Silicone Splicing to Create Custom Edging
The manufacturer of body armor components for the U.S. military had a need, so ARCO® worked closely with the team to develop a protective silicone edging to meet their very special requirements.
A Colorado-based manufacturer, recently announced plans to expand the product line in their Benton, Arkansas facility. This company manufactures technical ceramic components, which include ground vehicle ceramic armor to be used by the U.S. military (and its allies).
In 2018, a representative found ARCO® Silicone by searching online, and requested a quote for a specific silicone part using our website contact form. Since that time, Joe Jackson, Mike Hughes, and Steve Anderson have been working closely with their team.
These ceramic components required a protective silicone edging to fit snugly around the perimeter during shipment, as they found that many of these plates were being badly damaged during the shipping process. They also wanted the edging to be so durable that it could be reused multiple times, which made silicone the perfect material for this project.
Initially, we created four separate pieces that could be placed individually onto each side, but they found that these pieces would not stay securely in place. Our team of engineers had to do some further research into a specific tool which could splice the pieces together at a 90˚ angle during manufacturing.
It took a few test runs to get the product just right, but after a few weeks, the team was able to perfect the process using this new tool.
The company’s representatives were very pleased with the results and even more pleased with the lengths we took to create their custom project.
“The company’s representatives were very pleased with the results and even more pleased with the lengths we took to create their custom project.”
We are excited to partner with another Arkansas manufacturer for such a worthy cause, and we look forward to more opportunities like this one as we also continue to expand our own manufacturing capabilities in the silicone market.
Whether you are looking for a specific silicone product to replace a less efficient one or if you need something completely new – silicone splicing can create a custom silicone product that just might be the answer! If you want to learn more about partnering with ARCO® to develop the perfect product, use the green button on our menu bar to request a quote today.
