Liquid Injection Molding of a Silicone Pacifier

Leveraging our strong history of innovation, quality, and reliability, Elastomer Technologies formed a cross-functional alliance with a client seeking to launch a complex, high quality, high-purity product in a competitive marketplace. Our insights and agility created value for the client and allowed a smooth transition from product development into full scale production.

The multi-use pacifier highlighted here is the result of a two-year collaboration that started with a prototype model and finished with a high quality packaged product on the store shelves. After some up-front prototype development, the client approached us to assess the design for manufacturability, guide them through the material selection process, establish quality standards, and ramp up to production volume.

This part had an exceptionally difficult geometry that we adapted to a cold-deck liquid injection molding process. Our production method allowed us to use the existing two-cavity valve-gated prototype mold that the client had transferred to our facility. However, we had to re-work the valve gate configuration to provide more precise material flow into the mold and completely eliminate flash. In the meantime, we worked with the client to gather and verify critical information about the product and establish quality assurance goals and measurement standards.

Since this was a high purity product, molding and packaging took place in our Class ISO 8 cleanroom. Production involved multiple sequences on our 50-ton molding press for filling and ejection as well as the use of additional equipment for part handling. Quality inspections every 100 shots verified process consistency and product uniformity. Our post-processing packaging strategy was efficient for the initial order and engineered for easy conversion to full automation as production hit higher volume targets.

Molded from medical-grade liquid silicone rubber, the pacifier features overall dimensions of 2.0″ in length x 2.0″ in width x 2.0″ in height. It is free from flash and our technical expertise enabled us uphold tolerances of ±.003″. Since the initial order, we have transitioned this work cell to lights-out production to rapidly fulfill 10,000 unit orders.

To learn more about this project or any of our process capabilities, contact us today.