The oil and gas industry loves polyurethane. The versatile polymer resists water, pressure, heat, and corrosion, all the while maintaining toughness and elasticity.
A lot of polyurethane is put to use under the ocean’s waves, where it makes up the pressure-resistant insulation on deep-sea diving bells and subsea buoys. You can find it in the thermal insulation of the underwater pipelines themselves.
The same properties that make polyurethane so useful out at sea make it just as critical to industrial operations on land. Indeed, one of the most common uses of polyurethane is in the creation of hourglass rollers. These rollers hold and convey heavy materials without losing integrity, and can be customized for a specific application by being shaped or formulated to a specific hardness.
They also happen to be one of our signature products here at Mark Tool Co.
Excellent Pipe Conveyance
Hourglass rollers are common in oil and gas because they can be used to convey pipeline easily and safely. Running pipe into the well must be done without damaging the pipe through contact with the rocky ground. As long as they are mounted and anchored, polyurethane hourglass rollers can make the transfer of pipe into the well smooth and reliable.
Because running pipe requires stability and precision, hourglass-shaped conveyor rollers are particularly in-demand. Why is the hourglass shape important? Because it keeps pipes centered as they are being transported.
The shape (as well as the low-friction surface texture of polyurethane) means vibrations on the conveyor belt are reduced to a minimum—an important feature when material integrity is a critical priority. In fact, some rollers are designed to rotate as the pipelines are pulled over them, eliminating drag forces completely.
What We Offer
At Mark Tool, we make our polyurethane rollers from the highest quality polymers available. We can make hundreds of shapes and sizes of rollers, including (but not limited to):
- Hourglass Polyurethane Rollers (or V Polyurethane Rollers)
- Conveyor Belt Polyurethane Rollers
- Pipe Conveyor Polyurethane Rollers
- Sheave Rollers
- Paper Mill Rollers
In addition to polyurethane pipeline rollers, we also offer rubber pipeline rollers and pipe spacers. We can make the rollers many different thicknesses, sizes, colors, and hardnesses from shore 10A to 80D. We can design, engineer, and manufacture rubber rollers to your specifications and can even rebuild your old, worn-out rollers by putting them in our burn off oven to be cleaned and re-coated!
About Us
Mark Tool Co. makes custom molded polyurethane and rubber products for oilfield and marine industries, as well as virtually every industry from manufacturing to food goods processing.
Our company was established in 1954 and quickly built an excellent reputation in the downhole cutting tool service. In 1969, we became Mark Tool & Rubber Co, Inc. with the application of rubber coating blast joints and "SplashTRON®” coating. We are the industry leader in splash zone protection because we take a comprehensive approach to developing the ultimate product for your needs.