Silicone mold good elasticity and replication performance in the rapid mold manufacturing is widely used, is currently more popular in the market rapid mold manufacturing process, due to this process is fast, low cost, a good solution to the enterprise new product development cycle and cost. Manufacturers generally use vacuum to make molds according to customer needs, and make small batches of sample models to allow customers to test the deficiencies, defects, and even drawbacks of the product in terms of structure and function.
Silicone mold making principle: first use 3D printing or CNC processing of the product prototype parts, and then use the mold silicone raw materials to make a silicone mold, and under vacuum using PU, polyurethane resin, epoxy resin, transparent PU, ABS and other materials for casting, so as to reproduce the same as the prototype replica parts. If there is a color requirement, we can add color material to the casting material, and we can also dye or paint the parts later to achieve different colors.
Industry Applications
Silicone rapid prototyping process is widely used in the fields of aerospace, automotive, home appliances, toys and medical equipment. It is suitable for new product development stage, small batch (20-30 pieces) prototype production, specifically for automotive parts R&D, design process to produce small batch plastic parts for performance testing, assembly road test and other trial production work. Air conditioner shell, bumper, air duct, rubber-coated dampers, intake manifold, center console, instrument panel and other common plastic parts in the automobile can be manufactured in small batches rapidly by silicone rapid prototyping process during the trial production.
Features
1, High Efficiency: silicone molds can be made in 24 hours when there is a prototype, and then the replica products can be poured.
2, Simulation Performance: silicone rubber can make silicone molds with complex structure and fine patterns, which can clearly outline the fine patterns on the surface of the products and well reproduce the micro-fine features on the prototype parts.
3, Demolding Performance: As silicone molds have good flexibility and elasticity, for parts with complex structure and deep grooves, the parts can be taken out directly after pouring, without adding extra mold slope, thus simplifying the mold design as much as possible.
4, Reproduction Performance: rtv silicone rubber has excellent simulation and very low shrinkage rate (about one thousandths), basically will not lose the dimensional accuracy of the parts, is an excellent mold material, the use of a silicone mold can quickly make 20-30 pieces of the same product.
5, Diverse Casting Materials: with silicone mold re-mold material can be more selective, can be similar to ABS, polyurethane resin, PP, nylon, rubber, PA, PE, PMMA/PC transparent parts, soft rubber parts (40-90shord D), high temperature resistant parts, fire and other materials.