Custom Rubber & Plastics Manufacturing

Made in America. Made to last decades.

For 35 years, R&D Industries has been the source for proprietary rubber and plastic components on the equipment that moves America — engines, processing plants, defense systems, and the machines that keep them running.

35+
Years in Service
2.8M
Parts Shipped / Yr
±0.001"
Tolerances
48hr
Quote Turnaround
TRUSTED BY INDUSTRY LEADERS
+ Hundreds more OEMs  ·  Defense, Aerospace, Automotive, Energy, Medical & Industrial
Capabilities

Full in-house manufacturing — from tooling to ship.

Six core processes under one roof in Mena, AR. We design tooling, run the press, finish the part, and inspect every batch — no offshore handoffs, no lost weeks.
01

Compression Molding

Our workhorse process for high-volume gaskets, seals, and bumpers. Heated platen presses up to 400 tons.

2oz–25lb parts±0.005"EPDM · Silicone
02

Die Cutting & Converting

Precision die-cut gaskets, washers, and pads from sheet rubber, foam, and plastic — kiss-cut, through-cut, and rotary die capabilities.

Steel-rule & rotaryKiss + through cutAdhesive-backed
03

Transfer Molding

Ideal for bonded components, intricate inserts, and parts with delicate cores. Cleaner flash, better part definition.

Rubber-to-metalBonded insertsFKM · HNBR
04

Extrusion & Profile

Continuous rubber and plastic profiles in custom cross-sections, from weatherstrip to architectural trim.

Custom profilesSpliced gasketsCut to length
05

Tooling & Mold Design

In-house tool room cuts steel and aluminum tooling so we control the iteration loop end-to-end.

Single-cavity → 64-upP20 · H13 · 7075SolidWorks
06

Prototyping & Validation

Rapid prototype tooling and short runs so you can hold a real part in your hand before committing to production.

2-week protoFAI / PPAPMaterial testing
Materials

Compounds matched to your spec sheet — not the other way around.

Pick the elastomer or polymer family below for a working list of compounds we run regularly. Need something exotic? We source it.

Standard Elastomers

High-volume rubbers for sealing, vibration, and weather applications. We stock the common Shore A range and cure on demand.

EPDM Weather
Outdoor seals, automotive weatherstrip, ozone-resistant. 40–90 Shore A.
Nitrile (NBR) Oil
Fuel and hydraulic seals. Excellent oil & abrasion resistance. 50–80 Shore A.
Neoprene (CR) All-Round
Balanced chemical, weather, and flame resistance. 40–80 Shore A.
SBR Industrial
High-volume mechanical components, abrasion pads, mounts.
Natural Rubber Resilient
Excellent rebound and tear strength for vibration mounts and bushings.
Butyl (IIR) Air-Tight
Lowest gas permeability — ideal for inflatable seals, dampers, and curing bladders.

Silicones & Fluoroelastomers

High-temperature, chemically aggressive, and food/medical applications. We run platinum-cure, peroxide-cure, and Viton family.

Silicone (VMQ) −65–450°F
Wide temp range, biocompatible options, FDA grades available.
Fluorosilicone (FVMQ) Aerospace
Fuel and oil resistance combined with silicone temperature tolerance.
Viton® / FKM Chemical
Industry-standard for harsh chemicals, hot oils, and aggressive fuels.
FFKM Extreme
Near-universal chemical resistance for semiconductor and process applications.
HNBR Oil & Heat
Higher temperature and oil resistance than standard nitrile, popular in oilfield service.
High-Consistency Silicone (HCR) Precision
Compression and transfer-molded silicone for tight-tolerance medical and food-grade components.

Engineering Thermoplastics

For rigid components, housings, and load-bearing assemblies. We process commodity through engineering grades.

Polyethylene (HDPE / LDPE) Commodity
Liners, profiles, and tanks. Chemical resistance with low cost.
Polypropylene (PP) Versatile
Living-hinge parts, fluid handling, and food-contact components.
ABS / ABS-PC Housings
Tough, paintable enclosures and structural components.
Polycarbonate (PC) Impact
Optical clarity with high impact resistance.
Nylon (PA6 / PA66) Wear
Bearings, gears, and structural parts under fatigue load.
PEEK Aerospace
High-temp, chemically inert engineering thermoplastic for critical components.

