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The Smooth-On kit has two brightly colored liquids that turn a pleasing (if bold) lavender color when they are adequately blended. The low-viscosity silicone mixture needs only six hours of cure time. We also like this 2.8-pound kit for minimizing the shrinkage that normally occurs when silicones cure—the shrinkage here has been measured at just 0.25 percent. Note, however, that these molds won’t last on the shelf forever; they can dry out in less than a year.

Key requirements of plastics used in vehicle charging stations include high impact strength to prevent tampering and vandalism.

But creating and manufacturing EVs isn’t the only thing needed to get these cars on the road. Communities need new infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging stations, to support these alternative-energy vehicles. As a material supplier to the automotive and electrical industries, Trinseo is providing the polycarbonate-based compounds and blends for vehicle charging stations needed to keep EVs charged and ready.

Like almost all our picks, this kit requires you to mix two ingredients (again, Part A and Part B); what results here is a translucent silicone liquid that you pour around the object you’re molding. If you are sensitive to odor, note that this has one of the lightest scents among silicone kits. On the other hand, it does have a long curing time, taking an average of 24 hours to get completely dry.

If a mold is a world-opening tool—you can use one to make all manner of things, from wax candles to plaster casts to the cookie sandwich you dreamed about one night—then a mold-making kit is a universe-opening one. Hyperbolic? Maybe a little. But with a mold-making kit, you can create a template for almost anything. We’ve searched the marketplace for kits that are easy to use and yield great results. Browse our picks below.

Resin supplier Trinseo is working with manufacturers of charging station housings to specify polycarbonate-based compounds and blends that are durable enough to withstand weather extremes including temperatures as low as -60°C. One resin in particular – Emerge polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) 7570 resin – reportedly delivers design freedom, resists impacts at a range of temperatures, handles extreme mechanical loads, tolerates abuse due to vandalism, and provides ignition resistance. The resin is a high flow, ignition-resistant blend that contains now chlorinated or brominated additives.

This kit creates puttylike molds made of silicone, a material that has a number of advantages. For one, it’s incredibly easy to use; for another, it’s great for kids. Simply mix equal parts of the two supplied materials, mysteriously labeled “Part A” and “Part B,” then press the mixture around the item you want to make a mold of, being sure to get the putty into all the nooks and crannies. Wait two hours, pop the original out, and your mold is ready to use.

Silicone kits don’t last forever, which can be frustrating when you need only a small amount of material but don’t want the rest to go to waste. This kit contains enough but not too much product. The translucent silicone is self-degassing and cures to a middling level of flexibility. The molds made with this kit are not intended for food use.

While the other kits make multiple reusable molds, this fast and easy kit from Luna Bean creates one large, single-use mold. Though it’s meant to make a large, plasterlike cast of hands or feet, you can use it for just about anything that fits in the deep molding bucket as long as you can pull it out without damaging it. Once the mold cures, in about 3 minutes, you pour the casting mixture in. The mold, which is meant to be torn away once the cast is dry, preserves an impressive level of detail.

Supports electric vehicle infrastructure as EV market forecast surge to 41 million vehicles by 2040, representing 35% of new light duty vehicle sales worldwide

Government regulations and consumer demand, driven by a desire to reduce carbon emissions, have pushed automakers to develop plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles. A new study by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) forecasts that sales of electric vehicles (EVs) will hit 41 million by 2040, representing 35% of new light duty vehicle sales worldwide. The switch to alternative energy sources and low-emission vehicles is a growing global trend. As a result, most automobile OEMs have placed an emphasis on launching their own electric vehicle (EV) models. Navigant Research forecasts that EV sales will grow from 2.7 million vehicles in 2014 to 6.4 million vehicles in 2023.

Resins for electric charging stations require: transparency and opacity in a wide range of colors; toughness to prevent tampering and resist impact; ignition resistance and flame retardancy to assure safety. They also need to be weather-resistant, being sited primarily outdoors.