Blazing-Fast Custom U-Cup production

Source: Freudenberg Sealing Technologies

The Solution

The team quickly confirmed that the U-cups were not stocked in the warehouses and immediately checked the inventory of polyurethane materials in stock with Freudenberg Xpress®. They found that while the exact material was not available, there were billets of a very comparable polyurethane that, once machined, would meet all of the customer's application requirements. A quote with all the unique parameters of the U-cups was quickly generated and sent for approval.

The next morning, Sealtech received confirmation from their customer that the material and quote were acceptable. The customer informed Sealtech that they urgently needed the seals due to a line-down situation and asked if they could be shipped by the end of the day. The operation confirmed that the strict deadline could indeed be met. With everything finalized, the team quickly began manufacturing the six custom U-cups and had them completed and packaged, waiting for carrier pickup by 4 PM Eastern time.

“When I received the request from Jeff, I immediately knew our best solutions would come from our Freudenberg Xpress® operation. I have seen the service help other clients with urgent requests recently and was confident this was the solution,” said Justin Jackson, Sales Engineer at Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies. The Freudenberg Xpress® operation is ideal for urgent requests, small batches, and prototypes using a vast portfolio of designs and material billets that can be custom manufactured to the customer's specifications, making it ideally suited for requests just like this.

The Outcome

With the U-cups ready for pickup the same day as approval, the package was promptly picked up at 4:15 PM on Friday and began its journey from the Durham, North Carolina facility, through customs, and arrived in Mississauga, Ontario, where it was delivered Monday at 10:32 AM, saving the customer weeks compared to the industry standard production time for these seals.

“Our customers are our biggest priority. When they told us they needed the U-cups urgently, we knew quick action was needed to keep their operation running smoothly. We recently had some great wins working with Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies and knew they could help,” said Jeff Fischer, Sealtech Supply. Sealtech Supply is part of the Sealing Solutions group, a Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies Preferred Distributor with locations throughout Canada.

“Our goal is to provide exceptional service to further our partner's business. Sealing Solutions Group is a key partner of ours across Canada. With both sides offering strong resources, we can provide exceptional solutions to the Canadian market and help both businesses prosper,” said David Sugrue, Executive Director, Field Sales, at Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies.

Do not let unexpected challenges disrupt your business. Choose Freudenberg Xpress® for dependable, fast, and efficient solutions. Whether a critical seal or a custom part is needed on short notice, the team is ready to deliver. Contact us today to learn how we can support your needs with our Freudenberg Xpress® service and keep operations running smoothly.