Case Study: How Custom Rubber Solutions Solved a Major Industry Challenge

All industries and businesses face challenges of varying complexity at different times. Overcoming those challenges can be the difference between achieving success and the possibility of failure.

Custom rubber solutions provide components that are specially made from particular materials so they are able to operate in demanding environments: extremes of temperature, pressure that can cause high mechanical stress or the presence of harsh chemicals or other hazards that can cause failure.

By choosing the correct materials and processing them properly, high performance, durable and cost-effective components can be produced that will help all kinds of industries to meet their particular challenges.

The Types of Challenges Overcome by Custom Rubber Solutions

Standard rubber components are relatively cheap, readily available and can be used in general products and processes where they are entirely adequate. They cannot, however, satisfy the needs of many specialised applications in various industries, which are as follows:

• Harsh conditions. Many industries, typically automotive and aerospace, need rubber components that can function effectively in extreme environments. This can include engine compartments and furnaces where temperatures are extremely high and there may be smoke, dirt and grease. Whilst natural rubber is not able to withstand these conditions, synthetic rubber formulations such as EPDM, HNBR and silicone are better able to handle them without any degradation.
• Exposure to chemicals, particularly in the oil and gas sectors and in chemical processing, is something that standard materials cannot handle. Instead, custom rubber materials will be able to withstand harsh fluids, gases and other substances with no reduction in performance.
• Complex geometries that have tight tolerances pose particular challenges for rubber components. Standard rubber solutions will definitely not be able to meet those challenges, but custom versions will be designed and manufactured to fit precisely with no leakage or a need to adapt existing processes.
• Certain types of equipment, such as well heads and specific machinery, exert high pressure that can cause friction and resulting wear. Standard components are insufficient for these challenges but custom seals and other components will be specifically designed to meet them and so will enhance performance, reduce wear and maintenance needs, avoid unnecessary and expensive downtime and extend service life.
• Industries such as automotive and aerospace require effective vibration dampening and shock absorption combined with noise reduction and absolute safety and reliability. Only custom components such as seals, gaskets and mounts can successfully achieve these aims.
• All businesses require increased efficiency and productivity that result in cost savings and greater profitability. Custom components that are specifically made for an application will optimise the process and ensure all these aims are achieved.
• Healthcare and catering businesses require absolute hygiene and adherence to sterilisation standards. Custom components can be manufactured from food and medical grade materials that adhere to regulations regarding safety and effectiveness.
• Sustainability is increasingly demanded by businesses that want to meet environmental standards. To achieve these aims, custom components can be made from recycled materials or bio-based rubber that is obtained from renewable resources.

Custom rubber solutions help businesses to be more productive, profitable and innovative.

Examples of Custom Rubber Use in Meeting Challenges

Many businesses have been able to use custom rubber components to solve a major industrial challenge. These include:

• A control component and valve manufacturer that needed a seal for an application that experienced up to 600°F of temperature and 1,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. Most metal spring energised seals had a maximum rating of 500°F so a custom seal was developed to deal with these conditions as well as with hot air that was present in the environment. The custom design used a special PTFE material to withstand the continuous high temperature and delivered higher performance, less prolonged deformation and lower levels of leakage.
• A food service equipment manufacturer experienced production downtimes due to a lack of essential components and a change of materials used. A new formulation was developed to meet performance specifications with new tooling arranged quickly and a prototype mould and final production mould completed promptly to eradicate gaps in supply and produce reliable components.
• Having a critical seal produced by an overseas manufacturer resulted in warranty claims and lawsuits rather than the expected cost savings due to repeated failures of the seal. The answer was to have a new seal made with a revised compound formula, providing improved quality and rigidity, and much better reliability despite the presence of chemicals in the process.
• Municipal water management systems experienced failures of a critical aeration diaphragm due to poor quality materials being used. This caused higher maintenance costs and general dissatisfaction. By developing a new compound formula, the reliability of the diaphragm was improved to the extent that warranty lengths could be increased by 25%.
• An irrigation spray system was not performing as it should due to a critical component not working correctly. Changing the formula of the compound material made a significant improvement to its tensile strength, resistance to chemicals and abrasions, and raised the overall quality.
• An in-house rubber moulding operation for an oil and gas company was in need of new equipment. By outsourcing that operation to a specialist rubber component supplier, the company not only saved the capital cost of new equipment but also put the space occupied by the moulding operation to better use as well as employing the labour force for more productive purposes. In addition, the specialist supplier was able to improve the tooling, so production was increased and components were delivered quicker with fewer delays.

Overcoming Your Own Challenges

By using the services of a specialist rubber supplier, you can obtain custom rubber components that will improve your processes, increase productivity and reduce costs. Do what many others have done by utilising the skills, experience and ability of Gulf Rubber to make your business better with components that fit even the most complex of products perfectly.

No leaks, no failures, no unexpected downtime. Just an efficient operation that you can achieve by making contact with us.