University of the East

Caloocan Campus
College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department

Report No. 6

Rubber Manufacturing Process

Submitted by:
NME 415 – 1ME
Date: October 16, 2018

Submitted to:
Engr. Edwin S. Bautista

Table of Contents

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I. Terminologies ...................................................................................................... 3

II. Introduction…………………………………………………………………….7

III. Manufacturing Process…………………………………………………………8

A. Raw Materials…...………………………………………………………….8

B. Flow Chart …………………………………………………………………10

C. Discussion of the
Process…………………………………………………...10

D. Equipment/
Machineries……….…..……………………………………….13

E. Finished Product……………………………………………………………15

IV. References……………………………………………………………………...16

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I. Terminologies

1. abrasion: the surface loss of a material due to frictional forces.

2. accelerator: a compounding material used in small amounts, with a vulcanizing
agent, to increase the speed of vulcanization.
3. acid resistance: the ability to resist the action of identified acids within specified
limits of concentration and temperature.
4. activator: a compounding material used in small proportions to increase the
effectiveness of an accelerator.
5. ageing: the irreversible change of material properties during exposure to a
deteriorating environment, for a specified time interval.
6. agglomerate, compounding material: a cluster of particles of one or more
compounding materials loosely held together. Most commonly used to describe
carbon black.
7. antioxidant: a compounding material used to retard deterioration caused by
oxidation.
8. aromatic oil: a hydrocarbon process oil containing at least 35%, by mass, of
aromatic hydrocarbons.
9. autoclave: a vessel used for vulcanizing rubber products by means of steam under
pressure.
10. axial seal: a term usually applied to an O-Ring where the squeeze is applied on the
top and bottom surfaces. Another term for face seal.
11. back-up ring: a device made of rubber, PTFE, leather, or another substance that
will add strength or support when installed next to a seal. Most commonly used as
an anti-extrusion device.
12. bank: the reservoir of material at the opening between rolls of a mill or calendar.
13. batch: the product of one mixing operation.
14. blow: the volume expansion that occurs during the production of cellular or sponge
rubber.
15. breakout friction: the force required to initiate sliding between a rubber seal and its
mating surfaces.
16. brittle point: the highest temperature at which a rubber specimen will fracture
under sudden impact.
17. buffing: the grinding of a vulcanizate, producing a roughened or velvety texture.
18. calender: a machine with two or more parallel, counter-rotating rolls, with
controllable roll-to-roll spacing, rotating at selected surface speeds and controlled
temperatures.
19. carbon black: a material consisting essentially of elemental carbon in the form of
near-spherical colloidal particles and particle aggregates. It is produced by partial
combustion or thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons. Primarily used as a
reinforcing agent, but also affects many other dynamic properties of a rubber
compound.
20. catalyst: a chemical that, in small quantities, accelerates a chemical reaction
without itself necessarily becoming part of the final product.

