Silicone rubber is ideally suited for the production of a wide variety of molded parts. Due to its production and processing, silicone rubber can be used to produce complicated shaped workpieces precisely and inexpensively.
The resulting parts are robust, highly resistant to chemicals and mechanical stresses, and can be used in a wide range of applications. Sealing and fixing elements are made of silicone rubber, as are industrial prototypes and precision molded parts.
Due to its non-toxicity, silicone rubber is also an extremely popular material in the food and kitchen sectors.
Molded parts made of silicone can in principle be manufactured from two different types of silicone, both of which are hot-vulcanizing:
Liquid silicones do not crosslink by themselves. Rather, they require a second component for this purpose, the catalyst. Both components, the crosslinker and the catalyst, are supplied in separate containers and are only brought together during production. Liquid silicone is always used when small, filigree workpieces with many cavities have to be
within a short time. Processes that handle liquid silicone can also be automated quite easily.
HTV silicones are self-crosslinking silicones supplied in one component as bales or blocks for further processing. Even in hot molds, HTV silicone rubbers cure very quickly. HTV silicones always show their advantages when the focus is on workpieces with a low number of cavities, good material configurability and low costs.
Silicone rubber is used when the performance spectrum of conventional elastomers has been exhausted. Molded parts made of silicone are food-safe, exhibit very good recovery behavior, are extremely resistant to weathering and temperature, and can also be easily sterilized.
Silicone rubber is neutral in taste and odor. It is also completely non-toxic. Easy-to-clean silicone cake pans and baking pans are now an indispensable part of any household. High heat resistance makes silicone the material of choice for teats and bottle teats that need to be regularly sterilized with superheated steam at short intervals.
Silicone rubber has an electrically insulating effect in both the low and high voltage ranges. Even low layer thicknesses provide dielectric breakdown protection up to several hundred volts. The electrical-mechanical properties remain constant over a very high temperature range.
Silicones offer constant properties within a very wide temperature range. They remain flexible down to temperatures below -50 °C and are heat resistant up to about 180 °C. This guarantees a wide range of applications. This guarantees a wide range of applications for silicone rubber parts in a variety of industries.
Like most elastomers, silicones can be processed in a variety of ways. These include:
Both liquid silicone and HTV can be processed by injection molding. For this purpose, the raw material (in the case of liquid silicone also the catalyst) is heated and extruded from a nozzle. Almost all shapes can be realized with this process.
Vacuum casting is particularly suitable for the production of prototypes or small series, as the costs incurred are quite low. In addition, the casting result can be held in the hands quickly. A workpiece produced by vacuum casting has no air inclusions.
Compression molding is a process used primarily in the automotive industry. It can be used to produce two-dimensional or simple three-dimensional molded parts.
Transfer molding, or compression molding, is a process that is particularly suitable for small and medium production runs of up to around 10,000 units per year. Since it is a closed process, there are hardly any emissions at the workplace.
Due to its properties, molded parts made of silicone are used in a very wide range of applications. From mechanical engineering to household appliance technology to hospital equipment, no branch of industry can do without molded parts made of silicone rubber.
Its high temperature resistance and ease of disinfection make silicone rubber a suitable material in medical technology. Common molded parts are, for example, respiratory masks used in intensive care medicine or neonatology.
Due to its great weather resistance and ozone resistance, silicone is virtually predestined for use in automotive construction.
Even thin layers of silicone rubber have an insulating effect against electric current. Molded parts made of silicone are therefore indispensable in both electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Molded parts made of silicone are low-wear and maintenance-free.
Silicone molded parts are food-safe and easy to clean. Silicone parts are used wherever health and hygiene are paramount.
Low costs, high availability of raw materials and fast production processes make silicone a popular material for industrial prototypes. Any defects that may occur in the molded part can be easily rectified before series production begins.
Silicone molded parts are manufactured not only individually, but also in large series. The most common silicone molded parts are:
Silicone rubber is usually a transparent to slightly cloudy plastic. With the help of color pigments, however, silicone molds can be colored easily and inexpensively. The required pigments, which are available in almost any shade, are simply added during production. The mechanical and physical properties of the elastomer are not changed by the coloring.
Examples and references for customized silicone parts can be found here for free download. Should you require further information, we will be happy to compile extensive information material for you on request. Currently, our reference list includes over 1,000 items for more than 200 customers.
As Managing Director of Sattler GmbH, it is a constant concern of mine to meet our customers not only as a trading partner, but also as a competent procurement service provider for applications in the plastics and rubber sector. I am an engineer by heart and most passionate when I can solve detailed technical issues to create sophisticated, customized solutions.
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