Imaginarium is one of the few fully-integrated product development services specialists that offer highly-sophisticated expertise in urethane castings. For injection moulded quality finish and performance without the cost and delays of injection moulding tools, vacuum-casting is the ideal process. It is used extensively for functional prototypes for marketing and consumer trials or as production parts for lower volume. At Imaginarium we have pushed the limits of this process and can achieve the following:

• broad range of materials that closely align with production plastics
• materials
• threads and inserts
• multiple cavity tools
• overmoulding
• large size of tools (~ 750x900x700 mm)

The urethane casting process frequently begins with a SLA master pattern. If the urethane parts are to be polished or cast in clear resin then the surface will be polished to a gloss finish in preparation to making the SRM (silicone rubber mold).

Next we begin creating the SRM. The silicone rubber uses a room temperature vulcanization process typically referred to as RTV. SLA master carefully scrutinized by one of our technicians to determine the best molding setup to achieve the highest quality urethane casting reproduction. This SLA master is set-up on a parting block to make a two (or many) part. Silicone is poured around the SLA master pattern to create the mold. After the silicone is fully cured (approximately one day), the master pattern is removed, and the mold is reassembled, whereupon the urethane material is poured into the SRM to create the cast urethane part.

We offer a wide variety of materials that mimic injection moulded materials like PP/PC, ABS, and PVC etc to facilitate the creation of parts. Hence, urethane castings can be used to closely simulate final injection-molded parts and/or finished products-quickly and inexpensively without the investment in metal tooling.