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Silicone Molding- Ultimate FAQs Guide

Silicone molding is a simple method of molding that will yield accurate results with zero wastage. As one of the top custom silicone mold-making manufacturers in China, meeting the needs of our clients is our first priority since establishing the company.

This is why we have compiled this ultimate FAQ that answers every question a potential client may have! Take a look at the list below and find the answers you are looking for:

1. What is Silicone Molding?
2. What Are The Types of Silicone Moldings?
3. What Are the Benefits of Silicone Molding?
4. Which Silicone Molding Method Should You Choose For Your Project?
5. What Is Liquid Silicone Rubber(LSR) Injection Molding?
6. What Is Silicone Compression Molding?
7. What Is Silicone Overmolding?
8. What is the Difference Between LIM Silicone Molding and Compression Molding?
9. How Much Does Silicone Injection Molding Cost?
10. What’s The Quality Standard of Silicone Mold?
11. What Are The Different Steps Involved In The Silicone Molding Process?
12. What Are The Different Steps Involved in The Liquid Silicone Rubber Injection Molding Process?
13. Can Silicone Molding Be Used for Medical Products?
14. What Factors Should You Consider Before Choosing A Silicone Molding Company?
15. Is 3D Printing Better Than Silicone Molding?
16. Why is Silicone Injection Molding So Expensive?

What Is Silicone Molding?

Silicone molding is a process that involves silicone rubber being molded into different shapes and sizes.

The molds would depend on the industry such as kitchenware, babycare, keypads, buttons, medical parts, and more.

For example, you may require a silicone mold to make pet products like chew toys.

Silicone molds are better because they are durable, safe to use and carry no harmful chemicals.

What Are The Types Of Silicone Moldings?

There are three methods of silicone molding to choose from.

Silicone compression molding, liquid silicone rubber (LSR) injection molding, and lastly, silicone overmolding.

All three of these methods are unique and there are many factors that you have to look into when choosing one.

What Are The Benefits Of Silicone Molding?

There are many benefits of choosing silicone molds over other types of moldings. Below is a couple of them:

1. Silicone molds are flexible so if you were to bend them, they would spring back in their previous shape.
2. They are unbreakable and safe from damage compared to molds made from glass, or metal.
3. They are stable temperature-wise and can be used across temperatures ranging from -76 F to +446 °F (-60 to +230 °C).
4. The silicone molds are tested in accordance with the Foods Standards Agency.

Which Silicone Molding Method Should You Choose For Your Project?

Which silicone molding method to choose from depends on 5 criteria regarding your project.

Speed, cost, the approximation to the final design, material properties, and dimensions are key aspects when choosing a method for silicone molding.

Compression molding is suited for mass productions of rubber parts and products.

LSR injection molding is suitable for products that require low compressions as LSR can resist permanent distortion under continuous strain.

You can go for silicone overmolding when you need to mold silicone over, under, or through a substrate material to complete the last part.

What Is Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) Injection Molding?

LSR injection molding is a thermoset process that chills the material delivery system, at the same time heating the mold tool to cure silicon materials into parts.

This method is used when you need to produce flexible, indestructible parts in a large amount.

It also has a shorter cure time when compared to compression molding.

This method allows for the molding of complicated geometrics and over-molding.

What Is Silicone Compression Molding

Compression molding is a process where you place unaltered LSR material into space in each half of a mold.

Afterward, the mold is assembled, placed in a heated compression molding press, and cycled.

This process alters the silicone and a part is formed.

This method yields fast returns on prototypes and is also less costly upfront.

What Is Silicone Over Molding?

Silicone overmolding is a process that involves covering, bonding, or encasing an existing part with silicone material.

For example, this process may be used to provide a grip surface for a plastic handle, or encasing an electronic assembly for mounting.

Over mold, bonds become stronger as time passes.

The silicone used in over-molding processes will be impact-free, vibration damping as well as environmentally resistant.

What Is The Difference Between LIM Silicone Molding and Compression Molding?

Injection molding is the same as compression molding since both processes involve the use of heat and pressure.

However, injection molding moves the material through a screw and hopper while compression molding does not.

Both of these molding methods offer unique advantages for manufacturing companies.

For example, compression molding is low-cost that is perfect for large manufacturing applications.

Whereas, injection molding allows for fast and efficient production of uniform objects. They also require minimum labor.

How Much Does Silicone Injection Molding Cost?

Tooling costs depend on the size and part detail.

For example,  a mold for a seal that is 4″ x 6″ with a .062″ diameter O-ring cross-section may cost around $1500 for a single cavity while $2000 dollars for a double cavity silicone injection mold.

