How OEMs Use Custom Engineering to Make Rubber Components More Cost-Effective

Soucy Baron
Custom rubber parts
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While automation and technology are key for labor cost reduction, OEMs should also focus on another major area: bill of materials (BOM) costs. These represent over 50% of manufacturing costs and provide a significant opportunity for cost reduction.

A Manufacturing Business Technology article about reducing costs says, “Traditional cost-saving initiatives include improving labor productivity and sourcing product components where they were cheaper. The latter is important — it usually represents more than 50 percent of the cost structure of a manufacturing company.”

Reducing BOM costs involves more than just opting for cheaper parts. OEMs must source rubber components that balance cost, quality, and consistency, ensuring reliable supply chains and maintaining performance.

Achieving value engineering requires examining factors like cost and functionality, not just for finished products, but for every component, including rubber parts

As noted by Forbes, ‘Your supply partners are invaluable in finding more cost-efficient materials without sacrificing integrity.’ Manufacturers should leverage their expertise to optimize material choices for cost-saving opportunities.

By considering the total cost of ownership (TCO), manufacturers can see how components, especially rubber parts, impact both durability and maintenance needs. These rubber components not only reduce costs but also improve TCO, ultimately boosting profitability.

How can components be re-engineered to provide necessary functions at a lower cost and reduce the total cost of ownership? Read on to find out.

Standard parts often include excess material. By reassessing specifications, engineers can design custom rubber components that are precisely suited to the application, achieving the same performance with reduced material usage and lower overall costs.
For example, thicker gaskets don’t improve sealing performance, yet they add cost. By switching to custom rubber parts, OEMs can meet specifications while reducing material waste and costs.

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How a component is made, and the way a component is attached to a part can often be done more efficiently at a lower cost. Design engineers find ways to reduce costs through process improvements by asking questions such as the following:

Injection molding eliminates post-processing steps like cutting, shaping, and bonding, making it efficient for achieving precise shapes. In contrast, extrusion molding requires extra post-processing, potentially generating excess scrap. 

Compression molding offers cost-effective tooling for low-volume production and is suitable for thick, large parts, producing complex features without secondary processes, making it more efficient for certain applications.

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For specific functionality such as enhanced performance and durability, friction reduction, or chemical resistance, coatings may be applied to rubber components. Many types of coatings are available, including spray, dip, brush, roll, electrostatic, and powder. 

To improve cost-effectiveness, the coating selection should be re-evaluated and optimized to best align with the component’s requirements. For example, roll coating is well-suited to high-volume production of flat or cylindrical parts, and can reduce waste compared to spray or dip coatings. Roll and spray coating can be automated to reduce labor costs compared to a manual process like brush coating.

Adhesion is used between rubber components and substrates such as metal, plastic, and rubber. Consistency is essential in the adhesion process. To ensure conformance, quality, and efficiency, rubber solutions engineers look at many factors related to adhesion:

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The correct solvents or cleaning agents, along with mechanical abrasion and chemical priming improve bonding.

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the best adhesive choice will depend on the materials, environmental conditions, and stresses on the component.

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the thickness of adhesive is a critical quality control factor to ensure uniform bonding. Where possible, automation can be used to improve consistency.

In all processes, engineers search for different ways to optimize efficiency:

  • Eliminate extra assembly steps
  • Replace labor-intensive steps with automation
  • Improve precision to reduce rework
  • Reduce scrap to eliminate waste

In some cases, rubber components may exceed the performance requirements for a given application. For example, seals and gaskets may be unnecessarily thick or complex when simpler solutions could suffice. An O-ring used in a low-pressure application, for instance, doesn’t need to be made from an expensive elastomer. By selecting more economical materials that still meet the functional requirements, OEMs can achieve significant cost savings without compromising performance.

Re-evaluating specifications allows engineers to optimize the material formulation. Factors that can be adjusted include the following:

Grade and blend: Using a lower grade to achieve the necessary functionality can reduce costs. For example, FKM is a premium fluoroelastomer ideal for applications that require high chemical resistance and stability at high temperatures. However, if that level of performance isn’t needed, then a rubber like nitrile would reduce the cost. Blending elastomers can also result in optimized cost.

Additives: To enhance mechanical properties, additives such as carbon black or silica may be used. Where possible, adjusting filler content can reduce costs without affecting performance. By adjusting the additives, a lower grade can be used to achieve higher performance.

Increasing durability and energy efficiency and reducing maintenance are all ways to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) for OEM customers. Custom-engineered rubber components reduce TCO in multiple ways, such as

  • Isolating or shielding sensitive electronics and components against contaminants, temperature extremes, and physical shock
  • Damping vibration to reduce stress on other parts, thereby reducing wear and the need for maintenance and replacement
  • Providing optimal stiffness to transfer energy efficiently, reducing wasted movement
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Re-engineering rubber components for cost effectiveness When looking for ways to reduce component costs, it’s essential to look at both the immediate and long-term cost savings. A custom rubber solutions partner like Soucy Baron offers expertise in formulation, molding, adhesion, manufacturing efficiency, and quality control.

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