Flex Technologies makes the best silicone tubing and hoses for many industries and applications, including for the automotive, pharmaceutical and medical industries, refrigeration, and so much more. Many of our customers wonder how silicone rubber is made. In today's blog post, we'll take a look at some of the different fabrication methods for silicone. Browse our wide selection of silicone rubber tubing online today!

Extrusion

Extrusion involves using a die to create the desired silicone product. The ingredients of silicone are placed in an extruder as temperature changes and a screw rotates. The material is forced through a heated die that then shapes the product before curing. The silicone product is then washed, cooled, and cleaned at room temperature. Then, the silicone is cut to the final product specifications.

Injection Molding

Injection molding is the most common method for fabricating silicone products. It differs from liquid injection molding by using mold halves that the material is forced through where there's a hot cavity and a plunger. The mold halves shut together, molding the material inside. Injection molding allows for more complex silicone mold creations.

Liquid Injection Molding

Liquid injection molding uses cavities. A nozzle injects the liquid material into the mold cavities that are heated. The cavities close and the silicone material takes the shape of the mold. This is a very high-volume production method, as it's super fast.

Compression Molding

Compression molding uses cavities to form the final shape of the silicone product as well. However, pressure is used to mold the silicone product. This pressure is applied inside the mold and is maintained until the silicone product has cured. Once this process is complete, the silicone part is removed and the process is repeated.

Calendering

Calendering produces long, continuous sheets of the same thickness before the final product is made and molded. In calendering, multiple rollers are used to compress the semi-liquid raw material. This can be a very fast process. Silicone rubber is usually calendered at room temperature.

Transfer Molding

Transfer molding produces silicone rubber by using cavities. The material is forced into the mold cavity by a plunger. This cavity is then heated so that the material can then be molded until it cures and cools on its own and takes the shape of the cavity. Transfer molding is used to create more complex shapes.

The Commonality

All of the above fabrication processes for silicone rubber involve using the same ingredients: silicon, which is composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and silicon. The process involves the extraction of silicon from silica, the compound found in sand, and then passing it through hydrocarbons. From here, the composition of silicone rubber differs, as fillers and additives are added in order to create different qualities of silicone.

PARTNER WITH FLEX TECHNOLOGIES TODAY

Here at Flex Technologies, we only use the highest-quality silicone ingredients for our flexible silicone tubing and hoses. We believe our customers deserve the best, which is why our silicone tubing lasts. Our silicone hoses offer better chemical resistance and are an excellent choice for many industries. We strive to meet our customers' needs, so we offer custom design and manufacturing for your silicone product needs. Flex Technologies is ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949:2016 Certified. This means that we maintain high standards of quality procedures and processes for our silicone products. We offer amazing customer service representatives who can answer all of your questions and handle any concerns you may have. Let us know how we can help. Browse our silicone hoses and tubing online today!