3D printing has become something more than just a tool for the workshop.The technology has come far, and someday perhaps we will be able to print everything we need from a machine in the laundry room.
However, it's still a step on the road to reality and not yet the production reality that it will someday be. SLA has expanded in the last few years to include materials that simulate several different effects- durability, transparency, etc.But this is dwarfed by the range of materials available through vacuum casting.It is possible to 3D print flexible elastomers and rubberised components, but the technology is still developing and so the possibilities are more limited.This isn't a limitation that vacuum casting faces, with a much wider range of materials there are several options that SLA and SLS haven't quite caught up with.
A nice little bonus of vacuum casting is that once the mould is made, there is no need to stop at one build.Most moulds will support as many as twenty-five runs of a design, which leaves room for short run production.The master model will support several moulds, so the potential to produce hundreds of an item is there, working to get more out of your SLA build.
LPE have a crack team of master moulders, with years of experience in creating moulds for prototyping and production. With our recent pieces making it into working MRI machines, or onto your television screen as props, the vacuum casting industry hasn't been replaced yet and offers a wealth of opportunity for those who might not have considered it.
For more information on SLA, SLS or Vacuum Casting, visit our website here.
