High-Performance Vacuum-Cast Prototypes Consumer Products Sports Equipment Gear PEEK Polypropylene

In the sports and recreational equipment industry, high-performance plastic parts are essential for ensuring both durability and functionality. Vacuum casting offers a precise and cost-effective method for producing prototypes and low-volume production runs of components used in items like protective gear, sports equipment, and accessories.

PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) and Polypropylene (PP) are two materials commonly chosen for these applications due to their exceptional strength, resistance to wear, and lightweight nature.

PEEK is renowned for its high strength, chemical resistance, and ability to withstand extreme temperatures, making it an ideal material for sports equipment components that experience significant stress or exposure to harsh environments. It is used in parts such as helmet shells, protective gear components, and high-performance athletic equipment, where durability and resistance to repeated impacts are critical.

Polypropylene, on the other hand, is lightweight, flexible, and cost-effective, making it a popular choice for producing sports accessories like bags, padding, and protective covers.

Vacuum casting involves creating a master model, which is often a 3D-printed prototype or a physical model, and using it to make a silicone mold. Liquid PEEK or Polypropylene resin is poured into the mold, and a vacuum is applied to remove air bubbles, ensuring the resin fills every cavity and results in a smooth, defect-free part.

• Rapid prototyping and design iteration
• Ability to test different designs
• Low-volume production runs
• Highly detailed, durable prototypes
• Replicates final product performance

Vacuum casting is one of the most cost-effective ways to produce high quality, low volume plastic parts which can be similar to injection moulding parts.

The parts are especially suitable for form, fit and function tests during the embodiment design stages, where they can be used for marketing, field user testing and product design verification purposes.

• Wide variety of urethane casting resins available
• Materials to satisfy different temperature requirements
• Various surface textures and hardness options
• Fully opaque, translucent or completely transparent materials

Polyurethane is a polymer material formed by polyol and polyisocyanate through polycondensation reaction with excellent mechanical properties and extreme plasticity.

Several major classifications of polyurethanes include polyether-type, polyester-type, polyimide-type, and polyurea-type. They can be made into materials such as polyurethane plastics (mainly foams), polyurethane fibres, polyurethane rubbers and elastomers.

• Flexible polyurethane: Packaging, sound insulation and filtration materials
• Rigid polyurethane: Construction, automotive, aviation industry, thermal insulation
• Polyurethane elastomer: Shoe industry and medical industry
• Other applications: Adhesives, coatings, synthetic leather