Our customer Aurea Joyas has started using 3D CAD, and wishes to produce a new collection based on geometrical shapes. It is very difficult to accurately reproduce geometrical designs by hand, as jewellery makers have been doing up until now. The standard process starts by creating a master to then copy it in silicone or rubber, producing the desired number of copies in wax, followed by investment casting in precious metals. The goal is to improve the production of master parts in terms of accuracy and cost.

Aims:

• Producing new geometrical designs for jewellery with improved precision, in less time, and at a lower cost; the product to be obtained is a set of masters for investment casting in precious metals.

Strategies:

• Meetings are held between the AUREA JOYAS design team and the RM team from PRODINTEC, to study the proposed designs in depth and look for the best combination of traditional handwork and RM, developing the best manufacturing strategy in each case, optimizing production costs and generating new advantages at the same time. The AUREA JOYAS team assimilates the new design strategies and technical limitations of RM to improve their future designs, orienting them towards RM.

Results:

Some parts are built; the detail reproduction is checked in aspects as text (letter thickness as low as 0,15 mm), surface finish, and geometrical accuracy of the models. The texture obtained as built, just after light metal shot-peening is particularly appreciated. Major time saving is achieved in handwork, especially in geometrical shapes and thin walls. The finishing process is slightly longer and more costly, but the overall result is positive.

Related files:

• Presentation Aure Joyas