Vacuum Casting Services
Achieve precision and durability in every cast part with Fioria’s polyurethane vacuum casting. Enjoy reliable quality and rapid production times. Certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, ISO 14001:2015, and IATF 16949:2016.
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/01 High Quality Parts
Fioria holds ISO certification, ensuring adherence to international quality standards. Our thorough manufacturing analysis and rigorous quality control guarantee the production of superior parts.
/02 Complex Geometries Support
We offer high-quality elastomeric materials for vacuum casting of complex plastic parts. Our comprehensive design support ensures prototypes and small-batch components closely replicate the final products.
/03 Vacuum Casting Specialist
Receive dependable custom vacuum casting services from our team of highly skilled and experienced specialists. We pride ourselves on having industry-leading experts proficient in fabrication, material selection, surface finishing, and more.
What is Vacuum Casting
Vacuum casting is a specialized process that uses polyurethane resins to produce high-fidelity replicas of master patterns, starting from a precise silicone mold created from a 3D-printed master. This technique casts parts under vacuum conditions, ensuring bubble-free, highly detailed results comparable in quality to injection-molded parts, but delivered faster and more cost-effectively. It is ideal for prototyping, small to medium production runs, and high-quality end-use components.
At Fioria, we optimize polyurethane vacuum casting to produce parts up to 30 inches with minimal dimensional shrinkage of just +0.15%, maintaining strict tolerances even for complex designs. Our service is highly customizable, supporting clear, color-matched, or specially finished parts, including those requiring EMI shielding. We also incorporate various inserts during casting to enhance part functionality.
Fioria’s vacuum casting services provide a dependable alternative to injection molding, effectively bridging the gap between prototype development and full-scale production without the high costs or extended lead times. This delivers a cost-efficient, quality-assured solution tailored to your specific requirements.
Fioria Vacuum Casting Solutions
Rapid Prototyping
Produce up to 50 high-quality vacuum cast parts per mold cost-effectively. This approach is ideal for customized or niche products, providing the flexibility to modify quantities and specifications without the expenses associated with traditional manufacturing.
Low Volume Production
The vacuum casting process uses low-cost tooling, making it a more accessible and economical method for producing prototypes. It allows you to create high-quality prototypes with a range of materials and design modifications. Easily test your designs and prepare them for functional evaluation.
Vacuum Casting Materials
At Fioria, we employ a wide variety of polyurethane resins in our vacuum casting process, each chosen for its unique characteristics like impact resistance, flexibility, and heat resistance.
Metals
Soft Rubber is prized for its flexibility and shock-absorbing qualities, making it ideal for products such as seals and gaskets that must endure continuous bending and pressure. Soft Rubber PU8400 Soft Rubber T0387 
ABS offers a combination of high strength, excellent impact resistance, and dimensional stability, making it perfect for functional prototypes and durable end-use parts in demanding applications. ABS PU8150 
PMMA (Acrylic) is recognized for its optical clarity and UV resistance, making it ideal for producing transparent parts with a glass-like finish, commonly used in lenses and windows. PMMA 1940 
Polycarbonate is known for its toughness, heat resistance, and clarity, making it ideal for manufacturing durable, transparent parts designed to withstand harsh conditions. PC PX510 
Selected for its high mechanical strength and excellent wear resistance, Nylon is ideal for applications demanding durability and fatigue resistance, such as gears and bearings. Nylon Z2910 
Polypropylene provides excellent chemical resistance and flexibility, making it a popular choice for products that need both durability and pliability, such as automotive components and storage containers. PP 5690 
This material resists high temperatures without deterioration, making it perfect for parts in automotive, aerospace, and industrial sectors exposed to extreme heat. PX2017 PX223 
Flame retardant materials are crucial for safety-critical applications, as they slow or prevent the spread of fire. They are commonly used in electronic enclosures and aerospace components. Flame Retardant Material 8263 Fioria Vacuum Casting Capabilities
Review our vacuum casting capabilities below, showcasing key service parameters and production details.
| Description | |
|---|---|
| Accuracy | Highest precision to reach ±0.05 mm |
| Maximum Part Size | +/- 0.025 mm +/- 0.001 inch |
| Minimum Wall Thickness | 1.5mm～2.5mm |
| Quantitites | 20-25 copies per mold |
| Color and Finishing | Color and texture can be customized |
| Typical Lead Time | Up to 20 parts in 15 days or less |
Vacuum Casting Color Options
Fioria provides a wide variety of color options in our vacuum casting services to perfectly align with your design specifications and branding needs. Personalize your vacuum cast parts with vibrant, consistent colors that boost both visual appeal and brand recognition.
