72 service@zcorp.com
The instructions below are specific to molds produced on Z Corporation Printers. It is assumed that the user
currently owns a thermoforming system and is familiar with using molds created from other techniques for creat-
ing thermoformed parts.
The process for making molds is straightforward. Good design of the molds will be the first and most important
step in the process.
Design Considerations
1. Material – Plaster
2. Thickness - Capital equipment (presses) will vary from plant to plant. The optimum thickness (minimum
material use = minimum cost) for the mold will vary as well, but we recommend beginning with a minimum
thickness of 1.5" (38 mm).
3. Printing the small size holes needed for the vacuum is unrealistic. The tool designer may place ‘guide’ holes
or marks in the part to act as guides for drilling, but the process will require the use of a mechanical drill to fully
incorporate the hole into the mold. Drill diameters should be the same as used when creating molds from
aluminum or other non-permeable materials.
4. Drying – the molds will need approximately four hours minimum of drying time at 150
o
F (66
o
C) to maintain a
usable strength.
5. It is often useful to use STL editing features to improve the accuracy of the final mold. If using the Magics RP
software for STL file editing, read the help section regarding the offset function. In summary:
a. For applying correction to the part on flat faces of the block, use the Extrude command on each face.
For the faces of the part that have curved features, use the offset command.
6. Resin
a. Epoxy resin works best in terms of speed, ease of use, and strength.
7. Sanding is optional – some users are satisfied with the surface finish as is.
8. Usage life - Individual molds have consistently produced 10-20 parts successfully without the use of a release
agent.
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