The way jewelers work is changing, and castable photopolymer resins are leading the way. From independent designers concepting and prototyping in their studios, to casting houses increasing capacity and diversifying their offerings, additive manufacturing techniques are increasingly key to growing a successful jewelry business.
Highly capable equipment and materials help designers and manufacturers free up time that would be spent making or preparing pieces by hand.
While traditional wax 3D printers are expensive and hard to maintain, high-quality resin 3D printing is increasingly accessible and scalable for jewelers at all levels thanks to affordable desktop 3D printing options from Formlabs.
Before bringing 3D printing in-house, I’ve outsourced waxes to be printed, only to discover I needed thicker or thinner dimensions in the first design. I’m super excited about the new Castable Wax Resin, the detail was outstanding in the initial prints and the material was so much easier to invest and cast.
- Andrew Goldstein, Vice President, Zina Sterling Silver
Highly detailed and challenging jewelry is complicated to produce by hand, and in a world driven by high demand and fast fashion, it can be difficult for hand-crafted pieces to keep pace.
Castable Wax Resin was formulated to set the standard for print quality on an affordable desktop 3D printer, combining the smooth surface finish that stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technology is known for with increased part strength and precise print settings to capture astonishingly sharp detail. Now you can create 3D printed wax-like patterns that accurately capture fine features, like raised text, delicate filigree wires and meshes, and detailed pavé, with no visible layer lines.
By focusing on the most challenging geometries during product development, we were able to create a material capable of accurately printing designs of all kinds. Castable Wax is our best all-around material for investment casting or lost wax casting, and is strong enough to be used for initial test fittings or prototyping designs.
Castable Wax Resin is 20% wax-filled for clean, easy casting with fast, reliable burnout. This material is suitable for a standard burnout schedule or a short 8-hour burnout schedule using strong investments like R&R’s Ultravest Maxx, developed specifically to withstand faster heating for photopolymer casting.
This resin does not require post-curing, making part preparation fast and foolproof–no wondering if a part is fully cured and ready to cast. After a quick wash in isopropyl alcohol, parts are clean and ready to handle, with no residual tackiness.
The Standard Burnout Schedule is recommended for overnight cycles and for larger flasks and heavier geometries.
The Standard Burnout schedule is designed to provide the maximum possible investment strength and complete burnout of the finest details using R&R Plasticast or similar investment materials.
There's no need to buy an expensive wax 3D printer anymore. Advanced materials and affordable in-house 3D printers, like the Form 3 jewelry 3D printer, are changing the way jewelry manufacturers and designers work, bringing industrial quality to the desktop and making it easier to produce and fit complicated geometries that once required hours of meticulous labor.
