Hobby & Model Making
Thermoset polymer plastics like Hapco’s have been used extensively by hobbyists and model makers for many years. Formulations vary from general purpose casting resins to more sophisticated, highly-engineered “hybrid alloys.” What makes thermosets more conducive to the hobby and craft applications versus thermoplastics are their relative ease-of-use, availability in small quantities, i.e., quart and gallon units, and the fact that they can be processed without expensive tooling and equipment. This presents an ideal scenario for the individual looking to produce arts and crafts items, or the professional model maker who is creating scale models in very limited quantities.
Hapco has several low-cost, easy to use Liquid Molding Compounds™ that are designed for quick, economical mold making and part duplicating. In most cases, the hobbyist and model maker will be hand mixing and pouring the casting resin into a mold cavity (typically silicone or urethane) in order to duplicate a part. Castalloy™ 7126 is a fast material with a 2 minute gel time and 10 minute de-mold time. It has a 1:1 mix ratio and is water thin; making it is less likely to entrap air when not employing vacuum or pressure casting techniques. Its creamy, off-white base color makes it easy to pigment using Hapco’s Color Dispersions™.
For model making applications demanding true “production part” characteristics, Hapco’s Ultralloy™ and S-RIM™ Series are popular choices. The Ultralloy™ Series includes several clear, white and amber materials that are available in different gel times depending on your processing needs. The S-RIM™ Series exhibit incredible “green strength” and achieve up to 80 percent of their final physical properties within the first 10 minutes. This makes them ideal for creating prototypes or limited production runs under time constraints. Because of S-RIM’s lightning fast gel times of 25 & 60 seconds, the use of meter-mix dispensing systems is highly recommended, especially for larger castings.
Mold Materials
Hapflex™ 500 Series - Flexible polyurethanes that will long outlast silicone.
Hapflex™ 600 Series - Rigid elastomers that wear like iron.
Hapcast™ - Aluminum, steel, and iron filled epoxies used for cast composite and production tooling.
Fill-Its/Haprez™ Combo – Lightweight, low cost filler materials that will decrease shrinkage and mold cost.
Part Materials
Ultralloy™ - All purpose rigid casting compounds. Available in multiple speeds and colors.
S-RIM™ – Low viscosity, 1:1 casting resins that gel in under a minute and de-mold in less than 10.
Hapflex™ – 25A-72D hybrid elastomeric polyurethanes.
Tuffalloy™ – Liquid Molding Compounds with thermoplastic properties.
Ultraclear™ – Crystal clear, UV stable casting resins.
Castalloy –Low cost, water thin, 1:1 casting resin.
Equipment
RAPIDFIL™ - LCD / computer controlled, 2 component, dispensing equipment.
MINIFIL™ - Low cost, 2 component, portable, dispensing equipment.
RAPIDSHOT™ – Handheld cartridge dispensing system for 1:1, 2:1, and 4:1 ratios.
X-11 Molding Chamber – Ergonomically designed pressure and curing chamber for parts and molds.