Table of Contents
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What are silicone bibs
- Material of silicone bibs
- Types of silicone bibs
- Users of silicone bibs
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Advantages of silicone bibs
- Baby feeding bibs are safe and non-toxic
- Feeding bibs are adjustable in size
- Silicone bibs are easy to clean
- Food catcher bibs avoid food waste
- Baby silicone bibs are easy to carry around
- Baby silicone bibs are cute and durable
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Disadvantages of silicone bibs
- Silicone bibs are slightly more expensive
- Silicone bibs need to be stored carefully
- How to care for and clean silicone bibs
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How to choose silicone bibs
- If you are the parent of a baby
- If you are a distributor or brand owner
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How are silicone bibs produced
- First draft of the drawing
- Moulding
- Production
- Quality control
- Baking
- Packed and shipped
- Final words
What are silicone bibs
Silicone bibs are currently the best answer to parents' nightmare of washing their baby's clothes. As babies grow up and reach the stage where they learn to eat on their own, food scraps and various stains can paint an irregular picture on their clothes, which is a major headache for parents. Silicone bibs can be worn around baby's neck before eating and are great for keeping all kinds of food scraps and sauces in the bib and protecting baby's clothes from stains, and they also come in handy when baby is playing with dirt, mud, play-doh or paint.
Silicone bib materials
Silicone bibs are made of food grade silicone, also known as FDA food grade rubber. FDA stands for the US Food and Drug Administration, an international medical review body authorised by the federal government as well as national food and drug regulatory authorities, FDA certification is the international authority for food-grade silicone certification.
Baby feeding bibs made from food-grade silicone are BPA-free, and many studies have shown that exposure to BPA may affect neurological development and immune system function. Especially in infants and young children, BPA can disrupt the endocrine system and may cause fertility problems, precocious puberty and affect breast development and reproductive function. BPA-free silicone feeding bibs are safe for your baby's health.
In addition, the silicone feeding bibs are soft and fit comfortably on the baby's chest and protect the baby's clothes from food waste. Because of their healthy properties, silicone bibs are skin-friendly and do not cause skin irritation, redness or itching like rubber or textile bibs.
Types of silicone bibs
The silicone bibs are basically the same in shape, almost all with a crumb catcher design and a protruding pocket at the bottom of the bib to catch dropped food. So there is no great distinction between the types of silicone bibs, but rather a wide choice of sizes, colours, patterns and ways to adjust the size.
- Size adjustments are made by Velcro, buttons etc.
- The size needs to be age-appropriate.
- Silicone bibs are available in a wide range of colours and patterns, and can be customised at the silicone bib manufacturer if you are a distributor or brand owner.
Users of silicone bibs
Silicone bibs are overwhelmingly aimed at babies who are learning to eat on their own, elderly people with mobility problems and some people with disabilities.
Advantages of silicone feeding bibs
Baby feeding bibs are safe and non-toxic
The first consideration with any item for your baby is their safety. Silicone bibs are made from 100% food grade silicone, lead free, BPA and PVC free and are safe to use as feeding bibs for your baby, so that when your baby's food falls into the pocket of the bib, your baby can continue to pick it up and eat it without worry.
Feeding bibs are adjustable in size
The silicone baby feeding bibs have adjustable straps, usually with 4 or 6 holes to adjust the size for your baby to wear comfortably. This design is important for babies and I'm sure they don't like anything hanging around their neck that makes them feel uncomfortable. When the silicone feeding bib is adjusted to the right size, and with its soft material, it hangs around baby's neck as gently as mummy's hands. In addition, when adjusted to the right size, the silicone feeding bib fits just right over your baby's clothes, better protecting them from food residue.
Silicone bibs are easy to clean
Unlike textile bibs which attract moisture or other liquids, they have a smooth surface and dropped food, even if it has oil or sauces on it, will not be absorbed by the silicone bibs. This property means that silicone bibs are easy to clean after use. If the food is not greasy and odourless, it can be cleaned with a gentle wipe with a paper towel or cleaning cloth. If you need to wash it in water, squeeze a little detergent on it and rinse it in water to get it clean.
The silicone bibs are dishwasher safe and can be sterilised, as they are heat resistant, but care should be taken not to place them with sharp objects to prevent cuts.
Food catcher bib avoid food waste
When babies are first learning to eat on their own, their hands and brains are still immature and the food they have managed to spoon up often falls back down. As a food catcher bib, the silicone bib has a food crumb catcher and a large pocket at the bottom to catch dropped food. Because the silicone bib is food-grade, it is safe for your baby to pick up the food that has fallen and continue eating, avoiding food waste.
