DIY 3D mold to create a complete taiyaki! The most common and essential effect of vacuum forming technology is to place the object on a work platform, press down on a sheet of heated and softened vacuum forming material, shape it at high temperature, and then cool and solidify it at the bottom of the platform. Usually, finished molds have a "flat-bottomed" profile. Today, let's do something different! A 3D two-part mold—in just 4 simple steps—will teach you how to unmold a complete little fish, giving you the other half of the taiyaki's body. See how right away:
Two-part molds can create complex three-dimensional finished products. They can overcome many design limitations by injecting fillers such as food, plastic, and clay into the mold, and then cooling and solidifying them to complete the process. They can even make hollow objects! This reduces the amount of material used, and because the material is injected into a closed two-part mold, it also helps to keep the working environment clean.
( 3D model illustration / Image source: Pastryequipments )
To create a three-dimensional model using vacuum forming technology , the mold design differs from traditional methods. You must first decide "how to cross-section and disassemble the model," which is even more crucial if creating an asymmetrical model! For taiyaki (fish-shaped cake), we have two methods for cross-sectioning:
Taiyaki has a perfectly symmetrical shape, and considering that rounded corners and arcs are more suitable for vacuum forming, a horizontal cross-section is the most suitable and easiest way to succeed. Once the cross-sectional direction is decided, you can use 3D modeling software to design the cross-sectional model of the taiyaki! ( Click here: 3 free software options, simple modeling without outsourcing! )
As we have previously shared, "rounded curved surfaces" are more suitable for vacuum forming than "right-angled" shapes ( click to see: 3 tips for vacuum forming, further improving the quality of blister packaging! ). When vacuum forming is pressed down, the high-temperature material sheet instantly contacts the rounded corners and completely wraps around the object along the curve, resulting in a smooth and delicate finish.
When vacuum forming objects, try to avoid sharp edges such as right angles, corners, and concave shapes. You can add curved or sloping surfaces between the scales of taiyaki. This will not only greatly improve the success rate of vacuum forming, but also make it easy to demold after vacuum forming and cooling!
By designing small holes in the model object, excess air between the vacuum forming material sheet and the model can be smoothly discharged through the vent during the instant vacuuming process, effectively improving the fit of the molding. The better the airflow, the more refined the details of the vacuum forming!
Taking a taiyaki mold as an example, by designing holes (about 1-2mm) in the corners between the scales, the air trapped in the small corners can be easily discharged during the vacuum forming process, and the model design is completed!
Imagine that after the chocolate is poured into the upper and lower molds, the two halves will be fixed together. In order to completely seal the undried material inside the mold, a fixing area with a width of 6mm and a depth of 2mm can be added to the bottom of the model in 3D modeling software . This will not only completely seal the material but also ensure that the chocolate does not leak out during the solidification process.
Although each object is different, as long as the above four steps are taken into account when designing the model, and then FDM 3D printing technology (such as Ultimaker , Prusa 3D printer , etc.) is used, along with high-temperature resistant 3D printing filaments such as PETG , the object can be made.
Finally, the 3D-printed sea bream is placed into the FormBox vacuum forming machine , along with a vacuum forming transparent material sheet . After softening, the sheet is pressed down and instantly vacuumed to shape the mold. Making a mold only takes 3-5 seconds, which is incredibly fast!
Using the FormBox vacuum forming machine , you can replicate ten molds infinitely and quickly using one mold per hour; tired of traditional molds? Now you can become your own mold maker, significantly reducing production costs, developing your own original designs, and building your own desktop dessert factory!
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