Manufacturing Glossary is important for buyers. The common Manufacturing Glossary is Abrasion Resistance, Blemish, Clamping Force, Deflashing, Elastomer, Flow Marks, Heat Sealing, O-Ring, Viscosity, etc.

Common Manufacturing Glossary:
Abrasion Resistance: The ability of a rubber compound to withstand mechanical wear.
Adhesion: Material sticking or holding against another material.
Blemish: A defect or deformity on the surface of a rubber component.
Blister: A raised or bubbled blemish on a custom rubber component caused by an air pocket.
Bloom: A milky discoloration caused by the migration of compounds on the surface of a rubber component after molding or storage.
Brittleness: The tendency of a rubber product to crack, break or snap under pressure; fragility.
Clamping Force: The amount of pressure placed on a mold to keep it closed during a molding life cycle.
Cold Runner: A channel in a rubber mold that carries molding material to mold cavities during injection molding processes.
Color Streaks: A rubber product defect characterized by a variation in color or a streaking pattern in the molded component.
Compression Molding: The molding process in which rubber compound is placed in a heated cavity, which is compressed and filled.
Deflashing: The process of removing the excess rubber material (or flash) from a molded product.
Delamination: A molded rubber defect characterized by the forming of several layers of material or the appearance of separate layers on the surface of a component.
Die: A manufacturing tool used to stamp or cut out a rubber material during compression.
Durometer: A tool used to measure the hardness of rubber products.
Elasticity: The ability of rubber to return to its original state after removing force such as compression.
Elastomer: A polymer with similar elasticity to rubber.
Flash: Excess molding material on the surface or joints of rubber products.
Flow: The ability of heated rubber, silicone or other polymers to pass through channels and runners into mold cavities.
Flow Marks: A manufacturing defect caused by improper flow of rubber material indicated by a wavy surface.
Gasket: A component used to retain liquids or gases or a seal caused by the compression of two machined materials.
Gate: The opening of an injection, compression or transfer mold that ensures flow of rubber, silicone or other polymers.
Hardness: The measurement of resistance to force of a polymer component.
Heat Sealing: Method of sealing or joining rubber products by applying constant heat and pressure
Injection Molding: A manufacturing molding process in which rubber, silicone or other polymer materials are heated and forced through runners into a mold.
Injection Ram: The screw or pin that places pressure on the heated compound and forces it into a mold cavity.
LCP: Liquid crystal polymer.
LIM: Liquid injection molding is a manufacturing process that uses LSR in an injection molding machine.
LSR: Liquid silicone rubber is the silicone material used in the liquid injection molding process.
Machining: The process of cutting, molding, shaping or finishing products by machine
Material Hopper: A container used to store raw polymer materials and pour them into a machine for manufacturing processes.
Mold Cavity: The hollow space of a mold where the rubber or silicone is shaped.
Mold Storage: The process in which custom molds are organized, maintained and stored. Orient catalogs their custom molds and stores them in a climate controlled room.
Monomers: A molecule that can go through the process polymerization.
Multi-Shot: The molding process that provides the ability to shoot two or more materials into a mold.
O-Ring: A torus shaped mechanical gasket used to seal liquids or gases.
Oscillating Seal: The inner or outer member of this seal circles around the axis of a shaft
Overflow: A receptacle for excess rubber compound ensuring the cavity mold is completely filled.
Overmold: A molding process that allows previously molded parts to be reinserted forming a new layer of polymer material around the first component.
Oxidation: The chemical reaction of oxygen with rubber involving the transfer of electrons, reducing elastomer strength. This can cause rubber components to crack or become brittle.
Permeability: The ability of a liquid or gas to diffuse through a rubber or other polymer product or component.
Polymers: A long molecular chain material formed by the combination of multiple individual units.
Pressure Injection: Pressure placed on the injection ram where the rubber materials are injected into a mold.
Quad Ring: An elastomeric ring seal or gasket with a four lobed cross-section.
Radial Seal: Compression applied to the inside and outside of an o-ring gasket.
Resins: Injection moldable materials such as silicone, rubber, other polymers.
RMA: Rubber Manufacturers Association.
Rubber Natural: Raw or crude rubber produced from certain plants and vegetables.
Runner: A mold’s distribution system that rubber material travels through to the cavities.
Short Shot: A lack of rubber material caused by either low pressure, cool temperatures, injection speed, etc.
Shrinkage: The contraction of rubber material after molding and cooling.
Silicone Molding: The manufacturing process in which liquid silicone rubber is heated and injected through a series of runners into a mold producing pliable products such as gaskets, seals and membranes.
Sprue: A passage liquid rubber material passes through on its way into the mold during injection molding.
Stringiness: A string like or fibrous remnant on a rubber component left over from a previous injection shot.
Substrate: The adhesive material used to coat or bond to the surface of another material.
Thin-Wall Injection Molding: A specialized version of injection molding focusing on the manufacturing of thin or light rubber components.
Tonnage: Measurement of size or carrying capacity of a shipping vessel; weight measured in tons.
Transfer Molding: A molding process in which rubber compound is placed in a pot that is part of the mold, heated and squeezed through sprues and runners into the mold cavity.
Two-Shot: Refers to a type of mold used in injection molding, more specifically for overmolding. The first shot of rubber material is injected into the mold with space left for a second shot, usually for rubber of a different type or color.
Viscosity: The measurement of resistance to flow under stress.
Voids: The absence of material or empty space in a mold where rubber material did not fill.
Vulcanization: The irreversible thermal process converting polymers or rubber into a more durable and resistant compound.
Warping: A defect that results in a twisted or distorted rubber product usually caused by incorrect temperature
Weld Line: A defect that results in a discolored line where two flow fronts converge.

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