Frequently Asked Questions

Grommets are useful in electronics applications when a wire or tube needs to pass through metal or another material that may cause damage. Most commonly, they protect cables from sharp corners and edges.

We offer standard insulation grommets in Buna-N (Nitrile), and we also manufacture Mil-Spec grommets for military applications, vibration mount grommets to protect components from noise and vibration, and other specialty grommets. Grommets can be pushed into place using our grommet inserter tools.

In addition to electronics applications, our grommets can be used in a wide variety of industries including aerospace, healthcare, construction, transportation, industrial, and military and defense applications. We serve the OEM and replacement part markets, maintaining inventory for industrial distributors.

Minor Rubber manufactures anti vibration rubber mount grommets & isolators that provide superior vibration suppression, noise reduction, protection from the forces generated during compression, and sealing. Our vibration mount grommets are used in electronics, aerospace, healthcare, construction, transportation, and defense applications.

Vibration rubber mount grommets & isolators are designed with two flanges of unequal thickness. The thicker flange acts as the vibration isolator. We maintain an inventory of vibration grommets in a range of sizes, materials and durometer hardness, and colors. If you need a custom insulation grommet for your application, we have the capability to manufacture it for you.

Mil-Spec grommets are manufactured to meet Military Standard MS35489 requirements, used for electrical insulation, vibration reduction, noise control, and sealing in defense and government applications.

Insulation grommets protect wiring and cabling from sharp edges as they pass through a panel or enclosure, preventing damage to the insulation and reducing the risk of electrical short circuits.

Oval grommets are designed for non-round panel cutouts, commonly used where a standard round grommet won't fit the application's mounting hole shape.

To get a secure fit, measure the groove diameter, which corresponds to the drilled hole in your panel, and the groove width, which matches the thickness of the material the grommet will sit inside.

Blind and plug grommets seal an unused panel hole rather than protect a pass-through, providing a clean, finished cover where no wiring or cabling passes through.

Horseshoe grommets are open on one side, allowing a cable to be installed or removed without disconnecting it first.

These are molded rubber components used to cushion impact, prevent scratching, absorb vibration, or provide a non-slip surface, commonly used as feet on appliances and equipment or as protective tips and bumpers on moving parts.

Extruded profiles are continuous-length rubber shapes, such as U-channels, angle extrusions, and sealing strips, produced by forcing rubber through a die. They're commonly used for sealing, edge protection, and channeling applications.

Vibration isolation mounts are standalone mounting components designed to absorb shock and reduce vibration transfer between equipment and its mounting surface. They come in round, conical, and square shapes with single-stud, double-stud, or female threaded insert configurations. Vibration mount grommets serve a similar purpose but fit into a panel cutout, combining vibration dampening with pass-through protection.

Bellows and boots are flexible, accordion-style rubber covers used to protect moving parts, such as joints, shafts, or cables, from dust, moisture, and debris while allowing continued movement or flex.

Modular bellows are pre-engineered bellows available in standardized diameters, offering a faster, lower-cost alternative to custom tooling for applications that fit a standard size.

Modular bellows are available in five standard sizes: 60xs, 83SM, 106M, 120L, and 135X, offering a faster, lower-cost alternative to custom tooling for applications that fit one of these standard diameters.

Sponge rubber cord is a flexible, compressible rubber material available in cord form, commonly used for cushioning, sealing, and gap-filling applications where a solid rubber cord would be too rigid.

Electrical bushings are sleeves inserted into a hole to provide insulation, reduce wear, or reduce friction, serving a broader mechanical and electrical function than a standard grommet.

Cord guards provide strain relief at the point a cord exits an enclosure, protecting against bending and abrasion stress.

SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) is a low cost non-oil resistant material. It has good water resistance and resilience up to 70 durometer; compression set becomes poorer with higher durometer; generally satisfactory for most moderate chemicals and wet or dry organic acids. SBR is not recommended for ozone, strong acids, oils, greases, fats and most hydrocarbons.

HNBR is also known as Highly Saturated Nitrile or HSN. It's a special class of nitrile rubber that has been hydrogenated to increase the saturation of the butadiene segment of the carbon polymer backbone. The compound withstands both hot and cold temperatures and is renowned for its physical toughness.

