Keyence IM-series Measurement System
Rubber parts are notoriously difficult to measure, as they are soft, and can deform when they are measured with a contact type measurement device such as a caliper, or a CMM. While contact devices are still used, Stern Rubber also uses multiple non-contact measurement devices in their Quality Assurance lab. One of the latest pieces of equipment is a Keyence IM-series Image Dimension Measuring System.
The Keyence IM series devices provide overwhelming measurement speed and high measurement accuracy. The Keyence is able to look at the part that is on the measurement stage, and search for a previously created measurement program, and adjust for location and orientation. There is no need for positioning, which saves time. It is also able to measure all the dimensions at the same time, which saves additional time. And, not only can it measure all the measurements at the same time, it can do all the measurements on multiple parts at the same time. It highlights dimensions that are out of tolerance, so that it can be used to sort parts for dimensional issues.
The Keyence’s specifically designed lens provides a super wide field of view, and has auto focus capabilities, which ensures the part is always in focus, regardless of height differences. The telecentric lens maintains a constant image size regardless of height differences, which allows accurate measurement of parts with uneven surfaces.
A line, or a circle, is recognized using 100 or more parts. On a manual CMM, or an optical comparator, this is often done with only 6 or 8 measurements, so the Keyence is much more accurate. And, because it is automatic, it eliminates operator error. The Keyence also eliminates the influence of burrs or chips by ignoring points at abnormal locations.
The Keyence is very easy to use, so operators do not need a lot of training. For the person doing measuring parts, it is as simple as putting the parts on the stage, and pushing one button. To set up features to be measured, the desired tool is chosen from the menu, and the measurement points are roughly specified on the screen with the mouse. The Keyence does the rest.
To learn more about how this is used, please click here to read a case study about how Leatherman is using a Keyence IM, or here about Fastener Depot. Also, feel free to contact Stern Rubber, and we will be happy to show you the Keyence, along with the other measurement instruments, and how they can be used to measure your parts.
Silicone Rubber – Turbocharger Hoses to Food Storage
Silicone rubber differs from all the other rubbers, in that it is an inorganic, synthetic elastomer, rather than an organic elastomer like all other rubber elastomers. Silicone is made from a crosslinked silicon based polymer, reinforced with fillers. Silicone is virtually unaffected by weather such as rain, snow, humidity, ozone, or UV rays for many years, and is resistant to extreme environments and temperatures from -100° C to +300° C, while still maintaining its useful properties.
Due to its resistance to extreme environments, and its ease of manufacturing, silicone rubber can be found in a wide variety of products, for automotive applications such as turbocharger hoses and spark plug boots, cooking, baking, food storage, apparel, footwear, electronics, medical devices and implants, and in home repair products.
Silicone also has inherently good electrical insulating qualities that do not change significantly under exposure to severe environments, retains is natural flexibility and resilience across a wide temperature range, and has excellent sealing properties. It is also basically inert (no taste or smell), so it is used in many food contact applications.
The first silicone elastomers were developed in the search for better insulating materials for electric motors and generators. At the time, resin-impregnated glass fibers were normally used. The glass was very heat resistant, but the resins would not withstand the higher temperatures that were being encountered with the new smaller electric motors. Chemists at Corning Glass, and General Electric were investigating heat-resistant materials, when they developed the first silicone polymers, and found a method to produce it commercially.
Corning Glass, in a joint venture with Dow Chemical, formed Dow Corning in 1943, to produce this new class of materials. GE opened its own plant to produce silicones in 1947, and is now known as Momentive Performance Materials. Wacker Chemie also started production of silicones in Europe in 1947. Shin-Etsu Chemical, a Japanese company, began to produce silicone in 1953. These four companies are now the main competitors in this market.
Silicone can be extruded into tubes, strips, solid cord, or custom profiles. Cord can be joined to make o-rings and extruded profiles can be joined to make seals. Silicone can also be molded into custom shapes and designs. Silicone is becoming more and more common at the consumer level, and can virtually be found in every room in a typical home, especially in many cooking and baking applications.
Remember, Stern Rubber is always available to help with your material selection. Check out the engineering resources section for more information on materials, which includes a material selection guide.
So, next time you are in your kitchen, look around and see how many parts you can find that are made from silicone!
Lakes, Golf, Great Restaurants and Top Fuel Drag Racing??
The Brainerd area is home to many great things to see and do, but one of the better known ones is the Brainerd International Raceway (BIR). Located just over 35 miles from Staples and Stern Rubber Company, BIR has brought racing to the lakes area for over 40 years, from the open Wednesday night drags to street bike road races, BIR fits all race fan’s needs.
