Silicone Rubber Extrusions › Profiles › D Section
Silicone Rubber D section Profiles
Silicone rubber D section profiles are widely used wherever reliable compression sealing, cushioning or vibration isolation is required. Their rounded bulb design provides an effective seal against dust, moisture and environmental contaminants while requiring relatively low closing forces, making them suitable for a broad range of industrial and commercial applications.
Advanced Materials manufactures silicone rubber D section profiles for customers across industries including rail, food processing, HVAC, construction, marine and industrial manufacturing. Available as both solid and hollow sections, D profiles can be produced in a wide range of sizes, material grades and colours to suit your specific application.
We do not hold stock sections. Every silicone rubber D section profile is custom manufactured to your specified hardness, colour and silicone grade to ensure it delivers the required sealing performance and service life. Whether you require production from one of our existing tooling designs or a completely bespoke profile manufactured using new tooling, all extrusions are made to order at our West Sussex facility under our ISO 9001-certified quality management system.
Example Silicone Rubber D section Profile Drawings and Technical PDFs
Explore all of our existing tooling drawings for Silicone Rubber D section profiles.
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Silicone Rubber D section Drawings
Many engineers find it useful to review example D section profile drawings when assessing sealing performance or identifying a suitable cross-section for an existing design.
Advanced Materials has manufactured silicone rubber D section extrusions for many years and maintains an extensive library of existing tooling drawings. In many cases, a previously manufactured profile may already be close to the dimensions required, helping to reduce tooling costs and shorten lead times.
Our range includes both solid and hollow D section profiles in a wide variety of bulb diameters, wall thicknesses and retention configurations.
If no suitable profile exists, our in-house toolmakers can design and manufacture a bespoke extrusion die to produce a D section tailored to your exact application.
Whether you have a CAD drawing, dimensional sketch or physical sample, our technical team can review your requirements and advise on the most suitable manufacturing approach.
Explore all of our existing tooling drawings for Silicone Rubber D section profiles.
Click below to view drawings for:
Typical Silicone Rubber D Section Applications
Typical designs include a vertical stem section designed for retention within a groove, combined with a horizontal flange providing sealing or finishing functionality.
D section profiles feature a rounded hollow or solid bulb designed to compress against a mating surface. This simple but highly effective geometry provides reliable sealing with relatively low closing forces, making D sections one of the most widely specified silicone rubber profiles for environmental sealing, cushioning and vibration isolation.
If one of our standard profiles suits your application, we can manufacture it to your required, including Shore A hardness, colour, silicone grade, production quantity.
Our most frequently specified D section profiles are used for:
Compression seals for doors and access panels
D section profiles are widely used around industrial doors, access panels and equipment covers where reliable compression sealing is required. The rounded bulb compresses against the mating surface to help prevent the ingress of dust, moisture and air while requiring relatively low closing forces, making frequent opening and closing easier.
Hatch and enclosure seals
Machinery enclosures, electrical cabinets and inspection hatches often rely on D section seals to protect internal components from environmental contaminants. The profile provides a dependable compression seal while accommodating minor variations in mating surfaces, helping to maintain long-term sealing performance.
Lid and cover gaskets
D section profiles provide an effective sealing solution for removable lids and covers used on tanks, processing equipment and industrial housings. Their resilient silicone construction helps maintain consistent sealing pressure over repeated opening and closing cycles while resisting permanent compression set.
Weather seals
For outdoor equipment, transport applications and exposed enclosures, D section profiles help create weather-resistant seals that reduce the ingress of rain, wind, dust and other contaminants. Silicone rubber’s excellent resistance to UV, ozone and temperature extremes makes it particularly suitable for long-term outdoor service.
Dust and splash protection
Many industrial applications require protection from airborne dust, dirt and occasional water splashes rather than full waterproof sealing. D section profiles provide an effective environmental barrier around doors, covers and access points, helping to protect sensitive equipment and reduce maintenance requirements.
Vibration and impact cushioning
The resilient nature of silicone rubber allows D section profiles to absorb vibration and cushion light impacts between mating components. This can help reduce noise, minimise wear and protect equipment from damage caused by repeated movement or vibration during operation.
Compression buffers
Solid or hollow D section profiles can also be used as compression buffers where controlled cushioning is required. Typical applications include machinery stops, protective bumpers and contact surfaces where components need to absorb impact while returning to their original shape after repeated compression.
Cabinet and enclosure sealing
Industrial control panels, electrical cabinets and equipment enclosures frequently use D section profiles to provide reliable perimeter sealing. The simple bulb geometry delivers consistent compression against doors and covers, helping to protect internal electrical and mechanical components from dust, moisture and other environmental contaminants.
Machine guarding
D section profiles are commonly incorporated into machine guards and protective covers where they provide both sealing and cushioning. They help create a safer working environment by protecting exposed edges, reducing vibration and preventing contaminants from entering guarded equipment.
