Urethane and Silicone Casting Services
Low volume, durable production-quality parts | International prototype pricing includes tariffs
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Urethane Casting
Urethane casting provides end-use, rigid plastic, rubber, and silicone parts with production-level quality. We offer domestic (US-based) and international economy options to fit your timeline and budget; pricing includes tariffs for prototypes. Urethane gives professional results for low-volume production using a soft-tooling approach—3D-printed master patterns and RTV silicone molds.
Cast urethane parts are ideal when color, surface quality, and toughness are required for quantities from one to one hundred. Urethane molding is a perfect alternative for insert molding or overmolding in low volumes with diverse material choices. It can bridge production between a 3D-printed rapid prototype and injection molding. Cast parts can be clear, color-matched, painted (including EMI shielding), installed with inserts, and custom finished.
Cast Urethane Materials
Polyurethane is known for strength, durability, abrasion resistance, and versatility. Different urethanes can mimic many common thermoplastics.
| Material | Shore Hardness | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General Purpose | Shore D 76-80 | Impact-resistant Shore 78D for enclosure housings to concept models. ABS-like properties. |
| Rigid Clear | Shore D 80 | Versatile clear polyurethane. Matte gives frosted appearance; higher gloss increases transparency. |
| ABS-Like, FR | Shore D 78-82 | Tough flame retardant, UL Listed, flammability rating at 1/16" (1.6 mm). |
| Polypropylene-Like | Shore D 65-75 | Tough, abrasion-resistant flexible urethane with polypropylene-like ductility. |
| Polycarbonate-Like | Shore D 82-86 | Stiff, high impact, high HDT. Simulates polycarbonate (non-clear), Shore 84D. |
| Glass-Filled Nylon-Like | Shore D 85 | Stiff, USP Class VI, high-performance with high impact strength and HDT of 190°F (88°C). |
| Rubber-Like Polyurethane | Shore A 25-95 | Shore A elastomer with high elongation to break. |
| Clear Rubber-Like Polyurethane | Shore A 40-95 | Colorless Shore A elastomer with high elongation. Matte = frosted; higher gloss = more transparent. |
Cast Silicone Materials
Silicone is durable, stretchy, tear-resistant, inert, easy to clean, and has high-temperature resistance. Ultra-soft durometers from Shore A 10 up to Shore A 60. Ideal for medical devices, surgical models, props, soft-touch housings, kitchen accessories, and more.
Available Finishes
Matte/Frosted
Smooth, satin-like finish from bead-blasted master. Reduces fingerprint visibility on handheld and high-touch areas.
Semi-Gloss
Some sheen but not high reflectivity. Smooth, easy-to-clean surface between high-gloss and matte.
High-Gloss
Highly reflective; requires polishing the master. Highest transparency for clear parts. Good for cosmetic models, lenses.
Textured
Applied via paint and manual techniques to the master. Improves grip and reduces fingerprints on handles.
Custom
Additional processing, secondary finishes, painting, and more available.
Urethane Color Options
Applications of Urethane Casting
Low-Volume Production
Perfect when volumes do not justify injection mold tooling. First-run production parts can be completed weeks before production tooling is ready.
Advanced Prototyping
Relatively inexpensive tooling makes design changes easy and economical. Different materials can be used with the same mold for testing.
Market Testing
End-user functionality and high-quality finish make urethane cast parts ideal for consumer testing, user evaluation, and concept models.
What is Urethane Casting?
Urethane casting uses a 3D-printed master pattern to create a silicone mold that delivers high-quality, short-run parts as an economical alternative to low-volume injection molding. The difference: urethane uses a "soft" silicone mold; injection molding uses a "hard" CNC-machined metal mold. The silicone mold wears out sooner but is much more cost-efficient for low-volume and prototype parts that need production-level quality and surface finishes.
How Urethane Casting Works
Master Pattern
A master pattern is made using additive manufacturing (e.g. Polyjet or SLA). The master is hand-finished for optimal surface detail before mold creation.
Molding
The 3D-printed master is encased in liquid silicone that cures around it. The mold is cut into halves and the master is removed, leaving a cavity shaped like the part.
Pouring
Liquid urethane or silicone is poured into the silicone mold. The mold is placed in a chamber (pressurized for opaque, vacuum for clear) to remove bubbles. Once cured, the part is removed. Process repeats for quantity.
Urethane Casting Tolerances
| Description | Tolerance Notes |
|---|---|
| Distance Dimensions | +/- 0.010" or +/- 0.003" per inch, whichever is larger, is typical. Irregular or thick geometries may cause deviances. |
| Shrink Mitigation | A shrinkage rate of +0.15% can be expected due to thermal expansion and flexible mold response. |
| Surface Quality | Surface finish is externally smoothed to satin or matte. Grow lines may be present on internal features. Polishing/custom finishes must be agreed at order. |
| Feature Definition | Sharp corners and text may appear slightly rounded. |
| Size Recommendation | We can offer urethane cast parts as large as 30" (0.762 m) long. |
Urethane Casting FAQ
Why choose urethane casting over 3D printing?
Urethane casting offers higher-performing materials that better emulate those in commercial products. Fit and finish are often better. If material performance and appearance matter, urethane casting is a strong consideration.
Why choose urethane casting over injection molding?
Quantity is the main factor. Urethane casting is excellent for very low quantities (e.g. 50 pieces) of production-grade parts. Injection molding has higher upfront tooling costs that may not justify a low-quantity run. Many customers use urethane casting to test and refine designs before investing in injection molding tooling.
Will I need to pay tariffs on internationally produced parts?
Our checkout price for internationally produced prototypes shipped to the US includes tariffs.
Why Choose Artemis 3D for Urethane Casting?
Endless Options
Choose from millions of combinations of materials, finishes, tolerances, markings, and certifications.
Easy to Use
Get your parts delivered without the hassle of sourcing, project management, logistics, or shipping.
Vetted Network
ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, and AS9100D certified. Only top shops pass our qualification process.