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As a rubber manufacturer for the Auto, RV and Marine industries, we have technical terms we use to describe our products. This guide is to help beginners and pros alike to decipher the types of parts we offer and their application. In this post, we will explain:
Defined, weatherstripping is a strip of rubber or other material used to seal the edges of a door or window against the cold; however, weatherstripping has a variety of applications and protects you from more than a chilly breeze.
Weatherstripping is an essential tool that guards your investment from mold, dust, dirt, grime, draft and pests, and keeps your air conditioning/heat inside.
The weatherstripping and rubber parts we produce here at Steele are manufactured from EPDM rubber. EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) was developed in the s to meet the increasing demand for innovation in manufacturing. EPDM essentially mirrors the physical properties of natural rubber and adds the important function of UV resistance.
Due to its extreme weather, UV, and Ozone resistance, EPDM is the perfect weatherstripping compound to produce all of our parts out of. We also back all of our parts with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
There are multiple ways to apply weatherstripping from glue-on, push-on and adhesive backed strips. Not every application will work for all projects so it&#;s important to consider your project&#;s unique needs before purchasing a weatherstrip.
To expand a little more on those:
Automotive weatherstripping is determined by your car&#;s unique make, model and year. This is both convenient and inconvenient at times. How so? Depending on the type of car you have, you might not find what you&#;re looking for. This typically means that no one else has asked for that seal, or that there isn&#;t a high enough demand to produce those parts. If you&#;re looking for a kit, or all the seals for your particular make and model car, you can use a parts finder like the one of the Steele Rubber site. For example, say I&#;m looking for the seals for a Camaro Hardtop.
However, if you don&#;t see the parts you&#;re looking for, we recommend looking at our Universal line. If you&#;re doing a custom project like a hot rod or street rod, check out our Street Rod line! If we can&#;t produce what you need, we reach out to other companies in the industry to help you find what you&#;re looking for.
RV weatherstripping is vastly universal because RV manufacturers would often use what seals they had on hand. Which could result in two of the same year, make, and model RVs having different seals on them. Our RV parts are categorized by the seal&#;s location. For example, doors and compartments, A/C gasket, windows, and slide outs. Just because a seal is located in one category, doesn&#;t mean you can&#;t use it in another application.
In our marine line, you will find parts specific for boats like rub rails. As well as a variety of parts also included in our RV line. The main characteristic that distinguishes marine parts from the RV parts is that these seals are tested to withstand fresh and saltwater conditions.
Gasket &#; A shaped piece or ring of rubber that fills the space between 2 or more surfaces, generally to prevent leaks. A gasket typically fills the space between the glass and metal channel of the RV.
Edge Trim &#; Designed to cover rough edges. Used around doors and other applications that require a cover for an edge.
I-ECO contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.
Insert Trim &#; Insert trim rubber is the perfect replacement to the original vinyl seal. Most vinyl tends to crack and let water in the track which causes mildew. Our insert trim is manufactured from dense, 100% EPDM rubber, making it UV and weather resistant. It is designed to fit & lock in the metal track found on many RV and Toy Haulers.
T-Rubber &#; These seals can be used in just about any application where rubber is held in place with a track or channel. Many RV screen doors and shower doors utilize T-rubber seals.
Push-On &#; Push-on seals refer to how they are installed. These seals are designed to stop leaks, drafts, reduce noise and ensure a secure fit. These types of seals mostly consist of a rubber bulb attached to push-on type insert trim that has an integrated steel core. The result is a long lasting seal that is easy to install and requires no glue or adhesive to install.
Peel-N-Stick &#; Another type based on installation. These seals feature a 3M double-sided adhesive backing which offers quick and easy installation. Our Peel-N-Stick seals are superior to other parts with double-sided tape for a few reasons: We exclusively use 3M tape, we heat-apply the backing to our parts in-house during the manufacturing process, and because the heat-applying process permanently bonds the rubber seal and tape together.
Sponge Rubber &#; There are 2 types of sponge rubber, closed cell and open cell. EPDM rubber seals are typically closed cell sponge rubber. These seals are flexible, weather and UV resistant and can withstand pressure for long periods of time without losing their shape. Sponge rubber can be molded or extruded. Closed cell is ideal because it also does not absorb water like open cell designs. Our sponge rubber is closed cell. This is achieved by a salt-bath curing process.
Dense Rubber &#; Dense rubber can be extruded or molded and is cured using intense heat to achieve a solid structure. These seals feature greater resistance to impacts, abrasion and wear. This type of rubber is commonly found in window applications, and as a replacement for vinyl or plastic seals.
Extrusion &#; The extrusion process, as explained on our facility tours, is just like pushing Play-Doh through a toy mold. Dies (the shape we want the extrusion to be) are placed at the beginning of the extruder. Then, the proprietary EPDM rubber compound is forced through that die and &#;cured&#; to keep its shape. Dense rubber cures with dry heat, while sponge rubber extrusions are sent through a molten salt bath that makes the rubber expand into the squishy rubber we all know and love.
Mold &#; Our rubber molds are carefully crafted out of metal by computer controlled cutting machines to very exact dimensions. Each mold requires a specific amount of rubber to form each part. The rubber is either placed or mechanically injected under heated pressure into the mold and placed in a heat press to cure to take and hold shape.
Steele not only offers top-quality products, but top-quality knowledge to help you complete your projects, too. If you have questions regarding weatherstripping for your classic vehicle, street rod, RV, or boat, don&#;t hesitate to contact us! Call us at 800-447-, send us an , or chat with us on our website.
*For additional help check out our How To series on YouTube!
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For more information, please visit EPDM Automotive Seal Strip Supplier.