Building products sector success for Dugdale lead-free injection moulding compounds
Against a backdrop of falling demand in the construction industry Dugdale has developed and successfully launched a suite of lead-free high performance rigid PVC injection moulding compounds for building products.
Working in partnership with major UK building product manufacturers over the past 12 months the company has created and achieved approvals for a range of calcium zinc (CaZn) materials that will be marketed under its Ducavin PVC brand name.
Grades meet the requirements of BS EN 1401 drain products, BS EN 1329 soil and waste products and BS EN 607 rainwater products.
Dugdale attributes the success of these grades to its formulation and manufacturing experience coupled with detailed knowledge of supplying in-house processors and trade moulders to the building sector.
In recent years the company has established a team of technical specialists with extensive experience in this sector who have focussed on working with customers to create cost effective compounds that offer multiple solutions. Custom grades tailored to suit processors' specific plant have also been produced. Central to the company's service is technical advice on how to optimise the processing of lead-free materials, guidance on tool design and how to recycle process waste cost effectively.
Feedback from customers using the new PVC compounds has been very positive with reports highlighting greater processing stability and easier processing, compared with lead based materials, plus better colour consistency, even with second and third generation material.
"Development of our lead free injection moulding compounds will continue," says Andy Tombs, business development manager at Dugdale. "We plan to roll out new products aimed specifically at the European market and we are working on enhanced cost/performance grades that will exceed customer expectations and create differentiation."
