Timco Rubber Products has cultivated a diverse customer base for its custom extruded, molded, die cut, and lathe cut rubber items. Case in point is Mastercraft Industries, Inc. - Holiday Kitchens out of Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Holiday Kitchens is one of the largest fully custom, integrated cabinet manufacturers in the USA, combining old world craftsmanship with innovation and state-of-the-art equipment and process control. (www.mastercraftindustries.com) [more]
Their production floor engineer recently contacted Timco Rubber to solicit advice on improving the anti-rattling and settling characteristics which are inherent with wood frame-and-panel cabinet door design. Wood swells and contracts with seasonal weather changes, to a great extent in some areas of the country. A compound was needed which would "give" or compress easily during expansion or high humidity periods, but it also needs to spring back or posses ultra low compression set during times of low humidity — causing the wood to shrink or contract. In addition to these vital physical attributes, the compound would need to be dimensionally stable over time and refrain from allowing any discoloration or absorption of chemicals or coloring through the wood.
After samplings and extensive in-house testing by their engineering team, an open cell, breathable and environmentally friendly compound was decided upon. Timco then supplied rolls custom cut to the height and thickness specifications needed to meet Holiday Kitchens exacting requirements.
The in-house engineering team at Holiday Kitchens was simultaneously re-designing an existing automated cutting/insertion machine to handle the foam rolls, vs the rubber tubing they used previously, to efficiently apply the much improved foam compound within the precision cut grooves. (See photos below.)
The compound chosen above is high density ether based open cell polyurethane foam, without pressure sensitive adhesive applied.
Just as Holiday Kitchens individually manufactures kitchen cabinetry to meet designer's specifications, Timco Rubber assesses your custom rubber and polymer needs to meet your exacting qualifications and application requirements.
Foam roll on left - feeding in to cutting machine
Staged work order with inserts
Assembled panels
