Brochures and Case Studies

When Ruspa Officine Spa (“Ruspa”), a producer of equipment and components for vehicle manufacturers that primarily operates in the public transport sector, was challenged to provide products that contained virus-protection properties, they turned to Nexeo Plastics for their material needs. The company needed a seat-back table that incorporated enhanced hygiene protection throughout the day and through multiple uses. If successful, Ruspa intended to extend the solution to other products, such as seats, footrests, armrests and handles.

When Ruspa Officine Spa (“Ruspa”), a producer of equipment and components for vehicle manufacturers that primarily operates in the public transport sector, was challenged to provide products that contained virus-protection properties, they turned to Nexeo Plastics for their material needs. The company needed a seat-back table that incorporated enhanced hygiene protection throughout the day and through multiple uses. If successful, Ruspa intended to extend the solution to other products, such as seats, footrests, armrests and handles.

When Ruspa Officine Spa (“Ruspa”), a producer of equipment and components for vehicle manufacturers that primarily operates in the public transport sector, was challenged to provide products that contained virus-protection properties, they turned to Nexeo Plastics for their material needs. The company needed a seat-back table that incorporated enhanced hygiene protection throughout the day and through multiple uses. If successful, Ruspa intended to extend the solution to other products, such as seats, footrests, armrests and handles.

Orthex Group, a leading producer of kitchen products, knew being first to market with bio-based utensils could help cement the Nordic company as a sustainability frontrunner and provide a serious competitive advantage. Orthex turned to Nexeo Plastics to help identify a renewable material that would comply with strict food-contact regulations without sacrificing processing performance. Even more challenging, Orthex wanted the utensils to have consistent colorability performance — to be green in all senses of the word and stand out from the market’s traditionally black offerings.

By partnering with Nexeo Plastics, Orthex was first to market with utensils made from a 50% plant-based renewable material fully documented for food contact and low-carbon production. (Download to read the full case study)

A large, industrial molder ran up against a processing problem when the approved high-performance elastomer specified for an SUV bumper application was under performing while in the tool. Known for its flexibility and processing ease, the original material wasn’t flowing properly, even with technical support and troubleshooting. The application required a material with higher flow potential, but as suppliers to auto OEMs well know, it was too late to deviate from the approved-materials list or to get a new material approved. The molder needed help fast to avoid costly losses.

Working closely with both the Tier 1 and Tier 2 molders and the OEM, Nexeo Plastics learned that a new material would not require additional approval if it remained consistent with the approved data sheet specifications and if it passed elongation and durometer (hardness) testing.

A Southeastern company producing a steering column component needed help overcoming production challenges when a critical material in its supply chain was discontinued. Finding a suitable nylon resin replacement without disrupting production would require OEM approval of the new grade, and automotive industry requirement that can prove complicated and costly, especially for smaller manufacturers with limited staff resources. With numerous molders and teams involved in the production, the manufacturer needed a partner to oversee all players to ensure a timely transition and successful OEM validation.

Nexeo Plastics knew the key to solving this challenge lay in selecting not just an acceptable new material, but one with proven, well-documented technical proficiencies that could move through OEM validation without incident. To smooth the way, our automotive industry experts reached out to engineers at a leading resin supplier who gathered documentation to demonstrate the new resin's lab-tested effectiveness.

When wearable sports device manufacturer Humon set out to disrupt the fitness market with a revolutionary product that measures oxygen levels in muscles, the company knew the keys to success were the same as those demanded by the endurance athletes it was targeting: precision fundamentals and exacting performance. 

To bring the game-changing technology to market, Humon needed a plastics and process expert supporting its development team to help Humon identify the optimal materials, as well as help them troubleshoot and resolve any design, tooling and process challenges as they arose. The final prototype needed to be as robust and fine-tuned as a high-performance athlete, able to withstand chemical degradation and perform in rigorous environmental conditions.

The Dutch sports consortium, 3D Mouthguard, needed help developing a custom athletic mouthguard, seeking to bring a better product to market with the precise modeling capabilities and accelerated production times afforded by 3D printing technology. Device wearers needed a flexible and soft material for optimal protection, comfort and durability, while device providers desired an efficient, customizable and cost-effective design that provided a fully automated and digital customer experience.

