BOOK NOW

Agenda

Registration and morning refreshments
Chair's opening remarks
Oliver Franssen, Marketing Expert, Sigma Engineering GmbH
Session 1: MARKET OVERVIEW AND FUTURE TRENDS
Silicone applications in nuclear power plant installation: Future trends and new markets
Session 2: REGULATORY UPDATES AND HOW THESE IMPACT APPLICATIONS
Driving Sustainability Forward: The Role of Silicone Elastomers
The global warming potential and environmental regulations pose challenges to shareholders involved in chemical production, part and component manufacturing, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
  • New solutions can help reducing energy input, waste, and emissions along the supply chain. Recent advancements in chemical processes have enabled the production of silicone elastomers with significantly lower volatile content and reduced presence of siloxanes.
  • New formulations and optimized curing technologies support a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) injection molding process that offers shorter cycle times and lower molding temperatures leading to reduced energy costs and a lower CO2 footprint in part manufacturing
  • New products enable the adoption of advanced technologies for New Energy Vehicles.

Heiko Bayerl | Marketing Manager Elastomers Automotive Europe, Momentive Performance Materials GmbH
Networking break
Biomedical & Implant-grade Silicone Elastomers : Regulatory Considerations and a Case study
Silicone elastomers have long been used in medical and biomedical applications due to their chemical inertness, biocompatibility, and mechanical properties. Within this field, long-term implants (defined as medical devices staying 30 days or more in the body) represent the most demanding application. Regulations applying to this class of medical device have an impact on the expectations of medical device manufacturers to their silicone supplier. After reviewing a few of these expectations, we will focus on a case study about drug-eluting devices; adding on top the challenges of the chemical compatibility between the drug and the silicone network.
Clément des Courières | Market Manager Healthcare EMEA, Elkem Silicones
Session 3: 2K PARTS IN LSR
Customer-oriented evaluation strategy: from customer wishes to successful Value Evaluation Management for parts made of LSR or 2-Shot
2k Parts In LSR: New Approaches
We will be discussing the production of 2K (two-shot) parts, wherein at least one component is made of silicone. We will delve into the challenges involved in molding silicone and achieving robust adhesion with engineering thermoplastics. One significant challenge stems from the low viscosity of silicone. Our talk will explore a game-changing alternative that involves using molds with movable cores (core-back) and two channels, allowing for the sequential flow of different materials. This innovative system creates "compact" molds, offering a cost-effective solution that eliminates the need for expensive equipment like rotational plates or robot handling. By adopting these new concepts, we can transform consumer goods by producing parts with both soft-touch surfaces and rigid regions, while also exploring the use of different substrates in 2K parts with silicone, ultimately saving time and money.
Cátia Ruivo | CEO, Turtle Petals
Networking lunch
 
Session 4: AUTOMOTIVE THERMAL MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS (joint session with TPE)
TPE for future electrified vehicles and sustainability
Networking break
SILASTIC™ Liquid Silicone Rubber for FR Rated Automotive Components
  • Electrification in Vehicles – contact with flame-retardant rated Thermoplastics
  • Stability of Silicone Elastomers – degradation signals via FR by-product’s from TPs
  • Solution – new Silastic™ LSR system providing stable sealing performance

