High consistency rubber (HCR) is a form of rubber that has stood out for its solid state – especially at room temperature. Its impressive physical properties – which include optimal tensile strength – have made it a lock for several manufacturing processes.
And, interest in the process of manufacturing this material has also grown significantly in recent times. We thought we’d dive into the high consistency rubber molding process to understand better how it works and what you should know.
Understanding High Consistency Rubber (HCR)
Also known as gum rubber or solid rubber, high consistency rubber refers to a pacific form of rubber that holds its solidity at room temperature. The rubber consists of a high molecular weight, as well as lengthy polymer chains that give it a signature look. And, with these materials, it maintains impressive resiliency recovery after it has been compressed or elongated.
The general content of high consistency rubber will usually vary based on the desired properties you’re looking for, as expected. However, for most cases, you can expect to find the following in the material:
- Raw Rubber: For every high consistency rubber material, the base content is rubber. This can be in the form of synthetic rubber (such as neoprene or silicone rubber) or natural rubber fibers, which can be gotten from trees. Generally, your choice is based on your preference and requirements. But, as expected, choice will also determine the base cost.
- Fillers: Manufacturers add fillers to high consistency rubber to optimize its mechanical properties and control its overall features. Some of these fillers include clay, silica, and calcium carbonate – and, they can help to optimize properties like stiffness and tensile strength.
- Curing Agents: The curing agents are added to initiate high consistency rubber vulcanization. This process transforms the rubber into a more solid material with bolstered physical properties. Some common curing agents include sulfur, peroxides, metal oxides (such as zinc oxide), and accelerators.
- Activators: Working hand-in-hand with the curing agents, the activators also help to facilitate vulcanization. Their role is to optimize the curing reaction process, thus reducing the time it takes to cure the material. Stearic acid, zinc oxide, and a few other compounds can work as excellent activators.
- Plasticizers: Resins, oils, and other plasticizers can help to improve HCR’s flexibility and hardness. They can also improve malleability and reduce stiffness where necessary.
- Antioxidants: To ensure that the rubber material doesn’t degrade due to oxidation and element exposure, antioxidants are added. They also help to improve the rubber’s overall resistance to craving and aging, ensuring that it doesn’t deteriorate over time. Some of the most prominent antioxidants are amines and phenols.
- Accelerators: When vulcanizing, you add accelerators to make the process faster. This cuts down the curing time, ensuring that your fast-curing applications can be more optimized.
- Other Additives: Depending on the manufacturer’s requirements or specifications, other additives can easily be put into the rubber to improve its properties. Colorants, blowing agents, lubricants, and more are possible options here.
HCR: Physical Properties
With high consistency rubber you get to enjoy several impressive physical properties – all of which make the material especially ideal for different applications. Some of these properties include:
- Tensile Strength: The tensile strength rating for high consistency rubber is quite high. The material resists deformation when subjected to applied force, and it can withstand tension without breaking.
- Hardness: Measuring hardness for HCR can be challenging since the material can be formulated to have different hardness values. All in all, this depends on your requirements.
- Elongation at Break: This metric will also depend primarily on the molding, formulation, and curing processes. HCR is quite flexible, so it can accommodate deformation quite well.
- Abrasion Resistance: HCR also resists wear and abrasion quite well. The material withstands friction and rubbing without deteriorating so much, making it suitable for contact-intensive applications.
- Compression Set: This metric examines HCR’s ability to recover its original shape after being compressed. Here, HCR also scores quite high, holding its initial shape and elasticity after prolonged compression.
- Heat Resistance: HCR does well to resist heat and can withstand elevated temperatures without degrading significantly. It is worth noting that the specific measure will depend on the type of rubber you use for the curing process.
- Cold Resistance: As part of its flexibility, HCR also retains its properties when exposed to low temperatures. It won’t become brittle or lose its elasticity, so it works well in cold environments.
- Electrical Insulation: HCR exhibits good electrical insulation properties, making it useful in applications where it needs to insulate or isolate electrical components.
