Injection Moulding

This is the most widely used manufacturing process in the world today. Gemini have spent decades perfecting this process and have kept at the forefront of material technology to ensure we are able help our customers meet their sustainability targets.

Thermoplastic

The process for injection moulding consists of plastic being fed into a heated barrel and screw of an injection machine which is then injected into a mould cavity at high pressure. The plastic is then held inside the mould for varying times until it has cooled. The mould and clamping unit will open to allow the finished component to be ejected from the mould either manually or automatically so that the process can be repeated.

LSR (Liquid Silicone Rubber)

This process is becoming more common as the demand for high performance products increases.

Accessing this process for niche volume production is not normally possible but here at Gemini we have created a unique speed mixer system which has been specifically developed for supporting low volume manufacturing. Our accurate components are produced in a variety of medical and FDA approved silicones. We have also developed a process where silicone can be over-moulded onto a thermoplastic substrate; special surface treatment ensures a permanent bond.

The key benefit with our system is that we can change to another grade of silicone in seconds with virtually no waste compared to traditional LSR machinery which takes many hours and wastes several kilograms of expensive material. This means that valves and seals can be sampled in an incremental range of hardness so the optimum function can be achieved.

The benefits of using Liquid Silicon (LSR) are:

• Extremely elastic
• Odourless
• Tasteless
• Chemical and bacteria resistant
• UV resistant
• Ageing resistant
• Good resistance to extreme temperatures
• Superior tensile strength
• Able to operate normally from -55°C to +300°C
• FDA biocompatibility