DKT: Kraiburg expanding its horizons

Waldkraiburg, Germany – AT DKT, Gummiwerk Kraiburg GmbH & Co. KG will highlight its continued focus on the latest market trends and special customer requirements.

Elastomer materials are indispensable products with widespread applications, and this will not change in the foreseeable future, according to the company’s pre-show press release.

“Digitisation, new technologies, ever increasing requirements and dynamic markets are putting traditional business models in question and require a high degree of innovation and agility,” it said.

“At Kraiburg we strive to remain open and curious, and to constantly expand our horizon. Because we know: It is not about a compound, application or technology. It is about custom solutions for individual requirements,” commented MD Helmut Esefeld.

Kraiburg is, therefore, both expanding its spectrum of rubber and silicone compounds and developing new products:

FFKM compounds

For example, to meet the growing requirements for chemical resistance and thermal stability, Kraiburg has expanded its product portfolio to include perfluoroelastomer based (FFKM) compounds. These materials are used in vacuum technology, as well as the chemical industry, machine construction, the semiconductor industry and the oil & gas sector.

Fabric-reinforced

In another development, the company has sought to optimise permeation of the fabric to create an optimal bond between the fabric and rubber.

Kraiburg offers NR, NBR and EPDM base materials for a broad range of applications. Typical uses include fabric-reinforced hoses with enhanced pressure-resistance – also under vacuum – and so less prone to deformation, which significantly improves the response characteristics.

These compounds are also used in membranes, where the fabric forms the backbone of the membrane, while the rubber provides the seal.

Clean moulds

Cleaning compounds are important processing aids for modern elastomer component manufacturers, especially in the case of frequent changes in colours or materials. Accumulations have substantial effects on productivity, reject rates, operating life cycle, maintenance and the duration of conversions in case of changes in colours or materials.

An effective compound is essential for optimal process efficiency. The elastomer or combination of elastomers used in Kraiburg cleaning compounds is specifically adapted to the cleaning application.

Lighter, quieter, better

Kraiburg has also developed Kraibon for the lightweight construction sector. It consists of non-crosslinked rubber foils that can be integrated in a production step of the existing manufacturing process.

Kraibon can be processed like prepreg fabric and adheres excellently to fibre-reinforced polymers and to metal during the joint hardening process, the company said.