Mechanical properties Of High Consistency Rubber
Like the physical properties of this material, high consistency rubber also has mechanical properties that can be tweaked based on the manufacturer’s requirements. Just as well, the mechanical property metrics will depend significantly on the formulation and curing processes.
However, below is an overview of some of the notable mechanical properties for HCR:
- Flexural Strength: Also known as bending strength, flexural strength measures a material’s ability to bend – or flex – without breaking. For HCR, this component is quite high. Flexing and bending motions don’t affect it, contributing to its impressive mechanical grit.
- Shear Strength: HCR has impressive shear strength, easily holding off against sliding and shear forces without material failure. In applications where shear forces are present and prevalent, HCR does well to maintain its form.
- Fatigue Resistance: Fatigue resistance is the ability of HCR to withstand repeated cyclic loading without failure. It measures the rubber’s resistance to the initiation and propagation of cracks or failure under repeated stress or strain cycles. HCR generally exhibits good fatigue resistance, allowing it to endure repetitive loading without significant degradation.
HCR Molding: How This Strong Material Comes To Life
In high consistency rubber molding, you essentially take the rubber material and compress or form it into the desired shape. Flexibility is one of the primary benefits of high consistency rubber, and with proper molding, you essentially make sure that it can be shaped as you want it.
For high consistency rubber molding, the process is quite broad. However, at the end of the day, it definitely delivers dividends.
Material Preparation
The first step, of course, wil be to prepare the material and ensure its readiness for the molding process. You select the raw rubber, deciding whether you’d like a natural rubber or a synthetic one. Remember to keep your application requirements and desired properties in mind here.
Next, you prepare the rubber by combining it with the curing agents, fillers, and other possible additives. The specific formulation is determined based on your final product properties, so remember to consider that.
Finally, you can use specialized equipment to blend the entire rubber compound. This way, you can properly disperse the additives and ensure uniformity in the material.
Mold Preparation:
As the material gets prepared, you can go ahead to make the mold. Mold design crafting comes first here, and we would recommend that you have a view of the desired features and shape of your final product as you embark on this process. From draft angles to parting lines and more, consider all of these factors and ensure that they allow you to create the perfect mold for your final product.
After the design process, you can go ahead to fabricate the mold. The construction process itself can be done using different materials, but remember to focus on accurate machining to maximize your specifications. And, additional features like runners and vents can also be added where necessary.
After the mold is fabricated, remember to clean it too. This process ensures that you can remove any dirt or additional residue, and that no impurities can tamper with your final product. A release agent can also be applied to the mold surface to prevent any rubber sticking.
Material Loading:
The first step in the loading process is preheating. Choose your desired temperature and heat the material, so it softens and becomes more malleable. There is specialized heating equipment available, although the process can also be carried out using a hot air oven.
As the heating process continues, remember that you’ll need to also weigh your HCR quantity to ensure that it fills the mold. Get the appropriate weight measurements and keep an eye on the rubber to ensure that it conforms to your requirements. The goal here is to ensure accurate filling and take out excessive flash.
Material Compression:
The first step in the compression process is mold loading. The preheated HCR material should be placed into the mold cavity with the use of either manual or automated methods, then take care to distribute the material evenly to ensure that the final product is uniform.
With the use of a mechanical press, you can proceed to close the mold. Apply a controlled amount of pressure to compress it, then go ahead to fill the entire mold cavity. Remember that this pressure level should be maintained across the curing process to ensure optimal uniformity.
Once all parameters have been set, you can begin with the curing process. Gently introduce heat to the mold with heating elements – or you could just transfer the mold to an oven for the heating to commence.
Vulcanization:
While the curing process takes place, keep in mind that temperature control is critical. Maintain the mold’s temperature and curing time, ensuring that the rubber has enough time to properly vulcanize. This intricate mix of heat, pressure, and curing agents will help improve the crosslinking forces between the rubber molecules, transforming it into a solid elastomer with optimal physical and mechanical properties.
