Advantages of Silicone Molding
1. Speed: Depending on the part properties and volume, mold production can be done within a few days.
2. Affordable Cost: It is much less costly than injection molding.
3. Large Part Production: Depending on the type of equipment used, very large parts can be produced with silicone molding.
4. Superior Surface Quality: The vacuum process in silicone molding eliminates air bubbles and allows the material to capture fine details. Surface quality is higher than injection molding.
5. Color Options: Coloring pigments can be added to the resin for various color options.
6. Repeatability: Silicone molds can be used about 20-25 times before they need to be replaced.
Silicone molding production is basically carried out in 3 stages.
1. Master Model Production: First, the master model is produced from the 3D model of the part to be produced. Master model production can be done by hand, CNC or 3D printer. Necessary surface treatments are done for the master model to be ready for the mold and now the master model is ready to be molded.
2. Mold Production: Liquid silicone is poured on the 3D produced master model and the model is molded. After drying, the mold is cut open and the mold is removed.
3. Part Production: The requested material is poured into the silicone mold in a vacuum environment, and part production is started. Post-processing is applied to the parts produced with a silicone mold. Produced parts can be painted in the desired color, pattern work or coating can be done. After quality control applications, the parts are ready for delivery.
The number of parts that can be taken from a silicone mold varies according to the geometry and volume of the part. In some cases, the silicone mold wears out prematurely and the number of parts that can be removed from this mold is reduced. In the silicone molding method, an average of 20-25 pieces can be produced with a mold. You should prefer silicone molding in terms of both time and cost advantage for your low-volume part production needs from 5 to 100.
