US injection moulding and CNC machining specialist, Proto Labs adds medical-grade liquid silicone rubber to its mouldable materials list; increasing its quick-turn injection moulding capabilities.
The Minnesota-based firm now offers Dow Corning QP1-250 mouldable silicone in addition to its standard and optical-grade LSR materials. Medical-grade LSR is a low-viscosity thermoset material particularly well-suited for medical applications. Proto Labs can manufacture 25 to 5,000+ parts in 1 to 15 days.
Parts created in LSR are strong and elastic with excellent thermal, chemical, and electrical resistance. They maintain their physical properties at extreme temperatures and withstand sterilization. LSR is biocompatible so it is frequently used in products that require skin contact. As a result, mouldable silicone lends itself well to surgical and dental applications, consumer health care products and other components that have human contact.
According to Jeff Schipper, global segmentation manager at Proto Labs, the QP1-250 is particularly beneficial to those developing wearable products for the fitness industry.