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Molding & Casting Process Selector
See every way Xometry can make your part, and the right material for each route
Choose your material
Select from Xometry's catalog of 31 molding and casting materials.
31 materials shown
Describe your part
These refine how the routes are ranked. Geometry matters most.
Choose a material to see every molding and casting technology that can make it, with the right material for each.
Recommended Technologies
Every technology Xometry offers for this material, ranked by fit for your part. Each route shows the exact material to specify and how often Xometry makes it.
Material Properties
Typical values for a standard unfilled grade. Filled, plasticized or specialty grades shift these, sometimes substantially.
Related materials to consider
Common substitutes where cost, temperature, clarity or chemical resistance need to move. Click any in the library to look it up.
Alternative production technologies
Other Xometry routes that can make a functionally similar part using a property-matched material.
Notes for your project
Guidance based on your material, geometry, volume and size.
Ready to make this part?
Upload your CAD file for instant pricing on molding & casting processes from Xometry's vetted manufacturing network.
How this tool works
Which technologies apply
The tool lists only the technologies Xometry actually offers for your material, taken from the Xometry material catalog. Metals route to die casting, rubbers to compression molding and casting, foams to foam molding.
Fit for your part
Routes are ranked by part geometry, production volume and size. There is no single answer forced on you; the best route depends on your quantity and shape.
How often Xometry makes it
Each route carries a demand level from Xometry manufacturing history, shown as a qualitative tier so you can see which combinations are well proven, with no pricing or order data exposed.
Fit model: fit = 0.5 geometry + 0.3 volume + 0.2 size, scaled to 100
Demand tiers are derived from anonymized manufacturing history and shown as labels only, never as counts, prices or conversion rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the tool show several technologies instead of one answer?
Because there rarely is one. The same ABS part can be injection molded for volume, vacuum cast as PU8150 for a fast prototype run, or thermoformed if it is a large thin shell. The tool ranks the options by fit for your quantity and geometry and lets you choose the route that matches your project.
What is the difference between recommended and alternative technologies?
Recommended technologies are the routes Xometry offers for your exact material. Alternative technologies make a functionally similar part using a property-matched material, for example a rubber-like polyurethane (PU8400) cast in place of a molded elastomer, or a compression-molded rubber compound. They widen your options when the native route does not suit your volume or budget.
What do resin codes like PU8150, PX 527 or PU8400 mean?
Vacuum casting uses polyurethane resins that mimic engineering plastics. PU8150 behaves like ABS, PX 527 like polycarbonate, UP5690 like polypropylene, and PU8400 like a soft rubber. When a technology cannot run your exact polymer, the tool names the specific casting resin to specify instead.
How is the demand level calculated, and is any private data exposed?
It reflects how frequently Xometry has manufactured that material and technology combination, grouped into tiers from occasionally made up to very frequently made. It is a confidence signal only. The tool never exposes quote counts, prices, win rates or any other commercial figure.
How should I read the part size options?
Size is the longest edge of the smallest bounding box your part fits in. Up to 50 mm is small hardware, 50 to 200 mm covers most housings and brackets, 200 to 500 mm is a large panel or bin, and over 500 mm is oversize. Larger parts shift the ranking toward thermoforming and foam molding and away from injection and die casting.
Are the material property values design-ready?
No. They are typical for a standard unfilled grade, for quick comparison. Fillers, plasticizers and moisture change strength, stiffness and service temperature. Use a specific grade datasheet for design calculations; where Xometry publishes one, a link appears by the material name.
My material is not in the list. What should I do?
The list covers the materials Xometry offers across these six molding and casting technologies. For a specialty compound or a regulated grade, start from the closest family here to see candidate technologies, then confirm the exact grade with an applications engineer. For metal or high-precision plastic parts, CNC machining and 3D printing are separate Xometry services.
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