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Pouring silicone over a master pattern

Silicone Moulding & Vacuum Casting

Accurate copies of your part in rubber or rigid plastic — from a single master, for runs of 10 to 100.

Low-volume production

Production-quality parts before you commit to steel tooling

A silicone mould is taken straight off a master pattern — a 3D print, a machined part, or a sample you send us. Parts are then vacuum-cast in polyurethane resins that mimic production plastics and rubbers. You get finished parts in days, at a fraction of injection-mould cost.

  • Ideal for 10–100 off: functional prototypes, pilot runs, trade-show samples.
  • Rubber-like or rigid, transparent or colour-matched, textured or gloss.
  • Send a CAD file and we can 3D print the master for you.
Vacuum-cast polyurethane parts from a silicone mould

The process

How silicone moulding works

Master patterns ready for moulding

Master pattern

We prepare or receive a master — usually an SLA 3D print, finished to the exact surface you want on the final parts.

Silicone poured around the master

Silicone mould

The master is suspended in a frame and liquid RTV silicone is poured around it. Once cured, the mould is cut open and the master removed.

Finished silicone mould ready to cast

Vacuum casting

Polyurethane resin is degassed and cast into the mould under vacuum, oven-cured, then demoulded. Each mould yields roughly 15–25 parts.

Why choose it

Why make silicone moulds?

Low tooling cost

A silicone mould costs a small fraction of a steel injection tool.

Days, not weeks

First parts typically in 1–2 weeks from receiving your master.

Fine detail & texture

Silicone captures sharp features, engraved text and surface texture faithfully.

Rubber to rigid

Cast anything from Shore 20A flexible rubber to glass-filled rigid resin.

Colour & clarity

Colour-matched to a Pantone, or clear and tinted for lenses and housings.

Overmoulding & inserts

Two-shot overmoulds, threaded inserts and captive hardware cast in place.

Cast polyurethane parts

Materials

What we can cast

Polyurethane casting resins are matched to the production plastic you are targeting — from soft-touch rubber to stiff, heat-resistant housings.

Flexible PU (Shore 20A–90A)ABS-like rigidPP-likeGlass-filledTransparent / tintedHeat-resistant to ~120°CRubber overmouldsMetal inserts

Send your master pattern or CAD — we’ll quote the mould plus your first batch

Related services

Often paired with silicone moulding

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