Siocast will take its silicone molds to more markets with a new machine

The company Siocast was born to reinvent plastic injection technology by manufacturing silicone molds, and now it is working to take the next step. After creating the world's first machine for injecting plastic into these silicone molds, the Catalan company is exploring new markets with a second machine that will open the door to new applications of its technology.

Innovation is part of Siocast's essence. The company was born as a spin-off of Coniex Group, which has 40 years of history manufacturing industrial silicones as a family business now with 70 employees in Palau-Solità i Plegamans. "We wanted to find new uses, and we dreamed of developing plastic injection in silicone molds," recalls its CEO and co-founder, Ferran Navarro. It was in 2007 when they began to invest in R&D, and in 2019 they entered the market with their new system: "We created the world's first injection machine that is capable of injecting thermoplastic into silicone molds."

The company began to grow, and two years ago it moved to DFactory, the new economy and industry 4.0 center promoted by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB): "It facilitates the attraction of talent and the interrelation with other companies, and acts as a showcase for projects like ours," highlights Navarro. In addition, they organize workshops in the space, where they also validate processes, materials, qualities, and production speeds.

Since it launched its machine, Siocast's technology "has evolved a lot." This first machine has applications in areas such as the creation of technical and engineering parts; merchandising; plastic figures and food, especially molds for chocolate bars. Now, Siocast is developing its second machine, with which it is carrying out pilot tests that open up to new sectors, such as footwear, toys, orthopedics, and industrial parts for the automotive and railway sectors. To do this, the company is collaborating with leading companies in sectors such as sports and toys, to develop processes so that they benefit from the advantages of using silicone molds.

And that is because plastic injection is usually done in metal molds, a fact that implies slow design and manufacturing processes with a high initial investment. With silicone, processes are streamlined and made cheaper, as it is more economical and versatile. Siocast technology allows silicone molds to be manufactured in 24 hours, while conventional systems require weeks and a lot of investment.

With this technology, Siocast "has the potential to relocate production", promoting local manufacturing and sustainability through its machines, according to Navarro. Since its entry into the market, the company has sold a hundred machines worldwide, with 50% of sales in the United States and with units in countries such as Singapore, Japan and New Zealand.

The company, which registered its highest turnover in 2022, with 1.8 million euros, recently closed a financing round with business angels to boost this second phase with the new machine. Siocast now has a staff of eight workers that it plans to expand, in parallel with this expansion into new markets that will take its silicone molds to new sectors.