At Walker Rubber, we’ve been working with food processing and production companies for over 80 years. Whether in need of custom rubber extrusions and rubber mouldings, watertight food-grade gaskets or non-slip rubber matting, our mission is simple: we make sourcing your rubber products easy.
In this case study, we’ll look at how we responded to a long-term, regular customer in the food manufacturing space. They were dealing with leaky seals on filters within their production line, leading them to experience downtime and lost productivity.
Who is the customer and what did they require?
Our customer is one of the UK’s largest producers of sugar for the British and Irish food and drink markets.
They had previously used fabricated seals made from soft natural rubber strips bonded to hard neoprene, but these seals were prone to splitting at the corners, causing leaks and operational delays.
As a long-standing, regular customer, they approached UK-based rubber manufacturer Walker Rubber for a more robust sealing solution for the filters at their plant.
What solution did Walker Rubber provide?
After consulting closely with the customer, we recommended replacing the fabricated seals with bespoke T-profile rubber extrusions made from food-grade nitrile rubber in 50 shore; a more durable and leak-resistant material than natural rubber. The new profile was carefully designed to mirror the shape of the original gasket, ensuring a proper seal.
The profiles were supplied in straight lengths to be cut and corner-bonded on-site, offering both flexibility and ease of installation. This approach significantly improved their equipment sealing performance while reducing the risk of future downtime.
What are the benefits of using food-grade nitrile rubber in food industry applications?
Nitrile is one of the most commonly used food rubbers, due to some key characteristics:
- Chemical resistance: Nitrile rubber is highly resistant to oils, fats, greases and many chemicals commonly found in food processing. It doesn’t degrade easily when exposed to oils, fats and some cleaning chemicals, making it suitable for sanitary environments like our customer’s food processing plant.
- Food safety compliance: Food-grade nitrile rubber is manufactured without toxic additives and meets regulatory standards like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and UK regulations, like WRAS.
- Durability: Nitrile has excellent tear, abrasion and puncture resistance, making it an ideal choice for products like gaskets, seals, and food conveyor belts.
- Temperature resistance: Food-grade nitrile rubber can have a wide temperature range (-35°C to 120°C), making it adaptable to cold storage and hot processing lines found in food and beverage production.
Were there any challenges?
The initial extrusion we manufactured had too much excess material, commonly referred to as ‘swell’, which required us to modify the die. Thanks to our in-house tooling capabilities, we were able to quickly adjust the die without needing to produce an entirely new tool, which saved both time and cost.
What was the result?
We were delighted to provide our customer with a reliable, easy-to-install solution that resolved the leakage issues and minimised production downtime.
This was aided by our decision to provide our customer with a continuous extrusion rather than a fabricated solution; as a result, we were able to reduce leakages and downtime on-site – the very problem they needed our help with in the first place.
They were extremely satisfied with both the product and service Walker Rubber provided, and it is another successful collaboration in a long-standing partnership.
Need a custom sealing solution for your food production line?
Whether you’re in the food industry, water industry or another sector with demanding requirements, Walker Rubber can deliver robust, bespoke rubber products to keep your operations running smoothly.
Get in touch with one of our rubber experts today to discuss your needs.