What is Silicone Molding?
Silicone molding is a process used to create parts and products using silicone rubber. Silicone is a highly versatile material known for its durability, flexibility, and resistance to temperature, UV light, and chemicals. This makes it an excellent choice for a wide variety of applications across many industries.
In the silicone molding process, silicone rubber is usually heated and then shaped in a mold under pressure. The silicone is then cooled and hardened (a process known as curing), and the finished part is removed from the mold.
Here’s a brief overview of each step:
Step 1: Preparing the Silicone
Silicone comes in various forms, such as high-consistency rubber (HCR) or liquid silicone rubber (LSR). The silicone might need to be mixed with additives or colorants to achieve the desired properties and appearance.
Step 2:Molding
The silicone is placed in a mold usually made of metal. The mold is designed to have the exact shape of the desired part.
Step 3:Heating and Curing
The mold is heated to cure the silicone. The heat causes the silicone to transform from a liquid or a soft solid into a flexible, durable solid. This process can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on the size and complexity of the part and the specific type of silicone used.
Step 4:Demolding
The part is removed from the mold once the silicone has fully cured. This can sometimes be done by hand, but machines are often used for larger production runs or more complex parts.
Step 5:Post-Curing and Finishing
Some silicone parts may require post-curing, a process in which they are heated again to ensure full curing and to improve certain properties. The parts may also be trimmed or finished to remove excess material and ensure they meet the necessary specifications.
The specific process used can vary depending on the method of silicone molding chosen (such as Compression Molding, LSR Injection Molding, overmolding, Dripping Dispensing Molding or Extrusion Molding injection molding), as well as the type of silicone used and the specifications of the part being created.
Silicone Compression Molding
Compression molding is a well-established method for manufacturing simple silicone rubber components. It is a straightforward process that involves high pressure and heat to transform vulcanized silicone rubber into a durable, functional rubber part. The silicone rubber is placed in an open mold, closed, and subjected to significant heat and pressure. This forces the casting material to fill all areas of the mold and expel any trapped air. The heat and pressure are maintained until the material is fully cured. Once the parts have been cured, the silicone products are removed from the mold.
Compression molding suits applications requiring low durometer and tight tolerances, especially when injection molding costs are prohibitive. With over a decade of experience, our team possesses the expertise to create relatively intricate parts using compression molding techniques.
Advantages
- Minimal lead time: Short set up a time
- Easy to prototype: Minimal wastage
- Widest range of part sizes: Perfect for the manufacturing of parts with a very large cross-section
- Dimensional stability: Capacity to process stiff, high durometer materials, Excellent for low quantities of parts requiring a long cure time
- Low tooling and equipment costs: Tooling is simpler and more cost-effective than injection molding, Although this technique has a longer cycle time, it is a low-pressure mold, which means it’s inexpensive to produce a variety of cavities without high tooling costs.
Applications
- Home&housewares & Appliances ( Kitchen & dining&table & Drinkware &household.etc.)
- Baby & Toys (Baby products, feeding products, and learning toys.）
- Health & Beauty & Personal Care （Oral care & Beauty tools/Accessories & hair care, etc.）
- Stationery & Office Products(Arts & Crafts& School products & Office products etc. )
- Sports & Outdoor & Garden ( Sports and fitness & Travelling & Outdoor portable or silicone water bottles etc. )
- Pets Supplies
- Electronic & Cell Phones Accessories ( Protective cover& Case, holder, etc.)
- Automotive & Aerospace & Military
- Smoking products
- Promotional products (Licensed products & Mascot & Blind box products)
Silicone-Compression-Molding-for-gasketLiquid Silicone Rubber Moulding
Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) moulding, or Liquid Injection Molding (LIM), is a thermoset process involving mixing two compounds, which are then heat-cured within the mold using a platinum catalyst. This process results in the production of flexible silicone components. LSR moldings are characterized by their low compression set and excellent resistance to extreme temperatures, making them highly durable and well-suited for challenging applications. LSR elastomers offer remarkable optical clarity, resilience, and design versatility and maintain exceptional mechanical properties across a wide temperature range (-50°C to 250°C).
Liquid Silicone Rubber molding
LSR injection molding is an ideal choice for creating complex geometries and consolidating multiple functional elements into a single component due to its design and tooling adaptability. LIM offers significant benefits in terms of product reliability and overall tooling costs.
Advantages
- High production rates and shorter production cycles (results in lower per unit cost);
- Allows for close tolerances in small intricate parts;
- Requires little post-production work because parts have a finished look upon ejection;
- Full automation is possible, which leads to reduced production costs
Applications
- Home&housewares & Appliances ( Kitchen & dining&table & Drinkware &household.etc.)
