Rubber Molding & Mold Manufacturing Services

Rubber’s combination of elasticity and durability makes it an ideal material for molded components. Manufacturers can utilize either natural elastomers and rubber materials or synthetic, chemically generated varieties. Rubber molding utilizes a shaped mold, heat, and pressure to form uncured rubber material into a finished part or product.

While different molding processes have different stages, rubber molding typically involves transferring pre-heated rubber into a metal mold cavity, heating the mold and using compressive force to cause chemical reactions like vulcanization and curing for cross-linking polymer chains, and then cooling the product at ambient temperatures to finally result in a part in the shape of the mold.

Rubber molding is actually an umbrella term for a number of individual, differentiated molding processes. Each method follows its own unique steps to achieve a complete molded part and has its own benefits. Understanding the common rubber molding processes we use at Stern Rubber Company will help you select the right option for your application.

Whichever process you choose, rubber molding will offer your project the following overarching benefits:

• Flexibility. Rubber molding is highly versatile, allowing manufacturers to achieve parts with complex shapes or unique features. Depending on the molding process you use, it’s also well-suited to low-, medium-, and high-volume production.
• Repeatability. As manufacturers will use the same mold to generate the necessary volume of products, rubber molding produces highly accurate, repeatable parts with good uniformity.
• Cost. Once the mold is created, manufacturers can produce large volumes of parts for better price-per-unit costs. Also, compression molding, for example, is cost-efficient for its low tooling costs and capability to create prototypes for evaluation prior to full-scale production.

Stern Rubber Company can mold and shape rubber into widely varied and complex forms. Given rubber’s flexibility and durability, widespread industries make use of rubber-molded components. Rubber parts assist in decreasing vibration and noise, isolating components, supporting wear resistance, and preventing metal surfaces from coming into contact. Common industries and applications that rubber molding serves include:

• Agriculture. Rubber molding can create bushings, bumpers, extrusions, suspension components, and engine mounts, as well as seals for agricultural equipment doors and windows.
• Automotive and transportation. Along with door and window seals, rubber molding can generate transport components such as grommets, bumpers, extrusions like tubing, and engine mounts.
• Construction. Machinery for the construction sector often uses rubber-molded buttons, knobs, bushings, belts, and engine mounts.
  General industry. Industrial companies can use rubber-molded parts in everything from power generators to gas meters.
• Healthcare. The medical and dental sectors benefit from rubber-molded gaskets, cords, tubing, extrusions, catheters, syringes, hearing aid parts, dental grips, diaphragms, and wheels for patient beds.
• Military and defense. Belts, tracks, and mounts are examples of rubber-molded parts for military and defense. Rubber molding can also provide products for equipment and rifle isolation.
• Mining. Mining operations utilize rubber components to assist with wear resistance in equipment for sifting, sorting, and material handling.
• Waterworks. Rubber molding is useful for creating gaskets, ductile iron castings, and water valve components.

At Stern Rubber Company, we understand that every project is different, which is why we’ve provided comprehensive rubber molding services to meet our clients’ varied needs since 1969. We’re a full-service, ISO 9001:2015-certified custom rubber manufacturer offering high-quality molded products and exceptional customer support.

From our three facilities in Minnesota, we operate round the clock, working on production runs ranging from a single part to millions. In addition to our molding services, we also offer rubber-to-substrate bonding, off-shore sourcing, design support, material selection, custom milling and compounding, testing, and quality assurance to best serve you. We bond and over-mold rubber to plastic, metal, other rubbers, and related substrates.

Contact us to discuss the rubber molding process that best fits the specific requirements of your project, or request a quote today to get started.