On what occasions will you look for a custom silicone mold manufacturer or silicone molding company? Want to get a silicone mold for self-use to make home-made or in-house parts? In a need of a small batch (10-20 pieces) of plastic or rubber parts to verify new designs? 

If the answers are yes, you indeed should turn to a custom silicone mold manufacturer. When you search for silicone mold manufacturers on the internet, you will find many to choose from. Then, how to pick a qualified one? Let’s give you some tips.

1. The manufacturer should have CNC or 3D printing abilities

To make a silicone mold, there should be a prototype model based on your design. It is usually made by CNC machining or 3D printing. After fastening the prototype on the shelf and surrounding it with 4 blanks, the technician pours liquid silicone into it. About 8 hours of trying out later, you will get a silicone mold after taking out the prototype.

If you really just want a silicone mold and don’t want the silicone mold manufacturer to produce the parts for you, it is advised to confirm with the manufacturer in advance. In most cases, the silicone molding company doesn’t consider silicone molds as deliverable goods. If it is allowed, make sure you are able to make parts yourself out of a silicone mold in the vacuum environment. 

2. The manufacturer should have vacuum casting machines

The silicone molding company generally uses silicone molds in vacuum casting to produce plastic or rubber prototypes or parts. So the thing is that when it offers a vacuum casting service, it needs to make silicone molds. The purpose is to produce short-run plastic and rubber prototypes and parts. After 10-15 shots, the silicone molds cannot be used anymore. That’s the reason why the silicone molding company won’t ship out them.

3. The manufacturer should have experienced technicians

Injecting PU into the silicone mold in the vacuum environment under the temperature of 60-70℃, and after half an hour’s drying out you can demould and get the part. You will need to solidify the part for the second time under the temperature of 60-70℃ if it is necessary. The whole process requires skills. How to make a silicone mold? How to vacuum the machine? How long will it take to solidify the parts? How to demould smoothly? So you’d better pick a silicone molding company with skillful technicians no matter you just want the silicone mold or need the parts to avoid quality problems.

4. The manufacturer should be good at surface finishing

In case you do not simply need a silicone mold but silicone molded parts, you’d better get them finished under one roof. That requires your manufacturer to be capable of doing surface treatment, for instance, polishing, painting, and electroplating. 

Next time when you talk to a candidate manufacturer, try to ask questions about the above aspects to the very custom silicone mold manufacturer you want.

Or just contact X Rapid Technologies. We are always ready to get your projects perfectly done.