9 Tips to Extend Silicone Mold Service Life & Increase Casting Times
May 18,2026
When using silicone molds, we all want to maximize casting times and service life to save costs and improve work efficiency. How to make silicone molds more durable and long-lasting? Here are 9 practical tips to help you achieve this!
1. Choose Silicone Hardness Based on Pattern Detail When Casting
Generally speaking:
For silicone with 10–30 Shore A hardness: The higher the hardness, the better the quality.
For silicone with hardness exceeding 30 Shore A: The higher the hardness, the worse the quality.
1. For products with simple patterns (easy to demold), choose silicone with higher hardness.
2. For products with fine patterns (to avoid damage), soft silicone is usually preferred for easier demolding, but its quality may be slightly inferior. However, you can still choose harder silicone by adding a mold line to the silicone mold—it facilitates demolding and prevents mold damage from frequent pulling, thus extending service life.
2. Choose Casting or Brushing Based on Product Size
For large-sized products, use the brushing method. Although casting is more time-saving and labor-saving, it is more costly. Casting large products wastes silicone (increasing costs) and the heavy product may deform or crack the mold. Brushing allows adding multiple layers of gauze to enhance mold toughness and strength; with outer mold support, it is less likely to be damaged or deformed.
3. Select Silicone Hardness According to Product Size
1. For small products: Soft silicone is more suitable. Hard silicone makes the mold brittle, which may break small product parts and reduce mold durability.
2. For large products (e.g., stone or cement products that are hard and heavy): Soft silicone is not ideal. Overly soft silicone has lower tensile and tear strength, leading to mold deformation and shorter service life.
4. Stir Silicone and Curing Agent Thoroughly
Uneven stirring causes surface curing but internal non-curing or uneven curing, which results in mold scrap. This must be avoided.
5. Vacuum Degassing to Remove Bubbles
A mold full of bubbles will have poor tear resistance. Vacuum degassing to eliminate bubbles is essential for extending mold service life.
6. Demold Resin Products As Soon As Possible to Avoid Mold Burning
Unsaturated resin and resin products with peroxide curing agents generate a lot of heat during reaction. The general curing time is 3 minutes—demold promptly after 3 minutes to prevent mold burning.
7. Strictly Control Silicone Quality When Purchasing
Some manufacturers add composite silicone oil (a mixture of silicone oil and white mineral oil) to reduce costs, which causes severe oil seepage in the mold and seriously affects its quality and service life.
8. Avoid Adding Silicone Oil to Silicone (If Possible)
Many people add silicone oil to reduce hardness or viscosity, but this is not recommended. More silicone oil makes the mold softer, lowers tensile and tear strength, and shortens service life. If necessary, the addition ratio should not exceed 5%–10%.
9. Properly Store Unused Silicone
If you have unused silicone from a previous order, save it for similar future projects. Order silicone with appropriate hardness and viscosity for new projects. Jiajinghong silicone has a 1-year shelf life, ensuring reliable performance for later use.
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