Within the jewellery manufacturing process, model making is an essential step in ensuring an exceptional quality end product. At Vipa Designs, our comprehensive model & pattern making services cater to clients across the jewellery and silverware industries, combining traditional and time-honoured hand craftsmanship with state-of-the-art CAD/CAM technology to bring even the most intricate designs to life.
Our award-winning master craftspeople understand the importance of refining a model to the highest possible standards to ensure the quality of your castings. Working from your designs or ours, we can create master models from a range of materials to suit your final application, including wax, resin, metal and natural objects. Working with the utmost precision and care to deliver a flawless model free from scratches and other imperfections, we pride ourselves on our commitment to unrivalled accuracy and dedication to our craft.
At Vipa Designs, we believe that exceptional model making requires a unique blend of fine craftsmanship and innovation. When it comes to model making, CAD/CAM is not a substitute – it is an enhancement in process quality and delivery speed. Enabling us to bring new possibilities in design and production to our clients, we utilise state-of-the-art CAD, CAM & 3D printing technologies to create master wax models that capture the precision and intricacies of a hand-carved pattern.
A key utilisation for this is our rapid prototyping service, where we convert your designs into real, physical models that you can test and try out, increasing production speed, unlocking design freedom, and providing you with total peace of mind. With our expertise, we make sure that the size, fit, form, and details are exactly to your liking, with the flexibility to adjust and iterate on your design before the final piece is casted.
Are you looking for a jewellery manufacturer who can take your hand-drawn design and create a master pattern for production? Whilst CAD is an extremely useful tool, not every design process requires it. Founded in 1979, we have a rich heritage of utilising traditional techniques, tools and processes to bring any design to life, creating high-quality bench made models with exceptional precision that reflects the artisanal quality and skill of its maker.
At Vipa Jewellery we understand the importance of quality and consistency, which is why we take great care in every stage of our lost wax casting process. After creating a master model, it’s time to form a mould. Within jewellery production, mould creation is a vital stage in ensuring the consistency of jewellery items can be accurately duplicated at any time in the future. We can make two different types of moulds; a vulcanised rubber mould for metal masters or a cold cure silicone mould from wax and plastic masters.
The master model is used to form the mould, which forms a negative impression of the model enclosed. After being vulcanised and cured, this rubber mould has the ability to withstand extremely high temperatures without losing its structural integrity. Once the model is released, pressurised molten wax is injected through the sprue opening in the mould. After the wax cools, the mould is peeled open to reveal an injected wax model, which is then finished by our master craftspeople to eliminate any imperfections, and subsequently encased in investment material, cured, and incinerated.
The wax model is then melted away (hence the term lost wax casting) to leave a cavity within the investment mould, ready for molten precious metal to be poured into it within the casting process.
With market-leading skills in both traditional model making and CAD/CAM 3D printed technologies, we’re here to help at every stage of taking your vision from concept to completion – from one-off, bespoke products to entire collections and ranges. Get in touch with our friendly team today to discuss your model making requirements.
