How to Control Size in Custom Silicone Products: A Guide to LSR Molding Accuracy

Introduction

When making custom silicone products, it's important to be precise. In liquid silicone rubber molding, even a small size error can affect how well it fits, how it works, and how safe it is. LSR can't be recycled after it has been moulded, so being accurate helps reduce waste and cost. This guide explains how to improve dimensional control and why it's essential to work with a skilled silicone injection moulding manufacturer.

Why is it important to be precise with the dimensions of custom silicone products?

Functional Performance

Sealing rings, O-rings, and membranes must fit perfectly to prevent air from leaking in or out.

User safety

In healthcare or baby products, such as breast pumps or medical masks,  the consistency of dimensions directly impacts safety and comfort.

Regulatory Compliance

For industries like Medical and Auto cars, adherence to measurement rules  must follow ISO, FDA or IATF rules.

Assembly Fit

Many silicone parts are assembled with plastic or metal parts. If they fit well, they will work efficiently and not be rejected.

Don't waste your money

Custom silicone products, usually refers to the A/B two-component 1:1 high-temperature injection molding out of the product, the product can not be recycled, the production of custom silicone products after the test if found that the size and the design of the deviation, often the product will be bad, silicone injection molding manufacturer producing cost will also rise.

Because the liquid silicone material (LSR stands for Liquid Silicone Rubber. It is a soft, flexible, and safe type of silicone material that starts in liquid injection. After it is injected into a mould and heated, it becomes solid and rubbery.) has very good fluidity, so before the mold processing must do a good job of mold flow channel, precision design, while reference to the material properties to do the flow simulation analysis, to ensure that the liquid silicone products in line with the customer's needs of the process requirements.

Secondly, is the processing of liquid silicone rubber molding must strictly control the choice of materials, as well as processing precision control, to ensure that there is no error in the process, to reduce the liquid silicone product size error.

Your Improvement and adjustment?

In addition, liquid silicone products in the trial molding process if the size deviation, need to analyze and improve and adjust from the following aspects:

1. the rubber material shrinkage, if the size is large, you need to consider whether the shrinkage rate is small; under normal circumstances, this in the mold design before the need for silicone injection molding manufacturer and the guests to determine the material type, in accordance with the shrinkage rate of the material for mold design. But on the contrary, if the size is small, then consider whether the shrinkage rate is large, consider replacing the suitable material or adjusting the size of the mold.
2. the amount of glue injection size, size is large, also need to consider whether the amount of glue injection is too much, the product overflow caused by glue. You can reduce the amount of glue injection test. Size is small, then use the opposite method.
3. the size of the injection pressure, the size is large, it may also be the injection pressure is relatively large, the product is too full, you can reduce the injection pressure. Size is small, increase the injection pressure to test the product.
4. mold temperature, the size is large, increase the mold temperature, so that the shrinkage of the material is appropriately large; size is small, the opposite operation.

Liquid silicone rubber molding and materials, glue amount, pressure, temperature, molds, etc. are related to the above for the size of the slight difference in the liquid silicone products of some auxiliary adjustment direction. The main thing is to strictly control the processing accuracy, skillful process operation, you can take the road less traveled, fast and smooth mass production.