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Non-contact measurement with extreme precision

Rubber precision moulding

At Medanco, everything revolves around precision rubber products. Every day, we work on solutions accurate to within hundredths of a millimeter. But with new products, it doesn’t stop at manufacturing – precise measurement is just as important.

That’s why we measure without contact, ensuring the product doesn’t deform during measurement. Using our advanced 3D scanner and custom-designed tools – which we design and print in-house with our 3D printer – we can measure quickly and with extreme precision.

In the photo, you can see our measurement setup: a specially developed positioning jig on an illuminated plate, allowing us to perfectly align the product for scanning. A great example of how practical innovation and technical expertise come together.

Cutting machine developed

Semiconductor - Particle free

Medanco has developed a cutting table in collaboration with our toolmaker for the highly precise cutting of non-flat rubber sheets. This enables us to cut these sheets in a high-quality, efficient, ergonomic, and safe manner. With the special clamping system, the product is securely held in place and can be cut with minimal deformation. The clamping parts are interchangeable, allowing for any shape to be cut. We perform this process in a clean room environment.

Continuous improvement

Smart Packing - Clean room production

Time is a crucial – if not the most important – factor in the cost price of a product. The shorter the time, the more cost-efficient the product. Through continuous improvement, we strive to reduce this time, while of course maintaining quality.
A great example of such an improvement is the packaging of our cassettes. These cleanroom products are relatively large, asymmetrical, and therefore difficult to stack. Inspired by the way a baker wraps a loaf of bread, we developed a smart and efficient packaging method.
The cassettes are placed on a specially designed mold, in exactly the right quantity. A bag is easily slipped over, after which it is tightly sealed using a sealing device with light vacuum. This allows the cassettes to be packed efficiently and neatly into the box.
The benefits at a glance:
1. Time savings in the packaging process
2. Consistent quantity: always the correct number of cassettes per package
3. Tightly sealed, allowing optimal use of space in the box and on the pallet
4. Ergonomically sound, making the process more comfortable for our employees
A great example of co-creation between engineering and operators – jointly developed and successfully implemented!

Medical production

Medical - Clean room injection moulding

Fully automated production in a clean room (class 7). This is also where Medanco operates, primarily producing medical products through injection molding. Attached is a photo of the production of a TPE membrane. We use biocompatible materials, ensuring an ultra-clean production environment and precise tolerances. Products are removed using a robot, and extensive monitoring of both the machine and mold guarantees product quality.

Customized precision seals

High Tech - Rubber moulding

🔧 Precision in Sealing Technology
Rubber seals can be made using O-rings, but also with flat gaskets or seals. We manufacture both types in-house, fully customized – with materials tailored to your needs and extremely tight tolerances.

Here's a great example from our production line: a flat rubber seal, custom die-cut with adjustable thickness and a precision of up to ±0.05 mm. Depending on the raw material, we can produce seals as thin as 0.3 mm.

With our wide range of universal dies, we offer great flexibility in both inner and outer diameters.
🔩 True precision sealing, tailored to your application.

Rubber injection 32 cavities

Medical - Rubber injection moulding

Recently, the production capacity of a high-demand rubber product was expanded due to an increased need from our customer. A new 32-cavity rubber injection mold was created, and a new injection press was purchased. The high cavity count for an injection mold, while maintaining a compact size, allowed us to achieve this cost-efficiently. CTF dimensions with tolerances of +/- 0.05 mm! We are extremely proud that our engineering team was able to achieve this in collaboration with the toolmaker.

Rubber and metal bonding

Food - Rubber pressing

Did you know that rubber and metal can be permanently bonded through vulcanization? At Medanco, we master this process down to the finest detail — from a clean start to a reliable finish. This is an example of a suction cup with a metal insert.

It all begins with proper surface preparation:
✅ Degreasing and cleaning the metal to a bare, contamination-free surface
✅ Roughening the bonding area (e.g. via grit blasting) to maximize adhesion
✅ Applying the correct bonding agent, tailored to the specific rubber and metal combination
✅ Preheating large parts if needed to maintain the optimal vulcanization temperature (typically 165–175°C at our facility)

A great example: the custom suction cups shown below, featuring an integrated metal ring with a metric thread. After vulcanization, these products undergo an additional post-curing process in an oven to further enhance material properties.

🔧 This is exactly the kind of specialized work we do at Medanco. If you're working on a development involving rubber-to-metal bonding — we’re here to help!

High-tech project with 6 moulds

High Tech - Rubber Moulding

Recently, we successfully created 6 compression molds for a great project. With these molds, we can produce 11 different rubber products. The product combinations within the molds allowed for a reduced mold investment, despite the very precise tolerances required for the products. The first samples from the molds were immediately approved by the client. Creative thinking and embracing challenges lead to success. Production can now begin!

Extrusion FKM

High Tech - Rubber Extrusion

Medanco also vulcanizes FKM hoses and profiles. This process takes place in an autoclave, which provides crucial control over both temperature and pressure. The vulcanization occurs in the autoclave with steam at a pressure of 6 to 8 bar and temperatures between approximately 160 °C and 175 °C, depending on the formulation/thickness. The process links the rubber molecules, giving the material its elastic and chemically resistant properties. After vulcanization, the material is slowly cooled to stabilize the molecular structure and achieve the desired physical properties. Finally, the rubber is post-cured (further vulcanized) in an oven at temperatures between 200 and 230 °C.

TPE or rubber

Which is the best?

