Online Vacuum Casting Service

Vacuum Casting is used for the production of low volume production (<200 nos) of functional plastic parts. This is achieved using two-component polyurethanes and silicone molds, Vacuum Casting is known for its fast production of high-quality prototypes or end-use products while being highly affordable.
The vacuum casting process is a casting process which is used for the manufacturing of small numbers of highly accurate polyurethane prototype parts of functional materials usually plastic, rubber and metals.
with characteristics and quality comparable to the final product.
This is a slower process than SLA as it requires the additional steps involved in the process, some of which are intensive.

Vacuum Casting also known as Silicone molding produces high-quality parts comparable to injection-molded components. This makes vacuum casted models especially suitable for fit and function testing, showcase materials, marketing purposes, or a series of end-use parts in limited quantities (< 200 nos). Vacuum Casting offers a variety of finishing degrees, and we can even match the finish you need for your parts.

Vacuum Casting is also known as Silicone Molding and is referred to as Silicone Molding since it uses Silicone as the primary material for mold making.

Urethane is the scientific name for Silicone Resin using which the main mold is created. In some industries, vacuum casting or silicone molding is referred to as Urethane Casting Process.

While Urethane Casting seems easy, it carries many nuances that make or break your end-parts finish. Here is an overview of the process:
Step 1: Getting the 3D Design Ready
-Making a product design that confirms with the tolerances will reduce costs as well as time.
Step 2: High-Quality Master Model
-We fabricate an ultra-realistic model of your design using SLA Process or Polyjet FDM 3D Printing.
-We double-check the dimensions and looks of the Master Model as per the end results we wish to achieve.
Step 3: Making the Mold Cavity
-The master is immersed in silicone to form the master mold
-The mold is cured under high temperatures to ensure that silicone toughens.
-Then the mold is cut open into two parts which can be stick together again. This is used to strengthen the mold and make it more durable.
Step 4: Producing Parts from the Mold Cavity
-We fill the opening of the Mold Cavity with the desired materials and let the resin material cure itself into the shape as per the specs of Master Pattern.
-After a few hours, we open the mold and repeat the above steps.
Step 5: Discarding the master mold -It is advised to discard the master mold after 15-20 runs per mold.
-We re-make the master mold using the Master Pattern until the Master Pattern can withstand extreme temperatures of the Silicone without losing its dimensional accuracy.
That's it.

Here are some of the Vacuum Casting or Urethane Casting Service tolerances:
-Distance Dimensions = +/- 0.010” or +/- 0.003” per inch, whichever is larger, is typical.
Shrink Mitigation = A shrinkage rate of +/-0.15% can be expected due to thermal expansion of the liquid, and the response of the flexible mold.
Surface Quality = The surface finish is externally smoothed to a glossy, satin, or matte surface.
Feature Definition = Extreme sharp corners and small text may appear slightly rounded.
Size Recommendation = Parts can be as large as 1000mm on any one side.

The minimum order quantity for Urethane Casting Service is as follows:
One Master SLA Part
One Master Mold Cavity
One Run of Mold Cavity

Maximal part size = 1000 mm (80in)
Minimal part size = 1.0 mm (0.04 in)
Minimal diameter = 0.6 mm (0.02 in)

Every Vacuum Casting service order includes our standard inspection file that includes reports and certifications such as:
Critical dimensions
Quantity of parts
Removal of sharp edges and burrs
Number of parts inspected
Surface finish
Threads and tolerances
Full dimensional inspection report
Resin material test report
ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO27001, and IATF 16949 certifications

Every Master Pattern can make up to 3 Mold Cavity and each Mold Cavity can produce 15 to 25 parts based on the product design.
In one total run, you can expect between 45-75 parts from one Master Pattern.

Vacuum Casting offers a variety of industrial-grade materials to suit your end-part needs. Some of those are as follows:
Nylon-6 (Cast)
PP-Like
PC-Like (Clear)
Acrylic (PMMA)
Flame retardant (8263)
Nylon-12 (PA 2200)
High Temperature
Teflon (PTFE)
Elastomers
ABS-Like
PP (Machining)
ABS (Basic)
ABS
PC-ABS (8051)
Rubber (VC 3300)
Ultra Detail (Vero)
ABS Transparent (8095)
Nylon (VC 3365)
Tough Resin
POM (Delrin)
ABS Black (PX-223HT)
ABS Food Grade (9012)
Rubber-Like (Tango)
GF Nylon-12 (PA 3200)
PLA (Basic)
Polypropylene (8045)
High Temperature (8060)

Sadly, vacuum casting doesn't allow much choice when it comes to surface finishes. You can post-process the end-parts to make them look appealing in either Matte Finish or Glossy Finish.

Silicone Molding is a process that every manufacturing company deploys before going into the Injection Molding Process. Here are some of the industries which use Silicone Molding extensively:
Automotive Mould
Aircraft Parts
Home Appliance Mould
Household Plastic Mould
Connector Mould
Crate Mould
Package Mould
Cooking Utensils
Medical Devices
This method can be opted for producing cost-effective low volume production.
It can be used to build models and prototypes of any size.
Pre-launch product testing
Small series of housings and covers
Concept models
Food and Beverages
The food and drinks industry use this product for packaging of their final products.
Commercial Products
Commercial products include sunglasses, mobile cases, food and drinks packaging, and pens.
Household Products
Products like washing detergents, food processing, and cosmetics are manufactured using this process.

