Urethane Casting

Urethane Casting Cost Calculator
Rapid Quotes in as Fast as 1 Hour*
  • Industry-leading turnaround times
  • Unlimited project complexity
  • Proactive engineer recommendations

Get quote now

Low-Cost Injection Molding Leader

*Injection molding quotes are instant. Quotes for other technologies may be returned in as little as 1 hour - with a 24 hour average turnaround. Expedited quote requests are available.

By Jeremy Losek, Feb 14th, 2024

Urethane Casting


What is the Cast Urethane Process?

cast urethane partUrethane casting, often called Vacuum Casting, is a manufacturing process used for rapid prototyping and low production runs. The urethane casting process involves pouring liquid urethane material into a silicone mold, followed by curing in an oven, and then removing the plastic part from the mold once it has cooled. Secondary operations commonly used in production settings can also be performed on the cast parts if desired. Urethane casting is ideal for low-volume part runs and prototypes. The silicone molds do not last long and will typically only cast about 20 parts. The silicone mold is easy and relatively inexpensive to make, giving urethane casting a unique advantage over other plastic part manufacturing processes like production injection molding in low volume scenarios.

The first step in the urethane casting process is to create the mold from a model or master pattern. Master patterns can be created with CNC machining, 3D printing, or by using an already existing product. The pattern is encased in quick-curing liquid silicone. After the silicone has cured, the mold is cut in half and the model item is removed to reveal a negative. The negative formed by the master pattern is then used for casting the end product.

The silicone mold material is excellent at picking up surface detail and duplicating the surface finish of the master pattern onto the cast urethane parts. The finished dimensions of the urethane cast parts will depend on the accuracy of the master model, part geometry, and casting material.

Vacuum, heat, and pressure are applied during cast urethane molding, resulting in a strong, stable, void-free part. Cast urethane parts are a good choice for quickly producing high quality, precise, and consistent work pieces. Despite the advantages, the urethane casting process can only be used for producing low-volume or prototype parts, as the molds are not durable enough for repeated use.

Is Urethane Casting Expensive?

Cast urethane molding is a relatively inexpensive manufacturing process. The lower cost is mainly due to the speed and ease of mold making for the urethane casting process. Cast urethane molding is done with silicone. The material is inexpensive, easy to work with, can quickly be modified, and will produce detailed cast urethane parts. Urethane casting can cost anywhere from a hundred to a thousand dollars depending on the complexity of the part being molded. Urethane casting is ideal for prototyping and low production runs.

To learn more about urethane casting, click on the menu items in the gray box. 

View our Case Studies on CNC machining and injection molding to see how ICOMold has helped customers take their ideas from design concept to the marketplace.  

ICOMold is a Leader in Plastic
Injection Molding for US Companies

Manufacturing Locations Across National Time Zones
The Fathom Advanced Manufacturing Platform
HEADQUARTERS

1050 Walnut Ridge Drive
Hartland, WI 53029
ISO 9001:2015
AS9100:2016
ITAR

ARIZONA

444 W. 21st St. Ste. 101
Tempe, AZ 85282
ISO 9001:2015
NIST800-171 Compliant
ITAR

COLORADO

7770 Washington St.
Denver, CO 80229
ISO 9001:2015
ITAR

MINNESOTA

13758 Johnson Street NE
Ham Lake, MN 55304

TEXAS

1801 Rowe Lane
Pflugerville, TX 78660
ISO 9001:2015
AS9100:2016

1513 Sam Bass Rd
Round Rock, TX 78681
ISO 9001:2015
ISO 13485:2016

CALIFORNIA

620 3rd Street
Oakland, CA 94607
ISO 9001:2015 Design Certified
NIST 800-171 Compliant
ITAR

FLORIDA

14000 N.W. 58th Court
Miami Lakes, FL 33014
ISO 9001:2015 Design Certified
ISO 13485:2016


 

NEW YORK

1920 Slaterville Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850
ITAR

401 W. Shore Blvd.
Newark, NY 14513
AS9100:2016
ISO 9001:2015
ITAR

ILLINOIS

1207 Adams Drive
McHenry, IL 60051
ISO 9001:2015

1401 Brummel Ave
Elk Grove, IL 60007
ISO 9001:2015 Design Certified