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a result, the process could be shortened by the help of those
machines.
Figure 12. {Author's Collection)
After the master piece is taken, it is put into the rubber and
pressed in a high temperature by a press machine. After a few
hours, the rubber mold is cut and the master piece is taken out
(Figure 13). In this process, silicone mold could also be used.
White making silicone molds, the model is fixed in a small
box and then silicone is poured around the model. After the
silicone has solidified, it becomes a silicone bar with the metal
master piece inside. Then the bar is cut by scalpel in order
to separate the bar into two parts. The master piece is taken
out from the silicone bar to create a cavity. At the end of this
process a silicone mold is gained from the silicone bar.
Figure 13. (Author's Collection)
Now the silicone mold could be used for casting the wax
pattern. By injecting wax into the cavity inside the mold, lots
of wax patterns could be reproduced (Figure 14).
Figure 14. (Author's Collection)
After all of this process the stone setters put the gem stones
on the jewellery (Figure 15) and the other craftsmen polish
the jewellery. At last, it is ready for the customer.
Figure 15. (Buccellati, 2000)
The Importance of CAD/CAM for Jewellery Sector
The main important role of the computer aided design
is generating hard-copy engineering drawings; by its 3D
representation it improves the communication between
designers and the engineers, so this increases the efficiency
of the design process (Kim et al., 2002). It also improves the
communication between the designer and the customers.
Contrary to handmade models, the jewellery made by CAD/
CAM systems brings more efficiency, time and profit to the
producers. CAD softwares and CAM systems are improving
day by day. In the next step the process of making rubber mold
would be abolished and so the production process would be
shortened.
On the other hand, trying to make all the models with CAD/
CAM systems is not possible. These systems are beneficial
for producing some technical and complicated pieces that
are difficult to make by hand. There are still some pieces
that should be made by the goldsmith. Hence, Molinari and
Megazzini (2000) say that CAD/CAM isn't a substitute for
traditional techniques, but as a complementary technique
that helps the goldsmith to carry out some operations more
rapidly and more accurately.
In Turkey, jewellery designers are just like goldsmiths or CAD
operators. Therefore, they already understand the factors,
such as wall thickness or structural integrity of various
lengths, which affect the molds. These effective factors give
opportunity to the craftsmen and the jewellery designers to