Almost every household appliance and individual piece of industrial equipment contains at least one element made of rubber. Without its presence, it is impossible to imagine modern technology, since it performs, although often auxiliary, extremely important functions. Its most valuable features are considered to be considerable elasticity and the amazing ability, after repeated tensile or compression deformations, to return to its original geometric shape after the disappearance of the applied forces. Due to them, the necessary, and sometimes simply necessary, shock-absorbing properties and the ability to tightly cover cracks, gaps and holes for reliable sealing of spaces separated from each other appear in all their brilliance.
Sheet materials are in particular demand technical plate and food rubber, used to solve a very wide range of problems. For clarity, it is enough to list some of them:
- Creation of injury-proof table and floor coverings for sports grounds and gyms. Due to the increased friction force, their dry surface ensures reliable fixation of shoe soles, which prevents unwanted slipping of the feet and hands. In case of falls, skin cuts are eliminated and the risk of severe bruises and fractures of skeletal bones is reduced.
- Formation of a protective coating for storage tanks for oils, fuels and other petroleum products, if contact with metal is undesirable for any reason.
- Rubber belongs to the group of dielectrics and is often used as an insulating layer between the windings of power transformers and in other electrical equipment.
- In the food industry, there is very strict control not only over the quality of finished products, but also over the parameters of the equipment used for their production, as well as the characteristics of the packaging. Specially developed varieties are distinguished by the harmlessness of the components included in the initial raw materials and do not enter into chemical reactions with organic substances, therefore they are not a source of toxic or impurities that spoil the taste and aroma.
Also, technical plates and sheet food rubber are used as the starting material for the manufacture of gaskets of any configuration and shock-absorbing parts designed to smooth out shock loads and eliminate vibrations.
Specialized varieties of sheet rubber for narrow tasks
Rubber products also have areas of application where they act as a main rather than an auxiliary element of the overall design. It is worth writing a few words about them separately.
Conveyor and conveyor belt
Loading and unloading operations have always been highly labor-intensive, so there was a constant search for ways to mechanize the process. As a result, several decades ago there appeared conveyor belt, noticeably simplified movement of a whole flow of cargo between two stationary points in space. Mobile machines with similar functionality were also created. The introduction of reinforcing frames made of strong fabric or metal mesh has virtually no effect on the flexibility of the sheet, but many times increases its strength against tensile deformation, as a result of which the sheet may rupture. As a result, the scope of application has now become very extensive and has affected many areas of economic activity. For clarity, the following examples can be demonstrated:
- lifting soil and bulk materials to heights on construction sites and in production workshops, for example from farmers before molding in foundries;
- loading or проевивание grain on the floors of agricultural enterprises;
- sorting of goods in warehouses.
Has very similar characteristics conveyor belt, designed to ensure a continuous flow of materials, blanks, parts, as well as finished products for servicing long multifunctional lines for a continuous cycle of production and packaging of various products.
Membrane fabric
Having special parameters membrane fabric specially designed for the manufacture of working parts of certain instruments. Diaphragms and membranes made from it can be found in carburetors, gas reducers, batteries and other equipment. It is not afraid of contact with oils and fuel mixtures, withstands significant mechanical loads and does not lose mobility throughout the entire operational period at any ambient temperature.
A huge range of rubber products from leading suppliers allows you to choose the most suitable option for any given purpose.