Blog
Silicone customization knowledge, industry news and buying guides.
LSR vs HCR Silicone: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Choose?
Short answer: choose LSR for precision, transparent and high-volume parts; choose HCR for thick, heat-resistant and low-volume parts. A 12-point comparison.
Food-Grade Silicone vs Standard Silicone vs TPE: How to Tell Them Apart
Short answer: use food-grade silicone for anything touching food; TPE is viable for non-food, cost-sensitive parts. The three look nearly identical — the only reliable check is the compound grade plus third-party test reports.
Silicone Keypad Conductive Methods Compared: Carbon Pill vs Metal Dome vs Conductive Ink
Short answer: metal domes for a crisp tactile click, carbon pills for high volume and low cost, conductive ink for ultra-thin designs. A 10-point comparison.
Silicone vs Rubber vs TPU: Choosing the Right Material for Seals
Short answer: silicone for wide temperature range and outdoor exposure, NBR for oil resistance, TPU for abrasion and cost. Note that silicone’s weakness is oil — choose wrong and it leaks.
Silicone OEM vs ODM: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Choose?
Short answer: choose OEM when you hold complete drawings and specs; choose ODM when you only have an idea and functional requirements. The difference is not quality but who designs it, who owns the IP and who pays for tooling. An 11-point comparison.
How to Evaluate a Silicone Supplier: 7 Measurable Acceptance Criteria
Stop choosing factories on "how big are they" or "do they have a good reputation". Seven criteria you can verify on the spot: dimensional pass rate, on-time delivery, sampling-to-production consistency, verifiable test reports, material traceability, tooling ownership and defect remediation — each with a benchmark and how to check it.
Silicone Sampling: Lead Time, Cost Benchmarks and What Drives Them
Silicone sampling typically takes 5–7 working days, yet a 3-day quote and a 30-day quote can both be honest — the difference is the sampling method. Seven stages broken down by lead time and cost level, and which spend is worth it.
GB 4806.16-2025 vs the Old Standard: What Changed for Food-Contact Silicone
GB 4806.16-2025 took effect on 2 September 2026, giving silicone rubber its own standalone standard. The headline change is a new "volatile matter ≤0.5 g/100g" limit. Twelve changes compared side by side, with compliance actions and a buyer’s question list.
How to Choose a Reliable Silicone Manufacturer?
Five key dimensions to evaluate a reliable silicone manufacturer.
Silicone Keypad Customization: From Design to Production
A complete guide to silicone keypad materials, conductivity, printing and tooling.
What Is Food-Grade Silicone? Certifications Explained
FDA vs LFGB: what they mean and how to verify food-grade silicone products.
Silicone vs Plastic: Why More Products Choose Silicone
Comparing silicone and plastic across temperature, safety, feel and sustainability.