Skirting Board for Machinery and Equipment


Skirting board is used on machinery and equipment to enclose open spaces, contain materials, and provide protection against impacts and damage. Functionally, skirting has the following features and benefits:

  • Seals and encloses spaces and openings in machinery and equipment, preventing the entry of dirt, debris and fluids. This improves equipment performance and uptime and reduces the need for maintenance and cleaning.

  • Contains material being handled in machines, conveyors, chutes, etc. This reduces spillage and improves yields and safety.

  • Protects equipment from impact damage, and wear and tear. Skirting can reduce impact damage on equipment as well as protect surfaces from the forces of abrasion and friction. This is especially important for equipment that is handling coarse and abrasive materials such as slurries and mixes.

New machinery is often supplied with skirting already in place as part of the overall equipment design. As the equipment is placed into service, the skirting can wear, necessitating replacement. In addition, some machine and equipment designs overlook the need for skirting, which can lead to problems once the equipment is placed into service. The solution in both cases is to work with a supplier having the materials and know-how to produce an effective skirting solution.

Skirting board for machinery and equipment: materials

Skirting board for machinery and equipment applications can be fabricated from a number of materials. The choice of material used depends upon the application and the degree to which equipment needs to be protected from wear and tear as well as impacts. For example, in applications where wear resistance, protection and easy access are paramount, CRG has fabricated equipment skirting from DURASHIELD® material and Enlast heavy-duty conveyor belting. These wear-resistant skirtings provide the protection needed, increasing equipment uptime and reducing the need for frequent replacement.

For some applications, skirting board fabricated from impact-resistant plastic is desirable. An example is plastic skirting boards designed to enclose the space between a processing line and floor level. These boards can be machined to size and provided with any holes needed for mounting on to equipment frames.

At CRG, we provide value-driven skirting solutions fabricated from materials that are application specific. Our materials base, together with our fabrication know-how, allows us to build skirting products that will satisfy the needs of any application. We take the time to fully understand the requirements of a skirting application, including the equipment, operating environment, materials being handled, process parameters (including temperatures), and more to ensure that the right materials are chosen. Key materials that CRG uses to fabricate skirting board for machinery and equipment are described below.

Skirting board for machinery and equipment: SKIRT-SHIELD® conveyor skirting from DURASHIELD® material

DURASHIELD® material is the leading tear and abrasion-resistant natural rubber product available in the marketplace today. Produced by American Biltrite, the DURASHIELD® family of materials is available in many styles, durometers, and colors. Two available formulations are the industry standard:

  • SKIRT-SHIELD® – Red

  • SKIRT-SHIELD® Orange A+ (for enhanced abrasion resistance).

CRG can supply SKIRT-SHIELD® material by the roll, or custom-cut the material to sizes that will accommodate any equipment or material-handling requirement. Skirting board made from SKIRT-SHIELD® is the supply staple for applications in conveyor belt dominant industries such as mining, aggregates, cement, concrete, and more.

Skirting board for machinery and equipment: Enlast conveyor belting

Enlast Engineered Structures belting is a material which CRG sometimes uses for fabricating skirting in certain equipment applications. For these applications, we have used this material to fabricate a variety of equipment skirting, including that used in mining, aggregates, and other industries.

Where a skirting application calls for increased resistance to wear and abrasion, Enlast Grades I and II are a proven material choice. Enlast Grades I and II belting is available in a wide range of plies, gauges and compounds, allowing CRG to select a belting type to produce skirting that precisely fits each customer`s application requirements.

Skirting board for machinery and equipment: plastic skirting board

CRG can machine skirting board from a wide variety of plastic materials, including UHMW, HDPE, Acrylics, Phenolics, and more. FDA-approved materials are available for food-grade applications. Our plastic machining process can support the production of simple or complex geometries, including those with threads and undercuts. We can fabricate skirting board from plastic sheet material of various thicknesses and widths, as well as lengths up to 126”. Our close-tolerance cutting to within ±.005” ensures your specs will be achieved with minimal waste of material. CRG’s plastic skirting board is always supplied clean and dust-free, with smooth, chip-free edges.

If your application requires skirting board for machinery and equipment, CRG can help. Our converting expertise and capabilities allow us to fabricate skirting solutions from quality materials that will service almost any application.

To find out more, please contact our sales team at crg@canadarubbergroup.com for a review of your needs.