The lost-wax casting is the fastest, most cost-effective and precise method for making jewelry and fashion accessories. The standards are very high, as well as productivity. In other words, you can produce many pieces, quickly and with the best results.
The top quality of the waxes and the ability of the injectors to create the vacuum are decisive for the success of the finished pieces. But there is another very important factor in improving quality and reducing production time: mold cooling.
Our state-of-the-art coolers guarantee the highest quality of the finished pieces and optimize productivity by significantly reducing the process times. Let's see how.
Mold cooling: an extremely important phase of the process
Before moving on to the coolers, let's briefly summarize the steps of the lost-wax casting process.
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First the master (model to be replicated) is made, which can be made of metal or with the 3D printer; then the silicone rubber or liquid silicone mold is made with the master inside, after which the wax is injected.
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The Masterix injectors create a vacuum both inside the wax reservoir and inside the mold, thus avoiding micro air bubbles that would not allow the mold to be completely filled.
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The filled rubber molds are moved to the coolers. Once the wax is solid, the mold is opened and the wax model taken out.
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The wax models are welded to a wax "tree".
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The tree is dived in a plaster solution. A plaster shell is created around the wax tree.
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The plaster is fired, the wax melts and runs off from the lower base.
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Into this plaster shell, molten metal is poured, which takes the shape of the tree and the pieces.
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The plaster shell is opened, the forms attached to the tree detached and finished.
The cooling phase is fundamental for the entire process: the correct cooling affects both the quality of the piece and the production times.
Mold cooling prevents flaws and imperfections
The melted wax injected into the rubber molds has a temperature ranging from 70° to 80°C. The rubber mold overheats and this can lead to two problems:
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Microbubbles may form on the surface
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The silicone mold that automatically overheats after several uses, subjected to pressure from the clamps to hold it in place in front of the nozzle, deforms and the wax model inside will not look like the initial master.
In all cases, we will have a considerable waste of material because the piece is defective and cannot be put on the market.
In the LOST-WAX CASTING process, the rubber molds can be used many times. Cooling the molds quickly and effectively, therefore, protects the matrices from potential damage and extends their "life".
Mold cooling optimizes production
The silicone rubber must cool in order to ensure that the wax model inside is solidified. If we had to wait for the rubber to cool down naturally, we would have to stop production.
The longer it takes the mold to be usable again, the lower the production. The lower the production, the lower the profits.
With the cooling system, conversely, we can save time
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During the production process, the rubber mold is filled with molten wax. Cooling at this stage ensures a defect-free part because it facilitates extraction
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Between one investment casting and another, the newly opened mold is already cold and therefore ready to be reused immediately.
Furthermore, if the molds are reusable immediately after extraction, there is no need to produce large quantities. The amount of molds used for each model is reduced to the bare minimum, with no waste of time, material, or resources.
Why choose Mastercool coolers from Masterix?
Our Mastercool coolers enable rapid mold cooling after the injection. This process
- significantly speeds up cycle times and increases productivity
- ensures perfect results and protects the molds from prolonged exposure to high temperatures, making them last longer
We have two models with different sizes and capacities for the different production needs of the jewelry market. Besides being advantageous for production, these machines are extremely easy to use.
The desired temperature is set directly from the LCD display and is kept constant over time, for perfect jewellery and accessories and fully optimized the lost wax investment casting.
