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<p>Silicone rubber molds are widely used in rapid tooling to produce complex wax patterns for investment casting. Traditional mold design often relies on trial-and-error, which can lead to poor efficiency and inconsistent quality. This study presents a simulation-based method to improve mold performance. The method focuses on optimizing gate size and vent location. The wax filling behavior was studied using Moldex3D. Gate diameters from 8 to 16&#xa0;mm were tested under both vertical and horizontal casting. The results show that a 14-mm gate gives the best filling time and balanced flow. At this size, the effect of casting direction becomes minimal. Vent positions were chosen based on areas where air was trapped during the simulation. These locations were then tested using real molds with complex shapes. Two industrial parts, a water pipe and a wheel rim, were made using this method. Both showed complete pattern quality and less trapped wax. This method does not depend on one specific software. It can be used with other simulation tools or by using experimental data. The approach provides a simple and effective way to design better molds for investment casting.</p>

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Innovative data-driven design of silicone rubber molds for precision wax pattern fabrication

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月10日

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  • Chil-Chyuan Kuo,
  • Zhe-Zhi Lin,
  • Armaan Farooqui,
  • Song-Hua Huang

摘要

Silicone rubber molds are widely used in rapid tooling to produce complex wax patterns for investment casting. Traditional mold design often relies on trial-and-error, which can lead to poor efficiency and inconsistent quality. This study presents a simulation-based method to improve mold performance. The method focuses on optimizing gate size and vent location. The wax filling behavior was studied using Moldex3D. Gate diameters from 8 to 16 mm were tested under both vertical and horizontal casting. The results show that a 14-mm gate gives the best filling time and balanced flow. At this size, the effect of casting direction becomes minimal. Vent positions were chosen based on areas where air was trapped during the simulation. These locations were then tested using real molds with complex shapes. Two industrial parts, a water pipe and a wheel rim, were made using this method. Both showed complete pattern quality and less trapped wax. This method does not depend on one specific software. It can be used with other simulation tools or by using experimental data. The approach provides a simple and effective way to design better molds for investment casting.