Desperately seeking a well experienced manufacturer to develop a new complex product ?
The EPDM sponge Profile 44×46 – Here is an impactful success story of triumph over obstacles in crafting a challenging product for an esteemed customer.
For manufacturers and customers in the rubber industry, the quest for precision and reliability in product development is a journey filled with challenges.
This story talks about the customer’s journey, addressing her pain points, overcoming hurdles, and delivering excellence as was promised.
Staring out- An Inquiry
The saga begins with a single inquiry, a search for a reliable manufacturer who can produce the Sponge Profile 44×46 locally in India. Customer was getting the product from an international market, the supply from which was erratic and untrustworthy. This sponge profile is a client-centric solution in a construction industry. After facing denials from multiple manufacturers for their RFQ, Saga Elastomer was referred with strong recommendations.
The Challenge
1. Critical Aspects of the EPDM Sponge Profile:
- Taper shape of both upper and lower lip.
- Grooves, serving as locking parts and facilitating a slide fit.
- Returnability and sponginess of the profile.
- Plus Size (upper tolerance only preferred).
After receiving the customer’s profile sample, initial scrutiny revealed concerns about the density. The density of the sample measured between 0.6-0.64 which fell within our acceptable range of, 0.3 to 0.7 providing a feasibility.
| SR.NO | ITEM NAME | DRAWING | SG | WT/MTR | HARDNESS | SIZE | MATERIAL |
| 1 | RUBBER PROFILE |
 |
1ST - 0.64 2nd - 0.61 |
1.085 KG | DUROMETER SHORE A-17-20 |
46*44MM | SPONGE |
Setting the stage for a meticulous development process, Team Saga started the journey by referencing the original sample while our R&D team delved into the profile's compounding.
- Challenges Faced during the sampling process
As it was delved deeper into the development process, challenges emerged, threatening to derail the initial progress. During the sampling phase of the EPDM sponge profile, dimensions on the negative side surfaced, indicating that adjustments were necessary to meet the profile's specifications. Recognizing the magnitude of the task at hand—a larger profile demanding precise size and shape—an innovation approach was needed.The feedback after couple of trials highlighted issues like smaller upper lip, a dip in the lip, and a directive to maintain the middle distance as per the original profile sample. - Challenge- Consistency in the profile
The length of the profile needed was 15-meter hence it was to be manufactured on a continuous vulcaniser (CV Line) There was high degree of inconsistency in the beginning and it happened randomly -sometimes at the beginning, sometimes after couple of meters, leading to a huge rejection of vulcanised sponge in the process. It also limited the ability of production to maintain extrusion beyond 5-7 meters. The EPDM sponge profile also showed rough edges which were out of the quality standards. - The Solution
The discussion between the production and tool development teams happened and specific corrections were planned.
- The recipe was changed along with the ageing.
- This was an innovative thinking of R&D where polymer blends & leveraging two different grades of EPDM, proved to be the catalyst for overcoming our obstacles. However, the incorporation of polymer blends also led to alteration of the curing speed, leading to another complication of having rough surface finish & inconsistent hardness/sponginess.
- To address this setback, a solution was devised by adjusting the proportions of the two blowing agents employed. This strategic modification ultimately yielded the desired consistency in the final product
- Despite these advancements, delays persisted due to other challenges with roughness during extrusion, which regrettably caused discomfort for our valued customer, a dedicated member of our team
- Then the mixing process was adapted to new requirements so that better compound can be obtained. New tool was made with keeping the new observed shrinkage/expansion rates in mind The speed of machine was observed and tweaked to get best results and was recorded.
- The subsequent sampling efforts addressed issues of hardness, taper, and roughness near the gap, ensuring that every aspect of the sponge profile met the stringent requirements set forth by the customer. The key focus was on recording and collaborating with various functions simultaneously while keeping customer informed of the developments.
Each obstacle faced on our way was documented and resolved with precision.
- The Learning: The path to Success is NOT devoid of Hurdles
As the journey progressed, each obstacle paved way and became milestone reaching closer to the ultimate goal. Adjustments to the size, elasticity, and taper, coupled with meticulous attention to detail, resulted in the approval of the sponge profile sample with a subsequent request for another 15-meter profile sample before receiving the repeated bulk orders—a testament to the unwavering dedication to precision.
The beginning!
This success story of providing solution thru un wavered commitment to convert challenge into a befitting solution that our customers demand stands as an inspiration to the team who worked tirelessly – Mentally & Physically and faith in us to our customer.
If you are feeling inspired by this story of executing EPDM Sponge Rubber Profile, please share with others to spread the knowledge. Should you or anyone known to you have such a challenge, please refer to us and we would be more than delighted to offer our experience.