Standard Black
Perfect for a sleek, classic look.
Pure White
Ideal for clean, modern designs.
Transparent
Maintains clarity while showcasing internal components.
Metallic Shades
Add a premium touch with metallic effects in gold, silver, or bronze.
Neon Colors
Bright options for standout pieces that catch the eye.
Custom Colors
Match any Pantone or RAL color to suit your specific branding needs.
Applications of Vacuum Casting
Vacuum casting is a versatile manufacturing process widely used across various industries for producing high-quality plastic parts quickly and cost-effectively. Key applications include:
Automotive: Perfect for manufacturing complex, durable components such as dashboards, lighting fixtures, and decorative covers that demand precise detailing and a premium finish.
Medical Devices: Ideal for creating custom casings and components for medical equipment, meeting strict requirements for precision, sterility, and regulatory compliance.
Consumer Products: Enables the production of intricate items like toy figurines, household appliance parts, and wearable devices that require smooth surfaces and fine details.
Electronics: Well-suited for making enclosures and prototypes of electronic devices that must be robust, accurate, and visually appealing, often using specialized materials with properties like heat resistance.
Advantages of Vacuum Casting
Vacuum casting provides several key advantages that make it a preferred method for rapid prototyping and small-batch production:
Exceptional Detail and Finish: Delivers high-quality surface detail and finish, closely mimicking the appearance of injection-molded parts without the high costs of traditional manufacturing.
Cost-Effective: Requires lower upfront investment due to less expensive tooling and materials, making it well-suited for prototypes and low-volume runs.
Fast Turnaround: Enables quick production from design to finished part, significantly accelerating the development process.
Material Versatility: Supports a broad selection of plastics and resins, allowing parts to meet specific mechanical and thermal requirements.
Extensive Customization: Provides wide options for colors and finishes, helping designers achieve the exact look and feel desired without compromise.
FAQs
Vacuum casting is a flexible and efficient method mainly used to produce high-quality prototypes and small to medium production runs. Here’s a simple overview of the process:
Master Pattern Creation: It starts with creating a master pattern, usually made by a high-resolution 3D printer, accurately representing the final part’s details.
Mold Making: A silicone mold is formed around the master pattern under vacuum conditions to eliminate air bubbles, ensuring mold accuracy and a smooth surface.
Casting: After the mold cures and the master pattern is removed, polyurethane resin is mixed and poured into the mold. Vacuum is applied during pouring to prevent air entrapment, resulting in a bubble-free casting that faithfully replicates the master pattern.
Curing and Part Removal: The resin cures inside the mold, after which the part is taken out. The mold can be reused multiple times to produce additional copies.
Finishing Touches: Finally, the cast parts are cleaned and finished to achieve the required surface texture and detail, including any painting or coating needed.
Vacuum casting and 3D printing are both valuable tools in rapid prototyping, but urethane casting often offers distinct advantages, especially for certain project needs:
Material Properties: Vacuum casting utilizes materials that closely replicate those used in injection molding, delivering parts with superior mechanical qualities such as strength, flexibility, and heat resistance—crucial for functional testing and end-use applications.
Surface Finish: Urethane cast parts typically have smoother, more refined surfaces compared to 3D printed parts, which often display layer lines and require additional post-processing to achieve a smooth finish.
Color and Texture Options: Vacuum casting provides a wider variety of colors and textures without extra post-processing, offering greater versatility in finishes directly from the mold than most 3D printing methods.
Production of Larger Quantities: While 3D printing excels at producing one-off prototypes or very small runs, vacuum casting is more cost-effective and efficient for small to medium batch production, as silicone molds allow multiple copies from a single master model.
