Bridge Production
Vacuum Casting Service
Create production-like urethane parts from silicone tooling when you need more than printed samples but are not ready for injection molding.
- Best For
- Appearance models, pilot runs, market samples, bridge builds
- Options
- Rigid, flexible, clear, colored, textured, and overmold-like parts
- Hardware
- Threaded inserts and selected embedded components
When to Use It
A practical middle route between 3D printing and hard tooling
Appearance Models
Produce matched samples with controlled color, texture, gloss, and clear areas.
Functional Samples
Select urethane systems that approximate common rigid or elastomeric plastics.
Pilot Batches
Build multiple parts for field trials, stakeholder reviews, or early customer delivery.
Bridge Production
Cover early demand while injection tooling is being designed, revised, or qualified.
Workflow
From master to repeated castings
Review Design
Confirm split lines, undercuts, inserts, surfaces, and expected mold life.
Create Master
Print or machine a high-quality master and prepare its final surface.
Make Silicone Tool
Form and cut the mold around the master with planned gates and vents.
Cast and Finish
Meter resin, cast under vacuum, cure, trim, inspect, and finish each part.
Material Behavior
Cast resin options
Design Guidance
Plan for mold life and repeatability
Control Wall Thickness
Avoid abrupt thick-to-thin transitions that complicate filling, cure, and shrink behavior.
Plan the Split
Place split lines away from important cosmetic areas and explain which surfaces are most visible.
Use Inserts Deliberately
Specify insert material, orientation, pull-out needs, and whether placement affects cosmetic faces.
Set Realistic Quantities
Silicone molds wear. Larger orders may require multiple tools or a transition to injection molding.
FAQ
Vacuum casting questions
Is cast urethane the same as injection-molded plastic?
No. It can approximate the appearance and selected behavior of production resins, but the chemistry, process, and long-term properties differ.
Can parts be clear or colored?
Yes. Provide a color reference, transparency goal, gloss or texture, and acceptable visual variation.
How many parts can one silicone mold make?
Mold life depends on geometry, undercuts, resin, surface detail, and handling. The quote will plan the number of tools around the requested quantity.
Start a Cast Urethane Project