ENGINEERED RUBBER COMPONENT MANUFACTURING

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1 ENGINEERED RUBBER COMPONENT MANUFACTURING

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3 TABLE OF CONTENTS WHO ARE WE? 4 THE TEAM APPROACH TO YOUR PART S DESIGN 4 INDUSTRIES SERVED & PARTS WE MANUFACTURE 5 PROJECT WORKFLOW 6 PRODUCTION PROCESSES 8 THE SOUCY GROUP: 10 SUBSIDIARIES = A ONE-STOP-SHOP 10 TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT TO SERVE YOU 10 CONTACT US 11

4 WHO ARE WE? We have been specialist in rubber molding for over 45 years, and are experts in over-molding and bonding rubber to plastic and metal inserts. We manufacture complex parts for North American, European and Asian companies. From our initial meeting to the start of production of your part, we will guide you through the entire process. From optimize your part s design, through the manufacturing of your mold and the approval of your parts off production tooling (PPAP). We also can enhance your existing product and offer assembly services. SOUCY BARON IS YOUR ONE-STOP-SHOP, ALWAYS WORKING TO YOUR SPECIFICATIONS. THE TEAM APPROACH TO YOUR PART S DESIGN To improve your part s manufacturability, lower its cost and enhance its performance, our multidisciplinary team of engineers, technicians, chemists and moldmakers assist and advise you at each stage of the project. Soucy Baron can design, manufacture and even test your rubber components. Custom-made ensures compliance will all your requirements. 4

5 INDUSTRIES SERVED & PARTS WE MANUFACTURE INDUSTRIES SERVED Agriculture Manufacturing sector Sports Recreational & on/off-road vehicles Consumer goods Defense Air and maritime transportation Mining & quarries PARTS WE MANUFACTURE Anti-vibration components Recreational vehicle components Personal safety equipment components Throttle body adaptors Engine mounts Gaskets Friction wheels and rings Footrests Motorized maintenance equipment 5

6 PROJECT WORKFLOW INITIAL CONTACT From start to finish, you will have one main contact who will guide you and help define your needs with the assistance of our team of engineers and chemists. Whether you want to create a standard product or one that is unique, our team will make your job easier and save you time. We examine all factors that affect design and price, namely: End use of product Operational environment Product requirements Expected lifecycle DESIGN ASSESSMENT Let us work with you on the design of your parts so we can offer first-hand suggestions for improvements. Often the simplest design changes can greatly improve performance and lower production costs. If your rubber part is already designed and you want to improve its features or reduce its cost, our engineers and technicians will modify the design to optimize its in accordance with your specifications. The designers and chemists working on your project will also create a custom rubber compound for your product. Design Modification Reverse engineering of existing components Prototype Validation Once your design is completed, we will proceed with building your prototype tool and molding initial samples. These prototypes will be tested and analyzed to ensure they meet all your specifications. Testing includes, but is not limited to: Elongation Modulus Hardness Specific Gravity Compression Set Tear Strength Tensile, Flex, Torsional & Tear Limits Temperature, Chemical, Abrasion & Ozone Resistance. Aging Adhesion, Static & Fatigue Noise, Vibrations & Harshness (NVH) Analysis & Control For over 20 years, Soucy Baron has developed an unequaled expertise in anti-vibration part design and manufacturing; notably for recreational vehicle applications. Just as we do with our existing clients, we will help you design your NVH parts with rubber formulas that meets your absorption, static and dynamic rigidity requirements. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) 3D printing of prototypes 6

7 DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURE Upon receipt of your drawings, we consider all possible ways to lower production costs. If the design requires certain changes, you will be notified. Removing or adding a fillet often makes it much easier to unload parts from the mold, thus lowering production costs and improving quality. This is the first step of the design review. Depending on the part, your budget and requirements, your component can be manufactured in our Canadian or Chinese facility. As a one-stop-shop, our team takes charge of your project from start to finish. Should you choose, we can first produce a limited number of parts before the start of full production begins. This way, your part can tested in the actual environment in which it will be expected to perform. This helps ensure no surprises after start of production. 7

