Nextproto Manufacturing Limited has received the latest customer inquiries about vacuum casting on Mar 22, 2017. Then we think it is necessary to introduce the application vacuum casting in rapid prototyping company.

“Greetings!rnI would like to order a small batch (10-50 copies of this model). I suppose, vacuum casting is the appropriate technology for this, how much would it cost?rnThank you!”

Vacuum casting is a casting process for elastomers using a vacuum to draw the liquid material into the mold. This process is used when air entrapment is a problem, there are intricate details or undercuts, or if the material is fiber or wire reinforced. Vacuum casting is indeed the ideal option for small batches customized plastic parts. It involves first making a master model via SLA or CNC, then creating a silicone mold around the part to produce multiple identical polyurethane prototypes. The tool life of the silicone mould is around 15 shots. CNC machining is the chosen process if the master pattern is bulky or thick, or vacuum castings must have an excellent high gloss finish. For high gloss parts, we will CNC the master pattern out of PMMA (Acrylic) and hand polish it to achieve the gloss.