| Project | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pet Treat Brand |
| Market | North America |
| Products | Silicone Lick Mats, Natural Rubber Dog Toys |
| Service | OEM / ODM Manufacturing |
| Materials | Food-grade Silicone, Natural Rubber |
| Cooperation | 7 Years |
| Key Challenge | Complex Rubber Toy Demolding |
| Manufacturing | Custom Mold Development |
Product mold
Founded more than10 years ago, the client is an established American pet snack brand specializing in natural peanut butter and freeze-dried treats for dogs. Their products are distributed through more than 2,000 independent pet stores across the United States and Europe.
As demand for pet enrichment products continued to grow, the client decided to expand beyond treats and build a complete product ecosystem. Instead of selling snacks alone, they wanted to offer feeding and enrichment accessories that could be bundled with their peanut butter, creating greater value for retailers and pet owners.
The client faced several technical and business challenges.
• Food-contact materials had to be completely safe.
• Rubber toys could not contain latex because some pet owners are allergic.
• The internal structure was extremely difficult to demold.
• Silicone and rubber products needed to maintain consistent branding.
• The project had to stay within a strict target cost.
• The customer preferred working with one manufacturer instead of multiple suppliers.
After comparing several suppliers in China, the client ultimately chose JOYI not simply because of price, but because we could provide a complete engineering solution：
✔ Unlike many factories that specialize in only one material, JOYI manufactures both food-grade silicone and natural rubber products in-house. This allowed the client to consolidate two product categories under one supplier, reducing communication costs and simplifying project management.
✔ Regarding the problem of difficult demolding of rubber toys, we have a perfect solution internally. We create a tool that can assist in the demolding process of the products. This is one of the reasons why customers choose us.
✔ Consistent product quality across multiple production batches.
✔ The silicone/rubber products OEM customization service is highly comprehensive and has extensive experience.
✔ Fast engineering support and responsive communication throughout the project. For any questions raised by customers, we can provide answers promptly and professionally, thereby enhancing their trust in us.
Product Development Journey
Phase 1 — Product Concept
When this client contacted us, he shared his ideas about the product with us. Our design team then translated those ideas into drawings. After approximately five rounds of revisions, the final design draft was determined.
Phase 2 — Engineering Design
At the beginning of the design process, the client chose the Kong brand for the target toy and the toy performance. However, what he wanted to do was to create a unique design of his own brand. Initially, the surface patterns were not obvious. When drawing the toy's appearance on the blueprint as per the client's requirements, many changes were made. The patterns needed to be prominent, but not too deep.
Phase 3 — Prototype Testing
After the appearance design was confirmed, the 3D stereoscopic image was produced. After the customer viewed it, they were still not very satisfied. During prototype evaluation, the client found that dogs could remove peanut butter too quickly. Since the product was designed to provide mental enrichment rather than simply hold treats, our engineering team proposed adding vertical internal ribs to increase licking difficulty while still allowing dogs to reach the food. Two prototype samples were produced before mold production began.
Phase 4 — Mold Development
The quality of the mold is also an important factor in determining whether the final product looks good. It also avoids the cost of frequent mold maintenance later on. The mold process took approximately 25 days. The rubber toys take longer than the silicone products to complete.
Phase 5 — Production
This toy is narrow in the middle and wide at both ends. Coupled with the vertical lines inside, the demolding process during production is extremely difficult. Generally, factories cannot handle it because it requires a lot of time and manpower. Without tool assistance, relying solely on human force to forcefully pull and demold is not beneficial in the long run, resulting in low production capacity. Our engineering department has independently designed and manufactured an auxiliary demolding tool, which has solved this problem. The product cost has been significantly reduced, reaching the target price set by the customer, making the production process easier and reducing the defect rate.
Phase 6 — Packaging
Customized packaging. The customer requested a hard cardboard cover. The product was stuck to the packaging because this toy comes in three sizes - large, medium and small. The large-sized toy is very heavy, and regular paper is difficult to avoid deforming. We contacted our cooperating packaging company, and they used imported paper for manufacturing, which has strong supporting strength.
Engineering drawing during product development.
