All you need to know about rubber moulding

All you need to know about rubber moulding

Rubber is something that we all come across throughout our day and is used in all kinds of settings from domestic to commercial and in machinery and vehicles but not many people are aware of the ways in which this rubber is moulded into the shapes that are required for its various uses. Here is some information about the rubber moulding process.

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Although there are a number of different processes in which rubber can be moulded they all tend to follow the same principle of taking the raw rubber and heating it in a mould. Two of the main types of moulding are :

Compression moulding which takes the rubber compound and places it in the heated mould before pressure is added to the rubber that forces the rubber to take the shape of the mould that it is placed in.

Rubber Injection Moulding like that provided by www.meadex.co.uk/, is one of the most common ways in which rubber is moulded into a variety of shapes. Rubber is heated to a liquid form and is then injected into the mould. Pressure is then applied to the mould once all of the mould area is filled. The mould is then cooled and the mould can be removed from around the rubber item that has been created inside.

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Both processes involve the use of machinery and chemicals and the knowledge and skills of experienced engineers. Injection moulding is favoured over other forms of moulding because it is quick and precise which means that only a minimum amount of materials are wasted. The rubber liquid that is heated can be injected into the smallest of spaces again meaning that the items that are produced are of the highest quality and the chance of rejected items also decreases. This is incredibly important for manufacturing businesses as every item that has to be rejected during quality control is profits lost and every piece of rubber that is wasted is money spent.

It is important to ensure that when you look at moulding machinery that you consult with professional companies such as the one mentioned above to make sure that you get the system that is right for your products and your manufacturing process and plant size and processes. You should also ensure that you train your staff to use these machines effectively to help minimise breakdowns and down time for your production.