Measuring the solidification time of silicone rubber using optical inspection technology

A room temperature vulcanization silicone rubber was widely used as the mold making material due to its high elasticity, good heat-resistance and low surface energy. To enhance the efficiency of making the silicone rubber mold, accurately measuring the solidification time is an important issue. This study demonstrated a non-invasive measurement system to measure the solidification time of silicone rubber. The solidification time can be determined rapidly from the thickness of silicone rubber according to the predicted equation. The maximum relative error of the predicted equation is about 8.26%. The temperature rise of the silicone during the solidification process is an important phenomenon to determine the solidification behavior of silicone rubber. The solidification mechanism of silicone rubber mold is demonstrated.