Rubber Profiles
Rubber profiles are processed rubber products. They are produced by a rubber extruder and can be of any length or size. Rubber profiles are the most widely used and manufactured forms of rubber extrusions, and some manufacturing companies deal solely in custom extrusion profile orders, which is quite profitable.
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Rubber Profile Applications
Custom extrusion profiles are used in a very large variety of industrial applications, including the aerospace industry, automotive parts industries, medical technology industries, and industrial, commercial, and residential buildings. Long, thin extruded profiles are often used as trim, weatherstripping, or other types of insulation. Profiles can also be made hollow so that cords or wires can pass through them. They can be made into sheets, tubes, plates, channels, bars, films, and other shapes. They can feature simple cross-sections or complex patterns; they can be square, round, u-shaped, t-shaped, or any other configuration. The only determining factor in profile design is need; because of the modularity of extruders and the extrusion process, there are few limits to the number of different profile shapes that can be produced. A rubber profile is made by passing raw natural or synthetic rubber material through a rubber extruder.
Extrusion Process
Most extrusion lines begin with a collection of raw rubber material, or stock, that is passed through a hopper and directed into a conveyance channel. Within most rubber extrusion conveyance channels is a screw that pressurizes the rubber when heated. As the rubber passes through the conveyance channel, it becomes semi-liquefied. At that point, it is ready to pass through the die. A die is a tool that is used to mold a raw material into a usable form. A die can be configured in any shape, and for this reason, an extruded rubber profile can take any shape. The semi-liquefied rubber is simply forced into the die, and when it emerges, it cools, hardens and is ready to be cut and shipped. Most varieties of rubbers can be extruded; depending on the raw materials’ composition, the process requires different processing times and temperatures. Silicone rubber, for example, requires higher temperatures to become liquefied. If the profile requires additional treatment for improved strength or durability, a number of curative or treatment procedures may be performed to enhance the suitability of the extrusion for a particular application.