Top 8 Modern Trends in Industrial Plastics
Customers of Urbell Plastics frequently require guidance that bridges the gap between business strategy, hard science, and material technology, and Keith is a person who can concentrate on those demands. Keith leads the Curbell Plastics Business Development team and provides a distinctive and practical perspective to plastic material selection and application counselling. He is a nationally recognised expert on performance plastics and has degrees in geology, industrial technology, and business administration in addition to more than 30 years of experience in the plastics industry. He has worked with hundreds of companies to use performance polymers to reduce costs and increase quality. He collaborates closely with engineering and design teams to find plastics that can be used as lightweight, affordable alternatives to glass, metal, and other materials.
Keith has trained many of his Curbell Plastics coworkers across the entire company on material properties and manufacturing processes. He is also a former adjunct professor at a university where he taught organisational leadership and business communication. Keith is passionate about education, mentoring, and professional development.
Noting how plastics are currently employed in a variety of industries, such as transportation, recreational equipment, medical devices, and many more, to increase quality and safety, reduce manufacturing costs, and speed up production. Keith focuses on 10 such themes that cut across industries and applications among the current expanding trends in the utilisation of performance plastics.
1. Choosing Plastics with Improved Disinfectant Compatibility and Antimicrobial Properties.
Surfaces are increasingly being cleaned and disinfected in ways and at rates that can swiftly destroy conventional plastic materials as a result of the epidemic. Many non-medical applications, such as aerospace interiors, emergency vehicles, and retail store fixtures, are now being specified for new antimicrobial and disinfectant-compatible plastics that were first developed for use in hospital equipment.
Creating Safer Public Buildings with Transparent Plastics. Governments from all around the world are concentrating on the necessity of safeguarding citizens in public areas. New classes of transparent polymer sheet materials that can withstand bullets and forced entrance have been developed by the plastics industry in response. For increased levels of protection, these plastics can be mixed with glass and/or other polymers or used as monolithic glazing. Many of these materials are available with UV stabilisers and scratch-resistant coatings for longer service life.
2. Improving Patient Outcomes Through the Use of Innovative Plastics in Orthotics and Prosthetics.
The plastic polymers used for splints, braces, and artificial limbs have undergone significant advances. Healthcare practitioners can now create thinner, lighter, more comfortable gadgets that maximise patient comfort thanks to new polymer formulas. These polymers can be formed without the use of an industrial forming oven using only hot water or a hand-held heat gun. This shortens the time it takes to construct and custom-fit a device because fit modifications may now be made in a doctor's office.
3. Using Plastics That Are Detectable to Improve Food Safety
Engineering plastics have several benefits for food processing equipment, including minimal friction, reduced working noise, and resistance to cleaning agents. However, there has been an increase in worry recently around the possibility that used or damaged plastic industrial components can get past food inspection apparatus, posing a risk of contamination and necessitating expensive product recalls. A number of food safety technologies, such as X-ray detection, metal detection, and optical inspection approaches, can now detect newly developed plastics.
4. Using Plastic in Place of Wood to Increase Service Life.
In the open air, wood may swiftly decay and deteriorate. As a result, there are risks from splinters and shorter part life. There are numerous items that were once made of wood, including highchairs, outdoor furniture, playthings, and boat cabin interiors.
5. Using polymers to make vehicles lighter and more fuel-efficient.
The need to create more fuel-efficient automobiles and growing concerns about carbon emissions have led to a rise in the use of engineering plastics in order to reduce weight. All kinds of ground vehicles, including passenger railcars, fixed-wing and rotary planes, and automobiles, are increasingly using lightweight, strong polymers. For a longer service life outside, many polymers are available in UV resistant formulations. It is possible to formulate the plastics used in diesel and gasoline engines so that they can function while in contact with lubricants and fuels. In applications where parts are located close to engines, reinforced high temperature polymers are used.
6. Using Reinforced Thermoplastics to Replace Metals and Thermoset Composites.
High strength and stiffness devices are typically built of metals or thermoset composites, both of which have major drawbacks. Metals can't be used for situations where light weight is preferred because of their weight. Composites made of thermoset are frequently brittle and have little chemical resistance. Additionally, the production of thermoset is typically labor- and time-intensive. At the forefront of materials science is a new class of thermoplastic composites. These materials are comparable to metals and thermoset composites in terms of strength and modulus. Additionally, they offer many of the benefits of thermoplastics, such as improved chemical resistance, ductility.
7. Choosing Plastics that Don't Interfere with RF Signals from Communications Equipment.
High-performance antennas are in more demand as a result of the spread of connected devices and the rollout of 5G telecommunications. Plastic radome materials that won't significantly weaken radio frequency (RF) signals at the operating frequency are necessary for optimal antenna operation. As protective antenna radomes, specialised engineered polymers with low dielectric constants and low dissipation factors as well as improved durability, UV resistance, and thermoformability are becoming more popular.
8. By Using Long-Wearing, Low-Friction Plastics, Lubrication Is Not Needed.
The highest standards of cleanliness must be maintained on all equipment used to produce goods including semiconductors, food items, and pharmaceuticals. Oil and grease are examples of liquid lubricants that have the potential to be a cause of contamination.
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