Vacuum casting
Rapid, accurate parts for evaluation and low-volume manufacturing
Background
Lucid’s team uses our semi-automated in-house vacuum casting system to quickly make multiple high quality:
Flexible and rigid parts.
Rugged low-volume medical device components in biocompatible materials.
Soft touch and sealing components, over-moulded onto complex assemblies including electronics.
In vacuum casting, liquid polyurethane or silicone materials are mixed and dispensed into either rapid 3D printed tools or silicone patterns in a vacuum chamber. The vacuum ensures there are no bubbles in moulded parts, which set solid in a few minutes.
The process
Lucid’s team often recommend this long established process in prototyping and for small batch production runs.
Advantages include:
Accuracy.
Repeatability.
Potential for complex features.
Excellent surface finish.
Speed.
Low-cost tooling.
Potential to iterate and adapt design.
Robust over-moulding.
Limitations
Vacuum casting isn’t normally suited to volume production. Tool life can be limited and component costs are generally higher than more automated processes suited to higher production volumes.
In all applications, our team will carefully consider materials specifications.
Adjacent materials can adversely react on contact with some grades of polyurethane and some disinfection processes can discolour parts.
This isn’t a problem with silicone mouldings.
Case-study
Anisys GO™ is an anorectal manometry assessment and biofeedback therapy system designed and produced in-house by Lucid under our ISO 13485 manufacturing accreditation.
Vacuum casting enables the production of a:
Conformable, ingress-resistant probe cover, over-moulded to an underlying electronic assembly.
Robust, impact-resistant tablet covers.
Conformable switch cover.
In low-volume, high-quality batches.
