Teknor Apex has established a portfolio of over 3,000 wire and cable compounds, many of which are UL recognized. This makes it unnecessary, in many cases, for customers to submit cables for extensive performance testing.   In addition to these standard grades, we are committed, as a custom compounder, to developing new compounds for specific customer requirements and for emerging new applications.

A topic not often discussed in conjunction with the NFL and pro-football is how innovations in vinyl compounds have enhanced the game, both for the players and the fans. From PVC plumbing pipes and vinyl concession tubing, to IT infrastructure cabling, which are protected by a variety of jacketing and insulation copper and fiber optic PVC compounds, even the plastic safety cones and vinyl rain ponchos used by tailgaters - Teknor Apex delves into the subject and explains why PVC is the Most Versatile Polymer in pro-football and at the Super Bowl!

Our design and product partners come to us with great requests.  Because of the incredible range of design-friendly, high-performance thermoplastic elastomer compounds (TPEs) we offer, we are able to put TPEs to work for their products in some pretty innovative – and probably surprising – ways.  To inspire you, here’s a collection of some of the best applications of TPEs that have come through our lab recently.

When BioThane Coated Webbing Corp began developing a concept for dog collars, they wanted to create something that was not only cleanable and waterproof, but also ‘stinkproof’ – to combat that lingering ‘wet dog smell’ issue. There was nothing that addressed these issues on the market, and an audience of some 70-million dog owners in the U.S. – most of whom are familiar with the problem. 

Two steps forward and one back. It feels like we’ve been in this economic tango year after year after year, reading market signals with cautious optimism. It’s frustrating. So, today I share with you something irrefutably concrete: Our investments to add significant vinyl compounding capacity have just passed the project midpoint, on-track to come online in the second half of 2017.

New TPEs are developed on a daily basis, for many reasons: new polymer technologies offered by our suppliers, evolving consumer preferences, or the newest government regulation.  Depending on your application or end-use environment, you may already know if you need an SBC compound versus a TPV, but how do you choose the right grade? 

Designer’s White. Bright White. Cream. White Dove. Historic White. Milk Mustache. Every shade of white remains white, season after season, in our highest performing line of capstock grades for fence, rail and fenestration.

Consider the performance requirements of your household appliances: safety for food contact, or resistance to household chemicals, tolerance to freezing temperatures or high heat. New specialty TPEs are now available, tailored for the unique demands of household appliances: washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators. 

Vinyl has been saddled with a dual reputation for decades. On one hand: design engineers, product owners and OEMs know it’s a workhorse compound with proven performance, unmatched versatility and a high value point in countless important applications.  

Staying on top of substances facing new regulatory scrutiny is hard enough without the added worry of consumer perception – or misperception.   Too often, companies give up or give in to ill-informed pressures, even at the expense of the performance and value of their products.  

There’s intelligence coursing through oil rigs and manufacturing plants, mines and electrical substations.  These industrial environments have the same data requirements as the front office, but the cables that carry that data — and even power – must withstand harsh elements and conditions.

Our labs often focus on pushing flame performance to new levels. They achieved a breakthrough with the Halguard 58300 series – with no tradeoffs in physical or electrical properties.

For nearly 65 years, our customers have turned to us for high-grade wire and cable compounds that perform in demanding applications. Our lab creates economical formulations, too.

Interested in improving quality and eliminating an entire step in your process? Teknor Apex’s new line of self-texturing extrusion grades of flexible PVC may be just what you need.

Our customers are pleased to hear that Teknor Apex is standardizing and streamlining our product grade selection process for ease of purchasing.  This new selection methodology is designed for easy integration into enterprise systems, so that customers can select the same product in Europe, North America and Asia.

The Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel (CHAP) of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a report on July 18, 2014 concerning the use of certain phthalates in children’s toys and child care articles.