However, a mold that has a complicated gasket with undercuts coupled with a complicated geometry may cost as much as $6000 to $7500 single cavity mold.

What’s the Quality Standard of Silicone Mold?

Currently, there are two types of silicone mold making products.

The first, Polycondensation or Tin Cure and second, the Polyaddition or Platinum Cure.

Polyaddition silicone is the more expensive one because it can withstand more pressure and does not shrink to a great degree.

However, it is vulnerable to obstruction from a wide number of materials and requires certain care to produce a good cure.

On the other hand, Polycondensation silicone is less expensive and does not require precise caring for a good cure, and is not vulnerable to obstructions.

What Are The Different Steps Involved in The Silicone Compression Molding Process?

Below are the steps involved in the silicone compression molding process:

1.Before silicone is vulcanized, it is the same as play-doh, and the color is added to the silicone to match your needs.

2. Silicone is then calculated to match each mold part. After that, it is weighted and cut into slugs.
3. These pieces are placed in the tooling cavity to ensure that each cavity fills completely.

If it is a simple design, it will only need a two-plate mold that has a cavity side and a core side.

4. Material is then loaded into the mold.
5. The mold plates are then assembled and placed inside a compression molding press.
6. The press is then clamped to a chosen pressure so it produces high-quality parts.
7. Heat and pressure are applied for a certain amount of time so the silicone can spread throughout the mold cavity and cure.
8. Pressure is released from the press which allows it to open and the compression mold is removed.
9. The plates are then separated with the help of a hand tool and the finished silicone product is removed!

What Are The Different Steps Involved in The Liquid Silicone Rubber Injection Molding Process?

Below is the process involved in the liquid silicone rubber injection molding process:

Liquid silicone is usually provided in either 5 gallon pails or 55 gallon drums and has two parts. Part A and Part B. Colors come in the form of dispersions and are usually 1-3% in weight of mixed silicones.

1. The static mixer will have one Part A silicone and one Part B silicone pumped in it through the dousing unit.

Color will be pushed in the static mixer through another hose.

2. These combined components will then be pushed into the opening of the injection molding barrel via a shut-off valve.
3. A shot of cool mixed silicone will be injected into the mold once the components are inside the barrel as the nozzle seals tightly against the mold.
4. Then the nozzle shut-off valve will open to inject a certain amount of cool liquid silicone into a hot clamped mold.
5. The nozzle shut-off valve will open and the barrel will reverse from the mold. Meanwhile, the screw will start to build another chosen shot of liquid silicone.
6. When the silicone gets vulcanized in the heated mold, the clamp will open allowing the parts to be manually removed or be automatically ejected.

Can Silicone Molding Be Used for Medical Products?

Yes, silicone can be used for medical products such as masks, heart pumps, and more.

Silicone materials have been commercially used in medicine soon after they became available.

Silicone works well in the medical field due to its biocompatibility, and bio-durability nature, and chemical and thermal stability.

Room Temperature Vulcanization silicone’s mold ability also allows for the easy production of elastomeric customized prototypes which is useful when you are at the early stages of design for a product.

What Factors Should You Consider Before Choosing A Silicone Molding Company?

There are many factors you should consider before choosing a silicone molding company if you want top-quality and fast services.

An established silicone manufacturer will have more than a decade of experience backing them up. Experience helps in producing high-quality silicone products.

Look for a company that has excellent communication skills because communication is a key part of the manufacturing process.

Choose a company that is easy to get in touch with and is always available to make the production run smoothly.

A silicone manufacturing company that has a skilled team as well as having the expertise to make complex silicone parts and components that others can’t do is an added bonus.

Is 3D Printing Better Than Silicone Molding?

3D printing and silicone molding both have advantages and disadvantages and we will take a look at them below.

An advantage of 3D printing is that it is essentially cheaper than silicone molding because in silicone molding, the more complicated the mold is the more expensive it is.

However, if you want high-volume production runs, 3D printing is not the way.

An advantage of silicone molding is that it makes parts faster and with better tolerances compared to 3D printing.

An automatic production process is crucial because it boosts the acceleration of the production process which in turn, decreases the overall costs.

Basically, 3D printing is suitable if you want to perfect a prototype of a product while silicone molding has better performance in application.

Why is Silicone Injection Molding So Expensive?

Silicone molds are subjected to thousands of pounds of pressure in every cycle which is why they need to be made from very strong materials that can go through constant use without distortion.

Another reason that decides the mold cost is the complexity of the part to develop. The more complicated your part is, the more complicated and expensive your mold will be.

Once it is made, the mold will be difficult and even impossible to modify which will render your ability to modify the design.