Casting low volume Polyurethane plastic items using the soft tooling vacuum casting method is one of our key services which we have offered over the last 30 years. As such we have a great deal of experience and specialise in applications which stretch the boundaries of the process. Vacuum casting is very economical for low volumes and pieces can be moulded to compressed time scales. These speed and cost benefits owe much to rapid prototyping 3D printing technologies which permit accurate master parts to be produced in as little as 24 hours.
Vacuum casting is an extremely flexible technique and quite amazing results can be achieved in the hands of our expert technicians. There is a vast array of material options which can replicate all kinds of plastics, rubbers and resins. In addition there are many surface finish options that can be achieved in the moulding process. These include polished, matte, textured and sparked finish.
The polyurethane resins used to produce vacuum mouldings can also be blended with filler materials such as powdered metals and stone which give fantastic finishes. We can produce moulded parts which look like real stone or metal. In addition we can mould pieces with a wide variety of patinas and aged finishes. There is also no limit to colour. Dyes can be infinitely blended to create any colour and match to Pantone and RAL colour chart references.
Vacuum Casting is Cost Effective
Vacuum casting is a very cost effective method of production for low volume moulded parts. The silicone mould tools can be produced efficiently and quickly and moulded parts ready for use can follow on immediately. This is especially useful for product development parts as design changes will have minimum impact on tooling costs. Once the testing phases and product trials are completed using the silicone moulded parts the expensive injection moulding production tools can be specified with confidence.
Moulded part production from soft silicone and resin tooling complements our comprehensive production services. These are 3D CAD design, CNC machining including 5 Axis, vacuum moulding, paint finishing, laser cutting, 3D printing, plastic/metal fabrication and vacuum forming. We provide these services to the art world, exhibition stand contractors, OEM equipment manufacturers, promotion companies, shop window display creators, architects, product designers and many more.