- Baby & Toys ( Baby care products & Baby Feeding & Baby Toy & kids learning toy etc）
- Health & Beauty & Personal Care （Oral care & Beauty tools/Accessories & hair care, etc.）
- Stationery & Office Products(Arts & Crafts& School products & Office products etc. )
- Sports & Outdoor & Garden ( Sports and fitness & Travelling & Outdoor portable etc. )
- Pets Supplies
- Electronic & Cell Phones Accessories ( Protective cover& Case, holder, etc.)
- Automotive & Aerospace & Military
- Smoking products
- Promotional products (Licensed products & Mascot & Gifts & Blind box products)
- Medical products
Silicone Overmolding
Silicone Overmolding, also known as Rubber Overmolding or Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) Overmolding, is a sequential injection molding technique where multiple components are molded together, one layer atop another. This process is often described as two-shot molding, signifying its two-stage nature.
High-temperature-resistant thermoplastic materials such as PC, PPSU, PA + GF, and PBT are secondary molding materials. On the other hand, the primary overmolding material is commonly silicone (either high-temperature vulcanizing silicone or low-temperature vulcanizing silicone) or liquid silicone rubber (LSR). Compared to assembled or bonded parts, silicone overmolded components exhibit superior quality.
Advantages
Design: Multi-Material. You can get 2 different materials in one product
Applications
- Home&housewares & Appliances ( Kitchen & dining&table & Drinkware &household.etc.)
- Baby & Toys ( Baby care & Baby Feeding & Baby Toy & kids learning toy etc）
- Health & Beauty & Personal Care （Oral care & Beauty tools/Accessories & hair care, etc.）
- Stationery & Office Products(Arts & Crafts& School products & Office products etc. )
- Sports & Outdoor & Garden ( Sports and fitness & Travelling & Outdoor portable etc. )
- Pets Supplies
- Electronic & Cell Phones Accessories ( Protective cover& Case, holder, etc.)
- Automotive & Aerospace & Military
- Smoking products
- Promotional products (Licensed products & Mascot & Gifts & Blind box products)
- Medical products
Silicone Dripping Dispensing Molding
Silicone Dripping Dispensing Molding is a specialized process that uses highly durable and adaptable silicone to create various products with precision and detail. This technique involves dispensing a liquid silicone into a mold, which then hardens or “cures” to take the shape of the mold.
This process differs from other moulding types due to silicone’s unique properties. Silicone can withstand high temperatures, is resistant to many chemicals, and has excellent electrical insulation properties, making it a great choice for a variety of applications. The “dripping” or “dispensing” refers to the method of application, where the liquid silicone is carefully and precisely dispensed into the mold.
This allows for much control and precision in molding, making it possible to create intricate designs and shapes that may be difficult or impossible to achieve with other materials or methods. Once the silicone has been dispensed, it is left to cure, solidifying into the desired shape. This makes Silicone Dripping Dispensing Molding an innovative and powerful technique in the field of manufacturing.
Advantages
- Design: Multi-colored. You can get 12 colors in one product without any printed.
- Flexibility: Can make the 3D show with the products.
- Attraction: More attractive and cute as gifts for the kids and Women
Applications
- Home&housewares & Appliances ( Kitchen & dinning&table & Drink ware &household.etc.)
- Baby & Toys ( Baby care & Baby Feeding & Baby Toy & kids learning toy etc）
- Health & Beauty & Personal Care （Oral care & Beauty tools/Accessories & hair care ,etc.）
- Stationery & Office Products(Arts & Crafts& School products & Office products etc. )
- Sports & Outdoor & Garden ( Sports and fitness & Travelling & Outdoor portable etc. )
- Pets Supplies
- Electronic & Cell Phones Accessories ( Protective cover& Case, holder etc.)
- Smoking products
- Promotional products (Licensed products & Mascot & Gifts & Blind box products)
Silicone Extrusion Molding
Silicone extrusion molding creates long, continuous shapes made from silicone materials. Unlike other types of molding, such as injection molding, extrusion molding is typically used to produce shapes that have a consistent cross-sectional profile, like tubes and rods, cords, seals, gaskets, strips, sheets, and custom profiles. This process involves feeding raw silicone into an extruder, which applies heat and pressure to soften the material. The softened silicone is then forced through a die, giving it its final shape. After the silicone is extruded and shaped, it is cured or vulcanized, causing it to harden and take on its final properties. The key features of extruded silicone include its excellent thermal stability, resistance to UV and ozone, flexibility, and biocompatibility. These properties make extruded silicone suitable for a wide range of applications in various industries, including medical, food and beverage, aerospace, electronics, automotive, and more.
Advantages
- Extrusion molding also comes with its own set of advantages.
- The continuous process can produce lengths of up to 60 feet;
- Consistent cross-section results in the production of complex shapes;
- High production volumes;
- Low cost per pound of materials used;
- Good for producing tube-shaped products such as pipes and hoses.
