Shin-Etsu Silicones demonstrates KEG-2001-60-LIMS at 2022 Silicone Expo

Akron, OH – Shin-Etsu Silicones of America (SESA: A U.S. subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd., Japan) recently premiered advanced technical demonstrations in collaboration with industry leading machinery and equipment partners at the 2022 Silicone Expo (Huntington Place, Detroit, MI). The demos featured Shin-Etsu’s fast-cure KEG-2001-60 LIMS (Liquid Injection Molding System) product’s advanced handling and molding properties being run in the production of silicone Wayfarer style sunglasses.
Shin-Etsu’s KEG2001-60 is a very fast-cure type LIMS silicone supplied as two, A/B translucent components which are mixed in a 1:1 ratio to ensure easy and accurate blending. The 60 durometer, Shore A hardness product features a viscosity low enough to allow easy pumping through most injection molding systems. Notably, the product features high tear strength, rapid cure time at elevated temperature, and long pot life at room temperature. Beyond the complex sunglass configuration at the demo, the USP class VI certified “workhorse” product is ideal for typical applications including: O-rings, diaphragms, gaskets, medical devices, baby care components, and consumer products.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery (Suwanee, GA), one of the leading manufacturers of plastic injection molding machines in the world, provided its SE130EV-A all-electric injection molding machine at the center for the collaborative Silicone Expo demo.
The machine, which advances zero-defect molding capabilities, is based on their Japanese plastic machines but has unique features for a LSR configuration that is now available in North America. Noting a push for thermoplastics molding machines to implement more LSR options, Sumitomo’s SE130EV-A has capabilities spanning LSR applications in medical, automotive, connectors, amongst others.
One key feature used from their micro molding techniques in plastics was a positively locking SK screw tip assembly that shuts material off, so it doesn’t backflow along the flights of the screw during the injection process. It effectively turns the end of the screw into a plunger after it’s shot in the material, delivering a very controlled volume of material pushing in every time. This is essential since shot regularities are key for part weight consistency and part density, particularly for a light material like LSR which flows like water at times.