To stay on top of the latest knowledge and trends in cast polyurethane, the PMA is rolling out our first member survey. In the next few weeks, all PMA members will be getting an email from us with a link to the survey online.
Please respond to the survey as soon as you can, answering all questions to the best of your knowledge. It should only take a few minutes.
Your feedback will help create benchmarks, allowing you to better understand the cast polyurethane market and where your company stands among other members. We’ll also use what we learn to help us promote the strength and vitality of the cast polyurethane industry in the coming year.
If you have any questions regarding the survey, please feel free to comment on this post or send us an email to the address provided below.
Want to see your story in this blog? Send an email to rmccormick@insidesh.com
Check Your Inbox for the PMA Membership Survey
Innovative DirectSkinning Process Meets the BMW Test
Technology Enables Plastic Part with a PUR Coating, All in One Mold
Exciting new advantages of PUR have the spotlight in Modern Plastics’ article “Molded parts get PUR coating in a single mold.”
DirectSkinning is a new technology involving multicomponent injection molding into a single mold—with one of the materials being a PUR coating that protects its thermoplastics substrate. First appearing at the K show in 2004, the technology had to develop some thick skin to meet commercial requirements for cost and efficiency.
In production at fischer automotive systems GmbH, a German processor of plastics, the DirectSkinning decorative panel seals off a kinematic drawer on the dashboard, directly above the central console. The panel is produced in five colors and has about a 1.4-mm-thick PUR covering based on plastics supplier Bayer MaterialScience’s Bayflex LS (Light Stable) material. The thickness of the PUR coating can be adjusted to a manufacturer’s need.
PUR surfaces provide additional protection and aesthetic appeal to parts. The stability of the product’s polyurethane surface has been tested through heat aging, hot-light aging, climatic change and solar stimulation showing no surface defects, discoloring or other issues over the service life of the product.
If you have a cast polyurethane success story that needs to be told, let us know! We’d love to hear from you. We are always looking for PMA member stories to share.
Have an idea? Shoot us an email at rmccormick@insideSH.com
PMA Grows Membership by 13 Percent
In an off-year for most manufacturers and suppliers, the value of joining an association becomes clear. Posting a 13 percent gain in membership, the PMA leads the way in promoting cast polyurethane as a critical product component.
Now more than ever, processors and suppliers are turning to the PMA for resources and knowledge regarding:
- The latest technology (see our technical papers and seminars)
- Regulatory practices
- Material science.
Plus, we continue to work vigilantly with members to spread the word on the strength and versatility of cast polyurethane as a material, exposing its advantages to new businesses and diverse markets.
Few companies would be able to dedicate so many resources to the advancement and development of cast polyurethane. As the exclusive organization dedicated to this material, we have a lot to provide our members, helping them win in what continues to be a challenging market.
As we further our mission of advancing cast polyurethane, we’d like to thank our current membership base as well as announce our latest partners. Please welcome the following new members:
- AdvanSource BioMaterials Corp
- American Polymer Products, Inc.
- BASF Corporation
- Bihler Flex
- Hewlett Packard
- Michelin North America
- Novatech
- Pittsburgh Plastics Mfgs, Inc.
- Polycoat Products
- Puma Polymers
- Uni-Eastern Sportswear Mfg, Ltd.
If you know someone interested in joining or if you have a story to share for our blog, please email Rachel Jennings at rjennings@insideSH.com