At RD Rubber Technology Corporation, we manufacture high-performance custom rubber diaphragms engineered to withstand demanding environments. These flexible seals are used to manage pressure, separate fluids and gases, or enable motion in systems such as compressors and valves.
Whether your application requires a static seal to maintain pressure differentials or a dynamic seal to provide precise flow control, we provide critical-to-function custom-molded rubber diaphragms for aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial processing systems. We offer both rubber and fabric-reinforced rubber diaphragms to meet your application requirements.
Learn more about each type of high-performance rubber seal, including their respective benefits and common applications.
Rubber Diaphragms vs. Fabric-Reinforced Rubber Diaphragms
Rubber diaphragms are suitable for applications involving lower pressures. They are also used if the application needs a cost-effective, lightweight, and highly flexible component, such as in flush valves, regulators, or low-pressure systems. Specific pressure ratings depend on the elastomer used.
Fabric-reinforced diaphragms are suitable for higher pressures because they offer superior strength, durability, and resistance to deformation. Fabric-reinforced rubber diaphragms also provide increased resistance to various chemicals and environmental factors, including harsh solutions, UV radiation, and extreme temperatures.
Applications for Critical-to-Function Environments
Generally, if you need a simpler product for low-pressure systems, rubber diaphragms are sufficient, while fabric-reinforced options work better for harsher, high-pressure environments.
Some potential applications for both types of fluid regulation components include:
- Chemical injection and dosing systems
- Pressure tanks
- Meters
- Pumps
- Air and gas compressors
- Pneumatic regulators and controls
Material Performance in Critical-to-Function Pumping and Valve Systems
To produce high-performance rubber diaphragms, we use a combination of specialty materials.
Thermoset Elastomers
Depending on your needs, we can engineer rubber diaphragms using various thermoset elastomers, including silicone, nitrile (NBR), and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM).
Fabric-Reinforced Rubber
Our fabric reinforcement typically consists of an aramid fiber insert molded into the rubber material. The fabric reinforcement enhances the properties of each thermoset elastomer in the following key ways:
- Reinforced silicone. Fabric-reinforced silicone can hold up in temperatures from -65 °F to over 450 °F, with added tensile strength for superior pressure resistance and protection from UV, ozone, and environmental wear.
- Reinforced nitrile (NBR). Nitrile with fabric reinforcement offers improved mechanical strength and higher burst pressure ratings for use in many outdoor fluid transport systems, including those with high levels of steam.
- Reinforced EPDM. For increased physical strength and barrier properties, many applications may implement fabric-reinforced EPDM diaphragms in chemical, oil, or fuel transport.
Engineered-Quality Rubber Diaphragms for Fluid and Pressure Regulation
We engineer all of our custom-molded rubber solutions to meet the specific needs of our customers. Our custom-molded rubber and fabric-reinforced rubber diaphragms withstand harsh chemicals, extreme temperatures, and fluctuating pressures that off-the-shelf parts cannot accommodate.
Our high-performance rubber components serve flow systems in the aerospace, military, food and dairy processing, biopharmaceutical, and medical industries. Our ISO 14644 Class 8 cleanroom manufacturing environment ensures the highest quality products for critical-to-function fluid regulation applications.
Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Certification Program (JCP) Certified Manufacturing
At RD Rubber, we provide our customers with engineered custom-molded rubber diaphragms and other rubber components backed by our Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Certification Program (JCP) certification. Our products also meet MIL-SPEC and ASTM standards for the defense and aerospace industries.
In addition, we maintain numerous other certifications and registrations, such as:
- AS 9100:2016 certification
- ISO 9001:2015 certification
- ISO 14644 Class 8 cleanroom
- ITAR registration
- NIST 800-171 compliance
- CMMC Level 2 (pending)
Custom-Molded Rubber Diaphragms From RD Rubber
RD Rubber Technology Corporation is a leading custom manufacturer of molded thermoset elastomer products. We pride ourselves on producing mission-critical rubber components and assemblies for demanding applications across the military, aerospace, MedTech, and industrial processing. Contact us today to learn more about our custom rubber molding capabilities, or submit specifications for a custom rubber diaphragm engineering project today.