Mechanical · CAD & Manufacturing

Injection-Molded Part Design & Simulation

Intermediate 4 weeks 30-50 hours

Design a part for molding, 3D print a prototype, and build a simple silicone mold to cast copies in resin. Measure shrinkage and warp on real casts vs your simulation.

Major

Mechanical

Focus area

CAD & Manufacturing

Total hours

30-50 hours

What you'll need

  • silicone mold making rubber kit
  • epoxy casting resin kit clear
  • PLA 3D printer filament 1.75mm 1kg
  • digital caliper 6 inch stainless steel measuring tool
  • silicone mixing cups and stir sticks set
  • PLA 3D printer filament 1.75mm for parts
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Steps

  1. Design a part in CAD using molding rules like draft angles and even wall thickness.
  2. Run a mold flow or shrinkage simulation if your CAD software offers one.
  3. 3D print the master part and build a two-part silicone mold around it.
  4. Cast several copies in resin.
  5. Measure shrinkage and warp on each cast with calipers and compare to your design.
  6. Document the process and measurements for your portfolio.

What to photograph for your portfolio

  • Master part
  • silicone mold
  • resin casts
  • measured shrinkage vs prediction

Resume bullet starters

Copy one, then swap in your own numbers.

  • Engineered an injection-molded part design & simulation using Injection molding principles, CAD, casting

  • Applied dimensional measurement to implement, test, and validate the analysis end-to-end

Skills you'll show off

Injection molding principlesCADcastingdimensional measurement

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