Flexible Sleeves & Connectors
Flexible Connectors, Tubing, and Sleeves for the Food, Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Mineral Industries
Carolina Material Technologies offers Flexible Sleeves and Flex Connectors in several different materials, including Clear Polyurethane, EPDM, Pure Gum Rubber, Rubber Coated Nylon, Silicone, Neoprene, and many more. We offer a variety of different styles, including simple Straight Sleeve, Bellowed Shape, BFM Fittings, Tri-Clamp Connectors, and Jacob Connectors. Our flex connectors are used in a variety of industries, including Food, Pharmaceutical, Beverage, Tobacco, Wood, Petroleum, Coal, Chemicals, Plastics and Rubber. The raw materials are often transported through trucks, railcars, silos, conveyors, feeders, and other process equipment systems. The materials used in these applications cannot contaminate or impact the taste or quality of the product being conveyed - so very high quality, tightly controlled compounds must be used in manufacturing the flex connectors, hoses, tubing, fittings, and components. Many of our products will meet FDA, NSF, USDA, or Sanitary 3A standards. Our Flex Connectors are used on all types of material handling equipment, including sifters, screeners, hoppers, screw feeders, vibratory feeders, bin dischargers, conveyors, and packing and filling equipment.
Clear Poly Flex Connectors
Clear Polyurethane flex tubing provides interior visibility of product flow
Clear Polyurethane Flex Connectors are available in straight sleeves, bellows, BFM Fittings, Tr-Clamp Connectors, and Jacob Connectors. Clear Polyurethane offers many advantages over other materials, including allowing for product viewing and offering superior abrasion and chemical resistance. In addition to the extruded sizes, non-standard diameters or tapered boots can be fabricated. They are built using the PerfectSplice. The splice is virtually invisible and no loss of material strength occurs in the process. The tapered boots / tubing can be made in 30 or 60 mil wall thickness.

Available Configurations

Straight Sleeve

Bellow

BFM® Fitting

Tri-Clamp

Jacob
EPDM Flex Connectors
EPDM Tubing Flexible Sleeves
CMT offers white and black EPDM tubing flex sleeves among many other types of rubber tubings. EPDM (
also known as ethylene propylene diene monomer) is a terpolymer of ethylene, propylene and a diene monomer, making EPDM flex connectors resistant to oxygen, ozone, and sunlight. EPDM Rubber flexible sleeves are excellent at handling acids, oxygenated solvents and wet or dry abrasive materials. This flex sleeve is suitable for outdoor exposure, as EPDM can withstand temperatures to 350°F. It is resistant to polar materials such as phosphate esters, many ketones and alcohol. This type of rubber is a cost-effective alternative to silicone, as it can last for long periods of time with proper use. As a result, EPDM can save you time and money depending on the needs of your application. However, it must be noted that its resistance to petroleum products is poor.
EPDM Benefits and Advantages
- Resistance to UV exposure, ozone, aging, weathering, and many chemicals – great for outdoor applications
- Stability in high and low temperatures – a general purpose EPDM material can be used in an environment where the temperature range is from -20⁰F to +350⁰F (-29⁰C to 177⁰C).
- Low electrical conductivity
- Steam and water resistant
- Can be fabricated in a variety of ways, which includes custom molded and extruded parts
- Long-term part lifespan allows for fewer replacement parts, saving money in the long run
EPDM Applications
Industrial and Process Equipment
- Screw Conveyors
- Screw Feeders and Vibratory Feeders
- Connecting (2) Flange Outlets or Pipes
- Water system O-rings and hoses
- Tubing
- Grommets
- Belts and Weigh Belt Feeders
- Hoppers

HECHT TRI-CLAMP FLEX CONNECTOR
Available Configurations

Straight Sleeve

Tri-Clamp

Jacob
Gum Rubber Flex Connectors
Pure Gum Tubing Flexible Sleeves
CMT provides pure gum tubing for your specific application. Pure Gum Tubing Flex Sleeves are specially made for weather and ozone resistance. This flex sleeve has excellent tensile, elongation, tear resistance and resilience. It has good abrasion resistance and excellent low temperature flexibility. The flex sleeve has poor resistance to solvents and petroleum products. This flex sleeve is a best seller for dry materials processing. Gum rubber flexible sleeves have excellent abrasion and tear resistance. The pure gum flexible sleeve is the most commonly used tubing utilized in practically every industry.

Pure Gum Rubber Benefits and Advantages
- Can be compounded to meet nearly any mechanical requirement
- Ability to be electrically insulating or fully conductive
- Protection, insulation, and sealing properties
- Absorb vibration and silence noise
- Very elastic without permanent deformation
- Great for machinery with large movement or displacement
- Low temperature flexibility
- Good resistance to ozone
Pure Gum Rubber Applications
Industrial and Process Equipment
- Screw Conveyors
- Screw Feeders and Vibratory Feeders
- Connecting (2) Flange Outlets or Pipes
- Water system O-rings and hoses
- Tubing
- Grommets
- Belts and Weigh Belt Feeders
- Hoppers

