Ready to Seal All the Dam Gates
At Redwood Plastics and Rubber, we believe that our industrial plastic and rubber products have a place in all industries. So when a local dam operator called us, we didn’t hesitate to see if we could help.
Our customer, based in British Columbia, operates a large dam that supplies electricity to cities and towns across North America. Dam operators control how much water is blocked, or let through, by a set of heavy steel gates— reinforced by industrial rubber seals that go along the edges to prevent leakage.
These gates undergo maintenance every 8-12 years to keep them operational. When it became time for maintenance, our customer noticed that the rubber seals on the gates were badly worn.
It was clear that these seals needed to be replaced. However, finding a trustworthy and local supplier that could manufacture the parts they required at a competitive price was challenging. That’s when our customer contacted Redwood Plastics and Rubber.
Trusted Experts in Custom Rubber Parts
We didn’t have any experience with making rubber gate seals for dams in the past, but we were keen to provide our customer with what they needed. The process of designing and fabricating molds for their seals took roughly four months—with constant back-and-forth with our customer to ensure that the molds fit all technical requirements.
When the molds were completed, manufacturing the rubber seals started almost immediately. During the process, we worked with our customer to ensure that the end product was able to seal the gates exactly what was required.
We even recommended to install a PTFE wear strip on the seals to make opening and closing the gates easier while also increasing durability.
Our customer was happy with not only their seals but the professionalism and expertise Redwood Plastics and Rubber displayed during the entire process— from requirements assessment to delivery. Our customer is now buying new custom rubber parts from us along with a new order of gate seals.
Redwood Plastics and Rubber is your full service solution for plastic, rubber and composite components of the utmost quality. We have the expertise and technology to custom build rubber parts for your operations.
Contact us today—our experts are ready to help you.
Our Process Step-By-Step
1. The old rubber seals started to crack and rust was developing.
2. The new gates ready to be equipped with new seals.
3. Rubber bulb moving after removal from the press machines.
4. A close-up look of our rubber gate seals.
5. The seals with the corners vulcanized together.
6. Installation of seals on the new gates, ready for the dams.