1. Describe what strip and staple set brush is.
Strip is metal backed brush. Staple set is tufted brush.
2. What is the defining characteristic of strip and staple set brush?
Strip is a metal back continuous line - no break in the line of brush. Staple set is tufts embedded in a substrate.
3. How does this "characteristic" apply or aid in the brush's performance or application?
Strip is a better air and dust seal - especially per volume of filament. Staple set allows for easier manipulation of the filament tips to accomplish wiping and cleaning applications.
4. Describe a perfect application of the strip and staple set brush, based on questions 2 & 3?
Strip - any air seal - Weather Seal, Transit Door Seal, Coolbalance - all tremendous seals that are low friction, easily conforming and long lasting.
Staple Set - any of our brushes for the cleaning market.
5. Explain one of your experiences in using the strip and staple set brush, in such an application. Please give examples.
Example 1: Strip - Recently an in-floor conveyor manufacturer was designing a display for a school science center. The conveyor would be used by students to move materials, but they needed to keep curious fingers out of harm's way. We custom-ran bright orange strip brushes that fit perfectly and solved the problem.
Example 2: Strip - We sealed VOC's escaping from around 48" diameter Archimedes pumps at an oil refinery in California. We included conductive filament to eliminate static electricity and put EPDM rubber inside the brush for the absolute best seal.
Example 3: Staple Set - We provided brush 'guides' that eliminated packages at the DC's of a major retailer from not reaching their intended bins.
6. Describe some of the applications of the strip and staple set brush that were innovative and/or creative, in real life situations that actually solved customer's problems.
We handle the research and development of brushes for the military and aerospace industries. We have also helped create brushes that have cleaned out crematories, kept mining mud and sludge out of working parts in a crane, helped the post office keep mail from being eaten by sorting machines, and used brush as wall covers. Brushes can be used for so many things, only limited by your imagination.
7. What is the ratio between strip and staple set brushes sold to your customers?
We sell 10 strip brushes to 1 staple set; however, the sale is driven by application.
8. What would be the deciding factor: cost, application, response, delivery, other?
Application, application, application!
9. What do you feel could be done to better balance out the sales of the two brushes?
We let the applications lead us to the optimal solution - or we push the prospect into a solution based on the technology we want them to use and what we think is the best application.
10.What do you feel is the most problematic issue with the strip and staple set brushes?
Strip is pretty easy to sell due to the wide variety of stock sizes. Lead time is usually really good too because we can often just bend a stock item. Staple set is tougher because there are so many variables that sometimes the customers can be overwhelmed with options - they don't know what they want - we need to make the staple set brush solutions more obvious.
11. What would best benefit you (internally) and your customers (externally) in terms of information?
Defining our capabilities in strip and staple set and better demonstrating our products. Also focusing attention on the fact that our brush solutions help reduce labor and/or save money.
12. Do you have a personal preference, strip or staple set, and why?
Strip is better for a quick and dirty, high-margin sale. Staple set is better for potential long-term projects because it is more customizable.
At Sealeze we specialize in developing two types of brush - strip and staple set. This month we are answering a few questions about what makes those two brushes different, which brush works best for different applications, and more.
