What batch quantities are ideal for urethane casting?

The Sweet Spot for Urethane Casting Volumes

The ideal batch quantities for Urethane Casting typically range from 10 to 50 parts, making it the premier solution for Low Volume Manufacturing. This range perfectly balances the economic advantage of using low-cost silicone tooling with the practical limitations of the mold's lifespan. A single silicone mold can generally produce 20-25 castings before showing signs of degradation, so for batches requiring up to 50 parts, we often create multiple identical molds to maintain high-fidelity part quality throughout the production run.

Economic and Functional Advantages in This Range

Within this quantity bracket, urethane casting is unbeatable in both cost and speed compared to injection molding. It avoids the high capital investment of hard tooling while delivering parts that are functionally and cosmetically very close to the final production intent. This makes it ideal for prototyping, market testing, clinical trials, or creating pre-production sales samples. The process allows for cost-effective iteration and validation before transitioning to Mass Production.

Upper Limits and Transition to Other Processes

While it's technically possible to produce up to 100 parts by creating several silicone molds, this often becomes the breakeven point where the total cost of urethane casting (including multiple molds and labor) begins to approach the one-time cost of a low-volume aluminum injection mold. For quantities consistently exceeding 100 parts, investing in a more durable tool for processes like injection molding or Aluminum Die Casting becomes more economically viable in the long run.

Ideal Applications and Workflow Integration

This process is a cornerstone of our integrated One-Stop Service. A batch of 10-50 urethane castings allows for comprehensive form, fit, and functional testing, user feedback collection, and supply chain setup. Once the design is frozen and market demand is confirmed, the seamless handoff to our Tool And Die and high-volume production teams ensures a smooth and efficient path to market.