How many castings can I expect to get out of my rubber mold before it becomes unusable?
What you are really asking is, “what is the expected production life of my rubber mold?”. First, we need to distinguish between the “production life” and “library life” of a rubber mold. Library Life refers to how long a rubber mold will last in your “mold library”, just sitting on a shelf and not being used. Some mold rubbers last longer than others. Below is a chart giving you an idea of the
library life you can expect from various mold rubbers: Mold Rubber Approx. Library Life Urethane (polyether based) ReoFlex, VytaFlex, Some PMCs - 25+ Years Urethane (polyester based) PMC-724, PMC-726 - 1-7 Years (Moisture Exposure Dependent) Silicone - Economy (tin cat) OOMOO Silicones - 1 Year Silicone - Library Life (tin cat) Mold Max Series - 5-7 Years Silicone - Platinum Catalyst Smooth-Sil, Dragon Skin - 30+ Years Polysulfide FMC Series - 40+ Years Latex - 10+ (With Proper Care) Vinyl - 5+ (With Proper Care) |
