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.

Highly stressed plastic parts can be found in a wide variety of applications. From medical technology to the energy industry to the automotive industry. In surgery in the form of breast spreaders and in the field of diagnostics in the form of endoscopic handles; in wind turbines in ball bearing cages and in cars in brake boosters or exhaust gas recirculation valves. As different as the demands may be – they all have an extremely high requirement profile in common. Characterized by high temperatures, mechanical/dynamic loads, the highest demands on strength, impact strength and/or rigidity. How do plastic parts ensure this? How technical plastics or high-performance plastics help to keep people healthy or technical systems running day and night or enable them to perform at their best? You can find the answers here.

The topic of high-performance compounds consists of far more than PEEK and Co. Every designer who is looking for new ways to replace metal, for example - whether for reasons of weight or corrosion - must be aware that, as an innovative pioneer, he is embarking on "winding paths full of stumbling blocks". This article is intended to show what needs to be taken into account to ensure that development projects with high-performance compounds are successful.