For the vulcanization and/or production of synthetic rubber seals, there is a wide variety of production methods of which the most widely used is that of mould technology. The most elementary form and also example of a mould is the toasting-iron. One bottom plate of metal and one top plate of metal and in between the product that takes the shape of the cavity of the toaster.
This is also the situation in a compression mould as used in the rubber industry. If, like with the toaster, we make only 1 product each cycle, we speak of a (pilot) mould with 1 cavity. Such a mould is well suited for the production of small numbers of products or for use in a R&D project in order to make simple and lower-cost modifications to a product, which, once approved, can be transferred 1:1 to a series mould with multiple cavities.
Series moulds are necessary if larger numbers must be produced in series under economically most favorable production conditions. In series moulds, we have compression, transfer and injection moulds.
The vulcanization process can be realised entirely in the mould, but for economic reasons, it is usually carried out in two stages.
In this way, the cycle time of an article is severely reduced, which results into lower costs.
