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Design+ Feasibility of shell fusion technology in jewelry design

With the use of such technology, jewelry manufacturing is not produced directly; rather, a composite material shell/
has become more agile and capable of serial production. mold with the cavity in the intended format is created,
However, even with the advent of mass production allowing the part to be obtained in its final format.
capacity, to obtain jewelry in its final condition, this type SFT offers many benefits over conventional methods,
of processing still requires a lot of manual labor, such as including the capacity to produce intricate components for
building the trees and feed channels, moving between the a range of applications, low-cost processes and equipment,
heating processes, making the coating barbotine, applying decreasing the amount of material support, and expanding
a vacuum system to remove gases, cutting the feed its application into the jewelry sector. This study aims to
channels, deburring, and polishing, among others. The improve jewelry manufacturing by including freeform and
process of melting and oxidizing the wax requires intense conceptual innovation, using SFT as a concept test and
heat application, which must be maintained for the next facilitating metallic alloy processing.
processing stage, i.e., the pouring of liquid metal.
In general, the current methods applied in jewelry metal
The metallic material is previously being melted in fabrication are based on metal casting. New proposed methods,
another furnace and kept above the melting temperature, such as selective laser sintering and selective laser melting, are
allowing the metal to remain in a molten state. The metal unable to support noble and high-noble metal alloys.
can then be poured to fill the mold cavity. This series of
procedures uses a lot of equipment and consumes a lot of Metal casting is a crucial process in jewelry making
time and energy to prepare the mold and melt the metals, for shaping molten metal into intricate designs. The most
as well as produce a lot of waste that cannot be reused in a common method for metal casting in jewelry making is
new cycle. Rapid prototyping and computer-aided design lost-wax casting, also known as investment casting. This
(CAD) technology have revolutionized jewelry design and technique involves creating a wax model of the jewelry
manufacturing, as they have enabled significant advances. piece, which is then encased in a plaster-like material.
These technologies also work to reduce the time needed Once the mold is heated, the wax melts away, leaving a
to build models and allow jewelry products to be made in cavity that is filled with molten metal to form the final
various sizes, with personalization or customization. 2,3 piece. The other top methods include sand casting, where
sand is used as the mold material; centrifugal casting,
Greater creative freedom for designers, lower which utilizes centrifugal force to distribute the molten
environmental impact, and greater economic efficiency are metal; vacuum casting, which draws the molten metal into
all possible results of integrating additive manufacturing the mold using a vacuum; and die casting, where metal is
(AM) techniques into conventional jewelry manufacturing forced into a mold under high pressure. 5-8
processes. Energy use, labor hours per unit, and waste
and recycling expenses can all be reduced with the use Digital methods have revolutionized the jewelry-
of AM processes. In addition, more geometric freedom making process, offering precision and versatility that
can help designers without sacrificing the viability of the were previously unattainable. Computer numerical control
(CNC) machines allow for precise cutting and shaping
final product. AM technologies have been incorporated of metals and other materials, following a programmed
2,3
into several sectors in recent times, resulting in increased
industrial capacity and optimization. 4 design. CAD software is used to create detailed 3D models
of jewelry pieces, which can then be used to guide both
In addition, AM technology has been used in CNC machines and computer-aided manufacturing
several jewelry-making processes, including prototype (CAM) processes. 3D printing has also become increasingly
development, low-volume jewelry manufacturing, wax or popular in jewelry making, allowing for the creation of
master printing, and fashion final goods. 1 intricate designs that are difficult or impossible to achieve
However, even the most advanced AM processes still through traditional casting methods. This technology can
have limitations, such as excessive use of support material, produce wax models for lost-wax casting or directly print
high cost of material in the form of powders, equipment with the jewelry piece in metal, providing both flexibility and
5-8
high acquisition and processing costs (use of gases, auxiliary accuracy in the creation of custom jewelry.
heating systems, and removal of non-sintered powders), and The digital flow for jewelry making involves 3D
long debinding and sintering times (to avoid deformation in scanning to capture the design, 3D modeling using CAD
parts made by stereolithography slurry), among others. software, and developing a manufacturing plan with CAM
The new shell fusion technology (SFT), which is aligned software, followed by fabrication and finishing.
with the AM trend, may be viewed as an indirect AM or an In Table 1, the production rate is expressed in
advanced manufacturing method because the component terms of the type of manufacturing process and sort of

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