As you keep an eye on the curing process, watch out especially for the rubber and the moment it hits the desired crosslinking level. This will usually depend on the curing agents and the specific rubber compound itself, so remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach here.
Eventually, the process will be completed and you can take the mold out.
Cooling and Demolding:
Once the curing process is done, take the mold out and let it cool. This allows you to solidify the rubber and allows the material to also retain its shape.
For cooling, the process can be done naturally or by using artificial cooling systems – including forced air cooling, water circulation, and more.
When the mold is appropriately cooled, open it. You can get clamping pressure or just separate the mold into halves. Then, take the molded rubber product from the cavity. Be careful here, so as not to cause any material damage to what you’ve worked on.
Product Finishing:
You have your high consistency rubber molding process complete. However, for the sake of quality, you might need to cut off any excess irregularities or flash from the molded product. Get blades or specialized trimming equipment, and be careful to ensure that the final product meets the specified aesthetic and dimensional requirements.
Also, take special care not to excessively trim the mold in order not to dent or cut it.
Finally, go through a thorough inspection of the product. Be on the lookout for defects such as surface imperfections and inaccuracies in product dimensioning. But, if you followed the steps the way we outlined, we don’t think you should have anything to worry about in the long run.
All in all, high consistency rubber molding is a complex process that needs to be handled with care. The steps can vary based on your requirements, but we at Legenday recommend that you follow this outline.
If you need more information or a consultation, you can get in touch with us and we’ll be able to provide you with what you need.
High Consistency Rubber: Why It’s So Popular
Highlighting the benefits of high consistency rubber in different manufacturing processes will provide a better look into why the material itself is so popular. Below, you can find some of the more interesting advantages that the material has:
- Operational Versatility: To begin with, you should know that HRC is a very versatile material. Besides just being flexible in application, the material can easily be modified and formulated to meet different application requirements. These formulations provide flexibility in parameters such as hardness and strength – as well as several other physical properties.
- Impressive Physical Properties: We outlined HCR’s physical properties above already. The material is strong and can resist several external forces without losing its form. So, for applications that require massive durability, rest assured that high consistency rubber is there.
- Broad Temperature Coverage: HCR operates seamlessly when it is subjected to different temperatures – whether high or low. The material is flexible and reliable, operating in both cold and hot environments.
- Chemical Resistance: You can also count on HCR to maintain its physical and mechanical properties when it is exposed to different chemicals. From oils to toxic chemicals and more, it keeps its properties when exposed to contact and won’t degrade.
- Weather Resistance: Just as well, HCR resists weather and climate elements from UV rays to atmospheric aging. It can be used both indoors and outdoors, where its properties will remain prevalent.
- Insulation and Sealing: You will also be able to enjoy excellent sealing properties with HCR. It holds in fluids, gases, and other materials, preventing them from leaking or spilling. Just as well, HCR does well with electrical insulation properties – a great material to be used for electronic applications.
- Dimensional Stability: Over time, HCR will be able to maintain its dimensional stability and shape pretty well. This holds true even when it is exposed to compression and pressure. With this material stability, you can rest assured of consistent performance and fit in applications where precise tolerances are required.
- Seamless Processing: In general, the process of molding HCR is quite straightforward. Of course, it is worth remembering that the material’s molding process will need to be followed strictly if you’re to get the desired result and outcome. Nevertheless, with good flow characteristics, HCR will be able to easily fill intricate mold cavities and even produce complex shapes.
- Economical: Compared to several other materials, HCR is more cost-effective. And, when you consider the material’s long shelf life and general durability – as well as its need for minimal maintenance – you’ll find that it is a great option for manufacturing processes where you need to save money.
- Wide Range of Applications: Due to its versatile nature and excellent properties, HCR finds applications in numerous industries. It is commonly used in automotive, aerospace, industrial, electrical, medical, and consumer goods sectors for products like seals, gaskets, hoses, vibration mounts, O-rings, and more.
