Why Should You Consider Cast Urethane Parts?

If you want a low-cost alternative to common rapid prototyping and low volume manufacturing methods, you might want to consider vacuum casting. The process will cast urethane parts to create rubber-like and plastic parts. Also known as urethane casting or urethane melding, it is used in many applications and industries looking to manufacture production quality custom plastic parts without the lead time or cost associated with traditional production tooling.

 

Reputable rapid prototype manufacturing companies can cast parts in any size, so you can rely on them for building anything from headphones to lengthy car bumpers. Many different materials are available and can be used for your specific projects!

 

A speedy and efficient process

 

Three stages are followed to cast urethane parts. First, the master model is 3D printed via SLS or SLA, or CNC machined. Next, the liquid silicone is poured around the custom master model and cured. After dying, the master is cut from the mould. This will result in the cavity. From there, the resin is poured into the cavity, which should result in the production-like replica.

 

Ideal for low volume prototypes

 

The process lets you create low volume custom plastic parts out of a wide range of materials with a low upfront investment. It will result in production-like parts, as well as rubber-like parts, with their colour already set. That makes the process useful not only for low volume production, but also for rapid iterations and market testing.

 

Save on part and tooling costs

 

Cast urethane parts typically more cost-effective in price per piece over additive manufacturing when you need to produce more prototypes. That’s because 3D printing may need multiple builds to create the larger amount of prototypes, which leads to a higher cost. Cast urethane is different, as it can continuously mould the parts with the custom silicone melds, which are significantly far less expensive compared to steel and aluminium tools used in injection melding.

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