Custom rubber products for rail applications play a pivotal role in the 140,000 miles of railroad tracks that line our country and the world beyond.
We have the equipment required to manufacture custom rubber products for rail applications. Before moving forward, though, brush up on all you need to know about these unique rail products.
1. It’s Not Like Other Plastic
Nearly 29 million tons of rubber are made every single year.
Much of that plastic goes into generic, mass-produced items. But for rail products, rubber has to be custom-fit to the specifications of every project at hand.
There is more than one reason for this, too.
2. Custom Rubber Products React to Their Environment
The wrong rubber can be a big problem when it’s part of a railway installation.
Before a professional can fit the right part, they have to know details about the environment in which the rubber will be used.
What temperature can the rails reach? Are there any gases or chemicals that might come in contact with the rubber? It’s also vital to know if any light will hit it, as such a glow can compromise the rubber products, too.
3. Rubber Doesn’t Just End Up On the Rail
We say we make custom rubber products for rail applications, but you won’t just find our creations on the tracks.
There are plenty of other locomotive-centric places where custom rubber products are essential.
For example, we make custom rubber installments for train bumpers, and we can seal engines with them, too.
4. You Can Choose the Type of Rubber
Not all rubber is created in the same way.
Some of the rubber for our custom rail products comes from natural sources. But 70 percent of the rubber used today is synthetic, human-made for use in railway applications and beyond.
You can choose either natural or synthetic rubber for your rail products. Each option has its advantages, though.
High temperatures and oil are no match for the incredibly resilient synthetic rubber. On the other hand, natural rubber makes for excellent grip — and it can last a while in the right conditions, as well.
5. It Doesn’t Start and End With Rubber
Finally, know that your custom rubber products for rail applications aren’t merely made of rubber — at least, not in every case.
Sometimes, you’ll need an installment that has a bit of rubber mixed with another material to complete your project. An end-of-car diaphragm may need rubber and metal for sturdiness and safety, as an example.
We can fit your custom rubber products with these other must-have pieces in mind.
Choose the Right Rubber Products — From the Right Supplier
Now that you know more about custom rubber products — and how they work with railways — you can make the right choice in purchasing them for your industrial project.
Start with us and our custom creation of rail applications. You can check out our blog, too, for more information about rubber products and our other specialty items.