Urethane casting offers a cost-effective alternative when you need multiple prototypes that provide production material performance or low volumes of production parts. Urethane casting is a perfect process to bridge the gap between rapid prototyping techniques like stereolithography (SLA) and hard tooling for injection molding because of its relatively low cost and fast turnaround times of a couple weeks.
The Technology House has the capabilities to manufacture cast urethane molded parts and prototypes for your projects. Our cast urethane molding department can handle projects and parts that range in quantities, part size and materials. Our project managers and engineering team help in the selection of the appropriate process and material for your specific application.
Common Cast Urethane Molding Applications
Industries That Use Urethane Casting:
First, a master pattern must be created. At TTH, we make a 3D printed master pattern from the 3D CAD file. If a CAD model does not exist, we can use an existing part as the master pattern.
In both cases, the 3D printed part or physical part is used to create the mold. Master patterns will receive a Mold Ready Finish, which allows the part to easily be removed from the tool. This mold ready finish of the master pattern is critical because that finish will be molded into the final urethane part. If there are specific finish requirements, like gloss or texture, we will add them to the master prior to the mold.
The molds we create are soft tools, made mostly from silicone or urethane, meaning that they are temporary molds. There are a few types of molds that we can create:
For the urethane casting process, each process is defined by the material. There are hundreds of available materials to choose from that can provide the performance and appearance your project requires. Materials range from 20A elastic (rubber band) to 90D rigid (bone) durometers and depending on your industry, you can find UL rated, biocompatible, food safe, or non-imaging MRI materials. We can even custom finish your parts with custom colors, textures, and finishes right out of the mold or from our own paint booths.
Our project manager will work with you to make sure the material is right for ALL your needs from quality, performance, cost and delivery.
From design to prototype and production, our team of engineers is ready to help bring your idea to life.
There are hundreds of available materials covering the spectrum on durometers, colors and specifications. Most can be colored to match Pantone numbers. Here are some of the most common material that we use on a daily basis.
Other Available Material & Finish Options:
Learn more about available urethane materials or contact our project management team and they can review other options for your project.
Cast urethane molding is a very flexible process that can easily mold undercuts, thick sections, varying walls and parts without draft. Parts may differ depending on material, finish and geometry, but here are standard guidelines to work from:
Our experts have a proven history of providing innovative solutions at every stage of product development—from product design through production.
.jpg)
.png)
.png)
