Understanding Silicone Extrusion Quality Standards

For businesses striving to maintain their lead in the UK Silicone Rubber Manufacturing market, quality and precision are paramount.

We take great pride in our rigorous quality control systems, which are continually refined and improved upon.

Our silicone rubber extrusion manufacturing adheres to a quality management system that is compliant with ISO 9001:2015 standards. This requires a business to consistently deliver products and services that meet the needs of customers as well as statutory and regulatory demands, with the goal of boosting customer satisfaction through the system's effective implementation.

Additionally, our manufacturing partners are dedicated to sustainability, adhering to ISO 14001:2015 standards, which outline the criteria for an environmental management system designed to improve environmental performance.

Silicone rubber manufacturing regulations

In the manufacturing of specific silicone rubber types, there is a broad range of tolerances, regulations, and standards that extrusions must adhere to, based on their intended application.

For instance, customers often inquire about the FDA compliance of their materials, typically for use in food processing lines. Numerous material grades used in our extrusions are indeed FDA compliant, and we also offer materials that meet the standards for drinking water approval and pharmaceutical industry use.

Standards include:

  • USP CLASS VI
  • FDA § 177.2600
  • BfR XV Silicones regulations
  • WRAS
  • EC 1935/2004

Our GP60 material, one of our most sought-after grades, frequently prompts inquiries regarding compliance with various standards, approvals, and regulations.

These include the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), REACH Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC), and regulations on Ozone Depleting Substances. We can confirm that GP60 meets these requirements, among others.

Silicone rubber extrusions for rail and aviation industries

One of the silicone rubber grades we supply to the rail and aviation industries is FR70R. The most frequent inquiries we receive about this grade concern its compliance with the UL94-V0 flammability standards and, most crucially, whether the material meets the EN45545-2:2020 requirements for Rail and FAR25.853(a) for Aircraft. We are pleased to inform you that FR70R does indeed comply; it has undergone testing for rail specifications, aircraft material flammability, burning behavior, smoke density, and various other flame retardancy tests.

  • Vertical Combustion UL94-V0
  • BS6853 Cat 1
  • Aircraft FAR 25.853(a)
  • Rail EN45545-2:2020, HL1 – HL2 – HL3
  • EN 45545 Part 2

Please don't hesitate to request additional information on any of these compliance standards from the team.

Additionally, we offer various grades of silicone rubber that meet different standards. Therefore, ensure you provide all the necessary compliance details with your enquiry.

Silicone Rubber Tolerances

The silicone rubber tolerances we are asked to work to also come with standards of their own which must be met, and we ordinarily offer the following:

  • ISO3302 E1 for our Extruded Silicone Rubber Profiles, tube, strip and cord
  • ISO3302 M2 for our Silicone Rubber Mouldings
  • ISO3302 L2 for our cut lengths of profiles

Exceptions may apply for large or irregular profiles, or for materials that are challenging to process. We will detail the tolerances provided in your quote, but should you have any specific questions regarding tolerancing, please contact our team who will gladly assist you.

In certain instances, we can maintain tighter tolerances than those specified by ISO3302 E1 standards. If you identify the critical dimension on your drawing before the quotation stage, we can collaborate to establish achievable and repeatable manufacturing tolerances tailored for your unique application.

We are also able to define tolerances as either negative or positive only, to ensure clearance or a better fit, depending on the requirements of your application.

Finding the right silicone rubber manufacturer

All our silicone rubber extrusions adhere to the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) standards. These are two critical environmental regulations concerning hazardous materials, applicable to companies supplying products to the European Union and beyond.

Should you require information on standards and regulations not listed here, please reach out to us directly. We are eager to assist with grade selection during your design phase to ensure material compliance appropriate for your sector.

Recognizing the significance of meeting your quality and performance criteria, we invite you to contact a member of our team for further details on how we maintain high-quality standards for all our clients.

The Seal Extrusion Company is fast becoming is a leading supplier of both standard and custom silicone extrusions. To find out more about our silicone rubber manufacturing services contact us on +44 (0)1787 827070 or sales@sealextrusions.co.uk