Value Added…Problem-Solving to Make Your Job Easier

IND-EX can help even if you don’t know what kind of rubber you need. Consider just a couple of examples from recent jobs at our plant.

“FRAGILE” – Handle With Dense Rubber
A jobber in Texas who makes truck-mounted racks designed to hold glass between steel arms needed something to shield the glass from contact with the steel in order to avoid cuts and breakage. The jobber appealed to IND-EX after several other extruders gave him sponge neoprene that tore and ripped. One of our extrusion experts helped spec what he really needed and sent him sample rectangular profiles of a rubber that is more dense than normal neoprene. With adjustments to make it larger and the addition of adhesive to apply to the metal, our solution proved to be ideal.

Up the Creek Without A…
Actually, the paddle wasn’t a problem, but the search for the right kind of rubber left a Pennsylvania kayak components manufacturer high and dry—until he came to IND-EX in early 2002. For the skirts to his kayaks, the manufacturer needed a rubber with a certain feel and stretch, which could also stand up to both fresh and salt water, temperature extremes and sunlight.

With only a drawing provided by the manufacturer for reference, IND-EX developed specs for testing, and commissioned one of our “partner” rubber compounders to produce a 6-pound lab batch. (Keep in mind that a 500-pound minimum is the norm for typical rubber compounds.) The first batch proved to be too soft with too much stretch. The second batch had the right hardness but still too much stretch. On the fourth try, we found the winner with just the right characteristics. With no charge to the customer for the test batches, IND-EX was able to minimize development costs for this special rubber, which met all customer expectations. We also used our comparator to make a print and mold for a customized part that the manufacturer uses to fit skirts to kayaks for waterproofing.