Cast Moulding Production & Process

Cast moulding is a manufacturing process where liquid polyurethane is poured into a heated mould. The material is thermoset and therefore the polymer is heat cured and, when solid, the moulded part is removed from the mould. Generally, moulds are open on one full side which means the poured face usually produces a flat surface. Therefore, some profile details may require additional machining/processing after moulding.

The majority of production is processed through dispensing machines to enable reliable and efficient production. In 2018, PolyGlobal invested in a new Covestro Baulé® Universal Machine to maximise quality control and reduce production lead times.

Due to the requirements of heat processing, moulds are warmed on a “hot plate” or within an oven system depending on the target temperatures of the mould/casting material and/or the mould size/profile. This setup/processing requirement is also dictated by the mould material;

• steel tools require higher temperatures and take longer to heat up but they then hold their heat for longer making them better suited to parts which require have longer pouring times and higher batch quantities
• aluminium tools are easier to handle and take less time to heat up but lose temperature more quickly making them better suited to closed cast parts and lower quantities