Silicones - Import export

For our German client Vorwerk Elektrowerke, manufacturer of premium home appliances, we make, among other parts, parts for their smart Thermomix food processor. These are intended for both professional kitchens and the consumer market. One of the parts Enbi Plastics makes, is the position switch that ensures the food processor’s motor can only be turned on if a bowl is placed on it. This small but complex part is composed of different materials: plastic, metal and silicone. Because it needs to provide a seal as well as be dimensionally stable, we opted for silicone. Whereas the wall thickness is usually uniform, that was not the case here. A high-tech LIM mould was needed to achieve the right shape. That made the development of this product a turnkey project for Enbi Plastics together with the machine supplier and mould manufacturer. Enbi Plastics made different versions of the test mould and conducted feasibility studies in order to perfect the design.

The use of silicone in products has many advantages: the material is elastic, durable, and resistant to chemicals and high temperatures. As a result, the injection moulding of silicone has many applications, for instance in the medical world. For the injection moulding of silicone we are able to employ machines with a clamping force of between 25 and 100 tons. In this way we can produce units of less than a gram up to about 100 grams, varying in hardness from 10 Shore A up to about 80 Shore A.

Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) is a liquid silicon material, which is processed with an injection moulding process. Thanks to its special materials and processing properties, LSR offers unique design and production opportunities for Enbi Plastics. LSR has numerous uses in different industries, including health care, food, automotive, household appliances, and other sectors. For the injection moulding of silicon, Enbi Plastics uses machines with a closing force between 25 and 110 tons. This way we produce products made of components weighing from less than a single gram to approximately 100 grams, and which vary between <10 Shore A to approximately 80 Shore A in hardness, using both 1K and 2K injection moulding processes. Would you like to know more about LSR and how it can benefit your products or components? Our experts at Enbi Plastics love to help you with all your questions about LSR. Feel free to contact one of our specialists today.