metal, plastic, cables, and other types of rubber. We custom mix material in house, and can offer off-shore sourcing,

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1 Stern Rubber Company is the only manufacturer of custom rubber products offering creative solutions and strategic partnerships to innovative companies in North America, who want to lead their industries in a fiercely competitive global market. Stern Rubber Company is a custom rubber molder that specializes in bonding rubber to other substrates such as metal, plastic, cables, and other types of rubber. We custom mix material in house, and can offer off-shore sourcing, supported by personnel on site in China. Stern Rubber Company prides itself with proven customer service and engineering assistance. Give us a call and give us a chance to exceed your expectations!

2 Commitment A Legacy Of Experience. A Foundation Of Trust At Stern Rubber Company we understand your reputation is tested with every part you sell and install. That s why we have the ability to custom mill our rubber compounds to your exacting requirements, and why our state-of-the-art equipment and bonding techniques set the standard in the industry for high quality and on time deliveries. From water valves to gaskets, no other company can out-perform Stern Rubber Company in quality and cost-efficiency. Innovation In Rubber Manufacturing 45 years of experience molding rubber. 24/7 production capabilities at 3 locations in Minnesota. Over-molding and bonding rubber to other substrates, such as metal, plastic and other rubber parts. Expertise in compression, transfer, injection and extrusion. Quality Assurance lab. Cryogenic deflashing, trimming and inspection. On time deliveries, expanded warehouse and JIT. Engineering assistance and rubber knowledge. Custom compounding and milling our own rubber. Rubber Molding Capabilities State of the art injection presses with maximum clamp pressure of 630 tons, maximum platen size of 32 x 43. Compression presses ranging from 12 x 12 up to 42 x 42 with a maximum of 885 tons clamp pressure. Sizes range from parts that fit inside a hearing aid, to parts that weigh 750#'s. Run sizes of one piece to millions of parts. Rubber Extrusion Capabilities 3 1/2" extrusion line with combination hot air and microwave cure, cooling bath, and a guillotine cutter. 3 1/2" extrusion line with salt bath cure, with in-line measurement capability, rinse tank, rotary cutter, and winder. Full in-line printing capabilities. Capabilities to run dense rubber and sponge. Run sizes of 1,000 feet to millions of feet.

3 Rubber and Metal Bonding We specialize in over molding and bonding of rubber to other substrates. We can bond to aluminum, steel, iron or aluminum castings, plastics, cables, cords such as nylon, rayon, or Kevlar, and even other rubber. We have even bonded rubber to Teflon! We use a proprietary metal treatment processes to prepare the substrates for the bonding agent. The bonding agent is applied by spraying, dipping, or by hand, and includes stringent process controls that monitor the film thickness of the bonding agent from one part geometry to the next. Engineering Support We enjoy helping our customers solve engineering challenges. This may include assisting in redesigning a part to improve service life, or to improve manufacturability, developing a new rubber formulation, or simply helping specify a material to ensure the part will survive in its application.

4 MOLDING Stern Rubber Company uses compression, transfer and injection molding processes. Process discipline is key to consistent molded rubber quality. Stern Rubber Company matches your application to the correct rubber formulation and molding process to optimize your value. Stern Rubber Company s experienced technical staff carefully establishes your product s optimum process details. These settings and procedures are followed with discipline. A combination of pressure, temperature, and time facilitates the crosslinking of chemical bonds in the rubber formulation, commonly referred to vulcanization, or curing. Compression molding: The compounded and mixed rubber is cut, weighed, or extruded into a preform, of greater volume that the finished part will be. The pre-forms are loaded into each cavity of the open compression mold which has been preheated. The tool is closed and placed under the clamping pressure as the pre-form is squeezed into the cavity shape. Heated platens on the press maintain mold temperature as the molded parts are given time to cure or crosslink. The molded parts are removed from the tool and allowed to cool to ambient temperature, before de-flashing, or final inspection. Transfer molding: A transfer mold consists of a mold cavity similar to a compression mold. In addition, the transfer mold contains a transfer pot and a ram, where the rubber material is placed before being compressed. The mold cavity contains transfer holes, which connect to the transfer pot through sprues. During transfer molding, the ram is compressed, and compounded rubber material flows through the sprues into the transfer mold cavity where under heat and pressure, the rubber compound cures into the mold cavity configuration. Unlike compression molds, transfer molds consume additional rubber when filling the cavity in the pot and sprues. However, because the cavity plates start out closed, less rubber escapes the cavity, thereby limiting excess flash. This also makes it well suited for molding delicately shaped parts or securing inserts that are embedded in a product. Injection molding: The compounded rubber is fed in strips into the screw and barrel where it is warmed to temperatures approaching, but below that of the mold. From there, it is injected through channels in the tool into the cavities of the closed, hot mold. Process parameters are programmed into the press to control temperature, volume, and rate that compound is injected into the mold cavities. The Process Engineer also programs the press to provide adequate time for complete crosslinking. When the press opens, parts are removed and allowed to cool to ambient temperature.

5 RUBBER TO METAL BONDING Bonding rubber to metal is both a science and an art. Stern Rubber Company carefully reviews your component and recommends design features to maximize bond adhesion. Next, the tool is designed, with the help of the toolmakers, to configure the design for proper flow and adhesion. The typical process flow consists of the insert being cleaned and degreased, drying the insert, application of a primer coat, drying time, application of the top coat, drying time, and molding of rubber over the insert. The vulcanization of the bond occurs simultaneously with the crosslinking of the rubber formulation, as bonding agents are designed specifically to react with the rubber processing conditions. Maximum bond strength is obtained under pressure in compression, injection, or transfer molds. Stern Rubber Company regularly does destructive quality checks of the bond strength as your part is produced to ensure an excellent bond is achieved. Surface preparation: To ensure maximum bond, the surface of your insert must be properly cleaned and prepared. Stern Rubber Company has invested in the latest metal preparation systems and handling techniques to aid in the creation of a flawless parts Adhesive application: It is critical to apply the correct types and thicknesses of both primer and final adhesive coats.

