Urethane Casting | Vacuum Casting Services

Name: Vacuum Casting Services
Brand: RapidDirect
Rating: 4.9 (270 reviews)

Custom urethane parts from prototyping to small production runs. ±0.01mm tolerance. 5 days delivery.

±0.01mm

Tolerance

10+

Machines

5 Days

Samples Delivered

ISO

13485, 16949, 14001

RapidDirect Urethane Casting Service

RapidDirect’s urethane casting services support every stage from prototype testing, function validation and market testing phases. Operating from ISO-certified facilities and vetted manufacturing partners, we ensure you stay on sechedule and within budget. We cast urethane parts with tolerances down to ±0.10mm and lead times as short as 5 days. A variety of polyurethane and silicone materials, surface finishes, and color options are available for applications in automotive, electronics, and consumer products.

RapidDirect Vacuum Casting Capabilities

	Details
Tolerance	At RapidDirect, replicated casts follow ISO-2768-CL standards. Local tolerances can reach ±0.15mm, and small holes can achieve up to ±0.10mm precision.
Color and Finishing	Supports a wide range of colors, transparency levels, and surface finishes.
Maximum Part Size	Up to 2.3 × 1.3 × 0.6 meters.
Daily Capacity	Up to 200 pieces per day.
Lead Time	Lead time varies based on part complexity and order volume. The full process includes prototype making, silicone mold creation, casting, and finishing. Simple single parts can ship in under 5 days, but larger batches may require more time depending on the project.

From Prototyping to Production

Moving from initial concepts to market-ready products, RapidDirect’s vacuum casting services offer cost-effective solutions for your product development.

Concept Validation

Quickly turn early designs into real parts using 3D printing. Great for checking size, shapge, and surface finish before moving forward. No need for hard tooling at this stage.

Prototyping

Make 1 to 100 functional vacuum cast prototypes for testing fit, strength, and usability. Materials and tolerances are close to final production.

Low Volume Production

Perfect for low-volume runs, product launches, or bridge production. Cast 20 to 200+ parts with consistent quality and quick turnaround—skip the wait for injection molds.

Mass Production

For larger production needs, we offer injection molding to create high-volume plastic parts with consistent quality and lower unit cost.

Vacuum Casting Materials, Finish, Colors

Choose from silicone and polyurethane casting materials that match your final product’s look, feeel, and function below. Contact our team for custom material requirements.

Cast Silicone Materials

Shore A 10-60 Silicone

Commonly used for vacuum casting molds. It’s soft enough to handle complex part shapes but tough enough to last through multiple castings without tearing or warping.

Shore A 10-20: Very soft, flexible
Shore A 30-40: Balanced
Shore A 50-60: Stiffer molds for rigid parts

RTV-2 Tine-cure Solicone

If you need a lower cost and short-term solution (e.g., under 20 shots), the material is the best choice.

RTV-2 Platinum-cure Silicone

For higher detail, longer mold life, or if you’re casting skin-safe or food-contact parts.

Cast Urethane Materials

Soft Rubber

For flexible parts, soft-tpuch surfaces, and cushioning.

TPU 8400:Tough, rubbery. For impact-resistant or flexible housings.
Transparent soft rubber T0387: Clear and soft. For protective covers or flexble display components.
Silicone: Handles high temperatures and stys flexible over time.
Food grade silicone: Safe for direct contant with food or skin. Used in kitchenware and mdical samples.

ABS-like

Good all-around plastics for general use—great for housings, brackets, and structural parts.

ABS-like 8150: Standard ABS alternative, easy to work with, solid strength.
ABS PX2017/PX223: Higher heat resistance, suited for parts that get warm during use.
ABS Hei-Cast 8263: Flame-retardant material for electronics or safety-critical parts.

PMMA-like

Clear, smooth plastic for cosmetic or display parts.

PMMA-like 1940:Similar to acrylic. High clarity and a clean, glossy finish.

PC-like

Tougher than ABS. Works well for stronger parts or things that need to take some impact.

PX 510 / Hei-Cast J0005: Strong, rigid, and holds up under stress or heat.

Nylon-like

Slightly flexible with good wear resistance.

Z2910: Best for light mechanical parts like gears or bushings.

PP-like

Lightweight and flexible, used for parts that bend or snap together.

