Products of Rubber: Industrial Sheet, Mat and Belt Grades Explained for Buyers

Rubber products are ordered by numbers, not names: a 3 mm EPDM sheet at 70 Shore A, a 10 mm antistatic mat rated to 10^6 ohm, or a two-ply belt that has to survive 120 C on a kiln line. The polymer is chosen after the number, not before it.

That is why the phrase products of rubber covers so much ground. It takes in calendered sheet, molded gaskets, ribbed floor mats, conveyor belts and extruded silicone profiles, each bought against a different set of tolerances. A quotation that only says rubber sheet tells you almost nothing.

This guide splits the category the way it is traded, matches polymers to applications, and lists the checks worth completing before a purchase order is released.

What Counts as a Product of Rubber?

A product of rubber is a finished or semi-finished article whose performance comes from a cross-linked elastomer compound rather than from a metal, textile or thermoplastic substrate. The definition matters commercially, because it decides which standards apply and which suppliers can quote.

In trade the category breaks into five families:

• Sheet and roll goods: calendered or press-cured flat rubber, commonly 1 mm to 50 mm thick, sold as cut sheets, rolls or die-cut pads.
• Mats and flooring: ribbed, studded, checker, willow and bubble patterns for grip, drainage and animal comfort.
• Belts and transmission goods: multi-ply conveyor belting, tangential belts and V-belts.
• Extruded and molded profiles: hose, seals, gaskets, bumpers, rollers and solid tyres.
• Laminated and coated goods: rubber sheet bonded to fabric, plus flexible PVC door curtain and PVC floor covering.

Rubber Sheet Products by Polymer Grade

Comparing rubber sheet usually starts with the polymer, because the polymer fixes service temperature, fluid resistance and much of the price before any other decision is made.

Hardness is the second filter. Sheet is normally supplied between 40 and 90 Shore A, with the practical band for sealing work around 50 to 75. Below 40 Shore A a compound is difficult to calender to a consistent thickness, and above 85 it behaves more like a hard plastic than an elastomer.

Thickness tolerance is where quotations separate. A 3 mm calendered sheet is commonly held to plus or minus 0.2 mm, while a 20 mm molded pad may only be guaranteed to plus or minus 5 percent of nominal. If the drawing calls for a tight tolerance, say so before the price is fixed.

EPDM Rubber Sheet for Sealing and Outdoor ProtectionEPDM rubber sheet with weather, ozone, and temperature resistance, offered in multiple thicknesses and colors; review specifications before fixing close thickness tolerances.View Product →

Mats, Flooring and Livestock Products

Antislip mats, livestock mats and PVC flooring are sold by pattern and compound, and in most projects the pattern decides whether the product works.

Two products that look similar on a sample board behave very differently on site:

PVC door curtain and PVC floor covering sit in the same commercial family but not the same chemistry. They are thermoplastic, they soften when hot, and they are welded or hung rather than vulcanized.

Antistatic Rubber Mat for Static Control in Sensitive AreasAntistatic rubber mat for electronics, medical, and clean-room use, with conductive fillers and varied thickness options; no exact figures are listed.View Product →

Belts and Transmission Products

Conveyor belts and V-belts are the two rubber product families where the fabric, not the rubber, sets the load rating.

A belt specification needs five values before two quotations can be compared: ply count, fabric type, cover grade and thickness, splice method, and temperature rating.

• Ply count sets tensile strength and the load per unit of width.
• Cover thickness and compound set abrasion life and heat resistance.
• Splice method sets the weakest point of the entire run.
• Width and troughability set how the belt tracks over the idlers.

V-belts work the same way in a different geometry. The tensile cord carries the load while the compound controls grip, heat build-up and slip under shock loads, which is why V-belt production usually combines a vulcanizing machine, a winding unit and a wrapping unit in a single cell. How plies, skim compound and covers are combined is covered in this guide to belt construction and ply selection.

Rubber Conveyor Belts for Bulk Material HandlingRubber conveyor belts with fabric reinforcement for mining, ports, chemicals, and grain; page includes selection and maintenance guidance for conveyor systems.View Product →

How Rubber Products Are Made: The Equipment Chain

Almost every rubber product passes through four steps: mixing, forming, curing and finishing. The equipment chosen at each step sets the tolerance that ends up on the packing list.

A four-roll calender holds sheet thickness more tightly than a two-roll unit, because the extra rolls reduce the effect of roll deflection. A cold feed extruder holds profile dimensions better on long runs, while a hot feed machine is often more economical on shorter batches.

Sourcing Checklist Before You Order

Six checks separate a rubber product quotation that works from one that produces a claim in month three.

1. Polymer grade and cure system, stated in writing rather than assumed.
2. Hardness with tolerance, for example 65 Shore A plus or minus 5.
3. Thickness with tolerance, and whether it is measured free or under load.
4. Continuous service temperature, not only the peak figure.
5. Fluid and chemical exposure, including the cleaning agents used on site.
6. Test method, conditioning and batch traceability for safety-related grades.

Sheet, mat, belt and molded parts are often needed on one project, and the same mixing, calendering and curing equipment feeds all of them, so a single manufacturer frequently covers several families. It is worth checking the full range on a rubber products solutions page before splitting an order across three vendors.