Packing seals
D section profiles are also used as general-purpose packing seals in a wide range of static sealing applications. Their ability to conform to mating surfaces while maintaining excellent recovery after compression makes them suitable for sealing joints, flanges and equipment housings where dependable long-term performance is required.
Custom Silicone Rubber D section Manufacture
All silicone rubber D section extrusions are manufactured at our West Sussex production facility, where tooling design, extrusion, joining and inspection are managed under one roof. This allows us to maintain close control over dimensional accuracy, material consistency and production lead times.
We manufacture both prototype quantities and high-volume production runs for customers across industrial and regulated sectors.
D section profiles are available in both solid and hollow constructions, depending on the sealing performance required.
Solid D sections provide robust compression and long-term durability where higher sealing forces are acceptable.
Hollow D sections are often preferred where lower closing forces are required, allowing effective sealing while reducing stress on hinges, catches and mating components. Their internal cavity also helps accommodate manufacturing tolerances and repeated compression without permanent deformation.
Silicone rubber naturally offers excellent compression set resistance, allowing D section profiles to recover their shape after repeated compression and making them particularly well suited to static sealing applications.
Where required, profiles can also be supplied as:
- Joined rings and continuous frames
- Fabricated assemblies
- Cut-to-length components
- Sections with self-adhesive backing applied to the flat face for easier installation
Compression performance varies according to the bulb diameter, wall thickness, silicone grade and Shore A hardness selected. Our technical team can advise on the most appropriate profile for your application.
Custom Silicone Rubber D section Extrusions to Your Specification
If an existing profile does not meet your requirements, we can manufacture a completely bespoke D section extrusion using new tooling designed specifically for your application.
Our in-house toolmakers work alongside our technical sales team to develop profile designs that balance sealing performance with practical manufacturability.
You can specify:
- Bulb diameter
- Solid or hollow construction
- Wall thickness
- Overall dimensions
- Shore A hardness
- Silicone grade
- Colour
- Joining or finishing requirements
With more than 30 years of silicone extrusion experience and a tooling library containing over 10,000 existing dies, we can often recommend an existing starting point or efficiently produce a new tool where required.
Because tooling is manufactured in-house, we maintain control over quality, cost and lead times throughout the development process.
Custom Silicone Rubber E section Extrusions
E section profiles offer many of the same sealing advantages as D section extrusions while providing additional stability and retention through their integrated foot design. They are commonly specified where the seal needs to locate securely within a channel or groove while maintaining consistent compression against the mating surface.
Like D sections, E section profiles are available in a wide range of sizes and can be manufactured in solid or hollow constructions depending on the application. They are frequently used for door seals, enclosure gaskets, hatch seals and environmental sealing across industrial machinery, transport, construction and specialist equipment.
Advanced Materials manufactures silicone rubber E section profiles to order in a choice of silicone grades, Shore hardnesses and colours. We can produce parts using existing tooling where suitable or manufacture a completely bespoke profile using our in-house toolmaking capability.
If your application requires a retained compression seal rather than a simple bonded or surface-mounted profile, our technical team can help determine whether an E section or D section offers the most suitable solution.
Typical Silicone Rubber E Section Applications
The unique geometry of E section profiles combines a compressible hollow sealing bulb with an additional internal cavity, allowing the profile to compress more easily while maintaining excellent recovery after repeated sealing cycles. This makes E sections particularly suitable where effective environmental sealing is required alongside reduced closing forces.
Our most frequently specified E section profiles are used for:
Industrial door seals
E section profiles provide reliable compression sealing around industrial doors, equipment access points and service panels. Their hollow construction allows the seal to compress easily, reducing the force required to close and latch doors while maintaining an effective seal against dust and moisture.
Access panel seals
Frequently removed inspection and maintenance panels benefit from the excellent recovery characteristics of E section profiles. The resilient silicone construction helps maintain consistent sealing performance through repeated opening and closing without excessive compression set.
Equipment enclosure seals
Machinery housings and equipment enclosures often use E section profiles to protect sensitive internal components from dust, moisture and other environmental contaminants. Their stable base and compressible sealing bulb help provide consistent sealing across the full perimeter of the enclosure.
Cabinet and electrical enclosure seals
Electrical cabinets, control panels and instrumentation enclosures commonly use E section profiles to create dependable environmental seals. Silicone rubber maintains its flexibility over a wide temperature range, providing long-term sealing performance in demanding industrial environments.
Lid and cover gaskets
E section profiles are well suited to removable lids and covers on industrial equipment, processing vessels and fabricated assemblies. The profile compresses uniformly against the mating surface, helping to achieve reliable static sealing while allowing straightforward removal for maintenance.
