From Prototype to Mass Production: How Custom Silicone Products Are Developed

Developing a custom silicone product involves much more than making a mold and starting production.

A successful project normally goes through several stages:

Concept → Design → DFM Review → Material Selection → Prototype → Tooling → Sampling → Validation → Pilot Production → Mass Production

Each stage helps reduce technical risk, improve product quality, and control cost before large-scale production begins.

For engineers, purchasing teams, and product developers, understanding this process can make communication with a silicone manufacturer much more efficient.

This guide explains how custom silicone products are developed from the first idea to stable mass production.

1. Start With the Product Requirement

Every custom silicone project begins with a product requirement.

The customer should define what the component needs to do.

Typical questions include:

• What is the product application?
• Is the silicone used for sealing, protection, grip, insulation, cushioning, or food contact?
• What temperature range will the product experience?
• Will it contact water, oil, chemicals, food, or skin?
• What is the expected service life?
• What is the estimated annual volume?

These requirements affect material selection, part design, tooling, testing, and manufacturing process.

The more information provided at the beginning, the easier it is to recommend the right production solution.

2. Prepare 2D and 3D Drawings

For most custom silicone products, 2D and 3D files are important.

A 3D CAD file helps the manufacturer evaluate:

• Produktgeometrie
• Wandstärke
• Unterschnitte
• Draft
• Aufbaustruktur
• Formbarkeit

Common file formats include:

• STEP
• STP
• IGES
• X_T
• SLDPRT

A 2D drawing should normally include:

• Abmessungen
• Tolerances
• Material
• Härte
• Farbe
• Oberflächenbeschaffenheit
• Kritische Abmessungen
• Special requirements

If CAD files are not available, a physical sample, sketch, or reference product can also be used during early development.

3. DFM Review

Before tooling, the silicone manufacturer should perform a Design for Manufacturing, or DFM, review.

The purpose is to identify potential manufacturing risks.

Typical DFM items include:

• Wandstärke
• Trennlinie
• Draft
• Unterschnitte
• Scharfe Ecken
• Dünnschnitte
• Standort des Tors
• Entlüftung
• Entformen
• Blitzsteuerung
• Toleranz
• Silicone shrinkage

A DFM review can prevent many expensive tooling modifications later.

4. Choose the Right Silicone Material

The correct silicone material depends on the application.

Common options include:

• Allzweck-Silikon
• Silikon in Lebensmittelqualität
• Silikon in medizinischer Qualität
• Platinvernetztes Silikon
• Flüssiges Silikonkautschuk
• Gummi mit hoher Konsistenz
• Hochtemperatur-Silikon
• Flammhemmendes Silikon
• Leitfähiges Silikon
• Thermal conductive silicone
• Low-compression-set silicone

Material selection should consider both performance and regulatory requirements.

For example, a silicone gasket for industrial electronics may need good compression set performance.

A baby care product may require food-contact material.

A medical component may require biocompatibility documentation.

5. Define Silicone Hardness

Silicone hardness is normally measured in Shore A.

Common values include:

• 20 Shore A
• 30 Shore A
• 40 Shore A
• 50 Shore A
• 60 Shore A
• 70 Shore A
• 80 Shore A

Softer silicone provides more flexibility.

Harder silicone provides greater dimensional stability.

The required hardness depends on:

• Produktfunktion
• Compression
• Flexibilität
• Montage
• Grip
• Dichtungsleistung

Hardness should be defined before material approval.

6. Choose the Manufacturing Process

Different silicone products require different molding processes.

Formpressen

Compression molding is commonly used for:

• Silicone gaskets
• Silikonpolster
• Babyartikel
• Kitchen products
• Große Silikonteile
• Produktion in kleineren Stückzahlen

It usually offers lower tooling cost.

LSR-Spritzguss

Liquid Silicone Rubber injection molding is suitable for:

• Precision components
• Thin-wall products
• Medizinische Bauteile
• Elektronische Siegel
• Kfz-Bauteile
• Großserienfertigung

LSR supports a higher level of automation.

Silikon-Umspritzung

Silicone overmolding is used when silicone must be molded onto:

• Kunststoff
• Metall
• Elektronische Bauteile
• Structural inserts

The manufacturing process should be selected based on product geometry, volume, and functional requirements.

7. Prototype Development

A prototype helps verify the product before full production tooling.

The prototype may be used to check:

• Größe
• Fit
• Montage
• Aussehen
• Härte
• Funktion
• Sealing
• Ergonomie

Depending on the product, prototype methods may include:

• Weiche Werkzeuge
• Prototyp-Formpresswerkzeuge
• CNC-machined molds
• Silicone casting
• Sample molds

Prototype development is especially important for new product designs.

8. Prototype Testing

A prototype should not only be inspected visually.

Functional testing should also be completed.

