In the field of stainless steel jewelry manufacturing, wax mold forming technology is hailed as the “hand of creation” for complex shapes. This precision casting method, which combines traditional craftsmanship with digital technology, can transform imaginative designs into physical objects. This article will reveal the entire process of wax mold forming, helping you master the underlying logic of high-end jewelry manufacturing.
After modeling with design software such as Rhino and Matrix, the wax spraying machine stacks wax layers with a precision of 0.02mm, enabling the creation of complex structures such as hollowed-out chain links and micro-inlaid claw positions that are impossible to achieve by traditional manual methods. The efficiency is increased by more than five times.
The silver plates carved by senior artisans with files still have irreplaceable effects in the treatment of retro textures and irregular textures, and are often seen in the development of haute couture series.
In the leading factories in Chang ‘an Town, Dongguan, 80% of the orders have adopted computer-engraved wax plates, and the development cycle has been shortened from 7 days to 48 hours.
The rubber mold pressing technology uses food-grade silicone (hardness 30-40 Shore A) to wrap the silver plate and vulcanizes it at 150℃ for 20 minutes to ensure that even fine pinholes of 0.1mm can be perfectly replicated.
Then vacuum wax injection is carried out. Liquid wax at 70℃ is injected into the rubber mold under a pressure of 2kg/cm². Combined with vacuum deaeration technology, defects such as flow marks and pores are eliminated.
Then, the wax model was finely refined and the wax tree was planted. The laser inspection instrument scanned the wax model and compared it with the 3D drawing for tolerance (±0.05mm). Defects such as broken claws and sand holes were manually repaired. A wax tree with a diameter of 30cm can hold 300 to 500 wax molds, which are arranged at a 45° Angle to maximize the utilization of casting space.
Finally, for the gypsum mold, nano-scale gypsum powder and water are mixed in a ratio of 1.3:1. Double vacuum degassing is carried out to prevent craters and burrs on the surface of the casting. The smelting was carried out in a vacuum environment of 0.01Pa. 316L stainless steel was heated to 1500℃, and the impurity content was reduced to below 0.02%. A centrifugal force of 800 revolutions per minute drives molten steel to fill the gypsum mold, ensuring that 0.2mm thin-walled parts can also be completely formed. The liquid nitrogen cooling system reduces the temperature of the casting from 1000℃ to 200℃ within 15 seconds, refines the grain size to 8μm (50μm in the traditional process), and increases the hardness by 30%.
It performs very well in terms of dimensional accuracy, surface finish and material purity. When the key parts are inspected with a three-coordinate measuring instrument, the tolerance should be ≤±0.1mm and the roughness Ra should be ≤0.8μm (equivalent to mirror polishing). When inspected with an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, the nickel content should be controlled at 10-14%
3D printed wax molds combined with traditional casting achieve ultra-complex hollow structures
Wax mold forming technology is driving stainless steel jewelry into an era of “micron-level precision”. For practitioners, mastering 3D design capabilities, upgrading vacuum casting equipment, and establishing a digital quality control system will become the key to breaking through homogeneous competition. Those enterprises that adhere to the dual-track approach of “craftsmanship spirit + technological innovation” are destined to gain the upper hand in the high-end market.
