Global 3D printing solutions provider B9Creations prides itself on promising up front just what it can deliver, and what it’s offering now could impact the jewelry industry. The company, which serves customers and dealers in nearly 70 countries, has launched 3D printed jewelry molds created with its new elastomeric formula, Resilient – Silicone resin. B9 Creations says its new mold-making material is a high-detail, less costly replacement for traditional rubber jewelry molds, offering flexibility for easier removal of delicate materials, such as wax, and able to deliver high-volume runs for mass production of jewelry.
“This is a game-changer for the jewelry industry! I’ve had enormous success printing molds in Resilient – Silicone, and moving from traditional methods to 3D printing will save me thousands of dollars every year,” said Patrick Dobbs, Owner and Master Jeweler at Hammerman Forge. “And the time savings associated with this are huge! I can do the CAD work in 45 minutes to an hour, put it on the printer, and I’m injecting molds within three to four hours! Before, with rubber molds, I’d start in the morning and couldn’t even get the master in the oven by the end of the day.”
Typical rubber jewelry molds can cost at least $1,000, but for all that money, only have a 6-8 month shelf life, and jewelers have a hard time getting consistent results, as they can’t perfectly replicate existing jewelry molds. But 3D printed jewelry molds make it possible for jewelers to exactly duplicate mold designs and achieve accurate geometry of mating parts. B9Creations says it can offer 3D printed molds that cost less than $10 and can be mass produced in just minutes, enabling creation of jewelry designs—like round objects, hollow filigree beads, and two-tone castings—that are more expensive to create with conventional methods, and take longer as well.
“3D printing my molds cuts at least three steps out of the original production process, and no master,” Oscar Valencia, owner of Master Casting & CAD, said about B9 Creations’ newest offering. “I’ve printed at least 70 molds already, and now I’m up to 15 a day!”
The company’s new Resilient – Silicone resin is compatible with the B9 Core 5 Series XL 3D printer, which is its largest-format system as of right now. With this printer, which features a build volume of 124.8 x 70.2 x 127 mm and < 25 micron effective resolution, jewelers won’t need to choose between a larger build area or better accuracy: the B9 Core 5 Series XL offers both, which enables jewelers to achieve high-precision jewelry molds at volume production.
The surface finish and part accuracy enabled by 3D printing a jewelry mold, rather than using a rubber one, are said to be much better, and B9Creations says that by printing a mold insert in either its Robust – ABS/PC or HD Slate resins, then putting it into the outer portion of the mold—printed with its Resilient – Silicone resin, of course—it’s possible to create designs that have more detail, but don’t require as much polishing and finishing. Additionally, these 3D printed molds are great for parts, like jewelry, that need high accuracy and surface finish.
“Ideal for parts that need to withstand flexing, compression, and bending. Even through repeated cycles, Resilient-Silicone Resin will spring back quickly to its original shape,” B9Creations says about the elastomeric material on its website.
With its new elastomeric Resilient – Silicone resin and large-format B9 Core 5 Series XL 3D printer, B9 Creations is replacing traditional rubber jewelry molds with 3D printed silicone ones for wax injection, which is helping jewelers save time, grow their revenue, and cut unnecessary costs.
If you’re interested in live demos of B9Creations’ printers, and in learning more about its 3D printed jewelry molds, visit the company at booth #43080 at the upcoming JCK Las Vegas event. Additionally, you can see Hammerman Forge’s Patrick Dobbs demonstrate how to design jewelry molds in CAD at the booth from 12-3 pm on August 28th.
(Source/Images: B9Creations)