We’ve built our business by helping customers succeed in theirs
Whether you want to develop a component that will work in a new product or are experiencing issues that require a new approach, we’ll deliver the most efficient and cost-effective solution.
Turn up the steam, this re-engineered component will endure
INDUSTRY: Commercial and residential water heaters
ISSUE: Steam relief valve seals failing at high heat
APPROACH: We started our problem-solving process with our engineering team. After extensive research, they determined the relief valve seals were failing because the part tolerances were inconsistent, and the material didn’t function well in steam. Our next step was to create and test a custom silicone part that would withstand tensile, elongation, and volume of density changes without degradation of the rubber seal.
FEATURES:
- Thickness: < 100”
- Tightest tolerances: ±.003″
- Shrinkage allowance: < 5°
- Temperature range: -50∞F to 450∞F w/steam
- 100% Inspection
- ISO Testing
- CSA Board & NSF Approval
SOLUTION: We deliver millions of these custom steam relief valves to our customer every year.
Using a Kanban system to create a “Can Do!” solution
INDUSTRY: Lighting and signal manufacturing
ISSUE: Excessive costs incurred by stocking 700 parts supplied by 300 companies in 7 locations
APPROACH: We analyzed the components used by our customer, which included die cut or molded grommets, seals, bumpers, extrusions, and bellows, made of materials like foam, sponge, elastomer’s metallics, plastic, and PSA-backed rubber. Within six months, we implemented a Kanban system of vendor managed inventory with automated releases based on our customer’s machine-readable Information.
FEATURES:
- USA and 6 international delivery locations
- 8 types of components
- 13 materials
- 4 coatings
- Standards met: CARB, CSA, EPA, FDA, ISO, NSF, QS, TS, UL
SOLUTION: Consolidation of materials, processes, and supplies and automation of our customer’s purchasing process reduced vendor-associated shipping and freight expenses, inventory levels, and management costs, lowering costs 45% below the previous year.
Hands off, there’s a better way to do it
INDUSTRY: Appliance manufacturer
ISSUE: Outdated hand assembly systems
APPROACH: Our customer knew their hand assembly method was inefficient and asked us to update their manufacturing process. Our engineering team observed how they inserted parts into their products and created a custom automated assembly system to do it much faster. We also developed a high-precision material for the parts, further streamlining the manufacturing process.
FEATURES:
- Custom die-cut components made of nitrile and silicone
- Automated manufacturing system engineered and implemented in 6 months
SOLUTION:The combination of the automated system and the parts made from high-precision materials increased our customer’s production level by 75%.
Sealing the deal with precision and parallelism
INDUSTRY: Injection molding
ISSUE: Inability to achieve desired sealing capabilities
APPROACH: Our customer was manufacturing parts using an older molding process, and the tooling was causing sealing problems due to a lack of parallelism. Rather than make a significant capital investment to update their equipment, they asked for our advice. Our engineering team helped develop a precision gasket manufactured from a custom compound material that achieved the dimensional tolerances to compensate for the injection mold tool while providing an excellent sealing surface.
FEATURES:
- Lathe-turned
- Material thickness: .125”
- Tightest tolerances: ±.010
- Low-swell Nitrile/BUNA/NBR, 60 Durometer
- Meets RMA Class 2 standards
- 100% inspection
SOLUTION:The new precision gasket improved our customer’s manufacturing process, saved them the cost of replacing leaking seals, and enhanced the quality of the product they provided their customers—the end users.
Focused on keeping the fluid flowing
INDUSTRY: Automotive
ISSUE: Substandard rubber tubing resulting in field breakdowns
APPROACH: A manufacturer asked us to determine why the rubber tubing they were using in their automotive battery products could not withstand the pressure needed to transfer fluid from one container to another. Our engineers analyzed the requirements for the tubing and how the end user would interface with the assembly. They collected data about operating temperatures, pressures, and fluids to be used and reviewed the manufacturing and assembly processes, including mating part tolerances and connection forces. This research resulted in our development of custom extruded rubber tubing made from a high-strength EPDM polymer with exceptional tensile strength and elasticity.
SOLUTION: Our customer replaced their inferior rubber tubing with our product—resolving field issues while dramatically increasing the fluid pressure that the process could withstand. This reduced both assembly time and operator fatigue, improving their overall manufacturing process.