The production process of silicone products is a complex process involving multiple steps, including the following key stages:
- Raw material preparation: The first step is to prepare the raw materials for silicone rubber, including silicone rubber, silicone rubber additives, fillers, etc. These raw materials need to be screened, weighed, and mixed through various processing steps to ensure accurate quality and proportion.
- Processing and mixing: The raw materials are sent into a mixing machine for processing and mixing. The mixing machine uses mechanical shearing force and heat to fully mix the silicone rubber raw materials, making them soft. During the mixing process, a curing agent is also added to improve the durability and elasticity of the silicone rubber products.
- Forming: The mixed silicone rubber is placed in a special forming machine for forming. The forming machine uses pressing, injection molding, compression molding, etc. to form the products according to their shape and size. During the forming process, the temperature, pressure, and time parameters need to be controlled to ensure the quality and performance of the products.
- Curing: After the silicone rubber products are formed, they need to be cured to achieve good mechanical properties and heat resistance. Curing can be done through hot curing and cold curing. Hot curing is achieved by heating the silicone rubber products, which causes the curing agent to undergo a chemical reaction, making the rubber molecules cross-link, thus forming the final properties of the silicone rubber products.
- Surface treatment: After the silicone rubber products are cured, they may need surface treatment to improve their appearance and mechanical properties. Common surface treatment methods include rubber coating, spraying, and gluing. These treatments can improve the weather resistance, waterproofing, and aging resistance of the silicone rubber products.
- Inspection and packaging: Finally, after strict quality inspection to ensure that the silicone rubber products meet relevant standards and requirements. Inspection items include appearance, size, hardness, tensile strength, etc. The qualified products are packaged and ready for shipment.
There are many kinds of molding processes for silicone products, including die molding, injection (injection) molding, extrusion molding, calendering molding, perfusion or pouring mold molding. Each process has its own unique advantages and scope of application, and the choice of process depends on the specific needs of the product, production conditions, and cost considerations.