Solid Rubber

Solid Rubber Fabrications

Advanced Seals & Gaskets Ltd manufacture various fabricated components produced from a range of solid rubber materials. A fabrication often requires a combination of specialist machinery, usually a selection of saws, drills, buffers and knives, alongside the manual adhesion and construction of the finished product. By choosing ASG for your fabrications, you will benefit from the availability of our CNC oscillating knife, which can automatically cut and drill fabricated parts by reading CAD drawings. Fabrications are often used as a cheaper alternative to mouldings and extrusions for the production of bespoke shapes (as there is no initial die or tooling cost), ideal for when 1 off prototypes or small quantity runs are needed. All our solid rubber fabrications are made to order, produced using samples or drawings provided by customers, and can take many forms for including multiple materials laminating to create composites sheets which can then be cut down into gaskets/washers/strip, displays & signage (such as logos/lettering) and seals with flexible joints or irregular angles.

 

What is a Solid Rubber Fabrication?

Fabrication is the procedure used to turn solid rubber pieces or sheets of material into custom made 3D usable shapes. Fabrications are created using CNC machines, saws, drills, buffers etc, enabling us to create unique products that usually can not be produced by one single process for example where the item is too big to be produced in one single piece, or where 3D profiles are required such as cubes or cone shapes. Solid rubber fabrications can be cut from sheets or rolls kept in stock, cut from laminated layers of sheet material and even made using a number of smaller cut parts joined together.

 

Why use Solid Rubber Fabrications?

Fabrications are often used as a cheaper alternative to mouldings and extrusions (as there is no initial die/tooling cost) for the production of bespoke shapes, these are ideal for use as samples or prototypes prior to paying for expensive tooling for mouldings or extrusions for bulk production.  They are also perfect for producing props, signs, displays, packaging case/box inserts with routered out shapes to hold specific items in place and sleeves.  Different types of solid rubber fabrications have their own unique set of characteristics and properties for use in various applications, some are suitable for outdoor use and UV/Ozone exposure, others have oil resistance or are flame retardant. Solid rubber fabricated parts can be found used in many applications and industries such as electrical equipment, automotive, aerospace, oil and gas, chemical industries and food/drink/pharmaceutical processing industries.

 

Available Grades

EPDM Rubber (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) is great for use in outdoor applications, this material is resistant to water, UV, ozone, weather, abrasion, alkalines, ketones and diluted acids.

Neoprene Rubber (CR) is most suitable for use where there is exposure to grease, oil, acids, ozone and even seawater.

Nitrile Rubber (NBR) rubber is a popular solid rubber material for use within the automotive industry where there is contact with petroleum, oil and grease.

Polyurethane Rubber (PU) rubber fabrications offer excellent abrasion, chemical, oil and water resistance, which can also be manufactured in flame retardant and high-temperature grades.  Polyurethane rubber mouldings come in the forms such as seals, castors and blocks or bumpers.

Silicone Rubber (SI) is an excellent electrical insulation material that can operate at high and low temperatures. Silicone rubber performs well when exposed to UV, weathering, ozone and moisture, and is available in a range of colours.

 

Benefits of Solid Rubber Fabrications

Advanced seals & Gaskets work with a network of material manufacturers, meaning we have the ability to produce a multitude of fabrications suitable for use in virtually any industry. As solid rubber fabrications are made to order, we can help with design, material choice, produce samples for testing and ensure we supply the perfect profile for your application. The characteristics and resistances sought after when choosing the right grade of rubber material for fabrications will depend on the industry, environment and application in which the moulding will be used. Some of the desirable features include flame retardancy, wide working temperature range, resistance to abrasion, impact, chemicals, acids, pressure, liquids, air and gas.