While there are many benefits to Vacuum Casting Service, we have summed up a few that are highly critical:

Access to industrial-grade materials
80% Injection Molding Quality of the end-part
Best suited for low volume production
Low investment in tooling and preparation costs
Economical and Fastest turnaround time
The vacuum casting process results in high-quality products as compared to injection molded components.
Fine detail to the finished product
High precision in producing exact replicas of a prototype on a large scale.
Every attention to detail is considered and taken into account no matter how complex.
Vacuum casted models are usually used for functioning testing and marketing purposes. The end product has such good finishing that this technique has attracted a large set of the audience towards it.

High quality of the product
Resin allows you to choose the right material to be used in making of the final product.
This allows you to have a wider choice of flexibility, hardness and rigidity expected in products.
All this leads to a higher quality of products.

Lowers the production costs
Vacuum casting process is more economical manufacturing method than others as Silicone is affordable as compared to aluminum or steel.
Hence it becomes more cost-effective process as compared to the use of 3D printing.
Ideally one silicone mold can produce up to 20 good replicas but again the capability may vary as per the design complexity & quality acceptance.
A great method when you want to meet a deadline
Vacuum casting is a fast method for low volume production. It usually takes up to seven to ten days to make around 50 functioning prototype parts.

Heat resistance
Colours and tints
Fire retardance
Flexibility and rigidity
UV stability

Nope. They are the same and sometimes used interchangeably with Vacuum Casting Services.

For a standard part that we checked on our in-house Vacuum Casting Setup, costs for various processes are as follows: 3D Printing -> INR 4500 for 1 part CNC machining -> INR 7000 for 1 part Urethane Casting -> INR 500 for 1 part Injection Molding -> INR 60 for 1 part with the cost of mold starting at INR 70,000

Here are some ways to reduce the overall cost of your vacuum casting process:
Remove Unnecessary Rounded Internal Corners
Limit the Depth of Cavities
Limit Use of Tight Tolerances
Avoid Flashy Surface Finishes
Remove Small Text & Lettering
Avoid Small Features with High Aspect Ratio
Use Widely Used Materials
Increase the Thickness of Thin Walls
Choose Quantity and Turnaround Time Tradeoffs

While there are various methods of choosing the material, the end choice depends on the use case of your product. Nonetheless, here are some metrics which will help you choose the right material:
Physical appearance quality
Surface texture/finish
Transparency/translucence
Rigidity
Flexibility
Strength
Hardness
Temperature resistance
UV stability
Colour

Vacuum Casting Technical Specifications:
Typical lead time = Up to 20 parts in 15 days or less, depends on the part specification and volumes.
Accuracy = ± 0.3% (with lower limit on ± 0.3 mm on dimensions smaller than 100 mm)
Minimum wall thickness= To ensure that the mold is filled properly, a wall thickness of at least 0.75 mm is necessary. For best results, we recommend a wall thickness of at least 1.5 mm
Maximum part dimensions = The size of the mold is limited by the dimensions of the vacuum chamber (1900 x 900 x 750 mm) and by the volume of the product (maximum volume: 10 liters)
Typical quantities = Up to 25 copies per mold (depending on the mold’s complexity and the casting materials)
Color & Finishing = Pigment is added to the liquid polyurethane prior to casting, custom painting and texture.

Makenica provides the vacuum casting services in all tier-1,2 & 3 cities.

TIER-1 CITIES:

Bangalore

Chennai

Delhi

Hyderabad

Kolkata

Mumbai

Ahmedabad

Pune



TIER-2 CITIES:

Agra

Ajmer

Aligarh

Amravati

Amritsar

Asansol

Aurangabad

Bareilly

Belgaum

Bhavnagar

Bhiwandi

Bhopal

Bhubaneswar

Bikaner

Bilaspur

Bokaro Steel City

Chandigarh

Coimbatore

Cuttack

Dehradun

Dhanbad

Bhilai

Durgapur

Erode

Faridabad

Firozabad

Ghaziabad

Gorakhpur

Gulbarga

Guntur

Gwalior

Gurgaon

Guwahati

Hamirpur

Hubli–Dharwad

Indore

Jabalpur

Jaipur

Jalandhar

Jammu

Jamnagar

Jamshedpur

Jhansi

Jodhpur

Kakinada

Kannur

Kanpur

Kochi

Kolhapur

Kollam

Kozhikode

Kurnool

Ludhiana

Lucknow

Madurai

Malappuram

Mathura

Goa

Mangalore

Meerut

Moradabad

Mysore

Nagpur

Nanded

Nashik

Nellore

Noida

Patna

Pondicherry

Purulia Prayagraj

Raipur

Rajkot

Rajahmundry

Ranchi

Rourkela

Salem

Sangli

Shimla

Siliguri

Solapur

Srinagar

Surat

Thiruvananthapuram

Thrissur

Tiruchirappalli

Tiruppur

Ujjain

Bijapur

Vadodara

Varanasi

Vasai-Virar City

Vijayawada

Visakhapatnam

Vellore

Warangal