Rubber bellows and protective boots

01 · DIAPHRAGMS

Rubber Diaphragms,
Moulded to Your Stroke and Pressure.

Flat, rolling and convoluted diaphragms for metering pumps, valves, regulators and sprayers — plain or fabric-reinforced, moulded to your drawing at our ISO 9001:2015 plant in Nashik. The diaphragm sits in the medium on every stroke, so we choose the compound from what you are pumping, not from a default.

  • ISO 9001:2015
  • 8 COMPOUNDS IN-HOUSE
  • FABRIC-REINFORCED
Send your diaphragm drawing

02 · TYPES

Four Shapes, Chosen by Stroke

The shape follows the stroke. A short stroke can run on a flat diaphragm; a long one needs the sidewall to roll or the convolution to unfold, or the rubber works in tension and tears at the clamp.

  • Flat diaphragm

    A clamped disc, plain or with a moulded-in plate. Simplest to tool and the lowest cost per piece. Stroke is limited to roughly a tenth of the effective diameter before the rubber starts working in tension.

    Typical useRegulators, pressure switches, low-stroke valve actuators

  • Rolling diaphragm

    The sidewall rolls between the piston and the bore instead of stretching, so the effective area stays near constant through the stroke and the force curve is flat. Needs a controlled piston-to-bore gap, which we confirm against your housing drawing.

    Typical useMetering and dosing pumps, long-stroke actuators, air cylinders

  • Convoluted diaphragm

    One or more moulded convolutions unfold to give stroke without stretching the rubber. Takes more stroke than a flat diaphragm at the same diameter and tolerates a less precise housing than a rolling one.

    Typical useDiaphragm pumps, sprayer heads, large actuators

  • Fabric-reinforced diaphragm

    Nylon, polyester or aramid fabric bonded into the moulding. The fabric carries the pressure load and holds the effective area stable; the elastomer seals and takes the chemical duty. Any of the three shapes above can be reinforced.

    Typical useAnything above roughly 3 bar, and any duty where stretch would change the dose

03 · SPECIFICATION

What We Need to Quote

InputRangeWhy we ask
Effective diameterØ20 mm – Ø400 mmSet by tooling, not by the compound. Larger is quotable against the part
Stroketo drawingDecides the shape — flat, rolling or convoluted
Working pressureto drawingDecides ply count and whether reinforcement is needed at all
Mediumnamed fluidDecides the compound. This is the input most enquiries leave out
Service temperature−60 to +250 °C across the eight compoundsNarrows the compound with the medium
Cycle ratestrokes/minA dosing pump at 200 strokes a minute and a regulator that moves twice a day are different parts
Mountingclamped rim · bead · bolt circleThe clamp is where diaphragms fail. Send the housing detail
Insertsteel · stainless · brass · noneIf a plate or stem is moulded in, we need its material and finish
Hardness40 – 80 Shore AOur output, not your input — recommended against the duty unless your drawing fixes it
Dimensional toleranceISO 3302-1 class M1Tolerance follows the section, as on every moulded part in this catalogue

Send a drawing in PDF, DWG, DXF or STEP — or send the diaphragm you are replacing and tell us how it failed. A hardened, cracked diaphragm means heat; a swollen one that has lost its shape means the wrong compound for the medium; a split at the clamp line means the stroke or the housing, not the rubber.

04 · COMPOUND

Tell Us the Medium. The Compound Follows.

A diaphragm is submerged in the medium on every stroke, so the compound is not a preference — it is the part. EPDM is right for water, dosing chemicals and brake fluid, and it swells until the diaphragm loses its shape in oil, fuel or grease. Every compound we mix is available on every part. These are ranked for a diaphragm.

If the medium isCompoundService temperatureNote
Water, coolant, steam, dosing chemicals, dilute acids and alkalis, brake fluidEPDM−40 to +140 °CThe default for water treatment and dosing. Never in oil, fuel or grease
Mineral oil, fuel, hydraulic fluid, greaseNBR−30 to +120 °CThe default for oil duty and the lowest cost of the oil-capable compounds
Solvents, aggressive chemistry, hot hydrocarbonsFKM−20 to +250 °C continuous to +200 °CThe escalation when NBR is out of range. Poor in the cold and it fails in steam and glycol brake fluid
Hot oil and oil mist above nitrile’s ceilingAEM−40 to +175 °C continuous to +160 °CThe middle answer between NBR and FKM, at well under FKM cost. Absent from almost every competitor’s menu
Refrigerants, moderate oil, outdoor and marineNeoprene−40 to +120 °CGeneral purpose with flame-retardant grades available
Large low-pressure diaphragms, high stroke, air or waterNatural rubber−20 to +90 °CThe best flex-fatigue resistance of the eight. No oil contact
Abrasive slurry, low cost, waterSBR−30 to +100 °CAbrasion resistance at commodity cost. No oil contact
Clean, high-temperature, low-pressure dutySilicone−60 to +220 °CWidest temperature range and the weakest diaphragm. Low tear strength and poor flex fatigue — specify it only where temperature genuinely forces it, and expect a shorter life

Not sure which applies? Send the fluid, the temperature and the pressure and we will recommend the compound with the datasheet, before you commit to a drawing.

05 · CONSTRUCTION

What Carries the Pressure

Fabric reinforcement

Above roughly 3 bar, or wherever a stretching diaphragm would change the dose, the rubber alone is not the structure. We bond nylon, polyester or aramid fabric into the moulding: the fabric takes the pressure load and holds the effective area constant through the stroke, and the elastomer seals and carries the chemical duty. Ply count, weave and orientation follow your pressure and stroke — send both and we will specify them.

Moulded-in inserts

Where the diaphragm drives a stem or seats against a plate, the metal is moulded in rather than assembled after. The bond is made during cure, so there is no adhesive joint to fail and no stack of tolerances between two parts. Send the insert material and its finish — steel, stainless and brass all bond, and the surface preparation differs for each.

Plain moulded

Below the pressure where reinforcement earns its cost, a plain moulded diaphragm is lighter, more flexible and cheaper to tool. Most regulator and pressure-switch diaphragms are plain. We will tell you which side of that line your part sits on when we see the pressure and the diameter.

Tooling is cut in-house. A new diaphragm tool runs alongside the compound trial, so first samples come back in 48 to 72 hours from an approved drawing.

06 · QUALITY

Tested Before It Ships

PropertyMethodWhere
HardnessASTM D2240In-house
Tensile and elongationASTM D412In-house
Compression setASTM D395 Method BIn-house
Tear strengthASTM D624NABL partner laboratory
Fluid immersion / volume swellASTM D471NABL partner laboratory
Ozone resistanceISO 1431-1NABL partner laboratory
Dimensional conformityISO 3302-1 class M1In-house
Pressure-cycle lifeISO 132 · ASTM D430 · ASTM D813not held

Material test reports, dimensional inspection sheets and a certificate of conformance ship with every consignment. Batch records are retained per shipment and are available on request under NDA. Diaphragms are packed flat and unloaded, so the sealing bead is not set before installation.

ISO 9001:2015 · Certificate 09111526A

Integral Certification Ltd · Valid to 21 February 2027

Scope: rubber moulded components — quality management, not a product approval

IATF 16949 — upgrade in progress, certification targeted by end 2026

ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 — targeted 2027

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Technical & commercial questions

09 · ENQUIRIES

Request a Diaphragm Quotation

Send your drawing with the effective diameter, stroke and working pressure, or the diaphragm you are replacing with a note of how it failed. Tell us the medium and the cycle rate. Our engineering team responds within 48 hours with a compound recommendation, dimensional confirmation and a quotation.