A Guide to Rubber Moulding at CB Frost

With our considerable expertise in rubber moulding, we can supply moulded rubber products in most rubber materials to suit any application. Whether you need a prototype, small batches, large-scale production or long running schedules, we can accommodate your requirements.  

Based in Birmingham, we supply moulded components to customers throughout the UK as well as building strong relationships with overseas customers.

Bespoke Moulded Rubber Components

To manufacture moulded components to meet your specific requirements, bespoke tooling is manufactured. If you are looking for a prototype for a new product, we can create tooling from a drawing, or if you are looking to replicate an existing component, we can reverse engineer to create a new mould. 

With our knowledge of rubber materials, we can work with you to choose the ideal material to suit the intended application. If you are looking to replicate an existing part, we can advise you on whether the existing material is the optimal choice and offer alternative solutions to help improve the product.

We can offer bespoke rubber components in commercial grade materials such as:

• EPDM
• Natural Rubber
• Neoprene
• Nitrile 
• Silicone

If you need certain characteristics to suit the application or for industry compliance, we can offer rubber mouldings in special grades, including chemical resistant, flame retardant, military grade, and a wide range of FDA, British and European standard grades, including those designed specifically for the rail industry (EN45545-2, BS6853, LUL).

Rubber Moulding Processes

Depending on customer requirements, we use injection or compression moulding processes to manufacture rubber mouldings. 

Injection Moulding

For the process of injection moulding, a precise amount of rubber material is fed into a compartment that pre-heats the material, feeding it into a barrel that injects the raw material under pressure into a closed, heated mould. 

There are many advantages to injection moulding, including:

• Injection moulding is cost-effective for higher quantity production
• Injection moulding produces little waste
• Parts will not require trimming
• The results are consistently accurate
• Moulding cycles are fast
• Precise dimensional requirements can be met for complex shapes

Compression Moulding

For the compression moulding process, raw rubber material is weighed and then placed directly into a moulding cavity. The mould is then closed, and heat and pressure are applied in order for the raw materials to form the intended shape. The mould must remain closed until the compression moulding is cured (set) – the moulding time will depend on the material used, the temperature it is moulded at, and the size of the component. 

As with injection moulding, there are several benefits to compression moulding, including:

• More cost-effective than injection moulding
• Well suited for small quantity production or for products that require longer curing times
• Ideal for moulded parts with large cross sections
• Compression moulding allows for the capacity to process stiffer materials
• Waste material is reduced

Choosing the right rubber materials to suit your moulding specification

With our knowledge and experience, we are here to support you in making the right material and process choices to suit your specifications. With our in house capabilities, we are committed to producing high quality moulded rubber components and meeting fast lead times to benefit our customers.

For more information on rubber moulding at CB Frost, please contact our team on +44 (0)121 773 8494.