Yet, one of the most popular events hosted at the speedway is the Lucas Oil NHRA nationals. The world renowned BIR welcomes names like John Force, Tony Capps, Antron Brown, and even Minnesota’s own Greg Anderson and Jason Line. For four days at the end of August, these men push their cars to the limits, on one of the fastest drag strips in the country, as they push towards the world championship of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and reach speeds of over 300 miles per hour in less than four seconds.
This year, BIR hosted these ground pounding, mind blowing, super fast racers, from the 20th to the 23rd of August. This event is more than just racing for the fans, BIR offers the opportunity to go down into the pits and see the crews up close and even snag a few autographs from racers. Yet, what makes BIR different from most of the tracks on the NHRA circuit is the opportunity to camp on site.
This year’s race at the speedway was a record breaking one. Winning the Lucas Oil nationals is a huge accomplishment for any driver, but doing it in the Lucas Oil sponsored car is an even bigger deal. Well, now Richie Crampton knows that feeling. After a close win in the first round, Crampton cruised his way to victory winning over the daughter of John Force, Brittany. Crampton hit a driving speed of 325.30 miles per hour in a recorded 3.695 seconds and became the only number one qualifier to win a Wally trophy during the final round of the Nationals, on Sunday at BIR. His Competitor came in with a close second reaching a speed of 293.79 miles per hour in 3.77 seconds. Record breaking races like this occur every year at Brainerd International Raceway, and the fans can’t wait for nationals to roll into town.
BIR is still more than just a place for the pros to race. Anyone with the need for speed, and the desire to drive, can make their way to the same track, in the heart of Minnesota that their idols drive on, and test their driving ability against one of the fastest tracks in the country.
Rubber From Goldenrod?
When you first here the name Thomas Edison, the first thought that comes to one’s mind is the electric light bulb, the phonograph, or one of the other 1,093 inventions he patented in his career.
Yet, Edison’s work extended past these items he developed while in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Following the death of Edison’s first wife, Mary, in 1884, Edison moved his work from Menlo Park to West Orange, New Jersey, and in 1885 purchased a retreat in Fort Myers, Florida. This would later be named Seminole Lodge. Yet, to Edison, this new Seminole Lodge would soon have a very specific purpose.
As war approached in 1914, Edison and his Fort Myers neighbor, Henry Ford began to worry about the United States’ reliance on foreign rubber production. So, the two teamed up with their other friend, Harvey Firestone, to attempt to find a plant that would grow quickly, and contained enough latex to produce a usable rubber. As this big idea to develop rubber in the United States was generated, it was soon put into action. In 1927, the three men contributed $25,000 a piece to build the Edison botanical garden and research lab in Fort Myers, which would serve as an ideal growing area for the exotic species Edison would attempt to grow.
In 1928, Edison soon began planting tens of thousands of exotic plants, which could potentially produce the valuable latex, on his property in Fort Myers. As Edison worked and tested these plants, he would send any evidence of rubber or latex to his lab in West Orange for further testing, while he continued his work in Florida.
After testing 17,000 different plant species, Edison finally discovered that the plant that produced the most latex was Goldenrod, which Edison figured contained around 12% latex. Edison continued his work on the project until just a few months before his death in 1931, and the project was later transferred to the United States Department of Agriculture.
Although, Edison put his heart and soul into this project, by World War 2, Henry Ford and his new team of researches discovered that synthetic rubber was a much quicker and more effective process to use for tire production on Ford’s vehicles. The work Edison had done with the goldenrod was abandoned.
Edison and Ford’s winter estates in Fort Myers, Florida are now a historical museum in which many flock to see each year. The property still has both men’s original homes, Edison’s laboratory, as well as 21 acres of the botanical garden that still houses many of the species Edison planted. It also includes one of the largest Banyan trees in existence, measuring 400 feet, as well as thousands of other species, that he and his wife, Mina planted while they were in Florida.
Although Edison is so greatly known for his work with electricity, he was also one of the key developers of natural rubber and attempted to change the industry in a time of crisis.
Watch Bands for American Made Watches
One of Stern Rubber’s customers is Shinola. Shinola is a fairly new company, with a very old name, that most people will recognize.
The original Shinola brand of shoe shine was founded in 1907, and, grew in popularity and demand during WWI, due to the sheer number of army boots that needed shining. Of course, Shinola wasn’t the only shoe shine out there, but the brand name is one of the most memorable for the saying “You don’t know sh*t from Shinola.” The origin of this popular colloquialism leads us back to two people—a Private and his General. So the story goes, a disgruntled young Private decided to shine his General’s shoes one day with sh*t rather than Shinola. The rumor spread along the front lines, and when the war ended, the legacy was imprinted on the American vernacular.
Shinola is a company that embraces and encourages manufacturing in the United States. They have built a watch factory in downtown Detroit, and are now manufacturing and selling bicycles, fine leather goods, pet products, and of course shoe shine, among others.
