When it comes to manufacturing products, there are many moulding options available, including glass, plastic, metal, and silicon rubber.
There are actually seven common moulding techniques: blow moulding, compression moulding, extrusion moulding, injection moulding, cold runner injection moulding, rotational moulding and transfer moulding.
Below are some key pieces of information about silicon rubber moulding.
1. Silicone Rubber Explained
Silicone rubber is an elastomer consisting of silicone, hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. Silicone rubbers are non-reactive, can withstand extreme temperatures and have low toxicity and no obvious odour. Silicone rubber is also good for electrical insulation, has a good lifespan, is relatively cheap and can be moulded into a plethora of different shapes.
2. Silicone Rubber Moulds
Silicone moulds are able to hold their shape under high loads/temperatures. Silicone rubber doesn’t shrink once it has been moulded. The moulds are able to provide excellent reproduction of details, great versatility, strength and ease of use.
If you would like to know more about how your business could benefit from silicon moulding, why not take a look at the website of an expert in the field such as https://www.meadex.co.uk/materials/silicone/#moulding today?
3. How Is Silicone Rubber Moulding Done?
The process of silicone rubber moulding is quite complicated and uses a series of steps that are briefly outlined below:
– Create the master pattern: this can be done in several ways – 3D printing or CNC are the cheapest and most-reliable methods
– Design the mould: this also includes choosing the type of silicon (tin-based or platinum-based)
– Make the mould: there are two different techniques for this: single stage and multi-stage.
All of the above steps have a number of mini-steps within them.
4. Uses for Silicone Rubber
Due to its numerous excellent chemical and physical properties, silicone rubber is a popular choice for several industries, including:
– Aerospace
– Construction and restoration
– Defence
– Medical/pharmaceutical
– Miscellaneous manufacturing
– Electrics (wire and cable jacketing)
5. Expertise Is Required
Silicone rubber moulding is a complicated process and requires considerable expertise due to the complexity of the process and the degree of precision needed. Despite this, there are still many companies that can give you high-quality prototypes. Moulding experts are able to turn complex 3D virtual ideas into prototypes and then into great (and hopefully profitable) products.
