 Company History
Exothermic, one of the pioneers in the RIM Molding industry, was founded in 1970 with a business plan to provide reaction injection molded (RIM) parts to the medical and electronic enclosure market. Since then Exothermic has expanded into many other applications and markets but remains committed to the RIM Molding process.
Paul Steck, President and Cornell University graduate, has built the company from a one-press facility operating out of a garage to the modern, seven-press, 10,500 square foot facility of today. Over the years many technological improvements have been made to the equipment and process. A major breakthrough occurred in 1990 when the first Gusmer equipment was purchased which allowed for much better control of the shot size chemistry and timing. This change along with other innovations has contributed to making the process more reliable and predictable.
In 1995 another Gusmer machine was purchased increasing the company's capacity by 30%. As a result of these significant capital additions the company has been able to satisfy its customer demand with a one-shift operation. Then in 2001 Exothermic completed the modernization of their molding equipment. The original RIM Molding machine, in service since 1971 was retired. The new maching is a state-of-the-art Lutick RIMPro LCU.
From the very beginning Paul Steck's philosophy was to provide as much customer value as possible. As a result Exothermic has always had a painting and silk screening capability, which allows finished parts to go directly to the customer's assembly lines. In addition, Exothermic often sub-assembles other matching components to the molded part to further reduce the customer's final assembly time and effort.
RIM's future is bright. The latest innovation is the use of composite materials, principally glass, and/or carbon fiber, molded into the RIM part. This combination produces a very stiff and lightweight part, which is finding uses in a wide variety of applications - from furniture to aerospace. No matter where the technology leads Exothermic will be there as it heads into its fourth decade.
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