Molded Silicone Isolating Phase Bus Diaphragm

At Ames Rubber Manufacturing, we can produce extremely large and complex molded components such as this large rubber diaphragm for the Nuclear Power Transmission industry. This also includes our expertise in the reformulation of older compounds to meet today’s stringent industrial and environmental standards.

A Nuclear Power Transmission Plant asked us to manufacture a low volume of molded flexible Phase Bus Diaphragms with a 41″ outside diameter. They were designed for sealing and acting as a barrier along sections of an Isolated Phase Bus Assembly. We formulated a gray 70A Durometer Silicone for the job, per proprietary customer requirements.

The original Silicone compound was developed in the 1960’s but was reformulated by our team adding high strength and high heat additives to the compound in order to meet the myriad of industry and environmental standards in force today. We also had to create a new mold for the customer after consulting with their  engineers to develop processing specifics.

Using compression molding on our 600 Ton Adamson 4 post hydraulic press with 45″ x 45″ platens, we produced the diaphragm to exact requirements. The job required multiple, reticulated, expanding sections that took over 85 lbs. of custom mixed Silicone compound per part. Our quality control standards verified that all required standards were met and included ASTM testing, along with visual inspections for nicks and voids.

In a matter of weeks, we were able to produce the parts for our customer and quickly deliver them to their location. This illustrates our ability to manufacture large, complex rubber products using custom compounded materials for critical applications in demanding industries such as Nuclear Power Generation. To learn more about our work in custom compression and transfer molding, please refer to the table below or contact us for more information.