A Brief Introduction to Extruded Rubber Products

Extruded rubber products are in high demand across different areas of the engineering sector including the rail, automotive and building industries.

In this article we explain the popularity and uses of extruded components and offer an overview of the extrusion processes used to manufacture unique sealing profiles.

Properties and uses

Synthetic rubber is resilient, versatile and highly malleable which means it can be used to manufacture a wide range of applications and compounds including those that require shock absorption, sealing and fluid transportation.

Extrusion is favoured as it allows for these parts to be produced in bulk with a high level of accuracy, making it more reliable and economic than other manufacturing methods. The resilience and flexibility offered by rubber means it can be used to manufacture a wide range of extruded parts such as pipe clamps, sleeves, door seals, bumper pads, tubes and window gaskets.

This versatility means that rubber extrusions are manufactured for use in a wide range of different sectors such as aerospace, automotive, construction, medical and general industrial applications.

Manufacturing process

The extrusion process begins with rubber pellets being fed into a feed hopper where rotating screws carry the material into a closed barrel. The friction that is created between the flowing compounds and the heated wall increases in temperature so that the rubber begins to melt.

Once the materials are completely melted and have flowed through the screws, the rubber is filtered into a shaped die cast created to the specifications of the compound required. The rubber then emerges from the extruder in the shape of the die mould and can be cured using various methods that can include autoclaving and microwaving.

Find out more

Extrusion allows the manufacture of a range of mass produced rubber products in an unlimited selection of pre-designed shapes, the process can be used to create everything from simple moulds to more complex profiles.

To find out more about the capabilities of extruded rubber and our wide range of related products, contact the friendly team at ExtrudaSeal on 0121 356 8733.