Benefits of Vacuum Casting
Vacuum Casting Standard Tolerances
Vacuum casting provides practical dimensional tolerances tailored to part size, resin material and silicone mould status. Small components achieve tighter accuracy, while larger parts carry wider deviation ranges. These tolerance levels fit functional prototype validation and low‑volume batch manufacturing projects.
Part Dimension |
Standard Dimensional Tolerance |
Straightness / Flatness |
Typical Surface Roughness (Ra) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 50 mm | ± 0.15 mm – ± 0.25 mm | ± 0.1 mm / 100 mm | 0.8 – 3.2 µm |
| 50 mm – 100 mm | ± 0.25 mm – ± 0.40 mm | ± 0.15 mm / 100 mm | 0.8 – 3.2 µm |
| Over 100 mm | ± 0.40 mm – ± 0.60 mm | ± 0.2 mm / 100 mm | 1.6 – 6.3 µm |
Vacuum Casting Service Capabilites
Lead Time forVacuum Casting Service
Vacuum casting lead time depends on mold making and part quantity. Standard orders require 5‑10 working days, with expedited options accessible for small‑batch prototype projects with tight schedules.
Order Classification |
Project Features |
Standard Lead Time |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Order | 1–20 parts, simple geometry, standard resin | 5–7 business days | Mold making + casting + inspection + finishing |
| Complex & High-Volume Order | Detailed parts, transparent resin, textures, assembly | 8-12 business days | Extended mold preparation and multi-step finishing |
| Express Order | Simple parts, urgent prototypes | 2 - 3 business days | Priority mold and casting; no reduction in quality |
Vacuum Casting Services Material
Vacuum casting mainly uses PU‑based resins simulating ABS, PP and rubber‑like materials. Multiple hardness grades are offered to satisfy visual mock‑ups and functional small‑batch prototype testing needs.
Vacuum casting services supports a wide range of additional metals, plastics, and composites.
Visit our materials page for a full list.
Vacuum Casting Surface Finishes
Vacuum casting parts support sanding, painting, polishing and texture replication. These finishing treatments eliminate casting blemishes, enhance visual quality and match prototype cosmetic and assembly specifications
Grinding & Lapping
Passivation process
Abrasive machining process using grinding wheels or lapping compounds to remove material and produce extremely flat, smooth surfaces with tight dimensional tolerances (Ra 0.1–0.8 µm). Surface grinding produces flat parts, cylindrical grinding produces round shafts, and lapping achieves ultra-flat mirror-like surfaces. Essential for precision gauges, bearing surfaces, die sets, and any component requiring extreme flatness and surface accuracy.
Polishing & Buffing
Passivation process
Mirror polishing is a finishing process that gives metal a smooth, shiny, mirror-like surface. It works by using abrasive compounds starting coarse and moving to progressively finer grades along with soft cloth or felt buffing wheels to remove scratches, tool marks, and other surface flaws. This process achieves the highest possible shine, with a surface roughness of about Ra 0.025–0.1 µm (extremely smooth). It’s commonly used for decorative stainless steel panels, medical instruments, automotive trim, jewelry, and premium consumer products that need a flawless, reflective finish.
Bead / Abrasive Blasting
Passivation process
High-pressure projection of glass beads, aluminum oxide, or other abrasive media onto a surface to create a uniform matte satin, non-reflective finish. Hides scratches, weld seams, and surface inconsistencies, produces a consistent fine grain texture (Ra 0.8–3.2 µm). Used for aluminum and stainless steel brackets, enclosures, medical devices, and industrial components where a clean, uniform, non-glare matte appearance is desired.
Brushing / Grain Finishing
Passivation process
Mechanical brushing with abrasive belts or nylon brushes creates a uniform directional linear grain pattern across the surface. Hides scratches and surface imperfections, produces a consistent semi-matte appearance (Ra 0.4–1.6 µm). The most popular decorative finish for stainless steel and aluminum are used for kitchen equipment, architectural panels, appliance housings, and consumer product enclosures requiring a refined directional texture.
Deburring & Edge Breaking
Passivation process
Post-machining process that removes burrs, sharp edges, and residual material from cut or machined surfaces, producing clean, smooth, safe-to-handle edges. Methods include hand deburring, tumbling, vibratory finishing, and thermal deburring. Standard for all handled parts, assemblies, and components where sharp edges would be a safety concern or interfere with assembly that’s essential for quality and safety in every manufacturing process.
Anodized (Aluminum)
Passivation process
Electrochemical process that creates a hard, corrosion-resistant, dyeable aluminum oxide layer on aluminum surfaces. Available in any color (black, blue, red, clear), provides wear protection and improved corrosion resistance. Type II (standard) for general use, Type III (hard coat) for high-wear applications. Widely used for aluminum enclosures, electronic housings, aerospace components, and architectural panels requiring a durable, colored, corrosion-resistant finish.
Electropolishing
Passivation process
Electrochemical process that removes a thin layer of metal from the surface by anodic dissolution in an electrolyte bath, producing an ultra-smooth, bright, highly reflective finish (Ra 0.05–0.4 µm). Removes micro-burrs, improves corrosion resistance, and creates a clean, sterile surface. Widely used for stainless steel medical instruments, food processing equipment, pharmaceutical components, and any application requiring ultra-clean, corrosion-resistant surfaces.
Plating (Chrome / Nickel / Gold)
Passivation process
Electrochemical deposition of a thin metal layer (chrome, nickel, gold, silver, zinc, tin) onto a substrate surface to improve appearance, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, or electrical conductivity. Chrome plating provides a bright, hard, reflective finish; nickel plating provides corrosion protection and a smooth base; gold plating provides excellent conductivity and tarnish resistance. Used for automotive trim, electrical contacts, fasteners, and decorative hardware.
Plating (Chrome, Nickel, Gold)
Passivation process
Powder coating: electrostatic dry powder paint followed by thermal curing creates a durable, uniform matte or satin finish in any RAL color, with excellent corrosion and scratch resistance. Wet painting: conventional liquid paint (acrylic, epoxy, polyurethane) applied over a primed surface, available in any custom color and gloss level. Both provide protective and decorative finishes for enclosures, equipment housings, automotive parts, and outdoor industrial components.
Passivation & Conversion Coating
Passivation process
Passivation: chemical treatment (citric or nitric acid) removes free iron and contaminants from stainless steel, restoring and enhancing the protective chromium oxide layer for improved corrosion resistance does not change appearance or dimensions. Conversion coating (chromate, phosphate, black oxide): chemical process creates a thin protective layer on metal surfaces, improving paint adhesion and corrosion resistance. Standard post-fabrication treatment for stainless steel, steel, and aluminum components.