Finely modulated formulations from our in-house development lab
Theoretically conceived formulations are put through their paces in RADO's laboratory. Our chemists start by making small batches of the mix in special mixing units, in order to determine properties such as hardness, density, viscosity and vulcanising characteristics and to compare them with the requirements specified by the customer.
If our chemists give it a positive rating, we present the material to the customer. A new compound only goes into series production once the customer is completely satisfied with a new-formulation mix produced under series conditions.
Optimised processing of customer formulations
Sometimes our customers give us formulations which they want us to blend on their behalf. In such cases we enter the formulations into our own IT system, taking great care to enter all the details accurately and ensuring that all entries are double-checked.
Once we have the formulation, our process engineers plan and formalise the mixing process to ensure that we obtain an absolutely homogeneous product meeting the customer's expectations and specifications in every respect. We do of course maintain absolute confidentiality in this type of collaboration.
Here it is not simply a matter of mixing together the ingredients listed in the formulation. Of much greater importance are factors such as the following:
- What type of mixing units to use?
- In what sequence and when to add the raw materials?
- What operating conditions to choose for the mixing process (temperature, duration, energy input, etc.)?
This requires a lot of expertise, which RADO and its highly trained employees can be relied upon to offer.
Compounds based on all common rubber types
RADO's core skills lie in the production of fluoro and silicone rubber compounds. However, our employees are also experienced in all other rubber types. At our main plant we produce several thousand tonnes of compounds each year, based on natural rubber, NBR rubber, EPDM rubber and chloroprene rubber, as well as many other types.
The expert knowledge of RADO's developers and chemists means that they know exactly what properties the raw materials that are used have, and what their impact is on the formulation. Naturally, we carry out complex analyses at every stage of formulation development and production, to verify and record the make-up of the various mixes.