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Liquid Silicone Rubber 38 MoldMaking Technology November 2015 by Matthew Danford This increasingly popular thermoset material follows very different rules than any plastic. The LSR Learning Curve Even the most experienced thermoplastic toolmaker or molder will find that certain strategies just don't translate to LSR. A t M.R. Mold & Engineering, orders for plastic injec- tion tooling often inspire high fives on the shop floor. "I hope this doesn't offend some of my friends in the industry, but we've found that plastic molds are just easier," says Rick Finnie, company president. Although M.R. Mold churns out plenty of those, its true competitive edge is expertise in liquid silicone rubber (LSR), a free-flowing thermoset material. This is an edge that's proven particularly lucrative lately. Thanks largely to expanding use of this thermoset material, the pace of this Brea, California, company's growth has been unprecedented during the past few years, Finnie says. However, he emphasizes that market forces alone would never have been enough for the company to become one of the few go-to sources of LSR tooling on this continent. A special- ized sector requires specialized knowledge, and gaining the abil- ity to deal effectively with requirements foreign to thermoplas- tic tools took years of experimentation and a commitment to prioritize this work over all else. The case is the same for devel- oping niche processing expertise that's in high demand among molders and OEMs moving into this sector. In fact, M.R. Mold even markets its own auxilia- ry products, which run the gamut from mate- rial feed to part ejection (see the Learn More on page 44). Having come this far, Finnie and the rest of the company's leadership are confident that M.R. Mold will maintain its reputation for LSR for as long as these applica- tions are in demand. In the meantime, he says they're more than happy to share their expertise with the broader industry. Catching a Wave M.R. Mold hasn't always been known for LSR. Founded as a rubber compression and transfer moldmaker by Finnie and a single employee in 1985, the shop grew steadily until the indus- A typical example of M.R. Mold's work, this 32-cavity LSR mold for a consumer electronics part features a three-plate design and intricate cavity detail. Images courtesy of M.R. Mold & Engineering. try experienced an exodus of work overseas around the turn of the century. With previous experience in building molds for this thermoset material, he and his team saw an opportunity to emphasize LSR work and carve out a niche. The shop hasn't looked back, and the time and effort required to truly master LSR has proven well worth it. Sales are expected to reach the $5 million mark for the first time ever this year, and LSR constitutes about 90 percent of that business, says Geralyn Anderson, marketing director. During the past few years, the 15,000-square-foot facility has added six new employees, bringing the grand total to 30, and added a slew of new equip- ment, including a high-end Yasda VMC, a laser engraver, a new injection press (the shop has five) and more. Nonetheless, backlogs reached unprecedented levels in 2014 and 2015. This activity is being driven largely by OEMs finding new applications for LSR, Anderson says, particularly in the medi- cal and consumer products industries. In addition to being fully biocompatible, the material tolerates harsh chemicals and extreme temperatures. That makes it useful for medical devices subjected to high heat during sterilization, or perhaps