Valencia, CA - May 4, 1998—Solid Concepts Inc. announced today the immediate availability of an expanded range of urethane casting services. Using new formulations and processes, Solid Concepts is now able to produce cast urethane parts that closely simulate injection molded plastic parts. Material properties include elastomeric urethanes that simulate everything from latex to hard rubber as well as rigid urethanes that have a UL 94VO flame retardant rating. The latest addition to Solid Concepts’ array of castable urethanes includes a new formulation that simulates the end properties of high density polyethylene. Polyethylene is a popular thermoplastic for applications requiring strength and durability, such in as consumer and medical products.
"Cast urethanes are an ideal way to produce prototypes with the look and feel of injection molded parts at a fraction of the cost of injection molded parts", according to David Cawley, Solid Concepts’ Manager of Cast Tooling. "With the proper materials and processes, it is possible to reproduce features as fine as a fingerprint. This means that details such as surface finish or other aesthetic properties can be molded into urethane parts. Our latest offering enables us to provide prototype parts that are almost indistinguishable from injection molded polyethylene."
Applications for cast urethanes include prototypes for engineering studies as well as for marketing applications such as trade shows or customer focus groups. While production steel tooling for an injection molded plastic housing can take several months and cost upwards of $50,000, a silicone rubber tool and several urethane castings can be produced in a matter of days and for less than $1500.
"Silicone rubber tooling and cast urethanes have a distinct advantage over other methods for creating high-quality prototypes in a variety of materials", said Cawley. "Complex geometry and parting lines, and even multiple part molds are not a problem. This makes it possible to quickly go from an engineering concept in a CAD system to a high-quality part in a matter of days. If needed, urethanes color matched to production samples, and fillers may be added to enhance the material properties."
Engineers can request a sample of the new material by calling Solid Concepts at 661-257-9300 and they can learn more about applications for cast urethane parts by visiting the Solid Concepts’ Web site at http://www.solidconcepts.com.