In order to make a replica of any product, the most common procedure is cast and mold. It produces the exact 3-dimensional replica o the object. Everything around us from kitchenware to toys has undergone have undergone the molding and casting process.
The two processes help to get the task done very efficiently. Different industries use different technicalities to produce the molds and extract the cast. Cast and mold also belong in different stages to imitate any object.
Cast vs Mold
The difference between cast and mold is that a single mold can be used several times to create many casts. But the cast is the final product that is obtained, but at certain times the cast can also be used for creating new mold as they already hold a particular shape.
A mold is often crated with certain substances and is left to further solidify. Once it hardens a casting substance is poured into the hollow cavity to replicate the desired product. The entire process is known as casting and molding. And the products obtained are cast and mold.
Comparison Table Between Cast and Mold
| Parameter of Comparison | Cast | Mold |
| Definition | It is a replica of an object that the mold has been created of | It is a hollow cavity of the desired shape of the object |
| Process | Casting | Molding |
| Made up of | Common materials(preferably hard) | Same materials like that of casting (preferably soft) |
| Stage | Final stage | Fist stage |
| Efficiency | The product is a final product | Several cast can be created from one mold. |
What is Cast?
Cast is the last stage that follows a mold, the process is known as casting. It is a manufacturing process where a liquid is poured into the already created mold (a hollow cavity of the desired shape). Then the liquid is allowed to solidify or cure with the help of a chemical reaction or through cooling. Then the final result that has been obtained is known as the cast.
Different kinds of materials are used for casting an object such as silicon, polyurethane, gypsum, epoxy resin, liquid latex rubber, concrete, plaster, etc. multiple cast can be created using a single mold. It also helps in the creation of a replica or duplicate of the original product. After the finished product was obtained the features can be enhanced by the process of polishing and sanding.
It is often used by jewelers in order to cast the desired shape the customer wants. The jeweler heats the casting substance at a higher temperature and turns it into a liquid, the liquid is then poured into the mold and left to harden in order to obtain the cast. In cases where there are multiple molds created for one cast, the casting material can be poured o injected through various openings. Altogether it is an easy process.
What is Mold?
Mold is a hollow cavity. The process of making a mold is known as molding. It carries the impression f the object that one wants to create. It is followed by the casting procedure, which generates the cast. It entirely replicated the object as the finished product. The mold that is generally created can either be natural or synthetic (manmade).
Certain kinds of materials are used to make the original mold such as silicon, polyurethane, polysulfide, wax, clay, metal wood, etc. usually a flexible material is chosen, as it makes it easier to obtain the cast. There are several kinds of molding procedures such as injection molding, blow molding, compression molding, rational molding, laminating, transfer molding, and several others. Each industry usesits molding technique to prepare their molds.
A single mold can be saved up and used for crating several casts. The mold captures the most intricate of the details of the object and saves it. Natural mold is formed when a living organism is buried and is left there to decay there. It leaves an impression on the spot and acts as a mold. These molds are then used by historians in order to discover more about certain living creatures from the past and study more about them.
Main Differences Between Cast and Mold
- 1. Cast is the final product that is obtained when the casting liquid is poured into the mold and is left to harden. Mold on the other hand is the hollow cavity that has been formed in order to imprint the object and take a replica out of it.
- The process of making a cast is known as a casting, while the process of making a mold is known as molding.
- Cast and mold can be made up of similar substances such as silicon, polyurethane, gypsum, epoxy resin, liquid latex rubber, etc. but it is preferred that for casting hard substance to be used as it makes the entire process more efficient and the final product to be more durable. And in case of molding to use soft materials, so that the process of extraction of the cast gets easier.
- Mold is the first stage of making the replica or impression of the desired object however cast, is the final product that has been obtained after the entire process.
- The cast is the final product that has been made, and on certain occasions, the cast can also be used to make further molds. However, in the case of molds, a single mold can be used several times in order to create a cast.
Conclusion
Casting and molding are procedures one goes through when they want to create a replica or duplicate of anything. From the simplest products to the most complex the making of all undergo the process of molding and casting at some point. Each industry has its procedures though.
Molds are the first step of the procedure that is created to generate the cast. Further, when the mold is created the mold is used and then filled with the desired substance and then and then left to harden which created the cast, and that is the last step of the procedure. The cast can be further polished and sanded for better results.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924013699003118
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja108781w
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359646204005196
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