In keeping with our ISO 9001/2000 Certification Casco Bay Molding develops plastic and/or Silicone component parts under the direction of our customers or for sale through our distribution partners. Silicone product development of customers parts require continual customer input.

 

Our, patent pending, Silicone rubber Sterilization Tray lid is an example of product developed by Casco Bay Molding for sale through our distribution partners to end users. The fit of the sterilization tray to the metal tray base, the autoclave fluid flow pattern and the gripping lid-lip detail were all area were end user design input and ability to quickly modify the part, therefore mold, were highly beneficial.

 

Recent customer product development cycles include a Silicone only 384 sealing plug designed to fit into the 384 microplate. Micro Array microplates are used in gene sequencing and other laboratory applications. Our customer discovered a Silicone only 384 sealing plug was not rigid enough to be easily inserted into the 384 microplate.

 

Under customer direction we developed a semi-automatic taping machine employing a special Silicone tape to bond the Silicone 384 plug to a polycarbonate backing plate. Our customer discovered the silicone tape they selected eventually failed with repeated thermal cycling.

 

The next step was to reconfigure the silicone injection mold to accept a rigid plastic backing plate. The liquid silicone rubber was injected through the plastic backing plate forming the 384 plugs and bonding to the plastic backing plate.

 

This customer driven product evolution achieved the end goal of an easily inserted 384-sealing plug into a 384 microplate. Casco Bay Molding went through a similar, customer driven process with the development of a gel filled Scuba mouthpiece. Responding to our customer's design input, we developed a Scuba mouthpiece with a hollow-tubular bite plate. Our customer selected a silicone bite plate filling gel and bite plate sealant to provide Scuba divers with a mouthpiece with comfortable-compressible bite plates.

 

Working closely with our joint venture tool shop, or other qualified toolmaker, Casco Bay Molding turns customer specified design input into actual Liquid Silicone Rubber or Plastic-LSR products or components. Often customer part changes, therefore mold changes, require our practical experience as well as quick turnaround. The customer maintains ownership and responsibility for the part design.

 

Generally we recommend a "core & cavity set" approach during the product development phase. This cost-effective approach reduces our customer's tooling investment by avoiding the cost of fabricating a silicone injection mold base. We look forward to discussing your silicone or plastic-silicone product or component part.