All you need to know about vacuum casting
Welcome, curious minds and DIY enthusiasts, to our comprehensive guide on the fascinating world of vacuum casting! If you’ve ever wondered how intricate prototypes, unique jewelry pieces, or even mechanical components are manufactured with exceptional precision, you’re about to embark on an enlightening journey.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into the depths of vacuum casting, uncovering its principles, processes, and endless possibilities. Whether you’re a beginner seeking an introduction to this innovative technique or an experienced maker looking to refine your skills, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and explore the captivating realm of vacuum casting together!
Content
It takes about 5 minutes to read this article
- What is vacuum casting?
- How does vacuum casting work?
- Materials, Geometric complexity, accuracy, roughness, cost
- Why and when vacuum casting?
- How to choose the right technology among injection molding, 3D Printing, CNC Machining, Vacuum Casting?
What is vacuum casting?
Vacuum casting is a copying technique used for the production of small series of functional & high-quality end-use plastic parts. It is a casting process for plastics using a vacuum to draw the liquid material into the mold, then put it into an oven for getting the final solid parts.
How does vacuum casting work?
Vacuum casting is a copying technique used for the production of small series of functional & high-quality end-use plastic parts. It is a casting process for plastics using a vacuum to draw the liquid material into the mold, then put it into an oven for getting the final solid parts.
Vacuum Casting Materials.
Vacuum casting is mainly used for producing plastics, the materials including ABS, PC, PP, NYLON, and TPU/PU/Rubber.
Please click HERE to view the technical data-sheet of these materials.
Geometric complexity，accuracy，roughness， cost of vacuum casting
Complexity
Vacuum casting has advantages in creating parts with high geometric complexity. Its is not sensitive to the complexity of the structure, Allow designers to have unlimited spatial imagination.
Complexity, From high to low
3D Printing > Vacuum casting > CNC Machining > =Injection Molding
Accuracy
ABS, PC, PP, NYLON with a tolerance of +/-0.1mm
TPU/PU/RUBBER with a tolerance of +/-0.3mm
Roughness or Smoothness
From high to low
Injection Molding >= Vacuum casting > CNC Machining > 3D Printing
Cost
Let’s take the part below/image an example,
Material: ABS
Quantity: 20 pieces
Cost from cheap to expensive
3D Printing (USD8/piece)<Vacuum Casting(USD26/piece) < CNC Machining(USD40/piece)
Why and when choosing the vacuum casting?
When we talk about vacuum casting, we usually compare it with injection molding. So, let’s distinguish the difference between them first.
Cost difference， Let’s take the mobile phone case as an example, the mold of the vacuum casting is only tens of dollars, while injection molding costs thousands of dollars. On the other hand, the production fee of vacuum casting is tens of dollars per unit, while injection molding only costs 1 or 2 dollars.
In brief, vacuum casting has a lower front-end cost and a higher unit price, while injection molding requires a higher front-end cost, but the unit price is significantly lower。
Compared with 3D Printing（3DP), what’s the advantage of vacuum casting? Base on the same material, vacuum casting has higher smoothness, durable, and accuracy, and it has not limitation to the color as well.
How does it compare to CNC? It is difficult to say which one is better, but if we consider the complexity of the prototype, production efficiency, and cost, vacuum casting will have more advantages. While the CNC has more material options, the material performance is better.
Being able to make soft materials quickly is one of the biggest advantages of vacuum casting. It supports materials from Shore 30A to Shore 95A, from Shore 10D to Shore 90D, in any customized Pantone No.
In conclusion, vacuum casting is not in conflict with and can’t replace other technologies, Instead, it is a supplement way, providing more flexible solutions for manufacturing.
How to choose the right technology among injection molding, 3D Printing, CNC Machining, Vacuum Casting?
3D Printing(3DP), CNC Machining(CNC), Vacuum Casting( VC), Injection Molding(IM)
High Geometric structure: 3DP & VC are better
Dimensional accuracy: CNC & VC are better
Mechanical properties in all 3 dimensions: CNC & VC are better.
Lead time: CNC with 6-8 days, VC with 6-8 days, IM with 35 days, 3DP as fast as one day,
Cost: Complex geometry or lightweight parts, 3DP and VC have more advantages.
Quantity: 3DP, CNC, and VC are suitable for low-volume parts, IM is more suitable for large volume parts.
Read more about 3D Printing Vs Vacuum Casting Vs Injection Molding.
