SiOmaster

Frequently asked questions

• Taking details from digital to physical

  3D printing has become a go-to solution for the production of many models: industrial parts, prototypes, and miniatures. However, once the production quantities increase to the hundreds, it makes sense to switch to spin casting in metal or injection molding with SiOCAST machines to produce plastic parts. In such cases, 3D printing is used just as a first step to turning a digital model into a physical object. This 3D printed model is then placed into silicone to create a mold, which, in turn, will be used to produce multiple copies of that initial 3D printed model.

  Anyone who has ever tried making silicone molds knows that silicone takes the tiniest details from the master model and replicates that in the final product. Therefore, the 3D printed master models that are being copied have to capture details just as the digital designer imagined them. SiOmaster resin does exactly that.

  Not only does it print great and reproduces all details of the model, but it also has a balanced amount of flexibility. This flexibility is crucial during the silicone vulcanization process. During this process, the silicone is placed under high pressure and high temperature inside a steel frame. Other 3D printing resins with high-temperature resistance will break due to the high pressure. On the other hand, flexible resins will deform due to high temperatures and produce deformed molds. SiOmaster resin has just enough flexibility to withstand pressure and sufficient temperature resistance to stay stiff enough at higher temperatures. All of this prevents tiny details from breaking during the vulcanization process while maintaining the dimensional accuracy of the parts.

• 3D printer compatibility

  This resin is compatible with most LCD and DLP resin 3D printers equipped with light sources emitting 385-420nm UV light. It is compatible with both color and monochrome LCD 3D printers.

  We have recommended 3D printing settings for many 3D printers here: AmeraLabs resin settings.

• Silicone compatibility

  SiOmaster resin works perfectly with SiOmold silicones from SiOCAST.

  We have also tried several other silicones from different manufacturers and had no issues with any of them.

  We were able to make molds with silicones vulcanized at temperatures ranging from 90° to 180° C.

• Cleaning

  This 3D material should not be left submerged in solvents for extended periods of time. By all means, do not leave the material submerged in IPA or any other liquid for more than 40 minutes. Doing so might ruin your models and affect the final properties of the polymer material.

  If you use Wash and Cure or a similar washing station, leave the printed object submerged in IPA for 12 minutes. Depending on the results, you can repeat this step again and leave for an additional six minutes.

  If you prefer cleaning with ordinary IPA baths, here is our easy four-step cleaning procedure:

  • After taking your printed object off the build plate, leave it submerged in the IPA bath for 10 minutes.
  • Swirl the IPA bath with our part in it actively for another one minute.
  • After swirling, leave it undisturbed, but fully submerged for another 10 minutes. At this point, it would be wise to change the IPA to a clean one.
  • Finally, swirl the bath actively again for one minute.
  • Evaluate the cleaning results and repeat this procedure only once (if needed).

  If you prefer cleaning with an ultrasonic cleaner, we recommend placing a printed part into the container with IPA, closing it well, and putting the container into the ultrasonic cleaner filled with water. Leave it for no more than 10 minutes. No additional heating is necessary.

• Support removal

  With a proper support strategy, support removal is easy. Use a high density of supports with 0.2 – 0.6 mm tips. Since printed models are a bit soft before post-curing, you will be able to peel off your supports easily.

  A few more tips:

  • It’s easier to remove supports right after cleaning and before post-curing.
  • However, some complicated models might warp a little bit during post-curing. Thus, in some cases, you might want to remove supports after post-curing. Supports will keep your model in place and won’t let it deform.
  • If you have used thicker supports and it is difficult to remove supports, use a heat gun or a bath of hot water to heat up your print. This will make supports softer and easier to remove.

• Post-curing

  Post-curing time depends on your curing station. It can vary from five minutes to one hour (until the surface of your 3D print becomes non-sticky). You should post-cure immediately after cleaning and drying. After proper post-curing, the surface of SiOmaster printed resin models should be completely non-sticky and hard to scratch.

  Models that are post-cured longer will be stiffer and have lower flexibility. So if you find that some of your 3D printed masters bend during vulcanization, try post-curing the 3D printed models longer. This will make them stiffer and help with maintaining accurate geometries.

  On the other hand, models that were post-cured for a very long time will handle fewer vulcanization cycles before breaking.

• Printing tips

  In short, for a successful print, we recommend the following:

  • Level your build plate.
  • If it’s your first print with this resin, print something small first. We recommend this calibration model.
  • Find initial printing settings here: AmeraLabs resin settings.
  • Use support column thickness of 1-2 mm, and support tip thickness of 0.2-0.6 mm.
  • Use an attachment layer.
  • Do not hollow your models. Print them solid.
  • Use slower lift speeds. Five mm/min for bottom layers, 40-60 mm/min for normal layers.
  • Let us know if you have any trouble. We are here to help: Facebook messenger,  support@ameralabs.com

• Vulcanizing tips

  Follow the silicone manufacturer’s instructions for the correct vulcanization times and temperatures. Also, de-gas the molds according to the silicone manufacturer’s guidelines. Use a releasing agent like the SiOCAST releasing agent to prevent the masters from sticking to the silicone rubber. Finally, regularly check the parallelism of your vulcanization machine and mold frames.