| Quickparts will be offering both Plaster and Metal Casting to its product line. Rapid prototyping is often used with plaster molding processes to circumvent or transition to the production of hard tooling. This is accomplished by creating a rubber mold from an RP-generated pattern. The rubber mold then is used to create plaster molds for casting production. Plaster casting often serves as a precursor to die casting production while the hard tool is being made. Die casting, a form of metal casting, is the process of forcing molten metal under high pressure into mold cavities. Most die castings are made from non-ferrous metals, specifically aluminum, zinc, copper, and magnesium, although ferrous metal die castings are possible. The die casting method is especially suited for applications where large quantities of small to medium sized parts are needed with good detail, a fine surface quality and dimensional consistency. “Quickparts is excited about continuing our mission of making it easy for our customers to get custom designed parts by offering two additional solutions, Metal and Plaster Casting. Understanding metal casting fundamentals will aid product designers in making design decisions early in the product development process that can have the maximum effect on cost reduction and performance improvement,” said Ron Hollis, Quickparts, CEO and president. For more information, visit Quickparts. Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.
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