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Design+

SHORT COMMUNICATION
A feasibility study of shell fusion technology

application in jewelry design

Gustavo George Verdieri Nuernberg 1,2 , Lílian Cristina Côcco 1,2 ,
and Marlon Wesley Machado Cunico *
1,2
1 Department of Research and Development, Zirclab Medical Devices, London, United Kingdom
2 Department of Research and Development, Zirconium Institute of Science, Technology, and
Advanced Innovation, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

In recent times, to cater to a larger audience, mass production has become more
common, with investment casting being one of the fastest-growing manufacturing
techniques. However, even with this modernization, production still requires
significant manual labor, such as mold assembly, heating, gas removal, cutting, and
polishing. This process also consumes a lot of energy and generates waste. Rapid
prototyping and computer-aided design technologies have revolutionized jewelry
manufacturing, enabling greater agility, reduced production time, and product
customization, while also offering designers more creative freedom. This study
aims to present shell fusion technology (SFT), an advanced digital manufacturing
technology, as a way of processing jewelry and other precious metals for various
*Corresponding author:
Marlon Wesley Machado Cunico applications. Practical processing tests were carried out using SFT. Metallic materials
(marloncunico@zirconiumlabs.com) with high and low melting points were employed, enabling the investigation of
Citation: Nuernberg GGV, processing characteristics (temperature, heating rate, and melting time), final quality
Côcco LC, Cunico MWM. A (flaws, roughness, etc.), finishing requirements, and other factors. The feasibility
feasibility study of shell fusion of making jewelry and metal parts using SFT was investigated and validated. This
technology application in jewelry
design. Design+. 2025;2(1):3869. work demonstrates that SFT can be used to make jewelry and process noble metals
doi: 10.36922/dp.3869 for other purposes. A piece of jewelry was produced with a quality classified as
satisfactory for use as an ornament.
Received: June 5, 2024
Revised: September 3, 2024
Keywords: Shell fusion technology; Advanced digital manufacturing; Jewelry
Accepted: November 5, 2024
Published online: February 27,
2025
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). 1. Introduction
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms Conventional jewelry-making processes are frequently linked to arts and crafts practices
of the Creative Commons in the jewelry manufacturing industry. For a considerable amount of time, factories have
AttributionNoncommercial License, endeavored to optimize procedures that require a lot of labor, time, and expertise. In
1
permitting all non-commercial use,
distribution, and reproduction in any some traditional jewelry companies, only close relatives are privy to the entire production
medium, provided the original work process, which concentrates this information within a small number of family groups.
is properly cited. For these companies, each piece of jewelry is meticulously crafted to ensure that it is
Publisher’s Note: AccScience exquisite and of the highest caliber for a very specific person. In recent times, due to the
Publishing remains neutral with need to cater to a larger audience, the use of mass production technologies has increased
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional as a way of meeting this demand. The investment casting process has been one of the
affiliations. fastest-growing manufacturing systems for jewelry production.

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/dp.3869