For material developers, the art of compounding electrically conductive compounds consists of integrating various conductive fillers and reinforcing materials into a polymer matrix. For a compound that meets even the most detailed requirements for other structural properties - be it mechanical strength, stiffness or toughness, for example. And we do this consistently over the long term - batch after batch. Like all arts, this is not something that can be mastered "just like that". But a great deal can be achieved within several decades ...

The results of tribological tests help to optimize material selection, improve product quality and service life, reduce costs and develop clear competitive advantages. The practical data obtained enables design engineers to make informed decisions and offer their customers high-performance, reliable products. This blog article deals with the tribological testing methods used, why big data means a lot but not everything, the advantages for plastics processing companies and, above all, the role of the material developer or compounder:

Don't worry: We won't try your patience with details of our production line for long-fiber thermoplastics. Much better: We'll show you why the material produced with it can put you in a position to develop or manufacture components / products / special products that could clearly set you apart from your competitors. All you have to do now is: read on. Invest a good 3 minutes of reading time. You could change your market position / company story. You can hardly get more ROI in such a short time.

Since mid-January of this year, the call for a ban on perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) has been the talk of the town, and not just throughout the industry. And as befits our times, the news, questions, prophecies and prophecies of doom have been pouring in. Time for us to name the facts, to take stock of the situation and to illuminate future scenarios.

The role that the material developer plays (or ideally should play) quickly becomes clear if you take a closer look at the entire chain - from product development to application development to the tooling/processing process - in plastics production or plastics compounding. Then you quickly come to the conclusion that the material developer plays a very decisive, major role. The earlier he is involved in the material selection process, the more efficiently the selection of the potentially suitable material can be narrowed down. His range of applications extends from the selection of the potentially suitable polymer base and the appropriate additives to the right tool and process design. This means that a good material developer actually plays several roles at once.