October 20

Hear from Custom Rubber and Urethane Experts

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The Advantages of Compression, Injection, and Extrusion Molding

"Civilization as we know it today is wholly dependent upon rubber. It is a servant that follows us, literally, from the cradle to the grave." - Ralph Wolfe

As the chemist Ralph Wolfe so aptly put it, rubber is indispensable to the well-being of civilization, a fact that's even truer in modern society. If you were to compile a list of the many uses of rubber, doubtless, it would require reams of paper.

From an industrial use standpoint, rubber is ideal for making parts and components, as well as being used as a coating on existing tools.

Its advantages are numerous. Rubber is strong, less rigid than other materials, can withstand stress, and exhibits less wear than other substances. You can mold it into complex configurations and bond it to almost any material to form a composite component.

At Mark Tool, we use three processes to produce custom molded rubber products - compression, injection and extrusion - each of which has unique advantages when compared to other methods.

Compression Molding

The advantages of compression molding are three-fold:

Low cost - Due to its simplicity, compression molding is very cost-effective when compared to other techniques.

Little waste - Little material is lost during the molding process. For example, it does not use gates, sprues or runners, tooling features required by other production methods that result in greater waste.

Suitable for large parts - Compression molding is ideal for manufacturing large, fairly intricate parts.

Injection Molding

One of the most common manufacturing processes in use today, injection molding has several advantages over other processes. These include:

  • High production rates and shorter production cycles (results in lower per unit cost);
  • Allows for close tolerances in small intricate parts;
  • Requires little post-production work because parts have a finished look upon ejection;
  • Full automation is possible, which leads to reduced production costs

Extrusion Molding

  • Extrusion molding also comes with its own set of advantages.
  • Continuous process can produce lengths of up to 60 feet;
  • Consistent cross-section results in the production of complex shapes;
  • High production volumes;
  • Low cost per pound of materials used;
  • Good for producing tube-shaped products such as pipes and hoses.

Thanks to these three molding processes, we can take almost any design and create high quality parts for use in farm equipment, oil and gas industry operations, valves, electrical distribution, railroad, heavy truck, and a variety of other applications.

Regardless of the type of rubber components you require, there is a good chance Mark Tool & Rubber Company can meet your needs.

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