Nexeo Plastics’ 3D printing team joined its supplier–partner DSM to review how to meet the demands of high-performance athletes for a mouth safety product. The analysis included understanding the desire for a product to be both robust enough for complete protection under grueling conditions, but flexible enough to ensure maximum comfort.

Railway systems manufacturer CAF Power & Automation sought a better method to test the printed circuit board cards used in its line of railcars. To reduce costs and minimize time and risk associated with testing inside operational trains, the customer simultaneously moved to an accelerated testing method and explored the merits of 3D printing technology. After carefully considering the trains’ operating conditions, the team recommended DSM Novamid®ID 1070, a strong polymer known to perform well in harsh environments at high temperatures.

Fluidra, a maker of heaters, pumps and filters for the international pool and spa industry, needed help developing a series of fluid valves, hoping to replace the standard injected valve with a 3D printed version that would perform just as well. The consistent repeatability and lower cost of a 3D printed assembly were promising, but the current design was experiencing strong warpage and taking longer than one unit per day during printing—too slow to produce the needed 400 units per year on a single printer.

Nexeo Plastics’ 3D printing team went to work, addressing several design and printing constraints. Our professionals alerted the customer to a number of 3D printing best practices based on the desired product attributes, helping Fluidra select a filament material that would perform given the mechanical requirements.

Today’s top manufacturers know that to edge out competitors they have to scrutinize each decision in the manufacturing process and continually explore ways to save time and money and improve product line efficiencies. A top manufacturer of pressure washers and power equipment sought an alternative to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for one of its product components, needing a more consistent processing PVC for the inner lining of a pressure washer hose.

Nexeo Plastics proposed using a custom polyolefin blend to offset the PVC the customer was using. With the new blend undergoing thorough cycle testing to qualify, the manufacturer was then able to go to production with a more consistent processing material, improving production time and decreasing material costs.

ProVent Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, was launching an innovative PVC plumbing system with revolutionary benefits for commercial high-rise builders when the company hit several roadblocks during early testing. Problems surfaced with resin formulation and welding inconsistencies that threatened to stall the program’s rollout.

Historically made of cast iron, the drain-waste-vent product would be the first-ever, solvent-type fitting made of PVC, promising to be more durable, more sound resistant and less expensive to install than previous systems. The new patented Single Stack® fitting would need to be molded in two pieces and then welded together with an exacting flush-fit to ensure leak-proof performance. 

A maker of veterinary diagnostic and testing equipment needed help developing a complicated product it was rolling out to the marketplace. The equipment was traditionally made with plastic and sheet metal parts. The sheet metal parts were relatively expensive to manufacture because of many intricate subcomponents and spot welding requirements.

In the new design, more than 50 additional plastic parts were added, along with the conversion of many sheet metal components to plastic. The most complex part was an internal chassis around which many of the subassemblies were attached. Converting the chassis to plastic would provide better durability, less variability and faster manufacturing time, significantly decreasing overall production costs.

In the competitive world of consumer product development, every penny of cost can help make or break an idea. Every aspect of design, material sourcing, production and supply chain must be maximized for efficiency.

A leading manufacturer — responsible for producing a popular consumer product sold through retail locations and major online retailers — faced this scenario: reduce costs or face the risk of losing the business, which accounted for a significant source of the manufacturer’s portfolio.

As consumer products companies look to maximize profits in today’s uber-competitive environment, every manufacturing inefficiency must be identified and corrected to keep vital market share. A leading manufacturer of well-known laundry and household care products was challenged with an ongoing and costly cap breakage issue for its containers and needed help to solve the problem. The company’s current polypropylene cap material along with a particularly long conveyance within the plant to the bottling line combined to produce an unacceptable 30% scrap rate.

Nexeo Plastics proposed a polyolefin elastomer additive from a top supplier to toughen the end product and increase durability. We sent samples to the customer and worked with its engineering staff to test varying percentages of the additive to eliminate the breakage, ultimately landing on the ideal percentage of additive use to achieve a 0% failure rate. Once we determined the optimal mix to eliminate the cap failure, we provided additional customer support to help the customer ensure cycle times were maintained after the change in the formula.