Doug Sharpe
President of Elasto Proxy
Did you know that there’s a difference between manufacturing and fabrication? Although these two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they’re not exactly the same. Manufacturing is a process that creates something new from raw materials, or that produces a high-volume of parts. In the rubber industry, for example, manufacturers make sheets and profiles – as well as tires for trucks, buses, and cars. Fabricators customize manufactured stock to meet a buyer’s precise specifications.
For over 25 years, Elasto Proxy has specialized in the custom fabrication of small-to-medium quantities of high-quality parts made of rubber, plastic, and composite materials. Our slogan, “The Art of Sealing”, illustrates how we create components through a unique combination of time-honored craftsmanship and modern production technologies. Today, Elasto Proxy stocks over 700 molded and extruded rubber profiles, and can source many different materials in a variety of form factors.
From Catalog Pages to Custom Fabricated Rubber Parts
Elasto Proxy’s catalog of standard products is extensive, but we understand that engineers and product designers want to see more than just a catalog page when making procurement decisions. That’s why we don’t just sell products. Instead, we offer custom-fabricated solutions. As your partner and problem solver, Elasto Proxy applies its technical knowledge and application experience on your behalf. In short, we find innovative ways to solve your sealing and insulation challenges.
For example, by partnering with trusted suppliers and sourcing high-quality materials, Elasto Proxy can create custom components such as bulb trim seals, edge trim, floor mats, weather stripping, window channels, and tubing. We can also produce custom-molded parts, thermal and acoustic insulation, and EMI/RFI shielding. Rubber bumpers, inflatable seals, and rubber sheeting are also part of our extensive catalog, and parts that we can custom-fabricate to meet your specific requirements.
Cutting, Splicing, and Taping
Material selection is important, but custom fabrication isn’t just about choosing the right compound for rubber parts. At Elasto Proxy, skilled production personnel apply their expertise with state-of-the-art cutting, splicing, and taping technologies. For example, our water jet cutting machine can make fine, fast cuts as small as 1/2” x 1/2”. With gaskets, we can create holes with diameters as small as 0.01”. For highly precise, cost-effective cuts without tooling charges or long leads, water jet technology sets the standard.
Elasto Proxy’s splicing solutions also promote quality and efficiency. Depending on the run quantity, performance requirements, material type, and tooling, we may recommend film splicing, cold bonding, C-press injection molding, or vulcanizing for joints, corners, and ends. Elasto Proxy also offers taping with a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) or heat-activated taping system (HATS) to keep profiles in place for temporary or permanent fastening.
How Can We Help You?
Taped gaskets are ready-to-install right out-of-the-box and speed production operations on automotive assembly lines. Custom insulation consists of sandwich-like structures made with coated fabrics, foams, fillers, barrier materials and adhesives for applications such as thermal and acoustic insulation. EMI/RFI shielding protects sensitive medical and military electronics. For a wide range of industries, Elasto Proxy delivers. How can we help you solve your sealing and insulation challenges?
Please contact us for more information about custom fabrication, or join the conversation on our social media channels. Look for a post with a link to this blog entry on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. Elasto Proxy has a YouTube channel, too. There, you’ll find our Capabilities video, as well as other informative content. Finally, please subscribe to our free e-newsletters. They’re a great source of information delivered right to your email inbox, and they provide links to blog entries like this one.
