Polyurethane

Quabaug uses a rotary molding machine to mix and produce polyurethane midsoles, sandal footbeds and soles. In some cases a polyurethane midsole is poured, open casting, on molded rubber to form a rubber midsole unit. This is a cellular material that is lightweight and provides comfort and has excellent compression set resistance for long comfortable wear. We also produce the footbeds for water sport sandals.
The polyurethane is a two-part system that is mixed before pouring, open casted, into a mold and then undergoes an exothermic reaction that creates the cell structure of the finished part, typically in the .40 to .60 density range. Molded soles can also be made with polyurethane for non-industrial and casual applications.

Using compounds to customize.


Quabaug uses many different types of compounds to provide the perfect match to a specific environment. For example, we use a slip-resisting compound to customize our soles for industrial applications, a high-abrasion compound for the Military, a heat-resistant compound for fire applications, and a lightweight, expanded material for casual footwear.

OUR MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Quabaug’s manufacturing process can be described as a giant bakery, except we bake rubber soles instead of cookies or pastries. The Mixing department carefully follows recipes for each compound and uses giant Banbury mixers to prepare the batter.

Large mills roll out the mixed rubber to flatten it, remove air pockets, and create uniform texture. The Preform department is the cookie cutting area. The rubber is cut into biscuits, or preforms, by a coulter or an extruder. Then, these biscuits move to the Molding area where they are placed in molds and pressed out into the shape of a shoe sole or heel. At this stage, you can recognize them as the pieces that belong on the bottom of a footwear item.

When they are cooked (so to speak), they have to cool off before moving to one of our two Finishing operations. This is where we trim any unwanted edges, buff the smooth side if necessary, and inspect each one so that we send out the quality and the quantity our customers want. These trimmings are sent through a grinding operation where they become QuaBoing. Similar to baking, testing the result is important … of course, our process would not include a “taste test”! Our Laboratory runs many different quality tests on the product at different stages in the process. The final step is to put them in boxes, label them, and send them on to Shipping so our customers get their product when they need it.

A similar process is used to create Vibram pet performance products and Vibram hoof pads.

From a rubber biscuit to the number one sole in the world, pet performance products, playground surfacing material, and high-performance equestrian hoof pads, we are proud to design and manufacture innovative rubber products.

Injection Pouring

This process allows Quabaug to process rubber and completely skip the preform stage.

Rubber once mixed is made into strips approximately 3/8” x 3” which is fed directly into an extruder which then deposits the precise amount of material into an open mold. The process looks like spaghetti being poured into an open mold. The mold then closes and the finished product is molded as the rotary turntable indexes for the next pouring cycle.

When demolded, the product is finished and packed at the machine. By utilizing a cell for this process, service is improved to our Customer with shorter lead times.