Dr Michael Backer | Senior Research Scientist, Dow Silicones Deutschland GmbH
Sealing Requirements for High Voltages in Automotive
Chair summary and end of day one
Networking drinks reception (joint with TPE World Summit)
Registration and morning refreshments
Chair's opening remarks
Hans Peter Wolf, Science & Technology Expert
Session 5: MATERIAL CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
Challenges With New Material Approvals in Aerospace
The presentation includes a journey through Honeywell Aerospace Yeovil exciting history of pilots’ oxygen systems development. Starting from equipping the first flight over Mount Everest, and developing high altitude flight systems through the century to achieve bespoke quality for highly technical jet pilots Environmental and oxygen systems working in high G. I will also explain the exciting science behind OBOG. The second part will explain the legacy rubber used by many aerospace companies. DTD specifications silicone rubber were withdrawn 30 years ago but still appear on many aerospace drawings. The third part will explain the process of reapprovals of new material and how time-consuming and high labour it can be.
Kalina Kwiatkowska | Senior Elastomers Engineer and Obsolescence Case Manager, Honeywell Aerospace
Optimizing Addition Cure TIM
Thermal interface materials used in high performance electronics must satisfy multiple contradictory characteristics including high filler loading, while maintaining low viscosity for liquid dispensing and low hardness after cross-linking. Recent improvements in synthesis have made long chain silicon hydride available with terminal SiH hydride groups. By combining an SIH polymer and a divinyl polymer of equivalent molecular weights (MW) an overall lowering of the viscosity of the binder formulation can be achieved. This allows the final formulation to retain low hardness and high flexibility even when highly filled with thermally conductive materials. To minimize the viscosity a low MW, low viscosity vinyl polymer is used. To create long polymer chain lengths necessary for low hardness, a dihydride chain extender is selected. The closer to a 1:1 ratio between hydride and vinyl the less sensitive the formulation. Use of a SiH chain extender of equivalent MW to the vinyl polymer can minimize property variation due to weigh-up deviation.
Charles Olsen | Global Market Manager, BRB North America
Influence of the crosslinking system on the mechanical and physical properties of high consistency silicone rubber foamed with water
This talk will present the influence of different crosslinking systems on high consistency silicone foams foamed with a water-silica mixture. Here the structural and mechanical properties are considered.
Timo Hofman | Research Associate, University of Kassel, Institute of Materials Engineering, Department UNIpace
Networking refreshment break
Session 6: TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS AND APPLICATIONS
4D silicone printing : State of the art and SiO-Shaping® applications
4D printing  based on silicone; Sterne materials development for 4D printing and some examples. Expectations and our perspective for this project and innovative material.
Anthony Pellafol | Research and Development Manager, Sterne
Technologies make a Difference - from Startup to Full Service Supplier
- Holistic Development
- Connected Technologies
- Practical Examples in Medical Applications
- Outlook
Philipp Metz | CEO and Founder, Psilkon GmbH & Co. KG
Networking lunch
Session 7: NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PROCESSING
Chair: Gary Crutchley, Consultant, Smithers
HTV/HCR silicone rubber processing - smart solutions for metering and injection molding

Joint presentation:
Dimitri Gunzadse, Application Manager Silicone Injection Moulding, ARBURG GmbH & Co KG 


Markus Heindl | Sales, ACH Solution GmbH
Understand and Predict Shrinkage of Silicones
Simulation of LSR production processes is already state of the art. A lot of companies are using SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding to predict the mold temperature as well as filling and curing during the process to avoid problems in production and optimize the cycle time. Nevertheless the prediction of process shrinkage often leads to issues since necessary material data are not available and characterization procedures are not yet established. Together with several partners SIGMA Engineering GmbH is working on new procedures to predict the process dependent shrinkage of LSRs. In the presentation first results as well as the cooperation with partners and material suppliers will be discussed.
Timo Gebauer | Executive Manager , SIGMA Engineering GmbH
Review of relevant standards for post-curing ovens
In the presentation we will share ageing test results that have been performed based on the BfR determination. Delegates will also hear about the newly issued ISO 188:2023 and the relevant apparatus. Finally, a process proposal based on the EN 1539 would allow for energy savings and allow for discussion.
Stefan Betz | Product Manager - Heat Technology, Weiss Technik GmbH
Crosslinking Peroxides for Silicone Elastomers
Peroxide crosslinking of high temperature vulcanization (HTV) silicone rubber compounds can be carried out with a variety of organic peroxides. As the product range of organic peroxides and silicone rubbers is broad, it does lead to a multitude of possibilities to fulfill process and final market requirements. Unfortunately, the wide choice of products does also lead to some confusion due to poor understanding of the curative. To facilitate selection of the correct organic peroxide, details of general purpose and vinyl specific peroxides will be highlighted. Characteristics of the most important organic peroxides used to produce silicone rubber articles, will be highlighted; special attention will be given to a halogen-free general purpose peroxide. With this presentation the chemistry behind the cure process is explained in more detail. The importance of vinyl-units, playing an important role in the “addition cure process” of silicone rubbers, will also be shown and commented upon.
Leo Nijhof | Global Technical Development Manager – Crosslinking Peroxides & Polymer Additives, Nouryon
Chair’s summary and close of event

Download the Programme

If you would like to view further details of each presentation, please download a copy of the programme using the button below.

Silicone-Elastomers-2023-17-11-23