Everything You Need To Know About Custom Your Silicone Skin

For years, silicone has been used in mobile phone cases, iPad covers, electronic products, medical devices, and other industrial applications. Have you ever wanted to make a custom silicone skin for your company’s instrument…just like your iPhone case?

Silicone is the ideal material for cases, skins, and covers because it is durable, lightweight, and shock-absorbent. It is also non-toxic, heat-resistant, and waterproof, making it an excellent choice for protecting your device. Its flexibility also makes it easy to apply and remove, and it won’t scratch or damage your device. In addition, silicone cases and skins are available in a variety of colors and patterns to suit your tastes.

Most electronics/industrial equipment starts with a plastic enclosure but sometimes the plastic doesn’t offer enough protection. Silicone cases and skins can be custom molded around your product to assist with shock absorption, and protective shielding and can improve aesthetics.

While silicone offers innate benefits to custom cases, this optimal material needs to pair with optimal design and manufacturing techniques to get the most effective and functional result.

1. Design your custom silicone skin

Well-crafted silicone skins start with a good design. When designing your custom silicone skin/ cover, remember to follow the 3 points:

1.1 Understanding the function needed for the silicone skin

Silicone case needed for impact/ drop-proofing— Increase protection at sensitive areas, usually around corners and edges. Add extra cushioning from drops and heavy everyday usage.
Silicone skins designed to improve user interaction or branding–If you want your device to stand out and for your branding to shine bright, you can add your logos and specific features onto the silicone skins to give your product branding power.
Silicone cases are designed to provide a secure grip to your device–you can design the silicone cases with a tactile surface for better grip. Silicone covers are often able to provide extra grip, making it easier to hold the device.

1.2 Ports and connections on the device that need to be accessible

If your device needs access points for functionality, you should create cut-aways, ports, and flaps for an uninterrupted user experience. Protecting your device does not have to limit its functionality.

1.3 The protective silicone skin thickness

The thickness of silicone skin can be customized to the protection needed for your device. A thinner thickness may work best to protect from scratches. Thicker walls can add shock absorption.

As a custom case provider, Silicone has experience custom molding silicone cases and skins around a variety of products like POS devices, game consoles, remote controllers, etc. Our professional engineering team can help you with your custom silicone skin design.3D model will be sent to you for confirmation.

2. Custom your silicone skin tooling requirement

Manufacturing custom silicone skin requires professional knowledge of tooling and molding production. Tool-making is one of the core processes in silicone skin development. Properly designing, building, and assembling requires a highly skilled team of engineers and technicians utilizing the latest in sophisticated design and manufacturing technologies.

Shrinkage

Assmbly is one of the keypoint should take into consideration in custom silicone case development. To custom a silicone case that can fit snugly on your devices, it is important to create a mold that is designed specifically for the shape and size of the device. The mold should be designed with the exact measurements of the device. and the exact material that will be used to create the case.

Shrinkage rate is the amount of contraction that occurs when the material cools from the temperature of the mold to the temperature of the environment. Different materials will have different shrinkage rates. Silicone as an elastic material also has a shrinkage rate. This must be taken into account when designing the mold so that the part fits properly. If the shrinkage rate is too low, the part may not fit properly and if it is too high, the part may be too loose.

Tool surface finish

Proper tool surface finishes can enhance the silicone case’s appearance and pleasant hand touch. Once the design is finalized, the mold should then be tested to ensure that the silicone case fits correctly and securely onto the devices. Additionally, the mold should be designed to create a design that will allow for easy removal and installation of the case.

3. Custom your silicone skin manufacturing

Silicone raw material selection

Tensile strength–For silicone cases ask for good rebound resilience and tear strength, high tensile strength silicone will be needed.
Flame retardant— For some electric industry special applied silicone cases that used in high temperatures, flame retardant silicone will be needed.
Material durometer— the silicone durometer will affect the assembly of silicone cases, if too soft, the silicone cases will be loose or deformed. If too hard, it will be hard to install/remove the cases from your devices.

Custom silicone covers surface treatment

Oil spraying–oil spraying can give silicone covers a good hand-touch feeling. It also has an anti-static function to keep the cases from attracting dust.
Printing–Print your company logo or slogan onto silicone covers to increase your brand awareness.

design and manufacture custom silicone skins covers

HB Silicone is a professional silicone manufacturer offering custom silicone case solutions. From silicone case design to mass production, we offer full-stage support to get your custom molded skins designed and delivered in as soon as 2~3 weeks. Welcome to call us to put your custom silicone skin project into motion!

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