English Abstract

Technology of Rubber Molding (Part3)
Rubber Mold Design and Fabrication

Koichi YAMAGUCHI
Honorary Head, KANSAI Rubber Technical Training Course, Higashiosaka City, Osaka, Japan
Nippon Gomu Kyokaishi,(2021),94(11),372-378 General Review in Japanese

There are three types of rubber molds: compression vulcanization molds, trans-ferrous vulcanization molds and injection molding molds. These molds differ in configuration, performance and features. In designing a rubber mold, it is necessary to make it easy to feed the unvulcanized rubber compound, easy to take out the molded product, and easy to finish the burrs. Also, in designing the rubber mold, it is necessary to take into consideration the mold framework (mold size, mold vulcanization method, vulcanization machine, number of cavity, and design framework), basic structure, and elemental technologies specific to the mold. In the era of electric discharge machining, NC milling machines, and two-dimensional NC, the shapes are manufactured with high precision, but in recent years, the surface precision of rubber products has been required, and only finishing is done by hand. In the future, it is expected that the flow mechanism of unvulcanized rubber compound in cavities and channels will be clarified, and the rubber mold will be designed taking them into account to create a high function rubber mold.

Keywords: Cavity, Air-Vent, Cut-off Groove, Rubber Mold Design, Fabrication, Number of Cavity, Parting Line, Vacuum Forming