Case Study: Custom Rubber Patch for an Airline Catering Supplier in Ireland

Rubber Patch for an Airline Catering Supplier in Ireland

An Airline Catering Supplier approached us with a rubber patch requirement for the Ireland market. The brief was specific: a defined look, a hard launch date and a unit cost that had to survive freight and duty. This case study records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order was delivered.

The challenge

• Reorders that quietly changed supplier and changed the hand feel
• A zipper puller that broke under pull test at the warehouse
• A trim that passed sampling but failed in-line because it was never cycle tested

What we specified

How it was resolved

1. We rebuilt the specification around PU Leather and locked the tolerance before bulk.
2. The finish was moved to Matte Black Coating after strike-off tests showed better durability.
3. A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
4. Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
5. Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.

Result

• 5,000 pieces delivered inside the 4-week window.
• Unit cost held within 3.0% of the original quotation.
• Inspection-related rejection stayed under 0.5%.
• The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.

What we would repeat

Fix the specification count early. Adding variants after production starts is the most expensive change a client can request.

Planning something similar?

If you are comparing suppliers, send us the spec they quoted against. We will quote the same spec and show you where the difference sits.