Dugdale helps building trade pass the test
Dugdale has recently succeeded in enhancing its market leading suite of non-lead, high performance rigid PVC injection moulding compounds for building products.
Working in partnership with major UK building product manufacturers over the past 12 months, Dugdale has created and achieved approvals for enhanced Calcium Zinc based compounds marketed under its Ducavin PVC brand name.
Traditionally, the material supplied into the building products, windows ancillary and general PVC moulding markets has met the requirements of BS EN 1401 drain products, BS EN 1329 soil and waste products and BS EN 607 rainwater products.
However, Dugdale’s newly developed formulations also enable manufacturers to now fully comply with the BS 5255: 1989 specification for waste thermoplastic fitting of wall thickness minimum than 2.7 mm – wherein a Vicat Softening Point requirement of > 80 degrees Celsius is mandatory.
Stuart Hope, Customer Development Manager for Dugdale, and part of the technical team says that ‘the development of the new compound was borne from not merely tweaking the old recipe design. It has required redefining the understanding of the moulding process and the consequent behaviour of the PVC in its melt flow characteristics. We are delighted to be able to give our customers an option which circumvents the recent numerous debates with governing testing bodies in the building sector. We supply a material that consistently passes all the necessary requirements and regulations.’
Feedback from customers using the new PVC compounds has been very positive with reports highlighting greater processing stability and wider processing windows, compared with first generation calcium zinc based materials. Better colour consistency is also reported.
Andy Tombs, Business Development Manager, says that ‘continued development of our calcium zinc injection moulding compounds is a key component of our continuing growth. Cost-effective processing of PVC for under sink and waste pipe products can now be carried out by the industry with complete peace of mind. We now plan to roll out these new compounds into the European market and we are working on enhanced cost/performance grades that will exceed customer expectations and create differentiation.’
Dugdale has established a team of technical specialists with extensive materials experience. Their focus is working with customers in order to create cost effective PVC compounds that offer versatility in use. Custom grades tailored to suit processors’ specific plant have also been produced. Central to Dugdale’s service is technical advice on how to optimise the processing of calcium zinc materials, guidance on tool design and how to recycle process waste cost effectively.