Stern Rubber started doing business with Shinola in 2013, when they started transfer molding rubber watch bands for the sport versions of their watches. One style and size in one color has grown to 3 styles in multiple colors and sizes.
In 2015, Shinola started making watches for Filson, who is one of their sister companies, and again, Stern Rubber was asked to make rubber bands for some of the styles.
Stern Rubber continues to work on new styles and new colors for Shinola and for Filson. Check back on their websites, to see the upcoming colors and styles!
If you are interested in purchasing very high quality, American made products, check out Shinola.com or Filson.com, or stop at one of their stores.
Click here to watch a video that Shinola created about Stern Rubber.
Cool Inventions And Products That Are All Minnesota
Minnesota is known for its many inventions, inventors and entrepreneurs. Here is just a few of them that you may recognize.
In 1935, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, physicians invent the first oxygen mask for Northwest Airlines.
In 1922, in Lake City MN, Ralph W. Samuelson was towed behind his motorboat, on what was the first practical water skis. He steam bent, two eight foot pine boards into water skis.
In 1946, Mound MN, Mound Metalcraft invented the Tonka Truck made of metal tie-rack and in 1955 changed its name to Tonka Toys, which honored the Lake Minnetonka, in which Mound is on the western shores of this lake.
In 1980, Minneapolis, MN soon to be inventor Scott Olson and his brother Brennan Olson invented Rollerblades. Scott was a student who played hockey, but wanted to create a skate with wheels that he could use for training during the summer months when the ice as scarce. He found a pair hockey skates at a second hand store and added wheels to invent a three wheel inline roller skate. Although many companies had been trying to invent an inline roller skate, it wasn’t until 1984, when Bob Naegele, Jr., a Minneapolis businessman, bought the small company from Scott Olson and created the first commercially successful inline skates and called the company Rollerblades Inc.
In 1956, at their plant in Roseau MN, Polaris Industries created the first practical, commercial snowmobile. Although Joseph-Armand Bombardier (BRP) of Valcourt, Quebec was inventing snow transport machines, Bombardier didn’t invent their snow mobile until 1959.
In 1957, Earl Bakken works from his small garage electronic repair business called Medtronic. Earl is working with the medical condition called “Blue Babies”, where babies born with a poor heart condition causes poor circulation and renders the babies with a blue tint. In October of 1957, a blackout in Minneapolis creates the need for a consistent power supply in the treatment of his “blue babies.” Dr. Lillehei talks to Earl Bakken to create a solution to remedy this problem and one month later, Medtronic creates the first battery operated, self-contained, transistorized cardiac pacemaker that is worn near the patient chest without cords.
In 1951, Bloomington, MN, The Toro Company created the first home use snow blower.
In the 1920’s, St. Paul MN, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, 3M created the first waterproof sandpaper that greatly reduces airborne particles and thus improving the working conditions in American automobile manufacturing plants. In 1925, Richard G. Drew who is a young lab assistant at 3M invents masking tape, leading the way to other products like Scotch Brand tapes.
In 1969, Savage MN, Terrell and Donavan Stern start Stern Rubber Company, creating molded rubber products for companies like Polaris, BRP, Toro, 3M and Medtronic.
Butyl Rubber – From Tires to Chewing Gum
Butyl rubber is another one of the synthetic rubbers, and is a copolymer of isobutylene and isoprene. It is impermeable to air, has high dampening characteristics, and high resistance to ozone and heat ageing. It is used in the manufacture of adhesives, fiber optic compounds, caulks and sealants, gasoline/ diesel fuel additive, mounts, and even in chewing gum!
Due to its impermeability, it is used in many applications requiring an airtight rubber. The first major application of butyl rubber was tire inner tubes, and tire inner liners are by far, the largest application for butyl today.
Its vibration dampening characteristics make a very good choice for body mounts, and can be formulated to have an intermediate level of oil resistance, so it can be used in engine and transmission mounts.
Bromine or chlorine can be added to the small isoprene fraction of the butyl to make bromo-butyl or chloro-butyl (known as halobutyls). The properties of these are similar to regular butyl, but they can be cured more rapidly, and with different and smaller amounts of curative agents. As a result the bromo-butyl and chloro-butyl can be co-cured with other elastomers.
Butyl was first produced by American scientists William Sparks and Robert Thomas at the Standard Oil Company. During World War II, butyl was known as GR-I, for Government Rubber – Isobutylene. Today, the majority of butyl rubber is produced by just two companies, Exxonmobil (the successor to Standard Oil), and Lanxess AG, of Germany.
