Elastomer Technologies, Inc.

United States

Leveraging our strong history of innovation, quality, and reliability, Elastomer Technologies formed a cross-functional alliance with a client seeking to launch a complex, high quality, high-purity product in a competitive marketplace. Our insights and agility created value for the client and allowed a smooth transition from product development into full scale production.The multi-use pacifier highlighted here is the result of a two-year collaboration that started with a prototype model and finished with a high quality packaged product on the store shelves. After some up-front prototype development, the client approached us to assess the design for manufacturability, guide them through the material selection process, establish quality standards, and ramp up to production volume.This part had an exceptionally difficult geometry that we adapted to a cold-deck liquid injection molding process. Our production method allowed us to use the existing two-cavity valve-gated prototype mold that the client had transferred to our facility. However, we had to re-work the valve gate configuration to provide more precise material flow into the mold and completely eliminate flash. In the meantime, we worked with the client to gather and verify critical information about the product and establish quality assurance goals and measurement standards.Since this was a high purity product, molding and packaging took place in our Class ISO 8 cleanroom. Production involved multiple sequences on our 50-ton molding press for filling and ejection as well as the use of additional equipment for part handling. Quality inspections every 100 shots verified process consistency and product uniformity. Our post-processing packaging strategy was efficient for the initial order and engineered for easy conversion to full automation as production hit higher volume targets.Molded from medical-grade liquid silicone rubber, the pacifier features overall dimensions of 2.0" in length x 2.0" in width x 2.0" in height. It is free from flash and our technical expertise enabled us uphold tolerances of .003". Since the initial order, we have transitioned this work cell to lights-out production to rapidly fulfill 10, 000 unit orders.

At Elastomer Technologies we have an exceptional background for fulfilling high volume orders for the medical industry. The syringe tip highlighted here is one example of a product that we process in our ISO Class 8 cleanroom, and it represents the type of work you would find on our manufacturing floor on an everyday basis.We were involved in the project from the prototype stage through ramp up to mass production. Molded from high consistency, medical grade white silicone rubber, the syringe tip features overall dimensions of 0.100" in diameter x 2.50" in length. We mold them at the rate of 10, 000 units per week and ship them to the client bagged in 100 piece packages.Molding for this device involved developing critical processes that provided assurance of accuracy, repeatability, and a high level of quality. We took a scientific approach to validate the tooling and develop a robust molding process with optimized cycle times and maximum machine efficiency.

At Elastomer Technologies, our liquid injection molding capabilities combined with ISO Class 8 cleanroom production makes us a valued supplier to top tier manufacturers in the medical and dental device industries. We produced the silicone rubber grommets shown here in custom sizes for use in dental surgical kits.Molded from Class VI medical grade liquid silicone rubber, these grommets featured dimensions of less than .750" in diameter and a textured finish. Our modular tooling concept was an important factor in minimizing the initial tooling costs and reducing setup time. Multi-cavity mold inserts allowed us to produce numerous grommets from a single shot. By paying detailed attention to all aspects of the tooling construction, and pairing that with a controlled set of process parameters, we achieved close dimensional accuracy of .003" and produced parts that were completely free of flash.With our extensive experience producing health-care related products, we have a solid understanding of the quality requirements. Our robust, ISO-certified procedures incorporated first article approval, first off inspection, as well as automated 100% dimensional inspection and complete process validation. Final inspection involved verification of the part against the original drawing and our internally defined cosmetic standards.We continue to produce these grommets in various colors in quantities that range from 10, 000 to 200, 000 units per order and ship them directly to multiple contract manufacturers. Our client is confident in the knowledge that the parts will be delivered accurately and on time.

At Elastomer Technologies we have a reputation for resourcefulness, which we demonstrated during the production of the water flow control valve gasket highlighted here. This component consists of two duck bill valves with a .003" web of material across their mouths. At issue was the fact that the client had already invested in the tooling, but was experiencing difficulty sourcing a high volume of quality parts. With our strong history for problem-solving, the mold shop that built the tooling suggested to the client that they contact us for a solution.As built, the mold design was less than optimal for repeatable production of this part, which had complicated features and close tolerance requirements. The part geometry was filled from thick to thin, the cold tip gating was very problematic, and the location of the valve shut-off was too close to the gate. These three issues combined made it very difficult to keep the fill consistent and geometries accurate, especially over a long production run.Having an all-electric injection molding press equipped with the very latest in control technologies allowed us to define a very narrow processing window. In addition to keeping close control over temperature, pressure, processing, and cooling time, this system features a feedback loop to report processing conditions and automatically make adjustments. This resulted in a high degree of part repeatability.Molded from 50A and 70A durometer liquid silicone rubber, the part featured dimensions of 1.5" in length x 0.75" in width x .250" in height. Numerous quality checkpoints, including first article inspection, 100% inspection at the molding press, as well as a comprehensive final examination validated we met the .003" tolerance requirements. Our capabilities allowed us to adapt our processes to their existing tooling and achieve exceptionally high yield rates under difficult conditions.We continue to fulfill orders for this product several times throughout the year. Considering the high volume requirement, our intelligent solution allows us to mold and ship 25, 000 to 100, 000 units within a narrow three-week timeframe.

