What is calendering?
Calendering is a continuous manufacturing process in which rubber or plastic compounds are rolled between heated rollers to form sheets or coatings of a defined thickness. In addition to the manufacture of finished products such as rubber mats, it is primarily used in the production of Rubber blanks (rolls, plates, etc.) are used.
How does calendering work?
During calendering, the rubber compound is fed between two or more rotating rollers, which produce the desired material thickness and structure depending on the roller spacing, temperature and pressure. The resulting web can have smooth, textured or textile-laminated surfaces. In rubber processing in particular, calendering often takes place before the Vulcanisation, to produce rubber compounds for subsequent moulding processes (e.g. Moulding presses or Extrusion) or for tissue composites.
Typical applications of calendering
The process is used, for example, for the production of:
- Rubber blanks (rolls, plates, etc.)
- Rubber mats and geomembranes
- Rubber-fabric composites
- Conveyor belts and belt conveyors
- Damping and insulating materials
- Intermediate layers for technical composites
Process parameters such as roller temperature, pressure, rolling direction and speed are decisive.