Final Model
Casting
The silicone mould was made by pouring silicone into a 3D printed mould. To create a better surface finish, the 3D print was finished using filler and spray paint.
The final model was made by casting polyurethane into a silicone mould. This was a fairly easy process, but the foam had a very quick cure time needed to be mixed and poured into the moulds very quickly. Once the foam was cured, the models could be removed from the mould and the flash was trimmed off.
The natural colour of the foam was a slightly off-white colour. When cast into an insole shape, this made the model look dirty. To prevent this a powdered dye was added during the mixing process to colour the foam and make it more visually appealing.
Electronics
The electronics used in this project will go through a process called lamination. This involves heat sealing the electronics between two layers of plastic.
By laminating the electronics, the electronics will not move within the insole. The sealed plastic will also waterproof the electronics and allow them to be washed if needed. As this device is a wearable, being washable is required.
