Momentive Performance Materials to exhibit latest breakthrough in LSR technology at K 2013

Momentive Performance Materials GmbH (MPM) will feature its latest breakthrough in liquid silicone rubber (LSR) technology, UV-curing LSR, at the K 2013 international trade fair October 16-23, in Düsseldorf, Germany. MPM will demonstrate, in cooperation with Engel injection molding machines and Elmet as the supplier of mold and technology, a totally new approach for hard-soft combinations by producing a design object in a fully automated process utilizing MPM’s UV-curing LSR, UV LSR 2030. With this latest advancement in UV-curing LSR, the range of design possibilities involving multi-component injection molding is significantly expanded.

The displayed Engel e-mac 170/50, including the viper 6 robot, is set up as a standard plastics injection molding machine. The Elmet mold is designed to cure the LSR by UV light transmission through the pre-molded PP part, enabling the cold curing process in short cycle time. Another innovation is Elmet’s newly developed, dedicated pumping and feeding equipment optimized for UV-curing LSR.

Traditionally, multi-component designs utilizing silicone rubbers were limited to the combination of heat stable resins such as PA or PBT due to the molding temperatures that were required to vulcanize the silicone. Now, UV LSR can be combined with more affordable, lower melting point resins, such as PP or PMMA, enabling new approaches for hard-soft combinations with silicone rubber in consumer goods or medical applications. In addition, this new technology can enable designers to combine silicones with temperature-sensitive electronics or incorporate temperature-sensitive ingredients into the silicone that normally would not resist conventional molding temperatures. Designers can explore completely new integrated material approaches in devices such as valves, syringe components, lab ware, diagnostic devices, catheters, respiratory devices, kitchenware or completely new products.

Until MPM introduced UV-curing silicone rubbers, heat had always been a limiting factor for designers and manufacturers when selecting material for substrates and inserts to combine with silicone. Customers had always been limited to using more costly, heat-stable materials – a certain impediment to realizing the full innovative potential of silicone elastomer’s unique features including heat stability, weatherability, low temperature flexibility, chemical resistance, low hardness, insulation, biocompatibility and easy processing.

There are also significant potential processing and manufacturing benefits to realize with UV-curing LSR including:
• Reduced cycle times: articles – especially articles with high wall thickness like cable accessories or high voltage insulators – can cure much faster than with conventional silicone elastomers.
• Improved sustainability: low temperature cure typically requires much less energy than traditional silicone processing.
• Significant cost savings: customers may now consider more affordable resins, utilize less floor space for equipment, and reduce operation costs.

Source: Momentive Performance Materials