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21. cellular rubber: a generic term for materials containing many cells (either open,
closed, or both) dispersed throughout the mass of rubber.
22. cement, rubber: an adhesive that is either a liquid dispersion or solution of raw or
compounded rubber, or both.
23. chalking: the formation of a powdery residue on the surface of a rubber, commonly
resulting from surface degradation.
24. checking: the short, shallow cracks on the surface of a rubber product, usually
resulting from damaging action by environmental elements.
25. cold checks: a defect on calendered sheeting consisting of surface roughness.
26. cold flow: slow deformation, under gravitational force, at or below room
temperature. Sometimes referred to as “creep”.
27. compound: a term applied to a mixture of polymers and other ingredients to
produce a usable rubber material.
28. compression molding: molding process in which the material is placed directly in
the mold cavity and compressed to shape by closure of the mold, under heat and
pressure.
29. conductive rubber: a rubber capable of conducting (generally static) electricity.
30. copolymer: a polymer formed from two different monomers.
31. cracker: a heavy-duty mill having two deeply corrugated or pyramid-cut rolls for
breaking down a rubber or a mix, or for cutting rubber or a mix into pieces.
32. crack: a fissure originating in the surface of a rubber vulcanizate or product as a
result of natural weathering.
33. creep: the time-dependent part of a strain resulting from stress.
34. crosslinking: formation of chemical bonds between polymer chains to give a
network structure.
35. crystallinity: orientation of the disordered long chain molecules of a polymer into
repeating patterns. The degree of crystallinity effects stiffness, hardness, low
temperature flexibility, and heat resistance.
36. damping: that property of a material or system that causes it to convert mechanical
energy to heat when subjected to deflection; in rubber the property is caused by
hysteresis.
37. dispersion: the application of shearing forces to distribute one or more
compounding materials uniformly throughout the mass of a rubber compound.
38. durometer: an instrument for measuring the indentation hardness of rubber.
39. dusting: the application of a powder to a rubber surface, generally to prevent
adhesion to another surface.
40. ejector pins: pins or blades that, when activated internally to the mold, eject the
part from the mold cavity. Sometimes referred to as “knock outs”.
41. elasticity: the rapid recovery of a material to its approximate initial shape and
dimensions after substantial deformation by force and subsequent release of that
force.
42. explosive decompression: the rupture of a rubber article caused by the rapid
reversal of pressure, causing dissolved gases in the rubber to escape quickly to the
surface of the vulcanizate.

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43. extruder: a machine designed to force rubber through an orifice, which is shaped to
the geometry of the desired end product.
44. extrusion: the continuous shaping of a material during passage through a die.
45. face seal: a seal between two flat surfaces. In an O-Ring, this means it seals on the
top and bottom, not the ID and OD. Also referred to as an axial seal.
46. frosting: the formation of a matte, whitish appearance on a rubber surface exposed
to air, resulting from the action of ozone. Often confused with bloom.
47. grain: the unidirectional orientation of rubber or filler particles in a rubber
compound.
48. hardness: a physical property of a rubber vulcanizate, characterized by resistance to
indentation.
49. hysteresis: the conversion of mechanical energy to heat in rubber undergoing strain.
50. insert: typically, a metal or plastic component to which rubber is chemically and/or
physically bonded during the molding process.
usually following extrusion.
51. masterbatch: a homogeneous mixture of rubber and one or more materials in
known proportions for use as a raw material in the preparation of the final
compounds. Masterbatches are used to facilitate processing or enhance the
properties of the final product, or both.
52. mastication: the breakdown or softening of raw rubber by the combined action of
mechanical work (shear), and atmospheric oxygen, sometimes accelerated by the
use of a peptizer, and frequently at elevated temperatures.
53. memory: the tendency of a rubber material to return to its original shape after
deformation.
54. mill: a machine used for rubber mastication, mixing, or sheeting, having two
counter-rotating rolls with adjustable longitudinal axis separation that usually rotate
at different speeds.
55. mixer: a machine that incorporates and disperses compounding ingredients into
rubber to form a mix or a compound through the action of mechanical work (shear).
56. molding, compression: the process of forming a material to a desired shape by
flow induced by a force applied after material is placed in the mold cavity.
57. molding lubricant: a material usually sprayed onto the mold cavity surface prior to
the introduction of the uncured rubber, to facilitate the easy removal of the
vulcanizates. Also known as a mold release agent.
58. nerve: the elastic resistance of unvulcanized rubber or rubber mixes to permanent
deformation.
59. O-Ring: a product of precise dimensions, molded in one piece, to the configuration
of a torus (doughnut) with a circular cross section, suitable for use in a machined
groove for static or dynamic sealing.
60. oxidation: the reaction between oxygen and a rubber vulcanizate, usually detected
by a change in the appearance or feel of the surface, or by a detrimental change in
physical properties.
61. paraffinic oil: a hydrocarbon process oil, most or all of which is composed of
alkanes
62. pigment: an insoluble compounding material used to impart color to rubber.

