Firmer or specialist grades
Where the hardness or compound you need isn't available as a liquid two-part system.
Silicone injection (HCR) · HCR injection
HCR injection moulding.
High-consistency silicone is the solid, putty-like form of the material. Injected into a hot steel tool, it gives you the speed of injection with access to firmer grades and specialist compounds that don't exist as liquids.
The detail
HCR or LSR — why this still matters
Liquid silicone gets most of the attention, but plenty of parts run better in HCR. Firmer hardness bands, some high-tear and high-temperature compounds, and several colour-critical grades are simply easier to source and process as solid gum.
HCR is milled, coloured and catalysed before it reaches the press, which gives us more control over the compound itself. The trade-off is a little more flash and slightly longer cycles than a well-tuned LSR tool. For many industrial and appliance parts, that's a fair exchange.
Where it fits
Where HCR injection earns its place
High-temperature parts
Heat-stabilised HCR compounds for appliance, lighting and under-bonnet components.
Steady long runs
Components bought every quarter for years, where the injection tool pays for itself over time.
How we run it
How an HCR job runs
Compound preparation
Base gum is milled with colour and catalyst to your recorded recipe, then stripped into feed for the press.
Injection and cure
The screw fills the heated cavities. Cure happens in the tool; cycle time comes from the chemistry and the wall section.
Deflash
HCR leaves a thin flash line that we remove by cryogenic trim, tumbling or hand finishing, depending on the part.
Post-cure where specified
Some grades and applications need an oven post-cure to stabilise properties. We build that into the batch where it's required.
To quote it
Helpful to know when quoting
Your target hardness
In Shore A, or just a description of the feel. We'll suggest the nearest standard grade.
Any temperature requirement
Continuous and peak temperatures change which compounds are sensible.
Colour references
A physical sample beats a code. We match against it and record the recipe.
Whether LSR has been ruled out
If you've already been quoted LSR, tell us why it didn't suit. It saves going over old ground.
At a glance
The ideas in pictures.
Which route suits your quantity
Swipe to see the whole diagram
From drawing to delivered parts
- 01Drawing or sampleYour part and where it is used
- 02Material and routeCompound and process agreed
- 03PrototypeReal parts to test
- 04Sign-offYou approve the samples
- 05Production toolBuilt for your volumes
- 06Batches and checksInspected and delivered
Swipe to see the whole diagram
Questions
What people usually ask.
Is HCR cheaper than LSR?
Material is often cheaper per kilo, and tooling can be simpler. But cycle times and finishing are usually a little longer, so total cost depends on the part. We model both where the choice is close.
Can HCR parts be food-contact or medical grade?
Yes, suitable grades exist in both families. We record the grade and batch against every run so the paperwork follows the parts.
Keep exploring
More from silicone injection (hcr).
Multi-cavity injection
More cavities means more parts per cycle and a lower cost per part. It also means a more expensive tool and more places for things to vary.…
Open this variantPrecision injection
Rubber moves, shrinks and flexes, so precision in silicone means something different from precision in metal. It means parts that come out…
Open this variantSilicone injection (HCR) overview
High-consistency silicone injected under heat into steel tooling. For a component you'll buy every quarter for years, this is the lowest…
Back to the overviewDesigned and developed in the UK. UK moulding capability, with some higher-volume production placed with trusted partners where that's the right commercial answer.
Get in touch
Tell us the part, the volume, and the timeline.
Rough annual volume, target unit price, and any deadlines. That's enough to work out whether compression, LSR injection or something else is the right tool.
Real people, a real workshop
You deal with the people who make it.
No call centre and no middlemen. When you contact TCI Products, you speak to the team who design, build and check your mould.
- A real Warwickshire workshopUnit 15, Waterloo Park, Bidford-on-Avon, Alcester B50 4JG.
- Real people on the phoneCall the team on 01789 224228, Monday to Friday.
- The same team on every jobDesign, production and aftercare come from the people you see here.
- Part of TCI GroupFive specialist brands, one engineering team. Visit TCI Group.
Thomas LaneManaging Director
George PrestonDesign & Project Manager
Kelly BallingerHead of Partnerships
Jim AndertonProduction Manager
TheodoreEmployee Welfare