One of the things that sets Mark Tool Co., Inc apart is we do both cast urethane and rubber components. Most competitors do one or the other.

What does this mean for you?

“Some other companies might only offer polyurethane, so they are going to push that product over rubber,” says Mark Tool Co., Inc. Chief Operating Officer Jerome Hebert. “We can recommend what is actually best for their needs, since we offer both and we aren’t trying to sell them one over the other.”

Rubber roller systems on a pipelaying vessel

Mark Tool has built a reputation offering quality cast urethane rollers and pipe spacers, cast urethane towline protectors, pipe line supports and much more, plus rubber rollers, tension pads, and other custom molded rubber products.

Hebert says his team will meet with a potential customer to discuss their needs and create a custom order that is appropriate for them.

“We ask a lot of questions up front,” Hebert says. “The client will come in with drawings, and we’ll ask them about operating temperatures, if the pipes are above or below ground, if they are subsea, what kind of chemicals they will come into contact with, and things like that.”

“It’s all custom work. A customer comes to us with a need and we find the best way to custom-make these parts for them.”

A mold is created to cast the urethane parts, and although making the mold can be expensive, once the parts are cast, there is no machining required afterwards.

Rubber parts, however, require machining and grinding, which can drive up the costs. That’s why rubber is sometimes the cheapest option for one or two parts, and urethane is cheaper if our client needs a larger production run.

http://marktool.com/blog/need-help-deciding-between-rubber-or-urethane