***rubber***

[croman]

Guys,

For my amusement park attraction I need to find a manufacturer to produce a rubber Devils tail(12 per attraction)

It would be 20" diameter at its base...tapering me down to 4" or so...about 12-16ft long.

Found styrofoam with hard shell but not something flexible.

Anyone know where to look?

I can't even come up with the right google search!!

Somewhere in North America?

Or search what on alibaba?

I'm stumped.

What's the term I'm lookin for? The Type of rubber/plastic?

Is it a rubber forming or....ughhh!

Thanks
Croman

 

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[croman]

@Vigilante

Damn...can you put this on outside. Sorry.

 

[croman]

@Vigilante

Damn...can you put this on outside. Sorry.

 

[jon.a]

maybe these guy's can make something...

http://zgkawah.en.alibaba.com/

 

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[wade1mil]

I'd search:
Rubber injection molding manufacturer
Rubber molding manufacturer

Too late for Halloween

 

[Damage Inc.]

You can look into custom molders for EPDM rubber. There are different classes with different properties (how flexible you need it, what kind of weather it will be in, etc.) Based on the rendering it doesn't look like a simple piece to mold though, might be tough to find someone to work with you especially in small quantities and test runs.

 

[rc08234]

I'd search for the people that produce certain types of adult toys....if you get what I'm saying

 

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[Mattie]

amusement park attraction

Wouldn't you search out manufacturing for amusement park attractions. I would assume they would have to use certain materials for safety reasons, and should be something similar to what your trying to create. Amusement parks are everywhere. There has to be something similar to what you're trying to create.

 

[Jon L]

Here's another "I have no experience with this, but I'm gonna give you my opinion anyway" response

I like the idea of the prop companies that specialize in amusement parks. If you can't find anything like that:

How about special effects companies? They have to produce one-off stuff like this all the time. Here's a company that would be able to do what you ask:

http://www.thespecialistsltd.com/fabrication-services

No idea how much they charge though.

This company is a supply-house. But...they might be able to refer you to someone:

https://www.artmolds.com/casting-materials/latex-casting-rubbers.html

 

[jon.a]

I'd search for the people that produce certain types of adult toys....if you get what I'm saying

That would be a BIG toy.

 

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[Mattie]

Did you look under ride designers? I'm sure if you contact one of them or keep digging through those sites you'd find what you're looking for. It's basically tracing where they're getting their products from.

 

[croman]

Most all products in this industry are those hard plastic mould that you would see used in carts and other parts of the hard plastic/Fiberglas shell.

I just returned from Sweden today from an amusement park tradeshow(iaapa.org) and saw many items.
Basically they are companies selling moving dinasour heads etc etc.

They did have companies that would not produce anything outside of their core products for sale. Tried that.

I gonna try jon.a 's alibaba link and a few other options mentioned here by members.

Problem is quantity too... Putting a mould together for a dozen may not seem worth it to many suppliers or more so for me. Dot know yet. That's just an assption at this point.

I need a dozen for 1 attraction....but if I pump out 10-20++ attractions which is the hope...then that's a diff story.

 

[Vassilios]

@croman You seem a sharp chap so you probably considered this already , I feel like a rubbery/flexible plastic would get run down quickly so you may consider getting a few replacements to keep the client happy just in case.

 

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[Ultra Magnus]

@croman, consider companies offering Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) services. Making standard injection molds for plastic is expensive because the material has to withstand great pressures and heat generated by the process, i.e. hardened steel and the costs of machining it. For rubber molds, it is sufficient to use aluminum, but that still requires a lot of work and would be crazy for a piece as big as yours.

Basically, in injection molding the materials are melted and injected at very high pressures into a cavity that contains your shape.

Now, RIM is a technology where the resin (whether plastic or rubber, it doesn't matter - it's usually some formulation of polyurethane or silicone) isn't melted, but comes in two liquid parts which, when mixed, begin to cure to make a plastic or rubber. The thing is that it doesn't require the immense pressures and heat of standard injection molding, so the mold can be made out of an easily machinable material (like tooling or modelling boards, which are used in prototyping cars), coated with a layer that will prevent the liquid resin from bonding to the mold, and injected at a low pressure using a machine that mixes and dispenses resin.

This is a process that is cost-effective at low volumes and it's used in industries where large plastic parts are required in small numbers (note that when I'm saying plastic i mean man-made thermoset or thermoplastic materials, including rubber). So one option would be to make a CAD of the part, then have your designer make a two-part mold of it (making a cavity shaped like the tail in two parts, with a registration mark to make the two halves go together, and sufficient venting holes in strategic places to avoid air entrapment), get it machined in something cheap and choose a thermoset rubber of your liking at a company that has a RIM machine.

Another option would be just ordering the whole thing from such a company if they can make molds.

On the other hand, you should look into hiring a prop maker, because he could just make a reinforced mold out of clay in a big box and fill it with liquid silicone rubber (depending on the standards required in your industry, this can be the cheaper tin-cure or the more expensive platinum-cure). Silicone doesn't bond with almost anything apart from a similar silicone, so you could get 12 casts from a mold no problem. This is even something you could make yourself, but that just takes time and skills.

