When standard materials fall short of an application’s specifications or functional requirements, custom materials are a clear solution. Developing a custom or proprietary formulation ensures the material has the optimal combination of mechanical, thermal, insulating, conductive, and other properties needed to meet your requirements.
From filling gaps and joining components to dissipating heat or blocking and containing EMI, Robert McKeown Company can help you reach application goals with custom materials and parts.
Since 1937, Robert McKeown Company has been a leader in providing engineered materials for electronic, avionics, medical, and similar high-tech devices, equipment, and applications. We work closely with our customers to understand their needs, so we can develop a solution that works, even in the most demanding operating conditions.
Learn more about our proprietary material development and formulation capabilities, and what sets us apart.
From Bulk Materials to Precision Components
Our team brings deep expertise in polymers, silicones, adhesives, sealants, tapes, composites, and coatings to a range of electronics and avionics projects. Rather than dealing with raw chemical synthesis, we specialize in the selection and conversion of bulk materials into high-performance, finished parts.
By understanding the unique properties of these bulk products, we ensure that the final cut and fabricated solution fits your requirements exactly—eliminating the need to settle for an off-the-shelf part that is merely “close enough.”
We fabricate parts from bulk materials to meet specialized performance requirements in one or more of these categories:
- Thermal Performance: Ensuring material resilience within defined operating temperature ranges, thermal conductivity, and efficient heat dissipation.
- Electrical Characteristics: Optimizing for conductivity, dielectric properties, and EMI/RFI shielding performance.
- Mechanical Durability: Converting materials to maintain critical specs like tensile strength, compression set, flexibility, toughness, and modulus of elasticity.
- Chemical Compatibility: Selecting bulk stocks with proven resistance to oils, solvents, moisture, fuels, and corrosive agents.
Our Process
We are committed to developing high-quality materials that meet your specifications, and we follow a proven process for success.
- Engineering review of the application’s functional requirements, environmental stressors, and applicable industry standards.
- Material selection, including filler content, curing, and processing variables that impact performance and physical properties.
- Source specialized base compounds and additives from leading material manufacturers.
- Rapid prototype batch production and testing for accelerated refinement.
- Customer approval and full-scale production.
Obsolete or Hard-to-Find Parts? Our Precision Fabrication Capabilities Are the Solution
The inability to source parts for legacy equipment due to component obsolescence leads to downtime, delayed maintenance, and compromised performance—especially in applications with long system lifecycles. When original components are discontinued or difficult to obtain, our material sourcing and precision fabrication services provide functional replacements without the need for a major system redesign.
Our team specializes in identifying modern bulk materials that match the physical and mechanical profiles of legacy parts. By utilizing advanced cutting and conversion techniques, we transform these bulk products into finished components that replicate or exceed original performance specifications.
Bridging the Gap for Legacy Systems
- Material Matching: We identify current bulk polymers, silicones, and tapes that align with discontinued specifications.
- Precision Conversion: We cut and shape bulk materials into exact part geometries, ensuring seamless integration into existing assemblies.
- Performance Verification: We ensure the fabricated part meets the necessary thermal, electrical, and mechanical requirements of the original design.
Our Custom Fabrication Capabilities
In addition to material formulation, we provide integrated fabrication capabilities as well. These include:
- Precision slitting.
- Rotary die cutting.
- Laminating and embossing for multi-layer constructions.
- Custom epoxy film pre-forms.
- Custom masking dots for paint, powder coating, and conformal coatings.
- Spliced and vulcanized EMI O-rings and door frames.
- EMI shields.
- Custom thermal interface parts.
Choose Robert McKeown for Expert Custom Material Solutions
With decades of experience working with a range of engineered materials as well as custom fabrication expertise, the team at Robert McKeown Company serves the electronics, aerospace, healthcare, and other industries with high-quality, precision materials and parts. We are ISO 9001, AS9001, and ITAR certified, and a veteran-owned business, with a commitment to quality and responsive service.
Contact us to learn more about our custom material composition development and fabrication services that can benefit your next project.