Compression Molding

As an industry leading contract molding provider, Elastomer Technologies, Inc. (ETI) provides premium quality compression molding services. Producing parts using compression molding is very reliable and cost effective for some projects. The more parts you are able to make per cycle, the lower the cost (less time per part).

We pride ourselves on creating beautiful and very complex parts with compression molding technologies. These processes are exceptionally versatile and flexible when addressing challenges with certain part shapes. They’re also excellent for parts requiring special materials or difficult to manage inserts.

We also offer these technologies and benefits:

Special processing in a Class 100,000 clean room to minimize exposure to airborne contaminants.
Reliable equipment to provide measurable time savings, and to keep rising material and infrastructure costs in check.

Molding Materials

Silicone, Viton®, EPDM, Butyl, Polyisoprene, and Nitrile rubber are only a few of the nearly limitless materials that can be compounded and molded using this method of making parts. As with any process, a part design’s geometry, function, material property requirements, tolerances, cost objectives and quality are all considered when choosing this process.

For help deciding which material is right for your project, fill out our Design Analysis form and one of our team members will reach out to you shortly.

Industries & Applications

Because compression molding can produce parts in a wide array of lengths, thicknesses, and complexities, it is suitable for a number of industries. At ETI, we compression mold virtually any type of organic or synthetic rubber compound for industries such as the following:

Dental and Medical

Each compression molded part is safe for skin-sensitivity issues and can withstand constant sterilization. Common compression molded products for the dental/medical sector include:

Respirator masks
Precise & uniform flow control valves
Gaskets
Syringe stoppers

Consumer Products

Compression molding at ETI creates long-lasting, cost-efficient consumer parts and products in a range of shapes and sizes, such as:

Keypads
Spatulas
Shower heads toys
Buttons
Switches
Handles
Gaskets
Cookware
Household products

Food & Beverage

Our compression molded parts are FDA-compliant, food-grade, and built for the heavy demands of high performance equipment. Common food and beverage applications include:

Low-creep industrial gaskets, seals, and O-rings built to withstand exposure to food processing, transportation, and preparation
Hoses and tubes optimized for food & beverage environments
Bottle dispensers and nozzles with superior precision and liquid-flow management features

Specialty Applications

Tight tolerances and demanding timelines are no problem at ETI, and our HCR and liquid silicone can be molded for resistance to harsh environments, precision, and flexibility. Specialty applications include:

Sealants
Gaskets
Nozzles
Pressure membranes
Spark plugs
Engine components

Advantages of Compression Molding

Compression molding is a very versatile process that can be used to create unique shapes or parts with complex insert requirements in a wide range of material compounds including custom materials. Using this process for dual material molding reduces assembly time, results in very attractive and useful finished assemblies, providing a seamless look while using different materials or colors for various part features. In addition, because multiple components are molded together, tooling costs are typically significantly less for co-molded assemblies.

ETI’s breadth of expertise allows them to select from multiple molding methods to choose the optimal process for a given application. ETI provides IQ, OQ, PQ studies as required. Lead times average four to twenty-four weeks depending on a project complexity, tooling requirements and qualification requirements.

For more information, take a look at our Molding Specifications table below!