Custom Molding and Industries Served....

​Types of Custom Molding You May Need in the Automotive Industry
Rubber is an essential material in automobiles, and it's not just limited to the tires. Other parts of a car that are made of some form of rubber include window seals, tubes, gaskets, grommets, o-rings, wiper blades, and belts. We offer manufacturing of auto parts in numerous types of rubber you may need, such as EPDM, NBR, and SBR. To create these rubber parts for you, we need to follow a molding process. Each type of custom molding method comes with its own advantages. 

Three types of custom molding you may need in the automotive industry are: 

• Injection molding
• Compression molding
• Transfer molding

Injection Molding 

This type of molding involves inserting rubber in its molten form into a mold. It cools and hardens inside of the cavity. When clients place an order with us, we make a mold for their product out of steel, so that the mold can be reused thousands of times without needing to be replaced. It's one of the many ways we speed up production. 

Injection molding can be used for both small and large items. Some injection molded items are tiny components whereas others are the size of a car's body panel. Injection molding is a great choice when you need high volume production of the same item. 

Compression Molding 

Compression molding is sometimes used when clients are in need of high-strength auto parts. The process for compression molding can be tricky because the temperature needs to remain stable throughout its duration. 

This heat compression technique also relies on the operator to create the correct mold. You should choose a company that has experience in compression molding to receive your shipment quickly. Rubber Industries has plenty of experience with compression molding in addition to the other types of custom molding used in the automotive industry. 

Compression molding is also a good choice when you need a high number of intricate parts or you need to mold multiple textiles together. Through compression molding, we can mold silicone to metal, fiberglass, or other textiles for a product that has multiple finishes. The final product won't fall apart easily. Compression molding gives you the option of avoiding products that need to be assembled. 

Transfer Molding 

This molding method is good for producing intricate parts in high volume. Similar to compression molding, temperature needs to be carefully controlled throughout the entire process. 

Transfer molding starts with closed molds which minimizes flash and enhances precision. Flash is excess material that could have leaked out of the mold. When flash occurs, manufacturers have to spend extra time in removing the flash or creating another item. Because the molds are closed, excess material is easy to remove in transfer molding. 

For medium to high precision parts, transfer molding is an economical choice. If you need custom colors, transfer molding can be one of the best choices as well. We are able to take more care in preventing extra material from running into other molds with the transfer molding process, which in turn minimizes contamination of custom colors. 

Available Materials for Custom Molding 

Types of rubber that are ideal for automotive needs include: 

• EPDM - As a high-density rubber that's extremely resistant to high temperatures, weather, and oxidation, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene) is often used for hoses, gaskets, and seals. EPDM can pass UL listed standards as well.
• NBR - A material extremely resistant to oil, NBR (nitrile rubber) is an excellent choice for any parts that come into contact with oils. Examples of auto parts we can manufacture with this rubber are seals and gaskets. Nitrile rubber is fairly resilient. It can resist punctures for a longer period of time than some other materials.
• SBR - Compared to natural rubber, SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) is more abrasion-resistant. The material is resistant to high temperature as well. It's often used as a material in tires for cars and trucks. By increasing the styrene content of this rubber, we can create a harder, less flexible product.

We are highly experienced in manufacturing typical parts that you need in vehicles like seals, gaskets, and o-rings. Our company also has the skill to create molds for more complex and unique items as needed. If you're still unsure of what type of molding to choose for your auto parts, we can make the best recommendation based on what your priorities are for the item.