When your project demands precision, performance, and durability, custom rubber extrusions can make all the difference. Whether you’re building industrial equipment, sealing a complex enclosure, or managing vibration and impact, rubber extrusions offer tailored solutions for a wide range of applications.
At NW Rubber Extruders, custom is what we do best—so let’s take a closer look at how rubber extrusions work and why they might be the right fit for your next project.
Understanding the Rubber Extrusion Process
Rubber extrusion is similar in concept to molded rubber, but the process and results are distinct. It begins with an unvulcanized rubber compound—essentially raw rubber that hasn’t yet been cured—being fed into an extruder. Inside the machine, rotating screws push the rubber through a precisely engineered die, which gives the rubber its final shape.
As the material is forced through the die, it experiences a combination of heat and pressure. This causes the rubber to flow and swell slightly based on its composition, which is why tight design tolerances are so important when engineering a part.
The resulting product is often still soft and pliable. That’s because many extruded rubber parts are not vulcanized until after extrusion. Vulcanization—applying heat and pressure to cure the rubber—hardens and stabilizes the material. Depending on the rubber compound, vulcanization can cause slight changes in shape or size, typically more in the center of the part than at the ends.
Why Use Rubber Extrusion?
The biggest advantage of rubber extrusion is design flexibility. It allows for the production of complex rubber profiles in continuous lengths, which can be cut to size and applied across a wide variety of industries.
Here are a few of the profiles we frequently create:
- Tubing: Hollow or solid tubes for transferring liquids or gasses.
- Rectangular & Square Extrusions: Used in framing, gasketing, and structural sealing.
- Custom Seals: Including “P” seals, “J” channels, “T” profiles, and other irregular shapes.
These profiles are commonly used in transportation, construction, HVAC, electronics, and industrial manufacturing, where performance and reliability are non-negotiable.
Built to Your Specs: Why Choose NW Rubber Extruders?
With decades of experience in the rubber industry, NW Rubber Extruders is known for crafting precision extruded rubber parts that meet the tightest tolerances. Whether you need a standard shape or a fully custom profile, our team can guide you from material selection to production.
We work with a variety of rubber compounds—including EPDM, Neoprene, Silicone, Nitrile, and others—depending on your needs for temperature resistance, chemical exposure, compression set, and more.
No matter the application, we’re here to help you find the right shape, the right rubber, and the right process to get it done.
Ready to Talk Rubber?
Have a design in mind? Looking to replace a worn seal or optimize a new product? Let’s talk. Our team at NW Rubber Extruders is ready to help you bring your custom rubber extrusion to life—on time, on budget, and on spec.📞 Contact us today to request a quote or discuss your project needs