You might even have a mold machined and give it to a prop artist to make the castings. Whatever you do, consult your decisions with the people that are going to be doing the job - don't get a pile of modeling board and spend 3 grand machining it only to realize later that it's not going to work with the process you've had in mind. Make the mold in CAD first and give it to the manufacturers.

Whew, I hope that this will help you some, if you have any questions regarding this go ahead and ask. When it comes to costs, RIM materials and silicone rubber are far more expensive per pound than thermoplastic rubber (the one for standard injection molding), but you can save big bucks by having a mold that's orders of magnitude less expensive (and you can probably save even more by making the tail hollow using an insert that fits in the mold cavity, that would use less material).

Definitely pay someone to do this for you, but in this case if you know several methods used for making parts like yours you'll have an easier time for sure.

FAKE EDIT: you can also use a very wide range of polyurethane foams with RIM, that may be a good equivalent to rubber and is used for larger parts.

Check out the process in these vids:

(SOOOO 90s)

(such terribad promotional material in this industry, but it gets the point across)

 

[Vigilante]

That would be a BIG toy.

Hell of a ride

 

[croman]

@croman, consider companies offering Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) services. Making standard injection molds for plastic is expensive because the material has to withstand great pressures and heat generated by the process, i.e. hardened steel and the costs of machining it. For rubber molds, it is sufficient to use aluminum, but that still requires a lot of work and would be crazy for a piece as big as yours.

Basically, in injection molding the materials are melted and injected at very high pressures into a cavity that contains your shape.

Now, RIM is a technology where the resin (whether plastic or rubber, it doesn't matter - it's usually some formulation of polyurethane or silicone) isn't melted, but comes in two liquid parts which, when mixed, begin to cure to make a plastic or rubber. The thing is that it doesn't require the immense pressures and heat of standard injection molding, so the mold can be made out of an easily machinable material (like tooling or modelling boards, which are used in prototyping cars), coated with a layer that will prevent the liquid resin from bonding to the mold, and injected at a low pressure using a machine that mixes and dispenses resin.

This is a process that is cost-effective at low volumes and it's used in industries where large plastic parts are required in small numbers (note that when I'm saying plastic i mean man-made thermoset or thermoplastic materials, including rubber). So one option would be to make a CAD of the part, then have your designer make a two-part mold of it (making a cavity shaped like the tail in two parts, with a registration mark to make the two halves go together, and sufficient venting holes in strategic places to avoid air entrapment), get it machined in something cheap and choose a thermoset rubber of your liking at a company that has a RIM machine.

Another option would be just ordering the whole thing from such a company if they can make molds.

On the other hand, you should look into hiring a prop maker, because he could just make a reinforced mold out of clay in a big box and fill it with liquid silicone rubber (depending on the standards required in your industry, this can be the cheaper tin-cure or the more expensive platinum-cure). Silicone doesn't bond with almost anything apart from a similar silicone, so you could get 12 casts from a mold no problem. This is even something you could make yourself, but that just takes time and skills.

You might even have a mold machined and give it to a prop artist to make the castings. Whatever you do, consult your decisions with the people that are going to be doing the job - don't get a pile of modeling board and spend 3 grand machining it only to realize later that it's not going to work with the process you've had in mind. Make the mold in CAD first and give it to the manufacturers.

Whew, I hope that this will help you some, if you have any questions regarding this go ahead and ask. When it comes to costs, RIM materials and silicone rubber are far more expensive per pound than thermoplastic rubber (the one for standard injection molding), but you can save big bucks by having a mold that's orders of magnitude less expensive (and you can probably save even more by making the tail hollow using an insert that fits in the mold cavity, that would use less material).

Definitely pay someone to do this for you, but in this case if you know several methods used for making parts like yours you'll have an easier time for sure.

FAKE EDIT: you can also use a very wide range of polyurethane foams with RIM, that may be a good equivalent to rubber and is used for larger parts.

Check out the process in these vids:

(SOOOO 90s)

(such terribad promotional material in this industry, but it gets the point across)

Rep transferred+++

Incredibly helpful.

Thank you for taking the time in answering the way you did...

I will definitely hit you up with questions if you dont mind.

Again,

Thank you

 

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[Ultra Magnus]

No problem @croman, if you have any further questions ask away (you can PM me also).

 

[croman]

@jon.a
....that link/contact you provided via alibaba got back to me saying try can produce the Devils tail....

They asked for quantity and we are in talks.

Thanks again.

Croman

 

[Equilibrium]

I started thinking of the rubber hoses in automotive, and found these for ya in case the deal goes bad.

Here is a directory of rubber manufactures. They all have handy ''Request a Quote'' buttons.
http://www.iqsdirectory.com/silicone-rubber/
http://www.iqsdirectory.com/silicone-rubber/
Here's some links
http://www.cmrubber.com/index.html

http://www.customrubbercorp.com/

http://www.pierceroberts.com/index.html

http://www.cascobaymolding.com/

http://www.aerorubber.com/molded.ht...Bbb4DAPhGGiKMiWMLmQer1xZEaleBsWpnUaArG18P8HAQ

http://www.irisrubber.com/

http://www.westernrubber.com/capabilities/rubber-molding/

http://p.protolabs.com/silicone-rubber-manufacturer

 

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