【Vacuum Forming Application】DIY Whiskey Spherical Ice Molds, Creative Ice Cube Drinks!
DIY spherical ice molds for 360-degree 3D coffee ice balls! A new Children's Day activity, make your own drinks at home! Thick ice cubes don't melt easily in alcoholic beverages, and you can freely design various shapes by combining 3D printing with vacuum forming technology. Free model download link at the end of the article, making your own ice balls is super fun! Learn the steps now:
First, design or select the mold shape you want to make with 3D printing, and combine it with vacuum forming technology to create 360-degree 3D ice balls. We chose a model of a semi-circle and fruit slices. To create a 3D flip mold, we will vacuum form the orange semi-circle and white petal pulp shapes separately. (Click here to see: 4 simple steps: The secret to double-sided molding, 360-degree taiyaki!)
(Using an Ultimaker S5 3D printer with orange and white Ultimaker PLA filament to create the ice cube molds.)
Perform vacuum forming blister 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; the MY YARD vacuum forming machine automatically ejects the mold after blistering and cooling, so you can easily get the finished mold without manual removal!
Because of the elasticity of the TPU soft material mold, you can easily remove the model by simply bending the mold, achieving a better demolding effect. (Click here to see: Silicone flip-flop molds, self-contained production line without outsourcing!)
Tips for vacuum forming mold design! Keep holes at the bottom of the model so that during the vacuum forming process, airflow can reach the bottom of the model directly, and excess air can be discharged through the holes, improving the adhesion between the sheet and the model. Compared to solid bottoms, paying attention to such details in model selection or design can improve the fineness of the finished vacuum-formed product. (Click here to see: 3 Vacuum forming tips: Advanced blister packaging quality!)
Using the Ultimaker Cura slicing software, you can adjust the model's position, size, and other details at this step; after vacuum forming is complete, you can see the petal shape on the right. Because the bottom has open holes, compared to the solid bottom of the middle petal shape model, the molding effect on the right is the best!
Cut out the desired mold from the sheet, pour concentrated coffee into the ice cube mold, cover it with the petal-shaped mold lid, and finally put it in the freezer to freeze. Your homemade shaped ice balls are almost ready!
Finally, pour in milk, soy milk, or other beverages, and your self-created drink is complete! By applying the same principle, from one to infinity, through 3D printing and vacuum forming technology, whether for catering, desserts, or drinks, you are not limited by traditional mold shapes and can unleash your creativity with various designs!
Did you enjoy this sharing? During the Qingming Festival long weekend and Children's Day, have fun with DIY! Industrial technologies such as 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 applications! 3DMart 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 low-poly citrus box
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