Procurement managers and decision makers are always focused on how to save time and money for their business. Engineers and shop managers want to do the same thing, working faster and smarter while keeping costs low. Vinyl product protection can often make everyone happy.
The innovative tooling used to create vinyl products can keep your costs down and allow for vastly improved lead times, all while providing quality parts to keep operations running smoothly.
Learn more about the benefits vinyl protection can provide and why it may be the game changer you’ve been looking for when shipping, storing and finishing valuable items for your business.
A benefit of choosing vinyl is the ability to create different sized parts on the same tool. Say you have a simple vinyl cap you want to be made in ¼-inch, ½-inch and ¾-inch lengths. They can all be made using the same tooling. It’s based on how far the tool gets dipped in liquid vinyl, and a single tool can create multiple length sizes as a result (up to a certain limit).
Not only is vinyl a versatile option when you require several different length parts, it can help avoid the need for more expensive custom tools when creating multiple variations within a single part series.
The tooling process for vinyl is typically much quicker when compared to other processes like injection molding. Where an injection tool can require intricate cavities to be made for each part, vinyl tooling is much simpler and quicker to execute. Vinyl tooling requires a set number of molds (mandrels) and their lengths to be determined, and then a mold can be created in short order and production can begin.
When high volume runs are required, vinyl especially shines. Vinyl tools have the space to accommodate many more molds for a single run compared to injection molding, making it the more practical and time-saving option for larger volumes.
Because of this streamlined tooling and manufacturing, vinyl parts can usually be market ready in two to four weeks, where injected molded parts can take between eight and 10 weeks to get up to scale.
Furthermore, vinyl parts are often made in the U.S., meaning products can be shipped to your site much faster than something coming from overseas.
Vinyl is a flexible material that doesn’t require exact tolerances, meaning a single part may fit a variety of near-sized products. This helps avoid the purchase of extra parts, keeping production costs low and shortening lead times. With vinyl, a single run of a part can meet all your current protection needs.
It’s important to note that while vinyl has the flexibility to stretch and is very durable, it should only be placed on products that have the same or slightly larger dimensions. This helps avoid issues such as vinyl caps popping off when being used as a containment solution.
Vinyl caps and plugs come in flat, rounded, rectangular, corner and square shapes, making it easy to find something that will fit securely onto fittings. With vinyl, products can be secured during finishing, shipping and storage, and prevent things like moisture and debris from entering and damaging parts.
Furthermore, vinyl caps and plugs can serve as a protection solution for threaded fittings or studs where even the slightest moisture, dust or debris can cause irreversible damage.
The malleable nature of vinyl allows it to be installed on components of a similar size with ease, regardless of their shape. A vinyl cap or plug can also be removed with little effort, especially when it is flanged.
For environments where grease or oil may be present, textured double-dip vinyl is available. This secondary coating provides a gritted surface and allows for easier gripping. This is especially helpful in slick settings or if gloves are being worn during the installation and removal process.
When certain protective parts are removed from a product, they can leave behind residue. This can lead to costly issues like corrosion or damaged threads.
Vinyl avoids these concerns, even in high-temperature environments or where chemicals are present by having no residual properties. Even more, vinyl is known to keep its original feel and texture for many years, without cracking or delaminating (both of which are known to cause residue).
With its flexible nature, thickness and overall strength, these protectors can stand up to sliding, banging and impact pressures they may be exposed to during shipping.
For instance, vinyl corner guards are a popular choice when shipping and storing items like glass and sheet metal, while vinyl tube caps and square vinyl caps are commonly used when shipping sensitive fittings and tubing.
When products require maximum impact protection, wall thickness can be increased as needed. Rigid acrylic can also be applied as a second coating for improved protection.
Protection for threaded and non-threaded fittings is also available when shipping acme thread forms and can be made thicker as needed.
Vinyl caps, plugs and die cuts are available in a range of different colors which can be crucial when visibility and organization are a priority.
Color coding is a common practice for keeping track of where, and which type, of materials are being stored. A simple example of this is a red color being used to identify hot materials, while blue can let a user know a cold material is being stored. If you have multiple air or fluid lines running at once, color coding can help differentiate when there is an issue like a leak in a system.
Caplugs offers nine standard vinyl color options, including blue, red, yellow and black, that can be ready for manufacturing when you need them. Custom color capabilities are also available to meet brand requirement if needed.
While it’s important to have a part that fits securely and has good overall strength, it’s equally important to have a part that can withstand different elements.
Vinyl protectors can feature material additives with high temperature resistance (up to 500° F intermittent use), UV resistance, conductive and static dissipative properties and more, all of which can be mixed in during the vinyl dip molding process.
These additives can help products and their fittings stand up to corrosion, a range of outdoor environments and precipitation, certain chemicals, as well as higher temperatures associated with finishing processes.
Vinyl dip coating is another protection option, allowing your specific parts to be placed and coated in vinyl. Placing vinyl coating over a fabricated metal object can achieve the same goals as a custom part while being much more affordable. In many instances it can even be a preferable masking option (even when taking pricing out of the equation), as the coating is fixed in place and won’t slip.
More complex custom options are available for vinyl as well. With this option a custom tool gets attached to a frame that is a part of the vinyl molding machine. From there the custom tool gets coated in liquid vinyl and molded like any standard part. While this is a custom option, it still requires less work and cost compared to the tooling for custom injection molding.
Manufactured at our ISO-certified facilities in New York and California, Caplugs is proud to offer thousands of sizes and styles of vinyl caps, plugs and die cuts in-stock and ready to ship today.
Whatever your shipping, storage or finishing needs, we will work to find you the right vinyl part at the right price. Contact our team at your convenience to learn more.