Rubber Connectors
In industries where piping or ventilation systems may come into accidental contact with moving personnel or machinery, rubber connectors allow for some displacement of those systems without the risk of damage or disconnection. They also help reduce the risk of damage to those systems by isolating vibrations caused by machinery like spinning fans or pumps. Mining, tunneling and manufacturing industries in particular benefit from these features. Also, rubber connectors are less vulnerable to puncture or laceration than fabric or thin sheet-metal connectors. Rubber connectors have applications in electrical wiring contexts as well. Rubber's non-conductivity makes it an excellent solution when an insulated connection material is called for. If the right rubber composition is matched to the demands of the task it is expected to perform, few connection materials offer the range of benefits that rubber connectors offer.
All rubber connectors begin as raw natural or synthetic material. To become a usable product, the raw material, which is called stock, must be shaped and processed by an
extruder. Most rubber extruders begin by collecting the stock in a hopper and directing it into a conveyance channel. A large screw in the conveyance channel pushes the stock toward a die, which is a tool designed to give the stock its final shape. Before it reaches the die, the stock is heated and pressurized to a near-liquid state so that it can be shaped easily by the die. Once it has reached that state, it is forced through the die. When it emerges, it is cooled and hardens into its final shape. This product is already much stronger and more durable than it was in its raw form, and in some cases, it may be cut and shipped in its current state. Some more demanding applications may require that the extruded material undergo further processing, such as vulcanization or other curing techniques, before it is shipped to the customer. Also, because of the range of demands that face rubber connectors, industries draw their extruded rubber connectors from a range of raw materials. Silicone, for example, is among the more heat-resistant synthetic rubber stock materials, and is used in environments where constant exposure to high temperatures is expected. Other stock varieties offer chemical tolerance or resistance.
