How does silicone vacuum casting works?

There has been an increasing pressure of producing many low cost products of castings in many types of industries. Because of global competition many industries started to produce their prototypes vacuum casting. Vacuum casting is the best technology used for manufacturing very small series of various functional plastic parts. By using silicone mold, the vacuum casting can be made with high quality products. The major parts using the process are more accurate, dimensionally precise copy of the master pattern with all consistencies and outlines authentically reproduced. The silicone mold is one of the important prototype vacuum casting methods, with lower cost for production.

This is actually a simple casting process for the component elastomers which uses a vacuum to get any kind of liquid material in to a mold form. Sometimes this process also called as thermoforming because the production process involves quick prototyping where the entire plastic sheets are preheated. Until the sheets are soft and smoothen, the materials are preheated in an automated vacuum machine for casting. Silicone vacuum casting results in best and high quality parts compared with other injection molded casting models. 

Process of working

Vacuum casting usually starts by developing a master model mostly using SLA with high quality surface finish. Then a simple silicone mold is developed by casting the silicone around the master copy, moderately under the vacuum to avoid forming air bubbles. Then the silicone mold can cut according to the default final planes with definite size and the master copy is then removed, leaving a cavity to make many new replicas.

If you use silicone as your mold to your products, then the final outcome will be same like as the original product with definite shape and size and comes with high quality. Also, the resin usage helps you to select the perfect material to be used in producing the final outcome of the product. You can get best final product in terms of flexibility, rigidity and hardness. Since the silicone vacuum casting process is more economical, the process uses silicon to make the molds. Preferably silicone is cheaper when compared to other component like aluminum or steel.

Usages of vacuum casting

In various industries, household products and commercial products, this vacuum casting has been used for several different purposes. In the industry of foods and drinks, it can be used for packing the products and also used in creating plastic bottles and tins.

Some commercial products like mobile cases, sun glasses and variety of pens. In many cosmetic items, washing liquid detergents, bars, many food products are also made by using this casting method. In many standard and high quality industries, this silicone vacuum casting process is used for making various kind of products with less cost than any other methods. It is a more economical way of producing many different high quality products with lesser investment of money and can earn high amount of products by using this kind of amazing technology worldwide.