Let’s begin with the spoiler: The answer to the question completely depends on the application and environment in which the rubber will be used. Sometimes natural rubber is the best choice and sometimes synthetic rubber is the best option. The real question is which type of rubber you should choose for your specific project. In… Continue reading Natural Rubber vs Synthetic Rubber: Which is Better?
Rubber is an amazing material: strong yet soft, pliable and tough, able to stretch and shrink. Like most materials, both natural and synthetic rubber deteriorates over time, caused by exposure to environmental factors like heat, UV radiation, and ozone, as well as contact with fluids such as oil and fuel. This deterioration can degrade the… Continue reading What Causes Rubber to Deteriorate?
Why is a continuous rubber curing line important? The simple answer is that it helps lower your component costs, speeds up deliveries, and provides consistent quality. First, let’s explore what continuous curing is. Curing, or vulcanization, is a process that was discovered almost 200 years ago that changes the physical and chemical properties of rubber.… Continue reading Why Is a Continuous Rubber Curing Line Important?
Your project needs a gasket, but what type of material should you choose? There’s a lot that goes into answering that question, such as: the type of environment in which it will be used, the kinds of materials it will be exposed to, and the temperatures it will encounter. Once those specifications have been determined,… Continue reading The Most Common Sponge Rubber Types for Gaskets and Seals
Sometimes in products, or in industrial applications, vibration is an issue that requires a solution. In our business, we create solutions called vibration damping, and we do it with extruded rubber components. In fact, when vibration is an issue, the right rubber formulation can make all the difference. But first, let’s get back to basics.… Continue reading Vibration Damping: What Is It and What Rubber Is Best for It?
Manufacturing is always evolving because manufacturers are constantly pushing the limits of technology, refining their processes, identifying new efficiencies, improving productivity, and solving challenges. In the wake of a global pandemic that stressed global supply chains, decreased productivity, created workforce upheaval, and saw materials costs rise dramatically, manufacturers are embracing new ways of doing business.… Continue reading 5 Manufacturing Trends to Watch For in 2024
Sponge rubber is a very versatile material and one that Sperry & Rice has a great deal of experience formulating and extruding. This post is meant to explain more about sponge rubber, its benefits, different varieties, applications, and industries it is used in. Sponge rubber can be formulated as open cell or closed cell, but… Continue reading All About Sponge Rubber
The culture at Sperry & Rice is focused on three main aspects: people, training, and the community. Let’s look at all three, one by one. People Focused Without people, Sperry & Rice is just machines and materials – we need trained, enthusiastic people to take raw, unfinished materials and turn them into finished high-quality rubber… Continue reading Inside the Culture at Sperry & Rice
As we enter January, it’s time to think about 2023 and peer into our rubber industry crystal ball. Of course, it’s nearly impossible to accurately predict exactly what will happen this year, but we’ve been doing this a long time, and we’re confident that 2023 will be a year of change for the rubber industry.… Continue reading Rubber Industry Trends to Focus on in 2023
It’s that time of year when we look back on the old year and look forward to a new one. While 2022 had its challenges, it was certainly better than the previous couple of years! Takeaway #1 – Our customers are very understanding International supply chains have been a mess since the pandemic started more… Continue reading 3 Takeaways from 2022 from Sperry & Rice
It’s a common question: What is the difference between EPDM and neoprene? Is one better than the other? Which one should I use? The answer is, “it depends.” Let’s start with the similarities. Both EPDM and neoprene are synthetic rubbers that are commonly used in conveyor belts, gaskets, hoses and outdoor applications. Both EPDM and… Continue reading What’s the Difference Between EPDM and Neoprene?
Sperry & Rice is passionate about developing advanced rubber engineering solutions and manufacturing processes as well as providing personal and professional development for our employees. We are also committed to offering hands-on engineering co-ops to students from the University of Akron College of Engineering and Polymer Science because we believe it is vital to train,… Continue reading Helping start the next generation of engineers in Northeast Ohio
Sperry & Rice has been in the rubber business since the 1940s and we might be a bit biased, but we believe that rubber is one of the most important substances on earth. Consider everything rubber is used for: protective gloves, balloons, roofing membranes, pencil erasers, wetsuits, etc…
Why do brands and businesses source components and products internationally? Historically, the choice has been based on perceived lower costs. But in today’s economic environment, when costs outside the actual component price are factored in, international sourcing no longer provides as large a cost savings as it has in the past.
At Sperry & Rice, we don’t stock rubber parts. Instead, each part is custom-designed to fit our customer’s requirements and specifications. Let’s run through our quoting process and what we need in order to provide you with the most accurate quote possible.
2021 was the year of shortages. Vaccine shortages at the start of the year gave way to growing fears over shortages in turkeys, technology, raw materials, and electronics. While some shortages resolved quickly, others appear to be hanging on.
The headlines are everywhere and increasing in number. “Supply Chain Ready to Break,” “Global Supply Chains are Falling out of Fashion,” and “Cargo Ships Stuck Offshore for 16 Days.”
Rubber occurs more often than other materials as it offers lower cost, greater elegance and higher flexibility over other alternatives.
Many purchasing professionals out there are unaware of essential component information that a rubber manufacturer needs for quoting in their rubber project.