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63. plasticizer: a substance, usually a heavy liquid, added to an elastomer to decrease
stiffness, improve low temperature properties, and/or improve processing.
64. polymer: a substance consisting of molecules characterized by the repetition of one
or more types of monomeric units.
65. pot life: the period of time during which a reacting thermosetting composition
remains suitable for its intended use, after mixing with a reaction-initiating agent.
66. process oil: a hydrocarbon oil derived from petroleum or other sources, used as an
extender or process aid.
67. recipe: a formula, mixing procedure, and any other instructions needed for the
preparation of a rubber compound
process.
68. reinforcing agent: a material, not basically involved in the vulcanization process,
used in rubber to increase the resistance of the vulcanizate to mechanical forces.
69. rubber: a material that is capable of recovering from large deformations quickly
and forcibly, and can be, or already is, modified to a state in which it is essentially
insoluble.
70. scorch: premature vulcanization of a rubber compound.
71. sheeting: the process of converting a rubber, rubber mix, rubber dough, or latex into
a sheet.
72. softener: a compounding material used to produce a mix of reduced viscosity,
which facilitates incorporation of rubber additives.
73. splice: the uniting of two parts of a vulcanized rubber product to form a continuous
length.
74. squeeze: the deformation or interference placed on a rubber component to affect a
seal.
75. stabilizer: a substance present in or added to raw rubber to maintain properties at or
near their initial values during its production, processing, and storage.
76. static seal: part designed to seal between parts having no relative motion. Opposite
of a dynamic seal.
77. strainer: a machine designed to force a rubber or rubber mix through a sieve to
remove extraneous material.
78. terpolymer: a polymer formed from three monomer species.
79. thermoplastic: a polymer that repeatedly can be softened by heating and hardened
by cooling through a temperature range characteristic of the polymer, and in the
softened state, can be shaped into articles.
80. thermoplastic elastomer (TPE): a diverse family of rubber-like materials that,
unlike conventional vulcanized rubbers, can be processed and recycled like
thermoplastic materials. Often referred to as TPR (thermoplastic rubber).
81. thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV): a thermoplastic elastomer with a chemically
cross-linked rubbery phase, produced by dynamic vulcanization.
82. vulcanization: an irreversible process during which a rubber compound, through a
change in its chemical structure (for example, crosslinking), becomes less plastic
and more resistant to swelling by organic liquids, while elastic properties are
conferred, improved, or extended over a greater range of temperature.

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II. Introduction

Rubbers are elastomeric materials, whose dimensions can be greatly changed when
stressed and which return to their original dimensions when the deforming stress is
removed. It is also a versatile and most fascinating material of construction known to the
world, as after proper compounding and vulcanization; various products with specific
properties of flexibility, elasticity, toughness or hardness, stretch, rebound and abrasion
resistance, et cetera.

Rubber is a material that can be stretched or compressed and when the force is
removed, will return quickly to its original shape’ without permanent deformation. The
main chemical building blocks of rubber are elastomers, or “elastic polymers.” These are
large chainlike molecules, which when cured (vulcanized) form chemical crosslinks
between the polymer chains. The ability of the chains to stretch and spring back is a
measure of the rubber’s elasticity and resilience under load. The first common elastomer
was Polyisoprene, from which natural rubber is made. In general, rubber materials are
characterized by their low modulus of elasticity. They are resistant to water, alkalis and
weak acids. Rubber is also a good electrical insulator, and can be used as a bonding agent.

