Compared to plastics and rubber, manufacturing your parts with urethane materials offer you:
- More versatility, strength, and durability
- Longer lifespan
- More customization
As a result, urethane parts are often a much better value. Urethane parts can be formulated and molded to a project’s exact specifications and produced with consistent quality.
In order to get the most benefits from custom urethane parts, work with an experienced provider who is knowledgeable about the wide range of options available and can help determine the best specifications for your product. Many urethane applications have a low degree of error, so the importance of ordering the correct custom urethane part is essential. An expert will be able to work with you to understand your needs and determine the best urethane formulation for you while keeping in mind other restrictions that may be applicable including cost, safety guidelines, and project timeline.
How can you ensure that a custom urethane provider is able to do this? Here is a handy checklist of specific qualifications to look for when evaluating providers related to the quality of product they are able to deliver:
Can the Custom Urethane Provider:
- Machine custom urethane parts to the desired diameters and lengths?
- Create special formulas to provide the specific physical properties your product needs?
- Make accurate drawings of your parts? Help design your product?
- Lower tooling costs by using pieces from a library of generic mold parts?
- Produce parts using open cast, spin cast, transfer and compression molding processes?
- Bond urethane to almost any substrate? Cast dual-hardness parts?
- Make parts that range in hardness from softer than a marshmallow to almost as hard as a bowling ball?
- Produce prototype parts and short-run production parts?
- Produce high-volume production parts?
- Make products that meet guidelines including automotive, FDA, Underwriters Laboratory, Mil, and ASTM?
If a custom urethane provider is not able to claim at least a significant number, or preferably all of the preceding qualifications, it would be wise to look for other options. Be wary of providers who promise inexpensive custom urethane products without any mention of the competencies listed above. PSI Urethanes sells polyurethane parts and products that are formulated to meet all of your needs and check every box in the checklist above.
Once the custom urethane product is ordered, the process is not over. Part two of this blog series will cover how custom urethane experts are able to ensure that your product arrives on time and with the correct specifications.
To learn more about the different types of custom urethane products available including sheets, rollers, rings, rods, tubes visit our cast urethane products page and be sure to check out our custom urethane product gallery.