4 advantages of vacuum casting
What’s vacuum casting?
Vacuum casting is a fast and cost-effective prototyping for producing high-quality prototype. it is ideal for producing small quantities of plastic and flexible rubber parts, especially if aesthetics is important. The process starts by placing a two-piece silicone mold in a vacuum chamber. The raw material is mixed with degassed and then poured into the mold. The vacuum is then released and the mold removed from the chamber. Finally, the casting is cured in an oven and the mold removed to release the completed casting. The silicone mold can be reused so that it can perfectly replicate the main pattern. It is very useful in many ways, including for engineering testing, product development, as a presentation model, and marketing activities.
The process principle of silicone mold vacuum casting
The process principle of vacuum casting is to place the investment shell in a sealed chamber, the sealed chamber is lowered, the sprue is immersed in the liquid metal, and then the vacuum pump is started to evacuate the sealed chamber into a vacuum, and the liquid is sucked and cast at the same time. After the casting in the mold is solidified, the vacuum state is released, and the residual metal liquid in the runner is returned to the furnace, and the vacuum suction casting is obtained by clearing the sand.
Operating steps of vacuum casting
• Vacuum die casting begins with a master mold, which itself is a prototype made of any sturdy and durable material. CNC processing is usually used to make these patterns, because CNC processing is fast, no separate tools are needed, and the design can be modified as needed.
• After making the patterns, you need to prepare them before you can copy them. The preliminary preparation usually involves sanding, polishing and painting to get the smooth surface finish. for multiple parts that may be assembled together, we also test the assembly of the parts and make minor adjustments to ensure a qualified appearance.
• When the patterns are ready, they are placed in a casting box and then filled with liquid silicone. Curing the silicone in the oven for several hours. Open the casting box and fill it with liquid silicone. Carefully cut the mold along the predetermined seam line and remove the pattern, leaving the cavity in the exact mirror image of the original mold. Carefully open the silicone mold along the dividing line to reproduce the delicate surface texture.
• If you need to duplicate the original mold, you must reseal the mold and introduce the feed tube into the cavity. The liquid polyurethane resin is poured into a mold, and then the mold is placed in a vacuum chamber. The purpose of vacuum is to extract air from the cavity, remove air bubbles, and simultaneously press the resin into the entire space. Finally, the mold is heated in an oven, and the resin is cured in the oven.
Advantages of vacuum casting
High quality
The main benefits vacuum casting including a high-quality surface finish, improved mechanical properties and an overall better finished product stability.it can be easily reproduced from the original. Vacuum casting can eliminate or significantly reduce the porosity defects of the casting, improve the density of the structure, enhance the mechanical properties, and improve the surface quality.
Fine detail and accuracy
For aesthetic purposes, vacuum casting offers a very high level of reproduction accuracy and finishing options. The process allows for colorings pigments to be added to the vacuum chamber along with the resin components so that your final part will be an exact color match with your company’s branding.
Fast lead time
A silicone mold can be made in days. product turnaround is very fast with vacuum casting, which would make it suitable when company objectives require a part or prototype urgently to move forward and not create a bottleneck in the business stream, if you are going to attend an exhibition, saving time will be the key factor in everything.
Cost-effective
Vacuum casting is the most economical way to make high-quality plastic parts. It doesn’t need invest huge money in mold,no requirement for expensive hard tooling, in this way, the saved money can be used for further product development or alternative design iterations.
In addition, compared with injection molding, vacuum casting consumes less electricity, that low cost also benefits for customer. Youde has experienced vacuum casting solutions for rapid prototyping and end-use parts. with our experienced staff, comprehensive service and guarantee quality, so that you can get high quality parts in the lower cost with us. Contact us now!
Vacuum casting is a fast and cost-effective prototyping for producing high-quality prototype. it is ideal for producing small quantities of plastic and flexible rubber parts, especially if aesthetics is important. The process starts by placing a two-piece silicone mold in a vacuum chamber. The raw material is mixed with degassed and then poured into the mold. The vacuum is then released and the mold removed from the chamber. Finally, the casting is cured in an oven and the mold removed to release the completed casting. The silicone mold can be reused so that it can perfectly replicate the main pattern. It is very useful in many ways, including for engineering testing, product development, as a presentation model, and marketing activities.
The process principle of silicone mold vacuum casting
The process principle of vacuum casting is to place the investment shell in a sealed chamber, the sealed chamber is lowered, the sprue is immersed in the liquid metal, and then the vacuum pump is started to evacuate the sealed chamber into a vacuum, and the liquid is sucked and cast at the same time. After the casting in the mold is solidified, the vacuum state is released, and the residual metal liquid in the runner is returned to the furnace, and the vacuum suction casting is obtained by clearing the sand.
Operating steps of vacuum casting
• Vacuum die casting begins with a master mold, which itself is a prototype made of any sturdy and durable material. CNC processing is usually used to make these patterns, because CNC processing is fast, no separate tools are needed, and the design can be modified as needed.
• After making the patterns, you need to prepare them before you can copy them. The preliminary preparation usually involves sanding, polishing and painting to get the smooth surface finish. for multiple parts that may be assembled together, we also test the assembly of the parts and make minor adjustments to ensure a qualified appearance.
• When the patterns are ready, they are placed in a casting box and then filled with liquid silicone. Curing the silicone in the oven for several hours. Open the casting box and fill it with liquid silicone. Carefully cut the mold along the predetermined seam line and remove the pattern, leaving the cavity in the exact mirror image of the original mold. Carefully open the silicone mold along the dividing line to reproduce the delicate surface texture.
• If you need to duplicate the original mold, you must reseal the mold and introduce the feed tube into the cavity. The liquid polyurethane resin is poured into a mold, and then the mold is placed in a vacuum chamber. The purpose of vacuum is to extract air from the cavity, remove air bubbles, and simultaneously press the resin into the entire space. Finally, the mold is heated in an oven, and the resin is cured in the oven.
Advantages of vacuum casting
High quality
The main benefits vacuum casting including a high-quality surface finish, improved mechanical properties and an overall better finished product stability.it can be easily reproduced from the original. Vacuum casting can eliminate or significantly reduce the porosity defects of the casting, improve the density of the structure, enhance the mechanical properties, and improve the surface quality.
Fine detail and accuracy
For aesthetic purposes, vacuum casting offers a very high level of reproduction accuracy and finishing options. The process allows for colorings pigments to be added to the vacuum chamber along with the resin components so that your final part will be an exact color match with your company’s branding.
Fast lead time
A silicone mold can be made in days. product turnaround is very fast with vacuum casting, which would make it suitable when company objectives require a part or prototype urgently to move forward and not create a bottleneck in the business stream, if you are going to attend an exhibition, saving time will be the key factor in everything.
Cost-effective
Vacuum casting is the most economical way to make high-quality plastic parts. It doesn’t need invest huge money in mold,no requirement for expensive hard tooling, in this way, the saved money can be used for further product development or alternative design iterations.
In addition, compared with injection molding, vacuum casting consumes less electricity, that low cost also benefits for customer. Youde has experienced vacuum casting solutions for rapid prototyping and end-use parts. with our experienced staff, comprehensive service and guarantee quality, so that you can get high quality parts in the lower cost with us. Contact us now!