Liquid Silicone Rubber/ Liquid Injection Molding
Cable Connection now offers liquid injection molding (LIM) using liquid silicone rubber (LSR), augmenting the production of connector overmolds, connector boots, and cable yokes. These components are often used in high and low temperature applications such as medical, aerospace, and automotive and offer a superior choice because liquid silicone rubber remains flexible and elastic even at temperature extremes enabling overmolding with a wider range of materials and greater ranges in thermal performance.
The Cable Connection LIM equipment is fitted with colorization capabilities, making it very simple to adjust pigmentation to suit the customer’s needs.
Benefits of LSR and LIM:
- It is flexible, durable, transparent, and ultraviolet and stain resistant, making it a better choice for markets where aesthetics are key.
- Unlike conventional rubber, LSR can withstand extreme temperatures without changing its properties, enabling high heat autoclave sterilization or use in very cold environments.
- LSR can be molded to varying wall thicknesses, within the same part, enabling ease of manufacturing for complex devices, ideal for intricate designs and close-tolerance parts.
- Tooling designs are simplified as liquid silicone rubber flows readily into very thin cross sections, tight radii and thick or thin features. Tooling surfaces do not have to be highly polished, and draft angles are not required to facilitate removal of the finished component from the tooling, reducing manufacturing costs.
- When the cure cycle is complete, the molded silicone assembly can be removed without concern of distortion or tearing as the silicone is fully cured, further optimizing costs and yields.
Contact us today to learn more about our liquid silicone rubber and liquid injection molding capabilities.
Technical Specifications:
Dispensing Equipment:
We are using Fluid Automation Inc. dispensing equipment - an industry leader in designing and building state-of-the-art dispensing equipment for liquid silicone rubber (LSR) materials. Our LIM system is equipped with a Fluid Automation water-cooled shut off nozzle 1/2" radius and water-cooling jackets.
Mold Equipment:
Cable Connection uses the Wabash Genesis Series presses, which are state-of-the-art hydraulic presses for compression molding of rubber, plastics and composites. We have purchased a Wabash model Genesis G30H-15-X with the following specifications:
- Clamp Force: 30 Tons
- Shot Size: Up to 5.4 Oz/1.25" Plunger
- Plunger Stroke: 0 - 8"
- Platen Size: 15" x 15"
- Carriage Cylinders: (2) 2" Bore x 10"
- Clamp Cylinder Bore: 5"
- Clamp Stroke: 6"
Metering Equipment:
Our LIM system is equipped with an RJS Technologies, Inc. 5 Gallon Metering Pump RJS Technologies, Inc. are machine designers and engineers of automation and custom manufacturing machines specializing in meter/mix and dispensing systems for liquid silicone rubber, RTV’s, epoxies, urethanes, adhesives and other similar materials. They produce bench top through 55 gallon, high viscosity meter/mix systems for single component up to 14 components with fixed or variable ratio.
The primary function of the meter-mix device is ratio control i.e., to deliver an accurately metered 1:1 (or 50:50) ratio of A & B materials to the injection machine’s feed throat. Liquid silicones are designed to produce good cured properties (such as durometer and tear and tensile strengths) even when metered slightly off-ratio. For example, the cured properties typically will be the same at 52:48 or 48:52 ratio as at the desired 50:50. The RJS Technologies, Inc. 5 Gallon Metering Pump system delivers this level of metering accuracy.
The second key function of the meter-mix machine is to maintain a clean product. The LSR molding process is inherently clean because the chemicals are sealed in a closed system. Ambient air with its accompanying dust and moisture does not contact the product from the time 5 gallon pails are installed on the meter-mix machine until finished parts are removed from the mold.
Chiller:
Our LIM System includes a Thermal-Care Portable Accuchiller. We have a Thermal-Care Accuchiller model AQ0A02, which is a two-ton water cooled chiller system, designed to perfectly maintain the temperature of LSR material during in the injection process.
