Dust collection
Gum Rubber Sleeves and Flex Connectors for Dust Collection
On a dust system the rubber sleeve is doing two jobs. It seals the joint so the system holds the negative pressure it was designed for, and it isolates the fan and the collector so their vibration does not travel into the ductwork and shake the building.
We build dust collector sleeves, baghouse inlet connectors and hopper discharge socks to whatever size your duct is. Round, any diameter, hot vulcanized. Send the measurement and get a quote within 24 hours.
Where the sleeves live
Four spots wear out first. All of them are custom parts we make every week.
Fan inlet and outlet flex
Isolates the fan from the ductwork. The highest vibration duty on the system.
Baghouse inlet connections
Seals the inlet duct to the collector housing and holds system pressure.
Hopper discharge socks
Under the hopper into an airlock or screw. Hang them with slack, not taut.
Duct to duct transitions
Wherever two runs meet and one of them moves. Light duty, easy sizes.
Fan connections are the ones that matter most. A fan inlet or outlet flex takes constant vibration, and a cold-bonded seam in that position works itself apart faster than anywhere else on the system. Once the seam opens, the system loses pressure everywhere and the branch pickups upstream stop pulling. Hot vulcanized is not a nicety here, it is the point.
Hopper discharge sleeves, sometimes called dust socks, sit under the collector hopper and feed a rotary airlock or a screw. Duty is light because the material is fine, so a 1/4 inch wall is plenty. What matters is length. Leave enough sleeve that the sock hangs with slack rather than pulling straight, because a taut sleeve transmits exactly the vibration you were trying to isolate.
A note on temperature. Standard gum rubber is good to roughly 180 degrees Fahrenheit continuous. If the collector is on a dryer, a kiln or anything with real heat behind it, tell us the operating temperature in the notes and we will quote EPDM or another compound instead. Putting gum rubber on a hot line is a fast way to buy the same part twice.
Common sizes for dust collection
Every size is made to order. These just quote fastest.
Example application
29 inch truck discharge boot for a ready-mix batch plant
Hangs off the bottom of the batcher and drops mix into a ready-mix truck. Some plants call it the elephant trunk.
It carries the full weight of a load on every drop, the drum moves under it, and drivers back into it. A 3/8 inch wall runs at this diameter but a 1/2 inch wall is what stops it being a recurring purchase.
What we need to quote it
A phone photo with a tape measure laid across the opening, plus the length, is enough to quote it. If it steps down, we need both diameters.
Send your measurementsQuestions from dust collection
How hot can a gum rubber sleeve run?
Standard pure gum rubber is good to roughly 180 degrees Fahrenheit continuous. Above that we will quote EPDM or another compound. Put the operating temperature in the RFQ notes and we will pick the material for it.
Do you make square or rectangular connectors?
The online builder is set up for round sleeves. We do build square and rectangular transitions. Choose the closest round size, then describe the actual opening in the notes field and we will quote the real shape.
Have your measurements?
ID, wall, length. That is all we need to quote it.
Will-call pickup
Pick up your order in Englewood
AG Rubber Co2780 Raritan St
Englewood, CO 80110
303-339-1240
Will-call hours: Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Local plants: call ahead and most standard boots are ready for same-week pickup.