Doug Sharpe
President of Elasto Proxy
Elasto Proxy designs and custom-fabricates elastomeric bumpers with metal inserts, LED lights, and other features for a wide range of applications. These high-quality, low-to-medium volume industrial rubber products are designed to absorb energy and can withstand exposure to wind, water, chemicals, abrasion, ultraviolet (UV) light, and other environmental conditions.
How to Select Bumpers
Elastomer bumpers are made of rubber materials such as EPDM, nitrile, neoprene, SBR, and silicone. Industrial bumpers made of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and polyurethane (PUR) also available. When specifying bumpers, stoppers, or bumper feet, remember to consider all of your application requirements. Compound selection, material hardness, and seal shape are also important.
Compound selection helps determine a rubber bumper’s material properties. For example, EPDM bumpers provide excellent ozone and chemical resistance, but offer relatively poor resistance to petroleum-based fluids. Nitrile bumpers feature excellent resistance to petroleum products, but have poor ozone and weather resistance.
Durometer or duro, a measure of hardness, is also an important specification since materials like EPDM are available in both sponge profiles and solid profiles. Solid rubber is harder and more resistant to compression than sponge rubber, but not all solid rubber is the same. For example, solid profiles at 40 duro have the consistency of pencil erasers. At 90 duro, they are hard like hockey pucks.
Rubber bumpers come in different shapes. Choices include cylindrical, hemisphere, square, cone, and recessed. Like compound selection and hardness, shape affects compression resistance, an essential consideration in bumper applications where cushioning and the ability to resist permanent deformation are essential.
Light-Up Rubber Bumpers
Elasto Proxy also suppliers light-up rubber bumpers that resist water and UV rays over a wide range of temperatures. Equipped with long-lasting, energy-efficient LED lights, these elastomeric fenders are designed to illuminate the location of pontoons, quays, embankments, and docks while protecting marine structures against impact by boats and ships.
With an estimated life of 3 to 5 years, these water-resistant rubber products are 100% recyclable and feature integrated, low power-consumption, 24-V LEDs. The lights can be connected to a power source via cables or distributors. Light-up elastomer bumpers come in standard lengths of 5-m, weigh 5-kg/m, and are designed for temperatures ranging from -40° C to 90° C.
Potential, additional applications for illuminated rubber fenders include healthcare, construction, and industrial environments. In hospital corridors, for example, light-up rubber bumpers could serve as rub rails that help protect patients, personnel, and medical equipment. Light-up elastomeric fenders could also signal the location of edges and railings on oil-refinery catwalks and construction scaffolding.
How Can We Help You?
Do you need to source bumpers for shock absorption, stopping, safety, or signaling? How can we help you? For more information, please contact us or request a quote. Join the conversation on our social media sites as well. Look for a post with a link to this blog entry on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. Elasto Proxy also has a YouTube channel, too.
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