{"id":2495,"date":"2020-12-10T02:17:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T02:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sybridge.com\/?p=2495"},"modified":"2023-06-23T19:08:21","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T19:08:21","slug":"cast-urethane-materials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sybridge.com\/cast-urethane-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"An Overview of Cast Urethane Materials"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Originally published on fastradius.com on December 10, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cast urethane<\/a>\u00a0is a manufacturing method that allows designers and engineers to consistently create production-quality plastic parts with a range of material properties. The process begins by placing a master pattern \u2014 which is essentially a replica of the desired final part \u2014 in a mold box and covering it with liquid silicone. Once the silicone has cured, the block is cut in half to extract the master from the silicone mold. As a final series of steps, the master pattern is replicated by filling the mold with casting resin and curing the part in a heated vacuum chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process combines the strength of\u00a0injection-molded parts<\/a>\u00a0with high-quality surface finishes and chemical and abrasion resistance. The short lead times and low cost of\u00a0soft tooling\u00a0make the process especially useful for prototyping and for low- to medium-volume production that doesn\u2019t warrant the expense or time required for hard tooling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cast urethane is compatible with a wide range of materials, and its versatility is a benefit for designers and engineers. However, it\u2019s critical that product teams select an appropriate material based on their specific project requirements \u2014 which can include cost, functionality, aesthetics, and other factors \u2014 in order to maximize the quality and performance of the final part. Here\u2019s what teams need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Considerations for Cast Urethane Material Selection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As with most manufacturing projects, the desired qualities and characteristics of the final part application should inform the material selection process. For example, gaskets,\u00a0overmolds, and skateboard wheels \u2014 while all commonly manufactured via cast urethane\u00a0 \u2014 have widely differing performance requirements. In order to provide better sealant and fit, gaskets and\u00a0overmolds\u00a0should be made from softer, rubber-like materials, while skateboard wheels need to offer a combination of durability and noise- and shock-absorption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Whether the part needs to be stiff, heat resistant, flexible, or feature some combination of properties, will influence which material is best-suited for the end-use application.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The urethane resin family is highly versatile and can provide material and performance characteristics comparable to many engineering-grade plastics. Resins can often be augmented with additives, such milled glass fibers and other particulates, to improve the part\u2019s strength, anti-static qualities, flame resistance, or other desirable properties. The material and additive offerings of individual suppliers will vary, but urethane resins are often broadly categorized according to the\u00a0Shore durometer hardness scale\u00a0(in which an \u201cA\u201d rating indicates softer, elastomeric materials, and a \u201cD\u201d rating refers to highly rigid materials).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rigid Polyurethanes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ABS-like polyurethanes are low-cost, general purpose resins that provide comparable \u2014 if not better \u2014 strength and impact resistance to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)<\/a>, a thermoplastic polymer commonly used in vehicle exteriors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With typical durometers of 80-85 Shore D, these resins make excellent product enclosures and components that will stand up to frequent handling (such as game console controllers). Urethanes are susceptible to UV radiation and will therefore require stabilizers or coatings if used in exterior applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acrylic-like polyurethanes are another common casting material. These resins are stiff and transparent, offering similar properties to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), a lightweight acrylic commonly used as a glass substitute. Offering durometers around 87 Shore D, these materials are excellent for creating durable, transparent parts such as light tubing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Softer rigid resins (such as those that fall between 60 and 75 Shore D on the durometer scale) can also be used to create firm parts with a degree of flexibility, such as car tires or hard hats. These resins have low viscosity and are therefore excellent for filling complex mold designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elastomeric Polyurethanes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elastomeric polyurethanes offer similar properties to flexible materials like\u00a0TPE, TPU<\/a>, and silicone rubber, making them ideal for manufacturing products such as wearable components and bumper pads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much like rigid resins, elastomeric polyurethanes come with a number of mechanical advantages. Those with durometers of 50 Shore A and below provide high tensile strength, toughness, and flexibility, while those between 60 and 80 Shore A are well-suited for producing abrasion-resistant parts and fixtures with a degree of flex. Shore A resins can also be used to create urethane casting molds that are more durable than their silicone counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hard elastomeric urethane materials include durometers ranging from 90 Shore A to 60 Shore D, and are ideal for demanding industrial applications like forming dies and gears. In some cases, these resins are able to outlast metal patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting Started With Cast Urethane<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Urethane casting is an efficient and effective process for many manufacturers, as it enables short production timelines, flexible material choice, and inexpensive tooling costs. In addition, polyurethane materials can endow a part with a range of desirable properties \u2014 from malleability and heat resistance to high tensile strength and rigidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
It\u2019s up to engineers and product development teams to do their due diligence to select the best-fit material for a given job.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, a trusted manufacturing partner like SyBridge can ease some of that burden. Our talented team of designers and engineers work closely with every customer, providing expert advice and assistance from ideation through to post-processing and fulfillment.\u00a0Contact us today<\/a>\u00a0to discover how we can optimize the product life cycle for maximum efficiency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Originally published on fastradius.com on December 10, 2020 Cast urethane\u00a0is a manufacturing method that allows designers and engineers to consistently create production-quality plastic parts with a range of material properties. The process begins by placing a master pattern \u2014 which is essentially a replica of the desired final part \u2014 in a mold box and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":2546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[83],"class_list":["post-2495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-urethane-casting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAn Overview of Cast Urethane Materials - SyBridge Technologies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sybridge.com\/cast-urethane-materials\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An Overview of Cast Urethane Materials - SyBridge Technologies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Originally published on fastradius.com on December 10, 2020 Cast urethane\u00a0is a manufacturing method that allows designers and engineers to consistently create production-quality plastic parts with a range of material properties. 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