What are the Different Types of Silicone Molding?

During the production of silicone, molding is mostly employed. Silicone is a synthetic material that may be molded using a variety of molding techniques. Each procedure necessitates working with molten silicone and letting it cool before setting it. Then, if required, thermosilicone may be melted down and reshaped, while thermoset silicone cannot be heated up again.

What Is Silicone Molding?

Pouring liquid silicone into a certain container or mould causes it to solidify in the desired form. This technique is known as silicone moulding. Then, a variety of uses for these silicone molds are possible. The most successful and well-liked varieties of silicone moulding are thought to be five.

4 Types of Molding Processes

What sort of molding you want will depend on the requirements for the particular part, component, project, or idea. The names of silicone, rubber, and plastic molding often correspond to the type of production technique used to make them.

There are various widely used methods, including：

1.Extrusion Moulding

With extrusion molding, a long formed silicone item is produced by pressing hot, molten silicone through a shaped hole. A die is the adaptable form that the liquid silicone is forced through. This die was specifically created to provide the intended result. Making shaped cookies nearly feels like running dough through a press.

Extrusion is used in all other types of silicone molding to force raw liquid into molds, however in this case, rather of using molds to create the desired shape, the extrusion uses the shape of the die to create the required shape.

2.Compression Moulding

This technique entails pouring raw liquid silicone into a heated mold, which is then crushed to create the required shape. Good strength in the finished product is ensured by the high temperature of the whole process. The liquid silicone is cooled to preserve its shape before being cut and taken from the mold to complete the procedure.

3.Transfer Molding

Transfer molding involves loading the material into a chamber before forcing it into the mold. The chamber might be in the mold itself or in the molding machine.

Silicone may also be transferred, albeit the procedure varies significantly depending on the substance. Although tooling geometries are a little more complicated than for compression molding, they are still less expensive than for injection molding.

4.Injection molding

Both thermoplastic and thermoset materials can be employed in the injection molding process. Molten polymer materials are injected into closed molds using injection molding equipment at high pressures and speeds. Despite the higher initial cost of making these molds, a high production rate of final components may be achieved through the method.

Silicone Rubber Vs. Thermoplastics Vs. TPEs

Comparison With	Silicone Rubber Benefits
Latex	Lot-to-lot consistent due to controlled synthetic process, vs. organic lot-to-lot variations Superior bio-compatibility Higher clarity Better electrical insulation properties Stability over a broader temperature range
Polyurethane & Vinyl	Plasticizer- & toxin-free Superior bio-compatibility Broader temperature stability Lower compression set Better clarity Greater softness
Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE)	Superior bio-compatibility Superior chemical resistance Lower durometer Lower compression set

What is the difference between silicone and medical grade silicone?

The curing procedure employed is the primary distinction between silicone that isn't medical grade and silicone that is. The peroxide cure system, also known as a free radical cure system or a high temperature vulcanizing (HTV) system, is used by traditional silicone.