Rubber pad forming

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Rubber pad forming ( RPF ) is a metalworking process where sheet metal is pressed between die and rubber block, made of polyurethane. Under pressure, rubber and sheet metal are pushed into the mold and adjust to their shape, forming part. Rubber pads can have general purpose shapes, such as membranes. Or, they can be done in the form of die or punch.

Rubber pad forming is a deep drawing technique ideally suited for small and medium series production. Deep drawing makes it possible to change the shape of metal sheets in two directions, which offer great benefits in terms of function integration, weight reduction, cleanliness and the like.

An image loss in the ordinary is that expensive tools consisting of top and bottom prints are required. Once these tools are created, the variable costs are low, which makes the images in a regular way perfect for a large and large number of products.

Video Rubber pad forming

Technology

In the process of forming the rubber pad just die under the necessary rollers in which the metal plate is placed. After that, the bottom die form is pressed on the plate with a rubber mold. In most cases, contours, hole patterns and the like will be cut with a 3D laser cutter.

The simplicity of the rubber press tool causes the tooling cost to be about 85 to 90% lower than the picture in a regular while the variable cost is higher. This combination makes rubber pad suppression particularly suitable for smaller and medium series (up to 5,000-10,000 pieces per year), although traditional cutting, lace, welding, finishing etc. are used more due to unfamiliarity with rubber pad formation.

Rubber pad forming has been used in production line for many years. Up to 60% of all metal sheet parts in the aerospace industry are manufactured using this process. The most relevant applications are in the field of aerospace. These are often used in prototyping shops and for the production of kitchen appliances. Since a decade, rubber pad emphasis has grown rapidly into a technology widely used for many industrial applications.

Maps Rubber pad forming

Suppress power

Major pressing pressures are required for the rubber press to work. In the Netherlands there is some emphasis on rubber, which is the largest with a press strength of not less than 8,000 tons with a maximum surface area of ​​1.10x2.20m, this emphasis is used for very diverse industrial applications.

Worldwide, pressure is used up to around 14,000 tons.

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Pro and cons

In short, the benefits of pressing rubber pad are:

• Short time to market via simple tool
• Low tool cost
• Very good for low and medium numbers
• By using rubber, polished or honed surfaces remain undamaged
• Suitable for steel, stainless steel, aluminum etc. up to a thickness of about 4mm

And the disadvantages:

• For very large numbers, too much labor is too expensive
• Less freedom in form than with the usual deep drawing process
• In many cases, it is not suitable for sheet thickness greater than 4 mm.

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Definitions

The formation of a rubber pad can be accomplished in many ways, and since the technology has advanced, so have an application for this simple process. In general, the elastic top die, usually made of rubber, is connected to the hydraulic press. Rigid bottom dies, often called shape blocks, provide a mold for sheet metal to be formed. Since the top (male) die can be used by separating the lower (female) die, the process is relatively inexpensive and flexible. The working metal does not wear out quickly as in more conventional processes such as deep drawing, but rubber pads provide less pressure under the same conditions as non-elastic parts, which may cause less definition in formation, and rubber bearings wear out faster than parts steel.

Guerin Process

The Guerin process, also called Guerin Stamping, is a manufacturing process used in forming sheet metal. This is the oldest and most basic of the production-rubber formation process.

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Variants and similar processes

• Hydroforming
• Verson-Wheelon Process
• Marform process
• Hydrobuckling
• The aquadraw hydraulic process

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References

Source of the article : Wikipedia