Industrial and Special Applications
Gas water heaters, furnaces, smoke & carbon dioxide detectors and other safety-related products must perform reliably and consistently to ensure safety. These products operate in homes and buildings where temperatures can range from extreme cold to extreme heat, and are subjected to other harsh environmental conditions as well.
Thankfully, Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) offers high thermal stability and UV resistance, and long-term, non-aging mechanical properties required for these types of applications.
Liquid Silicone Rubber Parts for Special Applications
LSR seals, gaskets, diaphragms, and thin membranes are called upon to detect the slightest change in pressure or flow, regulators and valves must accurately control the flow of gas, and sealed housings must protect technology from the elements.
The properties and characteristics of LSR coupled with the precision and high output offered by a fully automated injection molding process is ideal for tight tolerances. Whether the part has simple, complex, or unique geometries LSR and the injection molding process can meet these challenges.
For specific information regarding material and application alternatives, we recommend visiting our technical information page or contact us directly.
Low Pressure Sensing Switch Membranes
With its superior flexibility, LSR allows for elongation without permanent deformation. One-way valves, dual valves, and exit nozzles are generally designed to open when a certain amount of pressure is applied, and revert to their original sealed position when the pressure is removed. LSR is an ideal material for these applications.
LSR allows manufacturing extremely thin membranes down to thicknesses of 0.15 mm for applications such as pressure switches for gas-forced air furnaces. Even minimal errors in thickness distributions throughout the part or distortions during assembly can lead to incorrect gauge readings. Minimizing assembly steps and errors is critical for high precision gauges where the membrane tension directly controls gauge behavior. Even minimal errors in thickness distributions throughout the part or distortions during assembly can lead to incorrect gauge readings.
With multi-material component molding, precise tolerances and uniform thicknesses throughout the part are possible, thereby eliminating related assembly errors.
Customized Seals and Gaskets
In most industrial applications, parts are subjected to harsh environmental conditions where the long-lasting performance of the product may depend on its seal or gasket.
Whether the function of the seal is to provide water resistance, alignment, dampening, or to withstand high pressures LSR will excel in maintaining the lasting requirements needed for your equipment or parts.
With our fully automated injection molding processes, improved quality and tight tolerances are achieved, especially when compared to other molding processes using HCRs or other materials. Depending on the design of the part, our LSR overmolding or LSR 2-Shot (LSR/Thermoplastic) injection molding technology can provide the precision and quality required in addition to reducing assembly costs.
Sealed Housings
For complicated assemblies that require precise placement of a seal, gasket, or delicate rubber component or when part performance is critical and errors in assembly cannot be tolerated, SIMTEC’s LSR multi-shot molding or LSR overmolding solutions can provide a cost-effective option that eliminates assembly challenges and errors, reduces assembly costs and improves part performance.
In LSR multi-shot or LSR overmolding, LSR is chemically and mechanically bonded onto the hermoplastic without the need for primers. When overmolding LSR to metals, a direct bonding using an adhesive grade LSR and/or part design features for a mechanical bond also creates a strong, lasting bond.
Is Silicone Rubber Right for Your Application?
Silicone rubber is a highly dynamic material. Its durable characteristics and extreme versatility make it the ideal choice for a wide range of applications beyond those described on this page. If your application requires a material that can deliver superior resistance to extreme temperatures, high dielectric strength, and strong overall mechanical properties, silicone rubber is the right choice. For more information, keep browsing our website to check out other Markets pages, or contact one of our experts at SIMTEC to discuss your specific requirements.
Working With SIMTEC
SIMTEC is a leading manufacturer of custom liquid silicone parts. Offering unmatched expertise and production capabilities for your long-term programs requiring high volume production. We partner with demanding, forward-thinking customers in many industries, including the leading manufacturers of medical devices, healthcare products, automotive suppliers, consumer products, industrial and safety products, and more.
With one of the lowest defect rates in the industry, and a proactive approach to quality management that’s been certified to ISO 9001, ISO 13485, and IATF 16949 standards, there’s no better partner for any LSR manufacturing project than SIMTEC.
We’d be happy to discuss your specific requirements and explain in detail how we can help with your product needs. — call or email our office to speak with us today.
Contact SIMTEC To Discuss Your Project Today
With design flexibility, advanced technology and exceptional quality, there’s no better partner to manufacture your high volume Liquid Silicone components than SIMTEC. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.