Houston Urethane Casting Services
Urethane is a type of resin that is used to manufacture a wide range of plastic products. Urethane possesses many qualities that make it an ideal material for a number of applications, including:
- Durability
- Hard and soft forms
- Impact resistance
- Fire resistance
- Abrasion resistance
- High tensile strength
- Flexural strength
- Anti-static
- UV resistant
Urethane casting is the process used to create urethane products. It involves pouring or injecting the urethane material into a tool, usually a “soft” silicone (RTV) mold made from a master pattern, to produce a finished part. Urethane castings are production quality, end-use, rigid, or flexible plastic parts.
Advantages of Urethane Casting
While injection molding is still used for mass production runs, soft mold urethane castings are ideal for limited production runs and prototyping. Urethane casting provides many advantages for manufacturers, engineers, and designers:
- Lower tooling costs compared to injection molding
Silicone molds are easier and less expensive to make than metal tools or molds.
- Faster turnaround times
With injection molded parts, casting delivery can take weeks or even months. Most Urethane molds can be created in less than a week.
- Wide range of material options
There are many different urethane cast materials available, ranging from extremely hard and rigid Shore D to soft and flexible Shore A. Materials can be formulated for tough, durable high-performance parts or soft, shock-absorbing parts such as pads or cushions.
- Versatility
The urethane casting process can achieve geometries that are impossible using injection molded parts. The finished dimensions of urethane cast parts are dependent on the material used as well as part geometry.
Applications for Urethane Casting
Because of their properties and versatility, urethane castings can be used for a wide range of applications, such as:
- Prototyping, product testing
- Low-volume manufacturing
- Shock and vibration-resistant automotive parts
- Consumer products
- Medical devices
- Movie props
- Scale models
- Marketing test samples
- Sales and marketing materials
- User evaluations
- Consumer testing
ProTek Models Provides Outstanding Urethane Casting Services in Houston, TX
Located just north of Houston in Conroe, TX, ProTek Models is a leading provider of high-quality, custom-built urethane castings. We have several years of experience making patterns, silicone molds, and casting for a diverse range of clients. Our entire urethane casting process is done 100 percent in-house: we print the master parts/patterns, sand and finish them, make the molds, cast them, and inspect them to ensure they meet your exact specifications. In many cases, our urethane cast parts are indistinguishable from injection molded parts with similar strength and durability properties.
ProTek Models’ highly skilled casting professionals can produce molds for simple or extremely complex parts up to 8’ x 4’ x 4’ (that’s right, feet not inches). Our process produces very high-quality plastic parts that are suitable for small to medium production runs. We also offer part finishing and painting services.
Our experienced team will work with you to ensure the end results meet your specifications, deadline, and budget. Contact us through our website or call ProTek Models at (832) 968-6636 to get a quote or learn more about our Houston, TX urethane casting services.