Rapid metal prototyping comparison chart

Choose a rapid metal prototyping application based on the factors listed below. We offer investment casting, sand casting and rubber plaster molding rapid metal prototyping processes.

	Investment Casting	Sand Casting	Rubber Plaster Molding
Materials	Most metals (steel, stainless steel, aluminum, zinc, etc.)	Most metals (steel, iron, aluminum, etc.)	Non-ferrous alloys (aluminum, zinc, etc.)
Lead Time	3-7 days, depending on size and complexity of part	7-10 days	7-10 days
Quantity	1 cast part for 1 pattern and ceramic mold	5-100+ per 1 pattern and a one-time tooling charge	5-100+ per 1 pattern and a one-time tooling charge
Tolerance	+/- .005" inch	+/-.006" per inch	+/- .005" per inch
Cost	low for small quantities	low for high volume: 20-100+	low for midsize quantities: 5-30
Pros	Great for low volumes and smaller parts. Fast with low porosity issues. No upfront tooling. Good for checking the design early in development.	Wide variety of materials. Low cost for higher volumes.	The best application for thinner walls and fine surface finish.
Cons	Limited in larger sizes. For high quantities, tooling is required.	Difficulty in casting thinner walls and thinner areas.	Initial tooling charge. Cost is high for quantities of 4 or less.