Overall, the benefits of high consistency rubber make it a preferred choice in various industries, offering reliable performance, durability, and versatility for a wide range of applications.
High Consistency Rubber: Who Needs This Material The Most?
With impressive physical properties,operational versatility, and top-notch chemical resistance, it is no wonder that high consistency rubber has found application in different industries over the years.
The material is especially prominent in industries where performance and optimal characteristics are key. So, below are some of the major applications of high consistency rubber:
- Making Seals and Gaskets: As we pointed out earlier, high consistency rubber is known for being an effective sealant. This is why the material is used in making gaskets, seals, and other components used to hold gases and fluids. In the automotive and aerospace industry – as well as plumbing and industry machinery development – high consistency rubber is needed.
- Building O-rings: High consistency rubber helps to make O-rings, which are used in hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems, and other applications that require effective sealing. Regardless of the temperature, the material ensures proper sealing.
- Industrial Equipment: In the industrial space, HCR helps in developing components like rollers, couplings, and valves. The material is especially ideal for industrial application thanks to its impressive durability and physical properties, as well as its ability to operate in the harshest of environments.
- Vibration Softeners: HCR can help to absorb and dampen vibrations. As such, the material is used to produce bushings, vibration mounts, and isolators. In some cases, you can also see HCR used in making tools for sound reduction and dampening.
- Hoses and Tubing: HCR is used in the manufacturing of hoses and tubing for various applications such as automotive fuel lines, coolant systems, hydraulic systems, and industrial fluid transfer. HCR’s flexibility and resistance to chemicals make it suitable for fluid transportation.
- Electrical Insulation: We already pointed out that HCR optimizes electrical insulation. As a result, the material is perfect for electronic applications across the board. You can use HCR to produce insulating sleeves, grommets, and other electrical insulation components.
- Medical Devices: In the medical space, HCR is used to produce equipment like seals for drug delivery systems, valves and gaskets for medical devices. However, it is important to ensure that the material meets biocompatibility and sterilization requirements before being used.
- Consumer Goods: From kitchen appliances to sporting equipment and household items, high consistency rubber offers functionality for them all. The material absorbs external forces like grip and shock, and its durability ensures that you will be able to use it for long without stress.
- Rubber Molds: Rubber molds made with HCR can be used in different industries for casting parts that were made from concrete, plastic, and other materials.
How HCR Molding Compares With Other Rubber Molding Processes
High consistency rubber molding is a fairly straightforward process that allows you to formulate HCR into different forms. However, given that high consistency rubber isn’t the only rubber variant and the molding process can be done in several ways, it’s important to see how this specific process compares with others.
HCR Molding vs. Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) Molding
HCR molding and the molding for liquid silicone rubber (LSR) are quite different. While they are used to mold rubber materials, each process comes with its own characteristics and advantages. Here is a comparison of the two processes for good measure.
Material Characteristics:
As stated earlier, HCR is a solid rubber that demonstrates non-flowability in its natural state. For softening, it will need some heating to become moldable before the HCR molding process can begin.
On the flip side, you have LSR – a liquid form of the silicone rubber that is excellent in flowing and can easily be used to fill mold cavities.
Mold Design and Complexity:
With HCR molding, you have a process that is properly suited for manufacturing products whose shapes are versatile – they can be simple, complex, or anything in-between. It is worth noting, of course, that you might need draft angles and parting lines for the mold to facilitate the molding and demolding processes.
For LSR molding, you can also develop products with complex and intricate parts with optimal accuracy. Thanks to the low viscosity of LSR, the material easily flows into mold cavities, making it perfect for delicate designs that need accuracy more than anything else.
Mold Filling and Curing:
For high consistency silicone rubber molding, you’re taking a preheated material and loading it into the mold cavity directly. From there, compression is applied to shape the rubber properly. The addition of both heat and pressure will be done either through contact with a heated mold or placement in an oven.
