Because so many modern products are made from plastics and other synthetic materials, it may come as a surprise to know that traditional, naturally grown and produced rubber still plays a vital part in manufacturing. Although industrial usage has changed over time, this raw material is still needed for a variety of everyday applications. Rubber extrusion companies today turn out a huge number of custom-designed parts.
Originating in the New World, Hevea Brasiliensis trees are the source of the elastic sap that has proven so valuable. When the industrial age ballooned during the 19th century, a huge demand was created, sparking a Brazilian gold rush for latex. Biological and political realities soon made large-scale jungle farming in the New World impractical, and most modern plantations are now found in southeastern Asia.
Driven primarily by the need for automobile tires and other car parts, the substance quickly became indispensable. Vulcanization eliminated some of the undesirable characteristics of natural latex, making everyday use more practical. Even with the introduction and development of petroleum-based synthetics during World War II, there was still a huge demand for this gooey liquid.
Today, synthetic and natural varieties alike are necessary for a smoothly functioning consumer society. In addition to vehicle manufacturing, both types are important in the apparel industry, electronics, and health-care products. In many cases, the raw material is carefully fed into custom designed forms that have been precision-made for a specific role. Rubber extrusion is at the heart of this process.
This process differs somewhat from creating a product via a mold. A filled mold is specifically designed to reproduce one shape only, unlike an extruding machine, which can produce continuous lengths of a specific shape by forcing pressurized raw material through a specially cut die. The metal die itself is a flat, circular plate with a specially shaped opening cut in the middle.
The devices are based on the same principle as an old-fashioned cake decorating paper cone. When a baker squeezes the large end of a cone, the icing is forced out the small end, and precisely mimics the nozzle opening. In a factory, non-vulcanized, semi-soft latex or synthetic material goes into the large side of an extruder, and it is forced out under pressure, while retaining the die opening shape.
As it leaves the die under pressure, it tends to expand and harden. When the die openings are first created, this expansion is taken into account, and the result is a perfectly formed part of one continuous length, to be cut later to size. This process is perfect for making everyday products such as weather stripping, and the dies can be changed to reflect whatever shape is needed.
This manufacturing method is tailor-made for the auto industry. Most commonly needed are U-shaped channels and other strips, but extruded latex parts are also used as decorative trim inside and out, to eliminate road vibrations, to quiet external noise, and to keep water out. This process has made mass production of tricky parts simple, producing solid, consistent components for the devices people use daily.
Originating in the New World, Hevea Brasiliensis trees are the source of the elastic sap that has proven so valuable. When the industrial age ballooned during the 19th century, a huge demand was created, sparking a Brazilian gold rush for latex. Biological and political realities soon made large-scale jungle farming in the New World impractical, and most modern plantations are now found in southeastern Asia.
Driven primarily by the need for automobile tires and other car parts, the substance quickly became indispensable. Vulcanization eliminated some of the undesirable characteristics of natural latex, making everyday use more practical. Even with the introduction and development of petroleum-based synthetics during World War II, there was still a huge demand for this gooey liquid.
Today, synthetic and natural varieties alike are necessary for a smoothly functioning consumer society. In addition to vehicle manufacturing, both types are important in the apparel industry, electronics, and health-care products. In many cases, the raw material is carefully fed into custom designed forms that have been precision-made for a specific role. Rubber extrusion is at the heart of this process.
This process differs somewhat from creating a product via a mold. A filled mold is specifically designed to reproduce one shape only, unlike an extruding machine, which can produce continuous lengths of a specific shape by forcing pressurized raw material through a specially cut die. The metal die itself is a flat, circular plate with a specially shaped opening cut in the middle.
The devices are based on the same principle as an old-fashioned cake decorating paper cone. When a baker squeezes the large end of a cone, the icing is forced out the small end, and precisely mimics the nozzle opening. In a factory, non-vulcanized, semi-soft latex or synthetic material goes into the large side of an extruder, and it is forced out under pressure, while retaining the die opening shape.
As it leaves the die under pressure, it tends to expand and harden. When the die openings are first created, this expansion is taken into account, and the result is a perfectly formed part of one continuous length, to be cut later to size. This process is perfect for making everyday products such as weather stripping, and the dies can be changed to reflect whatever shape is needed.
This manufacturing method is tailor-made for the auto industry. Most commonly needed are U-shaped channels and other strips, but extruded latex parts are also used as decorative trim inside and out, to eliminate road vibrations, to quiet external noise, and to keep water out. This process has made mass production of tricky parts simple, producing solid, consistent components for the devices people use daily.
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