Manufacturing Branches for model trees

I have thought deeply about how to manufacture branches - A complex and difficult endeavour to make due to the precise application of leaves on the branch, the 3D nature of a branch zigzagging, the strength and also the fact as a product ideally, a full tree should be the very least a customer should have.

obscure shaped branch designs, from oaks to sapplings in possibly cast zinc from pre-designed branch sets….. Tiny punched or laser cut leaves applied in certain patterns, with the ideal spread to look realistic are all thoughts but what is the actual process?

A large part of the forest in terms of the surface area are branches, the background, above and below. If someone managed to figure this out for the modelling community there’s money to be made! ATM 3d printing can’t print sturdy enough, thin enough or fast enough to do this, the ridiculously time consuming way of twisting wire and gluing individual leaves would be insane and take months for a single tree! There’s a more mechanical way, machine and batch produced….. these are some of the thoughts I have when I take the dog out to the forest!

Injection Molding:

• Material Selection: Plastic pellets (usually a type of thermoplastic like PVC, ABS, or polystyrene) are chosen based on the desired properties of the final product.
• Injection: The plastic pellets are heated until they melt and are then injected into the molds under high pressure. This process fills the mold cavity, creating the shape of the miniature plant.
• Cooling: The mold is cooled to solidify the plastic. The cooling time can vary based on the size and complexity of the mold.