Durability: Urethane cast parts generally offer greater durability and are better suited for functional testing and consumer use, thanks to materials that can endure more demanding conditions.
Polyurethane vacuum casting offers numerous advantages over traditional injection molding, especially for prototyping and small production runs:
Lower Costs: Vacuum casting requires much less upfront investment in tooling, as it uses silicone molds that are faster and more affordable to produce compared to the steel or aluminum molds needed for injection molding.
Faster Turnaround: The mold-making process for vacuum casting is significantly quicker, enabling faster transitions from design to finished parts. This rapid pace is essential for projects with tight schedules or those needing quick iterations.
Material Flexibility: Unlike injection molding, which generally relies on thermoplastics, vacuum casting supports a wider range of materials, including various polyurethane resins that replicate the characteristics of thermoplastics, elastomers, and rubbers.
High-Quality Detail and Finish: Vacuum casting delivers excellent surface detail and finishes comparable to injection molded parts. It excels at producing complex geometries and fine details with high aesthetic quality without requiring additional post-processing.
Color and Texture Customization: Polyurethane resins in vacuum casting can be easily tinted during mixing, allowing for integrated color and texture options tailored to specific design needs, eliminating the need for extra painting or finishing.
Ideal for Small Batches: Vacuum casting is a cost-effective choice for small to medium production volumes, offering a practical alternative when quantities do not justify the higher costs of injection mold tooling.
When designing parts for vacuum casting, several important factors must be considered to ensure a successful and efficient production process:
Wall Thickness: Maintaining consistent wall thickness is essential to avoid warping and to promote even resin curing. Typically, recommended wall thickness ranges from 1.5 to 5 mm, depending on the part’s size and complexity.
Draft Angles: Including draft angles in the design facilitates easy removal of the part from the mold. A minimum draft angle of 1 to 2 degrees is generally recommended for most surfaces.
Undercuts and Overhangs: Careful design of undercuts and overhangs is necessary, as they can complicate the mold and increase production costs. Solutions like side-action cores or split molds may be used, though these add complexity.
Ribs and Gussets: Incorporating ribs and gussets helps improve the strength and rigidity of parts without significantly increasing material usage or weight. These should be positioned strategically to reinforce structural integrity.
Venting and Gates: Correct placement of vents and gates is critical to allow air to escape and ensure the resin fills the mold completely, preventing voids and ensuring the final part’s quality.
Surface Finish: The surface quality of the master model directly affects the final cast part, as any texture or polish on the master will be faithfully replicated in the casting.
To get a vacuum casting quote from Fioria, simply visit our website and use the online quoting platform. Begin by uploading your CAD files directly to the system, which supports formats such as step, stp, igs, iges, prt, sldprt, sat, and x_t for your convenience. After uploading, specify your project details including material type, finish, shipping options, and quantity. Our project engineers will review your design for manufacturability and provide feedback, enabling you to make any necessary adjustments. Once your design and specifications are finalized, you will receive an accurate cost estimate and lead time. (Please note, our platform does not currently support instant quotes for vacuum casting.) If the quote meets your needs, you can confirm your order directly through the platform, and we will start production according to your specifications. This streamlined online process offers a fast and easy way to obtain a precise quote and initiate your vacuum casting project with Fioria.
In vacuum casting, the mold—usually made of silicone—must be securely held together to ensure precise and high-quality part production. This is accomplished using a two-part mold system that encloses the liquid polyurethane resin during the casting process.
To keep the mold intact, a rigid frame or box, often called a mold case, is employed. This case is typically made from materials like aluminum or sturdy plastic. It serves several vital purposes: supporting the mold to preserve its shape and integrity under vacuum conditions, preventing the mold from bulging or deforming when resin is poured, and ensuring precise alignment of the two mold halves without any shifting.
Before casting begins, the silicone mold is placed inside this rigid frame. The two halves are then tightly clamped or bolted together to prevent resin leakage. This clamping also helps establish a vacuum seal around the mold, which is crucial for the vacuum casting process to function properly. The vacuum draws the resin into even the smallest mold details, producing high-quality, detailed parts with minimal air bubbles or defects.
