Group service · the right material, not the loudest one
We run four materials. We're not paid to push one over another.
Platinum-cure silicone, tin-cure silicone, polyurethane, and various rubbers pass through our workshop every week. That means the material recommendation you get is a technical one, not a stock-clearance one.
When it's right
Four situations where this service earns its keep.
You've been told 'silicone' and you're not sure why
It's the default recommendation for a lot of jobs. It isn't always the right one. PU is cheaper and quicker for some prototypes.
Your part sees a chemical you're worried about
Solvents, oils, alkaline concrete, acidic food — each material has a compatibility profile. We'll match it.
Your part has a temperature envelope
Cryogenic, oven, autoclave — the ceiling and floor drive the grade.
Your part is food-contact or medical
The grade and its certification matter more than the process. We start there and work back.
How it flows
Four stages, in the usual order.
- 01
Application in, material out
Tell us what the part does, not what it's made of. We'll come back with the material recommendation.
- 02
Grade shortlist
Usually two or three grades, with the honest trade-offs — hardness, tear strength, cost, cure time.
- 03
Sample if useful
For anything unusual we'll cast a small witness sample and hand it over before you commit.
- 04
Documented spec
The chosen grade goes into the mould's paperwork so you have it on record for audits.
What we need from you
To scope it properly.
What the part contacts. Food, skin, concrete, oil, air. This narrows the field fast.
Temperature range. Both extremes, not just the working temperature.
Lifecycle. One shot, hundreds of cycles, thousands of cycles — cure chemistry matters.
At a glance
The idea in a picture.
One enquiry, the right team
- 01One enquiryTell us what you need
- 02Right divisionWe bring in the specialists
- 03One quoteCovering every part of the job
- 04Named contactOne person keeps it moving
- 05DeliveredMoulds, parts or both
Swipe to see the whole diagram
FAQs
Common questions.
Can you compare silicone and PU for me?
Yes, that's a common opening question. We'll do it on the specifics of your part, not generalities.
Do you carry all these materials?
The common grades, yes. Speciality grades are ordered per job — we're honest about the lead time when they are.
Do you have data sheets?
Yes. Every grade we use comes with the manufacturer's data sheet, and we'll pass it on.
Related
Where to read next.
An engineering conversation before you commit to a route.
You have a part in mind. You're not sure whether it wants silicone or polyurethane, cast or compression, prototype or…
Design for manufacture, across five moulding routes.
A part designed for one process doesn't necessarily suit another. Our DFM review covers all five moulding routes we run…
Projects that need more than one material, coordinated as one job.
Some parts want silicone in one place and polyurethane in another. Or a rubber gasket on a silicone body. Or a hard…
The group
This service sits at the group level
TCI Group is the umbrella brand. The specialists behind this service work across all four divisions.
Get in touch
Not sure which division? Tell us what you're making.
Send us a sketch, a photograph, or a paragraph. We'll come back with the right division, the right route, and an honest sense of what it will take.
Real people, a real workshop
You deal with the people who make it.
No call centre and no middlemen. When you contact TCI Group, 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.
- Five brands, one teamMoulds, culinary, construction and contract products, all run from Bidford-on-Avon. See the divisions.
Thomas LaneManaging Director
George PrestonDesign & Project Manager
Kelly BallingerHead of Partnerships
Jim AndertonProduction Manager
TheodoreEmployee Welfare