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Vacuum Casting Service
Vacuum casting is a great method to make rigid or flexible parts, and is ideal for high-quality prototypes, function testing, concept proofing, and display demos. Upload your parts for a free quote and expert feedback.
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Our Rapid Prototyping With Vacuum Casting Services
Vacuum casting is a fast and cost-effective copying technique for producing high-quality plastic parts that are comparable to injection-molded components. Using two-component polyurethanes and silicone molds created from a 3D-printed master, this technique is especially suitable for fit and function testing, marketing purposes, or short series of end-use parts.
Rapid prototyping plastic parts that are manufactured with the vacuum casting process are characterized by a very high-quality prototype with a great wall thickness and can be manufactured by using low-volume silicone molding within very short production times.
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Pre-series prototype as a market test
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Precise prototyping
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Fully Functional models
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Design models and exhibition models
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Small series for the first marketing
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Precise surface finishing like overmolding
Advantages of Vacuum Casting
1, Fast turnaround
We can provide up to 20 parts in 15 days or less, depending on part specification and volume.
2, Affordability
Silicone molds are less expensive than the tooling used for injection molding, resulting in low prices.
3, Capable of producing large parts
Depending on the type of equipment used, vacuum casting can create very large parts.
4, Superior surface finish to injection molding
The vacuum process removes air bubbles and allows the material to capture fine details.
5, Color options
Coloring pigments can be added to the resin for a variety of color options.
6, Repeatability
Silicone molds can be used around 20 times before they need replacing.
Vacuum Casting Process
The vacuum casting process has three steps: master pattern, molding, and casting.
Step 1. Master Patterns
Patterns are 3D solids of your CAD designs. They are usually made by CNC machining or with 3D plastic printing such as SLA/SLS. You can supply your own patterns or we can make them for you. Patterns need to be able to withstand heating to 40°C.
Step 2. Making the Molds
Casting molds are made from liquid silicone. This silicone is poured around the master pattern inside of a casting box, and then allowed to cure in an oven for 16 hours. Once dried, the mold is cut open and the master removed, leaving behind an empty cavity in the exact negative shape of the original.
Step 3. Casting Copies
Your choice of casting resins can now be poured into the empty cavity to create a highly accurate copy of the original. It’s even possible to over mold with two or more materials.
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
Part size / dimension | Tolerance | Angularity |
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< 12’’ (300 mm) | ± .005’’ (0.125 mm) | ± 0.5°
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< 24’’ (600 mm) | ± .010’’ (0.250 mm) | ± 1.0°
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< 36’’ (900 mm) | ± 1/16’’ (0.400 mm) | ± 1.0°
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Standard Tolerances For Vacuum Casting
Technical specifications
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Requirement: Specifications
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Minimum wall thickness: 0.75 mm (recommended wall thickness 1.5 mm)
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Duplication quantities: 15-20 copies (depend complexity of the mold and casting materials)
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Surface structure: High-quality surface finish comparable to injection molding
Vacuum Casting Materials
Urethane resins are polymers with a wide range of properties and uses. YANMI offers various urethane materials to meet your applications, including Hei-Cast from Japan and Axson from France. Materials with certain properties are similar to engineering production plastics, such as ABS, PMMA, PC, PP, PA, and so on. Casting parts can be varied from transparent, and translucent to colored, and from soft rubber to hard plastic. Various materials contain those impact-resistant, high-temperature resistant (120℃), or fire-resistant (UL94-V0), glass-filled resins, and different hardness silicone.
Rubber-like Polyurethanes
TECHNOLOGY
Vacuum casting
DESCRIPTION
Offering a range of different material properties, our rubber-like polyurethanes can be used with silicone molds to produce high-quality prototypes or small series of end-use parts.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
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Excellent surface quality and detail, resembling TPE, TPU, and silicone rubber
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Ideal for applications that need good shock absorption
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Cost-effective way to produce prototypes or small series of end-use parts
ABS-like Polyurethanes
TECHNOLOGY
Vacuum casting
DESCRIPTION
Offering a range of different material properties, our ABS-like polyurethanes can be used with silicone molds to produce high-quality prototypes or small series of end-use parts.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
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Excellent surface and detail, with injection-molded look and feel
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Flame-retardant, food-safe, and UV-stable materials available
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Cost-effective way to produce prototypes or small series of end-use parts
PE/PP-like Polyurethanes
TECHNOLOGY
Vacuum casting
DESCRIPTION
Offering a range of different material properties, our PE/PP-like polyurethanes can be used with silicone molds to produce high-quality prototypes or small series of end-use parts.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
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Excellent surface and detail, with injection-molded look and feel.
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Tough and lightweight with a wide range of finishes available.
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Cost-effective way to produce prototypes or small series of end-use parts.
Request A Free Vacuum Casting Quote Now
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