Isn’t it amazing how the simplest of things have such a great impact on our lives? This time we’re not talking about the simple things as a walk in the park or watching a sunrise, no, we’re talking about a simple, man-made creation with usage so widespread, it’s a shame not a lot of people know about it. Of course, we’re talking about rubber stoppers.
Rubber stoppers come in all shapes and sizes. Well, mostly just shapes, but they can differ in size, as well. The wide variety of shapes in which these corks come makes them applicable in all sorts of different industries. Today, we’re going to focus mainly on the stoppers used in the automotive industry – the ones you are most likely to find in your car. On that note, if you’re looking to find out more about this topic, stick around for a few more moments as we’ve about the dive in.
What Are Rubber Stoppers?
You can probably tell a lot about this product just by looking at the name. So, it’s a product, made out of rubber, that’s used to stop something. If that was your definition of a rubber stopper, you aren’t too far off. To put it even in simpler terms, imagine a cork, but instead of corkwood, turn it into rubber. That’s exactly what most stoppers and plugs are – a small accessory used for sealing, insulation and protection.
If you’re still uncertain how would a rubber cork be useful in any scenario, imagine this. You can into the doctor’s office to draw some blood. So, tell us – what would the vials with your blood in them be closed with? That’s right – a rubber stopper. That’s just one of the many everyday uses of these neat little things that you’ve possibly taken for granted. On that note, let’s talk some more about how you can use these things.
Different Purposes Of Rubber Stoppers
Rubber is easily one of the most used materials across all industries, which is not surprising given all the different properties of the material itself. Different properties of the rubber as a material such as high load resistance, resistance to various environmental conditions such as ice, rain, extreme heat or cold, UV radiation etc., flexibility, durability, water-resistance and so much more, are just some of the many characteristics that make it one of the most popular materials in the world. When you take all of this into consideration, you can see how a plug or a stopper can benefit from such features.
Now, let’s take a look at just how important this material and these products made from it are for the automotive industry.
Automotive Industry And Rubber Stoppers – How It All Ties Together?
If you were to take a wild guess, how much rubber would you say is there in a single car? Well, let’s just say a lot more than you might think in the first place. According to one of the industry’s leading plug manufacturers, Etolrubber, rubber takes up a significant portion of each individual car. Granted, not every rubberized part of a car will be a plug or a stopper, but nevertheless, this material plays a major role in the automotive industry.
A lot of car parts, such as cables, hoses, gaskets, covers and motors insulators are made out of the same material the tires are made out of. Pair that up with seals and plugs on specific parts of the engine, gearbox, doors, windows and so on – and you’re looking at a significant percentage of a vehicle being rubber. But, why is that so?
Well, for one – rubber is a great insulator protecting the various cables and hoses within a vehicle. Additionally, all those seals and plugs across the car stop the water and other fluids from penetrating into places where they’re not welcome. With that in mind, it’s easy to see how a car wouldn’t be able to even function without rubber stoppers.
Now, let’s talk a little bit about the various types of stopper you could find in your car.
1. Rubber Plus Plugs
One of the most commonly used stoppers in the automotive industry, and in any other industry as well, is the plus plug. It’s a rather simple plug, designed for 360 degrees of protection. What does that mean – 360 degrees of protection? In layman terms, it means it offers a seal and protection from all sides. This kind of versatility makes these ones one of the most used products in general, not only in the automotive industry. They’re rather simple to make and even simpler to use. These ones easily win the most practical stopper in the production conditions.
Other than in the automotive industry, they’re very popular in other kinds of manufacturing industries, as well as in medicine and transportation.
In addition to serving as a sealant and a protective plug, these can also be used as a connector or a stabilizer in various instances. Also, given how durable the material from which these plus plugs are made is – they’re more often than not re-used up to a couple of times.
2. Electrical Connector Plugs
As you can probably tell from the name, this type of rubber stopper is used to protect electrical connectors. With that in mind, it’s easy to see how this one would be very popular in the auto industry, given how advanced today’s cars are with all the electronics and various gadgets in them. The main purpose of these is to protect the connectors from external influences like moisture, dust and air. Of course, there are several different connectors plugs, each specifically designed for a specialized purpose, but we wouldn’t want to get too technical with it.
3. Custom Rubber Plugs
Finally, as the auto industry continues to advance and become more complex, the need for different shaped and sized stoppers rises accordingly. For that reason, you can see auto-manufacturers work closely with rubber plugs manufacturers on specially designed plugs for their particular needs. In addition to that, custom stoppers are also used in some extreme situations where you need a special plug to withstand the pressure, temperature or some chemical compound that an ordinary plug wouldn’t be able to.
As you can tell, applications of these neat little things are virtually endless – they’re pretty niche, but there are a lot of them. Hopefully, we’ve managed to share enough information with you on these 3 particular types of plugs that are used in cars and that we’ve managed to broaden your knowledge on this topic even if it was just for a little bit.
