055 // Mold / working prototype v.1

prototype v.1 was recently tested ..... the mold didn't leak this time around, however the unit form itself is somewhat compromised by the flexibility of the silicone rubber. A bit of clean-up is required to shape the unit correctly, but overall the tacky-ness of this type of silicone does in fact aid in the unit formation as it sticks to itself.
For this pour, a small bay of material was poured to get the sensor to take in some heat gain data. The data was sent directly to the mold prototype, in this case acting as a mold in what will become a networked series. Each mold poured is considered to have a global effect on the system, effecting the other molds as the algorithm determines the extent of re-formation.






The mold is cast from two types of silicone rubber and put together in halves. Embedded and tapped acrylic elements are placed within the harder shore hardness rubber that comprises the exterior of the mold. The acrylic pieces allow the mold to fastened together and form a water tight connection between the halves. The center of the mold is cast in a very flexible rubber to allow the mold to be actuated re-forming the casted unit. Given the nature of platinum cure silicone rubbers, the exterior part of the mold, and flexible interior can be cast at different times and fused together forming a tight bond between the materials.