print area, which allows you to produce truly large products without losing quality and accuracy. nine0003

DLP/LCD

DLP is very similar to SLA, only as a source of UV radiation, to illuminate the photopolymer resin, not a directed beam of light is used, but a DLP projector. DLP printers illuminate the entire work area at once, so they greatly outperform SLA in print speed.

How a DLP Printer Works

Today it is one of the most affordable photopolymer 3D printing technologies. In terms of cost, LCD printers have caught up with the price level of amateur FDM. DLP printers are much more expensive due to the use of an expensive projector as a UV source. nine0003

The projector is of course more expensive, but more durable, on the other hand, the LCD display is not so expensive and can be easily seen, unlike the projector. What to choose each user decides for himself.

Pros and cons.

pros

Minuses

Print examples

Comparison between 3D printed master model and molded part

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Burnout resin model and finished product

Demonstration of products cast with burnout resin

Rating of printers.

The print accuracy of LCD printers depends on the pixel size, so you should pay attention to this parameter when choosing a printer.

Anycubic Photon Mono

Anycubic Photon Mono

Specifications:

LCD display resolution: 2560x1620 (2K)

XY Positioning Accuracy: 0.051mm

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 130x80x165 mm

Layer thickness: 0.01-0.15mm

The Anycubic Photon Mono is an inexpensive LCD machine ideal for hobby printing. The monochrome display allows you to reduce the exposure time and speed up printing. nine0003

Phrozen Sonic 4K

Phrozen Sonic 4K

Specifications:

LCD resolution: 6.1" 4K Mono LCD

XY positioning accuracy: 35 microns

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 134x75x200 mm

Layer thickness: 0.01-0.30mm

Phrozen Sonic 4K is specifically designed for use in the dental and jewelry industry. Despite its compact size, the printer is not inferior to professional machines in accuracy, and the exposure time of one layer is only a few seconds. nine0003

Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K

Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K

Specifications:

LCD resolution: 9.3" 4K Mono LCD

XY positioning accuracy: 52 microns

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 200x125x220 mm

Layer thickness: 0. 01-0.3mm nine0003

Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K is a professional device with a large print area. This allows you to quickly produce small batches of models.

Phrozen Sonic XL 4K

Phrozen Sonic XL 4K

Specifications:

LCD resolution: 8.9" 4K Mono-LCD

XY positioning accuracy: 50 microns

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 190x120x200 mm

Layer thickness: 0.01-0.3mm

The Phrozen Sonic XL 4K is a professional machine with a large print area and a high resolution monochrome LCD display. This allows you to quickly produce batches of products with high accuracy.

Peopoly Phenom XXL

Peopoly Phenom XXL

Specifications:

LCD display resolution: 3840x2160 (23.8", 16:9, UHD 4K)

XY positioning accuracy: 137 µm

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 527x296x550 mm

Layer thickness: 0. 01-0.3mm

The Peopoly Phenom XXL is a device with a huge build area, which is ideal for serial production of not only jewelry. nine0003

Phrozen Sonic MEGA 8K

Phrozen Sonic MEGA 8K

Specifications:

LCD resolution: 15" 8K Mono LCD

XY Positioning Accuracy: 43 µm

UV wavelength: 405 nm

Working area size: 330 x 185 x 400 mm

Layer thickness: 0.01-0.3mm

This is the first LCD printer with 8k monochrome matrix resolution, and a huge working area allows you to produce large batches of products in one print.

MJM/MJP

MJM (or similar PolyJet technology) is a technology for layering photopolymer or wax through many fine nozzles. Typically, the print head is located from 96 to 448, depending on the printer model.

If a photopolymer is used as a material, it is immediately cured by a UV lamp, which is located on the printer's head. nine0003

How the MJM printer works

In addition to photopolymer, MJM 3D printers can use wax as a material for printing.

MJM printers can print multiple materials at the same time. This allows you to print complex models with soluble or investment supports. This makes it possible to produce complex models with a smooth surface quickly and easily.

Pros and cons

pros

Ability to print multiple materials at the same time. This means that another, soluble material can be used as a support. This allows you to save a lot of time on removing the support from the finished model and cleaning up the places where the supports come into contact with the print.

Minuses

To install the printer, most likely, you will need a separate room. 3D printers based on MJM technology are quite bulky in their dimensions, this is not a device that can simply be placed on a desktop or nightstand. nine0003

Print examples

Seal of a lot of stencils

Ring printed with wax

Master models made on MJM printer

Lot of jewelry stencils for further casting nine0003

Printer rating

FlashForge WaxJet 410

Specifications:

Materials: Wax, support material.

Resolution: 1200*1200*1600

Building area size: 289*218*150mm

Layer thickness: 16 microns nine0003

Accuracy: ±0.04mm / 20mm

The FlashForge WaxJet 410 is an industrial machine designed for serial printing of wax models, which will then be cast from metal. Machines of this class can be useful not only in jewelry production, but also in the dental industry, aerospace, mechanical engineering, prototyping, etc.

Totals

Photopolymer 3D printers are no longer inferior in detail to professional milling machines. The main advantage of a 3D printer is the ability to produce models of complex geometry with many internal cavities that are physically impossible to produce on a router. nine0003

Large firms will appreciate the flexibility that allows them to quickly adapt to customer requirements, as well as quickly produce large and small batches of products due to the shortening of the production chain.

And for a small workshop, a small photopolymer printer with a can of burn-out resin can be a good help, eliminating the need to purchase some expensive machines.

Jewelry resins for 3D printing

Jewelery Resins for 3D Printing

3D PRINTING MATERIALS FOR JEWELRY MANUFACTURING

Jewelery Resins and the world's best-selling Formlabs desktop SLA 3D printers accurately reproduce the finesse of the frame, the smoothness of the teeth, the smoothness of the teeth also small details. Whether it's 3D printing samples for customer fitting, casting models for custom jewelry making, or creating reusable molds for jewelry production, Formlabs has the right material for a variety of applications. nine0003

Form 3 digital jewelry manufacturing workflows reduce the time and labor associated with traditional manual processes. Customized models can now be saved as digital designs to be modified or recreated as needed. With easy-to-cast materials such as Castable Wax 40 Resin, the Form 3 is able to efficiently create elegant casting patterns to meet specific customer requirements. nine0003

Learn more about Form 3

See the future of digital jewelry making with your own eyes and see how our material works for your production by mailing you a free 3D printed sample.

Want to learn more or need help moving to a digital workflow? Do you need a large batch of polymers? We are always happy to help!

Specifications

Download Safety Data Sheets and Specifications for all Formlabs materials.