Silicone is very demanding in processing. The material follows its own rules in injection molding and demolding and presents challenges for mold producers and plastic molders. Semperit covers the entire value chain for liquid silicone – from prototype development and mold production to large-scale production, including cleanroom manufacturing. Find out how much technology, precision and, more recently, AI are required in the interview in figures with Thomas Aichberger, Managing Director of the Semperit subsidiary Rico, where liquid silicone expertise is bundled.
In moldmaking, accuracy in the micrometer range is required. That is a millionth of a meter. By way of comparison, what is the typical diameter of a human hair?
50-100 μm
Silicone vulcanizes extremely fast when exposed to high temperatures. This makes it possible to manufacture very thin-walled and complex parts. What temperature can be reached?
220 ℃
And what is the maximum pressure when liquid silicone is injected into the heated mold?
2500 bar
Up to how many silicone parts can be produced in a single tool within seconds?
256
Miniaturization trend: parts made of liquid silicone are found in many medical products, and they are getting smaller and smaller. How much do micro-seals for insulin pumps weigh, for example?
0.01 to 0.02 g
The demands are also growing in the medtech segment, with higher output being required. How many micro-molded parts can Rico’s most cavity-rich silicone mold deliver per day?
1.5 million
Rico is a reliable partner of the automotive industry. What percentage of molds and silicone components go to European tier 1 producers in the mobility segment?
80%
How innovative is Rico, on a scale of 0 to 100?
85
The use of artificial intelligence is revolutionizing innovation management. Your estimate: what percentage of new technologies in the LSR sector will be developed with AI support in 2030?
95%
Approximately how many Rico products does the average EU citizen encounter every day?
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