Polyurethane Vacuum Casting Services
We offer a complete turnkey solution for creating master patterns and cast copies based on your CAD designs. We not only make high-quality molds but we also offer a full line of finishing services including painting, sanding, pad printing and more. We’ll help you create parts for showroom quality display models, engineering test samples, crowdfunding campaigns and more.
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Increases of 15% this month
Over 1k clients satisfied with our recent work
Star Rapid Vacuum Casting
What Is Vacuum Casting?
Polyurethane vacuum casting is a specialized technique for making high-fidelity copies of master patterns using inexpensive silicone molds and pourable casting resins. Copies made in this way demonstrate the same quality as plastic injection molded parts while taking only a fraction of the time and expense to produce.
Star Rapid Vacuum Casting
Advantages Of Vacuum Casting
- Low cost for molds
- Molds can be made in a few days
- Many types of polyurethane resins are available for casting, including overmolding
- Cast copies are highly accurate with excellent surface texture
- Molds are durable for 20 or more copies
- Perfect for engineering models, samples, rapid prototypes, bridge to production
Why Choose Star Rapid for Vacuum Casting Services?
When it comes to vacuum casting, there are a number of manufacturers to choose from. Choosing the right one is essential for getting exactly the results you expect. Here are several reasons to choose Star Rapid for your vacuum casting needs.
Exceptional Quality and Speed
Finishing Services to Enhance Your Product
Intelligent Quotations for Every Project
Your needs are unique — and you don’t want to pay for more than you need. That’s why we never require a minimum order volume or minimum dollar value for our vacuum casting services. We also use state-of-the-art AI quotation algorithms for fast, accurate quotes in 24 hours or fewer for nearly all projects.
Design for Manufacturing Support and Remote Flexibility
As vacuum casting is often used for prototyping, we know that many of the products we work on haven’t reached their final design. To help them get there, we provide detailed design for manufacturing support to our clients. (We can even make your patterns for you.) We also offer detailed video files showing all production steps for clients who can’t visit us in person.
Industry-Leading Material Verification and Testing Services
To ensure exceptional product quality from the get-go, we only use the highest quality resins from the best international brands.
Vacuum Casting Further Reading
Star Rapid specializes in low-volume production projects for various industries. Read our success stories.
Vacuum Casting Process
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.
A master pattern can be any physical solid of your design. They are often made either by CNC machining or some form of 3D printing such as SLA. Note, however, that a pattern made from 3D printing will not be quite the same as the CNC counterpart, since the later process uses round cutting tools that cannot make very tight radius corners.
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.
First the pattern must be carefully prepared, and that means sanding and sealing the surface with primer. Once it’s ready, it’s placed into a casting box and liquid silicone is poured around it. Depending on the size of the part, it can take 12~24 hours to fully cure inside of an oven. 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 overmold with two or more materials. Silicone molds are typically good for 20 or so copies of the master pattern.
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Common Questions
Star Rapid Vacuum CastingService FAQ
What makes Star Rapid’s vacuum casting service unique?
Our vacuum casting service is noted for its exceptional quality and speed. Our skilled technicians combine decades of experience with the latest technologies to produce exceptional prototypes and engineering models quickly. We can also further enhance your parts with a suite of finishing services including machining, media blasting, printing, painting and more.
Can Star Rapid provide design services, industrial design support or product development support as an extension of its vacuum casting services?
Yes. To supplement our vacuum casting services, we offer an expanded service geared for design-for-manufacturing support. While we once reserved this service only for approved orders, we now provide it to all incoming RFQs. We also offer light assembly services to meet your needs.
What are Star Rapid’s quality standards for its vacuum casting services?
To ensure the highest standard of quality for all of your finished parts, our team adheres to a strict quality control process. This starts with the verification and testing of all materials. During production, we meticulously control temperature, humidity and other processing conditions to maintain the highest degree of consistency in your parts.
How do I get a quote for Star Rapid’s vacuum casting services?
We make it easy to get a fast quotation. Simply upload your CAD files and product details and we’ll send you a free quotation within 24 hrs. or less.
What are the limitations of vacuum casting?
There are some limitations to the vacuum casting process. Developers need to use good design practices to ensure enough draft so the part can be released. For the same reason, avoid undercuts, deep ribs, bosses and other features that will destroy the relatively soft silicone mold when it opens.
What keeps the mold together in vacuum casting?
When our technicians cut the mold open to remove the master pattern, they make a sawtooth pattern on the cutline that acts like a key. This helps the mold to be resealed in the correct orientation for pouring resin. The mold merely needs to be taped and stapled shut to avoid any leakage during the pour.
