Custom Silicone Extrusions

Custom Silicone Extrusion Capabilities

At Vanguard Products Corporation, we have extensive experience producing extruded silicone products for myriad purposes. We can formulate custom compounds tailored specifically to the needs of a design or application, ensuring precise engineered performance with optimized costs. We can handle profiles ranging from simple to extraordinarily complex.

Silicone Rubber Extrusion Applications

Vanguard’s custom rubber seals and gaskets are used in many applications and industries throughout the world. We have vast experience in designing and manufacturing for virtually any requirement. Some of the items we commonly produce via extrusion include:

• Aerospace seals and gaskets
• Architectural and window seals
• Automotive electrical enclosure seals and damping elements
• Container seals
• Dairy seals
• Doors and window seals
• Electrical connector seals
• Electronics/electrical equipment washers and seals
• Fiber-optic sheathes
• Food and beverage processing equipment seals
• Industrial and commercial food oven and cart seals and gaskets
• Industrial louvers and HVAC equipment
• Medical device tubing and seals
• Military seals and gaskets
• Outdoor cellular telecommunications enclosures
• Outdoor electrical enclosures
• Peristaltic tubing
• Pharmaceutical production equipment seals
• Plastic case seals
• Refrigerator seals
• Ship and aircraft seals and gaskets
• Silo and storage tank seals
• Water purification and filtration seals

Silicone Extrusion Features and Benefits

While the extrusion process may be used to create a variety of silicone component types, all silicone extrusions possess these general features:

• Biocompatibility. In general, silicone is non-toxic and non-allergenic. This nature makes it ideal for use in medical devices, as contact with human skin or tissue typically won’t cause negative reactions.
• Good chemical resistance. Silicone is an inert material and won’t react with most chemicals, which makes it easy to clean and good for selected process applications. However, some concentrated acids may break down silicone, so it’s important to check the compatibility of the selected material against application-specific chemicals.
• Excellent elastic memory. Silicone continuously strives to return to its original form after exposure to high pressures or compressive forces.
• Great dielectric strength. Extruded silicone materials act as a good electrical insulator and won’t break down or become conductive under regular exposure to current.
• Transparent and translucent. Extruded silicone is relatively clear, which makes it easy to color in applications with specific organizational or aesthetic needs. It also makes it well-suited for the fabrication of clear tubing.
• Resistant to high temperatures. Most common silicone extrusions can handle temperatures as high as 500°F.

Given the above properties, among others, silicone offers a variety of benefits:

• Compatibility with clean-in-place process lines
• Suitable for clean room environments
• Good visual flow confirmation in process or medical environments
• May be sterilized using an autoclave
• Non-allergenic, non-thrombogenic, and low-odor