Custom Rubber Stoppers: Manufacturing Tips To Remember

Posted on: 20 December 2022

Rubber stoppers are small components that typically seal things like tubes, flasks, and other types of glassware. If you need to make some custom stoppers for your operations, here are some manufacturing tips that can help you succeed.

Start With Models First

It's instrumental to plan how your custom rubber stoppers will come out of development because it gives you more control and thus keeps mistakes from happening. Starting off, create some rubber stopper models.

You can then see relevant specs, such as how big the stoppers will be and their overall shape. Then you can tweak the models as you see fit until you have an optimal working prototype.

From there, you can create samples and see if your plans actually work as far as plugging up containers or jars that have substances inside them. If the stoppers fit perfectly and you don't have any leaking, you just proved out your models and can thus complete manufacturing with confidence. 

Assess Production Size

There are a couple of ways you can approach custom rubber stopper manufacturing, and you'll have more insights on what routes to take if you first assess the production size of this manufacturing. How many stoppers do you need for your operations?

If it's a small quantity, then you may be able to develop your own custom rubber stoppers. Whereas if you need hundreds and even thousands of these components, you would need to hire a manufacturer who specializes in rubber part development because of their production environment, machinery, and years of experience. 

Trim Excess Portions if Necessary

Once your rubber compounds form into molds and harden, there may be excess materials around the sides of your stoppers. You need to trim them away so that your stoppers fit onto supporting containers or jars perfectly.

You just need to perform a thorough inspection on all of the custom rubber stoppers that come from manufacturing. If there are extra rubber materials on any of the sides, you can simply cut them off. Also, if this excess material problem continues, you may need to adjust the molds or rubber compounds you use to make stoppers. 

Rubber stoppers may seem like simple components, but they play a vital role in a lot of medical and research purposes. If you plan to make your own custom batch, be sure your plans are optimal, and then take your time with each stage of development. Then the stoppers will have every important quality you're looking for.

Share