Rack and pinion steering dust caps made with SantopreneTM thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) have long been used to meet the needs of automotive underbody applications. The steering dust cover must be able to withstand chemical attack, physical impact and extreme temperatures while maintaining outstanding sealing performance.

The reason for turning to dust cover manufacturers to use Santoprene TPV is that they are lighter than EPDM or chloroprene rubber, can improve part performance, and can be used in areas such as harsh weather, oil, and road salt. Effective protection for steering systems in mud, mud and other harsh environments.

Main advantage

• Very light weight

• More precise size

• Outstanding sealing performance

• Prominent flex life

• Very effective solvent resistance

• Little or no longitudinal cracking problems

• Very few flash edges

Long-term durability

Santoprene TPV has been used to turn the dust cover for 40 years because it provides long-term durability, flexibility and heat and oil resistance. Although the rack and pinion steering dust cover accounts for only a small portion of the total cost of the steering system, it is still possible to reduce costs through stable one-component blow molding.

Waste recycling

All waste generated during the processing of the TPV process can be recycled and reused, thus helping to reduce the waste of the overall manufacturing process.

Easy processing

An important advantage of SantopreneTM TPV is its ease of processing. It combines the performance of traditional thermoset rubber with the processing speed, efficiency and economy of thermoplastics. It can be vacuum wrinkled, extrusion blow molded and injection blow molded.

Santoprene TPV is ideal for use in Ossberger's patented PRESSBLOWER injection blow molding process.

The PRESSBLOWER process produces extremely high quality, very small tolerance finished products. This is a key factor in achieving efficient sealing performance for rack and pinion steering dust covers.