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Our Vacuum Casting Services
If you need to produce high-quality plastic prototypes quickly, our polyurethane vacuum casting service could be the ideal solution. We provide an end-to-end solution for producing master models and cast replicas from your CAD designs, including high-quality moldmaking services as well as comprehensive finishing options such as sanding, painting, pad printing and more. Whether you need parts for display models, engineering test samples, crowdfunding campaigns or other purposes, we’ve got you covered.
What Is Vacuum Casting?
Polyurethane vacuum casting is an inexpensive rapid prototyping technique that uses a silicone mold and pourable casting resin to accurately replicate a master pattern. Inject materials (PU, transparent PU, POM-like, ABS) and other materials into the master mold in a vacuum state to cast a replica identical to the product prototype. Replicas made this way are just as good as those made by plastic injection molding, but take a lot less time and money to make.
How it Works?
- 1
The master model is a CAD design usually made by CNC machining or some form of 3D printing such as SLA.
- 2
Silicone is poured around the master model in the casting box to form a silicone mold.
- 3
Resin is poured into the cavity to create a highly accurate replica of the original.
When to Use Vacuum Casting?
Vacuum casting is often chosen when a product is in the testing phase and only requires a small number (5 to 50) of high-quality plastic parts, eliminating the need to make expensive steel molds, saving manufacturing costs and shortening the long lead times of plastic injection molding manufacturing.
Vacuum casting is usually used for：
Prototypes and display models, low-volume prototypes, low-volume production, transparent parts, rubber parts, market testing, rapid iteration, testing the fit and function of new designs.
Features Of Vacuum Casting
Vacuum casting VS injection molding
Parts produced by vacuum casting have similar properties to plastic injection molded parts. The front-end cost of injection molding is higher and the unit price is lower, while the front-end cost of vacuum casting is lower and the unit price is higher. This makes polyurethane casting a more cost-effective option for developing early prototypes before creating end-use injection molded parts.
Advantages of Vacuum Casting
- Low mold cost
- Molds can be made in a few days
- Ideal for small batches
- Cast replicas are highly accurate
- wide range of materials
Gallery of Vacuum Casted Parts
Why Choose RPS for Vacuum Casting Service
Many manufacturers can provide vacuum casting services, the ability to produce high-quality products and provide satisfactory service is very important to your choice. Here are a few reasons to choose Rapid Protos for your vacuum casting needs.
Materials for Vacuum Casting
| Materials | Color | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| ABS-Like | Beige, Black, Milky white | With vacuum casting, you can create high rigid ABS-like parts with good impact resistance and insulating properties. They are commonly used to make electronic housings, automotive parts and more. |
| Soft Rubber-Like | Colorless Transparent, Yellow Transparent | Vacuum casting is excellent choice for creating rubber parts and prototypes. Soft-rubber-like materials are useful in applications that demand flexibility and durability for industrial parts and consumer goods alike. |
| PA-Like | Black, Tawny | PX223, a PA-like material, is used in silicone molds for the production of parts that are highly durable and versatile with properties similar to nylon parts. |
| PP-Like | White, Black | UP 5690 have mechanical properties similar to that of true PP and HDPE material. It is easy to process, has high impact resistance and good flexibility, and can be used for bumpers, equipment boxes, covers and anti-vibrant tools. |
| PC-Like | White, Clear | PX520 is used by casting in silicone moulds for the realization of prototype parts and mock-ups with mechanical properties similar to that of true PC material. |
| PMMA-Like | Transparent | Urethane casting is a great choice for creating clear transparent parts. While inferior to true PMMA, PX-5210 has good transparency, is easy to polish, resistant to yellowing, and offers good UV resistance. This makes it suitable for a wide range of applications where clear parts are needed. |
Vacuum Casting Fabrication Standards
| Name | Standard |
|---|---|
| Typical lead time | Up to 20 parts in 15 days or less, depends on the part specification and volumes. |
| Accurate | ± 0.3% (with lower limit on ± 0.3 mm on dimensions smaller than 100 mm) |
| Minimum wall thickness | To ensure that the mold is filled properly, a wall thickness of at least 0.75 mm is necessary. For best results, we recommend a wall thickness of at least 1.5 mm |
| Maximum part dimensions | The size of the mold is limited by the dimensions of the vacuum chamber (1900 x 900 x 750 mm) and by the volume of the product (maximum volume: 10 liters) |
| Typical quantities | Up to 25 copies per mold (depending on the mold’s complexity and the casting materials) |
| Color & Finishing | Pigment is added to the liquid polyurethane prior to casting, custom painting and texture. |
By default, sharp edges will be broken and deburred. For any critical edges that must be left sharp, please note and specify them in your drawing.
Surface Finishing Options
Surface finishing is important if you want to make your 3D-printed prototypes or production parts stronger, last longer, look better, or even work better. Check out these different ways to finish your project, and you’re sure to find one that works for you.
| Type | Applicable Materials | Colors | Description | Column 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Painting | All | Black, Pantone/RAL colors | Painting is a way to add color, a great way to improve the aesthetics of vacuum casted parts. |  painting_300x200 |
| Plating | ABS | Metallic | Plating is method of adding a thin layer of metal of the outer layer of a material. It is used to harden, decorate and improve wearebility of parts. |  |
Application of Vacuum Casting
Vacuum casting is the ideal solution for creating high-quality prototypes and small-batch parts for different applications. We help you reach your manufacturing goals.
FAQ
Vacuum Casted Parts Application
At present, many plastic products can be processed through vacuum mold casting services, such as plastic car models, medical device structural parts models, digital communication mobile phone models, electronic products and household electrical models, transparent acrylic, PC, etc.