In LSR molding, the material is injected using specialized equipment into its mold. Then, it flows to fill the mold cavity without any need for high pressure. Once the mold is filled, the LSR is heat-cured – a process that can also be done with an oven or contact with a heated mold.
Curing Time and Temperature:
Usually, HCR molding will need more time in the curing stage. Just as well, temperature requirements are comparatively higher here. Although the specific parameters will depend on the type of rubber compound and the desired product properties, you’d still need to have a considerable time and heat investment.
Comparatively, LSR molding requires less curing time and a lower temperature. Cycle times are shorter as well, so you can usually get the process done quicker.
Properties of the Final Product:
Products molded using HCR molding are known to have optimal physical properties. They’re stronger, more resistant to external forces, and can exhibit impressive dimensional stability as well.
For LSR products, heat resistance is optimized and transparency is assured. However, they usually have softer durometers – even though temperature resistance is also optimized.
Product Applications:
Products made with both methods have overlapping fields of use and relevance. From medical devices and automotive parts to industrial components and consumer goods, these products are as versatile as they are effective.
At the end of the day, the choice you have will depend primarily on what you’re looking for. Consider the advantages of each process, the complexity of the process, the desired properties of your end product, and possible considerations for manufacturing.
Should You Choose HRC Molding Or Injection Molding?
Another process that gets regularly compared with high consistency rubber molding is injection molding. For these methods, here is an in-depth classification:
Material Characteristics:
HCR molding involves molding a solid rubber material that requires preheating to become moldable. However, for injection molding, you’re injecting or heating molten rubber material – usually in a granule or pellet form – into a mold cavity with significant pressure. Once the rubber material is melted, it solidifies within the mold material.
Mold Design and Complexity:
Both HCR molding and injection molding can be used to make products with significantly intricate designs. When handling products with complex geometries, thin walls, and intricate details, you can use either one. They handle pressure well and sufficiently facilitate both mold filling and demolding.
Mold Filling and Curing:
For HCR molding, the preheated rubber material is loaded manually into the mold cavity. From there, compression is applied to shape the rubber and the curing process is able to occur.
For injection molding, the molten rubber material is injected into the mold under significant pressure levels. As the material fills the mold cavity, it solidifies as it cools. Just as well, the curing process occurs typically within the mold.
Curing Time and Temperature:
Comparatively, high consistency rubber molding will need longer curing times and higher temperatures to ensure optimal vulcanization. The specific curing parameters will depend on the product parameters and specific rubber compound, but the curing times for HCR molding are usually longer and more complex.
This means that injection molding can provide a much shorter curing process, offering higher production efficiency and shorter cycle times.
Production Volume and Efficiency:
In HCR molding, you have a process that is better suited for low to medium production volumes. The process is more labor-intensive, so you should be ready to make the labor investment.
However, injection molding works best for high-volume production. The process involves higher levels of automation, meaning that you can get a more rapid and consistent series of production cycles.
Properties of the Final Product:
The products of both processes are known to have impressive physical properties and characteristics. For HCR, products exhibit strong physical properties like high tensile strength and force resistance. And, for injection molding, you also get top-notch surface finish, accurate dimensional control, and compatibility with tight tolerances and complex geometries.
Material Applications:
Materials made with both processes are also quite versatile. As we explored already, HCR molding produces materials that can be used to make tools like gaskets, seals, and industrial components. For injection molding, however, the resulting materials are better suited for products such as automotive seals, electronics, and medical devices.
Just like LSR molding, the basis for choosing between high consistency rubber molding and injection molding will usually depend on your preferences – as well as which of the processes will work perfectly for your desired function. As long as you’re sure about compatibility, you can make a choice.
Conclusion
High cosistency rubber molding is a process that requires significant accuracy and care. And, while it can be straightforward, a lot of work also goes into ensuring that the product parameters are in top shape.
At Legenday, we provide a reliable and effective HCR molding process, offering high-quality high consistency rubber to our customers. Whether you’re looking to get high consistency rubber or you’d like counsel on molding, feel free to contact us abd we’ll be able to help you out.