Rubicon Gummitechnik und Maschinenbau specializes in the production of extrusion systems for the rubber processing industry and has around 50 years of experience in this field. The second-generation family-run company, headquartered in Halle an der Saale, supplies tailor-made solutions to renowned manufacturers of technical rubber products as well as the tire and cable industries worldwide. The export quota is 80 %.

Support throughout the entire process

"We supply individual machines as well as turnkey hose lines tailored directly to the customer," explains Jens Köhler, who is responsible for construction and design at Rubicon. "We support our customers throughout the entire process, from planning, design and production to installation, commissioning and operator training." The extrusion machines can be used to manufacture extruded products made of silicone and rubber - i.e. hoses and profiles of all kinds, which in turn are used in the automotive industry, medical technology and other industrial applications.

The systems are manufactured in the company's own machine park. "Thanks to the continuous expansion of our production capacities, we can fully assemble and test^even large production systems on a total area of 2,300^m2 ," explains Jens Köhler. "The ultra-modern premises allow us to carry out all processing steps effectively and cost-consciously ourselves and actively implement our high quality standards." We also pay attention to quality when it comes to our suppliers. In the area of standard and operating parts, the company has relied on Norelem for many years with its full range of more than 60,000 standard and operating parts.

Test setup in the technical center

"The products are primarily used in peripheral devices. Handles and clamping levers are often required in cooling and feeding devices or in downstream technology," says Jens Köhler. "However, Norelem is also our contact when it comes to special parts in combination with standardized fastening options." Among other things, Rubicon purchases special mini locking pins, sliding blocks and profile guides as well as ball transfer units. The company uses these individual products primarily in test setups that need to be set up flexibly.

For example, special geometries of extruder screws are tested in the in-house technical center. This is a priority for Rubicon because the screw has a significant influence on the performance of a system. The background: In extruders, the rubber is transported through a screw, mixed and shaped by a so-called die. The geometry of the screw has a significant influence on the output rate, the mixing effect and the pressure build-up.

Flexible design with standard parts

Rubicon is currently working with a test facility in which numerous components are installed: Aluminum profiles, mini ball rollers, sliding blocks, brackets, mounting plates and various screws. "The device is used to hold a screw for measurement and analysis purposes," explains Jens Köhler. "The alignment and controlled rotation of the screw play a major role here." The products from Norelem enable a flexible setup of the experiments and thus support different screw geometries. For example, the internally attached plates can be adapted by simply moving the aluminum profiles.

Long aluminum rods and the corresponding axial adjustment paths take into account the different screw pitches. The screw can be moved and guided at the same time using the ball rollers. They also allow radial adjustment to the various screw diameters. The mini version was chosen in order to be able to mount the ball as close as possible - in this case within the screw flights. The rear external thread facilitates both assembly and spare parts handling. Last but not least, the brackets provide additional reinforcement of the sliding units against tensile forces.

3D CAD models supplied

Rubicon sees clear advantages in designing with standard parts: In addition to the significantly lower design and production costs, assembly is also faster. Another plus point is that wear parts can be replaced without any problems - if standard parts are used, spare parts can be procured more easily and quickly. Last but not least, the immediate provision of 3D CAD models for the designs is important for the designers. The CAD data for the products on offer is included in the catalog.

The product catalog is available as a printed copy or including all CAD data digitally on a separately available USB stick. Alternatively, Norelem's eCatalogue is also available online. This is where the designer can obtain all relevant design data and drawings and integrate them into the respective CAD system. All CAD models are static models - this not only eliminates the need to draw the components, but also the configuration.

"Many drafts are often necessary, especially when designing our customer-specific solutions. This service saves an enormous amount of time," emphasizes Jens Köhler. "Moving parts can even be downloaded in different positions. This is very useful when creating position diagrams."