Vacuum Casting Services in China —for Prototypes & Low-Volume Parts
- For Low-volume Plastic Prototypes
- Deliver in 7-10 days
RpProto provides vacuum casting services (also called urethane or polyurethane casting) from Xiamen, China, for product teams worldwide. Using silicone molds and polyurethane resins, we produce plastic prototypes and low-volume parts, typically 10–200 pieces, without the cost and lead time of steel injection molds. Most orders ship in as fast as 7 days.
Our facility runs eight dedicated vacuum casting machines that handle parts up to 2200 × 1200 × 1000 mm, with ABS-like, PMMA-like, rubber-like, PP-like and nylon-like resins. Upload your CAD file to get a quote within 24 hours.
Why Choose RpProto for Vacuum Casting Services in China?
- Fast Turnaround: Parts in 7 Days
- Ships worldwide via DHL, FedEx and UPS
- 8 industrial-grade casting machines (largest in Xiamen, China)
- ISO 9001:2015 certified facility
- Free DFM (Design for Manufacturing) review
- NDA protection for all projects
Our Vacuum Casting Capabilities
- Pattern: the master can be CNC machined or SLA printed to the detail you need
- Mold: undercuts, thin sections and the parting line are planned before the silicone is poured
- Fill: resin reaches ribs, thin walls and fine features without trapping air
- Demold: the part releases from the silicone mold without damage
Planning ahead for production. A feature that casts well in silicone may still need changes for steel tooling. If your plastic part needs tighter, repeatable production dimensions, our mold engineers can help plan the injection tool.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Industrial Casting Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Maximum Part Size | Up to 2200 × 1200 × 1000 mm. Large parts are reviewed for geometry before we quote. |
| Standard Tolerance | ±0.15 mm or ±0.3%. Critical dimensions are confirmed from your drawing. |
| Minimum Wall Thickness | 1 mm, 1.5 mm recommended. Very thin walls may need a trial or a design change. |
| Parts Per Mold | Typically 15–20+ parts, depending on geometry. Confirmed per project in the quote. |
| Lead Time | As fast as 7 days. Larger quantities, complex geometry or finishing take longer. |
Vacuum Casting Advantages
Low-Cost Silicone Molds
Affordable tooling with fast setup and minimal upfront investment.
Complex Geometry Capability
Flexible silicone molds accommodates intricate details, undercuts, and fine features that rigid tooling cannot capture
Versatile Materials
From rigid formulations that mimic ABS, PC, and Nylon, to flexible rubber-like materials with adjustable Shore hardness, as well as optically clear and color-pigmented options.
Appearance & Functional Prototypes
Excellent for both visual models and functional testing with production-like quality.
Low-Volume Production Ready
Ideal for short runs of 10–200+ parts, supporting pilot production and market testing.
Bridge Production Solution
Ideal for pre-production runs while waiting for injection mold fabrication—maintain momentum without delays
Vacuum Casting Materials
“Like” means similar, not identical.
These resins imitate the stiffness, toughness, clarity and feel of the target plastic, but they are not the thermoplastic itself. Heat resistance, fatigue life and chemical resistance can differ from an injection-molded part.
| Material type | Key traits | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ABS-like rigid PU | Rigid, paintable | Housings, covers and brackets for fit checks and function tests |
| Clear PU (PMMA-like / PC-like) | Transparent, polishable | Lenses, light pipes, covers and display windows |
| PP/PE-like PU | Tough, flexible | Snap fits, living hinges and parts that touch chemicals |
| Rubber-like PU | Soft, elastic | Grips, seals, gaskets and soft-touch features |
| Flame-retardant PU | Flame-retardant, rigid | Electrical enclosures and housings that need a flame rating |
Surface Finishing for Vacuum Cast Parts
Post-machined to achieve tight tolerances. Critical features such as holes, threads, mating surfaces, and sealing faces are finished by CNC machining after casting, so your urethane parts meet precise dimensional and fit requirements.
Talk to our expert to discuss your Urethane Casting post-processing needs.
Urethane casted parts are left with print layer lines (generated by 3D printed master patterns) and potentially sharp edges and burrs. Polishing gives the parts a smooth and close-to-product look.