Why do we insist that the pet silicone lick mat should be free of any odor when it is manufactured? When this client received our samples, they said, "You are the only company that has provided me with silicone lick pads without any odor. How did you manage to do that?" I asked many factories, and they all replied to me in unison that there is a certain smell which is normal and it is the smell of the silicone.
I replied to him, "Our silicone licking pads are made with platinum silicone. The silicone itself has no smell. If the product you receive has an unpleasant odor, it indicates that during the production process, some of the silicone product additives did not fully evaporate." It's the smell of the additives. When we select additives, we are very cautious and never choose inferior ones. After the product is completed, we strictly follow the post-curing process to heat and evaporate the remaining additives at high temperatures. This is why our products have no odor.
Learn more about the smell of silicone products? please read this blog: https://www.joyioem.com/blog-detail/why-some-silicone-products-smell-bad
The client's brand focuses on natural ingredients, health, safety. Because some consumers have latex sensitivities, the client required a latex-free rubber formulation that met their safety standards.. According to the client's requirements, we purchase the relevant raw materials. All the raw materials have test certificates, which ensures quality from the very beginning.
Whether it is silicone products or rubber products, before packaging, after production is completed, the "trimming" process will be carried out. Each product is carefully inspected to remove the burrs and check if there is any damage to the product appearance. This is a complete full inspection in the quality inspection process.
According to the different requirements of various customers, we have multiple packaging options to choose from. We can produce different types of packaging based on the customers' requests.Our packaging supply chain is highly comprehensive. Whether it's simple packaging with good value for money, or high-end packaging for premium brands, we can meet all customer requirements.
One of the biggest technical challenges in this project was the complex internal structure of the rubber toy. Because the product is narrower in the center and wider at both ends, traditional demolding methods required excessive manual labor and resulted in a high defect rate.
Instead of redesigning the product, our engineering team developed a dedicated demolding tool that significantly simplified production. This innovation reduced manufacturing costs, improved production efficiency, and enabled the client to achieve its target price without compromising product quality.
Some products may seem simple at first glance. However, during the initial design phase, one must consider the problems that may arise later. When designing, one should think more about the problems that consumers might encounter, such as the depth of the texture and the rationality of the internal structure, all of which can affect whether a product will be popular in the market.
Silicone lick mats
Silicone slow feeder bowl
Rubber chewing toys
This project demonstrates how close collaboration between a pet brand and an experienced OEM manufacturer can turn a product concept into a long-term commercial success.
Rather than simply manufacturing products, JOYI participated in engineering optimization, mold innovation, material selection, packaging development, and production improvements throughout the project.
Seven years of continuous cooperation reflects the value of combining engineering expertise with stable manufacturing capability.
Yes. As an experienced silicone slow feeder bowl manufacturer and pet product supplier, we support full OEM mold development, including product design, engineering drawings, and tooling production.
Yes. Our lick mats are produced using 100% food-grade silicone, making them safe for use with peanut butter, yogurt, and other dog treats.
No. Our custom rubber chew toys for dogs are made from natural rubber with latex-free formulations, ensuring they are safe and non-toxic for pets.
Yes. We provide silicone lick mat wholesale services for pet brands, distributors, and retailers. Custom logo, color, packaging, and mold development are available.
After the design is approved, mold production normally takes 20–25 days. Mass production usually requires around 25 days, depending on the order quantity.
Yes. We regularly sign NDAs with brand owners and respect the confidentiality of every custom project. Products developed under NDA are never displayed publicly without customer authorization.
For most custom OEM projects, the standard MOQ is 1,000 pieces. The exact MOQ may vary depending on product size, material, and tooling requirements.
Because most of our projects involve custom OEM and private-label products, we respect every customer's intellectual property and confidentiality agreements.
For this reason, some product photos, engineering drawings, and packaging details shown in this case have been simplified or partially hidden. However, the engineering process, manufacturing methods, and project timeline described above are based on actual production experience.
Looking for an experienced OEM partner for silicone and rubber pet products?
Whether you're launching a new pet brand or expanding an existing product line, our engineering team can help transform your ideas into market-ready products—from concept and mold development to manufacturing and global delivery.
