Xometry Europe Expands Offerings With Compression Molding And Vacuum Casting Processes

• New Processes Join Die Casting and Injection Molding Offered Through Xometry Europe’s Digital Marketplace
• Compression Molding And Vacuum Casting Offer Range Of Applications For Automotive, Electronics, Medical Devices And Other Industries
• Xometry Europe Offers Quick And Easy Order Processing

Munich, Germany – Dec. 15, 2022 – Manufacturing marketplace Xometry Europe is expanding its offerings with more molding processes to include compression molding and vacuum casting. The new processes join the technologies of die casting and injection molding.

“Access to these two new technologies will deliver additional possibilities to our customers at various stages of their product lifestyles,” said Dmitry Kafidov, Managing Director at Xometry Europe. “Vacuum casting is a prototyping alternative to 3D printing and injection molding, while compression molding often outperforms injection molding for production parts with composite materials.”

Compression molding uses heat and pressure to shape a product into its final form. The process uses a heated cavity and a vertical press mechanism to form the desired mold. The process wastes less material than injection molding, as it requires no sprue channels, cones or gate. This also means that compression molding produces an aesthetically and functionally finished surface. In addition, the process is particularly suitable for large, flat or curved parts. It’s also an excellent choice for producing functional prototypes and small series due to the simplicity of compression molding equipment and low mold-making costs. The automotive industry uses compression molding to produce many large plastic parts and panels. In electronics, it’s often used for switches, panels, or sockets. The medical sector also uses this process to manufacture plastic and silicone parts such as respiratory masks.

Vacuum casting is suitable for producing solid, flexible, and rubber-like parts for end use. In this case, the process uses 3D-printed master models and silicone molds. This enables the rapid production of high-quality parts with a length of up to 760 mm. The final dimension of the urethane cast parts depends on the accuracy of the master model, the part geometry, and the casting material. Vacuum casting is an ideal alternative to small batch injection molding and works well with a wide range of materials.

About  Xometry

Xometry (XMTR) powers the industries of today and tomorrow by connecting the people with big ideas to the manufacturers who can bring them to life. Xometry’s digital marketplace gives manufacturers the critical resources they need to grow their business while also making it easy for engineers and purchasers at small and large enterprise companies to tap into global manufacturing capacity and create locally resilient supply chains.