Rahco Rubber’s Custom Formulation Capabilities & Services Delivers Sustainable Benefits

Rahco Provides Custom Formulation Services To OEMs & Tier Suppliers Interested In

1. Reducing costs by replacing antiquated raw materials or previously selected polymers that were the only choice at that time but are no longer the optimal selection based on performance alternatives or specification equivalents now available at a lower cost.
2. Mitigating liability exposure due to material failure.
3. Stabilizing material pricing.
4. Replacing an offshore part supplier that closes its plant or changes production processes causing
   • unintended variations in performance properties or field failures
   • recipe manipulation without your knowledge, or approval
5. Supporting zero defect production and scrap reduction.
6. Achieving wasteless, Flashless molded parts and first time through manufacturability.

Our rubber formulation and compound development services focus on supporting your goals. We custom formulate nearly every natural and synthetic polymer type including Fluoroelastomer (FKM), Vamac (AEM), FDA and medical grade compliant Silicone compounds. For example, we mix natural rubber (NR), EPDM, nitrile rubber (NBR), styrene-butadiene (SBR), polychloroprene or Neoprene (CR), butyl (IIR), and many others.

Additionally, Rahco can do it in color! In most cases your rubber formulations can be developed in nearly any color to your exact requirements.

Rahco Supports Your Efforts By Analyzing Current Compounds Or Creating New Formulations

1. Our chemists and technical staff will evaluate your “old” compound or recipe and its raw materials and compare it to the performance requirements of your part and material specification.
2. We will identify any cost-effective raw material alternatives without compromising performance.
3. Viability of raw materials and their supply chains will always be taken into consideration to avoid obsolescence.
4. Lab batches will be produced with the intent, and foresight, so the molding process for your component will be created to allow for material testing as well as to determine the scalable manufacturing parameters.
5. Once test data supports our success; a part specific proposal supporting its commercial optimization will be provided.

If A Formulation Does Not Exist And You Need A Compound Developed From Scratch, Rahco Will Help You Meet Your Product Demands

We will work as an extension of your staff beginning by

1. Discussing your component’s specific key performance attributes and critical application needs.
2. Using both our internal laboratory expertise and Rahco’s external network of formulation consultants, we will formulate a compound that meets your specifications at the lowest possible cost.
3. A sample batch will initially be compounded for testing to confirm specification compliance as well as to ensure consistent or homogenous blending of all ingredients.
4. Once approved, a full-scale batch will be produced, and proto-type parts are molded.

Rahco Protects Your Brand By Safeguarding The Quality Of Its Custom Formulation

1. We will certify the compliance to all applicable specifications via AL2A certified laboratory’s test data.
2. All incoming raw materials will include a Certificate of Analysis (CofA), bar-coded for Lot control, traceability, and PLC controlled verification during production batch construction to safeguard your formulation’s exactness.
3. Additionally, every batch will be tested in-process to confirm formulation accuracy.
4. A compliance certification to specifications will be included with each shipment.
5. Electronic documentation that captures both manufactured materials and components will be kept for a minimum of 10 years.

Rahco is here to help if your formulation has not been updated and you may inadvertently be exposing your company’s liability or your brand’s integrity, contact our experts today!

Steve’s sentiments:

“Formula development is critical to the success of a custom molded rubber project. It starts with a review of the part application and the proposed or existing material specification. We have often written or modified specifications that are structured to address all concerns. It is easy to overkill and disastrous to under address what is really important for total success. We look at all areas that need to be highly controlled.

COST is always key. Choosing the wrong polymer when one of lower cost is capable of providing complete success is common and can be a “hidden cost” for years.

PERFORMANCE includes 100% satisfying the specification but also includes tailoring the compound for the mold and part geometry and the method of production. This can’t easily be done by an off-site chemist who only formulates and mixes. We have in house material experts that excel in formula development that will support zero defect production and price stability.

CREATIVITY is required to meet the challenges of today’s economy. We routinely develop compounds for black and almost any color you may desire. We design many of our molds to yield little or zero residual rubber waste. The formulating skill set for this type of molding is unique.

Our Rahco Team partners with customers requiring highly engineered solutions to their molded rubber applications. We often hear that our parts are essential to the performance of the product. It may be a safety critical application or one that has potential liability issues if there were to be a failure.

Knowing your molder and believing in their quality system and commitment to excellence is critical. We certify compliance to specifications via an AL2A certified laboratory’s test data. Rahco certifies each shipment is tested per mutually agreed upon areas and certified to be the approved formulation. Complete traceability to each production lot is available.

You can be assured that no recipe changes or variations from the warranted PPAP will ever occur without customer acceptance and approval. Would an offshore supplier offer that level of security and partnership? Today, more than ever, it is all about nurturing the relationship.”

Steve Anton, LG.
President, Rahco Rubber