Packaging -- Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers

"Rubber Fenders" is a good search string.

Cheers

Hmm. I'm not finding much of immediate use. It'd be great if I owned a tugboat or similar, however.

Silicone rubber molds nicely in Plaster of Paris molds. You don't even need any mold release. I've dabbled with it, using industrial-grade silicone rubber, and it's really easy. I also made a couple of things with the silicone rubber caulk that comes in a caulk tube. It's much weaker and softer than the industrial stuff, but it's good for some things.

If you want something easy to model, to make the molds, either plasticine clay or microcrystalline wax will do nicely. The wax is fairly easy to find; it's used by sculptors and jewelry-casters. It's denser than paraffin wax and it carves very nicely.

On Fri, 31 Oct 2014 11:52:10 -0500, Tim Wescott Gave us:

Membrane suspension packaging.

That way, even if the product changes shape slightly or even grows a bit, a package change is still cheap, and the original choice may work throughout all iterations.

It is an outer shipping box with two boxes inside which are half the height of the box. The inside boxes are also in a ring shape, where the center is cut out. Then a polymer (ESD safe) film is glued onto the two inner box 'holes'. The lower inner box membrane faces up. The product gets set upon that and rides on the stretch of the membrane in transit. The top box goes over the bottom with the membrane facing down, and the product is then fully encapsulated inside a 'grippy' type, thick, strong plastic film. Fully suspended, and no extra effort needed to ensure safe packaged-for-shipment containment. Re-useable too. Great if you actually have to maintain or repair what you ship.

I was thinking a hollow D section glued and bolted around the edge of the box, although the corners would need some work.

Cheers

I took delivery of a small gas engine, where they'd used a lightweight, expanding, foam inside a couple plastic bags. The foam moulded itesef to the inside of the shipping carton and to the engine - in two halves. The engine was very well cushioned and could not slide around inside the carton.

They had injected only enough foam to do the job - any more than that and it could burst the bags (that would be a real mess), burst the shipping carton, or possibly lock too deeply in any undercuts in the item being shipped.

The overall effect was as if they had made a custom fitted styrofoam inserts.

YMMV.. Bill

Maybe you could dip the ends in the stuff they use to coat tool handles with?

tm

When I worked at the gas company, they made gaskets out of raw rubber I t hink they got the rubber either from a tire retreading company or the suppl ier to tire retreaders. The process was pretty simple. As I remember the rubber was cut into strips and laid into a mould. and then the mould heated . Where the ends met, they fused and became one piece.

Dan

If just for shipping, put it in an antistatic bag and get some split foam pipe insulation. Cut to fit and glue the corners together. Slip the foam over the edges of the boards and place in box

Sometimes these kinds of companies will send material samples for free.

ChesterW

Maybe a large, off the shelf O-ring would work?

================= Have you considered silicone or urethane casting? Soft [low durometer

] should be suitable, and for low volume plaster molds should be adequate.

Years ago I made molds for this kind of thing. They were aluminum. I would just carve out the cavities in the aluminum. The customer did just as you describe, laid raw rubber in the molds, clamped them together and heated. These molds were often made of 3/4 plate with cavities as deep as .5 inch. Eric

You know a hand poured silicone protector is possible right.

Tackle Makers use 100% pure silicone caulk to make molds all the time. They have a modestly long life. I believe a small amount of water is mixed in with it to make it cure through.

Remember this simple rule and work out from there. Soft master hard mold, hard master soft mold.

You could design one and have a rubber mold made. The rubber molds are good for a few hundred of pieces. and it's less expensive that a real mold.

Also, get him to realize that changing the product cost money ;)

Cheers

No, it's to be part of the product, to minimize damage when the users knock it around.

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Hey Tim,

Would some type of trim used for flooring-to-carpet transition work? It comes in quite a few sizes, shapes, and colours. There are also trims for bathrooms too, but limited colours.

Take care.

Brian Lawson

That's called foam-in-place packing. Our local UPS store does it on items valuable enough that I'm willing to pay for it.

technomaNge