Elasto Proxy supplies D-shaped rubber seals with adhesive backings. These industrial rubber products seal out moisture, liquids, gases, and dust. They can also reduce noise, shock, and vibration. Because they don’t require fasteners or messy liquid adhesives, D-shapes with adhesive backings are easy to install for reduced assembly times and greater operational efficiency.
The Basics
D-shapes are made of sponge rubber that combines environmental sealing with varying degrees of cushioning and insulation. Products come in a choice of sizes, materials, and adhesive backings (tapes). Elasto Proxy specializes in low-to-medium volumes for manufacturers, but we do not supply consumers because the order quantities are too low.
Sizes
D-shapes come in a range of sizes. Height and width are the two main dimensional specifications. The units of measure are millimeters (mm) or inches (in). Some drawings also provide the distance from an outer edge to the D-shaped opening.
Materials
Most D-shaped rubber seals are made of EPDM sponge rubber. That’s because EPDM provides excellent resistance to water, weather, ozone, and aging. This cost-effective elastomer can also resist steam.
Unlike solid rubber, sponge rubber contains interior pockets called cells. These cells can be open or closed.
- Open cell sponge rubber excludes dust and absorbs sound.
- Closed cell sponge rubber excludes fluids (liquids and gases).
Although EPDM is used commonly, Elasto Proxy can also supply manufacturers with D-shaped rubber seals made of neoprene, nitrile, silicone, and thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs).
- Nitrile provides excellent resistance to oils and solvents.
- Neoprene resists sunlight, ozone, and weather and has moderate oil resistance.
- Silicone resists a wide range of temperature.
- TPEs have similar properties to EPDM but are recyclable.
Adhesive Tapes
The adhesive backings that are used with D-shaped rubber seals come in three different tape systems. Two are pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes and one is a bonded system.
- Standard PSA tape holds a D-shape in place for compression between two stationary objects. Some tapes can be used in light-duty dynamic sealing (i.e., the substrates move).
- High tack PSA tape also holds a D-shape in place for static sealing. However, this type of tape bonds more quickly than a standard PSA tape. It also provides better adhesion to some plastics.
- Bonded tape creates a moisture barrier and an airtight seal. It’s easier to reposition than high tack PSA tape but takes longer to reach its full adhesive strength (i.e., cure).
The tape’s adhesive chemistry is also a key consideration.
- Rubber-based adhesives cost less and support a wide range of substrates. However, they can’t match an acrylic tape’s resistance to elevated temperatures, chemicals, and UV light.
- Acrylic based adhesives cost more but can stick to hard-to-bond substrates like metal, glass, and painted surfaces. They take longer to cure, however.
Find D-Shaped Rubber Seals with Adhesive Backings
Elasto Proxy keeps hundreds of industrial products in stocks and has the D-shaped rubber seals that you need. We can supply them as taped coils that you cut yourself, or as cut and finished gaskets that arrive ready to install. We use water jet cutting for fast, tool-free cutting and have taping equipment that supports both PSA and heat-activated tapes (HATs).
If you’re a manufacturer, we invite you to contact us to request a quote. In addition to distribution and fabrication, we provided value-added services like kitting and custom packaging. We can also buy all of the D-shaped rubber extrusions that you need, store them in our warehouses, and then fabricate D-shaped rubber seals with adhesive backings on demand or in response to your sales forecast.
