Situation
Is the 11th hour nigh? If you’re in dire need of some rubber assistance, you can lean on us, we're the safety net you’re looking for and we’re here to help you in any way we can. It’s an ethos that has been engrained into our very core, to help anyone who truly needs it. Our customer follows the same ethos and are all about giving back to the environment and to society.
In this “Case in Point” we put our problem-solving skills to the test going out of our way to help a charity dedicated to keeping our UK waterways all over the UK safe and clean. This is such a worthy cause, and we are incredibly honoured to be involved with an organisation that does so much for so little in return.
This organisation has been active nationwide for over 10 years, and they have devoted their time into keeping a 200-year-old network of waterways spanning 2000 miles, alive and well. We are more than happy to help those that are protecting ecosystems, enriching lives, and doing their best reverse the damage that has been caused by negligible parties.
Problem
The fund reached out to us when they experienced an issue sourcing fendering for a dock that required their attention. They were initially looking for wedge-shaped wooden fenders to be installed to a lock, but the supplier’s lead times were excessive to say the least with an estimate of 7 weeks to manufacture and ship. Their deadline was looming over them like a dark cloud, and they needed to find an alternative. We welcomed the trust with open arms and upon hearing about their dilemma, we offered our new friends a solution.
Unlike timber fenders, our solution will not rot and can absorb heavy impacts from vessels and static objects. Our hard-wearing, chemically resistant and incredibly durable EPDM rubber can withstand and function at 100% in marine environments. Due to the fender size, the rubber wedge extrusion would need to be a bespoke one which enabled us to showcase our machine tooling expertise.
We then declared to our customer that the tooling, extrusion and fabrication of the dock fenders would take around 30 days, a full 3 weeks less than the woodworkers. Expecting a similar time as the previous enquiry, the organisation was taken aback by our responsiveness to solve their problem. Not only that but, they were very happy with our willingness to work with their timeframes. Time was of the essence, so we sent a quote for their fender design which included tooling, extrusion and fabrication.
Solution
Our hardworking team of rubber engineers started by machine tooling the rubber template in accordance with the dimensions and measurements provided by the trust. We developed the rubber fenders using our high-quality EPDM rubber material and loaded it into the extruder. The four dock fenders were extruded and cut to the correct length before being prepped for vulcanisation.
Once the dock fenders were cured, we removed them from the autoclave and left them to cool. We then drilled holes in the fenders so they could be easily installed onto the docks. Next, we hollowed out the drill holes, so they looked clean and professional. The fenders were then checked over and received the seal of approval at quality control.
They were then shipped to the river trust within the timeframe they set us. Our customer was delighted with the finished products and were quick to thank us for a job well done. The charity also showed an interest in some of our other products and services so all we can say for now is, watch this space. There could be more to follow.
Final Thoughts
We were approached by a trust that takes care of the countless waterways all over the country. They were looking for fenders that could be used to protect the dock from impacts caused by aquatic traffic and amphibious vehicles. Their initial plan was to use wooden fenders, but their supplier lacked the sense of urgency that we have. After scouring the interwebs they found us and made an enquiry. As always, our sales team were on the case very quickly, offering a sympathetic ear and a little understanding to their predicament.
Once they had explained the situation, we put on our thinking caps as to how we could solve this problem quickly and seamlessly. We machine tooled the rubber wedge-shaped profile they required and extruded the fenders in quick time. The fenders were then cut to size and transferred into the autoclave to be cured. Next, the holes were drilled to the precise dimensions and were checked before being shipped.
The trust were very happy with the finished product stating that the dock fenders are so robust they should last for years. They have also expressed interest in our other products, and we look forward to working with the river trust again in the near future.
Is the clock ticking for you? Do you need rubber fendering ASAP but don’t know who to call? Look no further, we are the calling card and we’re here to save the day. Please leave an enquiry in our contact form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Dock fenders are an amazing asset to any waterway, if you need to improve the protection of your mooring points, sea walls or docks then please check out our marine fendering capabilities.
That’s all for this installation of “Case in Point” we hope you enjoyed this one as much as we did.
Be safe and don’t miss the next one.