Star Thermoplastics' solution for a Colorado custom Molder when another firm fails to meet specs. A custom Molder built a mold made specifically to accommodate a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) material. The TPV was chosen to replace an existing thermoset EPDM material used to make a small bellow-like lock grommet. The grommet is used to reduce vibration in a locking assembly and enable snap back after activation. With a volume of 5 million parts per year, functionality and cost of the part was of critical importance. It was deemed that thermoset rubber, while functionally adequate, was too expensive. With potential cost savings in mind, the custom Molder started looking for a supplier of TPV materials. After finding a supplier and a candidate TPV mater

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