How Rapid Prototyping Is Transforming the Jewelry Industry
Before, jewelry making was a process only open to a limited number of individuals such as silversmiths, goldsmiths, gem cutters, and metalworkers. These individuals are highly specialized, and they use different methods such as hand drawing, drafting, etc., in the process. However, the rise in computer-controlled rapid prototyping techniques such as 3D Printing and CNC machining has transformed the jewelry industry. Consequently, there is a rise in the use of jewelry prototype manufacturers who use the process to prototype, visualize, and iterate their pieces before final production.
This article will discuss jewelry prototype manufacturers’ and jewelry designers’ use of rapid processing. It will then introduce the two common rapid prototyping techniques and their benefits. Read on!
Rapid Prototyping Processes in the Jewelry Industry
Traditional jewelry design practices, such as hand drawing and drafting, are still commonly used in jewelry production. However, many jewelry designers turn to computer-aided design (CAD) software tools to create unique jewelry prototypes due to several reasons. By using a CAD model of a ring, bracelet, earrings, or other forms of jewelry, a jewelry prototype can easily be reproduced by jewelry prototype manufacturers using a computer-controlled production process. This is easier than traditional jewelry design practices that require extensive expertise to reduce errors and time.
General Effects of Rapid Prototyping in the Jewelry Industry
Rapid jewelry prototyping has a lot of effect in many manufacturing industries, and the jewelry industry is no exception. Below are a few effects of the set of processes in the industry:
· It Reduces Production Time
Generally, with rapid prototyping, jewelry prototype manufacturers can rapidly produce a jewelry prototype or a pattern for casting. As a result, it allows jewelry designers to focus more of their time on the design phase. For example, it becomes easy to develop new and creative designs and tweak the jewelry prototype until they are just right.
· It Improves Customization
Moreover, rapid prototyping is opening up the possibilities for creating custom jewelry. Based on the jewelry designer’s demand, it is easy for jewelry prototype manufacturers to quickly modify the size, form, or details of a piece in CAD software and then rapidly iterate a physical jewelry prototype.
· It Reduces the Chances of Errors
Rapid prototyping processes are becoming more popular with jewelry designers because they reduce the chances of encountering errors. With the processes involved, jewelry designers can make a jewelry prototype, check for errors, and ultimately correct such errors.
· It Has Less Cost
The traditional method of jewelry making has a higher cost based on the intricacy of the design, how the designer came to design it, and the quality of their products. This “handmade” part of the traditional method of jewelry design makes it more costly than the rapid prototyping jewelry production processes.
Also, there is a reduction in the level of errors with using jewelry prototyping services. Therefore, many jewelry designers use jewelry prototype manufacturers to make a jewelry prototype, check for errors, and ultimately correct them.
Limitation of Rapid Prototyping in Jewelry Making
Although rapid prototyping is gaining weight in the jewelry industry, it has a limitation. This limitation is the loss of the handmade touch. Many people do not like using rapid prototyping processes such as 3D printing and CNC machining in making jewelry. This is because most people consider the handcrafting part of the profession. They believe that jewelry is an intimate product that should show the pains of the manufacturers and not the mark of the machine. However, this is only a state of mind. Rapid prototyping jewelry services can ensure quality production of jewelry which is the essential part.
3D Printing for Jewelry Design
3D printing is an additive manufacturing technique that involves building parts layer by layer from a polymer or metal material. The industry encompasses a range of processes, including fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography (SLA), etc.
In jewelry production, SLA (or digital light projection) and Selective laser sintering are the most popular due to their high-resolution capabilities. However, fused deposition modeling is also suitable for producing an early-stage jewelry prototype. In addition, selective laser melting (SLM) can produce final pieces from a limited range of materials.
How 3D Printing is Transforming the Jewelry Industry
3D Printing as a rapid prototyping process has hugely transformed jewelry production. Below are the several ways by which it has done this great job:
· It Increases Design Freedom
Whether used in-house or through a rapid prototyping service like us at Rapid Direct, 3D printing can put a lot of power back into the hands of jewelry designers. Therefore, there is an increase in production speed and improvement of the prototyping stage. Consequently, it unlocks higher levels of design freedom.
The details and geometries that cis capturable using 3D design and printing are truly awe-inspiring. Lattices and complex hollowed-out structures are exciting uses of 3D Printing, which you can’t achieve using other manufacturing methods.
· It is Less Costly Than Traditional Jewelry Production Methods
Another vital benefit of using additive manufacturing in the jewelry design phase is that it has a lesser cost. Thanks to the technology, jewelry prototype manufacturers can rapidly prototype wearable pieces from low-cost plastic materials to get a sense of what the final piece will look like.
Seeing and holding a jewelry prototype is crucial in jewelry making. It enables designers to check the fit, proportions, and overall look of the piece in question, whether it is a pendant, bracelet, ring, or necklace.
Suppose the jewelry prototype has a flawed design or is not up to the designer’s standards. In that case, you can easily edit and reprint it digitally, all without adding significant material costs or time.
· It Improves the Production Process
Beyond prototyping, 3D Printing also plays an increasingly important role in jewelry production. A popular example of this is an updated take on the age-old technique of lost wax casting.
Lost-wax casting is a process that consists of using a wax model to produce an identical replica from precious metals — for example, gold, silver, brass, and bronze. However, today, it is possible to 3D print jewelry models from wax-like materials.
The process involves printing models from wax materials and then coating them with a plaster material to form a mold. You can then heat treat the plaster mold and wax pattern to solidify the mold and burn out the wax. You can then cast and remove the resulting mold with the desired metal material. Thereby, resulting in a high-resolution, intricate piece.
At RapidDirect, we offer a broad spectrum of jewelry prototyping services and production applications. You can learn more about 3D printing resources here.
