Rubber Extrusion Companies Are Vital To Industry

By Minnie Whitley


It may be surprising to learn that naturally grown and produced rubber is still an important part of modern manufacturing. Even in an age when plastic and other synthetic materials dominate, the raw sap of this plant is still integral to a host of commonly used applications. Although the industry has changed dramatically since latex was discovered by Europeans, rubber extrusion companies today turn out more products than ever.

The Hevea Brasiliensis trees producing the natural elastomers that make balls bounce are native to the New World. The industrial explosion that reshaped economics during the 19th century created a huge demand for the sap of this tree, sparking a Brazilian boom. Traditional growing and farming practices soon made large-scale harvesting impractical in the South American jungle, however, and most plantations today grow in southeast Asia.

Once the special properties inherent in this substance became well known, it quickly grew indispensable, especially to the newborn auto industry. The need for reliable tires and other parts spurred the development of the vulcanization process, which eliminates some less desirable characteristics. Even after the introduction of durable and cheap synthetics during World War II, there was still a huge demand.

Today, modern consumer societies could not function without the natural and synthetic varieties. Both products are important to everyday manufacture of apparel, health-care products, and even electronic devices. In many instances, soft, non-vulcanized material is fed into a precision machine that is capable of reproducing a specific shape or length. Rubber extrusion is the heart of this sequence.

Extruding the raw material differs from using a simple mold. Molds are designed, filled, and always retain their original shape. An extruding machine is capable of creating continuous lengths of a specifically engineered product by forcing raw material through a custom-made form called an extrusion die. The die is basically a flat piece of metal with a formed hole in the middle.

The devices are based on the same principle as an old-fashioned cake decorating paper cone. When a baker squeezes the large end of a cone, the icing is forced out the small end, and precisely mimics the nozzle opening. In a factory, non-vulcanized, semi-soft latex or synthetic material goes into the large side of an extruder, and it is forced out under pressure, while retaining the die opening shape.

As it leaves, the material hardens and expands, retaining the die opening shape. This expansion is allowed for by design engineers, resulting in a finished product that is one continuous ribbon or length, to be measured and precisely cut to order. This method is ideal for making such useful products as weather stripping or door seals. Unlike a mold, the dies can be changed depending on product requirements.

That includes common U-shaped channels and other forms used heavily in the auto manufacturing industry. Extruded latex not only seals out moisture, but is used to dampen external noise, to help eliminate road vibration, and as decorative trim. Extrusion makes it possible for manufacturing companies to mass produce a consistent, identical products that people will benefit from nearly every day.




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