While we’ve recently discussed the many ways custom masking benefits businesses when finishing parts and equipment, we want to dive a bit deeper into the custom masking process and discuss recent project successes.
We want to bring you behind the curtain, to learn how our team can take a request from a customer and come up with a creative and functional solution to protect parts.
In our opinion, there was no one better to discuss this with than our very own Senior Sales Engineer, Todd Schuh.
Schuh brings years of hands-on experience to each masking project, and takes pride in finding the very best solution for the customer. His ultimate goal is to find the best, longest-lasting solution, and begins every project with a simple question–how can we simplify the process?
Here, Schuh will walk us through recent masking challenges and let us in on his “trade secrets”–allowing you to see what can be achieved through custom masking.
From powder coating and e-coating to anodizing, chrome plating and shot blasting, custom masking can provide protection for nearly all finishing processes.
These masks can be created with as little or much detail as needed, for large and small parts alike, and can help improve masking operations in many ways including:
“We want something that not only works better and lasts longer than what they’re currently using, but something that is more consistent and can be taken on and off with their eyes closed,” said Schuh.
A custom project may start with a simple sketch or email from a customer explaining the problem, but Schuh notes good communication from the outset is key.
“A lot of it is getting the right information, getting a good grasp of what they’re looking for,” said Schuh. "I don't want to show something to a customer and then they say, well, we really like to do it this way.”
Once Schuh gets the information, he's off to work.
“We like CAD files over drawings to really see the dimensions the customer is thinking of," said Schuh. "From there, I’ll work on the initial CAD design which can get made in an hour or so. I consider feasibility, what I see, what I like, what’s easier to tool up.”
If there’s still more information needed after working on the initial design, he isn’t afraid to reach out to the customer or to work with his sales team.
“If I'm missing a detail, or I just get this intuition that there's more to the story, I'll call the customer up,” said Schuh. “I’ve got free reign to discuss with the customers, but a lot of times we like to have the sales guys speak with them since they're the ones in the field. The more they work with each customer, the more they learn, the more they see other things that can help a project or can identify other areas of business.”
Through this collaboration the correct design and mask quickly takes shape, ultimately leading to a final product that can protect a customer’s equipment and improve operations.
Below, we will look at a few of these final products and the success they have achieved for customers.
A recent success story involved a customer with mating parts that needed to be painted on the outside, while keeping the inside surfaces completely clean. The parts had to fit together perfectly without any crusty paint finish on the edges that would interfere with proper assembly.
“We developed a custom mask that allowed both parts to be placed face-to-face and painted at the same time, really simplifying the process,” said Schuh. “We originally had a solid block of silicone for this mask, which costs more money and takes longer to cure. I found a way to take out some of the material, which helped save both time and money.”
The result was faster processing, reduced material costs, and improved part quality—a triple win for the customer.
Another project that illustrates our problem-solving approach involved a customer who was manually taping U-bolts. The U-bolts had two nuts at the bottom that needed to be painted, while the "U portion" of the part needed to be masked.
“The taping became really tedious for the customer,” said Schuh. “We wanted to create a mask that could actually slide over the U-bolt part, snap into place, and leave only the nuts exposed for painting.”
Schuh and his team were able to find a durable solution that snapped into place, noting that the part should last up to 1,000 finishing runs if used and cleaned properly.
He was also proud of this project as it was a first-time customer. “This was a new customer and a new sales guy, so it took a little more effort to get all of the information right, get the line of communications going, but we were able to get a good final result,” said Schuh. “We wanted to be the ones to find a solution. If they know you have solutions to their problems, they’ll keep coming back and looking for more things.”
In the motorcycle industry, Schuh recently worked on several projects where the customers needed to protect a sprocket during chrome plating.
“We wanted to reduce the chances of plating imperfections that can lead to damage and mess with the way the motorcycle runs,” said Schuh.
For one of these projects, the customer was considering plugging each core of the sprocket with an individual mask, however, Schuh was able to simplify the process by creating a single larger mask that covered the entire sprocket.
