Custom Moulds, Casting & Prototyping
Moulds, Casting & Prototypes
From an idea to a finished batch, in one workshop.
Custom silicone moulds, resin and cast components, large format 3D printed prototypes and short production runs. Concept, CAD, prototype, mould, batch, all under one roof in Dorset and under NDA where you need it.
Get a Quote- NDAs signed
- No minimum order
- Concept to batch
- 2 to 3 weeks
- Purchase orders welcome
Proof
We do this for our own products, not just for clients
We design, develop and trademark our own systems, which is direct evidence of an R&D capability rather than a claim about one. PropSecure, the Cake Compass, PropUtility, Cake Spiral and our texture rolling pin system all went from concept through prototype and tooling to production here.
For clients we have made custom 3D printed housings and matched silicone moulds for promotional mailers, and built multi-material pieces combining 3D print with timber and metal, including the Battersea Power Station landmark display and a two metre centrepiece for Cake International at the NEC.
How It Runs
Concept to production batch
Concept
A sketch, a sample, a competitor part or a written description. Rough is fine.
CAD
Drawn and modelled, with renders so you can see it before it exists.
Prototype
A printed or machined prototype you can hold, test and put in front of a stakeholder.
Mould
Silicone tooling made from the approved master once the part is signed off.
Batch
Cast, finished and delivered, with the tooling kept for repeat runs.
Sampling and prototyping are quoted upfront and can be deducted from the final order, so proving the part does not mean paying for it twice.
What We Make
Parts, products and pieces
Silicone moulds
Custom tooling taken from an approved master, for resin, plaster and other cast materials. Kept on file so a repeat run matches the first rather than approximating it.
Cast components
Resin and cast parts in batch quantities, finished, painted or colour matched, including parts that combine with timber, metal or acrylic in a larger assembly.
3D printed prototypes
Large format 3D printing for prototypes, one-off parts and elements that could not be made any other way. Cleaned, bonded and finished so they read as a product rather than a print.
Product development
Concept through to a first production batch, the same route our own trademarked systems took. Useful when you have an idea and no route to making it.
Promotional and mailer pieces
Custom housings, inserts and cast items for campaign mailers and promotional runs, made to brand standards and under NDA.
Replacement and legacy parts
A part nobody makes any more, reverse engineered from a sample or a photograph and remade, including matched sets.
Worth Knowing
When a mould is worth paying for
A mould is a cost you pay once before the first part exists, so it only makes economic sense above a certain quantity. Below that it is usually cheaper to print or machine each piece. Where the line falls depends on the part, and we will tell you honestly which side of it you are on rather than selling you tooling you do not need.
What tips it: quantity, repeat orders, an undercut or texture that printing cannot hold, or a material you can only get by casting. If you are likely to reorder, say so at the start, because it changes the right answer.
Questions
Answered plainly
Can you work from a physical sample rather than a drawing?
Yes, and often that is easier. Send the part, or clear photographs with dimensions, and we will model it, prototype it and tell you what can and cannot be reproduced exactly.
Who owns the mould and the design?
Agree it at the outset and we will put it in writing. Tooling made specifically for your part is normally kept here for your repeat runs, and we do not use your tooling for anyone else.
Will you sign an NDA before we send the concept?
Yes, before you share anything. Unreleased products are routine for us and it should be a same day formality.
How many parts do I need for a mould to be worth it?
It depends on the part rather than a fixed number. Tell us the quantity and whether repeats are likely and we will tell you honestly whether tooling pays for itself or whether printing or machining each piece is cheaper.
Can cast or printed parts be food safe?
Any surface that meets food is specified deliberately, and for food contact we will usually specify a different material for that surface rather than a printed or cast one. We will say so plainly rather than letting it through.
Can you finish parts to a production standard?
Yes. Cleaned, bonded, seams worked out, primed, sprayed and colour matched, so the part reads as a finished product rather than a prototype.
Is there a minimum order?
No. One part or a production batch, and the per unit cost drops considerably across a run.
Start Your Project
What is the part, and how many?
Send a sketch, a photograph or the sample itself. NDA signed first if you would rather.
Or call 07444 887799 · customerservice@propoptions.co.uk
