Sponge Rubber Manufacturer Reaches Out to Product Design, Engineering Community

LONG BRANCH, NJ – With manufacturing forecasts predicting moderate growth for the foreseeable future, Monmouth Rubber & Plastics is resurrecting a popular product development program from the 1970s.

"Doodle with Durafoam" allows product engineers to explore the wide range of design possibilities offered by Monmouth's closed cell sponge rubber & plastic foam, COO John Bonforte Jr. said.

An ad touting the same sponge rubber program 35 years ago was recognized by Machine Design magazine as the most popular, well-received promotion in its huge, annual raw materials issue. The reason was simple Monmouth General Manager John Bonforte Sr. said.

"Even if they aren't actively developing a product, engineers need materials on hand that they can experiment with, play with, well, doodle with," he said.

OEM material libraries are another beneficiary of the "Doodle with Durafoam" program, Bonforte Sr. said. "They need a stable of materials that product designers and engineers can rely on during the creative process, and the sources for material samples are disappearing as the number of U.S. sponge rubber manufacturers decreases."

Over the last several years, some of Monmouth's competitors have slashed their technical support and sample programs, contrary to Monmouth's strategy of expanding these services. "No other manufacturer offers a more complete tech support/sampling program than Monmouth," Bonforte Sr. said.

Durafoam, available in buns, sheets, rolls and stripping, provides a number of useful properties, including outstanding sound and shock absorption, high strength-to-weight ratio and good thermal insulation, making it the perfect candidate for a broad spectrum of applications, Bonforte Jr. said.

OEM engineers and material librarians can contact Monmouth Rubber directly from its website for a sample board. www.rubberplastics.com/samples.htm. Monmouth's technical staff is also available for consultation by contacting John Sr. at 888-3626-888, ext. 12.