Possible tests include:

• Montageprüfung
• Druckprüfung
• Sealing testing
• Waterproof testing
• Zugversuch
• Pull testing
• Härteprüfung
• Alterungsprüfung
• Temperature testing

Problems found during prototype testing are much less expensive to correct than problems found after mass production begins.

9. Design Modification

Prototype testing often leads to design improvement.

Common changes include:

• Adjusting wall thickness
• Increasing corner radii
• Changing gasket compression
• Improving mechanical locking
• Modifying hole size
• Improving grip
• Changing hardness

This is a normal part of product development.

The goal is to finalize the design before production tooling.

10. Production Tooling

Once the design is confirmed, production tooling can begin.

The tooling process may include:

• Formkonstruktion
• Mold base preparation
• CNC-Bearbeitung
• EDM
• Precision grinding
• Polishing
• Textur
• Montage
• Mold testing

Tooling complexity depends on the product.

A simple silicone gasket may require a relatively simple mold.

A precision multi-cavity LSR component may require a much more complex mold.

11. Mold Cavity Selection

The number of cavities affects both tooling cost and production efficiency.

Possible mold structures include:

• Single cavity
• 2 cavity
• 4 cavity
• 8 cavity
• Multi-cavity

For lower production volumes, fewer cavities may reduce initial tooling cost.

For large production volumes, more cavities can reduce unit cost.

Cavity number should be selected according to expected annual demand.

12. T1 Sample

After the mold is completed, the first mold trial is normally called T1.

T1 samples are used to evaluate:

• Abmessungen
• Flash
• Oberflächenqualität
• Farbe
• Härte
• Filling
• Entformen
• Shrinkage

The first sample may not be perfect.

Small tooling adjustments are common.

13. Sample Approval

The customer should review the sample carefully before mass production.

Approval may include:

• Dimension report
• Sichtprüfung
• Funktionsprüfung
• Montageprüfung
• Color approval
• Material confirmation

For critical parts, customer approval should be documented.

14. Dimension Inspection

Critical dimensions should be measured after molding.

Possible inspection equipment includes:

• Messschieber
• Micrometers
• Optical measurement systems
• CMM
• Height gauges
• Custom fixtures

Silicone is flexible, so the measurement method should be consistent.

Uncontrolled measurement force can affect results.

15. Material Verification

Material verification may include:

• Härte
• Farbe
• Dichte
• Cure condition
• Analysezertifikat
• Materialzertifizierung

For regulated applications, additional documents may be required.

16. Color Matching

Custom silicone products can be manufactured in many colors.

Color can be specified using:

• Pantone reference
• RAL reference
• Physical color sample

A color sample should normally be approved before mass production.

Small color differences may occur between materials and molding batches, so acceptable limits should be defined when appearance is critical.

17. Surface Finish

Silicone surfaces can be:

• Glänzend
• Matt
• Textured
• Smooth
• Fine-grain

Surface finish is mainly created by the mold surface.

If a specific texture is required, it should be defined before final tooling.

18. Pilot Production

Before full mass production, a pilot run is often recommended.

Pilot production helps verify:

• Process stability
• Zykluszeit
• Yield
• Dimension consistency
• Prüfverfahren
• Verpackung
• Kompatibilität mit der Assembler-Sprache

The pilot run is especially important for high-volume or precision projects.

19. Production Process Validation

During pilot production, the manufacturer can confirm the stable process window.

Important parameters may include:

• Formtemperatur
• Aushärtungszeit
• Einspritzdruck
• Injection speed
• Kompressionsdruck
• Zykluszeit

Stable process parameters help improve repeatability.

20. Quality Control Plan

Before mass production, a quality control plan should be established.

The plan may include:

• Prüfung des eingehenden Materials
• Prüfung während des Fertigungsprozesses
• Endkontrolle
• Dimension inspection
• Sichtprüfung
• Funktionsprüfung
• Verpackungskontrolle

Critical dimensions and functional features should receive more attention than non-critical dimensions.

21. Visual Inspection

Common silicone defects include:

• Flash
• Kurzschüsse
• Luftblasen
• Verunreinigung
• Farbabweichung
• Tränen
• Surface marks
• Verformung

Visual standards should be defined according to the product application.

22. Functional Testing

Functional testing depends on the product.

Beispiele hierfür sind:

• Dichtheitsprüfung
• Druckprüfung
• Pull testing
• Montageprüfung
• Waterproof testing
• Valve testing
• Button force testing

For functional silicone parts, performance is often more important than cosmetic appearance.

23. Packaging Development

Packaging should be confirmed before mass production.

Options may include:

• Großverpackung
• PE bags
• Individual bags
• Plastic trays
• Custom boxes
• Retail packaging

Packaging should protect silicone parts from:

• Staub
• Verformung
• Compression
• Oberflächenschäden

Precision sealing products may require more controlled packaging than general consumer products.