5690 / Hei-Cast 8550: Resists fatigue and chemicals. Great for clips, hinges, or fluid parts.

POM-like

Hard and precise. Good for moving parts or mechanical fits.

PX225:Low friction, stiff, and holds shape well.

PE-like

Soft and chemically resistant.

DPI PX100: Used for simple, flexible parts like caps, plugs, or covers.

ABS+PC-like

A balance of toughness and clean appearance. Combines the strength of PC with the smooth finish of ABS—great for tough housings.

Most polyurethanes are clear or translucent, so color can be added directly before casting using pigments or dyes. These materials blend seamlessly, producing consistent, fade-ressistant colors post-curing. Below are the standard RapidDirect urethane color options.

Standard Black

Deep, opaque black finish offers good coverage and professional look for prototypes, housings, and functional parts needing classic appearance.

Pure White

Clean, bright white color gives sharp contrast and clean appearance, good for medical devices, consumer products, and design validation models.

Transparent

Clear material keeps optical clarity while offering durability, works well for lenses, light guides, fluid containers, and visual inspection parts.

Custom

Full color matching options allow exact brand color reproduction, special effects, and unique finishes made for specific project needs.

Note: Color options may vary depending on the surface finish. Custom colors can be achieved through pigment blending or painting. For large batches, painting is recommended to avoid color variation. UV printing is used for multi-color designs, while vacuum plating is required for metallic finishes.

RapidDirect offers SPI and VDI surface textures for vacuum casting. Mold texture is set from the start and can’t be changed later. For painted parts, please confirm gloss or matte before production.

SPI Finish

SPI finishes rely on sanding or polishing the mold to create smooth surfacees ranging from high gloss to matte.You can choose it for custom urethane parts that need a clearn or polished look.

VDI Finish

VDI textures are created by EDM on the silicone mold surface. You can select it when need a more technical or non-slip feel, or to hide minor imperfections.

Certified Quality Control and Testing

RapidDirect operates as an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, ISO14001:2015, and IATF 16949:2016 certified vacuum casting manufacturer. Our quality control covers three critical areas:

Dimensional Testing

Dimensional testing uses CMM, digital calipers, height gauges, and micrometers to verify tolerances, geometric positioning, hole diameters, wall thickness, and fit dimensions.

Visual Inspection

Visual inspection employs magnifiers, roughness testers, and color charts to detect surface defects including bubbles, scratches, dents while ensuring color consistency and surface finish quality.

Paint Adhesion Testing

Paint adhesion testing validates coating bond strength, durability, and thickness uniformity for all finishing requirements.

Why Choose RapidDirect Urethane Casting Services

Guaranteed Precision & Quality

Achieve tight tolerances from ±0.1 to 0.8mm. Excellent surface finishes. Expert mold-making ensures consistent quality.

Comprehensive Material Solutions

Choose from soft, rigid, clear, and flame-retardant polyurethane materials. We help you pick the right material, finish and color. Support custom needs.

Rapid Turnaround

Get parts delivered in 5-15 days. Cost-effective low-volume production. Flexible order sizes from 20-200+ parts.

Ready to Get Urethane Casting Quote?

Upload your design files to start. Approve samples with adjustments, them move to production.
Simple parts ready in 5 days through our cast urethane process.

What's Urethane Casting Process?

Urethane casting, also called vacuum casting, draws liquid urethane into a mold to create plastic and rubber parts with intricate geometries. Here are the 3 steps.

1Master Patterns

The master pattern replicates the final casting parts, determining product quality. Create it via CNC machining or 3D printing. 3D printing is faster and cheaper, but CNC offers tighter tolerances. Design considerations include draft angles and wall thickness.

2Solicone Mold Casting

Pour liquid silicone rubber around the master pattern. Most cure in ovens, while RTV molds cure at room temperature. After a few hours, cut along the parting line to remove the master, creating a silicone mold ready for casting.

3Urethane Pouring and Finishing

Mix liquid polyurethane resin and pour into molds under vacuum to prevent air bubbles and defects. Curing takes 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on material and size. One mold produces 1-10 copies daily. Cast urethane parts may require post-processing.

