The Key Technology of 3D Printing Mold Processing

The key technologies of 3D printing mold processing mainly include material selection, printing process optimization, design innovation and post-processing.

3D printing molds have a wide selection of materials, including plastic, metal, ceramics, etc. Different materials have different physical and chemical properties, such as strength, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, etc., which are crucial to the performance of the mold and the quality of the final product. When choosing materials, you also need to consider the cost factor. For example, the cost of plastic molds is usually lower than that of metal molds and is suitable for small batch production and prototyping.

The accuracy of 3D printing molds directly affects the size and quality of the final product. By optimizing the printing process, such as adjusting the printing speed, temperature, layer thickness and other parameters, the printing accuracy can be improved and the error can be reduced. Optimizing the printing process can also improve production efficiency and shorten the production cycle. For example, the adoption of high-speed printing technology or parallel printing technology can significantly speed up printing.

FDM is one of the most economical 3D printing solutions for plastic mold making, but visible lamination can occur with this method, which needs to be removed by post-processing. SLA and DLP technologies use photosensitive resins as materials that are cured layer by layer by UV light or laser. They have high precision and surface quality and are suitable for the production of high-precision molds. SLS This technology uses a laser beam to sintered powder material layer by layer. It uses a wide range of forming materials, including metal, ceramics, etc., suitable for many types of mold making.

In the 3D printing process, in order to maintain the stability of the mold, it is usually necessary to add a support structure. After printing is complete, these support structures need to be removed. In order to improve the surface quality and performance of the mold, surface treatment processes such as grinding, polishing, and electroplating may be required.

In summary, the key technologies of 3D printing mold processing involve many aspects such as material selection, printing process optimization and post-processing. The integrated application of these technologies can significantly improve the performance and quality of molds to meet a variety of complex and personalized production needs.