Without rubber the transport industry would come to a grinding halt. From the one billion plus tyres manufactured each year to wiper blades, shaft boots and oil seals, the transport industry is driven on rubber. Here, Southampton-based rubber engineering experts, Martin’s Rubber Company, explain how they support the transport industry, especially prestige automotive manufacturers, with high-performance rubber moulded components.
The average car contains around 30,000 parts, right down to the smallest screws. In terms of raw materials, steel makes up the bulk of a vehicle, accounting for around a metric ton of a typical road car’s weight. Plastic makes up an astounding 50% of a current vehicle’s construction, with aluminium used for about 15% of a car’s parts. Unsurprisingly, glass also plays quite a large role in windscreens, windows and mirrors.
However, the unsung hero is rubber. Modern vehicles are positively laden with rubber moulded components. Some we see and use with regularity, like pedal rubbers and wiper blades. Others remain hidden but are just as pivotal to our driving experience, like drive shaft boots and oil seals. But perhaps the most important rubber components for the transport industry are the vulcanised rubber tyres that help us to get from A to B.
Vulcanised rubber moulded components
Vulcanisation is the process of curing elastomers. Natural rubber is treated with sulphur or other curatives (such as peroxide and metal oxides) to form cross-links between sections of a polymer chain to produce a rubberised material that exhibits excellent rigidity and durability. Vulcanisation hardens rubber, making it less susceptible to deformation (compared to non-vulcanised rubber), and increases its tensile strength.
As well as excellent resilience, vulcanisation also makes rubber more resistant to oxidation, abrasion and organic solvents. It also makes it waterproof and a good electrical insulator. Given these favourable traits, it’s little wonder that vulcanised rubber is used to manufacture countless products. The best-known and most prevalent of which is vehicle tyres, with more than a billion tyres manufactured worldwide every year.
As well as tyres, there are many other vulcanised rubber components for the transport industry that rubber moulders like Martin’s Rubber develop regularly. We work closely with designers, engineers and manufacturers in the prestige and luxury automotive markets, supplying parts for engines and gearboxes, interiors and prototyping. For example, our aerospace and motorsport experience came to the fore when assisting with the development of the Bugatti Veyron’s seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT).
We also supply specialist commercial vehicle finishers in the bus and truck market with a range of products for commercial and industrial vehicles. From Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for scenario testing to the bonding of rubbers to engineering plastics, metals and composites, Martin’s Rubber offers a wealth of expertise.
No stone unturned in the pursuit of perfection
Our engineers inject all their experience and expertise into the production of all our moulded parts for engines, gearboxes, interiors and prototyping for the transport industry. “We leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of perfection,” said Adam Hooper, Operations Director at Martin’s Rubber. “Everything we do is geared towards producing the most effective rubber solutions for our automotive customers.
“Whether that be using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for modelling scenarios prior to the manufacture of parts, through to bonding rubbers to engineering plastics, metals and composites – we quite often develop bespoke rubber mouldings that are completely outside the performance remit of ‘normal’ parts. Which is why we are regularly asked to collaborate on niche projects, like energy recovery systems and powertrain technologies.”
Martin’s Rubber Company has been supplying high-quality rubber moulded components to all quarters of the transport industry for decades. Whether developing parts that are resistant to aggressive media like oils and cleaning fluids, minimise the risks of toxic fumes, reduce the likelihood of technical failure, or can be recycled at end of life, Martin’s Rubber can produce the most effective rubber solution for your transport application.
“We offer a totally different proposition for Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive manufacturers”, Adam concludes. “Prestige brands and their suppliers know that when they come to us, they’re going to receive the best-performing rubber parts that money can buy. This is thanks to more than 155 years of rubber manufacturing experience, exceptional in-house talent, and cutting edge technology.”
Martins Rubber Company is a well-established rubber manufacturer based in Southampton. Specialising in the production and supply of industrial rubber and engineered plastic products, their expertise is in rubber moulding, bonding, product development and materials development. With a pedigree of 157 years of continuous trading and counting, state-of-the-art facilities, and a team of skilful engineers, Martin’s Rubber is the first and last word in rubber manufacturing. For more information, visit www.martins-rubber.co.uk.
