Why is Urethane Casting an Effective Manufacturing Procedure

ByFacfox

Amongst all other plastic 3D printing techniques, urethane casting is considered to be the most inexpensive form of the manufacturing process. Unlike the injection molding technique that uses expensive metal molds for the production of parts and prototypes, urethane casting services utilize silicon molds to create products.

Urethane casting is widely implemented for the fabrication of small to medium quantity prototypes or end products without the use of hard tooling. Also, the process enables the manufacture of a wide range of products made from urethane material that possess a higher durometer implying strength and elasticity at the same time.

Urethane Casting Services Now is employed in a wide range of fields since it is a versatile manufacturing technique that can yield rigid or flexible plastic objects. The process involves the creation of a 3D design that is deposed in the mold box. Liquid urethane casting resin is poured into the silicon mold and cured in a heated vacuum chamber. Hence this process is also known as polyurethane vacuum casting or silicon mold casting.

The Casting Resources

There are two major forms of urethane casting materials- rigid and elastomeric. The use of these two resources depends typically on the type of product requirement. There are specific fields that demand the use of either rigid or elastomeric components. Let us have a look.

  • Rigid Urethane Plastics– The Shore D group of urethane plastics have ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) like properties. These are durable, tough, and impact-resistant. A large variety of products are made from Shore D urethane like concept models, enclosure housings, toys, medical and scientific devices, electronics, packaging, etc.
  • Elastomeric Urethane Plastics– These are soft rubber-like flexible urethane plastics that have a high elongation to break. The Shore A group of urethanes come under this category. These are generally used to manufacture overmolds, keypads, cable connectors, rubber boots and skins, etc.

However, the products created through the urethane casting process can be given any type of surface finish ranging from matte or frosted to glossy and custom textures. Since, urethane is mostly transparent, translucent or white; pigments can be added to accomplish diverse colours.

The Implementation

The urethane casting process is suitable for the manufacture of functional prototypes and end products as well. The application of urethane casting is executed in various sectors. These include:

  • Being flexible and durable, it is used in housing and enclosures like fixing electronic constituents inside a rubberised case and other significant purposes.
  • Urethane though not biocompatible but is non-toxic. Thus it is applied in a large array of medical and scientific devices.
  • The rapid speed and low cost of production enable it to be the most resourceful procedure for casting prototypes.
  • Some sports equipment like helmet pads, dumbbell grips, wheels, etc. even rely on urethane casting for the creation of quality products.

It is obvious, the availability of endless options and easy to implement qualities have summoned up the ever-growing popularity of urethane casting.