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All About Polyurethane Durometers

Durometer Gauge

There are many factors that will impact the performance, durability, and ultimately, the lifespan of your custom urethane product. When developing a polyurethane formulation, one key factor to consider is durometer.  Durometer is a measurement of a material’s hardness.

There are several scales used for durometer readings with Shore 00, Shore A, and Shore D being the most common for urethane. To determine the ideal durometer needed, it is important to understand the basics of the Shore Hardness Scale, namely Shore OO, Shore A, and Shore D, and the types of materials that fall under each durometer scale.

Higher numbers on the Shore durometer scales indicate a higher resistance to indentation and a harder material, whereas lower numbers indicate less resistance and a softer material. For example, a low Shore 00 number denotes an extremely soft material while a high Shore D number denotes a very rigid, hard material. The visual below shows the range of each scale and the overlap between the scales.  Visit PSI’s website for suggested urethane durometer ranges as well as physical property considerations for a wide range of urethane applications.

 

 

Urethane Durometer Scales

 

The range of urethane durometers at which urethane can be produced is extremely versatile. In fact, urethane’s durometer can range from as soft as a marshmallow to as hard as a bowling ball, providing a variety of options for your custom polyurethane formulation. When selecting the right polyurethane shore for your custom urethane product, you should consider the desired functionality of the product as well as the amount of weight the part will need to support, frequency and strength of any impact, and compression and flexibility needs.

Examples of Shore Hardness for Various Urethane Applications

PSI Urethanes’ custom polyurethane formulations span the three different durometer scales previously noted, offering a full range of hardness not available from most urethane suppliers. The following are examples of urethane applications across some common polyurethane durometers.

Shore OO Hardness:

  • Ideal for extremely soft materials
  • Durometers in the Shore OO scale range from 10 Shore OO to 70 Shore OO and are typically used for materials that are very fragile.
  • Some examples include vibration dampening, shock absorption, and low-pressure seals and gaskets.

Shore A Hardness:

  • Ideal for all elastomers
  • Durometers in the Shore A scale range between 10 Shore A to 95 Shore A and can range from very soft and flexible to medium and slightly flexible to hard with little flexibility.
  • Given the broad range of durometers in the Shore A scale, materials in this range are some of the most common types of elastomers produced and can be found in applications across a broad range of industries.
  • Urethane products produced with durometers in Shore A are well suited for industrial applications because of their versatility and resistance to tearing and abrasions.
  • Some common examples and characteristics of urethane products within this range of durometers include:
    • 40 Shore A is resilient with a high coefficient of friction, and is a good fit for uses that require grabbing.
    • 60 Shore A is common for bumpers, metal forming, and feed rollers
    • 90 Shore A is well suited for rollers and wheels

Shore D Hardness:

  • Ideal for harder materials including many rigid plastics that deliver excellent toughness and tear-resistance.
  • Durometers in the Shore D scale consist of materials with the highest hardness and range from 50 Shore D to 70 Shore D. Materials in this range typically have a high load bearing capacity, and include hard rubbers and semi-rigid or hard plastics.
  • Some common examples and characteristics of urethane products in this range of durometers include forklift tires and rollers for heavy loads.

Looking for a urethane partner that delivers customized solutions that are specific to your durometer needs?

Contact the team at PSI to learn more about our custom urethane products and our range of durometer offerings.

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PSI’s Custom Urethane Solutions for Your Unique Durometer Needs

At PSI, we are happy to work with our customers to meet your specific durometer needs. In fact, our team of experts welcome the challenge that custom urethane products can bring. With over 50 years in business and extensive experience with custom urethane products, we’ll be more than happy to guide you in selecting the right durometer needed for the job.

Our in-house engineering and technical assistance staff can help you create custom urethane molded parts that meet your application needs and solve your problems. We have a wide range of formulations that can be geared specifically to your requirements. Below are some highlights about our custom urethane solutions. For more details on polyurethane durometer, please watch our short video.

  • Broad Range of Durometers: using the above resins, we can manufacture durometers from 25 shore OO (soft as a marshmallow) to 70 shore D (hard as a bowling ball). All of our polyurethane formulations can be produced in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
  • Custom Materials: our in-house resins include TDI ethers and esters, MDI ethers and esters, and aliphatic resins. If you require a resin that we do not carry in-house, we can order it and manufacture your products.
  • Custom Molds: our in-house mold making shop allows us to produce your custom production orders fast. PSI produces urethane products ranging in size from less than a gram to over 2500 pounds. Cast polyurethane is an ideal material for constructing parts that require tough physical properties and superior impact resistance.
  • Bonding and Recovery: we can bond our polyurethane to metal and many other substrates. If you have rollers or wheels that need to be recovered, we can strip off the old material and recover them with the polyurethane formulation that best fits the application. That is a cost-savings for many customers, especially when the cores or inserts are intricate or pricey.
  • Prototypes to High Volumes: our fully equipped manufacturing facility includes a versatile range of processing machinery, allows us to work on unique, one-of-a-kind projects, as well as high volume components. We are also known for our willingness to do short-run production and prototypes.

About PSI Urethanes

Since 1966, through our own independent research and activity in the Polyurethane Manufacturers Association, PSI Urethanes has stayed on the leading edge of urethane technology – including developing advances in new materials, comprehensive designs, and processing technologies. Today we are among the most respected and trusted suppliers of custom polyurethane products.

We operate from our 45,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, which houses an extensive stock of polyurethane products. Our fully equipped manufacturing facility includes a versatile range of processing machinery, which allows us to work on unique, one-of-a-kind projects, as well as high volume components. Our in-house engineering, tooling, and custom mold shop, produces custom and stock production orders with exceptionally fast turn-around times. From conception to prototyping, to final production runs, our technical representatives and design engineers will work closely with your staff to meet your critical tolerances and specifications. You are guaranteed to receive experienced, professional, and personalized service from the first contact through your on-time delivery, with complete confidentiality and dedication to protecting your good name.

PSI Urethanes specializes in custom polyurethane products. Contact us today to see how we can help with your next project, or give us a call at 1-800-888-5156.