🔍 TPE vs. Rubber – What’s the Best Choice?

In many applications, it's entirely feasible to use TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) instead of "traditional" rubber types such as EPDM, NBR, or silicone. Each material has its own unique strengths, and at Medanco, we work with both daily to determine the best solution for each specific product or application.

Below is a comparison of the advantages of TPE over rubber – and vice versa.

✅ Advantages of TPE over rubber:

♻️ Recyclable – TPE is thermoplastic, meaning it can be reprocessed and recycled. Vulcanized rubber cannot, or only with specialized processes.

⚙️ Fast and efficient production – TPE can be processed through injection molding, which is often faster and more cost-effective than rubber’s vulcanization process. This is often the key reason to switch.

🧩 Complex geometries possible – TPE is well suited for parts with fine details or thin walls. (Silicone rubber also offers this to some extent.)

🔄 Reuse of production waste – TPE scrap can easily be reused. With rubber, this is more difficult, although newer technologies allow for partial reuse at large volumes.

👃 Less odor – TPE typically has a low odor, which is a plus for interior applications like automotive or consumer products.

✅ Advantages of rubber over TPE:

🌞 Superior UV and weather resistance – Rubber, especially EPDM, remains stable under long-term exposure to sunlight, ozone, and moisture.

❄️🔥 Wider temperature range – Rubbers like silicone maintain elasticity from far below freezing up to over 250°C.

🧪 Tailored chemical resistance – There are many types of rubber available, allowing for specific chemical resistance depending on the application.

🏋️‍♂️ Greater mechanical durability – Rubber typically provides better resistance to compression set and creep under long-term or dynamic loads, especially at elevated temperatures.

📌 Real-life example:

A product previously manufactured by Medanco in EPDM rubber has been successfully converted to TPE – maintaining full functionality while enabling a more efficient production process.

Wondering whether switching to TPE could work for your product? We’d be happy to explore the possibilities with you.

FKM Bellow

High Tech - Rubber Transfer moulding

During a recent project, we were challenged to develop a special FKM bellows. The specifications were clear: a thin-walled bellows (anti-loosening) with one side closed. A real challenge for rubber experts, but also an opportunity to apply our creativity and technical expertise.
The material had to be chemically resistant over the long term, which is why we chose FKM. The biggest challenge lay in the thin-walled nature of the FKM rubber, which is prone to tearing, especially directly after vulcanization while still hot, combined with the requirement for an anti-loosening product.
By collaborating closely with the toolmaker to consider the roughness of the cores, how to release the mold, and the maximum workable foldability, we found a smart and workable solution. This project demonstrates our ability to efficiently and creatively produce complex products.
A perfect example of how collaboration and technical ingenuity lead to successful solutions!

Etage press - Double efficiency

Medical - Silicon Moulding - Video

Sometimes, rubber products are too large to fit multiple times in a mold plate. One option in such cases is to create a stack mold. Below is a short video of a product made this way at Medanco. The intermediate plate can be machine-operated, allowing both products to be easily removed after vulcanization. This effectively increases the mold capacity from 1 to 2, making the process twice as fast.

Flat rubber rings

Food Tech - Extrusion and Cutting

Medanco produces flat rings in large quantities. We first create a hose and then cut it. The hose (or profile) must have sufficient strength, with the correct hardness (starting approximately 70 Shore A) and consistent wall thickness to prevent deformation and ensure perpendicularity. We use various precise cutting machines for this. In the example above, we produced 200,000 pieces with a cutting size of 2.0 +/- 0.2 mm. Higher precision is also possible, and 100% post-production inspection is feasible.
This method offers great flexibility in diameters, thickness, and material, while keeping the unit price low and tooling costs minimal. This production technique is ideal for mass production of custom-made flat rubber rings.

RFID Chip assembly

Medical - Clean room

Medanco produces plastic parts in the clean room for medical applications. One of these applications requires a RFID chip to be glued into the part. This is a very accurate process where we installed a semi-automated production line. When this project will grow in volume an automated assembly line is engineered and can be installed.

TPE Overmoulded product 2K

High Tech - Plastic Injection Moulding

For one of our customers we co-developed a plastic product which is used as a window. Together with the customer, our toolmaker and material supplier we managed to engineer a perfect solution. The product is a 2K product. This means that 1 products consist of 2 materials. Because the volumes are relatively low the investment for 2K tooling was too high. We therefore choose an overmoulding concept. First, we mould the PC part in the first tool. We place this part in a second tool where we overmould it with TPE. The function of this TPE is a sealing. Challenge here is to produce both parts without damaging or deformation.

Flow meter

Medical - Plastic Injection Moulding

We produce micro moulding parts for a wide range of flowmeters. These products are made from PVDF and PFA, both chemical resistant materials with a very high-temperature resistance. The product itself consists of 3 products that are assembled into a high accuracy flowmeter for use in hospitals.

Water filter

Food Tech - Plastic Injection Moulding

This product serves as a filter for clean, purified water. With 246 openings, each measuring 0.4mm in diameter, it is meticulously designed for optimal filtration performance. Both technically and visually, the product stands out as an impressive piece of engineering, playing a crucial role in the application. Its precise construction ensures reliable functionality, delivering purified water effectively while maintaining a sleek, refined appearance.

PP Micro tube

Medical - Extrusion

Medanco has produced flexible tubes with an outside diameter of 0,9mm and an inside diameter of 0,4mm. For other applications, we are capable of producing extremely thin wall TPE tubing.

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