Poole, UK, July, 2013 – – – DP Seals, one of the UK’s foremost suppliers of precision custom rubber seals and mouldings, has been supplying Hope Technology for over 15 years. Leading mountain bike specialist Hope Technology manufactures absolutely everything it needs in its new Barnoldswick Factory, with the exception of the electronics in the lights, brake pad material, hose, bearings – and rubber seals supplied by DP Seals.
Founded some 24 years ago by two Rolls Royce aerospace engineers, Hope pioneered disk brakes for mountain bikes. Today, in addition to their world-renowned disk brakes, the company also manufacture drive train parts, hubs and lights as well as riding gear and bike cleaner. The founders’ Rolls Royce heritage underpins the company’s focus on product quality through engineering precision. When combined with their commitment to produce virtually every part in the UK factory – from raw material to finished item – any outside source is chosen very carefully. Fifteen years ago, Hope needed a specialist custom rubber seals and moulding supplier.
“Off-the-shelf seals and o-rings don’t always fit the bill, we often need custom components to meet specific needs, or polymer blends with very demanding characteristics,” says Simon Sharp, co-founder of Hope Technology. “DP Seals not only delivers the highest quality backed with very sound engineering, its company ethos is very similar to our own.”
Working closely with Hope’s design team, DP Seals has developed several mouldings for disc brakes and lights, and delivers between 5,000 to 20,000 items every other month. The brake components are individually composed of specific blends of materials (DP Seals forté), combined to offer high tensile strength and excellent resistance to silicone oils, greases and brake fluids.
DP Seals is a leading global supplier of high precision custom seals, gaskets and mouldings that now play a key role in a huge variety of industrial and commercial applications as diverse as Formula 1 racing cars, ticket machines on the London Underground and domestic steam cleaners, Airbus, Black Hawk and Typhoon. The company has been making custom rubber mouldings for over 35 years and employs over 40 people at its two Poole sites. More information is available at dpseals.com
