Autoclave
Cardinal Rubber Company has autoclave curing capabilities for rubber vulcanizing. We have various sized cylinders that are used in this process around five foot in diameter and up to 20 feet long which can hold various parts for applying vacuum pressure.
During the process, the vacuum provides 29 psi of pressure. Then, steam is pumped into the autoclave or you can also pump air into with the steam and that can provide some ambient pressure. We preform rubber vulcanizing under really light pressure, but still heat it with the steam.
There are pros and cons to the autoclave process, but we always strive to do what is best for the customer, and we are happy to offer this as one of the options for production. The autoclave process allows us to cure different types of products that could not be done in a compression mold. We’re currently using the autoclave for fuel cell fitting parts that have a fabric flange coated in rubber.
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