Vacuum Casting
Production-like quality without production tooling
A master pattern is used to make a precision silicone mold, from which multiple polyurethane parts are cast, faithfully reproducing colors, textures and mechanical properties.
- Surface roughness (Ra)
- 10 – 25 µm
- Surface quality
- Excellent, replicates texture and color
- Castings per mold
- Typically 10 – 50+
- Batch size
- 5 – 500+ parts
- Materials
- Rigid, flexible and clear polyurethanes
- Finishes
- Matte, gloss, textured, painted
- Best for
- Customer samples, pre-production and market testing
Multiple parts
Many identical parts from a single mold
Color & texture
Wide range of colors, finishes and textures
Production-like properties
Tough materials that mimic end-use parts
Cost-effective
Ideal for low volumes and market validation
How it works
Anatomy of a silicone mold
Hover over a numbered point or a list item to see where each part sits.
Capabilities
What Vacuum Casting is good at
Batches of polyurethane parts with production-like finish and color.
Key capabilities
05- High-fidelity reproduction of details
- Typically 10–50+ castings from a single mold
- Rigid, flexible and clear polyurethanes
- Custom colors and finishes: matte, gloss, textured
- Shorter lead times and lower cost than production tooling
Key benefits
06- Excellent surface finish
- Multiple colors and textures
- Short lead time
- Cost-effective at low volumes
- Material properties similar to production parts
- Low-volume production of 5–500+ parts
Best for
06- Low-volume production
- Functional prototypes
- Customer samples
- Design validation and testing
- Pre-production and market testing
- Concept models with a realistic appearance
Process flow
From master pattern to finished parts
- 01
Master pattern
3D printed or machined
- 02
Silicone mold
Flexible mold made from the master
- 03
Vacuum casting
Polyurethane poured under vacuum
- 04
Finished parts
Multiple parts ready for use
Sample parts
Typical Vacuum Casting parts
Functional housing
Painted finish
Enclosure
Textured finish
Transparent part
Clear resin
Mounting bracket
Tough resin
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3D printing overviewStart a project
Have a part in mind?
Send us a CAD file, a sketch or a sample part. We'll recommend the right process, material and finish, and get back to you with a quote.