|
Post by juliank22 on Feb 26, 2022 15:16:37 GMT -5
Hi,
I am currently in the process of designing my own chocolate bars and hollow figures.
I have 3D-models of everything, and want to 3D print them, then make molds out of the 3D-Prints. However, 3D-printing materials are not food safe. The only option I have is to make silicon molds out of the 3D-Prototypes.
Does anyone know of a food safe resin/mold that is actually rigid/stiff, similar to polycarbonate?
I just don't know where to start or ask. Most videos on youtube show the silicon way only.
I'd be delighted if anyone wants to share his or her experience.
Thanks in advance! Julian
|
|
|
Post by Chip on Feb 26, 2022 16:54:02 GMT -5
juliank22 , I have been 3d printing for about 3 years now. The most common and least expensive filament is PLA, and it is totally food safe. It prints a rigid form, much like polycarbonate. You would have to do some work however to get the molds as smooth as poly. You can do that by dipping the molds in resin and using UV light to cure them, which will make them totally smooth. PET, PET-G, Nylon and some ABS is also food safe. But again, smoothness is an issue. The smallest nozzle that I know of is 0.2mm, so that means you would have .2mm "lines" in the mold. 3d printers operate by putting a layer upon layer upon layer, and you determine the thickness, but so does the nozzle. Hope this helps.
|
|
|
Post by Fat Rabbit Coffee on Oct 28, 2022 19:26:03 GMT -5
I'm just popping in to say I'm in the exact same situation. I've Googled a lot about "food safe" with 3D printed plastics and as with most things internet, the research is confusing.
Chip - have you successfully made your own 3D printed molds and used them?
I think the resolution is relative. Probably not fine enough for professionally produced chocolate but totally fine for hobby chocolate to share with friends and family.
Julian - check out Smooth-on.com. They have a wide variety of different silicones you can mix yourself. They recommended Sorta Clear 37 to me but sounds like it requires a vacuum pot to remove air bubbles and not sure I want to invest in one just to experiment with it possibly once or twice.
You can also contact Tomric.com to have them make you professionally produced molds but that's gonna cost $$$.
Dan
|
|
|
Post by Fat Rabbit Coffee on Nov 13, 2022 11:32:23 GMT -5
I've been doing a whole lot of research since I last commented here. I tried molding directly from a 3D print the other day but it was really hard to release and came out in pieces. It was still fun to put it together like a jigsaw puzzle and see my first creation. It may be possible to improve the releasing process but I'm guessing molding directly into a 3D print isn't really the way to go.
I mentioned silicone with Sorta Clear 37 above. I still haven't tried it but spoke to someone who said the initial layer could be brushed on and then the rest poured on top of that to avoid having to buy a vacuum pot to eliminate the bubbles. There still may be bubbles present but with the initial layer brushed on, any bubbles on top of that are irrelevant and won't affect the final product.
Finally I'm looking into vacuum forming which I'm leaning towards as the way to go as it seems a lot more cost effective. There are a bunch of DIY vacuum forming machines you can make for a lot less than buying one (cheapest store bought I found is around $100 for the WR MoldPress and next step up is $500).
Anyway, I'll update this thread if anyone is interested in hearing my results. There's a good chance I'll try the silicone after the vacuum forming just to satisfy my curiosity.
d
|
|
|
Post by Fat Rabbit Coffee on Jan 9, 2023 12:41:51 GMT -5
I made my own vacuum former from plans I found on the internet. It worked but the suction from the design and my shop vac wasn't great enough to pull good detail from the 3D prints I made. It would be fine for simple sloping designs but if you look at my avatar logo, the general shape came out but without crisp lines around the ears and feet for example. Then I bought a dental vacuum former for around $130. The downside is the surface area is only 5" square but it works great and is compact and self-contained. I'll never make an individual mold that is 5" wide so a bit more trouble to make several if I want to create a mold containing several shapes together but the process is really easy and the material pretty cheap. amzn.to/3CCyqCeLink to what I purchased above. If anyone is interested I'll post a pic of the sample I made. If only for fun, I'm hoping to offer to make custom shapes for people.
|
|