Rubber Extruder Manufacturers and Companies

Rubber Extruders

Rubber extruders are machines that take rubber products and process them. Extrusion is when raw material is heated, pressurized, cooled, and then forced through a die that forms the material into a new shape. Dies are tools that are specially designed to form a raw material into a new shape. The material is then completely cooled and hardened.

Quick links to Rubber Extruders Information

• Uses for Rubber Extruders
• Rubber Extrusion Process

Uses for Rubber Extruders

Most raw industrial materials that can be liquefied can also be extruded, and this is true for natural and synthetic rubber. A rubber extrusion can take the shape of a variety of industrial products ranging from weatherstripping and trim products to small grommets and large bumpers. Because demand for rubber extrusions varies from one industry to another, a rubber extruder employed by a company that services the heating and cooling industry will be configured differently from machinery that services the automotive industry. Despite these differences, all extruders are similar in their design and process to a certain point. Rubber extruders, like all extrusion machinery, begin with a collection of raw material (stock) that is loaded into the machinery. The stock may or may not be preheated and is then passed through a conveyor channel. The stock is then plasticized and pressurized.

Rubber Extrusion Process

There is some variation in method and machinery design at this point in the extrusion process; plastic and rubber extrusion machines use a screw system to pressurize and move stock through the machine, while extruders of other materials may use a ram. At this point, the stock is in a moldable state and can be passed through the die. The die process varies from one factory floor to another within the rubber extrusion industry. A die can be configured to make extrusions of any shape or size. Some companies specialize in custom extrusions, so each piece of extrusion machinery could be equipped with a different die even within one factory with multiple extrusion lines. In all extruders, though, the pressure created in the screw or ram cylinder forces the stock through the die where it takes its new shape. When it emerges from the die, it is cooled with air or water. The newly extruded rubber product can be shipped as is, or it can move on to further processing. It can be sheared down or cut to size, and it can be vulcanized, in which case the product would be cured with sulfur or another chemical that adds strength and durability to the product.