Baby silicone bibs are easy to carry around
The soft nature of the silicone bib material means that it can be rolled up for storage, so when out on picnics, hikes and trips, simply roll up the silicone feeding bib and it will fit in your bag, making it easy to carry.
Baby silicone bibs are cute and durable
Baby silicone bibs come in a variety of fun colours and exciting patterns, which can be a great way to attract baby's attention and is like putting a cute new outfit on your baby. This makes feeding time more attractive for baby and he or she will be more motivated to eat. Because silicone bibs are so easy to clean and don't deteriorate easily, they simply need to be washed when they get dirty and look new again.
Disadvantages of silicone bibs
- Silicone bibs are slightly more expensive
Compared to plastic and textile bibs, silicone bibs are more expensive but, given the long-term benefits of durability and reduced replacement costs, they are a much better value for money.
- Silicone bibs need to be stored carefully
Silicone may be sensitive to certain contaminants, for example exposure to sulphur, latex or amines can inhibit its curing process. It should also not be exposed to the sun for long periods of time and there is a risk of cuts when placed with sharp objects, these mean that silicone bibs need to be stored carefully.
How to care for and clean silicone bibs?
- Once you have received your silicone bib, please read the label and instructions to fully understand the product and it is recommended that you wash the bib well before using it for the first time.
- The silicone bibs can be washed in the dishwasher or with water or a small amount of mild detergent.
- After washing the bibs, they should dry naturally within a few seconds, or with a clean cloth.
- Silicone bibs should not be exposed to fire, sharp objects or acidic substances.
- They should not be exposed to the sun for long periods of time, as long-term exposure to the sun can cause them to crack, harden or break.
How to choose silicone bibs?
If you are the parent of a baby
- Choose a silicone bib made of safe material
There are many pairs of shoddy silicone products on the market. As parents, you need to keep your eyes peeled and choose a safe silicone bib for your baby. So how can you tell if a silicone bib is safe?
- Look at the label and product description and choose a food grade silicone bib that is FDA approved or even LFGB approved.
- Before buying, smell the silicone bibs. Qualified silicone bibs are baked at 200°C for at least 2 hours before leaving the factory for secondary vulcanisation (4 hours for FDA-quality products and 6 hours for LFGB-quality products). A fully baked silicone bib will not have a noticeable odour, those with a noticeable or even strong odour are generally made from poor quality silicone or have only been baked for 1 hour to save costs.
- Touch the silicone bibs with your hands and feel how soft or hard they are. Good quality silicone bibs feel smooth and evenly colored, while poor quality silicone bibs feel sticky, have a rough surface, varying shades of colour, and are easily deformed.
- Pulling test. Good quality silicone bibs will not show obvious white marks after pulling, while poor quality silicone bibs will show obvious white marks after pulling.
- Choose the right size silicone bib
Choosing the right size of silicone bib for your baby will make them more comfortable to wear.
Silicone bibs are available in a range of sizes for different age groups. It is best to choose a bib that is freely adjustable, such as a lace-up, snap or Velcro. The narrower the straps, the more pressure on your baby's neck and shoulders and the more likely he or she will be strangled, so try to choose a bib with wider straps. The depth and size of the food crumb catcher at the bottom of the bib should also be suitable to catch food scraps and soup from your baby's hands and mouth.
- Choose your baby's favourite patterns and colours
Silicone bibs are available in a wide range of colours and with a variety of designs printed on them, parents can choose the silicone feeding bibs that their baby likes.
If you are a distributor or brand owner
- Services of the silicone bib manufacturer
If you are an offline supermarket, distributor or brand owner, the service level of a silicone manufacturer can directly affect your economic efficiency. A professional service team can tailor the right solution for you according to your needs and market conditions. You understand that the right solution for your business will not only save you a lot of time, but will also make your business more profitable.
Of course, a silicone manufacturer that supports both global wholesale and OEM&ODM is not to mention that it is very strong, and the economic benefits it can create for you should not be underestimated. They often have a professional design team, so all you need to do is provide your thoughts and ideas and they can provide you with a full range of customised branded products to choose from, saving you time that can be used to carefully build your brand.
There are many silicone manufacturers in China, but only a few are able to achieve this level of quality, KEAN Silicone is a silicone manufacturer recognised by many brands worldwide, in Shenzhen, China.
