Most people wouldn’t buy a new car without taking it for a test drive. The same “test driving” can be applied to the purchasing of masking and protective parts, like caps, plugs, glides, hose sleeves or die cuts. You’ll want to ensure your valuable equipment and products are properly protected throughout their life cycle, and sampling is a simple and easy way to validate this.
While engineers may feel confident in their ability to select the correct part for a specific application, purchasing departments should still take the time to order samples, as even the slightest mistake in part selection can lead to product damage, downtime and increased project costs. As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and testing with a sample can save time and money by avoiding investment in a less-than-perfect or non-functional alternative, sight unseen.
In this post, we’ll learn how something as simple as a free sample can help your team make the right call on protective parts, every time.
We get it, protective parts and masking products are typically the last thing you think about when launching a project, so you’ll want them as soon as possible to keep things moving. While you may be tempted to order these items in haste, getting the wrong protective parts with incorrect dimensions or shape can lead to delays and project overages, not to mention the space these will take up at your site.
With free samples, you can test different dimensions or shapes of similar caps and plugs, masking tapes and discs, to help find the right fit to protect valuable threads, fittings and other exposed equipment. You can typically get one to three samples of a part at a time, with these samples being identical to those available for purchase in larger quantities. This allows for proper testing of size, fitment and function by your employees before making a final decision on what to purchase.
Similarly, sampling allows teams to see how materials hold up to the rigors of their operations. Whether it be for use in masking or product protection, it is important to have the right material that can withstand certain processes or challenging conditions.
Just like you wouldn’t want the wrong size part for the job, you wouldn’t want the wrong material for certain outdoor operations or processes like anodizing, powder coating, e-coating or sand blasting.
With Caplugs, you will have the ability to sample a variety of materials including plastic (HDPE and LDPE), vinyl, rubber and silicone. If you’re unsure as to which material is best for your operations, sampling a few different materials can show how each performs under your exact conditions, whether that be exposure to heat, cold, chemicals or impacts.
Additionally, it can be helpful to sample different colors of parts when brand guidelines, visibility or organization are a priority. Using color as a visual indicator is a proven method for organizing and identifying different parts or processes. For instance, red might signal that a substance is hot, while blue could indicate something is cold. In systems with multiple fluid or air lines, color coding makes it easier to distinguish between them and potentially spot issues like leaks or disruptions.
With over 50,000 catalog variations available through our site, it can be a nerve-wracking experience to make a purchase without proper research and validation. This becomes even more anxiety inducing when you’re selecting thousands of the same part for a bulk purchase.
The easiest way to safeguard yourself and your budget is by ordering a few samples before placing a bulk order. By sampling, you can easily share parts between engineering and operations teams who can validate and give informed decisions on which parts to purchase.
While this is an extra step in the procurement stage that may get push back from some team members, it is relatively quick, especially compared to the time and money lost if you purchase the wrong part and need to order again.
For teams that go through extensive internal prototyping before purchasing, free samples are a great complement to drawings and CAD designs, allowing everyone a chance to physically evaluate parts and move forward with confidence.
Select Free Samples Directly from Series Page
With Caplugs, samples are just a few clicks away. If you’re familiar with viewing parts on our site or have ordered from it in the past, you will go through a very similar process.
When you know the part(s) you want to sample, simply go to the series page and add a sample to your cart from the line item or specific item view on the page. On the line-item view, you’ll click “FREE SAMPLE” and it will be added to your cart. You can continue this process as needed on different series pages until you’re satisfied with your selections. Once your free samples have all been added to your cart, you can check out as you normally would.
We typically suggest you select one to three parts for each series you’ll be sampling, but should you need further samples or have special requests, you can chat with a Caplugs agent or add notes to your request. We will do our very best to accommodate.
If you have any questions while going through the free sample process for the first time, you can open up our step-by-step support guide in a separate tab to help you along.
In most instances, samples will be provided free of charge. We have tens of thousands of sample parts in stock at our three U.S. facilities in New York, Pennsylvania and California, which are typically shipped out no later than 24-48 hours by our experienced and knowledgeable sample room team members. Samples will be shipped using USPS delivery unless otherwise requested and no tracking will be provided.
Should you wish to include tracking or want your sample(s) to be expedited, you may check out using your own shipping information and we will process the request using your preferred shipping account. Please note, any fees incurred through expedited shipping are the customer’s responsibility.
With fast and free shipping available on all sample products, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t give it a try!
Alternatively, if you can’t find the right sample part, we offer an array of in-house custom molding capabilities. We are happy to work with customers to develop custom solutions, whether you need a unique size, shape, material, color or have a specific process requirement.
With more than 50,000 catalog samples available across our facilities that are ready to be shipped within 24 hours, we make it easy for you to find the right part(s) for product protection and masking.
When it comes time to place a sample order, fast and easy online ordering is available 24/7 here on our site. Alternatively, you can place a free sample order with one of our knowledgeable customer service representatives by calling 1-888-CAPLUGS or through our easy-to-use web chat found in the lower right corner of our site.
At Caplugs, we want to make the sampling process simple, fast and effective. Whether you're starting a new project or troubleshooting an existing one, our team is ready to help you find the right protective part to meet your exact needs. We look forward to assisting you with free samples to help find the best solution for your application. Contact us today to learn more.