Weather sealing
External equipment, transport applications and outdoor enclosures use E section profiles to reduce the ingress of rain, dust and airborne contaminants. Silicone rubber offers excellent resistance to UV, ozone and weathering, making it suitable for long-term outdoor exposure.
Dust and splash protection
Where equipment requires protection from airborne particles or occasional water splashes, E section profiles create an effective environmental barrier around doors, covers and access points, helping to extend equipment life and reduce maintenance.
Low closing force compression seals
The twin-cavity design allows E section profiles to compress more readily than comparable solid sections, making them particularly suitable where hinges, catches or latches need to operate with reduced closing force while still achieving dependable sealing.
Static sealing applications
E section profiles are commonly specified for static sealing arrangements where components remain compressed for extended periods. Their excellent resilience and compression set resistance help maintain sealing performance throughout the product’s service life.
General industrial sealing
From OEM equipment and fabricated assemblies to specialist machinery, E section profiles provide a versatile sealing solution wherever reliable compression sealing, long-term durability and consistent performance are required.
Material Grades and Performance Options
Silicone rubber D section profiles are manufactured using material grades selected to suit the operating environment and regulatory requirements of each application.
Advanced Materials offers a comprehensive range of silicone compounds, including:
- General purpose silicone
- FDA-compliant grades for food and drink processing
- Flame-retardant UL94 V-0 grades
- Drinking water approved compounds
- Rail-compliant materials meeting EN 45545
- High temperature silicone grades
- Low temperature flexible compounds
The correct material selection is just as important as choosing the right profile geometry. Our technical team can advise on the most suitable compound based on operating temperature, chemical exposure, environmental conditions and compliance requirements.
Silicone D section profiles are commonly specified where long-term resistance is required against:
- Moisture
- Dust and contamination
- UV and ozone
- High and low temperatures
- Weathering
- Repeated compression
Compression Recommendations for Silicone Rubber D Section Seals
D section silicone seals generally achieve their most reliable sealing performance when compressed by approximately 20–30% of the bulb height, although the optimum compression depends on the profile geometry, whether the section is solid or hollow, the silicone compound and the operating environment.
Over-compression can increase closing forces and reduce the service life of the seal, while insufficient compression may not provide an effective barrier against dust, moisture or air ingress.
If you are designing a new sealing arrangement, our technical team can advise on suitable profile dimensions and material selection to achieve the required sealing performance with the lowest practical operating force.
From Tooling to Production
Every silicone rubber D section profile follows a controlled manufacturing process from initial design through to final inspection.
Where new tooling is required, our in-house toolmakers manufacture the extrusion die at our Littlehampton facility before trialling and refining the profile to ensure it meets the required dimensions and performance.
Production is carried out under our ISO 9001 quality management system, providing consistent repeatability across both small and large production runs.
Our manufacturing process includes:
- In-house tooling design and manufacture
- ISO 3302-1 Class E1 cross-sectional tolerances as standard
- Batch consistency and dimensional inspection
- Full material traceability
- Retention of production samples
- Laser marking where identification or batch coding is required
For customers operating within regulated industries, supporting documentation and material certification can be provided where applicable.
Explore All Silicone Rubber Extrusion Profiles
D sections are just one of many profile shapes we manufacture. View our full range of silicone extrusion profiles to compare geometries and performance options.
Why Choose Advanced Materials for Silicone Rubber D section Profiles?
For more than 30 years, Advanced Materials has supplied silicone rubber extrusion solutions to manufacturers, OEMs and distributors throughout the UK and internationally.
Rather than supplying generic stock profiles, we manufacture every D section extrusion to your specified dimensions, material grade and production requirements.
Whether you require a standard profile from our extensive tooling library or a completely bespoke design, we work closely with your engineering and procurement teams to deliver a reliable, repeatable solution.
Our focus is not simply manufacturing silicone extrusions, but helping customers achieve reliable sealing performance with products designed for long-term service in demanding applications.
Customers choose Advanced Materials because we offer:
- Over 30 years of silicone extrusion expertise
- A tooling library containing more than 10,000 existing profiles
- In-house tooling, extrusion, joining and post-curing
- ISO 3302-1 Class E1 tolerances as standard
- ISO 9001-certified manufacturing processes
- Full material traceability and quality documentation
- Technical support throughout design and manufacture
- Same-day quotations where possible
- UK manufacturing with responsive customer service
Get in Touch for Silicone Rubber D section Enquiries
If you have a drawing ready, send it to our team for review.
If you are still at the concept stage, we can help refine the geometry for manufacture.
Request a custom D section quote
Speak to our Technical Team
Request a Free Sample
Arrange a meeting to discuss your project
All silicone rubber D section extrusions are manufactured at our West Sussex facility, where quality, traceability and technical accuracy are maintained throughout production.
If you cannot find the exact silicone rubber D section profile you require, contact us and we will design and manufacture one to suit your application.