What are the steps in the injection molding process of liquid silicone rubber?

Injection molded silicone, also known as injection rubber, injection silicone, LSR silicone, AB silicone, etc., is a two-component, highly transparent, and tear resistant liquid silicone rubber. The operating process is the injection molding machine that injects various silicone products, hence it is called injection molding silicone.

The following are the main steps involved in the injection molding process of liquid silicone rubber:

1. The uncured liquid silicone starts from two containers, Compound A and Compound B, which are connected to the pump system. Barrel A contains the material that forms the alkali, while barrel B contains the catalyst. The metering unit will automatically release two substances and any pigmentation additives at a constant one-to-one ratio.

2. The molding machine can program and customize the automatic injection molding machine, and set the injection settings to provide the appropriate injection volume for each operation. Align the pressure plate and piston and close the mold, and set the temperature, pressure, injection rate, and cycle time according to customer requirements.

After setting up, the molding machine heats the mold to a suitable temperature and applies appropriate clamping force. The injection device, pump, and supply of the mold and machine are coordinated and closed. Then, the injection mechanism pushes the material into the mold and cavity.

The combination of heat and pressure applied to liquid silicone rubber will cure the material until it solidifies. After the cycle is completed, the mold opens and the parts and burrs can be automatically or removed by workers. Then, the mold is closed and the process is repeated.

5. After removing the product from the mold, the molding process may include removing burrs, post curing, inspection, and packaging.

6. Hair removal refers to the removal of burrs, protrusions, and uneven parts on the surface of a product to improve its appearance and quality.

7. Post curing refers to the process of placing the product into an oven or heating it through other means after injection molding to ensure complete solidification and achieve the required physical and chemical properties.

8. Inspection refers to the quality inspection of finished products, including appearance inspection, dimensional measurement, hardness testing, etc., to ensure that the product meets the requirements.

9. Packaging is the classification, packaging, and labeling of products for easy storage, transportation, and sales.

In summary, the steps of liquid silicone rubber injection molding silicone process include: preparing silicone material and catalyst, setting injection machine parameters, injecting silicone into the mold, applying heat and pressure to cure the material, opening the mold to remove the product, performing processes such as edge removal, post curing, inspection, and packaging.