Silicone rubber is a material that’s often overlooked but incredibly useful for various industries and applications. From the aerospace to the medical industry, silicone rubber can improve how products are made from mockup to prototype. This article will discuss the benefits of rapid silicone molding and how it can improve your life.

What is Silicone Rubber?

Silicone rubber is an elastomer made up of a polymer of silicone, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. It’s a very tough material that can withstand extreme temperatures and pressure. It’s also non-reactive, stable, and can resist extreme conditions. For example, most plastics would melt at temperatures of +250°C, but silicone rubber will retain flexibility at temperatures as low as -70°C.

What is Silicone Molding?

Molding takes raw ingredients in a malleable form and forces them into the final shape in a container. After a set waiting time, pressure and heat are applied to create a chemical reaction that elicits physical properties. For example, raw silicone is separated into two parts; a catalyst is mixed and placed into a metallic mold. After a set waiting time, pressure and heat are applied to create a solid form of the product.

Uses of Silicone Rubber

Due to its excellent physical and chemical properties, silicone rubber is a material of choice for many different industries and applications. They include the aerospace, medical, defense, construction, and restoration industries and the production of plugs, silicone O-rings, and sealing gaskets. Silicone rubber is also a popular choice for mold-making because of its ability to reproduce minute details.

What Are the Benefits?

Silicone rubber provides several benefits, such as good electrical insulation, excellent sealing ability, a good service life, cheap and fast manufacturing, and the ability to be molded in different shapes. In addition, silicone rubber is extremely durable and strong, with some silicone rubber products able to withstand heat upwards of 350°C (662° F) for short periods.

What Is a Prototype Mold?

Prototype molds or rapid injection tooling is based on the same principles as series injection molds. Prototyping mold takes between 2 and 4 weeks and is 40 to 60% less expensive than a traditional mold. The mold's cost and design time will be contingent on the shape complexity of the part to be molded.

New and improved invention prototypes complete prototype services. Plastic injection molding is another technique involving prototypes. This process involves producing prototypes and small plastic parts using an aluminum prototype mold (rapid tooling). The results are like series molds.

The Next Steps

Now that you’re more familiar with silicone molding, what are the next steps? Ensuring the end user is happy with the process helps to communicate well with suppliers. For more information about silicone molding, please contact us. We’re happy to help you secure the best solution for your needs.