Specialty & Regulated Compounds

FDA, USP Class VI, NSF, AMS, and conductive grades. We document and certify lot-by-lot.

FDA-Compliant Silicone Food / Med
21 CFR 177.2600 grades for direct food contact and medical device housings.
USP Class VI Elastomers Medical
Implantable-grade silicones with documented biocompatibility.
Conductive & ESD Compounds Electronics
Static-dissipative and EMI-shielding gaskets, custom resistivity targets.
AMS-Spec Compounds Aerospace
Compounds qualified to AMS 3217, 3304, and customer SSDs.
Recycled Content Sustainable
Post-industrial recycled polymer streams for sustainability programs.
Industries Served

Component partner to OEMs that have to get it right the first time.

We run mission-critical work for buyers across regulated industries — and we make small-batch programs feel as reliable as the big ones.

Aerospace & Defense

O-rings, seals, and bonded components to AMS and DFARS-compliant standards.

FKM · FVMQ · Bonded

Automotive & Heavy Truck

Weatherstrip, vibration mounts, and underhood seals for OEM and Tier-1 supply.

EPDM · NBR · HNBR

Medical Device

USP Class VI silicones, gaskets, and overmolded assemblies with full lot traceability.

LSR · USP VI · ISO 13485-ready

Oil, Gas & Energy

Downhole seals and gaskets engineered for high-pressure, high-temperature service.

FKM · FFKM · HNBR

Agriculture & Outdoor

UV- and ozone-resistant components for irrigation, equipment, and outdoor enclosures.

EPDM · TPV · PVC

Industrial & OEM

Custom gaskets, bumpers, grommets, and vibration parts for general manufacturing.

SBR · Neoprene · Nylon

Consumer & Packaging

Printable plastics, custom profile shapes, and packaging components.

HDPE · PP · Custom Profiles

Construction & Architectural

Architectural extrusions, weather seals, and trim profiles.

EPDM · TPE · Custom Cuts
How we work

From RFQ to your dock — built around your buying cycle.

No black boxes. You get a single point of contact, written timelines, and traceability documents on every shipment.
STEP 01

Quote in 48 hours

Send us a print or a sample. You'll have firm pricing, lead times, and material recommendations within two business days.

STEP 02

Tooling & first article

Tooling cut in-house. First-article inspection report (FAI) and validation samples shipped before we open the floodgates.

STEP 03

Production & QC

In-process SPC, dimensional inspection, and material certification on every lot. Documents in your inbox before the truck leaves.

STEP 04

Ship & restock

Standard 2–4 week production lead times. Kanban and blanket-order programs available for your highest-volume parts.

Quality & Compliance

Audit-ready documentation, every shipment.

Procurement and quality teams shouldn't have to chase paperwork. We attach certs of conformance, material data sheets, and inspection reports to every PO — automatically.

Request our quality manual
ISO 9001:2015
Quality Management
ITAR Registered
Defense Components
FDA / USP Class VI
Food & Medical
PPAP / FAI
On Request
Lot Traceability
Material → Shipment
Made in USA
Mena, Arkansas
"R&D Industries quotes faster than the big shops, ships on time, and actually answers the phone. They're our default for anything molded under $50K."
JM
J. MarcoulisDirector of Sourcing · Tier-1 Aerospace Supplier
About R&D Industries

A 35-year-old Arkansas shop, with the responsiveness of a startup.

Founded in 1990 in Mena, Arkansas, R&D Industries has built its reputation supplying custom rubber and plastic components to manufacturers who care about consistency, lead time, and being treated like a partner — not a PO number.

Under new ownership in 2026, we've doubled down on the things that have always set us apart: in-house tooling, transparent quoting, and a senior engineer on every project from kickoff to PPAP.

35+
Years
600+
Active Parts
98.6%
On-Time Delivery
Request a Quote

Send us a print. Get pricing in 48 hours.

Whether you've got a finished drawing, a hand sketch, or just a problem you're trying to solve — start here. A senior engineer will review and respond personally.

NDA on requestStandard mutual NDA available before you share files.
One point of contactSame engineer from RFQ through production. No handoffs to a "team."
No minimum quantity for proto runsWe'll build five parts so you can validate before scaling.
Phone  (800) 467-1431  ·  Local (479) 394-4431
Email  rfq@rdindus.com
Address  141 Polk Road 113, Mena, AR 71953

Start an RFQ

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