Cast urethane or vacuum casting can be a cost-effective and quick solution for creating production-grade parts without the lead times and price associated with production tooling. Cast urethane parts are as strong as injection-molded ones, with superb abrasion- and chemical-resistance and quality surface finishes.

The affordability and speed of soft tooling make vacuum casting useful to product designers and engineers during the prototyping stage. It also benefits low-volume production needs as it eliminates the time and expense required in hard tooling.

The process

Cast urethane parts are made with a custom master pattern, which is technically the replica of your final part. The pattern is in a mold box and covered with liquid silicone. After curing the silicone, the block is sliced in half to remove the master from the mold. Replicating the master pattern is done by filling the casting resin into the mold and curing the component in a heated vacuum chamber.

Advantages

Vacuum casting lets you make self-colored cast urethane parts with a low upfront investment. The results benefit rapid iterations, market testing, and low-volume prototypes or end-use production. Low-cost tooling delivers high-quality molded parts cost-effectively and rapidly.

Molding is also known for its unrivaled production capabilities, from hundreds to thousands or millions of identical components for various industries. Reputable vacuum casting services offer ISO9001, IATF16949, and ISO14001 certifications to meet your quality standards.

Versatility

Vacuum casting works with many different materials, making it a versatile process that greatly benefits your prototyping or low- or medium-scale end-use production needs. However, choosing a suitable material is crucial, as it can affect the final part’s overall aesthetics, cost, and functionality.

Working with a reputable online cast urethane parts service allows you to produce anything in any size from a wide range of materials to make any product, including lengthy car bumpers and headphones. An experienced service provider can analyze your project requirements and recommend the best materials to maximize the performance and quality of your part.