EV charging stations use four types of rubber products:
- Environmental seals
- Flame retardant gaskets
- Molded rubber parts
Hebei Shida Seal Group is a China manufacturer of molded rubber products for EV charging stations and specializes in low-to-medium volumes. We also provide design assistance, ready-to-install finished gaskets and added-value services like kitting and assembly packaging.
Environmental Seals for EV Charging Stations
EV charging stations contain electrical and electronic components that need to be protected from outdoor environments. For example, the part of the charging station that’s known as the head contains circuit boards, an LED light strip, and an antenna. Aluminum or polycarbonate panels enclose and protect the head, but there are tiny gaps where these metal or plastic panels meet.
To keep out water, windblown dust, and other contaminants, EV charging station manufacturers use rubber seals. Unlike metal or hard plastic, rubber can conform to irregular surfaces and fill in small gaps. Rubber can also compress when panels are screwed together. Yet not all environmental seals are the same. In fact, some are more reliable than others.
Flame Retardant Gaskets for EV Charging Stations
Like any electrical installation, EV charging stations pose the risk of fire. UL, a global safety science company, publishes UL 94, a plastics flammability standard that also covers rubber products. Within UL 94, there’s UL 94 V0, which is a vertical burn rating, and UL 94 HB, which is a horizontal burn rating. There are also ratings like UL 94 V1, V2, and V3. When designing an EV charging station, different parts of the unit may need to use materials that meet different UL 94 ratings.
For example, closed-cell sponge gaskets with a UL 94 V0 flame rating are used near the socket outlet, the part of the charging station that holds a removable plug. For parts of the EV cabinet itself, UL 94 HB gaskets are used. We can provide you with gaskets that meet these and other UL 94 flame ratings, and we offer UL 94 HB EPDM sponge rubber in both standard and custom extrusions. Our standard UL 94 HB product contains a spring steel clip for impact resistance, is black in color, and withstands water, steam, and high temperatures. Extrusions made of this material are designed to fit a 1/8” gap between panels and support the use of fire-resistant adhesive tape for ease-of-installation.
Molded Rubber Parts and More
Finally, EV charging stations contain molded rubber parts such as grommets, components that are installed within panels and that help to protect wires or cables that pass through. Typically, rubber grommets are shaped like rings or eyelets; however, grommets can also be flanged, collared, or shaped like a horseshoe. Materials of construction include EPDM, silicone, neoprene, and nitrile.
When you purchase rubber products for EV charging stations from us, you can get all of the elastomeric components that you need for a build: environmental seals, flame retardant gaskets, and molded rubber parts. We can also provide you with services such as kitting and assembly packaging so that you get all of the parts for a unit at once – and packaged in order of installation.
About Us
Hebei Shida Seal Group has been committed to providing quality molded rubber products to customers from a variety of industries for more than 20 years. Custom rubber formulations and broad molding production capabilities position us to deliver cost-effective solutions for long or short runs. We work closely with our customers to understand their challenges and provide them with customized solutions. We also offer tool design assistance to jump-start your production.
Contact Us:
If your applications require custom molded rubber parts, please feel free to contact us. We are committed to supplying our customers with robust rubber components and outstanding services.