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Rubber is a versatile material with many different uses and is relatively easy to work with when creating custom rubber items. Rubber parts manufacturing typically involves injection molding, pressure molding, or forming with heat. The best option often depends on what the manufacturer is making and the type of rubber they are planning to use.
Injection Molding
Rubber parts manufacturing with injection molding is very efficient and allows the manufacturer to reproduce the same parts many times while maintaining the specs and design of each item. Injection molding uses a two-piece mold that forms a cavity when closed but opens to allow extraction of the finished product.
The mold is heated with hot water or electric heating coils, and once closed, rubber is fed into the mold to fill all the voids inside. The mold is then cooled and opened to remove the part. This process can continue repeatedly throughout the day, forming the same custom rubber parts that meet the design specifications necessary. If the system is working correctly, one injection molding machine can turn out hundreds of pieces that are all nearly identical throughout a single workday.
Injection molding is an excellent way for rubber parts manufacturing companies to produce a large number of parts for their customers, but it is not a great option if you only need a few pieces. Designing and constructing the molds takes a lot of time and can be expensive, so it would not make sense for a customer that only needs a few parts for a one-off project.
Pressure Molding
Like injection molding, rubber can be formed or molded in another way that starts with a block of rubber instead of heated liquid materials. Rubber parts manufacturing companies sometimes use this method because it is less expensive to set up.
A mold similar to the injection molding one is made to form the part, but instead of injecting materials into it, the mold is heated, then a block of rubber is placed in the mold, and high-pressure rams are used to close it, forming the rubber part. The heat makes the rubber pliable, and the pressure molds it into the desired shape.
Once the mold cools, it is opened, and the part is removed. The process can create pieces used in many different industries. Pressure molding may require rubber compounds that are unique because the polymers in the rubber may react differently to heat and pressure.
There are many naturally occurring rubber compounds available, and not every manufacturer uses the same one. Some are more durable than others and others are better suited to the task the final part will need to perform.
Share18 November 2022
