A comprehensive guide on vacuum cast parts

1. A Comprehensive Guide on Vacuum Cast Parts Vacuum casting is a fantastic solution for creating high-quality parts without the lead time or cost associated with production tooling. As long as you partner with the right service provider, you can come up with vacuum cast parts of any size and variety. That makes it an ideal prototyping or end-use production process that can create almost everything from custom car bumpers to headphones. This guide will tell you more about the process and help you decide if vacuum casting is best for your project. How it works Vacuum casting involves three stages. The first is where the master model is 3D printed via stereolithography (SLA) or selective laser sintering (SLS), or CNC machined. Next, liquid silicone is poured around your master model and left to cure. After drying, the master is cut from the mound to leave a cavity. Finally, the resin is poured into the cavity to make the vacuum cast parts. Why vacuum casting? This manufacturing method is cost-effective and practical for low-volume production requirements. With a low upfront investment, you can get production-like parts out of a massive range of self-colored materials. Vacuum casting can also produce rubber-like parts and over molds. Vacuum cast parts are versatile and can be used for creating low-volume prototyping or production. Some companies rely on vacuum casting for rapid iterations and market testing, too. The process lets you recreate tens of parts quickly using production-like materials. Make vacuum casting work for you There are certain things to consider when designing a part to make sure that it is suitable for vacuum casting. Wall thickness is one of the factors you should consider. Similar to injection molding, vacuum casting requires consistency where you should avoid designing overly thick sections, which are prone to sinking. You have to ensure that the wall thickness is consistent and even throughout. Shrinkage should be taken into account when designing vacuum cast parts. It is likely to happen when two walls of different thicknesses would intersect in the urethane mound design.

2. Choosing materials Polyurethane with thermoplastic properties is typically used for making vacuum cast parts. You should make sure that the materials you use possess properties similar to ABS, elastomer rubber, and others. Consider getting in touch with a reputable company that offers vacuum casting services. They usually provide a free project review to help you make informed decisions about choosing this manufacturing or prototyping process.