Gain the knowledge and confidence needed to solve real-world material challenges with Smithers' rubber and elastomer training courses. Whether you’re tackling material specification, design, failure analysis, or need to understand regulations, our courses are designed to help you elevate your expertise and optimise material performance.

With flexible learning formats - online, in-person, or tailored to your team - Smithers offers the right course to meet your needs, whether you're new to the field or looking to advance your skills.

Why choose Smithers for Rubber and Elastomer training?

  • Industry Experts: Learn from professionals with decades of real-world experience.
  • Actionable Insights: Apply knowledge immediately to your work.
  • Flexible Learning: Available online, in-person, or custom on-site for your team.
  • Targeted for Professionals: Ideal for R&D, manufacturing, engineering, and quality control.
  • Trusted Authority: Over 100 years of independent expertise in rubber and elastomer materials
  • CPD Accredited: IOM3-approved and CPD-certified to boost your professional development.

Explore our Rubber and Elastomer training courses

Delve into rubber and elastomer materials with our course selection below. Follow the links for more details. You will find our full course listing here

Course Key Learnings Learn more
Introduction to Rubber Technology
  • Better understand rubber materials and their properties to optimise products and processes.
  • Key rubber raw materials and additives.
  • Insight into compounding, vulcanization and common processing methods.
  • How material selection, compounding and processing influence end product properties.
  • Causes of degradation from environmental and chemical factors and how to combat it.
Online In-person
Foundations in Rubber Materials
  • Understand the basic science of elastomers and their classifications.
  • Identify how key rubber ingredients influence material behaviour.
  • Gain knowledge of compounding steps and the role of processing equipment.
  • Support quality control and troubleshooting through better material knowledge.
Online In-person
Investigating Failure in Rubber Components
  • How to manage and improve material durability and service life performance.
  • Overview of rubber materials and properties.
  • Identify causes of material and component failure.
  • How to prevent future failures through design and testing.
  • How to correctly specify and select materials according to service life.
Online In-person
Sealing with Elastomers
  • What's required for effective seal performance.
  • Understanding of common seal materials and the basics of seal design.
  • Selecting materials based on service requirements.
  • Best practices in developing a specification. 
  • Understanding of long term performance issues and how to avoid failure.
Online In-person
Introduction to Silicone Elastomers
  • Chemistry and properties of silicone elastomers.
  • Main types of silicone elastomers and their uses.
  • Knowledge on aspects of processing from compounding to moulding, extrusion and curing.
Online In-person
Introduction to Plastics and Rubber in Medical Devices
  • Scope of medical device regulations and product standards within the EU and UK.
  • How material selection and manufacturing are impacted by regulatory requirements for efficacy, compatibility and shelf life.
  • Quality systems and risk assessment.
  • Requirements for biocompatibility, physical properties, sterilisation and packaging systems.
Online In-person

Looking for something else or want to train a team in-house? Explore our custom courses.

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