Midwest Rubber does more than just manufacture rubber and polymer parts. We are often privileged to be part of a process that begins with a person’s idea, and ends with a product that makes a difference. That could mean making something work more effectively, saving time and money, or in the case of the Starlock Cushion, using our dip molding process to produce something that makes people’s daily lives a little safer and more comfortable.
Several years ago, a medical inventor came to us with a production challenge. He had developed a custom mold for his product, an inflatable medical cushion. The cushion had many angles and channels that were critical to its performance, but would make it very difficult to manufacture. After examining the mold and conducting some research, we determined that our proprietary dip molding process would allow us to meet the rigorous manufacturing specifications for the cushion. In the dip molding process, a mold (in this case, the cushion mold) is dipped into a polymer, neoprene, or similar material in order to mold a part. After reviewing the sample we created, our customer asked us to begin production.
The inflatable medical Starlock Cushion that our customer invented is remarkable. Unlike other inflatable cushions, the transfer of air can be locked throughout every individual cell, rather than just two or four zones, allowing for customized support (or no contact zones) perfectly contoured to a person’s unique shape. The cushions come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and come with a stretchable cover for additional comfort and protection. They are widely used and distributed internationally, and have been used by some of the smartest people of our time.
The Midwest Rubber team takes great pride in helping to meet the highly specialized needs of the medical industry, and we have been doing so for more than 60 years. Do you have a manufacturing challenge that you could use assistance with? Give us a call and let’s find a solution together.
Success Story: Starlock Cushion
