【Vacuum Forming Application】DIY Whiskey Spherical Ice Molds: Unleash Your Creativity with Versatile Ice Cubes!
DIY spherical ice molds, creating 3D coffee ice balls! New fun for Children's Day, make your own drinks at home! Thick ice cubes don't melt easily in alcoholic beverages or other drinks. Design various shapes freely using 3D printing combined with vacuum forming technology. Download free models at the end of the article. Making your own ice balls is super fun! Learn the steps now:
First, design or select the desired mold shape for 3D printing, and combine it with vacuum forming technology to create 3D spherical ice molds. We chose a semi-circular, fruit slice model. To create top and bottom 3D molds, we vacuum formed the orange semi-circle and white petal pulp shapes separately. (Click here to see: 4 easy steps: Two-part molding has a trick, 360-degree taiyaki!)
(Used an Ultimaker S5 3D printer with orange and white Ultimaker PLA filament to create the ice cube molds.)
Perform vacuum forming on the 3D printed model using MY YARD vacuum forming PET transparent sheets and TPU soft material sheets to create the top and bottom molds. After the MY YARD vacuum forming machine completes the molding and cooling, it automatically air-blasts the mold for release, making it easy to obtain the finished mold without manual removal!
Due to the elastic nature of TPU soft molds, simply bending the mold allows for effortless removal of the model, achieving better demolding results. (Click here to see: Silicone molding for flip-flops, self-made production line without outsourcing!)
A small trick for vacuum forming model design! Leave holes at the bottom of the model so that during the vacuum forming process, airflow can reach the bottom of the model, and excess air can be expelled through the holes. This enhances the adhesion between the material sheet and the model. Compared to solid bottoms, paying attention to such details when selecting or designing models can improve the precision of the vacuum formed product. (Click here to see: 3 tips for vacuum forming: Advance blister packaging quality!)
Using Ultimaker Cura slicing software, you can adjust the model's position, size, and other details at this step. After vacuum forming, you can see that the petal shape on the right, which has an open bottom, has the best forming effect compared to the petal shape in the middle, which has a solid bottom!
Cut the desired molds from the material sheet, pour espresso into the ice cube molds, then cover with the petal-shaped mold lid, and finally place in the freezer to set. Your homemade shaped ice balls are almost ready!
Finally, pour in milk, soy milk, or other beverages, and your custom drink is complete! By applying the same principle, using 3D printing and vacuum forming technology, whether for catering, desserts, or drinks, you are not limited by traditional mold shapes. Unleash your creativity with endless design possibilities!
Did you enjoy this sharing? During the Qingming Festival long weekend, coupled with Children's Day, let's have fun DIY! Industrial technologies like 3D printing and vacuum forming are gradually integrating into daily life. By understanding and effectively combining these technologies, you can create all sorts of unexpected and creative fun! 3D Mart offers more than just 3D printing. Contact us now to learn more about the MY YARD series vacuum forming machines.
Click to download: 3D printed fruit box model
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