Xometry.pro
en – EU
Knowledge & Community
Search
K
Quote & source your parts
Europe Europe
English DeutschFrançaisItalianoEspañol
Türkiye Türkiye
English Türkçe
United Kingdom United Kingdom
English
Global Global
English
select
navigate
switch tabs
Esc close

Get Instant Quote

Use our Instant Quoting Engine to easily quote and source your parts online

Get a Quote
Back
 Profile
Menu
Materials Library
Manufacturing Stories & Cases
Articles
E-Books & Guides
Free Tools
Webinars
Free Courses
Community Discussions
Create Topic
Quote & Source Your Parts
Get a Quote

Edit topic

Home Xometry Community Industrial Design Draft angles for master model?

Draft angles for master model?

0
P
3

hi, I’m designing the master model for a silicone mold (for vacuum casting) and wondering about the necessity of incorporating draft angles. Is it always required to include draft angles in the design, or are there specific cases where the material properties, mold complexity, or part geometry allow for skipping them? These holes in a cutaway detail are a good example, should I draft or not draft? thank you

Link copied
Solved by Rafael Angulo
They’re only important if the next stage is a plan to go to more rigid, higher production capacity methods. Injection molding demands thorough care with draft angles to enable smooth ejection. Building them saves time for knock-on design changes later. Your model would closely match the final part. For a prototype or one-off design, they’re basically of no value. Silicone molds are so flexible they allow you to focus on part function without worrying about extraction. However, where a part’s geometry has deep or sharp features, adding draft angles might extend the mold's service life by reducing stress.
    • P

      hi, I’m designing the master model for a silicone mold (for vacuum casting) and wondering about the necessity of incorporating draft angles. Is it always required to include draft angles in the design, or are there specific cases where the material properties, mold complexity, or part geometry allow for skipping them? These holes in a cutaway detail are a good example, should I draft or not draft? thank you

      0
      Reply
    • R

      No, draft angles aren’t strictly necessary when vacuum casting in silicone molds, but they might help in these long draws if you drill to parallel after casting. The flexibility of silicone means it can handle undercuts and intricate geometries without the need for any consideration of draft angles. This makes it easy to create complex shapes that would otherwise need much more complexity/processing in rigid molds.

      0
      Reply
      Link copied
      • P
        Rafael Angulo

        thanks. In what situations would you recommend adding draft angles?

        0
        Reply
        Link copied
      • R
        Pete Read

        They’re only important if the next stage is a plan to go to more rigid, higher production capacity methods. Injection molding demands thorough care with draft angles to enable smooth ejection. Building them saves time for knock-on design changes later. Your model would closely match the final part. For a prototype or one-off design, they’re basically of no value. Silicone molds are so flexible they allow you to focus on part function without worrying about extraction. However, where a part’s geometry has deep or sharp features, adding draft angles might extend the mold’s service life by reducing stress.

        0
        Reply
        Link copied
Draft angles for master model?
Your information:




Suggested Topics

Topic
Replies
Views
Activity
Design challenge: rope-to-rope transfer in a small cylindrical coupling
Industrial Design
Hi, working now on a small-scale linear actuator project and need a compact coupling between two coaxial cylinders. Both are 44 mm in diameter, with the upper one hollow (22 mm inner Ø). The... read more
V
0
6
Oct 15
Compact linear slide – how to balance smooth travel with lateral stability
Industrial Design
hi!I’m working on a compact linear slide mechanism for a handheld inspection tool. The carriage rides between two vertical guide rails and has to remain laterally constrained while still moving smoothly along the axis.... read more
C
A
4
85
Oct 15
Slim linear guide for precise lab automation stage
Industrial Design
I’m designing a compact linear stage for a lab automation setup, used to move a microplate (about 300 grams) precisely along a 150 mm travel. The system needs to achieve repeatability under ±0.05 mm... read more
J
i
1
761
Sep 02
Advice on plastic insert gripping an inner rotating tube
Industrial Design
Hello, I'm designing a plastic coupling sleeve to mount an aluminum shaft (20 mm OD) from the inside. The sleeve needs to grip the shaft firmly enough to transmit rotational torque from a small... read more
P
J
4
744
Aug 21
O-ring seal design for removable marine sensor housing
Industrial Design
Hi! My project is a small-scale marine sensor housing; it needs to stay functional when briefly submerged (around 0.5 m depth) or exposed to heavy splashes on a boat deck. I’m using a machined... read more
H
H
D
9
1.3k
Aug 22

Edit topic