Rubber manufacture in the aerospace industry

It's very easy to forget just how amazing an achievement flight has been for humanity.


Planes are so ubiquitous in our society that they have been robbed of much of their wonder; the idea that we can keep a fully loaded, 333,390kg Boeing 747-100B in the air at all, let alone have it travel tremendous distances, is amazing; and a true testament to the genius involved in their design and construction. Due to the specific, near miraculous nature of a plane's operation, there's semantically no such thing as an unimportant plane component. However, some specific materials are more widely used than others in a plane's construction; in this article we'll take a look at the materially small, but functionally large role that rubber plays in the construction of a plane. Gaskets and seals Without a doubt the most widespread and important usage of rubber in the manufacture of an aircraft is in sealing; whether this is to maintain pressure, prevent leakage or keep temperature constant, many aspects of a modern plane rely on the presence of rubber gaskets and seals. One of the most obvious uses, especially from the perspective of a passenger, is as a means to keep the cabin pressurised during flight. Cabin pressure is obviously of the upmost importance for both the passengers and crew on airlines for both the continued good health of passengers, and ultimately, the ability of the plane to remain in the air. The system which pumps air of a higher pressure than that outside of the plane into the cabin is heavily reliant on the use of rubber gaskets and seals; failure of these seals and gaskets could ultimately result in the loss of consciousness, and eventual death of the crew and passengers. This is why these components are manufactured to a high specification, from rubber which is designed to resist extremes of both pressure and temperature. The maintenance of specific environmental conditions is necessary for the efficient operation of many other systems of a plane, such as landing lights and many of the systems that compose the plane's engines; once again necessitating the usage of extensively temperature and pressure optimised varieties of rubber. Keeping planes in the air Rubber isn't just utilised for sealing though; one of the least well known, yet critical usages of rubber in the manufacture is in the construction of some de-icing boots; that is the mechanism attached to the forward edge of many varieties of plane. One of the side-effects of flight at the high altitudes that planes frequently operate within is the formation of ice on the wings; this can lead to a rapid reduction in the amount of lift that a wing can produce; in extreme cases this can lead to the plane crashing. De-icing boots are installed to prevent this occurrence; and while their aim is the same, different models can function in a variety of different ways. Some rely on electro thermal technology to melt the problematic ice formations; however, the variety that predominantly utilise rubber in their construction use air to achieve their goal. When the layers of ice that form on the plane's wings have become problematically thick, air is used to inflate the rubber de-icing boot, causing the de-icing boot to expand, cracking the ice that has formed on its surface, allowing it to be safely blown from the wing by the airflow generated by the plane's movement. Ease of use and comfort of passengers and crew As well as preserving the mechanisms and overall safety of a plane, rubber is also a key component in many of the installations in around the plane that are dedicated to the comfort of passengers and crew during aerial carriage. Many of the core components of the seating that is used inside planes are constructed using rubber; which makes them easier to maintain and more resistant to everyday wear and tear. This is just the tip of the iceberg; many other passenger facing aspects of plane travel include rubber in their construction; from the mounts for cockpit ladders, to the meal trays given to passengers on commercial airlines. Equipment As well as being a key component of many specific plane systems, rubber is also an essential material in the construction of many aerospace support systems, and ground based pieces of equipment; all of which form a far less obvious, but still important part of the aerospace industry. For example, rubber boots and gaiters allow the maintenance crews, whose constant work and commitment keep planes in the air when all is said and done, to keep working at maximum efficiency no matter how adverse the environmental conditions. Rubber is also a key component of seal repair kits, adhesives and sealants utilised by ground crews, as you would expect from the widespread use of rubber in critical aeronautical systems. With such equipment, the critical rubber based systems found within planes can be more effectively maintained by ground crews. www.martins-rubber.co.uk  

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