Can Tho Newspaper Online recently published an article titled “Breakthrough Research in the Technical Rubber Industry,” introducing the research and development journey of Anh Tri Tue Manufacturing and Trading Co., Ltd.
The article highlights the company’s notable technical solutions, its ability to develop products that replace imported alternatives, and its ongoing investment in research and quality control. Anh Tri Tue is pleased to share the article with our valued customers and partners.
Anh Tri Tue Manufacturing and Trading Co., Ltd., located in Thoi An Dong Ward, Can Tho City, has achieved several breakthroughs in developing specialized technical rubber products that meet demanding market requirements. These achievements have enabled the company to gradually master the production of components that previously depended on imports.
Workers at one of Vietnam’s leading steel rolling mills install Anh Tri Tue seals on a rolling line shaft. The sealing lip is bonded with PTFE to reduce friction and improve service life. Photo: Courtesy of the company.
In the field of technical rubber, some products may appear relatively simple but require demanding specifications for materials, dimensional accuracy, pressure resistance, chemical resistance, heat resistance, friction, and service life. Particularly in marine equipment, oil and gas operations, and other critical industrial systems, a small sealing component can affect the operation of the entire system.
In response to practical equipment maintenance and replacement requirements from its customers, Anh Tri Tue Manufacturing and Trading Co., Ltd., hereinafter referred to as Anh Tri Tue, has progressively conducted material research, designed molds, developed manufacturing processes, and refined its products. Several of the company’s solutions have received major awards at the Can Tho City Technical Innovation Contests.
Most recently, the solution titled “PTFE Surface Treatment for Bonding with Rubber During Vulcanization,” developed by Nguyen Thi Linh Cat and Nguyen Le The Duy, won First Prize at the 13th Can Tho City Technical Innovation Contest for the 2024–2025 period.
PTFE, commonly known as Teflon, is a material with excellent chemical and heat resistance and a very low coefficient of friction. Combining PTFE with rubber can reduce friction and heat generation while extending the rubber product’s service life. However, PTFE’s non-stick characteristics make bonding it to other materials a significant technical challenge that cannot be resolved using conventional industrial adhesives.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh Cat, Director of Anh Tri Tue, explained: “We developed a surface treatment solution that allows PTFE to bond with rubber. The solution is based on removing fluorine and modifying the PTFE surface structure using a highly reactive chemical mixture, thereby creating reactive sites on the material’s surface. After treatment, the PTFE surface changes from an inert state to an activated state, allowing it to form a durable bond with rubber through a heat-activated adhesive under compression vulcanization conditions. This opens up opportunities to manufacture technical rubber products with non-stick and corrosion-resistant PTFE linings while retaining the elasticity of rubber. It also reduces the cost of imported treatment solutions and enables the technology to be mastered domestically. The solution is currently applied in the manufacture of several high-speed sealing products for the steel rolling industry at one of Vietnam’s leading steel rolling mills.”
Anh Tri Tue focuses on manufacturing components and products that customers previously had to import or send overseas for repair. This approach has closely connected the company’s manufacturing activities with research and development. A series of successful and innovative studies in the technical rubber industry has helped the company strengthen its reputation, market position, and competitiveness.
The company’s journey began with the circular knitting machine roller, its first product when the mechanical workshop was established in 1995. By 2002, the company had successfully manufactured rubber stern tube bearings, an essential product for marine and inland waterway transportation that Vietnam had previously imported.
This product established the company’s reputation and created a foundation for its continued growth. In the following years, founder Nguyen Tri Tue and his colleagues continued researching and manufacturing a broad range of products, including rubber vibration dampers, elastomeric bridge bearings, rubber propeller shaft bearings, rubber rollers for the printing, paper, and packaging industries, and specialized products for marine applications.
Among the company’s achievements, the project “Research and Manufacture of Water- and Oil-Tight Rubber Seals for Inboard Propeller Shaft Systems on Motorized Watercraft, Serving Newbuilding and Repair Requirements in Vietnam” won Third Prize at the 11th Can Tho City Technical Innovation Contest for the 2020–2021 period.
The solution “Manufacture of Rubber Butterfly Valve Seats for Vietnam’s Offshore Oil and Gas Industry” subsequently won First Prize at the 12th Can Tho City Technical Innovation Contest for the 2022–2023 period. Both solutions resulted in high-quality products that significantly reduced replacement costs and waiting times for imported equipment.
Anh Tri Tue is currently investing in the construction of a laboratory equipped with modern machinery and technology. The project aims to standardize quality inspection through quantitative measurement, data-driven evaluation, and batch traceability, replacing assessment methods that rely primarily on experience and subjective judgment.
This investment will help shorten inspection and technical response times while reducing the company’s dependence on external testing services.
LE THU
Source: Can Tho Newspaper Online – Breakthrough Research in the Technical Rubber Industry