Parts are painted to match your color reference (Pantone or RAL) in matte, gloss or soft-touch finishes. Suitable for appearance models, trade-show samples and market testing.
Vacuum Casting Applications by Industry
Urethane casting give you real production-quality parts before committing to injection mold tooling.
The process serves a wide range of industries, including medical devices, automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics.
Plastic Prototypes
Urethane casting is a perfect way to create functional and cosmetic prototypes to validate product designing.
Low-volume Plastic Production
Urethane casting is ideal to make small batches (10 - 200 units) newly developed products to test the market.
Vacuum Casting Process
Vacuum casting uses a silicone mold and liquid polyurethane resin to make plastic parts without steel tooling. The process has five steps.
Make the master pattern
A CNC-machined or SLA-printed model of the final part. Its surface finish is copied into the mold and every casting, so visible faces are polished first.
Pour the silicone mold
The pattern is fixed in a casting box with a sprue and vents. Two-part silicone is mixed, degassed under vacuum within its working time, poured around the pattern and left to cure.
Cut the mold and remove the master
The cured silicone block is cut open along a planned parting line and the pattern is taken out. The flexible cavity captures fine detail and can release some undercuts.
Cast the polyurethane part
Two-part polyurethane resin is mixed, colored if needed and degassed. It is poured into the closed mold under vacuum, then cured in an oven according to the resin data sheet.
Demold, trim and finish
The part is removed, then sprues, vents and flash are trimmed. Sanding, polishing, painting or texturing follow. Each silicone mold makes a limited number of parts, so larger orders may need more molds.
Start Your Vacuum Casting Project
Upload your 3D files to get a quick quote for your urethane casting prototypes and production.
- All of your files are safe and confidential.
Vacuum Casting FAQs
What is vacuum casting/urethane casting?
Vacuum casting is a rapid manufacturing process that creates plastic parts by pouring liquid polyurethane resin into flexible silicone molds. The process takes place under vacuum pressure to eliminate air bubbles, resulting in smooth surfaces and consistent wall thickness — closely replicating the look and feel of injection-molded plastics.
Why would you use vacuum casting?
When you need a small quantity of production-quality plastic parts (between 10 and 200 pieces), without the long lead time and hefty expense of building a plastic injection mold . Vacuum casting is suitable for making appearance prototypes, like non-mechanical end-use parts like cases and covers.
What is the difference between vacuum casting and injection molding?
Vacuum casting uses silicone molds and polyurethane resins, making it ideal for low volumes (10-200 parts) with no tooling investment. It faster and cheaper to start.
Injection molding uses precision-machined steel molds and is cost-effective for high volumes (500+ parts) . It requires significant upfront tooling costs but offering extremely low per-part costs at scale.
Since injection molding have high tooling cost. Our customer often choose urethane casting to test marketing before they invest in an injection molding tool.
Can you match specific production plastics?
Yes, we have polyurethane resins that simulate properties of ABS, PP, PE, PC, nylon, rubber, and more. While not identical, they provide similar mechanical properties for functional testing.
How many parts can I get from one mold?
Typically, a silicone mold can produce 10-20 parts depending on part complexity, material choice, and required quality level. Simple parts with soft materials may yield more, while complex parts with rigid materials may yield fewer.
Can urethane cast parts be painted or finished?
Yes! We offer various finishing options including custom color matching, painting, texturing, plating preparation, and assembly. Parts can be finished to match production intent.
How accurate are urethane cast parts?
Standard tolerance is ±0.15mm or ±0.3% of the nominal dimension, whichever is greater. Tighter tolerances may be achievable depending on part geometry and can be discussed with our engineering team.
How much does it cost?
The total project cost varies depending on material selection, part complexity, and total quantity. It generally consists of three primary components:
- Master Pattern: $300-1500. The cost of producing the initial high-precision model (usually via SLA or CNC machining) used to create the mold.
- Silicone Mold: $200-800. The cost of creating the flexible mold around the master pattern. Note that one mold can typically produce 15–25 high-quality parts before needing replacement.
- Casting and Finishing: $15-80. The cost of the polyurethane resin, the vacuum casting process, and any secondary labor required for degating and surface finishing.
