Good News! We brought in another high-precision 250Ton silicone compression molding machine on Nov 23. We will be able to produce 300,000pcs more products each month with this new equipment. Increasing the production capacity will allow us to better fill our customer orders, especially for these seasonal large orders.
What is compression molding? how compression molding works?
Compression molding is a way of molding production for solid silicone. Compression molding is a traditional technique that utilizes custom machined tool molds to form products from uncured silicone.
The tool mold will be fixed on the compression molding machine and then heated for about half an hour to reach the temperature set(normally 170~220℃). Then, the compounded silicone material will be placed in the heated mold cavity for formation. Compression molding employs the use of both heat and high pressures. The tool mold will be closed by the hydraulic ram. Due to both heat and pressure, the silicone will be melt and forced into contact with every space between the mold plates until it is completely filled.
Heat and pressure are maintained until the molding material has completely cured. Curing and cross-linking will take place in this step, providing the final silicone product with the mechanical properties needed. The mold will be opened to release the molded silicone parts then. This is the process of compression molding, it is also known as “vulcanization”, the compression molding machine can also be known as vulcanizing machine.
In compression molding, there are 4 key points we must keep in mind. The compression molding process will fail if the silicone is not heated enough or overheated.
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The silicone material must be weighted at the proper amount
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The silicone material must be heated at the proper temperature
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The silicone material must be forced at the proper pressure
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The heat and pressure must be maintained with a proper time control
Compression molding can be an effective and efficient manufacturing solution for many silicone projects. It is especially great for producing large and thick silicone parts. It is a low-cost molding method compared with other methods such as injection molding for a lower tooling cost. And it is capable of high-volume production.
