Forms

The most important differentiating aspect is what sort of material we want to cast in let say how compatible the materials (moulds and resin) are with each other. That basically determines the material of the moulds. For example, an epoxy resin is normally cast into a silicone mould because it does not adhere to it.

Although using a suitable release agent we could cast epoxy resin even in epoxy mould. Food moulds must be prepared from food grade silicone rubber and if you want to bake the cake in the mould it also should be thermostable to that extent.

The shape, the form and the construction of the mould are highly important too. A single part mould is rarely sufficient for casting items with complex geometry and multiple undercuts. So a multipart mould is very often required.

The elements of those need to be fitted accurately so the mould itself can be quite complicated.

Further aspects are to be considered:

• application temperature
• the accuracy to be achieved the surface quality of the replica
• the durability
• the number of times the form can be used without loss of quality
• the production cost