Top Reasons to Use Vacuum Casting for Rapid Prototyping

Top Reasons to Use Vacuum Casting for Rapid Prototyping




In the world of rapid prototyping, vacuum casting is a valuable technique, which can complement other processes, like CNC machining and 3D printing, or be used independently to advance product development with high-quality prototypes. There are many reasons to use it for rapid prototyping applications. Keep on reading to find out if the process is right for you.Get more news about Vacuum Casting Part,you can vist our website!

The master model is subsequently cast in silicone—in other words, it is placed in a vat and covered with liquid silicone. The silicone mold is then cured, after it hardens, it is cut along specific lines and the master model is removed. From there, the silicone mold is injected with a polymer-based resin of the customer’s choice and is then cured. The casting process occurs under a vacuum environment, which ensures that air bubbles are removed from the cast resin, resulting in dense, high-accuracy parts. When the resin is solid, the mold can be removed and reused to make more identical copies.

Today, vacuum casting is a commonly used rapid prototyping process for many applications, including pre-series prototyping, pre-series testing and validation, and small series batches for early-market products.
The first reason why one should consider using vacuum casting for their prototyping needs is quality. Though it is primarily a prototyping process, vacuum casting is capable of reproducing parts that are production quality—similar even to injection molded parts. Silicone molds can form even the smallest details on a master model, making vacuum casting particularly suitable for the production of small, highly detailed components. It should be noted, however, that the quality is fully dependent on the quality of the master model. To ensure the best quality, make sure that the master model (whether it is 3D printed or CNC machined) has a good surface finish and high-resolution features.

2. Material choice
Vacuum casting is a great rapid prototyping option when you need a wide range of material choices. While the material of the master model is less important and silicone is the material of choice for the mold itself, the final casting can be done using a broad selection of polymer resins, including stiff plastics, flexible elastomers, transparent materials, and more. Notably, there is a selection of castable and curable resins that resemble commonly used thermoplastics, such as ABS-like polyurethanes and PE/PP-like polyurethanes. This means that your vacuum cast prototype can have similar aesthetic and mechanical properties to final, mass-produced components made from ABS or Polyethylene (PE), to name but a couple.
As we’ve seen, because vacuum casting can produce parts with a high degree of accuracy and from a wide range of materials, it is possible to create prototypes that closely resemble final products. This, in turn, means that vacuum cast prototypes are suitable for functional testing and validation, as well as fit testing if the component in question is part of a larger assembly. This capability is advantageous because it enables product developers to carry out quality assurance at an early stage, to determine whether their product is viable for particular applications before moving into final production. Vacuum casting is thus a beneficial rapid prototyping process for pre-series production for mechanical and aesthetic validation, as well as certifications and customer trials.