The medical industry and combining it with our technically strong workforce, Elastomer Technologies produced the disc valve highlighted here. Designed for use in eye surgery equipment, part thickness transitioned from 0.050" to 0.010" over a 0.500" diameter. With +0.000"-0.003" tolerance requirement, this job presented challenges in tooling design, process engineering, and quality management. With our past record of success, the client was confident that we would meet their high quality expectations.To achieve the required accuracy and consistency on an exceptionally thin-walled part, we stretched the limits of the injection molding process to the extreme. We took the time up front to develop a tooling design that would ensure repeatable production and an acceptable yield rate. This necessitated venting in the center of the part using a pin, which we configured in a way that avoided any possibility of flash forming along the part's edges.Using a 50-ton all electric molding press and medical-grade liquid silicone rubber, we closely monitored all aspects of production to ensure process repeatability and a very low reject rate. One-hundred percent process verification and validation right at the machine ensured that the products packaged and shipped to the client met their strict quality criteria. By approaching this project with our usual focus and agility, we were able to complete it within a narrow timeframe.

Elastomer Technologies finds strategic solutions that are very effective for parts with low volume requirements. When a client in the film industry approached us to produce a small quantity of the reflective marker shown here, we combined several different complex processes in order to produce them quickly and affordably.This reflective marker integrates a compression molded rubber part with a die cut adhesive-backed hook and loop fastener and die cut, adhesive-backed reflective film. Production involved sourcing a custom compounded rubber and a specialty reflective material with explicit adhesive properties. To cost-effectively manage the project, our process methodology combined contemporary compression molding, die cutting, and laminating technologies with traditional manual assembly. By integrating inspection functions into every step of the process, only parts that were 100% dimensionally accurate flowed into the assembly area.

One of the clients attempting to improve their assembly line operations approached us for the production of the die cut copper film product shown here. We worked side-by-side with them to gain an understanding of the product's functionality and took the time to learn about the issues they were having with their existing assembly line. Armed with this information, we evaluated the supplied drawing, and then suggested modifications to improve the manufacturability and solve their assembly challenge.As a well-respected converter of 3M products, we recommended the use of their copper foil shielding tape 1181, which features a smooth copper foil backing and conductive acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive and liner.This task required a great deal of precision because of the film and backing together measured only a few thousands of an inch thick.

Over the past 30+ years here at Elastomer Technologies we have achieved a strong track record for developing inventive solutions that push the limits of molding technology. One of our long-term clients challenged us to mold stainless steel inserts into a thin-walled section of a compression molded diaphragm. Despite the exceptional degree of difficulty, we dove right in and engineered a robust process to accomplish this goal.Two critical aspects of insert molding thin wall applications are a high degree of control and using the proper tooling. For this project, the client supplied us with a two-cavity transfer mold. We designed a stable process to hold the inserts in place while applying exactly the right amount of material.

At Elastomer Technologies we continually push the boundaries of technology to innovate new and unique methods for producing molded parts. For this project, we used our process ingenuity to create a dual-color control button with integrated light pipes.This project involved compression molding two different colors of fluorosilicone to create a product that would simplify downstream assembly operations. Fluorosilicone offered the advantages of high and low temperature resistance, superior color stability, and resistance to fuels and solvents. We capitalized on the technical capabilities of our trained workforce to execute a highly detailed set of steps on 25 ton vertical compression press. When completed, the part measured 2.0" in length x 1.0" in width x 3.0" in height and exhibited an excellent distinction between the semi-transparent and custom-colored gray fluorosilicone. One-hundred percent inspection confirmed we upheld tolerances of .005" and met the client's high standard of quality.

Elastomer Technologies has a talent for finding innovative approaches to molding parts with difficult geometries. To effectively mold the sphere-shaped product highlighted here, we worked with a client in the medical industry from the early stages of product development. The severe undercut in this thin-walled, hollow part needed an inventive method to design, material, tooling, and processing.Tooling was a very important aspect for the success of this project. Close collaboration with the mold makers enabled us to create a solution that allowed for fast cycle times and easy release of the part, which featured dimensions of 1.5" in height and 1.0" in diameter.