What started as a 2017 article about Mill Safety in the Industry magazine, "Inside Rubber", (Page 8
ARPM Inside Rubber Magazine) led to hosting a plant tour event on June 13, 2018. Custom Rubber Corp. hosted over 80 people at it's facility in Cleveland, Ohio. During the one day plant tour event, Custom Rubber Corp. shared with other people from our industry information on the folowing topics; Mill Safety, the Use of Visual Inspection Equipment both in-mold and as final inspection, and their approach to get engaged with the next generation of workers.
Specifically, Custom Rubber Corp. demonstrated for all attendees our approach to Mill safety through conducting a live Mill extraction drill. We shared the things we've learned about improving Mill safety from some of our peers and also our approach to Mill Extraction drills in the event there was an accident. "The sharing of safety-related information with the industry, particularly for one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment in any rubber molding or mixing facility, just makes sense," according to VP of Manufacturing, Tim Zeigler. "There is no competitive advantage related to safety - we want to do our part to drive safety improvement across the industry." Here is a link to Custom Rubber Corp.'s Mill extraction drill from a few years ago - an updated version is being filmed now.
Custom Rubber Corp. Mill extraction drill
Two other stops on the tour focused on Custom Rubber Corp.'s use of video inspection cameras, both in-mold and as final inspection of product. The project highlights and full description can be found on the Quality page on our website.
Quality Control.
During the last stop on the tour, President Charlie Braun outlined their approach to, "Bring vocational training back to a local high school and get all local schools re-engaged with manufacturing." Custom Rubber Corp. has committed to hosting at least one tour a month for High School students. The tours open the eyes of the students to careers in manufacturing and offer a connection to the real world. Custom Rubber Corp. has led the creation of a consortium of local manufacturing companies that have also agreed to host monthly tours, which allows the High School class the opportunity to see two different manufacturing companies in one field trip.
In addition to hosting the tours, Braun is working with a local school board and High School Principal to add manufacturing-related curriculum back to the school offerings with the ultimate goal of creating a Student-led manufacturing business similar to
Cardinal Manufacturing.
You can see feedback from ARPM and some attendees in the attached letter.
ARPM Recognition Letter
Contact Custom Rubber Corp. if you are interested in learning more about any one of these three initiatives.