The rubbers (elastomeric) materials can be classified into two major types according
to common use are natural rubber and synthetic rubber. Natural rubber (NR) is exhibit
many outstanding properties, such as good oil resistance, low gas permeability, improved
rolling resistance, high strength, resilience, elasticity, resistance to abrasion, impact
resistance, low cost, and efficient heat dispersion makes it ideal for use in medical and
other application. The natural rubber coming from latex that bleeds from the wounding in
plants. The drop in natural rubber product can be attributed to the discovery of crude oil,
uneconomic size of farmer’s holdings, old age of plantations, little agricultural inputs like
fertilizer, not found availability for credit facilities, and pesticides, also shortage and high
cost of labor in many rubber producing areas. Synthetic rubber is any type of artificially
made by man from petrochemical feedstock or polymer material is normally obtained by
emulsion addition polymerization and condensation polymerization, which acts as an
elastomer. Several types of synthetic rubber were made, for some purposes they are better
than natural rubber, but, for others, not as good, such as styrene butadiene rubber SBR,
nitrile butadiene rubber NBR, butyl rubber IIR, butadiene rubber BR, isoprene rubber IR,
neoprene rubber CR…etc. The SBR and BR varieties are the most widely consumed type
of synthetic rubber. A wide variety of particulate fillers such as carbon black, silica,
alumina and clay, which are used in the rubber industry for various purposes, which the
most important purposes are reinforcement, to reduction in material costs, improvements in
processing, and to improve the mechanical, electrical and fracture properties of rubbers, for
examples increase the strength of rubber, increase the hardness, stiffness, tensile modulus,
abrasion resistance, tear resistance and increase frictional coefficient, reduced the rebound
or resilience. Other fillers, plasticizer are necessarily added to compounding rubber.

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III. Manufacturing Process

A. Raw Materials

Natural rubber
is harvested as latex – a natural source of isoprene, called caoutchouc
or India rubber – which is dried out for commercial processing. This dried
out form of natural rubber is the chemical Polyisoprene. Although it has
some elasticity, Polyisoprene is normally mixed with chemicals and
vulcanized to produce the finished product. Natural rubber is both elastic
and viscous making it an ideal polymer for dynamic and static engineering
applications.

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Reinforcing Filler for Rubbers

As a reinforcing filler for black, non-black, colored and

translucent industrialrubber and silicone elastomers, silica enhances the
strength and durability of belts, hoses, seals, gaskets, motor mounts, wire
and cable coatings, golf grips, shoe soles and other manufactured goods.

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 Fig.1. Precipitated amorphous silica

Carbon Black
(subtypes are acetylene black, channel black, furnace black, lamp
black and thermal black) is a material produced by the incomplete
combustion of heavy petroleum products such as FCC tar, coal tar, ethylene
cracking tar, and a small amount from vegetable oil. Carbon black is a form
of paracrystalline carbon that has a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, albeit
lower than that of activated carbon.

Fig.2. Carbon black

B. Flow Chart

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C. Discussion of Process
 Mixing Machine
The ingredients for the compound are placed in a mixing
machine, where the rotating rotors mix the ingredients creating a
homogeneous substance. Because the movement of the rotor creates
high temperatures the rotors need to have an internal refrigerant
system to avoid the vulcanization of the rubber during this step.

Fig.1. Mixing Machine

 Open Mill
After the compound is homogeneous, it is sent to an open
mill, where two cylinders rotate in opposite directions. The speed of
the cylinders are different, that way the rubber builds onto one of the
cylinders, creating a rubber sheet. The cylinder temperature is also
controlled so that is does not exceed the vulcanization temperature of
the compound.

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 Fig.2. Open mill

 Stamping Machine
To avoid oxidation in the metal, the parts are coated shortly
after stamping. After the stamping process the case is cleaned to
remove any metal shavings, grease and dirt. When the case is clean
they are coated with zinc phosphate. This coating protects against
corrosion and helps improve the surface for later bonding to the
elastomer.

Fig.3. Stamping Machine

 3 Types of Mold Seals

1. Compression molding
The metal case is placed into the lower part of the mold and the pre cut
shape of the compound (or preform) is set on top of the case. The upper and lower
molds, which contains the shape of the seal, is heated to the vulcanization
temperature of the compound. The upper mold is pressed down, forcing the
compound to flow into the areas of the mold. After a specific period of time the
compound is fully cured, the mold is then opened and the parts are removed.

