As the pandemic continues to cause supply chain disruptions, starting the process early can help you avoid delays. Luckily, you only need an idea and a drawing to begin. Keep reading to learn about RPM’s design process and what to expect after submitting a drawing.
Need help with your design? Talk to one of RPM’s experienced engineers about drawing up a custom part to meet your exact specifications. Visit us online or give us a call (888) 842-5668.
How To Order Custom Rubber Parts
1. Start with a Drawing
When you’re ready to order a custom rubber part, the first step is to send us a drawing. Attach your design file through our online form and tell us how your part will be used. You don’t have to be ultra specific; we’ll get into most of the details later.
After we evaluate your drawing and get a better idea about what production might entail, we’ll contact you to review specifics. We want to ensure that you get exactly the part you have in mind, and if that’s not possible in its current form, we’ll show you how to change it.
2. Review Specifications
If you’re in the market for a custom rubber part, you already understand the necessity of precision. When it comes to rubber molding, each design feature affects another and the slightest modification is significant. To make your perfect part, we’ll need to determine the following features:
- Dimensions and volume. The size of your custom part will influence the ideal molding process, cost and production time.
- Shape and complexity. We use three different rubber molding techniques, and each method has its own advantages. The part’s complexity will dictate the method.
- Industrial application. The environment in which your part is designed to function will inform which materials and process we use to create it.
- Technical properties. We’ll need to consider your part’s intended application when deciding on materials that will affect its technical properties, including tensile strength, hardness, resilience, operating environment etc.
- Additional properties. Does your part need to have temperature, chemical or oil resistance? We can design it to meet those criteria.
Gathering these specifications will allow our team to ensure the feasibility and functionality of your custom rubber part. It will also give us the ability to estimate the timeline and cost.
3. Discuss Expectations
The next step in the design process is to talk about expectations. We want to discuss everything in advance so that there are no surprises down the line. We won’t know exactly what’s possible until we have a conversation about order size, timeline and production frequency.
Order Size
How many parts do you need? We’re capable of producing both large and small runs. To build a realistic timeline and estimate cost, we’ll need to know how many parts you’ll want on your first run, second run, etc. If you’re waiting on a prototype to determine order size, that’s OK: we can create a prototype for you to test.
Realistic Timelines
Rubber molding isn’t like 3D printing; it takes time to establish a design, prepare molds and create prototypes. Although an instant turnaround isn’t possible, we’ll work swiftly to avoid unnecessary delays. That being said, the rubber industry is facing several pandemic-related supply chain issues, so it’s a good idea to start the process as early as possible.
Production Frequency
How often do you anticipate needing a run of this custom part? One of the best ways for companies to avoid supply chain issues is to forecast demand and place advance orders accordingly. Once we get an idea of how often you’ll need parts, we can help you create a sustainable production schedule and stocking strategy..
Quote and Customer Review
After we have a full picture of your expectations and timeline, we’ll give you a quote for your project. Once we’ve settled on an arrangement and you’ve reviewed the pertinent information, we’ll move on to a sample run to begin the validation process.
4. Produce Samples and Prototypes
Before we produce a large run of parts, we’ll create samples for you to evaluate. Depending on whether you’re planning to sell or use the parts, we’ll either prepare a production mold or a prototype mold.
Production Mold
If you’ve got a clear vision of order size and production frequency, we can create your production mold. We’ll use the optimal number of cavities to support volume and send you a couple heats of samples to try out and validate before we move to production. We also can work with your production part approval process (PPAP) to provide the supporting documentation.
Prototype Mold
If you need a rubber part prototype to test for performance, environmental or other concerns, we’ll create it using a single cavity. We’ll send it to you to test and wait for you to determine the next steps. This is useful to test a concept or idea without committing to large volume or associated costs.
5. Manufacture Your Custom Part
After prototype validation and final decisions on order specifications, it’s time to manufacture your custom part! For both standard and custom rubber parts, we use a manufacturing process called molding. There are three main types of rubber molding:
- Rubber compression molding, which is achieved by placing preform rubber in the mold cavity and applying heat and pressure via a press.
- Rubber injection molding, which involves a rapid injection of an elastomer into a closed and heated mold, wherein it conforms to the cavity’s shape.
- Rubber transfer molding, which is a hybrid process that involves both compression and injection methods.
After the parts go through a post-molding process, they’ll be ready to be shipped or stored, and you will have completed the custom rubber part process.
Contact RPM
A lot goes into custom rubber part design and production, but as you can see, it’s a manageable process. If you’ve been sitting on an idea for a new part, we encourage you to reach out to us. Our expert engineers can draw it to meet your exact specifications. Already have a drawing? Submit it through our online contact form, or give us a call at (888) 842-5668.