Pad Printing Silicone Selection Guide 4 Models Comparison How to Choose Right Pad Head Material

2026,09,11

Many customers new to pad printing often ask: there are so many Pad Printing Silicone models, 901, 902, 912, 916, what are the differences? Which model should I choose? This guide provides a comprehensive comparison of 4 models to help you make the right selection.

Understanding 4 Models Basic Parameters

HY-901 is the economy grade with 23 Shore A hardness, tensile strength ≥3.0MPa, tear strength ≥12kN/m and elongation ≥300%. This is the most affordable model with the highest cost performance, suitable for most general purpose pad printing applications.

HY-902 is the high wear grade with 28 Shore A hardness, tensile strength ≥4.0MPa, tear strength ≥18kN/m and elongation ≥320%. With the best wear resistance and longest pad head service life of 100,000 to 150,000 prints, it is suitable for high volume, high frequency production.

HY-912 is the multi color universal grade with 25 Shore A hardness, tensile strength ≥3.5MPa, tear strength ≥15kN/m and elongation ≥350%. With good resilience and excellent ink transfer performance, it provides high overprint accuracy, suitable for multi color overprinting and fine pattern printing.

HY-916 is the super soft grade with 16 Shore A hardness, tensile strength ≥2.5MPa, tear strength ≥10kN/m and elongation ≥400%. With the lowest hardness and strongest conformability, it is suitable for large curvature irregular curved surface printing.

Select by Product Shape

The first key selection factor is your product shape. For flat or slightly curved products such as flat signs, buttons, packaging boxes and regular gift items, HY-901 economy grade is fully sufficient. Flat products do not require high pad head conformability, and normal hardness achieves good results.

For multi color overprinting such as color logos, gradient patterns and complex decorations, choose HY-912 multi color universal grade. Multi color overprinting requires high resilience and consistent ink transfer, and HY-912 excels in these areas.

For irregular shapes with large curvatures or obvious concave convex surfaces such as special shaped handicrafts, curved cosmetic bottles and complex electronic housings, choose HY-916 super soft grade. Super soft pad heads have large deformation capability, perfectly conforming to complex curved surfaces.

Select by Production Volume

The second key factor is production volume. For small and medium batch, multi variety, frequent product change production such as handicraft manufacturers and advertising gift companies, HY-901 economy grade is sufficient. The 50,000 to 80,000 print life is fully adequate, and the affordable price means low pad head remake costs.

For high volume, high frequency, automated production lines such as large electronics factories and toy factories, choose HY-902 high wear grade. HY-902 pad head life reaches 100,000 to 150,000 prints, and although the unit price is slightly higher, fewer pad head changes mean lower comprehensive usage costs.

Select by Budget

For limited budgets or entry level operations, HY-901 economy grade offers the lowest price with the highest cost performance, fully meeting most general pad printing requirements. For sufficient budgets pursuing high quality and efficiency, select the corresponding model based on product shape and volume: HY-912 for multi color, HY-902 for high volume, HY-916 for complex curved surfaces.

Selection Summary

Simple selection mnemonic: use 901 for flat general purpose, 912 for multi color overprint, 902 for high volume production, and 916 for complex curved surfaces. Free sample testing is available to help you verify performance before bulk ordering.

Author:

Ms. zhou

E-mail:

alice@szrl.net

Phone/WhatsApp:

+86 18938861889