CUSTOM COMPRESSION MOLDING OF SILICONE WASHERS FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

With our solid reputation and over 45 years of experience in the rubber industry, Eastern Industrial Products, Inc. was approached by a well-known manufacturer of lamps used in the automotive industry to devise a new washer for their Par 38 lamps. Their current manufacturer was supplying washers, die-cut from 30 durometer silicone, with inconsistent quality and out-of-spec tolerances. The washers also exhibited outgassing when exposed to the high temperature, low pressure conditions encountered during lamp manufacturing, and ultimately compromised the quality of the final product.

After a detailed examination of the customer’s manufacturing processes, our engineering team recommended using a compression molded washer, rather than a die-cut one, to ensure more consistent dimensions. Additionally, applying a post-cure process would improve the integrity of the silicone by preventing oils from leaching to the material’s surface when the washer was exposed to harsh manufacturing conditions. Utilizing 30 durometer black silicone and a multi-cavity compression mold, our team fabricated washers with an I.D. of 4.99″, O.D. of 4.118″, and thickness of .243″, then post-cured them for 4 hours at 400°. The result was a superior product, well within the ±.004″ tolerance requirements and exhibiting no outgassing.

By employing a compression molding process, we are able to supply our customer with a better product that streamlines their manufacturing operations and improves the quality of their Par 38 lamps. We are currently producing 12,000 pieces annually, delivered just-in-time to their facility.