STAR
THERMOPLASTIC ALLOYS &
RUBBERS, INC.
2635
South Wabash Avenue • Chicago, Illinois 60616
Tel: 312-225-7800 • Fax: 312-225-7810
E-mail: sales@starthermoplastics.com
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STAR
THERMOPLASTIC ALLOYS &
RUBBERS, INC. |
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Breakthrough Opens New Doors STAR Thermoplastic (Star Thermoplastic Alloys and Rubbers, Inc.) announces a major step in TPE technology with the development of a new grade for overmolding TPEs onto urethane. It is marketed under the name Overflex, and it allows overmolders to design enhancements to their products with stronger, more dimensionally stable overmolding grade material. The new compound is notable for the way it allows for higher tensile strength urethane products to be made with less material, a major benefit to applications that require holes for bristles (toothbrushes for example). The STAR material solves the problem many processors encounter when putting holes into a substrate: TPE overmolding processors faced limits on the number of holes they could put into a substrate, thus limiting the number and configuration of the bristles to maintain dimensional stability. This mechanical limitation inhibited producers of popular "performance" styles of toothbrushes that utilize various lengths, alignments, and types of bristles. According to a STAR spokesman, "The proprietary technology required to achieve this breakthrough TPE is available in Shore A hardness from 40 to 65, and offers full colorability, ease of processability, and of particular importance to the consumer market, the TPE offers an appealing aesthetic look and feel. The final product imparts the required strength to the final product, and offers design engineers a better substrate that can deliver the strength needed to make more innovative products". Some popular applications of the new TPE include toothbrushes, levels (manufacturers are able to locate the fluid "bubble" more efficiently), disposable razors, brushes, and animal brushes, to name but a few. STAR
Thermoplastic Elastomers supplies six highly diverse product lines of
standard as well as custom grades of TPEs for the appliance, automotive,
construction, electrical, hardware, housewares, industrial, medical, packaging,
sporting goods and manufacturing industries, among others. The company
offers diverse product lines including specialty TPEs for medial and high
clarity applications, fire retardant TPEs, high performance, super soft
and overmolding grades of TPEs. In addition, the firm has extensive warehousing
capabilities and offers stock and JIT programs. |