Urethane casting delivers high quality parts by using a 3D printed (or machined) single master part to create silicone molds. The molds are then filled with a prepolymer resin and cured by heat or radiation. The end product is a highly resilient plastic or rubber piece that can be suited for many applications.
As a general rule of thumb: 3D printing is best suited for low quantities (1-20), cast urethane for medium quantities (20-300) and injection molding for high quantities (300+). Cast urethane is one of the most versatile processes to fabricate plastic and rubber parts and can be used in a variety of industries and applications.
Urethane Casting is made through four steps:
1. Producing the master component: The desired part is made via rapid prototyping or manually.
2. Creating the mold: Placing the master component into a box and then emerging it into liquid silicone.
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3. Splitting the mold: After the silicone is solidified, it is removed from the box and split into two halves along the parting line.
4. Removing the master component: The master component is removed after slicing the mold.
5. Casting: The two halves are reassembled and filled with liquid urethane.
6. Put under pressure: After casting, the mold that contains the urethane is put into a high temperature and pressure chamber to solidify the urethane.
7. Extraction: The solid part is extracted from the mold, and excess material is removed.