Pure Gum Rubber Sleeve
Available Configurations

Straight Sleeve

Tri-Clamp

Jacob
Nitrile Flex Connectors
Nitrile Flexible Connectors and Bin Activator Silo Bands
Nitrile rubber, also called nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR, Buna-N), is a synthetic rubber that provides excellent resistance to petroleum-based oils as well as mineral and vegetable oil. Nitrile and BUNA-N tubing provided by Custom Advanced Connections can withstand a range of conditions in order to suit your specific application. Nitrile / BUNA-N is a copolymer of acrylonitrile and butadiene. It has excellent physical properties, however its claim to fame is based on its resistance to water, petroleum products and fuels. In the white formulation it is 3A rated. Useful temperature range is -40⪚ F to +220° F.
Nitrile rubber is far more resistant to heat and outdoor conditions, unlike pure gum rubber and other common rubber compounds. The heat and oil resistance of this material makes it a favorite among engineers and factory workers that deal with applications involving oil, fuel, chemical resistance, heat, abrasion, water, and gas. Nitrile rubber is also a great choice for applications that require abrasion resistance and metal adhesion.

Nitrile Benefits & Advantages
- Resistance to Oil and Petroleum Products
- Excellent for Sealing Applications
- Abrasion Resistance
- Heat Resistance
- Abrasion Resistance
- Water and Moisture Resistance
- Resistance to Gas Permeability
- Great for Applications involving temperatures up to 250°F
Nitrile Rubber Applications
Industrial and Process Equipment
- Bin Activators and Silos
- Oil Related Applications
- Screw Conveyors
- Screw Feeders and Vibratory Feeders
- Connecting (2) Flange Outlets or Pipes
- Oil Related Tubing
- Grommets
- Weigh Belt Feeders
- Hoppers

Nitrile Rubber Flex Connectors
Available Configurations

Straight Sleeve

Tri-Clamp

Jacob
RCN Flex Connectors
Rubber Coated Nylon Sleeves and Flexible Connectors
Rubber Coated Nylon flex sleeves are an industry standard, but RCN is only one of many fabrics available to you. These light-weight sleeves are made with Neoprene and have a Nylon backing. Rubber Coated Nylon sleeves are very pliable, soft rubber coated on a two-way stretch nylon backing. RCN Sleeves feature sewn inside hems, shock cord is a very reliable elastic cord. Installed at 75% of the specified sleeve diameter, shock cord can be used to secure non-stressed sleeves to spout openings without the need for clamps or other fasteners.Popular uses include vibratory feeders, screw feeders, and other applications that involve load-cells where minimal impact is a must.

Rubber Coated Nylon Benefits and Advantages
- Elastic shock cord ends
- Clamps sewn into hems
- Drawstring(s)
- Flanged ends
- Center support rings
- Grounding / static wire
- Velcro / zippers closure
- Hanger loops / tabs
- Grommets
- Breather patch
Rubber Coated Nylon Applications
Industrial and Process Equipment
- Weighing Applications
- Screw Feeders and Vibratory Feeders with Load Cells
- Connecting (2) Flange Outlets or Pipes
- Belts and Weigh Belt Feeders
- Hoppers on Load Cells

Rubber Coated Nylon Flex Connectors
Available Configurations

Straight Sleeve

Tri-Clamp

Jacob
Silicone Flex Connectors
Silicone Flexible Connectors for weighing and feeding applications
Our Silicone Flex Connectors create a highly flexible connection between batching equipment, mixers, loss-in-weight feeders, or any other type of process equipment on load cells involved in powder bulk solids transport. Accurate batch sizes and continuous material feeding are crucial to ensure a high quality end product. Silicone Flex Connectors are used by many well-known OEM manufacturers. Our Silicone Weighing Flex Connector features a molded flexible connection in FDA approved Translucent Silicone and Black Anti-Static Silicone. These flex connectors were specidically designed for use in weighing systems, as they have low axial and lateral force, and do not affect the weighing process. The Black Anti-Static Silicone Connectors are made of a silicone compound to which carbon has been added to make it electrostatically dissipative and have a resistance lower than <10^6 Oh. The low electrostatic resistance results in preventing light powders from sticking on the surface of the flex connector, while preventing electrostatic energy from building up on the surface of the flex connector. This creates a safe factory environment, as explosion hazards (which may occur at high capacity powder flow rates and high air speeds) are limited.

Silicone Benefits and Advantages
- High Temperature Resistance Compared to Other Common Rubbers
- Excellent Thermal Stability
- Can withstand long-term, continuous use even at 200°C (392°F)
- Repels Water and Forms Tight Seals
- Excellent Electrical insulation
- Carbon Black Additives Increase Electrical Conductivity
- Flexible at Low Temperatures, Stiffens up at Higher temperatures
- Contact with Steam Causes Little or No Deterioration
- Red Silicone Flame Retardant (Only Available in Straight Sleeve)
- Low Chemical Reactivity
Silicone Applications
Industrial and Process Equipment
- Weighing Applications
- Screw Feeders and Vibratory Feeders with Load Cells
- Sound and Vibration Dampening Equipment
- Belts and Weigh Belt Feeders
- Hoppers on Load Cells

Silicone Flexible Weighing Connector
Available Configurations

Straight Sleeve

Bellow

Tri-Clamp

Jacob
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