Balmoral Engineering have been supplying electrical insulation mats, pipe and covers for over 30 years. In this time, there has been major improvements in material technology. This has been especially prevelant in the rubber industry. With rubber being the choice of materials for insulating workers from the a potential earthing situation when working on live parts, however there are still many options to choose from when it comes to rubber products. Of course, the final application and environment should determine the suitability of the various rubber options. Synthetic rubbers have advanced a long way with various hybrids being developed to combine the best characteristics of different compounds.
After much research, Balmoral has found EPDM rubber to be the best compromise of the rubbers for the electrical insulation application. This application typically involves mats either being rolled and stored on trucks as a portable insulation barrier, or longer lengths being used in a more static or permenent fashion in front of switchboards at substations etc.
The characteristics of EPDM that make it favourable to these applications include its resilience and toughness to ozone, UV and general weathering. It is also a relatively light weight rubber making it ideal for portable applications. The rubber possesses good physical properties such as tensile strength and puncture resistance. It also has inherently good electrical insulation properties.
The EPDM we have manufactured is also a high grade EPDM with a good degree of flexibility making it ideal for rolling and storing in this manner. Our EPDM is also finished with a cloth exterior which is a non-slip surface even in wet conditions. This surface is flat which makes it easy to clean and will not collect mud and dirt like some corrugated or rubbed alternatives. EPDM also has a very good temperature range typically suitable in conditions from -45 degrees through to 125 degrees celsius. Our EPDM rubber complies with the relevant electrical standards, AS-2978 and is a manufactured specifically for the electrical industry.
Insulation mat
