Silicon molding

Prototype parts are generally produced in one or a few pieces. When you need more parts, your costs can reach significant levels depending on the production method you prefer. Therefore, what needs to be done is to choose the most suitable production method.

When you need up to 5-25 parts, the most cost-effective production method is silicone molding. In silicone molding, firstly, a master model, which is the desired part to be produced, is manufactured as a single piece.

The critical point here is the production method of the master model. The surface quality and dimensional accuracy of the master model determine the quality of the parts produced in silicone molding. Therefore, master models produced with 3D printers may sometimes be insufficient in this regard. In such cases, the preferred method is CNC machining. Master models produced with CNC machining have high surface quality and dimensional accuracy.

Silicone molds typically complete their lifespan after around 25 prints. Depending on the condition of the part, the mold may sometimes break before reaching 25 prints. If you need the part again, you can take a new mold using the master model you previously used for molding.

Various materials can be printed using this method. There are many options, ranging from rigid plastics to soft plastics whose shore values can be adjusted and transparent parts.

Painting processes can also be applied to parts coming out of silicone molds. This allows you to send samples to your customers while the production of plastic injection molds continues, or prepare products for laboratory or field tests, saving you time.