Silicone molds are one of the most important tools in your casting workflow. With the right care, they maintain their shape, surface quality, and flexibility through repeated use. This guide walks you through cleaning, storage, what to avoid, and best
Making a Silicone Mold: Materials needed to make a mold: (Silicone and Polyurethane available here!) RS-9225 is a 25 Shore A Tin Silicone with a mix ratio by weight of 10 parts White Base material to 1 part Blue Activator.
Trapped air in a mixed polyurethane resin system can produce bubbles in the surface or wall of a cast part. To prevent the formation of voids, care must be taken during the mixing process so that air is not whipped
RAMPF provides a color-matching service for customers who purchase our polyurethanes. (We do not offer this service for competitors’ products.) However, before considering polyurethane pigmentation, there are many factors to consider. For example, UV stability may be affected; polyurethane parts
Many modelmakers, prototypers and molders of polyurethane parts must paint cured plastic surfaces to attain a production-quality finish. Some customers avoid painting by color-matching the selected polyurethane to the desired shade. RAMPF specializes in color matching our materials to virtually
Before casting a urethane part, an accurate assessment of shrinkage is a key to obtaining dimensionally accurate results. Shrink in urethane systems, and other thermoset plastics, is affected by several factors: Casting size and wall thickness Shop temperature Peak exotherm
Polyurethanes are moisture sensitive materials. Polymers that are exposed to moisture may form an indissolvable skin on the resin surface. The skin can be removed and, if no additional particles are noted in the material, a small amount of resin
UL 94 Test Standards for Plastics RAMPFS’ product line includes flame-retardant polyurethanes that are specially formulated for use in manufacturing medical devices, electrical/electronic housings and components for items such as appliances, and automotive parts. To ensure a plastic’s ability to
Among the highest performing elastomers in the RAMPF product line are polyurea/polyurethane hybrid systems that exhibit excellent durability with high strength, high heat resistance and good elongation. Specific product lines formulated using amine curatives include the IE-644 and IE-9000 families
The low-pressure rotocasting process today is seeing a resurgence in popularity fostered, in part, by the development of improved process controls and easier-to-handle plastics. Moldmaking methods have improved as well. Specifically, the combination of high-quality silicone rubbers with rigid polyurethane
Just as pilots perform a pre-flight check to verify that all systems are working properly, it is often helpful for molders of plastic parts to review material handling methods. While many of the steps involved in mixing, pouring and curing
With so many cast polyurethane systems available in the marketplace today, selecting the best material for a new prototype or part can be a most challenging process. RAMPFS’ experienced technical service team specializes in helping customers evaluate and choose materials.
At RAMPF, product quality and consistency is a top priority. As various products are manufactured, our quality control (QC) team conducts a variety of tests on both simple, uncured materials as well as mixed and cured polymers. Our technicians utilize
When polyurethanes don’t perform as expected, companies typically look for explanations such as technician error, mixing machine issues or supplier/raw materials problems. A common culprit is often overlooked…the weather. Uncontrolled shipping, storing and casting environments can cause polyurethane resins and