Protofastparts.com™ is a new service targeting design firms, OEM’s and engineers needing prototype custom rubber parts for accelerated time-to-market projects.
    From print to part in 10 days, designers can evaluate and test various rubber formulations simultaneously. Using the Protofastparts service, thermoset materials, silicones, fluoroelastomers, fluorosilicones, Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) and TPR are among a long list of elastomer materials available for prototyping. Complete in-house elastomer testing facilities and formulation monitoring systems are available to assure materials meet customer quality requirements. These can include specific medical device and other industry specific performance requirements including contamination, UV and chemical resistance, plus other features such as insulation, bonding and sealing.
     Once the appropriate material is selected and formulated, the supplier of the Protofastparts service, Rubber Industries, Inc., will build a single cavity mold and produce 12 sample parts in just 10 working days.
    “We’ve had a huge response for Protofastparts service,” reports Bruce Nelson, sales manager for Rubber Industries. “Design firms targeting the medical device industry in particular are using this service to speed-up developmental time for their products. Protofastparts can save months of trial and error in the design stages. It helps beat competitors to the marketplace with proprietary designed medical devices where time is of the essence and patient trials, FDA approvals, and patent filings are critical steps in the development process.”
    Once a prototype part is successfully designed, Rubber Industries has complete rubber and silicone production facilities to do any further design work and to mold, assemble and package in any quantity required.        
    As a full service rubber molding source, Rubber Industries provides small, medium and large volume production using injection, transfer and compression molding equipment.  In addition, the company provides complete in-house milling and cryogenic deflashing capabilities combined with special packaging and assembly capabilities.