Natural stone was once the most used resource for making home foundations, fireplaces, and other accent pieces more elegant. The material has since become too expensive and the application process too time-consuming. Due to this, manufactured stone has emerged as a more adaptable solution. It brings quality, durability, and longevity to any concrete project.
Manufactured stone, or stone veneer, requires a mold and concrete mixture or lightweight aggregate compound to create unique features in the finished piece. The mold must be durable enough to replicate pieces without losing detail. Though there are many ways to make a working mold, polyurethane rubber has proven to be the preferred choice. It is a versatile mold-making compound that can be flexible or rigid based on need. It is great for easy, repeated use and extreme detail. Using urethane to create quality molds on-site is also much more cost-efficient. It prevents interruption of mold supply, decreases the cost of buying molds, and allows for custom mold-making.
VFI provides a variety of liquid urethane rubbers, plastics, and foams that can be used to mass-produce decorative artificial stones. Our rubbers vary based on the final structure of the veneer and the demolding process. With TDI-based products that range from 20 A to 90 A in hardness, you can create almost any type of manufactured stone mold. They were also created with dry and wet pigments in mind to ensure consistent and complete color transfer, so you can easily simulate the color and texture of natural stone.
We also produce urethane casting plastics for the creation of stone masters. Real stone pieces are highly fragile and at risk of damage the more they are used in the molding process. We recommend making a plastic master model to then produce several new molds that you can pour concrete into. This preserves your original pieces and makes your manufactured stone patterns more consistent and repeatable.
VFI’s liquid urethane products capture excellent detail and offer excellent stability for producing hundreds of artificial stones. Whether you’re an old or new producer in the manufactured stone industry, we can provide the right option for you. If problems arise, we have the technical skills and experience to troubleshoot them. We can also assist with the learning process for those new to urethane molding and casting materials.
