A. Schulman Invision has expanded its thermoplastic olefin (TPO) sheet business with the introduction of two products from its Invision line to support thermoformed applications.The new products are a patent pending, modified Polypropylene-capped TPO sheet possessing high durability, and a mono-layered TPO sheet. Both products offer significant customer benefits in thermoforming applications, including: high melt strength allowing for a larger process window, which means added processing flexibility and fewer rejects; and 33% greater stiffness than competitive TPO sheet products, enabling processors to down-gauge, which lowers costs by requiring less material while achieving lighter-weight parts, quicker cycle times and reduced trim scrap.
A. Schulman`s innovative Invision line includes mono- and multi-layered, extruded sheet products that are cost-competitive and simplify the manufacturing process for the Company`s customers. They also provide a higher-performance and a more environmentally friendly alternative to existing plastic sheet and film materials that are pigmented or painted.
- The TPO used in the production of Invision sheet is a proprietary TPO that A. Schulman designed to provide exceptional forming characteristics beyond the typical market offerings - said Dennis Smith, General Manager and Director of Technology. - It possesses the highest stiffness-to-ductility ratio available in a TPO material, which puts its performance on par with higher-cost engineered resins.
As the only TPO sheet provider with dedicated TPO sheet production lines, A. Schulman offers customers the shortest industry lead times. Additionally, its in-house color design team operates around the clock, whereas other sheet providers outsource the color analysis and design capabilities, which adds to cost and product delivery time.
- We are very pleased with the Invision TPO product line - said Jim Stewart, President and owner of Best Formed Plastics in Elkhart, Indiana. - The material quality is consistent and the processability is excellent; our scrap ratio went from between 10 and 12% to virtually zero. Just as importantly, the Invision team is committed to great customer service. They always perform to the highest professional standards - from trial forming with sample material at our facility, to turning around a color match in two days, to delivering our orders with no more than two to three weeks` lead time or less.
In addition to giving customers more product and price options to meet the needs of a broader range of applications, the Invision product line expansion aligns with the strategic initiatives of Joseph M. Gingo, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of A. Schulman. As part of a company wide drive to restore its North American operations to profitability, A. Schulman is working to strengthen its new-product pipeline and redirect its market focus toward non-automotive sectors, including agriculture, recreational vehicles, heavy trucks, and aquatic sports and boating.
These markets require variety in performance expectations, allowing for a full range of Invision products to service them with the right product for the right application. Invision`s TPO-based sheet products are targeted to replace painted metal; other thermoplastic sheet materials such as pigmented acrylic cap ABS sheet; laminated paint films; and thermoset materials such as fiberglass, SMC or others. Typical applications are exterior body panels and trim components, fenders, door panels, housings and enclosures within the market segments noted.
