Silicone extrusions are continuous lengths of material with a constant cross-section, used as gaskets, seals, and sleeves in various industries. They can be produced in standard or custom shapes and sizes, with a range of silicone compositions available for specific operating conditions. Mold manufacturing is the only expensive and labor-intensive part of the process.
Extruded silicone products are manufactured by forcing softened silicone rubber through a shaped mold to form a continuous length of material with a constant cross section. One of the most widely used silicone product families, these extruded profiles are used as gaskets, seals, cable and pipe sleeves in a wide variety of domestic and industrial applications. In addition to a large selection of standard profiles, silicone extrusions can be produced in an almost unlimited range of shapes and sizes with mold manufacturing as the only real limitation. Standard silicone extrusion profiles include tubing, solid hollows, square and rectangular strips, and U-channels. There are also a large number of different silicone compositions used to produce these extrusions, including high temperature, chemical and lubricant resistant, and medical quality.
Combining the versatility of silicone rubber with an almost unlimited range of possible sections and dimensions, silicone extrusions are among the most widely used of all silicone products. Produced by forcing molten silicone rubber compounds through a shaped mold, silicone extrusions are fairly simple to produce with mold manufacturing being the only truly expensive and labor-intensive part of the process. The range of silicone extrusion consumer industries is nearly as impressive as the product ranges and includes the automotive, plumbing machinery, white goods, electronics, pneumatic equipment and home repair industries. Common uses of the products in these industries include door and window seals, O-rings, gaskets, cable sleeving, surface coatings, and hoses.
Silicone extrusions can be grouped according to the profile and materials used to produce them. Extrusion profiles can be further divided into standard and custom groups. Standard profiles include square and rectangular sections, hollow tube and box sections, round hollow, sheet, tube and a range of complex profiles including P, D, U and E strips. These are all available in a range of sizes and materials, thus enabling appliance and machinery manufacturers to design products incorporating seals and gaskets from these standard product lines. When a product design requires specific and unusual silicone extrusions, custom profiles can be made. While initially expensive, this process is usually simple and requires only a detailed profile drawing for extrusion companies to produce a variety of dies.
The silicone compositions found in the manufacture of extruded profiles are formulated to suit specific operating conditions and include highly heat and chemical resistant and translucent, platinum cured medical grades. Non-toxic extruded silicone sponge is commonly used in the production of oven door seals and gaskets for the food industry. Specialized military spec, sanitary and conducting grades are also available.
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