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Vacuum Casting and the Medical Industry: A Perfect Match

by Nice Rapid | Jul 20,2022 | Vacuum Casting

Every product started as a prototype and the same is true for the tools and devices in the medical industry. These prototypes are used for proof of concept, certifications, benchmarking, engineering testing, and 3D models.

What makes vacuum casting perfect for making prototypes for medical tools? The answer is in its ability to produce prototypes at low cost and few quantities. Compared to injection molding, which takes time to create the mold, vacuum casting can give engineers a first glimpse of their design and perfect them before committing to injection molding for the mold.

Let us take a deep dive into the deeper connection between vacuum casting and the medical industry in this article.

Quick Process

Medical tools and equipment are quickly evolving. It needs a manufacturing technique that is fast but of high quality. That is what vacuum casting offers. The process begins with creating a master model through 3D printing or CNC machining.

Once the master model is ready, it can produce a mold in less than two days. This process is faster than making a mold through plastic injection. When the mold is completed, the resin can be poured and create the prototype or finished part.

Vacuum casting part

High-Quality Parts

Another advantage that vacuum casting provides is high-quality parts. The resin copies from the master model offer high fidelity to the dimensions, tolerances, texture, and detail. It means that the copies can look and perform like how the finished part would be. You can also subject them to finishing services without extra sanding or polishing.

Overmolding and Multiple Materials

Most medical products have cases and enclosures. These are used for panels, control buttons, keypads, and other elements. This is common because medical equipment is geared towards digitalization and interconnection.

These surfaces and keypads use rubber-like materials and elastomers for overmolding. With vacuum casting, you can mold two different materials into a single piece. It can also be done with injection molding but it will have a longer turnaround time and can be more expensive because it uses separate tools.

Different Materials

The healthcare sector uses products of multiple chemical and mechanical properties. These tools have to be strong, chemical and heat resistant, rigid, biocompatible, easily be cleaned and sterilized, and many more. Only one process is perfect for these sorts of materials, vacuum casting. It is more useful when manufacturers need to submit their prototypes to FDA for approval.

Affordability

One of the major advantages that vacuum casting offers is affordability. In a sector that requires materials in low quantity before it is fast evolving, vacuum casting is the most obvious choice. Making the master copy and the prototypes with this process only requires a small investment. These savings can be diverted to the further development of the product or in the final production.

Finished Product in Any Color

Vacuum casting can accommodate resins colored with dyes and pigments before they are being poured into the mold. Although this is also possible with injection molding, vacuum casting, it is a lot cheaper. It also means that the finished does not require further painting. Manufacturers don’t have to commit to a volume before coloring the material. Instead, they can have colored products in small batches that can pass as a finished product.

Conclusion

Are you ready for your next project for your medical products? We hope that this article helps you understand why you should consider vacuum casting for your prototypes. Contact us for expert advice on your medical products.

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