What are Rubber Parts for Robotics?

Robotic designers often struggle with unexpected failures—many due to overlooked rubber parts. Without the right materials, robots can lose grip, leak, vibrate, or break down.

Rubber parts in robotics include gaskets, seals, bellows, feet, pads, grips, bushings, cable grommets, flexible joints, and tactile skins. These components provide shock absorption, sealing, protection, traction, and even touch feedback, ensuring robots work reliably in real-world environments.

Rubber and elastomers are everywhere inside humanoid and quadruped robots. When I help robotic teams, I see how smart choices in these small parts make the difference between robots that survive field use and those that fail.

What functions do rubber parts serve in robots?

Most robots need more than just hard metal or plastic. They rely on rubber components for sealing, shock absorption, grip, flexibility, protection, and even tactile sensing.

Rubber components protect sensitive mechanisms, provide soft contact points, absorb impacts, seal electronics, isolate vibration, and enable safe, precise movement in robotics.

Main Functional Categories

Rubber parts⁶ also enable reliable actuation, insulation, and energy absorption in moving joints, especially for advanced robotics facing rough environments.

What rubber parts are common in humanoid robots?

Humanoid robots mimic the human body’s complexity, demanding specialized rubber components at every joint and contact point.

Humanoid robots use rubber for finger pads, palm grips, joint bellows, foot soles, bushings, vibration dampers, cable glands, grommets, sensor gaskets, and flexible skin covers.

Humanoid Robot Rubber Parts Table

For example, a soft silicone finger pad not only provides better grip but also allows the robot to safely handle fragile items.

What rubber parts are typical in quadruped robots?

Quadruped robots need robust, flexible parts to walk, climb, and survive tough environments.

Quadruped robots use joint bellows, bushings, foot pads, paw covers, underbelly skirts, vibration mounts, cable grommets, and flexible tail covers for durability, grip, and protection.

Quadruped Robot Rubber Parts Table

In testing, I’ve seen how textured SBR foot pads allow quadruped robots to walk on slippery or uneven ground with much better control.

Which rubber materials are best for each component?

Material choice is critical—wrong selection leads to failure, extra costs, and lost time. Here’s how I match materials to robot needs:

Silicone, NBR, EPDM, Neoprene, TPR/TPV, PU, and Sorbothane are all used in robotics, chosen for temperature, chemical, and environmental resistance, as well as flexibility, hardness, and durability.

Rubber Material Selection Table

I often advise using silicone for tactile skins and sensor gaskets, NBR for foot pads exposed to oil, and EPDM for outdoor bellows.

What are the key design considerations for robotic rubber parts?

Designing reliable rubber parts goes beyond picking a material. I always focus on properties like hardness, flex life, friction, and resistance to wear and environment.

Key considerations include durometer (hardness), flex life, coefficient of friction, environmental resistance, abrasion and tear strength, bonding ability, and manufacturing method.

Design Considerations Checklist

• Durometer¹⁶: Softer for grip, harder for load.
• Flex Life: Needed for moving parts like bellows and joints.
• Friction¹⁷: High for hands and feet, low for cable glands.
• Environmental Resistance¹⁸: UV, ozone, water, dust, chemicals.
• Abrasion/Tear Strength¹⁹: Important for parts in contact with surfaces.
• Bonding: Compatibility with plastics/metals in robot assembly.
• Manufacturing Process: Compression/injection molding, extrusion, die-cutting.

Careful matching of design to application is how I help customers prevent downtime and get the most out of every robot.

Conclusion

Robotics depend on well-designed rubber parts—from feet and bellows to seals and skins. Careful selection and smart engineering maximize robot durability, safety, and real-world performance.