Applications
Silicone Rubber Extrusions is a highly effective manufacturing process employed to create long, continuous silicone components with a constant cross-sectional profile. Utilized in a wide range of industries, this process harnesses the unique properties of silicone rubber, renowned for its flexibility, resilience, temperature resistance, and biocompatibility, among other beneficial attributes.
Silicone Rubber Extrusions are used to manufacture a broad spectrum of products, including seals, gaskets, tubing, cords, profiles, and strips, among others. Thanks to the process’s adaptability, these products can be designed with a variety of cross-sectional profiles and dimensions, from simple round cords to complex custom profiles.
In short: Silicone extrusion molding is widely used in simple silicone objects.
The Comparison Of Silicone Molding Services
Choose the Silicone Molding Service That Best Fits Your Unique Needs. Explore, Select, and Let Us Craft Your Vision Into Reality!
| Compression Molding | Liquid Injection Molding | Overmolding | Dispensing Molding | Extrusion Molding |
|---|
| Material | Solid Silicone Rubber | Liquid Silicone Rubber | Liquid Silicone Rubber | Silicone Rubber, Plastic, Metal | Solid Silicone Rubber |
| Mold | Compression mold | Injection mold | Dripping Injection Dispensing mold | Compression mold and Injection mold | Extrusion Mold |
| Mold Cavities | Single and multi-cavity | Single and multi-cavity | Single and multi-cavity | Single and multi-cavity | Single |
| Mold Life | Around 50000 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Around 50000 |
| Colors | Single color | Single color | Multi-color | Colored or Single Color | Single color |
| Advantages | Minimal lead timeEasy to prototypeWidest range of part sizesDimensional stabilityLow tooling and equipment costs | High production rates and shorter production cycles
Allows for close tolerances in small intricate parts
Requires little post-production work because parts have a finished look upon ejection
Full automation is possible, which leads to reduced production costs | Design: Multi-Material. You can get 2 different materials in one product | Design: Multi-colored. You can get 12 colors in one product without any printing.
Flexibility: Can make the 3D show with the products.
Attraction: More attractive and cute as gifts for kids and Women | Extrusion molding also comes with its own set of advantages.
Continuous process can produce lengths of up to 60 feet;
Consistent cross-section results in the production of complex shapes;
High production volumes;Low cost per pound of materials used;
Good for producing tube-shaped products such as pipes and hoses. |
| Applications | Home&housewares & Appliances Baby & Toys Health & Beauty & Personal Care Stationery & Office ProductsSports & Outdoor & GardenPets SuppliesElectronic & Cell Phones AccessoriesAutomotive & Aerospace Smoking productsPromotional products | Home&housewares & AppliancesBaby & ToysHealth & Beauty & Personal CareStationery & Office ProductsSports & Outdoor & Garden Pets SuppliesElectronic & Cell Phones Accessories Automotive & Aerospace Smoking productsPromotional products Medical products | Home&housewares & AppliancesBaby & Toys Health & Beauty & Personal CareStationery & Office ProductsSports & Outdoor & GardenPets SuppliesElectronic & Cell Phones AccessoriesAutomotive & Aerospace Smoking productsPromotional products Medical products | Home&housewares & AppliancesBaby & ToysHealth & Beauty & Personal CareStationery & Office ProductsSports & Outdoor & GardenPets SuppliesElectronic & Cell Phones AccessoriesSmoking productsPromotional products | Silicone Rubber Extrusions manufacture a broad spectrum of products, including seals, gaskets, tubing, cords, profiles, and strips. Thanks to the process’s adaptability, these products can be designed with various cross-sectional profiles and dimensions, from simple round cords to complex custom profiles.
|
Conclusion
Silicone molding is a vital part of many industries, enabling the creation of products with unique shapes, textures, and functions. Silicone, a versatile and highly adaptable material, is used in various goods, ranging from household products to medical equipment. At Mitour Silicone factory in China, we specialize in producing high-quality, custom-made silicone products, including collapsible silicone water bottles, silicone baby products, toys, kitchen utensils, pacifiers, teethers, spoons, bowls, and bibs.
Mitour Silicone as a global leader in the silicone industry, Our commitment to quality and innovation is evident in every product we craft, each of which employs one of five primary silicone molding methods. Understanding these methods is integral to appreciating the craftsmanship that goes into our products and valuable for anyone interested in the silicone molding process.
Each silicone molding method we employ has its advantages and specific applications, allowing us to create a broad range of products that meet our customers’ varied needs. These methods include Compression Molding, LSR Injection Molding, overmolding, Dripping Dispensing Molding and Extrusion Molding injection molding. We will delve deeper into each method, providing a comprehensive understanding of their processes and applications, and illustrate how we use them in our factory to deliver products that exceed expectations.