Urethane:
It is a crystalline compound having the chemical formula C3H7NO2. It undergoes heating with alcohol and an acid catalyst. The result is an ester of carbonic acid. It is formed by mixing polyol and isocyanate to form a large polymer having carbamate chains.
Urethane is similar to a white powder in appearance, and it may also be found in colorless and odorless crystalline compounds. Due to its malleable characteristic, it is used to form a large variety of compounds different from each other. It’s liquid, and solids forms are used for making various products.
What is urethane casting?
This technique is also known as ‘polyurethane casting’ or ‘polyurethane vacuum casting’. It is used to make rich quality product parts in low quantities with negligible expenditures. The product parts are manufactured with the help of affordable silicone mold and a 3D-printed master plan. The product parts made from urethane casting have an amazing appearance similar to the master plan.
The process starts by pouring the molten plastic resin into the mold cavity and is allowed to cool. At last, solid product parts are ejected from the opening of the mold in solid form.
Urethane casting and injection molding are different from each other. The earlier uses ‘soft silicone’ while later utilizes ‘hard’ mold for manufacturing the product parts.
Urethane casting service in First Part:
First Part is a Chinese based company that provides professional services in urethane casting. Many experienced and professional chemical engineers of it are serving many people globally. They provide discounted, affordable, durable, and quality products parts for different industries, including electronics, medical, and automotive.
Advantages of urethane casting:
The advantages of urethane casting are as follows:
1. Durability and strength
2. Scalability and repeatability
3. Size
4. Ready to use
5. Affordability
6. Material diversity
7. Rapid outcome
8. Low manufacturing costs
9. Excellent properties
1. Durability and strength:
Urethane casting product parts are stronger than their 3D printed parts. It ensures the strength of the product part by using hard plastic with good flexibility.
2. Scalability and repeatability:
This technique is a brilliant choice to produce low-quantities of the product parts (1-100 units). Average silicon produces 20-25 product parts, but it depends upon the size, geometrical shape, and complexity of the material. Urethane casting product parts are always with high adequacy and repeatability.
3. Size:
Urethane casting can produce bigger product parts without dimensional issues.
4. Ready to use:
The product parts manufactured with urethane casting are ready to use with minimum cleaning. The parts have excellent cosmetic products that attract others.
5. Affordability:
Silicone molds are negligible expensive and can produce better product parts than the tooling used for injection molding. As a result, we get inexpensive and quality product parts.
6. Material diversity:
It can produce a large variety of materials such as impact-resistant, temperature resistant, and soft product parts for casting and over-molding.
7. Rapid outcome:
A silicone mold of the urethane casting can prepare product parts within 48 hrs, but it is up to the magnitude, geometry, and complexity of the material used. On the other hand, injection molding requires several weeks for manufacturing hard tools.
8. Low manufacturing costs:
An inexpensive soft silicone is used for making molds to produce quality and durable product parts. As a result, we get high-quality product parts with negligible expenditures.
9. Excellent properties:
The parts produced by urethane casting have a shiny, colored, and brilliant appearance. These quality parts attract visitors to them and also provide long-lasting service.
Applications of urethane casting:
Urethane casting has vast applications in many industries. Some of them are demonstrated as follows.
· Electronics
· Medical
· Aerospace
· Automotive
Electronics:
Urethane casting manufactures several parts for electronic devices such as cellular mobile bodies, computers, and household appliances.
Medical:
In medicine, urethane casting occupies a large space in terms of uses. Many medical devices are manufactured with this technique, including x-ray machines, ultrasound machines, ventilators, etc.
Aerospace:
The urethane casting technique is used in the aerospace industry for making various necessary equipment.
Automotive:
The automotive is one of the most prevailing industries in the world. The urethane casting technique helps this industry in making various car parts.
Materials used in urethane casting:
In the First Part, the following materials are used which have plastic properties.
Polyurethane:
It includes both rigid urethane and flexible urethane used for urethane casting.
Silicones:
It includes liquid, medical-grade, and food-grade silicones for urethane casting.
It includes ABS (highly strong and rigid), polyamide (highly rigid), glass-filled nylon (highly rigid), PMMA (impact and temperature resistant), filled ABS (fire-resistant), PEEK (highly temperature resistant), and POM (highly mechanically strong).