Nitrile (Buna-N) is a general purpose oil resistant polymer which has good solvent, oil, water and hydraulic fluid resistance, good compression set, abrasion resistance and tensile strength. Nitrile should not be used in highly polar solvents such as acetone and MEK, ozone, chlorinated hydrocarbons and nitro hydrocarbons.

Ethylene Propylene (EPR, also called EPDM) is a polymer with outstanding properties. It has exceptionally good weather aging and ozone resistance; excellent water and chemical resistance; excellent resistance to gas permeability; and excellent resistance to aging due to exposure to steam and heat, resistant up to 350°F. Oil and solvent resistance is poor, however, it is fairly good in ketones and alcohols. It is not recommended for food applications or exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons.

Silicone offers excellent flexibility across an extremely wide temperature range, along with strong resistance to ozone, UV, and weathering, making it well suited for demanding indoor and outdoor applications.

Neoprene provides reliable resistance to weathering, ozone, and moderate chemical exposure, along with flame resistance, common in general-purpose sealing and outdoor applications.

Fluoro-elastomer (Viton) is known for resistance to fuels, oils, and chemicals at elevated temperatures, commonly used where standard elastomers would degrade from harsh media exposure.

Natural rubber offers excellent elasticity, tear resistance, and abrasion resistance, commonly used where flexibility and resilience are the primary requirements.

Butyl offers outstanding gas and vapor impermeability, commonly specified for applications requiring an airtight or vapor-tight seal.

Transfer molding is similar to compression molding, but has a transfer system on the top of the mold that feeds the rubber into cavities when the press is closed. The uncured rubber is placed in a pot/ram combination built into the top of the mold, and when pressure is applied by the closing of the press, the ram transfers the uncured rubber through small holes in the pot directly into the cavities. Cure time is reduced due to preheating the rubber during transfer, finished parts are more consistent since the mold is closed prior to transfer, and labor is reduced since preforms do not need to be loaded into the mold.

Minor Rubber offers custom compression, transfer, injection molding, and latex dip molding of rubber parts, including bellows and boots. For over 100 years, we have been manufacturing high quality molded rubber parts for industrial applications. Our experienced staff has the industry and application expertise to manufacture your custom part to exact specifications, ensuring that we will manufacture your part right the first time and deliver it on time and on budget.

The most popular molding process, compression molding uses pressure and heat to mold the rubber into the shape required. It is a good manufacturing choice for large parts, parts that do not require tight tolerances, and low production quantities. It requires inexpensive tooling but is a labor-intensive process with longer loading and process times than other molding methods.

Injection molding uses a screw or plunger to force uncured rubber into a closed mold cavity under pressure, producing precise, consistent parts efficiently, well suited for higher production volumes.

Rubber extruding is a continuous manufacturing process that forces uncured rubber through a shaped die to produce long, consistent profiles like tubing, U-channels, and sealing strips, well suited for parts that don't require a molded 3D shape.

Beyond molding and extruding, we offer packing services and assembly and kitting, helping customers receive parts ready for immediate use in their own production line rather than requiring additional handling on their end.

Because most of our parts are custom manufactured, minimum order quantities vary by material, tooling, and part complexity. Contact us with your specifications and we can confirm what applies to your order.

Lead time depends on the manufacturing process, material availability, and whether new tooling is required. Our team will provide a specific timeline once we understand your part's requirements.

A drawing, CAD file, or physical sample is the fastest way to get an accurate quote. Helpful details include material, dimensions and tolerances, operating temperature, and any required certifications.

Yes. We can reproduce a part from an engineering drawing or a physical sample, which is common for replacing components no longer available from the original manufacturer.

Yes. As part of our custom capabilities, we identify the right adhesive when a rubber component needs to bond to metal or another material.

Yes, Minor Rubber is ISO 9001:2015 certified, reflecting our commitment to consistent quality management.

Yes, we accommodate international orders. Contact us for specifics on your destination and requirements.

Refer to our rubber compatibility chart, which outlines how common elastomers perform against a wide range of chemicals, oils, and solvents to help you select the right material for your application.

NAICS stands for the North American Industry Classification System and is used as the standard for classifying businesses by federal statistics agencies. They use the codes to collect, analyze, and publish statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.