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Silicone material is supplied to the keypad industry in two forms, liquid and gumstock. Liquid silicone is a two part system mixed as it is used; gumstock is a one part system that has a shelf life. Both are heat cured. Liquid silicone has the consistency of vaseline while gumstock is more like putty or clay. Silicone is measured for hardness in a shore A scale. The lower the number, the more silicone there is in the product and the softer it feels. The higher the numbers the less silicone and the more filler there is in the product and the harder it feels. Fillers can reduce elongation, compression set, tear and tensile strength.

There are less than a half dozen manufacturers of silicone. Si Tech uses GE materials because of their UL listing, six sigma quality rating for consistency and traceability of material batch runs.

Molding silicone rubber varies by process. The tools themselves are very similar and are usually made from P20 steel or 6061 aluminum. Wear on the tooling is usually negligible over the life of a project unless fillers that cause abrasion are added.

The types of molding processes are liquid, compression, transfer and extruding. Liquid molding is a closed loop system and molded under pressure using computer controlled repeatable equipment. Compression molding is open-air system similar to a waffle iron, material is hand cut and weighed. Transfer molding is a combination of compression molding and gumstock material pushed into a mold under low pressure. Extruding molding uses gumstock molding processes for continuous product such as tubing.

Si Tech's team with over 75 years of experience in silicone keypad design and molding is committed to providing complete customer satisfaction with the highest quality products in a successful and timely manner. The customer is the focus of Si Tech's business.