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Prototype castings are one-off or limited series parts made using various casting techniques, including rubber plaster molds, sand investment casting, and investment casting. They provide tangible proof of concept feedback and are produced faster and more cost-effectively than other processes. Post-production machining may be used, and different casting methods are suited to specific part types. Prototype castings are not the same as rapid prototyping, but they are an attractive method for producing prototypes.
Prototype castings are one-off or limited series parts produced as prototypes of a design concept using various casting techniques. Prototype parts can be cast in a variety of materials, including metals, liquid urethane, and epoxies. Commonly employed casting methods include rubber plaster molds, sand investment casting, and investment casting techniques. Depending on the casting process involved and the type of part in question, some post-production machining may be used to fully complete the prototype part. While not strictly a rapid prototyping process, prototype casting is often referred to as such due to the short average lead times of finished parts.
Prototyping is a key part of any design process. Prototypes provide the design team with essential, tangible proof of concept feedback, allow unexpected idiosyncrasies and flaws to show themselves prior to production, and, in later stages of development, give the investor and the public a glimpse of what they will get for their money. There are several ways designers can produce prototypes, including rapid prototyping, computer numerical control (CNC) machining, and casting. Of these, prototype casting is one of the most attractive methods from both a time and cost perspective.
Casting is the process of pouring a liquid polymer or molten metal into a mold where it is allowed to cool or cure to form a finished product with an outer surface that mirrors the inside of the mold. This is an ideal process for producing prototype parts capable of producing a wide range of sizes, levels of surface detail, and finishes. Prototype castings are also often produced faster and more cost-effectively than those made by other processes. In some cases, a design team can have the finished prototype on their floor within two days.
There are several methods used to produce prototype castings, each suited to a specific range of part types. For example, designs that include thin walls such as heat sinks would benefit from techniques such as rubber plaster mold casting where a silicone rubber master of the part is used to produce precision plaster molds. Parts with complex geometry, on the other hand, would be made using rapid investment casting methods. Large, thick-walled parts with superior surface finishes would be best produced using techniques such as precision sand casting. The materials used in these processes include a range of metal alloys, epoxies and liquid urethane.
In many cases, prototype castings require post-production secondary machining. However, this process is typically only used to clean the part in preparation for delivery. Although prototype castings are often referred to as rapid prototyping products, the rapid prototyping process is an entirely different technology.
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