How to Get Custom Rubber/Silicone Products: The Ultimate Guide - Lanxin

In today’s manufacturing landscape, rubber products are widely used in industries such as industry, electronics, automobiles, medical, personal care, etc. The superior performance of rubber materials can meet your product needs. Whether you need seals, wearable silicone rubber products or specialized components, getting the right custom rubber parts can enhance performance and reliability. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the process of sourcing custom rubber components.

How to Choose the Raw Material for Custom Products

In modern material science, rubber is a highly valued polymer material due to its unique physical and chemical properties. From household goods to industrial applications, rubber is used in nearly every field. When it comes to practical applications, we must consider the specific material properties required to select the most suitable type of rubber. Common rubber materials include natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), EPDM, silicone, polyurethane (PU), and fluorosilicone rubber (FVMQ). 

These materials differ in terms of hardness range, weather resistance, heat resistance, oil resistance, tear strength, and flame resistance. Depending on the specific application and industry, we recommend using different types of rubber or raw materials.

In real-life applications, if rubber is used for automotive parts, we recommend EPDM due to its strength and abrasion resistance. On the other hand, for medical and food-contact components, silicone is the ideal choice because it is non-toxic, inert, and biocompatible.

 

Silicone Rubber (Q) is highly versatile, offering excellent resistance to extreme hot and cold temperatures. It is non-toxic, making it a popular choice for food-grade and medical applications. Additionally, silicone rubber is resistant to UV light, ozone, and weathering, which makes it perfect for outdoor use.

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) is popular for its excellent heat, weather, and ozone resistance. This synthetic rubber is widely used in applications exposed to harsh outdoor environments. Its flexibility and chemical resistance make it a go-to material for seals and gaskets.

Natural Rubber (NR) is derived from latex and is well-known for its excellent elasticity and resilience. It has good abrasion resistance, making it ideal for products that must withstand wear and tear. However, natural rubber has temperature and chemical resistance limitations, which may restrict its use in some industries.

Polyurethane Rubber (PU) is a highly durable material with exceptional abrasion, tearing, and impact resistance. It is also resistant to many types of chemicals and provides a high level of flexibility, making it suitable for applications where durability and strength are critical.

Fluorine Silicone Rubber (FVMQ) combines silicone’s flexibility with enhanced resistance to fuels, solvents, and chemicals, but typically offers lower high-temperature performance compared to standard silicone rubber. It is particularly useful in applications requiring both high performance and environmental resistance.

Know further to read our blog: What are the Criteria for Rubber Material Selection?

Rubber Material Property: Temperature Resistance

Temperature resistance is the most noteworthy characteristic in the silicone rubber market. Rubber and silicone products are often exposed to harsh environments, such as humidity, high pressure, and extreme temperatures. Their flammability rating is strictly regulated. Silicone is the material with the widest temperature resistance range (-50°C to 330°C). In addition to its excellent temperature tolerance, silicone boasts other outstanding physical properties, making it one of the most widely used rubber materials today.

Below is the temperature resistance chart for different rubber materials.

Click Here to Know More about Silicone Material Services!

Related Blogs

• Silicone Rubber vs. Natural Rubber: The Ultimate Comparison
• Silicone vs. Rubber: The Key Differences & Applications

Silicone Properties and Their Applications

Among various rubber materials, silicone is one of the most popular. It can meet the unique customization needs of every customer. Making sure high-quality silicone material is a key factor in getting the best silicone products. As a professional custom silicone product manufacturer, Lan Xin has long-term partnerships with major brands like WACKER, Dow Silicones, Momentive, and Shin-Etsu, enabling us to manufacture high-quality silicone products.

Lan Xin’s quality silicone products can be used across a wide range of industries, including automotive, medical, electronics, and industrial applications, providing versatile solutions and added value.

Understanding the physical and chemical properties of silicone helps assess its suitability for specific applications. When manufacturing products, it’s important to select the appropriate type of silicone based on its properties to meet the requirements.

Silicone material can withstand high temperatures, typically ranging from -40°C to 230°C (-40°F to 446°F). Special grades of silicone can briefly endure temperatures up to 330°C. This makes it ideal for use in high-temperature, harsh environments, as it is non-toxic, safe, and maintains excellent physical properties, including tear resistance and high elasticity.

They are ideal for kitchen products (e.g. heat-resistant mats, silicone spoons, oven liners) and automotive parts (e.g. radiator components, connectors).

Silicone is highly elastic and flexible, allowing it to maintain shape even under stress. This property makes silicone suitable for various products, from children’s teethers to beauty care products.

Its soft touch and ability to stretch without breaking make it ideal for items that need to be durable yet comfortable. The flexibility of silicone allows it to perform well across a range of temperatures and conditions, maintaining both form and function under various environmental influences.

Silicone material offers excellent electrical insulation and resistance to various chemicals, including oils, solvents, and acids. This makes it ideal for use in harsh environments such as industrial settings, laboratories, and automotive applications. It is especially suitable for use in insulators, gaskets, and seals for electrical and electronic components.

Silicone can achieve high levels of transparency, with some optical silicone materials boasting up to 93% light transmittance. This makes silicone popular for optical applications such as automotive headlights, lenses, and LED lighting components. Additionally, silicone resists yellowing, making it ideal for long-term use in applications where clarity is critical.

Non-Toxicity & Biocompatibility

Silicone is non-toxic and inert, with biocompatibility and the ability to withstand high temperatures, typically ranging from -40°C to 230°C (-40°F to 446°F), while maintaining excellent physical properties such as tear resistance and high elasticity. Biocompatibility certification reports are FDA, LFGB, and ISO 10993.

This property of non-toxic, biocompatibility, and heat resistance makes silicone widely applicable in medical devices and implants, mother and baby products, kitchenware, and other