The Role of Cast Urethane in Agile Product Development Cycles

Do you need a few identical parts fast? Skip expensive tooling and consider cast urethane parts. They're a cost-effective way to get what you need without the wait.

Also known as vacuum casting, cast urethane is a versatile manufacturing process that can deliver small and large items, from headphones to wearable tech, switches, buttons, air vents, dashboards, bumpers, packaging prototypes, and air ducts. This makes it versatile for a wide range of industries, such as automotive, aerospace, medical, food and beverage, and consumer electronics, especially as it improves product development cycles.

Cast urethane is a soft tooling technique that uses soft silicone molds to make polyurethane plastics or elastomers. It involves the following steps:

·     Making the master model using SLS or SLA 3D printing or CNC machining.

·     Pouring the liquid silicone around the master model for curing, and cutting the master from the mold to leave the cavity.

·     Pouring the resin into the cavity to make the production-like replica.

Why include vacuum casting in product development?

Unlike traditional methods like injection molding, vacuum casting uses silicone molds. These are cheaper and quicker to make (particularly for small batches). The vacuum environment minimizes air bubbles to result in smooth and accurate cast urethane parts that closely resemble the final product. With faster turnaround times and lower costs, vacuum casting lets you create prototypes and iterate on designs quickly so you can get your product to market faster.

Beyond faster product development

Vacuum casting is ideal for making a low volume of self-colored parts with a lower upfront investment. Plus, it results in production-grade components that allow designers to make informed choices when testing and validating their designers. The right manufacturing partner provides access to a wide range of materials with properties similar to the final product.

Design flexibility

Cast urethane parts enable flexibility when there is a need to change the design on the fly based on customer feedback. Silicone molds are only good for a specific number of vacuum casting rounds, usually 25 to 30 per mold, making rapid design iterations possible at a lower cost.

Use vacuum casting for your next project.

Get your cast urethane parts from a trusted prototyping and manufacturing partner like HLH Prototypes. Share your project details by filling out the online form at HLHPrototypes.com or request a free quote by calling +86 755 8256 9129.

About the Company:

HLH Prototypes Co. Ltd is a company specializing in delivering tailor-made, fast prototyping and efficient low-volume production solutions. Situated in China, our prototyping firm ensures the speed and quality necessary for your project's success. We extend our rapid part manufacturing services throughout China via our core offerings, which encompass sheet metal fabrication, CNC machining, swift tooling, rapid injection molding, urethane vacuum casting, FDM 3D printing, SLS 3D printing, and SLA rapid prototyping. We cater to a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 corporations, small enterprises, and everyone in between, guaranteeing top-notch services. For additional details, please explore our website.