Some of the specific applications include an additive in lubricating oils and motor fuels, as a binding agent in explosives such as C-4, bladders in sporting balls such as footballs, rubber roofing, gas masks because of its impermeability to gases, medical stoppers, and chewing gum. Most chewing gum uses food-grade butyl as the central gum base, which contributes to the gum’s elasticity, and also an obstinate, sticky quality.
Remember, Stern Rubber is always available to help with your material selection. Check out the engineering resources section for more information on materials, which includes a material selection guide.
So, the next time that you are chewing gum, remember that what you are chewing on, is also found in the tires on your car!
We recently started doing business with Tenere. Tenere is full service, contract manufacturer that specializes in providing engineering support. They do sheet metal fabrication, rapid prototyping, plastic injection molding, and machining.
One of their latest projects (and the one that we are involved with) is a platform that is part of the HP Sprout computer and scanner. Our part is the top piece of the 3D Capture Stage that the part sits on while the part is being scanned.
The 3D Capture Stage also rotates such that the part is rotated at different angles, so that the scanner and cameras capture the full object that is being scanned.
The HP Sprout is a revolutionary all-in-one computer and 3d scanner that makes it easy to scan and object, manipulate it in the digital world, and then “print” the modified version. The Sprout is a Windows PC, but HP has added custom software and an overhead projector/ camera that can scan 3D pictures. It was guilt specifically for people doing creative things. This includes advertisers and designers, but is hoping that a certain kind of consumer will also be interested.
The Sprout was introduced in the fall of 2014, but they just added the 3D Capture Stage, which makes is much easier to get a 3D scan, without having to reposition the item to get a complete scan.
The scanning and 3D printing technology is amazing and has been rapidly evolving, and good for the consumer, has been coming down in price! If you do not know much about this type of technology, see below to read more.
Stern Rubber has a Creaform 3D scanner that is used by the Quality Assurance personnel to compare parts against the original cad models, and also have a MakerBot 3D printer.
Here is an article about the Sprout and the new 3D Capture stage.
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2485880,00.asp
Here is a video showing how the new Sprout and 3D Capture Stage works.
On Sunday, July 12th, Central Minnesota was hit with a massive thunderstorm. This storm started near the North Dakota border, where it spun several tornadoes, before it tore through central Minnesota with hurricane force winds. The wind just north of Brainerd hit over 100mph, which is the same as a Category 2 Hurricane.
The storm knocked out power for more than 20,000 people, and did affect Stern Rubber on Sunday night, as the third shift did not operate, due to the lack of power. The facility did get power back during the night, and 1st shift was able to operate. Many areas of Brainerd were without power for up to a week, making this the longest power outage in Minnesota due to a storm.
The company did have several employees that had storm damage that was mainly based on down trees, with many of them falling on houses and cars.
The storm caused such damage that many resorts and golf courses were forced to close for up to a couple of weeks during the height of vacation season. The hardest hit were Madden’s Resort and Craguns, while Kavanaugh’s, and Grand View Lodge also took drastic damage. Madden’s has several buildings destroyed. These are some of the largest and oldest resorts in Minnesota, and with the tree loss, will never look the same. There were also several other small resorts and campgrounds that were damaged.
The best news to come out of all of this was that neighbors pulled together to check on each other, and help each other. Unbelievably, there were no deaths, and not even any major injuries. The National Weather Service did a great job getting out an early warning,
Below are some links to some of the many stories that covered the storm and all of the damage.
https://www.brainerddispatch.com/news/weather/3799915-winds-hit-100-mph-storm-some-sections-wind-reached-category-2-hurricane-force
https://www.startribune.com/rollicking-night-of-damaging-storms-from-w-minn-to-twin-cities/314534791/
Time to Celebrate!
As noted back in May, Stern Rubber Company recently was awarded the Supplier of the Year award in the Rubber and Plastics from American Valve and Hydrant for 2014. The company won this award for 100% quality and 100% on time delivery.
Also, this spring, Stern Rubber won two awards from Polaris Industries for 2014. The first was an award for Delivery. This is given for the percentage of shipments without a DDR (Delivery Discrepancy Report) being written being greater than 99.5%. A DDR can be written for over/under shipments, late or early shipments, damaged freight, documentation issues, labeling issues, packaging issues, compliance issues, NAFTA issues, not filling out the ASN (advanced shipping notice) correctly, or not following the ASN correctly. Stern Rubber ended the year with 100% delivery!
The second award was for Quality. Polaris gives an “A” Quality Award to companies with a PPM reject rate of less than 100. Polaris gives a “B” Quality award to companies with a PPM reject rate of 101 to 300. Stern Rubber won an “A” Quality Award for a PPM of 45 for 2014!
The company recently held a celebration to say “Thank You!” to all of the employees by cooking a picnic lunch.
These awards are proudly displayed in the new front office at the Staples facility!