“I decided to make a single piece with grooves that protected all of the holes and decreased the price of the tool,” said Schuh. “We reduced their tooling costs by $1,000 and cut labor time by several minutes per part, at least.”
He added, “These are Viton parts, so they were on the more expensive side, but they last. This example part has been used over 600 times.”
Another motorcycle manufacturer came to Schuh with a request to chrome a part for a brake. They wanted the chrome to be flush with the mask affixed to the top of the part. This original approach caused visible corrosion on the outside of the part where the chrome ended, requiring Schuh to go to the customer with a new idea.
“I went back and forth with the customer on this one for a while,” said Schuh. “I wanted to get the chrome to go all the way to the top surface, where they wanted to just mask it flush with the gasket. I kept mentioning that you’re better off chroming the top face and we eventually got them to do that.”
From there, Schuh and his team created a masking part that secured the top portion of the brake part while allowing for a small amount of chrome to be added around the top edge.
“This was a good example of where I got a customer to go with a better, more functional part,” Schuh said.
In another automotive application, a customer had a specific vision for a pull plug mask. However, the customer had concerns about the plugs fitting properly, falling out during finishing and the overall installation and removal being too difficult.
“After doing a couple 3D printed parts, I noticed they just needed a plug that could get pushed in,” said Schuh. “The part we made, you can just use a drill bit or other tool you have on hand to push it in, it’s really simple, just a light push.”
The customer’s original problem of the plug not getting pushed all the way in was solved, it created a tight seal, didn’t fall out and was easy to remove.
“The customer thought it was “magic” or “pretty genius”, so that was a nice win for us,” said Schuh.
Of course, what seemed like magic to the customer was actually years of experience in custom masking - with Schuh noting he had found a similar solution in the past for another customer.
A customer working with shock absorbers came to Schuh, wanting to protect piston shafts and seals during painting. They initially tried plastic injection molding but couldn't achieve consistent results.
“We made a silicone part and they liked it better than the plastic,” said Schuh. “This was a great mask because it could be taken on and off easily with the magnets. It worked better, lasted longer and was a more consistent part that could be taken on and off by installers with one hand.”
One of our most dramatic transformations involved a manufacturer of U-joints that were taping off a bunch of different parts.
“We saw something like fifteen people working on the tape, so we knew there could be improvements made,” noted Schuh.
He came up with magnetic parts that could easily snap into place with just one person.
“Now people could be reallocated, and their paint line became so much faster,” added Schuh. “It paid for itself in labor alone.”
This project shows how the right custom masking solution can transform not just a single process, but an entire production line's efficiency.
One of Schuh’s most comprehensive redesigns involved a customer who wanted a mask that would work in tandem with a large racking system they were planning to build.
After reviewing the project, he saw an opportunity to merge masking and racking into one, while also offering conductivity.
“I asked if the racks were already made—they weren’t. That opened the door,” said Schuh. “When I looked at their part, I felt that I could use one of the holes on it to basically make a racking system where it would be conductive.”
Schuh made an off-center hole through our masking part which created tension and made sure there was conductivity.
“We essentially made a rack from 1/4-inch rods,” said Schuh. “You could build a racking system from this super simple idea and someone could pre rack them and pop all of the parts right on together.”
The whole point was not just looking at making a mask for a part but identifying a better overall solution.
“We reduced their racking costs by tens of thousands of dollars,” said Schuh. “If you consider the maintenance on them, the ability to fix it if they get wrecked, it’s a very low-cost rack.”
We’ve built our custom masking business around a simple principle, to make the best part possible. If it lasts longer, reduces labor, or simplifies installation and removal, it more than pays for itself.
Whether you're dealing with complex geometries, extreme temperatures, specialized finishing processes, or unique application requirements, our engineering team is ready to collaborate with you on a custom solution.
Discover how custom masking can transform your operations. Use our custom masking calculator to estimate potential time and cost savings or contact our team to discuss your specific application.
At Caplugs, we measure our success by yours. When our custom masking solutions help you improve quality, increase efficiency and reduce costs, we've done our job right.
Visit our masking page to learn more about our capabilities. Even if you have a simple CAD file, sketch or an idea, we’ll take it from there!