In this blog, we will discuss the importance of synthetic rubber and why is it considered irreplaceable in various industries.
Owing to the countless unique properties that rubber has, it is one of the most important elements in the manufacturing of automobiles, airplanes, and trains.
While it is important to never meddle with your HVAC system too much, maintaining it is an important responsibility as an owner.
The principle difference between plastic and rubber is that plastic can be melted and reused. On the other hand, rubber once in its form remains solid.
An amazing fact is that most rubber products are widely known for their ability to absorb and disperse force.
Sperry and Rice LLC has been a vital partner to HVAC service providers and appliance manufacturers for many years.
Natural Rubber is extracted from the sap of trees, specific trees that are found now in places such as Kerala and Sri Lanka where coconuts are in abundance.
Unexpected environmentally friendly rubber products like recycled rubber sheets are now available quite inexpensively than petroleum-based elastomers.
Developing synthetic rubber for eclectic use provided the opportunity to give the material specific desirable properties which could be embedded in the material.
It will always take the right manufacturing partner and solution with the perfect blend of materials to help you take care of a technically complex production cycle to streamline.
Unique to the industry, a company raises the bar on quality by controlling the manufacturing process from start to finish every few intervals, which mainly is a practice that enables the company to better control efficiency as well as quality above all things.
Impressive advancements in plastics and rubber technology have created a new set of industries as well as creating a new stream for new profit gaining opportunities.
The importance of high quality natural or synthetic rubber is often undermined. The use of rubber in different industries is so crucial that if we remove it from the picture, many industrial processes would come to a screeching halt, as the factories come to a standstill.
Thanks to the HVAC industry, living comfortably in harsh climatic condition has become possible. We can live in the middle of the deserts with extremely high temperatures and scorching heat without breaking a sweat. We could also be living in subzero temperatures roaming around our house in shorts and tee-shirts not feeling the extreme temperature around us.
Rubber is a versatile material that has plenty of applications across a number of industries. And it is up to the manufacturers to come up with best quality that adds value to the processes of these concerns. The way they process and produce rubber makes all the difference.
Rubber, over the years has contributed to various industries. It has led these industries to innovation and advancements, has provided finesse in production, and has met unmatched levels of satisfying the evolving customer expectations and demands.
Our modern society is heavily dependent on the use of rubber – both natural and synthetic.
A very basic definition of a thermoplastic substance is one which becomes plastic when heated to a certain temperature and then hardens upon cooling. An important characteristic of such a material is that it does not stay hard once cooled.
The process used to mold materials such as preheated polymers, by placing them into a heated, open mold cavity is known as compression molding. This process allows production of parts that are of different complexities, thicknesses and lengths.
Rubber, while in its original form, is literally useless. It is only in large chemical plants where different kinds of chemicals are added with various minerals like gas and petroleum to make rubber a useful resource and form its derivatives.
Did you know that the foam rubber and sponge rubber are quite different from each other? The two terms are often used interchangeably and unless you work in the rubber industry, the sponge used for cleaning the dishes may seem quite similar to the foam mattress pad. Both are squishy and soft, right?
Last month we took a closer look at the mandrel and how Sperry & Rice uses it for their mandrel formed hoses. This month we are digging a little deeper and bringing you behind the scenes to our production floor.
You have probably heard us mention that Sperry & Rice LLC specializes in mandrel formed hose and tube products. But you may be wondering…what is a mandrel?
Butyl is a brand of synthetic rubber used in extrusions at Sperry & Rice LLC. Like SBR, butyl rubber (IIR) was developed in 1937 to produce a substitute for supplies cut off by World War II.
Styrene-butadiene rubber, also known as SBR, is a synthetic rubber made of styrene and butadiene. At Sperry & Rice LLC, we use SBR in our custom rubber components, extruded gaskets, and sponge rubber products.
The ISO 9000 family of standards, which includes ISO 9001, helps businesses in any number of industries to evaluate and improve upon quality management.
When most people consider the construction of a car, no doubt the first material they think of is metal. Of course the exterior of the car is the most obvious element, and then immediately following is the engine—also metal. But while it may be less obvious, one of the most important materials found in every car on the road today is rubber.
A wide variety of material types is necessary to build a home or a commercial building. Even when the exterior leads an observer to believe that the building is composed of metal, wood, and brick, there are many other types of materials working hard to keep the structure standing and working as it should—including rubber.
Produced by Autodesk, the “CAD” in AutoCAD stands for “computer aided design,” and is software that allows us to spot design flaws before production, saving time and money.
Plastic may have a single moniker for common usage, but in truth, there are thousands of different types of plastics, each made up of slightly different components, and used for thousands of different applications.
We are a manufacturing company that specializes in creating precision rubber and cellular parts for the appliance, automotive, transportation, construction, truck, and bus industries. If you are looking for innovative engineering solutions, advanced manufacturing processes, and high standards in quality control, Sperry & Rice Manufacturing Company can deliver.
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Sperry & Rice LLC has been in the rubber & sponge business since the 1940s. We are proud to offer innovative engineering solutions, advanced manufacturing processes, and comprehensive quality controls to produce precision rubber and cellular components.
Sperry & Rice LLC specializes in products for the following industries:
