How extrusion moulding creates clear solutions for packaging and display

We thought today we’d take a few moments to explain the benefits of VisiPak, which is a division of Sinclair & Rush.

The manufacturing of clear plastic tubing, boxes and clamshells has been taken to an art form by our parent company in the States who have pushed extrusion moulding to its limits. We will also be adding this manufacturing method to our existing Dip Moulding and Injection Moulding operations in Kent.

How does extrusion moulding work? An extruder consists of a hopper for feeding in the raw materials. It has a heating section where the materials are melted into the desired consistency and a section for transferring the melted solution through a die after which it is cooled to create the finished product. Each section can be manipulated by many variables to create different thicknesses and finishes of the plastic product.

How does one process create so many different end products? This is all down to the design of the die. The different dies create the different sizes, shapes, thicknesses and finishes, tailoring the materials to the application and spec. One machine can easily be used for different products by swapping the die.

S&R have an extensive line of clear plastic packaging tubes and tubular containers together with probably the largest line of cap & plug options.

Packaging tubes range from sealed bottom containers (Permaseal - see image below) to hanging tubes to heavy-duty industrial packages while our stock line of clear plastic mailing tubes is unrivaled in the industry in terms of quality, price, and selection. Plus, as the largest manufacturer of vinyl tube caps in the world, VisiPak gives you the broadest selection of caps at unbeatable prices.

These are suitable for packaging toys, cutting tools, posters, welding rods, cosmetics, bath salts, beads, and virtually anything else you can imagine. Ideal for keeping items safe in storage or by post and perfect for point of sale (POS) display.

A benefit of thermoformed packaging is being able to shape a package to your product.  Visipak produces clamshells, blisters and trays to protect and display your products.  With extensive design flexibility and our low-cost tooling thermoformed packages are an ideal fit for many applications.

Production of transparent boxes is made to order.   These clear folding cartons are available in a variety of shapes and styles including sleeves to protect a package and inserts to separate contents inside the box.  You'll choose from a number of materials and decorating options to meet your specific needs.

Clear plastic boxes, tubes and clamshells for packaging, protection and display - what will you use yours for...

Call now for expert advice on 01634 686 504 or take a look and buy on-line HERE

01634 686 504

Getting a handle on our grips for the right grip on your handles

Whereas Component Force is a new division of Sinclair & Rush, GripWorks is a seasoned global division manufacturing and stocking Hand Grips for every size / shape of hand and every practical application.

In 2012, Sinclair & Rush acquired Hunt-Wilde in America extending our grip manufacturing solutions to include all of the pioneering tooling and design innovations developed by HW since 1946.

Together we manufacture all manner of Hand Grip in plastic, foam and rubber as well as combinations to balance strength and tactile ergonomics.  Dip moulded, double dip moulded and injection moulded parts all combine to serve a wide, almost endless range of applications including: cycle handlebar grips; lawn & garden tools; sports & leisure equipment; industrial tooling; as well as medical and general engineering.

Please meet just some of the injection moulded grips: from left to right, the Straight Grip; followed by the Classic Finger Grip; then the Rib-Finned Grip; next we have the Honeycomb Grip; and finally the Flanged Tapered Grip.

Then, when you add colours to the basic black, standard colours being red, blue, white, green. Yellow and gray, you can choose from an extensive range that includes these – but this is just a selection:

Foam hand grips not only help the user to get a firm grip on the tools or sports equipment, but can be designed to look good too, creating the product finish that sets it apart from the others:

Then rubber Hand Grips offer a good look, a good finish and a popular grip for bicycles. In fact one of these is the best selling bicycle grip in Europe:

So - the choice is vast, the opportunities greater still. Perhaps the best way to start if you are not sure exactly which grip type is right for you is to call our expert advisers on

01634 686 504.

Or - you can look and shop on-line now by clicking the image below:

VisiPak – sounds great but what is it?

Clear plastic boxes, tubes and clamshells for packaging, protection and display.

The diversity is enormous – shape, size, strength, flexibility, durability; and branding technology offering silk screen; hot stamping, offset and pad printing; with closures that flip, plug, hook, screw, shake; and shapes galore including round, square, rectangular, triangular, oval; all in practical sizes from 3/16^th to 5 inches diameter and up to 144 inches in length; and everything available in colours to make even the rainbows turn green with envy.

Then you can customise your containers with simple punching, slicing, crimping and other fabrications to create the most unique and functional packaging for your unique and functional products. Just give us the problem and we’ll give you the solution.

Not only does the visual clarity remain fresh even after a possibly volatile shelf life, but the S&R service has a customer-friendly clarity that starts with your enquiry; runs through the proposals and agreement stage; and continues with after sales service to ensure satisfaction from start to finish.

What’s it made from? – Plastic … well, plastic is really a generic because PET provides the robust and visually stimulating solution, part of it at least.

PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a mouthful but an invaluable product. It’s a plastic resin and a form of polyester. For you techies out there, polyethylene terephthalate is a polymer that is formed by combining two monomers: modified ethylene glycol and purified terephthalic acid.

Manufacturers use PET plastic to package products because of its strength, thermo-stability and transparency. And customers choose PET because it is inexpensive, lightweight, re-sealable and shatter-resistant.

Here’s an example of the quality of branding and the detailed printing of crucial sales information – specifications, directions for use, safety notices etc.:

Boxes are manufactured, overprinted and supplied flat. Die-cut tongues fold into place as the package is literally and simply squeezed together. The product is enclosed and the top pressed to. The protruding ‘euro-slot’ is ready to hang on euro hooks at the point of display supporting smart, simple merchandising.

In schools, gold stars are out and tokens proudly displayed in clear plastic tubes reflect quiet competition and tell all who's king (or more likely queen) of the class this term.

Sharps, such as drill bits or felting needles are kept safe in their plastic jackets, yet visible for easy selection in their clear plastic coat.

Clear plastic boxes, tubes and clamshells for packaging, protection and display - what will you use yours for...

Call now for expert advice on 01634 686 504 or take a look and buy on-line HERE

01634 686 504

Diversity doesn’t change a thing

Those of you who have followed the recent messages of growth and diversity we’ve been proud to share since acquiring the breadth and vigour of Component Force in April, may be forgiven for thinking we may have stepped beyond core values. But you’d be wrong.

Diversity doesn’t and hasn’t changed a thing.

We are still your first and last point of contact for protective caps, plugs and sleeves.

Sinclair & Rush is, and has been for over 60 years, a global leader in dip, injection and extrusion moulding of plastic products and components. We have developed unrivalled expertise helping engineering companies across the broadest range of industries to improve the speed and efficiency to protect products, components and WIP throughout their invasive manufacturing and finishing processes, as well as onward protection in transit.

Whatever process is being employed to modify the mechanical properties of metal surfaces in the manufacturing process, effective masking is an essential part of the process. The requirements to mask surfaces, stop holes and blank off delicate internal elements of components during their manufacture, finishing and transportation all vary almost from one application to the next.

Powder and e-coating? Shot blasting? Shot Peening? Anodising?

Chemical, electrolytic, mid through to high temperature applications need expert masking to avoid contamination of sensitive elements within the component. EPDM caps and plugs for example, are chemical resistant in plating and anodising. Silicone rubber caps and plugs are ideal for plugging holes where the diameter can vary slightly and provide protection across a range of operating temperatures between -65˚c to +230˚c.

·         Whatever your product protection needs, we  deliver cost effective solutions - from stock or custom made.

·         Just ask - we've over 60 years of global plastic manufacturing expertise.

·         UK production and support from Kent, for swift ex-stock and ex-works delivery throughout Europe.

·         Vinyl, rubber or plastic? We'll advise you what's best to support the process and applications you need to protect.

·         For expert knowledge, perfect products and cost-effective solutions - just call: 

 01634 686 504

If you want to know more about the range of standard and custom masking products and the principles of their use, take a look at the StockCap website here: 

If you want to see what’s available in stock and ready for next day delivery, take a look in The Shop here: 

But don’t forget – if you want to ask advice from one of our friendly members of staff – 

just call 01634 686 504 today.

Edging Strips help Protect, Package and Finish

Sinclair & Rush’s remit is to manufacture and supply products that Protect, Package and Finish our customers’ wide ranging materials, products and work in progress. It’s unusual to find one product range that fits into all three categories – but Edging Strips do just that – they protect, they Package and they Finish.

Of course, this is a new departure for traditional Sinclair & Rush clients and is further evidence of the increasing diversity of the product range we now offer since acquiring Component Force in April. The standard plastic edging strips (below) will be manufactured at our Rochester site as we further develop our Extrusion Moulding facilities there.

The best way to find out more is to call our experts on 01634 686 504 or to look at the range and shop on-line here.

Edgings strips have a huge range of applications and, as such, are available in an equally huge variety of materials, strengths and formats.

The simplest is the standard plastic edge which protects sharp and vulnerable edges. It is durable and flexible enough to clip over irregular shapes. These strips are available in 10, 25 and 50 metre lengths which you simply cut to size and apply.

Heavier duty edging strips offer extra protection & durability to provide a neat and safe finish to sharp edges. These too are available in handy 10, 25 and 50 metre lengths.

Foam edging strips or Edge protectors are prized by the transport industry for protecting products and goods during transportation. As well as being excellent for shipping protection, the foam edge can be used to protect any number of corners and crevices. The edge protector can be used for carrying sheet metal or glass, table tops, protect desk edges, painting protection, fragile goods, MDF, general edge protection etc.

Impact protection profiles provide both a visual warning and a safety cushioning. They protect corners, protruding edges and goods in warehouses, production areas etc. These high quality foam edging protectors are fitted with a self adhesive strip for easy installation to a smooth, dust and grease free surface and are manufactured in flexible age-resistant polyurethane foam.

As we said though – the applications are so varied and the products to Protect, Package and Finish so broad that the best way to find out more is to call our experts on 01634 686 504 or to look at the range and shop on-line here.

Call our experts on 01634 686 504

or to look at the range and

shop on-line here.

Hand in hand, our grips work harder

Our Foam Grips and Sleeves are made from a variety of proprietary foam formulas through the GripWorks division of Sinclair & Rush. The enormous range is such that there is bound to be a solution for almost any hand grip application.

 

Styles range from standard foam bicycle grips to extruded foam grips for rake handles and other long handled tools. Materials also come in a wide variety of formulas, densities, and finishes.

 

 

Smooth Foam Grips are the least expensive foam grips formed from simply foam tubes that go through no conversion process. These straight tubes have a shiny exterior surface and are popular on long handled tools, brooms, rakes, and u-shaped handle bars. Splined Foam are unique foam grips that offer a different look to the extruded foam tube.

 

 

Buffed Foam Grips come from one of the most common methods for turning foam tubes into foam grips, buffing off the exterior skin of the tube. This buffing process yields foam grips that have a sponge-like exterior with a suede-like feel. And Foam Hand Grips are the most common, standard hand grips.

 

We have a large range of Foam Grips and Foam Sleeves held in stock and can soon turn around special orders and / or custom designs. Just call us on  01634 686 504 for advice or FREE SAMPLES or click here to shop on-line now.

 

To help you make sure you are ordering the right size of grip. James Gardner stepped up to the camera to demonstrate exactly how to measure the accurate specifications for the grip you need. Just click on the image below to view the video.

 

 

Consolidated Dip Moulding ~ increased production

Since the acquisition of Component Force and its union into the Sinclair & Rush family in April this year, there has been a lot going on in the background that we hope has been seamless as far as our customers are concerned.

As one big plastics manufacturer and distributor merges with another, there are bound to be operational overlaps. Without revealing all the nitty gritty (you’ll have to buy the book for that!), here’s the simple version to show how everybody wins:

 

 

We have moved all of our Dip Moulding resources to one site – from Laker Road, Rochester to Spectrum West, Maidstone. This has increased our manufacturing capacity enormously. With all the machinery, raw materials and skills now in one place, customers benefit from competitive long run production as well as technical bespoke engineering and manufacture to provide short run and one off solutions – all under one roof.

But what does that mean for Rochester production? We’re very pleased you asked. That has enabled us to increase resources to extend our Injection Moulding and Extrusion Moulding volumes. Product ranges are growing and prices are now more competitive than ever, particularly on longer run orders.

Rochester has also increased its stock holding and distribution capacity. With increased manufacture across a broader product range, we need the capacity so that you (the valued customer) can still benefit from next day delivery.

Whether you buy on-line at www.component-force.com;

ask for our new Product Overview Brochure by calling 01634 686 504;
or dial the same number (that’s 01634 686 504) and ask for assistance to make sure you order the most appropriate product to solve your Protection, Packaging or Finishing needs…

… we still promise next day delivery on any stock item*.

 

[* next day delivery on stock items for orders placed by 15.00 for mainland UK delivery.]