If you start digging into the history of LSR injection molding, you can find early developments in 1944. As time continued, the medical industry experienced an increasing demand for silicone products. A company named Dow Corning created liquid silicone needles for medical purposes, although they were later adopted for cosmetic endeavors. We used special needles for facial injections and artificial skin applications. The material's sterile properties decreased the infection rates to zero. Since then, LSR injection molding has found its way to other industries.

So What exactly is liquid silicone rubber(LSR)?

Liquid silicone rubber(LSR) is a transparent plastic resin with liquid textures. It's the most basic, non-toxic, and waterproof material invented by man. Its fluidity and malleable properties grant it a lot of uses that can't be achieved by HCR silicone. Liquid silicone rubber is the best option for more precise builds. This material's high transparency texture is excellent for developing transparent devices and parts that need a see-through feature, especially in the medical field. There are a lot of developments related to LSR injection molding, but the most highlighted properties are the lack of burrs in the manufacturing process. There's also near to no waste, making the material highly eco-friendly with sustained durability due to its consistency.

How do we get LSR for injection molding?

The liquid form of LSR requires a processing procedure similar to plastic injection. Raw materials packed in barrels are set up in a feeding nozzle, then they go to a static mixer for AB material mixing. After that, the material can be injected into the tooling cavity. The tooling proceeds to be heated to the desired temperature depending on the product you're making, and then a second nozzle is used to purr the mix inside a mold to get what you need. The resulting products should have the following features:

High transparency

The simple processing process of LSR without any curing agents or the need to add other adjuvants gives you clear quality liquid silicone. This is the purest silicon form, mainly used for clear packing. In this state, the material can block the tiniest specks of dust and dirt, but UV lights can damage it with time.

Automatic handling

As you probably know, handling LSR injection molding calls for an automated process for more efficient developments. You can control the pouring using special machinery programmed with silicone intake for the mold and get as many parts as you need. The fewer hands in the manufacturing process, the less chance for mistakes.

Product accuracy

The fluidity of LSR injection molding makes it the most malleable material you can use with any mold. No crevice or corner is left uncovered. This increases the chances of getting complex tooled molds made and adding new surface layers to something that needs to go over the primary call. It would help if you did not forget to program the nozzle pour properly since this determines the durability of the finished piece you're getting from the mold.