Molding Silicone Rubber Manufacturing processes for high volume by mikesanye


									                                      Molding Silicone Rubber
                            Manufacturing processes for high volume and
                         mass production of silicone rubber parts and products

        Silicone rubber is a unique synthetic elastomer that is made from a cross-linked polymer which
is reinforced with silica. Some if characteristics include: stability at both high and low temperatures, no
taste or smell, translucent and hence easy to color, wide hardness range, chemically resistant, weather
resistant, high level of sealing performance, electrical properties and resistant to compression. There
are four main molding methods: liquid injection molding, compression molding, transfer molding and
extruding (or "extrusion" / "extrusion molding") (Dow Corning, 2007).
        Compression molding is a process, in which the pre-loading of the silicone compound is usually
placed straight up into a cavity where the molding process is started. Next, the material is compressed
into the mold and after properly cured, the material is removed, the mold is cleaned and the process is
repeated. In compression molding, a preform is placed on one half of a heated mould. When the mould
is closed and put underpressure in a press, the rubber is forced into all parts of the mould cavity; and
excess rubber flows into a flash groove around the mould cavity. Single cavity molds are loaded by
hand. With some multiple cavity moulds loading boards may provide faster mould loading, which helps
prevent scorching of the preforms. Enough pressure should be applied to obtain sufficiently rapid flow
of rubber in the mould. When molding thick sections or fabric reinforced parts, it may be necessary to
cool the mould before releasing the pressure -to help prevent backrinding, porosity, and delamination.
The following factors must be taking into consideration during compression molding with various
vulcanizing agents: molding time, vulcanizing agents, molding temperature (KDL, 2007).
        In transfer molding, the unvulcanized rubber is placed in a chamber (called a pot), usually
located between the plate (also called the top plate) and the plunger at the top of the mould, and the
assembly is placed in a press. The press applies pressure to a piston-like plug in the open end of the pot,
clamping the halves of the mould together and forcing the rubber to flow through one or more sprues
into the heated mould. In other words, it is squeezed from the pot through small gates (also "sprue
cutters") into the main mold cavity. Transfer molding is particularly useful in producing parts that
require precise positioning. The time and temperature for transfer molding are the same as for
compression molding. Transfer molding combines the advantages of injection molding with the ease of
compression molding. This is the ideal process for forming parts that require exact positioning, bonding
rubber to fragile metal parts - such as wire, mold designs that contain multiple cavities and can trap air
and intricate parts with lower volume requirements (Qualiform, 2007)
        In extrusion molding, silicone rubber is extruded to make tubing, rods, gaskets, seals, wire
insulation, and preforms used in compression molding. With this process, the rubber is continuously
forced through a die that forms it to the desired cross-sectional size and shape. Screw extruders used
with silicone rubber should have the following equipment: a screw designed for silicone rubber; a
feeding roller attached to the screw by a gear or separately driven in the intake zone; an extended
barrel, suited to the length of the screw; a breaker plate with recess to hold screens that will produce
enough pressure in the rubber to ensure removal of trapped air; a spider flange or crosshead for holding
purposes. In this process, silicone rubber moldings are made by forcing it through a shaped orifice by
means of pressure. The rubber is continuously forced through a die that forms it to the desired cross-
sectional size and shape before curing . Silastic silicone rubber should be extruded at room
temperature. In fact, it should not be allowed to reach a temperature above 54°C during extrusion, since
higher temperatures may produce scorching and loss of vulcanizing agent (Dow Corning, 2007).
        LIM, or "liquid injection molding" is the most efficient method used for manufacturing silicone.
This process yields the lowest costs with the highest effectiveness. The LIM process allows the
production of parts with nearly zero waste of the material used. Heated, dual-component silicone in
flowable state is injected or forced straight into the mold cavity. Liquid injection molding is quite
similar to transfer molding, but manufactured material is supplied on without breaks through injection
nozzles. This process typically involves injection molding a thermoplastic material such as PBT or
nylon, followed by co-molding or over molding with an LSR. LSR is vulcanized under heat using three
main parts: an injection molding machine and a metering/mixing system and a specially designed mold
to handle the material, which is cured to about 160°C to 200°C. Most injection molding machines for
LSR use a reciprocating screw injection unit. The two-component LSR material is pumped to the
injection unit using a meter/mix device with a static mixer mounted at the feed throat to aid in mixing
and/or dispersion of additives. The LSR is injected into a mold, which is typically heated by four to six
electric mold heating zones for each mold half. Adequate clamp force must be maintained throughout
the molding cycle, since during the 10 to 100 seconds of curing, LSR will expand in volume by 1% to
2%, which is sufficient to cause flashing (Dow Corning, 2007). Pressure must also be maintained so
that material is not permitted to migrate back through the bushing into the nozzle. Many LSR injection
molding machines have water-cooled or insulated platens to ensure that the high temperature of the
mold is not transferred to other areas of the injection molding machine.
        In order to provide a silicone rubber composition that does not foam or have an unpleasant odor
during its cure, it has been found that the silicone rubber composition must include a
polydorganosiloxane gum, microparticulate silica, bis(ortho-methylbenzoyl)peroxide, and bis(para-
methylbenzoyl)peroxide (Patent Storm, 1999). This has a high cure rate and provides silicone rubber
extrusion moldings that post-cure and are either free of bubbles or contain bubbles to limited extent.
The silicone rubber composition includes: 100 weight parts of a silicone rubber base compound and 0.1
to 10 weight parts of organoperoxides (Patent Storm, 1999).
        In all of these methods, rubber is placed in a mold and subjected to pressure and heat in order to
shape and vulcanize the product. The methods differ from each other in a number of ways such as mold
loading method, time and temperature of molding cycle, etc. The source material is in the form of a
mixture of compounds in the case of injection method and extrusion method. In the compression
method and transfer method, unvulcanized rubber is used. The final product of the extrusion method is
odor free and does not foam.
        Similar molders are used in all of these processes. Preforms are rough pieces of unvulcanized
rubber that are placed in the compression mould, the cylinder of the injection molding machine, or in
the pot of the transfer mould. Strip preforms are especially suited to injection molding. For injection
and transfer molding, preforms can be of any shape that is convenient for feeding the injection cylinder
or transfer pot. Transfer molding offers several advantages over other methods by providing: shorter
production cycle, maintains closer dimensional tolerances than compression molding, provides
uniformity and fast mold setup although non of the processes are better than LIM for avoiding flash
and eliminating the excess waste of material.

Molding silicone rubber - manufacturing processes for high volume and mass production of silicone rubber parts and products

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