Since it was acquired by Soucy in 1998, Soucy Techno has been producing customized rubber compounds for clients. In the early days, our Sherbrooke subsidiary emulated what was being done in the market to create its rubber mixes. It was a trial and error process. But as they accrued experience over the years, the team at Soucy Techno honed their vision. Today, new production methods have propelled our subsidiary to the top of the rubber industry. The creation of Soucy Techno’s Centre d’excellence en optimisation des matériaux polymériques (CEOMP) is the result of its commitment to innovation.
How the project was born
Everything changed following a partnership with DuPont in 2014-2015. DuPont is an American company that helps businesses reach their full potential. Their team showed Soucy Techno new avenues of development that were based on improving production efficiency, namely by speeding up the time-to-market for new products. Thanks to cutting-edge technology, Soucy Techno was able to add new ingredients to its compounds while identifying new ways of mixing rubber and performing tests. It now produces new compounds that are more efficient, surpassing even clients’ expectations.
A focus on excellence
After a while, Soucy Techno decided to separate its experimentation work from its everyday projects. That’s how the CEOMP was born. The small team at the Centre now schedules yearly technical meetings where they show their innovative projects to other teams at Soucy – including Soucy Caoutchouc, the subsidiary that moulds the rubber for our track systems. In return and to add to the learning process, the other subsidiaries are tasked with sharing their feedback on the application tests of the rubber mixes developed. As a result, the CEOMP is quickly becoming a major technical hub.
Mobilizing to innovate
Soucy Techno is driven by its mission to push the boundaries of innovation. How? By tearing down organizational silos and partnering with industry leaders. A mindset that has already been instilled within Soucy’s myriad divisions. As an example, on November 30, 2023, specialists from every Soucy subsidiary met at the Centre national intégré du manufacturier intelligent (CNIMI) in Drummondville to share their research projects in the rubber industry. Those in attendance were able to learn about technical advances, ongoing developments, and the results of research into new renewable ingredients generating fewer greenhouse gases.
The event was the perfect embodiment of the Centre’s vision. Attendees were given the opportunity to:
- Pool their knowledge
- Share and discuss with peers
- Ask questions
- Combine their skillsets to understand new technologies
The CEOMP is a relatively new initiative that continues to evolve. We can’t wait to see what our experts will come up with! To find out more about Soucy Techno and its expertise, consult our page on customized rubber compounds.