5 Questions from the Booth: Apple Rubber
By MPO Staff | 11.12.18
A dedicated website, rubber molding expertise, and in-house tooling offer manufacturing advantages.
The editorial team members of Medical Product Outsourcing and Orthopedic Design & Technology reached out to representatives at several companies exhibiting at Medica/Compamed this year in case you are unable to see them at the event or are not headed to Germany this year. Hopefully, the following questions we served up to John Tranquilli, materials manager at Apple Rubber will offer you some additional insight to determine if the company is a potential services partner for you.
MPO: What technology or service are you emphasizing at Medica this year?
John Tranquilli: We will be talking about our new medical website www.armedicalseals.com. It is a brand new site for us. We wanted a site that was completely dedicated to our medical molding capabilities and gives our customers the comfort of knowing we are molding the parts in our facility in a certified cleanroom. Also, wanted to let them know we can provide all the quality requirements now requested by companies (see quality documentations). Further, we provide quick links to design tools and added some case studies to help customers move through the buying process with some things to think about before starting a design.
MPO: What’s the most common challenge customers inquire about and how do you address it?
Tranquilli: We typically see companies at Compamed trying to find rubber molders that will produce prototype or low volume part runs. Apple Rubber has its own toolroom to make about 95 percent of our tools. This gives quick turnaround time for prototype and production tooling. We also have an industry low set up cost for prototype parts. This makes it more economical for customers to try their new rubber designs.
MPO: If you could give one piece of advice to companies seeking a manufacturing partner before they make a decision, what would it be?
Tranquilli: Ensure the company is actually manufacturing the parts instead of outsourcing. Also, ensure the company has a well-established quality system.
MPO: What are the forces driving medical device manufacturers to seek your technology/services over doing it in-house?
Tranquilli: With over 40 years of experience designing and producing rubber parts, we can produce parts much more economical with higher precision than most companies can produce in-house. We mate the new technology in manufacturing with the best rubber materials to produce high tolerances and high quality parts.
MPO: In what ways is your company able to aid in getting a product (project) to market faster?
Tranquilli: We are well stocked in various rubber elastomers, so lower lead times on getting material. We also produce 95 percent of our molds in-house so we have the capabilities to design and cut tooling with low lead times. In some cases, we have cut, molded, and shipped parts in less than a week.
Apple Rubber is located at Medica/Compamed in Hall 8B, Booth/Stand F20-3.
MPO: What technology or service are you emphasizing at Medica this year?
John Tranquilli: We will be talking about our new medical website www.armedicalseals.com. It is a brand new site for us. We wanted a site that was completely dedicated to our medical molding capabilities and gives our customers the comfort of knowing we are molding the parts in our facility in a certified cleanroom. Also, wanted to let them know we can provide all the quality requirements now requested by companies (see quality documentations). Further, we provide quick links to design tools and added some case studies to help customers move through the buying process with some things to think about before starting a design.
MPO: What’s the most common challenge customers inquire about and how do you address it?
Tranquilli: We typically see companies at Compamed trying to find rubber molders that will produce prototype or low volume part runs. Apple Rubber has its own toolroom to make about 95 percent of our tools. This gives quick turnaround time for prototype and production tooling. We also have an industry low set up cost for prototype parts. This makes it more economical for customers to try their new rubber designs.
MPO: If you could give one piece of advice to companies seeking a manufacturing partner before they make a decision, what would it be?
Tranquilli: Ensure the company is actually manufacturing the parts instead of outsourcing. Also, ensure the company has a well-established quality system.
MPO: What are the forces driving medical device manufacturers to seek your technology/services over doing it in-house?
Tranquilli: With over 40 years of experience designing and producing rubber parts, we can produce parts much more economical with higher precision than most companies can produce in-house. We mate the new technology in manufacturing with the best rubber materials to produce high tolerances and high quality parts.
MPO: In what ways is your company able to aid in getting a product (project) to market faster?
Tranquilli: We are well stocked in various rubber elastomers, so lower lead times on getting material. We also produce 95 percent of our molds in-house so we have the capabilities to design and cut tooling with low lead times. In some cases, we have cut, molded, and shipped parts in less than a week.
Apple Rubber is located at Medica/Compamed in Hall 8B, Booth/Stand F20-3.
