Gates: 7 Buying Questions About Rubber Strips, EVA, and Material Choices

Gates: 7 Buying Questions I Wish Someone Asked Earlier

Since I took over purchasing in 2020, I have been the office administrator for a 40-person equipment service company. I process roughly 80 orders a year for hoses, belts, rubber strips, and sealing materials, and I report to both operations and finance. Gates is one of the brands I rely on most. But the way people find this topic is often strange. I have seen search phrases like pet gates for cats, EVA beyond the gates, window rubber strip, soft rubber, and pet vs HDPE bottles. Most of those are not what Gates sells. Yet they all point to the same thing: material selection is easier to get wrong than you think. This FAQ is the list I wish someone handed me before my first order.

1. What exactly does Gates make?

If you came to this page from the pet gates for cats query, let me save you a click: Gates is not a pet barrier company. Gates is an engineered rubber and plastics manufacturer. The main product categories are hydraulic hoses, industrial rubber hoses, belts, seals, and rubber or plastic components. According to Gates Corporation (gates.com), the company specializes in power transmission and fluid power systems. Around our shop, Gates parts show up in hydraulic lines, engine belts, and gaskets. The easiest way to think about it is this: if it moves oil, transfers power, seals a joint, or absorbs vibration, there may be a Gates product involved.

2. Is a window rubber strip the same as an industrial rubber strip?

Not always. When someone searches window rubber strip, they usually mean a weather seal for a window gap. That is often EPDM rubber or PVC foam formed into a flexible strip. When I order a rubber strip from Gates, I am usually buying a sheet or strip of industrial rubber for a gasket, bumper, or vibration mount. The material requirements are different. A window seal needs UV and ozone resistance because it sits outside. An industrial rubber strip may need oil resistance, abrasion resistance, or a specific durometer. In 2023 I ordered a rubber strip for an access hatch without checking the spec. It looked right, but it swelled when it touched hydraulic oil. The supplier did not send the wrong item—I specified the wrong material. Put another way: if the drawing says window rubber strip, do not hand a mechanic a general-purpose strip and hope for the best.

3. What is the difference between soft rubber and EVA?

This one started when an engineer mentioned EVA beyond the gates. I assumed it was a Gates product line. It is not. EVA, or ethylene-vinyl acetate, is a soft polymer often used in foam sheets, sports flooring, shoe midsoles, and some seals. The phrase beyond the gates simply means outside the Gates catalog. The lesson for me: one brand cannot cover every material, and neither can one generic term. Soft rubber is even less precise. Rubber hardness is measured with a durometer, usually Shore A on a scale from 0 to 100. A 50 Shore A rubber is soft. EVA foam can be much softer. I once asked a vendor for a soft rubber strip and received a 40 Shore A EPDM sheet. It worked as a bumper, but it would not hold a bolt in a gasket groove. Now I put a durometer number on the purchase order. That number is measured under ASTM D2240. It is a small step that saves returns.

4. What do pet vs HDPE bottles have to do with industrial rubber?

On the surface, not much. But the logic is exactly the same. PET and HDPE are both plastics used in bottles, yet their chemical resistance, heat tolerance, and recyclability differ. PET is usually coded with resin identification code #1; HDPE is #2. Those codes follow ASTM D7611. The same principle applies to rubber and plastic parts: two products can look identical and behave completely differently. I use this point when an engineer wants to replace a hydraulic hose with a cheaper plastic tube. For a low-pressure drain line, plastic may be fine. For a hydraulic system, you need the flex fatigue strength and temperature rating of a proper rubber hose. PET vs HDPE bottles is just the consumer version of a lesson every procurement person knows: naming one material does not tell you how it will perform under pressure.

5. Is it worth paying more for a recognized brand like Gates?

I used to be skeptical. In early 2022, I bought a cheaper alternative to a Gates hose because the price was 30% lower. The hose arrived with no test documentation, and our mechanic could not get the fitting to seat correctly. We lost two days of uptime. The so-called cheap option cost us about $1,800 in labor and expedited shipping. That was not a brand loyalty problem. It was an uncertainty problem. In March 2024, we paid an extra $640 for a Gates hose assembly with a guaranteed delivery date. The other supplier said it would probably be on time. We could not risk missing a $15,000 service contract. The premium bought certainty, not just speed. Look, I am not saying every brand premium is worthwhile. I am saying the cost of a missed deadline is real enough that I now budget for reliability when the deadline matters.

6. What should I check before ordering a rubber hose, belt, or strip?

This list took five years and a few mistakes to build. It is not glamorous, but it keeps me from ordering the wrong thing twice. Use this checklist before any hose or rubber strip order.

• Material compound: EPDM, nitrile, Neoprene, silicone, or something else.
• Hardness: durometer in Shore A or Shore D, measured by ASTM D2240.
• Temperature range: look at both ambient and fluid temperature.
• Pressure rating: the rated working pressure, not the burst pressure.
• Chemical compatibility: check the supplier chart for the specific fluid.
• Standards: SAE J517 for hydraulic hose, ISO 9001 for the manufacturer's quality system, and matching crimp specifications.
• Documentation: test reports, lot numbers, and a real invoice.

I also verify that the vendor can provide proper invoices. That may sound unrelated, but I once lost a $2,400 expense reimbursement because a supplier gave me a handwritten receipt. Process matters as much as material.

7. Why do so many strange searches lead to Gates?

This is the question nobody thinks to ask, but it is useful. Search engines match words, not intent. Gates is a common plural noun, a company name, and part of phrases like pet gates for cats or EVA beyond the gates. Those searches are about pet barriers and foam materials, not hydraulic hoses. Still, someone unfamiliar with industrial materials lands on a Gates page and assumes it covers whatever they are looking for. I want to say EVA beyond the gates might refer to something outside a building's physical gates, but do not quote me on that. The larger point is practical: search results are a starting point, not a spec sheet. If you need a rubber strip for a window, check the material. If you need a hose for hydraulic fluid, check the rating. And if you actually need pet gates for cats, give Gates a pass. We still have nothing for that.