Rubber to metal bonding is a process whereby rubber material is vulcanized and attached to a substrate via chemicals. Some of the most common substrates used in this type of bonding are plastic, aluminum, steel, stainless steel and brass.
The advantages that result from bonding rubber to metal are numerous. Some of these many benefits are:
- A reduction in the number of components required during assembly – Because the rubber is already directly bonded to the substrates, fewer components are necessary. This simplifies the assembly process, reducing the amount of labor and cutting down the time to market in the process.
- Bonding that won’t quit – This bonding results in one of the strongest possible adherence levels. When reliable adhesion is called for, this particular bonding process is the way to go.
- Allowance for Unique Designs – The way the rubber is molded over the substrate during the bonding phase opens up many design possibilities that would be hard to accomplish under alternative circumstances.
- A Wide Range of Suitable Curing Agents – Both natural rubber and rubber blends are amenable to rubber to metal bonding.
- Element resistance – The bonding of rubber to its surface renders the substrate resistant to potentially damaging elements like water, corrosion, heat, salt, oil and fog. Because many of the applications that use rubber-to-metal bonded parts (see below) are exposed to these conditions on a regular basis, this advantage is one that cannot be overlooked.
- Environmental Formulation – Many bonding agents contain lead, which can be harmful to both the environment and the individuals exposed to it. Rubber does not. It is also free of chemicals that deplete the ozone and chlorinated solvents.
- Broad Temperature Range – No matter the bonding temperature or the temperature conditions, chances are there is a version of rubber to metal bonding to work within it.
As alluded to earlier, this bonding has almost as many applications as it does advantages. Following is a discussion of just a few of the ways in which rubber-to-metal bonded parts are put to use in the everyday world:
- Vibration and Impact Absorption – Industries such as construction, transportation, industrial and automotive tend to encounter a lot of vibration and impact over the course of their normal operations. Rubber to metal bonded parts help mitigate both of these unwanted tendencies.
- Custom Molding in the Medical Sphere – Medical devices like blood analysis machines have components that feature rubber to metal bonding.
- Electronic Parts – With all those electronic gadget and gizmos that people make use of these days, chances are there is a rubber-to-metal bonded part in the mix somewhere. Some of the most frequent electronic applications are seals and gaskets, inserts for electrical connectors and EMI shielding.
- Aerospace Components – Custom rubber to metal bonding goes into power supply gaskets, keypads and the vibration isolation mounts that keep pilots, astronauts and passengers safe and comfortable while in the air.
- Industrial Pumps – The pumps that are used by the oil and gas industries as well as fluid pumps make use of custom industrial component rubber to metal molding.