Silicone Rubber
Silicone Rubber Fabrication
Advanced Seals & Gaskets Ltd manufacture various fabricated components produced from a range of silicone sponge and rubber materials. The production of a fabrication often requires a combination of specialist machinery, usually a selection of saws, drills, buffers and knives, alongside the manual adhesion and construction of the finished product. By choosing ASG for your fabrications, you will benefit from the availability of our CNC oscillating knife, which can automatically cut and drill fabricated parts by reading CAD drawings. Fabrications are often used as a cheaper alternative to mouldings and extrusions for the production of bespoke shapes as there is no initial die or tooling cost, ideal for when 1 off prototypes or small quantity runs are needed. All our silicone fabrications are made to order, produced using samples or drawings provided by customers, and can take many forms for including multiple materials laminating to create composites sheets which can then be cut down into gaskets/washers/strip, displays, gaskets and seals with flexible joints or irregular angles.
What is a Silicone Rubber Fabrication?
Fabrication is the procedure used to turn solid or sponge rubber pieces or sheets of material into custom made 3D usable shapes and products. Fabrications are created using CNC machines, saws, drills, buffers etc, enabling us to create unique products that can not be bought off the shelf, usually can not be produced by one single process for example where the item is too big to be produced in one single piece, or where 3D profiles are required such as cubes or cone shapes. Silicone rubber fabrications can be cut from sheets or rolls kept in stock, cut from laminated layers of sheet material and even made using a number of smaller cut parts joined together.
Why use Silicone Rubber Fabrications?
Fabrications are often the preferred alternative to mouldings and extrusions as there is no initial die/tooling cost for the production of bespoke shapes, these are ideal for use as samples or prototypes prior to paying for expensive tooling for mouldings or extrusions for bulk production. They are also perfect for producing signs, packaging case/box insert, automotive applications, cookware (such as baking moulds), sportswear and equipment, etc. Different types of silicone rubber fabrications have their own unique set of characteristics and properties for use in various applications, some properties include wide working temperature range, suitable for outdoor use and UV/Ozone exposure, others have electrical insulation properties and can be made in Food Safe or flame-retardant grades.
Available Grades
Silicone Sponge sponge is a resilient material with high-temperature stability, chemically inert and waterproof. Silicone sponge is a closed-cell, available in a range of densities (firmness) it has a number of features that make it suitable for outdoor sealing including Ozone, UV resistance and temperature flexibility.
Silicone Rubber is an excellent electrical insulation material that can operate at high and low temperatures. Silicone rubber performs well when exposed to UV, weathering, ozone and moisture, and is available in a range of colours.
Benefits of Silicone Rubber Fabrications
Advanced Seals & Gaskets work with a network of material manufacturers, meaning we have the ability to produce a multitude of fabrications suitable for use in virtually any industry. As silicone rubber and silicone sponge rubber fabrications are made to order, we can help with design, material choice, produce samples for testing and ensure we supply the perfect profile for your application. The characteristics and resistances sought after when choosing the right grade of rubber material for fabrications will depend on the industry, environment and application in which the moulding will be used. Some of the desirable features of silicone include FDA grades for use within food, beverage and pharmaceutical applications, flame retardancy, wide working temperature range, resistance to abrasion, chemically inert and good electrical insulation material.