6 CUSTOM MIXED COMPOUNDS Stern Rubber Company is one of the few custom rubber molders that also custom mixes its own rubber compounds. The critical competitive advantage provides numerous benefits to our clients. With a chemist on staff, Stern Rubber Company is able to develop custom compounds for a specific application or make changes to a formulation per a customer s request, or to improve processing. We offer material that is certified to NSF 61 and can offer material that meets FDA requirements. Most rubber molders rely on a custom mixer for their material mixing needs, as well as their technical support for formulations. This can add development time to a new project and additional lead time to production orders. Stern Rubber Company stocks most of the common raw ingredients and can mix material when it is needed, for reduced lead times. The raw polymer is run through the mill and a sheet is created around one roll. The additional ingredients are added to the gap between the rolls. The operator cuts and hand mixes the batch until it is well mixed. It is then cut and sheeted off by hand and placed on cooling racks. The material is tested by the Quality Assurance department, before being released to be cut for the molding process.

7 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Stern Rubber Company can also help you with off-shore sourcing options, design assistance, and engineering support. Off-shore Sourcing: Although Stern Rubber Company, encourages buying American Made whenever possible, we realize there are times when reviewing your off-shore options may be necessary to retain a competitive price position. In these cases, Stern Rubber Company has the experience and expertise to make this a smooth and seamless transition. Stern Rubber Company has a Supplier Quality Engineer and a Project Manager on location in China to provide on-site sourcing and total end-to-end management of each project. Stern Rubber Company takes care of all the necessary paperwork including customs, duty, exchange rates, and shipping. All items are shipped per your Purchase Order FOB from our warehouse in Staples, Minnesota. Design Assistance and Engineering Support: From helping with material selection and simple design modifications to bringing a rough idea to life, Stern Rubber Company enjoys helping customers solve their engineering challenges. Using the industry leading software, including ProE and SolidWorks Stern Rubber Company collaborates with clients to ensure proper fit, form, and function of each part. Design review can also expose opportunities for cost reductions. These opportunities include scrap rate reduction, improved cycle times, better moldibility, material weight reduction, material options, process options, reduced secondary operation costs, and more.

8 EXTRUSION Stern Rubber Company recently added extrusion capabilities by adding 3 ½ and 2 ½ rubber extrusion equipment. The chemistry of the rubber formulations is very similar for molded and extruded product, so adding extrusion capabilities will take advantage of Stern Manufacturing s vast rubber knowledge and many years of experience. By also having molding capabilities, Stern Rubber Company is able to vulcanize the ends of an extrusion together to make frame gaskets or large gaskets that are too large to manufacture by molding. The rubber is fed into a rotating screw inside of a closely fitted, heated barrel. The screw softens, and pressurizes the rubber as it is fed continuously and forced through a die at the end of the extruder. After exiting the extruder, the material then passes through a microwave, hot-air oven, or a salt bath to cure it. The material then goes through a cooling bath before being cut and packed for shipping.

9 Current equipment listing: January 1, 2015 Presses Qty Description/ Platen size Tonnage Machine Type 3 12"x12" 33 Conventional presses 11 20"x20" 75 Conventional presses 2 24"x30" 315 Conventional presses 2 24"x24" 154 Conventional presses 1 24"x60" 315 Conventional press 1 32"x32" 315 Conventional press 1 36"x52" 450 Conventional press 4 32"x36" 450 Conventional presses 1 42"x42" 530 Conventional press 1 42"x42" 885 Conventional press 1 22"x25" 500 Rutil Injection Press 3 22"x30" 280 Desma Injection Presses 1 35"x39" 800 Rutil Injection Press 4 32"x43" 710 Desma Injection Presses 36 Total Extrusion Equipment 3 1/2" Bania Extrusion line with combination Microwave/ Hot air cure oven. 3 1/2" Royle Extruder with ESI downstream equipment including Cascade Salt Bath, Puller-Cutter, and Dual Station Coiler Secondary Equipment 9 pre-heat and finish Ovens 40'x20' 2000# capacity overhead crane Jenco Cryogenic Deflashing Machine - belt type Cryomatic Cryogenic Deflashing Machine - basket type 2-60" Open Roll Rubber Mills 1-48" Open Roll Rubber Mill 3 Material cutting machines Altman Deflashing Punch Machine 2 Sandblasters for mold cleaning and insert prep 2 Spray Booths Traversing-Head Die Cutting Machine

10 Tool Shop Equipment Bridgeport Milling Machine Kondia Milling Machine Haas VF-2 CNC Milling Machine Wire Feed Welder MIG/ TIG Welder Enco lathe QA Equipment Tensitech Tensile tester 2 Monsanto/ Tech Pro ODR rheometers TechPro MD+ with MonTech software Scherr Tumico Optical Comparator Keyence Image Measurement System Markerbot 3-D Printer Brown & Sharpe Gage 2000 Coordinate Measuring Machine Creaform EXAscan Laser Scanner with Polyworks Inspector Software Viscometer Multiple Omega Temperature Probes Multiple Handheld Calipers Multiple Durometer (hardness) gauges Micrometers Radius & Pin Gauges Microscope Surface Finish Analyzer Software Enterprise IQMS ERP Manufacturing Software ProE Wildfire Version 5.0 Cad Software Solidworks 2013 Cad & Cam Software Myriad 3D/2D Cad Viewing Software

11 CONTACT INFORMATION