Vacuum Cast TPU Screen Protector

This is a flip-up screen protector for a Dualto unit, a tablet-style device. We designed it for Zhanglin and made 10 of them in black 80A TPU by vacuum casting. A cover sits over the screen and swings up and over the top of the unit when it is in use.

The brief

Zhanglin needed a cover that protects the screen and is quick to open. It had to fix to the unit without screws or damage, and stay put both closed and open. Fitting the covers onto the units was not part of the job.

How we made it

The protector has three parts: a front plate that covers the screen, a back plate that sits on the top of the unit, and a hinge rod that joins them. The back plate holds on with removable Command Strips, so nothing is drilled and it can come off cleanly. The front plate turns through 270 degrees. We placed the hinge so gravity does the work: the plate rests flat over the screen when closed, and stays out of the way when flipped right back.

We sent the design to Zhanglin as a deck with an exploded view, a size drawing and an animation of the hinge moving. The scope and the first design were both approved on 5 August 2026, with no changes needed. We printed a prototype in PLA, then made the production run of 10 by vacuum casting. Liquid material is poured into a silicone mould under vacuum, so no air is trapped. The 80A TPU is a soft, slightly rubbery material, gentle on the screen it covers.

The result is 10 matching black covers from one design, without paying for injection-mould tooling.

See how we cast small runs