Our Vacuum Casting Services

Advantages of Vacuum Casting

• 01

  Material Variety

  It supports various casting resins and elastomers, allowing for a broad spectrum of physical properties (e.g., rigidity, flexibility, impact resistance). You can use materials that closely mimic the properties of the final production materials, which is valuable for testing performance and fit.

• 02

  Cost-Effectiveness & Quick Turnaround

  Compared to other methods like injection molding, vacuum casting involves lower tooling costs, as it uses silicone molds that are less expensive to produce. Silicone molds are faster to produce than metal molds, allowing for quicker changes and adjustments. It is cost-effective for small to medium production runs, making it suitable for prototyping and low-volume manufacturing. The process allows for quick production of prototypes, which accelerates design iterations and reduces time to market.

• 03

  Versatility in Design & Minimal Waste

  Vacuum casting can handle complex geometries and detailed designs that may be challenging for other manufacturing methods, and you can adjust the physical properties of the cast parts by choosing different resins or by modifying the casting process. The process typically generates minimal waste compared to subtractive manufacturing methods.

• 04

  Suitable for Low-Volume Production

  Vacuum casting is ideal for low-volume production due to its cost-effectiveness and speed. It involves creating silicone molds from a master model, which allows for quick production of high-quality parts. Compared to methods like injection molding, which require expensive tooling, vacuum casting is more affordable for small runs and offers flexibility for rapid prototyping and material experimentation.

Why Choose Vacuum Casting From IDEAL ?

How Vacuum Casting Works?

Vacuum casting  is a manufacturing process used to produce high-quality, precise prototypes and small production runs of parts. It's particularly useful for creating complex geometries and detailed features. Here's a broad overview of how it works:

Create a Master Pattern: The process begins with a master pattern, often made from a material like wax, plastic, or metal. This pattern is a replica of the part you want to produce.

Make a Mold: The master pattern is encased in a silicone rubber to create a mold. Silicone is favored for its flexibility and ability to capture fine details. The silicone is poured over the master pattern and allowed to cure, forming a mold cavity.

Prepare the Mold: Once cured, the silicone mold is removed from the master pattern. The mold is then reinforced with a hard outer shell, usually made from fiberglass or a similar material, to maintain its shape during casting.

Vacuum Casting Material Preparation:  A casting resin (often polyurethane) is mixed and degassed to remove any air bubbles that could cause imperfections in the final part.

Pouring Resin:  The liquid resin is poured into the silicone mold under vacuum conditions. The vacuum helps to pull the resin into all the mold's intricate details and prevent air bubbles from forming.

De-Molding: After the resin has cured, the mold is carefully removed to reveal the cast part. The silicone mold is flexible, allowing for easy removal of the part without damaging it.

Post-Processing: The cast part might undergo additional finishing processes like trimming, sanding, or painting to achieve the desired final appearance and functionality.

Our Maximum Size Range of Machine Ability

Vacuum Casting Technical Specifications

Limitations of Vacuum Casting

• Production Volume

  Not ideal for large-scale production runs. It's generally used for low to medium volumes due to the limited lifespan of the molds and slower production rates

• Material Range

  Limited to specific types of resins, which may not offer the same range of mechanical properties or material choices as other methods.

• Tooling Durability

  Silicone molds used in vacuum casting have a finite lifespan and can wear out or degrade over time, impacting the quality of subsequent casts.

• Cost Efficiency for Large Runs

  The cost per part can become less favorable compared to methods like injection molding for high-volume production.

• Detail Limitations

  While it provides good surface finish and detail, extremely fine details or very complex geometries might be challenging to achieve compared to some other manufacturing techniques.

• Post-Processing Needs

  Parts often require additional finishing steps to achieve the desired surface quality and final appearance.

Vacuum Casting vs. Injection Molding

How IDEAL Improve The Tolerance And Precision In Vacuum Casting?

• Master Pattern Quality

  By using high-precision master patterns made from materials like aluminum, or high-quality 3D-printed plastics to ensure dimensional accuracy, IDEAL make sure the master pattern has a smooth surface finish to minimize defects in the mold.

• Mold Design and Material

  IDEAL choose high-quality silicone mold materials that maintain dimensional stability and have minimal shrinkage during curing.Design the mold to avoid complex features that can cause inaccuracies, such as sharp corners or intricate details that are hard to reproduce.

• Curing Conditions & Resin Selection

  We Maintain consistent temperature and humidity during the curing process to minimize thermal expansion and shrinkage, and allow sufficient curing time as recommended by the resin manufacturer to achieve optimal hardness and stability. IDEAL using resins that have low shrinkage rates and good dimensional stability.

• Vacuum Techniques

  IDEAL ensure proper vacuum pressure is applied to remove air bubbles and voids during the casting process, which can affect dimensional accuracy. Degas the liquid resin before pouring to eliminate trapped air that could lead to defects and dimensional variations.

• Post-Processing & Inspection

  Employ precise finishing techniques such as sanding or machining to refine dimensions and achieve tighter tolerances on critical features. We would also Implement inspection processes, such as dimensional checks, to monitor the accuracy of produced parts.