Flexible Solutions

3 Common Misconceptions About Durometer

Posted by Andrew Bonar

Jul 9, 2019 9:32:31 AM

 
The Shore durometer (pictured right) is a scale for measuring the hardness of a material, such as rubber, plastic, thermal  plastics (TPE), and rigid plastics. The term "durometer" is often used to describe a material's rating on the scale, for example “this material has a durometer of 60.”
  
It's worth noting, there are a variety of durometer scales since elastomeric and plastic resins vary over a wider range than one scale can accommodate. Download our comparison chart to see how these scales overlap.
 
Durometer hardness is one of many physical properties considered when selecting a material for a specific application. Beware of some common misconceptions. Durometer hardness is often inaccurately confused with the properties described below. 

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Topics: Foams, Compression Force Deflection, PORON, Elastomers, Material selection

PORON® EVExtend For Use In EV/HEV Li-ion Pouch Cell Batteries

Posted by Katie Sullivan

May 29, 2019 1:01:15 PM

Materials for Battery Solutions - PORON® EVExtend

Our valued material supplier, Rogers Corporation, has released PORON® EVExtend polyurethane foam material. This material is ideal for battery pads for EV/HEV li-ion pouch cell batteries. The EXExtend 4701-43HBF offers an increased flammability rating of HBF, or HF1 (product dependent). 

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Topics: Foams, PORON, EV, HEV, Material selection

Tolerance Challenges When Die Cutting Soft, Flexible, Thick Materials

Posted by Katie Sullivan

Jan 17, 2019 9:20:00 AM

Technological advances in properties of soft, flexible foam and elastomeric materials have continued to advance. These thick, soft, flexible foams and elastomers are ideal materials for sealing, gasketing and cushioning across many industries and applications. They compress, form to irregular surfaces, bend, and flex within an application without damage or de-lamination, but from the perspective of the die cutter, may also introduce challenges when trying to achieve the tight dimensional tolerances common in metal and plastic-molded parts.

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Topics: Foams, BISCO Silicone, PORON, Elastomers, Tolerance

Die-cut Solutions for Plastic Injection Molders

Posted by Andrew Bonar

Jun 5, 2017 1:49:02 PM

Benefits for Plastic Injection Molders: Vendor Consolidation, Value Add Solutions

Why is it so imperative that plastic injection molding companies provide value added services and secondary manufacturing services to their customers after molding their parts? The answer is easy! Many end-customers of plastic injection molders are looking for vendor consolidation and supply chain simplification. They want to cut out and skip steps in their supply chain, sequentially helping to reduce costs and save time!

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Topics: Pressure Sensitive Adhesive, Foams, manufacturing techniques, Acrylic Foam Tape, PORON

Antimicrobial Sealing Gasket - A New Application Story

Posted by Katie Sullivan

Mar 29, 2017 2:05:18 PM

In this newly released application story, a global designer and manufacturer of critical intercommunication devices experienced a gasket failure allowing moisture to leak and compromise the internal components of their console. It's remarkable the amount of damage a single drop of water can do. Moisture often contains impurities and minerals that remain even after the water evaporates. Between the moisture and these remaining elements, the contamination can cause short circuits, corrosion, and mechanical problems. A malfunctioning device leads to recalls, replacements, and eventually a poor reputation. The company in this story did NOT want to deal with any of this. 

The intercom console product was intended to be used in medical office settings. Cleanliness and sanitary standards were very important for the high-touch surface of this device. The console was sprayed with liquid cleaners often. The console housing required a reliable sealing gasket to keep moisture out.  

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Topics: Foams, PORON

Die-Cut Solutions for Vibration Control: Damping vs Isolation

Posted by Katie Sullivan

Mar 15, 2017 11:37:25 AM

Just about everything that has been engineered is likely to experience vibration. Unfortunately, it has been proven that vibration can be responsible for causing extreme damage to some applications. The source of vibration can come from impact, internal motors or external sources. 

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Topics: Foams, PORON, Damping

3 Questions Answered about Compression Set Resistance in Foams

Posted by Katie Sullivan

Jan 18, 2017 4:34:09 PM

When choosing a foam for a product design, one feature that should be considered is the compression set resistance of the foam.  C-Set is one of the most important characteristics to consider, and this blog post answers three basic questions to explain why. 

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Topics: Foams, BISCO Silicone, PORON, compression set resistance, Elastomers

Solutions for Medical Device Assemblies

Posted by Katie Sullivan

Oct 21, 2016 10:40:18 AM

Die-cut Components for Medical Devices

We believe that true stories can tell you more than any marketing materials that we create. That is why we are sharing two new case studies in this blog post. Both case studies explore die-cut solutions that Marian provided to medical device companies. Quality and reliability are critical in this industry. Additionally, assembly efficiency and cost savings are important to the success of the business. In these case studies, you will see that Marian is well equipped and prepared to meet the stringent requirements demanded by the medical device industry. Enjoy!  

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Topics: Foams, PORON, medical device

Breaking the Barriers of NVH

Posted by Katie Sullivan

Sep 6, 2016 3:55:44 PM

Imagine going 65 mph in your vehicle while on a road trip. The road you are driving on is old, so your vehicle bobs up and down the many dips and divots; your speakers are loud and are causing your rearview mirror to vibrate, making it hard to see; and your moon roof has a roaring noise sneaking through the cracks. These foul disturbances are examples of NVH, also known as Noise Vibration Harshness.

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Topics: Foams, BISCO Silicone, PORON

Compression Force Deflection Demonstration of PORON and BISCO Foams

Posted by Katie Sullivan

Jul 7, 2016 8:30:00 AM

Marian has a brand new demonstration piece to share with the world! Strategically named "Test My Memory," the demo illustrates the impact of compression cycling over time with 4 different foams. Neoprene, Polyethelyne, PORON Urethane, and BISCO Silicone are tested by being compressed for 48 hours.

Foam Material Compression

In the demonstration, you will see that certain foams depreciate as they take on impact over time, whereas other foams resist the compression set by returning to their original thickness. The material characteristic of being able to take a compression set, also called compression force defection, is extremely important in long-term sealing applications. The ability of the material to "push back" to fill in any potential gaps that would allow water or dust to pass through is critical. This makes such materials an excellent option for sealing gaskets. We wrote an entire blog post about compression force defection, you can read it here: Compression Force Deflection in Foam Gaskets: A Critical Property

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Topics: Foams, BISCO Silicone, Compression Force Deflection, PORON