Fig.4. Compression Molding

2. Transfer molding

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Again, the metal case is placed into the lower part of the mold and the upper and lower
molds are heated to the vulcanization temperature. The preform in transfer molding is
placed into a transfer pot and not in the mold itself. The mold is then closed and the
elastomer is transfered into the mold via the later compression of the transfer pot. This type
of molding presents less flash in the part than compression molding.

Fig.5. Transfer Molding

3. Injection molding
In this type of molding the compound is poured into a barrel, where it is heated at higher
temperatures than the compression or transfer molding This is done because the distance to
the mold is generally longer. The barrel contains a screw that moves the compound forward
while is being heated. The compound is then forced into the mold through a nozzle. Once
the mold is full the screw stops moving, ceasing the flow into the mold. After the elastomer
has cured the mold opens and the parts are removed.

Fig.6. Injection Machine

 Knife Trimming
During trimming the seal rotates at a high RPM while the knives trim
the excessive part of the seal.

Fig.7. Knife Trimming for rubber

 Greasing Seal

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 The edge of some seal cases can be rolled to make the installation of
the seal easier and prevent seal-cocking during installation • Seals can also
be pre-greased before packaging. The added grease acts as a pre-lubrication
for the seal lip and helps to provide initial lubrication to the lip for
installation and initial running of the lip.

Fig.8. Greasing the seal

D. Equipment / Machineries

 Rubber Injection Machine

Based off of a process intended for the molding of plastics, injection
molding of rubber began in the mid1960s. Rubber injection molding
successfully alters the plastics process by heating the rubber and placing it
under significantly more pressure per square inch of cavity surface in
molding. This is different from the plastic injection molding process where
the materials are cooled under less pressure. Through various innovations,
injection molding has become one of the most efficient ways to
create molded rubber products in many cases.

Fig.1. Rubber injection machine

 Knife Trimming Machine

This machine is used for cutting the edges of soft objects such as oil
seals, soft rubber parts.Manual feed and auto trim. Cuts the bevel angle of
plain face, inner & outer bevel angle simultaneously. Flash separator

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separates trimmed oil seal and flash to save time. It is equipped with a wheel
press to press the oil seals being trimmed.Area-safety sensor and a safety
screen to protect the operator and keep the working area clean.

Fig.2. Knife trimming machine for rubber

D. Finished Product

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 Fig.1. Rubber Oil Seal

IV. References

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 Bhowmick, AK, MM Hall, and HA Benarey (eds.). 1994. Rubber Products
Manufacturing Technology. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.
 Brydson, J.A. (30 November 1988). Rubbery Materials and their
Compounds
 Evans, Scott (1997), Temperature transfer due to induction sealing (MS
Thesis, Rochester Institute of Technology), retrieved 9 Mar 2015
 Klososki, J. M. and A. T. Wolf, "The History of Sealants". Handbook of
Sealant Technology. Mittal, K. L., and A. Pizzi, eds., Boca Raton: CRC,
2009.
 Latte, Dr. Jorge and Rossi, Claudio: High Temperature Behavior of
Compressed Fiber Gasket Materials, and an Alternative Approach to the
Prediction of Gasket Life, FSA presented Paper, 1995, pg. 16
 Morton, M (ed.). 1987. Rubber Technology, 3rd edition. New York: Van
Nostrand Reinhold.
 http://www.oringsusa.com/html/factory_tour.html
 http://www.me.nchu.edu.tw/lab/CIM/www/courses/Manufacturing%20Proc
esses/Ch14-Rubber-Wiley.pdf
 http://rsdcindia.in/kb/rsdc-skill_gap_study-
Rubber%20Technology%20and%20Manufacturing%20process%20of%20rubber%
20products.pdf
 http://www.ppgsilica.com/Performance.aspx
 http://www.metflex.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Introduction-to-
Rubber-Final.pdf

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