For more than 50 years, Sioux Rubber & Urethane has been protecting products with custom internal linings. Used on a variety of equipment and surfaces, rubber and urethane linings protect products from wear, tear, and abuse, extending their functionality and lifespan.

Such was the case when Sioux Rubber was called to create a custom lining for a dredge pump. Used for clearing out boat marinas, dam blockages, and the like, dredge pumps see a high concentration of sand, rocks, and shells that do a number on bare metal surfaces.

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For this particular project, the original pump housing was lined in 1999 with a soft, natural rubber. Without it, the flotsam and jetsam of the lake would have completely worn through the pump in a matter of a year or two. While it’s easy to estimate the lifespan of an unlined pump, it’s more difficult to anticipate the longevity of a lined one. There are simply too many variables specific to its use — the percentage of abrasive to water, temperature, possible acid or chemical content, hours run per shift, and so forth.

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That said, Sioux Rubber expected to at least double or triple the lifespan of the pump with its customized rubber lining, adding 5 or 6 years to its life.

And, 17 years later, it’s still going strong.

“It goes to show just how important customized linings are,” said Joe Wren, General Manager at Sioux Rubber & Urethane. “They impact performance on so many levels. From noise reduction and abrasion resistance to impact resistance and bottom-line cost savings, customized liners aren’t just an investment, but they are also one of the best insurances you can buy.”

Sioux Rubber specializes in complete customizations. “While very labor intensive, the results are top of the line,” adds Wren. “And nearly every industry can benefit. In fact, there aren’t many industries out there that we haven’t supported in one way or another. We may specialize in wear liners and abrasion resistance, but our products have applications in several markets."

“It’s almost always more cost effective to add a liner to a machine than to replace that machine in a few years," says Wren. “Our products will nearly always save you money, be it with equipment repairs, downtime, parts, or overtime. And we’re pretty proud of that.”

Learn more about our custom rubber linings here, and our custom urethane linings here.