Navigating The World Of Custom Rubber and Plastic Manufacturing

Summer is in full swing across the nation and temperatures are rising.  Both rubber and plastic can be reactive to changes in environment, making storage critically important for maintaining the integrity of your parts.  Several factors such as exposure to oxygen, ozone, light, heat, humidity, oils, water, or other solvents can affect the performance of your rubber and plastic parts. These factors can be minimized by proper storage conditions.   1. CONTROL STORAGE TEMPERATURE Materials can change in dimension based upon exposure to extreme temperatures.  In particular, rubber is susceptible to these changes because it has a high coefficient of friction.  It is ideal to keep materials stored in temperatures between 40°F and 80°F.  Higher temps will cause products to soften, while colder temps cause stiffening.  If your parts are out of tolerance after being stored, be sure to allow them to stabilize for 24 hours in a milder environmen...

Oh how I love community!  There is no better feeling than giving back to the people and places that give so much to you. So you can imagine my excitement when I learned we had been asked to assist in manufacturing parts for an exhibit at the La Habra Children’s Museum , located right around the corner from our facility. I have been to that museum many times myself, and have even taken my own children. The children's museum was building an exhibit called the “Ocean Zone”, which focuses on the different depths and zones of the ocean, and how each one supports its own life forms. Not only does the exhibit focus on life undersea, but it also aims to teach children about conservation, and the harmful effects of global warming. Our lead estimator Steve Prog, who has been with us since 1989, managed this project with the museum curator, Lisa Reckon. Lisa has been involved with the museum for 17 years, and is very excited about this particular exhibit and its potential to ...

In a one-size-fits-all world, where immediate returns and instant gratification rule, some things are worth waiting for.  Some things must be planned, well- designed, carefully crafted and handled with care . This is particularly true when it comes to the custom manufacturing process.   Of course, many items are standard, and an off-the-shelf item may work perfectly fine. However, in many cases, the line between success and failure could depend on one single component.  Sometimes an application calls for a part that does not yet exist.  And this is the world in which custom manufacturing lives.  It fills the gap between a problem and it's solution.  This type of manufacturing is meant to evolve as a customer’s project evolves.  To flex alongside it's customer in formation and creation, with a partnership that ultimately creates a fully functioning and successful end product. I remember going to one of my favorite authentic Mexican restaurants...