A Brief Introduction to Rubber Mouldings
Whether you have double glazing in your home or take a car or train to work, Rubber Mouldings are a product we use every day without ever really noticing. Here we look at how Rubber Mouldings are used and produced in the UK.
What are Rubber Mouldings used for?
Rubber Mouldings are used for a vast range of commercial and domestic purposes such as weather, dust and moisture seals for indoor and outdoor lighting, vibration mounts for vehicles and to make doors and windows watertight.
There are a wide range of sectors that require moulded rubber products, including industries such as construction, manufacturing, lighting, energy, heating, automotive, rail and defence.
How are rubber mouldings created?
The manufacturing process of moulding rubber involves placing granulated raw rubber into the cavities of a pre-heated template. The template will be modified depending on the desired shape of the component being made, which is why rubber can be used to create such a wide range of products.
In order to reduce waste, the amount of moulding material used will differ depending on the desired shape and size of the component. To make sure that the right amount of material is used, it will be weighed before being added to the cavities of the moulding template.
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Once filled, the mould is closed and the compression process takes place. Heat and pressure are applied to the granulated material, causing it to melt and bond together, solidify and form the desired shape of the component. The mould remains closed until the compression mouldings have set completely.
The amount of time needed to complete the moulding process depends entirely on the type of material being used, the temperature that it is moulded at, and the size of the desired component.
What are the production standards set by the industry?
Because they are commonly used in applications where safety and quality are a primary concern, rubber moulded products are produced against strict guidelines. There are a number of quality standards that producers and manufacturers must adhere to, and professional accreditations that must be met.
CB Frost
At CB Frost, we are able to offer a comprehensive range of bespoke rubber mouldings which can be tailored to your specific technical and commercial needs.
For further information, please contact our team on 0121 773 8494.