24. Mass Production

After the product, tooling, material, process, quality requirements, and packaging are approved, mass production can begin.

During mass production, the manufacturer should control:

• Material batch
• Formparameter
• Abmessungen
• Aussehen
• Yield
• Verpackung
• Rückverfolgbarkeit

Stable process control is essential for consistent product quality.

25. Batch Traceability

For some industries, batch traceability is important.

Production records may include:

• Materialcharge
• Production date
• Mold number
• Machine number
• Betreiber
• Inspection record

Traceability helps identify the cause of problems if quality issues occur later.

26. Change Control

Any major change after approval should be controlled.

Beispiele hierfür sind:

• Material change
• Mold modification
• Process change
• Color change
• Supplier change

For critical applications, customers may require notification before a major change is implemented.

27. Scaling Production Volume

A project may start with a small quantity and later increase significantly.

The manufacturing plan should consider future growth.

For example, an initial 2-cavity mold may be sufficient for low-volume production.

If demand increases, a higher-cavity mold may be required.

Planning for future volume can reduce unnecessary tooling investment.

28. Common Problems During Product Development

Several problems commonly occur during silicone product development.

Incomplete Drawings

Missing tolerance or material information can delay quotation and tooling.

Unrealistic Tolerances

Excessively tight tolerances increase manufacturing difficulty.

Late Design Changes

Changing the product after tooling can be expensive.

Wrong Material Selection

Material performance may not match the application.

No Prototype Testing

Problems may only appear after tooling.

Ignoring Production Volume

The selected mold structure may not match future demand.

29. How to Reduce Development Cost

Development cost can be reduced by:

• Providing complete drawings
• Completing DFM before tooling
• Using standard materials when possible
• Avoiding unnecessary complexity
• Using realistic tolerances
• Testing prototypes early
• Planning annual volume
• Finalizing packaging before production

Early engineering communication usually saves more money than late corrections.

30. How Long Does Custom Silicone Product Development Take?

Development time depends on product complexity.

The process typically includes:

• Engineering review
• DFM
• Material confirmation
• Prototype
• Werkzeuge
• Sampling
• Approval
• Pilot production

Simple products can move through development relatively quickly.

Complex LSR, medical, automotive, or overmolded products may require more validation and testing.

The development schedule should therefore be based on project complexity rather than only mold manufacturing time.

31. What Should You Send to Start a Silicone Project?

To start a custom silicone project, provide as much of the following information as possible:

• 2D-Zeichnung
• 3D-CAD-Datei
• Anwendungsbereich des Produkts
• Silicone material
• Härte
• Farbe
• Oberflächenbeschaffenheit
• Toleranz
• Jahresvolumen
• Anfängliche Bestellmenge
• Certification requirements
• Verpackungsvorschriften

If drawings are not available, a sample, sketch, or detailed product description can be used for initial evaluation.

Fazit

Developing a custom silicone product is a step-by-step engineering process.

A successful project normally moves through:

Requirement → Design → DFM → Material Selection → Prototype → Tooling → Sample Approval → Pilot Production → Mass Production

The most important part is not moving as quickly as possible.

It is identifying and solving problems before they become expensive production issues.

Good communication between the customer and silicone manufacturer can improve mold design, material selection, product quality, production efficiency, and total project cost.

Fuhongying provides custom silicone product development services from engineering review and prototyping to tooling and mass production.

Our manufacturing capabilities include custom silicone molding, LSR injection molding, HCR compression molding, silicone overmolding, sealing components, and complex silicone parts.

We support OEM and ODM projects for baby care, medical devices, consumer electronics, automotive components, sports products, sealing applications, and industrial products.

Send us your 2D drawing, 3D file, sample, or product concept for a DFM review and quotation.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Can I develop a custom silicone product without a 3D drawing?

Yes. A physical sample, sketch, or detailed product description can be used for early evaluation. However, 2D and 3D drawings are normally recommended before production tooling.

Should I make a prototype before silicone tooling?

For new or complex products, prototyping is strongly recommended. It can help verify size, assembly, function, sealing, hardness, and ergonomics before investing in production tooling.

What is DFM in silicone product development?

DFM means Design for Manufacturing. It is an engineering review used to identify moldability, tolerance, wall thickness, demolding, parting line, flash, and other manufacturing risks before tooling.

How many samples are required before mass production?

There is no fixed number. Sampling continues until the product dimensions, appearance, material, function, and assembly meet the agreed requirements.

What is a pilot production run?

A pilot run is a smaller production batch completed before full-scale mass production. It is used to verify process stability, yield, inspection methods, packaging, and product consistency.

Can the silicone material be changed after the mold is completed?

Sometimes, but different silicone materials may have different shrinkage, hardness, curing, and processing behavior. Material changes should be reviewed with the manufacturer before implementation.