- Silicone bib manufacturer's patent approval
The quality of the product is of paramount importance. Before choosing a silicone manufacturer to work with, it is advisable to see if the manufacturer has authoritative certificates such as FDA and LFGB. A direct way to find out about a manufacturer's R&D strength is to see how many patents they have.
- The scale of the silicone manufacturer
As a brand owner or distributor you understand that price, quality and delivery are the points you are concerned about. The fastest way to get a clear picture of these three factors in a silicone manufacturer is to find out the scale of that manufacturer.
A manufacturer with a large scale can save a lot of unnecessary expenses when they produce large quantities, so their prices are more advantageous compared to a small workshop. Secondly, a silicone manufacturer with a large scale must be inseparable from a professional and rigorous quality inspection team. You know that the quality of the product will directly affect your return rate, so the level of quality testing of a silicone bib manufacturer is very important. Finally, the manufacturer's large scale, the number of workers, the delivery time will also be shorter than other small workshops, the arrival time is faster, which allows you to compete in the market one step faster.
The production process of silicone bibs
First draft of the drawing
In the case of OEM clients, the client will provide their own prototype and the silicone manufacturer's engineers will only need to develop the mould directly from the prototype.
For ODM clients, the manufacturer can cooperate with the client to complete the design and production of the product drawings according to the clients' requirements and description. The design of the product structure is generally based on the prototype provided by the client, and is usually done using flat or three-dimensional drawing software, such as CAD or PRO/E, to draw the first draft of the silicone bib for the client.
Moulding
The first step is for the mould room engineer to program the 3D drawing from the previous step and design the first draft of the mould. In this step it is necessary to design the slots for the silicone bibs, the position of the parting lines on the mould, the position of the exhaust slots etc. Not only is it necessary to consider the aesthetics of the produced silicone bibs, but it is also necessary to maximise labour and cost savings.
Once the design is complete it is time to start producing the moulds.
The first step is to customise the steel for the mould, then the mould is CNC machined, the sparking machine puts the points into place and the mould is polished and sandblasted to a rough shape.
This is not the end of the process. The finished moulds are then subjected to a trial run to ensure that the finished product is acceptable before it is put into use. Only after confirming that there are no errors in the structure of the mould and that the silicone bibs have been produced correctly, will the manufacturer begin production of the mass-produced moulds, providing clients with the best guarantee of silicone bibs.
Manufacturing
- The silicone manufacturer matches the colours required by the client. The staff needs to melt the original white paste of the silicone first and then slowly match it with the other colours the clientwants, the colour matching process requires constant pulling, cutting and turning to make the colours blend more evenly.
- After the refining process is completed, the product is cut into strips and weighed in the moulding department to avoid missing and wasted products.
- Product correction. Solid silicone products will be produced out of the moulding line to produce a certain amount of burr, so it is natural to produce a product overhaul process for quality inspection, mainly to see if the product meets the requirements, if there is inconsistency, you can trim the burr to correct the bad phenomenon.
Further surface treatments are required for customised logos and patterns. There are generally screen printing, pad printing, heat transfer printing, digital printing and laser engraving surface treatment processes, which process will be determined by the engineer depending on the specific needs.
Quality Control
It is important to test the quality of silicone bibs after production is completed, and the quality control process and standards need to be strictly controlled to ensure that the silicone bibs are qualified. Common inspection standards for silicone products include FDA, LFGB, California 65, French food material contact test, EN 71 toy standard test, F963 toy standard test, EN 1400-1-2 pacifier test standard, EN 12586-2003 soother chain test standard and CPC.
Baking
The essence of baking is the secondary vulcanisation of silicone products, which removes peroxide decomposition products, water and other organic low molecular cyclosiloxanes, etc., allowing the low molecules to evaporate more fully. The aim is to stabilise the size and service life of the product and to deodorise it. The products that need to be baked are generally those with high quality requirements. The quality of the products can be judged by the importance that the silicone manufacturer attaches to baking.
Packing and Shipping
Once the above production process is complete, the final step is packaging and delivery. The client can customise the packaging and have it designed and produced by the manufacturer, or they can design their own packaging. Once the packaging is complete, the silicone bibs will be ready to meet you immediately.
Final Words
Silicone bibs are already a necessity for babies and it is important to find the right silicone bib for your baby and the right silicone manufacturer for your trade. KEAN Silicone is currently one of the leading silicone manufacturers in China. It works with many brands around the world, has a number of patents and has five 12,000 square metre production facilities in China, making it a great silicone manufacturer to work with.
