Introduction
Optical Properties of Transparent Parts
For applications requiring transparent housings, lampshades, or light guides, the optical performance of the overmolding material is crucial. By selecting specific transparent PU resins, the crystal-clear texture of engineering plastics such as PC or PMMA can be highly replicated.
PC-like Transparent Parts: These materials offer transmittances exceeding 85–90%, while haze can be controlled within an extremely low range of 1–5%, combining high transparency with high toughness.
PMMA-like Transparent Parts: For ultimate transparency, PMMA-like materials can achieve transmittances as high as 90–92%, while maintaining a controllable haze of 1–3%, resulting in the clearest optical effect.
Common Appearance Treatments
Both transparent and opaque parts can be enhanced through post-processing to achieve a richer appearance. The most common surface treatments include painting (for precise color and a controllable ΔE of 1.0–1.5), printing, adhesive backing (for added functionality), and polishing (for enhanced gloss) for transparent parts.
These treatments typically require appropriate surface cleaning and pre-treatment to ensure optimal adhesion and appearance quality.
Key Concepts
- Transmittance: This refers to the percentage of light that passes through a material. A higher value indicates a more transparent material and a clearer visual appearance.
- Haze: This refers to the percentage of light that is scattered after passing through a material. Lower values indicate clearer materials and less haze.
Conclusion
Vacuum casting (overmolding) offers a comprehensive range of optical properties, from opaque and translucent to highly transparent. PC- and PMMA-like overmolding materials, with their excellent light transmittance and low haze, are ideal solutions for optical verification. Furthermore, combined with sophisticated post-processing techniques like painting and printing, any overmolded part can be recreated with the colors and textures of your design, making your prototype even more convincing.