8 PRODUCTION PROCESSES Whether injection, transfer or compression molded, all rubber parts are made from a specific rubber formulation (recipe). Each rubber compound is a combination of a base rubber combined with various other ingredients which give the formulation its specific physical properties. CUSTOM COMPOUNDING We have developed hundreds of different rubber recipes over the years. However, if we do not have the ideal recipe for your part and its application, our chemists will develop a specific recipe for you. From natural rubber to the most exotic synthetic rubbers, we work with all thermoset elastomers, including silicones and fluorosilicones. Soucy Baron has both the expertise and all the necessary equipment needed to compound and mix all rubber formulations. Unlike many other rubber molders, we do not need an outside suppliers to compound and mix our rubber recipes. This is another key advantage to working with Soucy Baron. A UNIQUE MOLDING PROCESS FOR EACH PART The process chosen to mold your part is based on several factors such as the part s design, its compound, its EAU (Estimated Annual Usage) and whether or not the part has metal components (insert). There are 3 types of molding processes. 1. Compression Molding Although this is the oldest molding process, it is still very much in use today. An uncured piece of rubber called a pre-form is put in the cavity of a heated mold. The mold is then closed for a specific period of time. The heat and pressure create vulcanization (curing of the rubber). Once the rubber is vulcanized, the mold is opened and the part removed. 2. Transfer Molding This process is mainly used to produce parts containing metal components (overmolding). The mold has a plate and a pot in which uncured rubber is placed. After the mold is closed, a piston in the upper plate of the mold pushes the rubber through tiny holes in the bottom of the pot. This is how the rubber enters the mold cavity. At the end of the vulcanization cycle, the mold is opened and the part removed. 3. Injection Molding Injection molding is the most common process used today to mold rubber parts. The uncured rubber, in the form of a strip, is fed into the press and preheated by a screw. A piston then pushes the rubber into a small channel to reach the cavity of the closed mold. Because the rubber is preheated by the metering screw, it vulcanizes more quickly. This in turn allows for greater productivity and typically a lower part cost as less labor is required. 8

9 OVERMOLDING The overmolding process is the molding of rubber onto a substrate, usually metal or plastic. BONDING Bonding combines the mechanical properties of a rigid element (metal or plastic insert) to the flexibility of rubber. This process requires the substrate to be cleaned, then a primer and adhesive added to the area of the substrate where the rubber is to be bonded. When the substrate is placed in the mold, the adhesive is activated by the heat, and a chemical bond is formed between the rubber and the substrate. The best example of this process is the engine mount. It is a rubber component bonded to 2 metal pieces. The bond between the rubber and metal is chemical, not mechanical such as two pieces snapping together. CRYOGENIC DEFLASHING & ASSEMBLY Deflashing is the process of removing excess rubber (called flash) from the freshly molded part. Flash is a necessary evil: excess rubber extruding from the parting line ensures the cavity is filled with rubber, and that there is no trapped air in the part. Therefore, we must always add a little more rubber than is necessary. Flash is usually removed manually during the unmolding process using what is called a tear-trim. For parts that must be flash-free, we use cryogenic deflashing. Parts are cooled quickly with liquid nitrogen until the flash becomes extremely brittle. The flash will then be broken off the part while tumbling in a cylinder. We can quickly deflash dozens or hundreds of pieces at the same time, even fragile ones. Should the design of your part require assembly, Soucy Baron offers this service. 9

10 THE SOUCY GROUP: 10 SUBSIDIARIES = A ONE-STOP-SHOP SOUCY BARON IS A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SOUCY GROUP, WHICH EMPLOYS 1,500 PEOPLE ACROSS NORTH AMERICA AND ASIA. FROM DESIGN OPTIMIZATION TO MASS PRODUCTION, YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT YOUR PARTS MEET CANADIAN QUALITY STANDARDS. TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT TO SERVE YOU Soucy Baron offers you two facilities: one in St. Jérôme, Quebec (Canada) and one in Shanghai (China). You can therefore obtain the recognized quality of Canadian products, but at a very competitive price. Our technical resources include: Two laboratories More than 80 injection, compression, transfer and flashing presses Equipment for rubber mixing and cryogenic deflashing One laboratory internal mixer (1.5 liters) Two laboratory cylinder mixers (1 & 1.5 liters) Two internal mixers; one for mixing carbon black and one for color mixing (60 liters) Two laboratory compression presses (25 tons) One laboratory compression press (35 tons) Dedicated production line for metal insert bonding (rubber-metal pieces) Equipment for rheological, physico-chemical and physical performance testing 10 Tools for measuring dynamic, static and damping properties

11 CONTACT US PHILIPPE ANDRÈS Director of Sales (Canada & International) Tel.: , extension MARK REGAN Technical Account Manager (USA) Tel.: Cell.:

12 Soucy Baron Inc. 851, rue Baron Saint-Jérôme (Québec) Canada J7Y 4E1 Tel.: Fax: Website: Soucy Group head office 5450, rue Saint-Roch P.O. 400 Drummondville (Québec) Canada J2B 6W3 Tel.: Toll free: Fax: Website: