Handgrips come in all shapes, sizes, textures and colours.

Some background to the resources now available from S&R, manufacturing and stocking handgrips in Kent for OEMs in UK and Europe:

It was mid-2012 that Sinclair & Rush inc added to the already extensive range of grips and grip prototypes available from the group by acquiring Hunt-Wilde, whose pioneering tooling and design innovations began in 1946 when they started manufacturing injection moulded parts, primarily for cycle handlebar grips.

As US bicycle manufacturing moved offshore, Hunt-Wilde grew the capacity for further diversification into other markets – lawn & garden; sports & leisure; industrial tooling; medical and general engineering. HW created the facilities and technology to service ‘mass customisation’. Now, this tooling, methodology and product range sit alongside the technologies and skills of Sinclair & Rush’s own 60 years of experience.

So what does that mean for you:

If you are an OEM and the right grip is important to you, you will be pleased to know that all matters 'grip' well and truly in hand. 

Tools are not only made stronger by the addition of creatively designed user friendly plastic grips, but branding and other corporate personalisation can be added. Each grip has a practical as well as aesthetic and ergonomic quality to add value to any OEM application. And those applications are about as varied as the range ... we have the Straight Grip; the Classic Finger Grip; the Rib-Finned Grip; then there’s the Honeycomb Grip; and last but not least, the Flanged Tapered Grip.

As you reach for your pliers, do you ever wonder at the global resources that have combined to create the branded plastic grips on the handles – well of course not …

…but if you are a hand tools manufacturer or OEM in that industry, then finding the most cost-effective means, source and logistics for finishing and differentiating the grips and handles on your products over the competitions’ is a year round task.

Obviously Sinclair & Rush can help by manufacturing grips to your individual specifications – right here in Kent. You can source the grip solutions you need from the massive range we manufacture and hold in stock – or you can specify bespoke grips for special applications which we will manufacture to order.

Whether you are designing a sophisticated piece of fitness equipment or simple garden tool, one factor remains the same ... the hand grip you choose is the main point of contact between your product and your customer.

Be innovative in your grip designs to help ensure that this contact is a positive one.

After all - in this business they really do have your future in the palms of their hands.

Call us today for advice, to order or simply to request your FREE sample bag: 01634 686 504.

Or click on the Shop Now button below to shop on-line now:

01634 686 504

A history of ‘Thinking Plastic’ - Caps

StockCap is the global division of Sinclair & Rush specialising in dip and extrusion moulding caps and plugs and fully operative for both short and long run manufacture here in Kent.

The StockCap selection of vinyl products is extensive and economical. These products are used for applications ranging from high-temperature masking to decoration while ensuring low cost and a high rate of satisfaction. They are used to keep open ports free of contaminants; to protect delicate threads; and to finish product by covering rough edges, exposed bolts and pipe ends for protection and safety during shipping and storage.

With caps and plugs in a variety of styles, colours, and sizes, StockCap from Sinclair & Rush offers an affordable solution for your product protection needs.

A history of ‘Thinking Plastic’ - Caps

With over 60 pioneering years in the field of dip moulding, StockCap is proud to have contributed so greatly to the evolution of this unique manufacturing process. Originally used in the art of candle making, dip moulding has grown into a high-tech manufacturing method that competes head to head with other plastic and rubber moulding processes.

Injection moulded parts are often the best choice for complex, high volume products that require tight tolerances. The process involves injecting plastic raw material at high pressure into a cavity that is designed to replicate the shape of the finished product.

What is ‘dip moulding’?

In its basic form, dip moulding involves the heating of a metal mould with the internal dimensions of the desired part. These heated moulds are then immersed or "dipped" in a tank of liquid plastisol (PVC). The heat from the mould attracts the cool plastisol and the part is formed. The moulds are extracted from the liquid and heat cured. After the parts are cured, they are cooled, stripped from the moulds, and packed for shipment or secondary operation.

Benefits of Dip Moulded Caps:

Caps of varying lengths can be made with no tooling charge.

Vinyl material stretches to fit odd shapes and easily conforms to beaded or flared tubes.

Vinyl material will not crack or split like Low Density Polyethylene.

Vinyl material does not shred when capping or plugging threaded items.

Perfect for high temp applications:

Vinyl Caps are resistant to +220˚C for short periods of time, making them ideal for use on powder coating & paint spraying where the application of heat is involved. The flexibility of the vinyl material makes it easy to fit irregular tubular shapes. They are quick to apply and easy to remove – even from those awkward places. If it is a particularly difficult spot you need to protect, try using our Grab Tab Caps (left & right above).

What is the best way to measure the cap spec.?

James from Component Force – our component stock and distribution division, will explain how to measure your tube for cap fitting if you click the video link:

The types of Caps that we can supply, many in stock ready for next day delivery, include: Plastic Caps, Vinyl Caps, Rubber Caps, Round Caps, Nut Caps, Square Caps, Rectangular Caps, Flanged Safety Caps, Threaded Caps, Grab Tab Caps, Pull Tab Caps, I-Beam Caps, Stud Protection Caps, EPDM Rubber Caps, Silicone Rubber Caps, USB Caps, Heat Shrink Caps, High Temperature Caps, Hanger Caps, Flange Covers, Angle Caps, Hexagonal Caps, Custom Caps and many more.

Find out more about StockCap caps and plugs by reading our on-line flip-book – click here.

Call us today for advice, to order or simply to request your FREE sample bag: 01634 686 504.

Or click on the Shop Now button below to shop on-line now:

01634 686 504

Customer love and the service ethos.

As you know, you can source products and components from the many thousand of items we hold in stock, many for next day delivery.

We have, probably, the biggest single source of Protection, Packaging and Finishing products in Europe, offering specialist plastics manufacturing operations supply OEMs and distributors with dip and injection moulded plastic, rubber & nylon caps, plugs, sleeves and hand grips from stock and engineered to bespoke order.  We also stock and supply clear plastic boxes, clamshells and tubes for packaging; and huge varieties of tube inserts, feet, castors, wheels, hinges, fastenings, locks and latches for finishing.

But our passion for what we have and who we serve doesn't end there.

Our strength has always been the ability to produce customised product protection solutions for customers. Our experienced engineers create a product designed specifically for customer needs, using cutting edge software and machinery to protect valuable components for OEM end use. Our skills are even called upon as part of prototype design and modelling to ensure that masking and plugging supports engineering efficiency throughout component life.

It may just be a plastic wiring sleeve to some people, but to Sinclair & Rush it’s the wiring sleeve for a part of a component that becomes part of yet another unit that may, in turn, contribute to the hydraulics of the tooling element of a manufacturing process – whatever it is, we are always proud to have done our bit. 

We just love it...

If you have:

• a tube that needs a liner;
• a chair leg that needs a lovely new foot;
• two components that need a hinge;
• garden tools you manufacture that need grips to enhance the product and show off the brand;
• or if you are a global engine manufacturer needing to plug and protect vital components from invasive swarf, powder coating or heat treatment;
• a distributor wanting bold branding and clear instructions on plastic point of sale packaging;
• an engineering company needing bespoke plastic dip moulded caps, sleeves or plugs …

 …then just call us and see what we can do to help.

The more we are able to listen to customers and understand the applications to which our plastic products are used, the better we can fit our solutions and service levels to the need. That’s why our Customer Services and Sales departments work so closely together, to make Sinclair & Rush customers as happy as they clearly are.

When you phone with a masking query and need advice about protecting crucial components as they pass through an invasive finishing process – it really does make a difference to hear clear expertise as the solutions are explained, topped with our friendly professionalism as you are guided through the options available from Sinclair & Rush.

But service doesn't stop with the solution and sale. The dip moulded caps, plugs, sleeves; and clear plastic display boxes, clamshells and tubing; or customised, branded tool grips – none of these actually make a difference to your business until we have delivered them to you, on time and to the specifications you expected and anticipated.

That’s what our customers need – so that’s what they get.

For our lovely Customer Services call   01622 693 200

For our lovely Sales team call   01634 686 504

To shop on-line – just click the 'Shop Now' image below:

Quality masking for a quality finish

In the industrial finishing process, what you don’t paint is as important as what you do paint. 

Threads, studs and crucial surface areas need to be effectively masked. That masking needs to be suitable for low to high pressure treatments as well as high temperature environments such as powder and E-coating finishes.

The cost implications of leaks, cracks and other failures can be catastrophic. Taping can be time consuming both to apply and remove and ineffective on repeat processes.

All of which is why we have become one of the largest global manufacturers and suppliers of plastic and rubber masking caps, plugs and sleeves.

Choose from a wide variety of standard caps, plugs and custom shapes, all of which are available in materials and lengths to suit your application. Many sizes are held in stock. But we also specialise in medium to high run bespoke manufacturing in house, designed to your specifications.

Sizes, shapes and materials vary according to the application – so don’t try to fit a round peg into a square hole … literally.

Flexible Short Caps, for instance, can be applied quickly and easily. No matter what the application, they fit snugly without cracking or splitting. Short Caps also possess excellent insulation qualities and resist weather, moisture and chemicals.

Applications include:

• Thread Protectors
• Masks (for painting, plating, powder coating, shot blasting)
• Insulators
• Decorators
• Seals
• colour Coding

Plugs are designed to provide tight seals for threaded and non-threaded through holes. Silicone plugs will resist temperatures up to 600°F (316°C) and are specifically designed for powder coating and E-coating applications.

The tapered plug design of these plugs allows one size to fit multiple ports while the soft rubber material conforms to provide a tight seal. EPDM plugs are ideal for most plating and anodizing applications due to their excellent resistance to chemicals.

Using the right caps or plugs for the right job is essential.

It is important to fully understand the customers’ needs in order to suggest the most appropriate and cost effective solutions. If, for some reason, we can’t visit the site, then photographs and technical drawings of the component and the areas that need protecting do help our own engineers to plan, structure and cost our proposals.
 

What are we protecting the crucial parts from? What are we keeping out and what are we keeping in? What temperatures and materials are the parts going to be exposed to during the rigorous finishing stages of their life?

We have many 'off-the-shelf' solutions in the form of caps and plugs such as the plastic plugs on the engine mounting (above) protecting the threads from abrasive dirt ingress. However, with some lateral thought from our custom moulding engineering department, instead of applying five plugs before steam cleaning the unit, the fast application and removal of a multiple plug speeds the process up enormously (below).

This plastic diaphragm has been designed to protect the engine module as it is shipped from a manufacturer in the UK to an OME in China where it will become part of a mobile power unit. We really can’t stress enough how important it is for our customers to fully involve our sales engineers at the planning and design stage...

… A combined cap / plug diaphragm like this is clearly not an off-the-shelf product, but the result of combined, creative, engineering skill to create a solution that has become integral in an extended and global manufacturing process.

Whether you simply want a low order quantity of flexible caps from stock, or have a bespoke application that needs a cost-effective solution, just pick up the phone and we'll be pleased to help.

Call now for expert advice on 01634 686 504 or take a look and buy on-line through the Shop Now button below:

 01634 686 504

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