In the previous articles, we have respectively introduced the processes of rubber compounding, molding, grinding, spraying oil, and laser engraving. But many customers will ask: How are these processes connected? What are the steps that a product goes through from raw materials to shipment?
Today, I will take you through the complete production process of Hongxianda, and see the entire process of a silicone product from raw materials to finished product.
The first step: Raw material preparation and rubber compounding
The first step of production begins in the raw material warehouse.
Silicone raw materials arrive in the factory in block or barrel form. Before production, the rubber compounding master weighs the silicone raw materials, vulcanizing agent, color gel, and various additives according to the production plan for the day.
The prepared raw materials enter the compounding stage. On the compounding machine, the raw materials are repeatedly squeezed, turned, and flattened to allow all additives to be evenly dispersed in the rubber. If the product has color requirements, the color gel is also added at this step - the bright-colored silicone products get their colors "mixed" from here.
The second step: Cutting and weighing
The compounded rubber is a single piece and cannot be directly placed in the mold. It needs to be cut into shapes that fit the mold cavity size and weight.
Cutting is not just a random cut - each piece of rubber has a weight requirement. If the material is too heavy, the product will have burrs and waste materials; if it is too light, the product may be lacking in material and not full.
The cutting master at Hongxianda judges the extensibility and fluidity of the rubber by experience to ensure that each piece is neither too much nor too little, just right.
The third step: Molding and vulcanization
The cut rubber enters the molding workshop - this is the core part of the production line.
The master places the cut rubber accurately into the mold cavity. The vacuum oil press machine applies pressure at 160-180℃ in a high temperature environment, causing the rubber to flow, fill, and vulcanize in the mold, transforming from the plastic "raw rubber" to the elastic "silicone product".
The vulcanization time varies from several seconds to several minutes, depending on the size, thickness, and material properties of the product. Hongxianda has 15 vacuum oil press machines, 8 flat vulcanization machines, and 2 sets of liquid silicone injection machines, which can produce multiple products simultaneously.
When the product is taken out of the mold, there will be a layer of burrs on the surface (peeling peaks), which is a normal phenomenon in silicone molding. At this point, the product is not yet a finished product, but a semi-finished product.
The fourth step: Secondary vulcanization (post-vulcanization)
After the product is taken out of the mold, it needs to undergo secondary vulcanization.
Secondary vulcanization is to put the product in an oven and "bake" it at 150-200℃ for 1-2 hours. The purpose of this process is threefold:
First, to make the vulcanization more complete and the product performance more stable; second, to remove residual odors and make the product cleaner; third, to improve the resilience and make the product more durable.
After secondary vulcanization, the silicone product has truly "set" its performance.
The fifth step: Post-processing (grinding, spraying oil, laser engraving, silk printing, etc.)
After secondary vulcanization, the product enters the post-processing stage. What this step does depends entirely on the product requirements:
Grinding: Use sandpaper or grinding wheels to remove the mold lines and burrs, making the surface smooth and flat. This is especially important for products that come into contact with the skin - there should be no burrs.
Spray hand oil: Spray a layer of functional coating on the surface to make the product feel smooth and fine, dust-proof, and anti-static. Many electronic accessories and wearable products will undergo this process.
Laser engraving: Use laser to engrave characters or patterns on the button surface, which will never wear out and have uniform light transmission. Remote controls, car keys, and medical device buttons are basically made with this process.
Silk printing/transfer printing: Print patterns or text on the surface of the product. Compared to laser engraving, silk printing is more suitable for large areas and non-transparent patterns.
At Hongxianda, all the post-processing procedures are completed within the factory, without outsourcing or subcontracting. The benefits are obvious: controllable quality, guaranteed delivery time, and high communication efficiency.
Step 6: Quality Inspection
After the post-processing is completed, the products enter the quality inspection stage.
Before each batch of products is shipped, they all undergo a full inspection - not a random inspection, but a piece-by-piece check. The quality inspectors will check:
Appearance: Are there any dirt, scratches, bubbles, or missing materials?
Color: Is the color difference within the allowable range?
Size: Are the key dimensions up to standard?
Feel: Is the hardness and surface effect in line with the requirements?
Function: Testing of key functions such as button rebound, sealing performance, etc.
Hongxianda has established a complete quality traceability system. Each batch of products has production and testing records, and if there is a problem, it can be traced to the specific process and operator.
Step 7: Packaging and Shipping
Qualified products enter the packaging workshop.
Packaging is not a simple process of bagging and sealing. Different customers have different requirements:
Cleanliness requirements: Some electronic products require dust-free packaging
Packaging methods: Independent packaging, batch packaging, vacuum packaging, etc.
Supporting materials: Labels, instructions, certificates of conformity, etc.
After packaging is completed, the products enter the finished goods warehouse and await shipment. From rubber compounding to storage, the entire process can be completed within the same day. The specific cycle depends on the complexity of the product and the order quantity.
The "one-stop" advantage of Hongxianda
All the processes - rubber compounding, cutting, molding, secondary vulcanization, grinding, spraying, laser engraving, silk-screen printing, quality inspection, packaging - are all completed in Hongxianda's factory.
A standardized factory building of 2,500 square meters, from raw materials to finished products, all processes are under the same roof.
What does this mean?
Quality is guaranteed: Each step is under your own supervision, without relying on external cooperation
Delivery time is guaranteed: No need to wait for others, you control the rhythm yourself
Communication is efficient: Any problem is resolved on the spot, without the need to pass on information back and forth