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Finding and Buying Used Industrial Equipment

Would it surprise you to learn that you can find high quality industrial equipment at savings of 50 percent or more? When you buy used industrial equipment you are getting the same great performance for a fraction of the cost. Industrial equipment is built to last, so it often has many years of life left in it when a company goes under or upgrades and needs to sell. That's good news to you! My name is Ryan, and I can teach you how to find the best used equipment for your manufacturing plant at the lowest possible price. Come read all about it.

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Finding and Buying Used Industrial Equipment

What You Need To Know About The Rubber Injection Molding Process

by Patricia Brooks

From automotive tires and airbags to the gasket seals and O-rings used in running machines to the padding used to install slip-resistant flooring, rubber products have become ubiquitous in today's industrial world. But have you ever wondered how these products are made?

A variety of techniques exist for manufacturing rubber parts. Each rubber manufacturing process has unique pros and cons that should be carefully reviewed to determine if it is suitable for the intended application.

Injection molding is one of the most popular methods of manufacturing rubber-based products. If you'd like to increase your knowledge of this rubber parts manufacturing process, you're welcome to read along.

What Is Rubber Injection Molding And How Does It Work?

Rubber injection molding is pretty much similar to the injection molding process used to manufacture rigid plastic. The only major difference is the raw material used. Rubber deforms under much higher pressure loads than rigid plastic, hence it can withstand stresses and strains beyond the elastic limit of plastic. 

As the name suggests, the rubber injection molding process involves heating rubber material to the required temperature and then injecting it into a tightly closed mold cavity at high pressure. As the rubber cools and hardens, it is converted into the desired geometry.

What Are The Advantages Of Rubber Injection Molding?

Many rubber parts manufacturers favor the rubber injection molding process because of the numerous advantages it offers. Some of these advantages include: 

  • Design Flexibility: injection molding allows rubber manufacturers to create parts of almost any shape and size, standard or custom. This means end-users can easily get products that match their intended application.
  • Minimal Material Wastage: compared to traditional methods of manufacturing rubber products, injection molding significantly lowers the amount of material that needs to be scrapped at the end of manufacturing operations.
  • Fast Production: with the availability of fully automatic injection molding equipment, it's possible to manufacture a large volume of rubber parts much faster than traditional equipment can.
  • Increased Strength: rubber parts are often used in demanding environments that require high-strength products. The rubber injection molding process allows for the creation of high-quality parts with high-performance properties.

Like other processes available for manufacturing rubber parts, rubber injection molding has its disadvantages, too. One of the biggest drawbacks of the process is its high upfront cost. That said, the unit price of manufacturing rubber parts becomes cheaper than machined parts at a certain production volume.

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