Rapid prototyping of Composite Aerospace Parts with 3d printed molds

I needed a lightweight,  impact resistant, streamlined fairing for a flying robot.    I could 3d print a part with the right shape,  but 3d printed materials would either be  too weak,  or too heavy.   I’ve been considering a hybrid workflow which this was the perfect opportunity to try out:     3d printing a mold for composite layup.

Carbon Kevlar Nacelle half made in a 3d printed mold
Carbon Kevlar Nacelle half made in a 3d printed mold.  The shape is a solid of revolution using a scaled NACA airfoil shape that has 33% chord-to-length ratio,  about 8″ long.  The only fault is that some of the mold-filling red paint transferred to the part –  a purely cosmetic issue.

It worked wonderfully!   The mold printed overnight,    and after some sanding primer was applied and sanded down to a 600 grit finish,  I waxed the mold,  and it was ready to invest with fabric.   I vacuum bagged the parts  for good consolidation,  and am very pleased with the results,  shown above.

The nacelle mold was 3d printed in about 8 hours on my Prusa I3 mk3 with an 0.6mm nozzle
The nacelle mold was 3d printed in about 8 hours on my Prusa I3 mk3 with an 0.6mm nozzle
The mold after sanding,   filling with sanding primer,   sanding again,   and lastly waxing
The mold after sanding, filling with sanding primer, sanding again, and lastly waxing