Compression moulding elastomers

Injection moulding - Elastomers Compression moulding - Composites Hand/spray lay-up - Composites... 

Compression moulding, a primitive form of injection moulding, is widely used for elastomers and some thermosets. However, it suffers from the primitive control of melt flow, although tools are simple and production rates high. The features that may become defects are similar to those of injection moulding. Perhaps the most sophisticated method is used in tyre building, where temperature control is crucial to achieving the best properties of the many different parts of the product. 

Thermo set as well as thermoplastic and elastomer binders are used in compression, injection and calendaring process respectively. Extrusion moulding uses elastomers as well as thermoplastic materials such as PVC. Compression and injection moulding processes make only rigid magnets, calendaring makes flexible magnets and extrusion can lead to both states. 

Ethylene-propylene elastomers are being more and more widely used in the construction of electric cable terminals. This is an application which is not well known but the application of ethylene-propylene elastomers in this application is prestigious because many assembly, maintenance and reliability problems have been solved. Basically, these are insulating compounds which are very similar to those used for medium and high tension cable insulation and which are either compression, transfer or injection moulded to produce these important accessories. 

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