Where Would We Be Without Rubber?

Rubber plays a part in almost everything we use, so many of our belongings would disappear without it. From pencil erasers to the tires on your pickup truck, rubber products are present in nearly all areas of your daily life.

Why do we use rubber so much? Well, it is arguably one of the most versatile materials we have at our disposal. Not only is it incredibly strong, but there is an endless variety of rubber compounds. Each compound has unique properties that offer advantages in nearly every industry, which is why rubber products are always in demand.

Manufacturers of custom rubber products need to meet the specific demands and application requirements of countless clients. This means they not only need to emphasize precision, but they also have to maintain exceptionally high production rates. This is why so many people look to Qualiform for their rubber parts. Qualiform can deliver the high-quality solutions you need on time, at a price you can afford.

Rubber may not be the most exciting thing on paper, but once you realize how often you use it, it becomes clear how important rubber really is. Here are just a few places where we all benefit from rubber products:

A selection of Qualiform's extruded rubber products

In Your Home

The easiest place to find rubber products is to simply look around your house. The majority if not all the appliances in your home use rubber in some form. Some common examples would be washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, microwaves, stoves, and A/C units, and that is only a handful of the dozens of possible in-home uses.

These appliances also use a diverse range of different rubber compounds. For example, a stove has components that need to resist high temperatures while refrigerators use rubber as insulation to keep the heat out. You cannot use the same compound for both of these applications, so rubber products manufacturers have to accurately determine which material works best for each situation.

When you have the time, look through your kitchen or laundry room to see if you can find any rubber parts. You will be surprised how quickly you run into some.

A small kitchen with several appliances | Rubber products

In Your Car

Take a step outside and look at your car. Of course, it has rubber tires to help it move around, but that is just one rubber component of your vehicle. While most people think of pistons, belts, and fuel injectors when they think of car parts, there are numerous seals, tubes, hoses, and more that use rubber to keep your car functioning properly.

There are countless pieces and parts in the engine assembly let alone the rest of the vehicle. As anyone who has dealt with a mysterious check engine light knows, even just one small thing out of place can cause a car to malfunction. If one of the rubber hoses springs a tiny leak, you can bet that light will be on next time you start your car.

Automotive rubber parts need to be able to endure harsh conditions without falling apart. The rubber extrusion experts at Qualiform use only the highest quality materials and precision molding processes to ensure these parts perform optimally and prevent mechanical breakdowns. In other words, without rubber products, you could not safely drive your car.

A car with the hood open and exposing the engine | Rubber products

On a Plane

Cars are not the only form of transportation that use rubber parts, however. Airplanes are even more advanced than your typical automobile, but that does not mean they do not use rubber. In fact, rubber is just as important in aircraft if not moreso.

Once a plane takes off, there is no room for error. Your average commercial airplane will reach altitudes miles above the ground within minutes, so the last thing anyone needs is for something to go wrong. There are rubber parts present in nearly every area of the plane. Window seals, lighting gaskets, and engine door seals are just a few examples.

To maintain cabin air pressure and keep the plane in the air, these rubber parts need to resist massive vibrations as well as extreme temperatures during landings, takeoffs, and flight at max altitude. Without reliable rubber parts, we could not safely travel from coast to coast in just a few hours.

An airplane midflight | Rubber products

On the Farm

Farming and agriculture have been a core part of the human condition for all of recorded history. As the years go by, our methods for cultivating and harvesting crops become more and more advanced. For centuries, we could only use hand tools and cattle-drawn plows, but with modern innovation, we now have tractors, harvesters, sprinkler systems, and more!

All farming machinery uses rubber parts as well as most hand tools. These products need to resist heat, rain, the sun, pesticides, and several other environmental factors. Companies like Qualiform develop many gaskets, seals, and other components that ensure farming equipment runs properly. Without these rubber products, growing and harvesting large quantities of food would not be possible.

Qualiform: The Masters in All Things Rubber Molding

There is no end to the usefulness of rubber in our everyday lives, and these are just a few examples of where we use it. If you are looking for a developer of high-quality rubber products, get in touch with Qualiform Rubber Molding. With our experience in rubber molding, we can develop custom rubber parts for virtually any industry ranging from agriculture to aerospace.

We will work with you to develop part designs and prototypes until we find the ideal product for the job. During the rubber molding process, we will be ready to answer any questions you have and adapt if you want to make any changes.

Qualiform also operates on a 3-shift/24-schedule. This allows us to offer the quickest possible lead times while maintaining the most affordable pricing on the market. We will work around the clock to ensure you receive the parts you need when you need them.

Are you unsure of what rubber products or services you are looking for? Contact Qualiform today, and our technical staff can help you get started on your next project!

A tractor plowing a field | Rubber products