Vacuum Casting Applications Across Industries

Urethane casting is good for prototypes and small production runs where injection mold tooling isn’t practical. Cast part perform well and can be used for testing or as finished products.

| Automotive

Interior trim panels, dashboard components, and functional prototypes for fit-and-finish testing.

| Medical & Healthcare

Biocompatible device housings, surgical instrument prototypes, and diagnostic equpment.

| Electronics & Consumer Products

Product enclosures, keypads, and decorative elements for smarphones, tablets, and home appliances.

| Aerospace

Lightweight interior panels, control housings, and specialized components requiring flame-retardant properties.

| Industrial Equipment

Machine guards, control panels, and custom tooling fixtures.

3D Printing vs Vacuum Casting vs Injection Molding

Your project’s stage, quantity, and part function will guide the right manufacturing choice. Different methods work best at different points in development.

VS	3D Printing	Vacuum Molding	Injection Molding
Tooling Cost	$0 (no tooling)	$500-2,000 (silicone molds)	$5,000-50,000+ (aluminum or steel molds)
Lead Time	1-3 days	5-15 days	4-12 weeks
Part Quantity	1-20 parts	20-200 parts optimal	1,000+ parts optimal
Tolerance	±0.1-0.3mm	±0.1-0.8mm	±0.05-0.1mm
Surface Finish	Layer lines, requires post-processing	Smooth, minimal finishing	Superior, production-ready
Complex Geometry	Excellent, any shape	Handles undercuts, fine details	Limited by mold design
Material Options	Limited to print resins/filaments	Urethane varieties (flexible to rigid)	Wide range of thermoplastics
Design Changes	Instant, no cost penalty	Easy and cost-effective	Expensive mold modifications

When to Choose Vacuum Casting?

Not sure if it’s the right fit? Check out our video for a quick guide.

Surface Roughness
for Vacuum Cast Mold

We apply SPI finish grades to vacuum casting, ensuring that each part achieves specific surface textures from smooth and glossy to detailed matte finishes.

SPI A

Finishing Look	High Gloss
SPI Finish Grades	SPI A1, A2, A3
Surface Roughness Ra (μm)	SPIA1: 0.012 to 0.025 SPIA2: 0.012 to 0.025 SPIA3: 0.05 to 0.10

SPI B

Finishing Look	Semi Gloss
SPI Finish Grades	SPI B1, B2, B3
Surface Roughness Ra (μm)	SPI B1: 0.05 to 0.10 SPI B2: 0.10 to 0.15 SPI B3: 0.28 to 0.32

SPI C

Finishing Look	Low Gloss
SPI Finish Grades	SPI C1, C2, C3
Surface Roughness Ra (μm)	SPI C1: 0.35 to 0.40 SPI C2: 0.45 to 0.55 SPI C3: 0.63 to 0.70

SPI D

Finishing Look	Matte
SPI Finish Grades	SPI D1, D2, D3
Surface Roughness Ra (μm)	SPI D1: 0.80 to 1.00 SPI D2: 1.00 to 2.80 SPI D3: 3.20 to 18.0

FAQs

How accurate are cast vacuum parts?

Vacuum cast parts typically achieve tolerances of ±0.1–0.3mm, depending on part geometry and size. The process offers excellent detail and surface finish, suitable for functional prototypes and end-use parts.

How cost-effective is urethane casting for small batch production?

Urethane casting is a cost-efficient option for runs of 20 to 200+ parts. It avoids the high cost and lead time of hard tooling. Suitable for short runs, bridge production, or early market test.

How does vacuum casting compare to 3D printing?

Vacuum casting offers better surface finish, material strength, and consistency for low-volume production. 3D printing is faster for one-off prototypes but may fall short in appearance or mechanical properties.

How durable are the mold used in vacuucm casting?

Silicone molds typically last for 15–25 castings, depending on part complexity and material used. They’re best for small batches before wear affects precision.

What holds the mold together during vacuum casting?

In vacuum casting, the silicone mold must stay firmly in place to produce accurate parts. This is done using a two-part mold secured inside a rigid frame, often made of aluminum or durable plastic.

The frame supports the mold, keeps it from warping under vacuum, and ensures the two halves align correctly. It also helps prevent resin leaks and maintains a tight seal during casting.

Before casting, the mold is placed in the frame and clamped tightly. The vacuum then pulls the resin into every detail, reducing air bubbles and producing clean, precise parts.

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