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AIN Plastics, a division of ThyssenKrupp Materials NA, Inc., is a leading full line distributor and fabricator of industrial plastic shapes, specializing in engineering plastics for the fabricator and OEM communities.

AIN Plastics Founder Passes Away

Norman Drucker, AIN Plastics Founder

Norman Drucker

Norman Drucker Leaves a Lasting Legacy

In the first few months of AIN Plastics blog posts I’ve gotten things rolling by telling you some things about AIN Plastics, primarily about the products we sell, a new service we offer, our TYGON award, and some industry information. But until now, I haven’t talked much about the people of AIN. With the passing of one of AIN Plastics founders, Norman Drucker, it is time to take a look back and pay tribute and respect to a man who was much loved and respected by those he worked with, by his competitors, and by those who knew him personally.

As the newbie at AIN Plastics I never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Drucker, so I called upon two people that did, and I thoroughly enjoyed the time listening and learning about one of the men who began AIN Plastics.

Jerry Lane and John Colleluori are two AIN Plastics employees who worked with Norman Drucker over the years and each one calls him both a friend and a mentor. Jerry Lane recalled that even before he worked for Norman, when he was a competitor to AIN, he would always stop in and see Norman when he was in Mt. Vernon, NY, the home of AIN Plastics at the time. “I was always treated like a kid brother, Norman was a mentor even when I was a competitor and he helped me to get distributor lines I never could gotten otherwise. People trusted him.” Even though AIN was highly successful and was expanding into numerous locations, Jerry said Norman once told him he wouldn’t move into Jerry’s town because he didn’t want to hurt him. Norman understood there was success all around and he didn’t need to take from others to grow his own business. Jerry went on to say that Norman said if he ever wanted to work with him in some way to let him know. That time came in 1985 when Jerry decided to make his own company a part of AIN Plastics. He said in February of 1985 they made a deal and sealed it with a handshake, by April of that year it was official and Jerry Lane went to work for Norman and AIN Plastics.

John and Jerry both noted that Norman had a gift for business. It is said he had a photographic memory and he used it often to make sure business stayed on track. John and Jerry both shared some great stories of Norman’s ability to sift through a stack of papers and at any given time relate inventory, financial status and specifics on any branch, all from what he kept in his head.

You might be thinking Norman Drucker went to a large college and had degrees in business. Rather, he was a true success story, the kind you read about in books or see in movies. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He never went to college but instead went right to work, first as an appliance sales person, and then as a taxi driver. From there

Norman Drucker

Norman Drucker in the Early Days

Norman Drucker went to work at Almac Plastics and that’s when he really found his niche. Norman learned the plastics business and in a few years he and longtime friend Alex Gabay began AIN Plastics. John Colleluori noted AIN’s first sales of phenolic were done from a station wagon, but it wasn’t long before they were able to settle into a building in Mt. Vernon, New York and from there they grew, and grew, and grew!

When I asked Jerry and John what were some of the things that stood out most about Norman the first thing that came to mind was how honest and compassionate he was. Jerry knew Norman to be a person that didn’t hold grudges. Jerry recalled several times that Norman had a disagreement with someone but later helped them out in a major way, such as finding employment. Jerry said, “He was always there for people.”

When I asked what things he had done that made AIN so successful both men took a long breath and said well…. He was it! He was the driving force for a long time.

Norman was an innovator who began with only an inside sales force. That hadn’t been done in the world of plastic sales before. Jerry noted, “If we weren’t taking calls we were making calls!” John said the philosophy was and still is, everybody sells and he chuckled as he recounted stories of Norman sitting in the center of the bullpen working right alongside with everyone else. John said, “Sure, he had a really nice office, but most of the time he didn’t use it. He was right in there with us making it all happen.”

John noted the catalog business AIN Plastics had was another key in their growth. “We were a one stop shop for plastics. We made it easy for people to get everything they needed from one source.” AIN didn’t do just one catalog either. They developed niche market catalogs, like products for schools, so before the days of google, people could easily find the products they needed fast. AIN was also one of the first to take their information online. Norman knew his customers well and always focused on how to best service them. In 1993, AIN Plastics was appointed E.I. DuPont’s first national distributor of Vespel® PolyImide stock and from there AIN Plastics expanded into specialty grades of nylon, Delrin, PTFE, thermoset laminates and more.

After many years of nonstop work, Norman and his partner Alex decided to sell AIN Plastics to Thyssen Inc. NA (now ThyssenKrupp Materials NA). The sale took place in 1996 and Norman stayed in the company for three months before leaving and settling into full retirement.

A few years back Norman Drucker was recognized by the Plastics industry and another longtime AIN Plastics employee, Vincent LaLima who knew him well wrote an eloquent letter about Norman Drucker’s contributions to the plastics industry for the IAPD. Click here to see his letter in full.

Even though he had not been directly involved in the plastics industry for some years, he remained friends with many of those he had worked with. Norman Drucker was 73 when he passed away after a long battle with cancer in June, 2012. His funeral had standing room only and many more visited to pay their respects to his family and say farewell to a man that helped bring engineering plastics into the modern industry it is today.

So there you have it. A brief story of Norman Drucker and along with it the early history of AIN Plastics. I don’t think you could tell the story of one without telling the story of the other. Although AIN lives on and has grown even larger and better over the years since Mr. Drucker it is clear that it all began with the strong foundation laid by it’s founders. Our hats go off to you Norman Drucker!

 

Lisa Anderson
Marketing Manager
ThyssenKrupp Materials NA, AIN Plastics Division

For more information about AIN Plastics please visit our website: ainplastics.com

 

Aerospace Utilizing More Plastics



When you talk with Paul it is clear that he truly enjoys his work and shares a passion for flight, with his aerospace colleagues. Paul says, “To me, It’s almost magical to see a Boeing 777 loaded with over 400 people in it’s cabin, thundering down the runway powered by just 2 jet engines.”  The “Boeing Triple 7,” as its now known, was launched in 1990, over 20 years ago.  At that time it was unheard of to fly around the world in a passenger jet with only 2 engines. Thanks to the Triple 7 plane Boeing proved that long flights were indeed safe and with that realization Boeing changed air travel forever.

Paul noted that on the first Boeing 777 plane it was highlighted that 10% of the plane was made of non-traditional composites and yes – PLASTIC!  It was also the first jumbo passenger jet to implement “fly by wire” controls, now considered the norm for newer planes.  As we’ve all heard in the news, rising fuel costs have dramatically affected travel cost whether by air or other means. Since fuel is the largest expense on a commercial flight, weight factors have become precious numbers in the calculations of whether a new plane makes sense for an airline to commit to adding it to their fleet.  The Boeing 777 LR lifts off at nearly 750,000 lbs. and that’s a lot of weight to move around, so any savings in weight can add up over time to a big difference in cost! DuPont™ Vespel’s® SP-1 and SP-21 can be found on many components including the engine area and many of the control systems.

Today Boeing is starting to deliver the first of over 700 orders for their newest aircraft, the B-787 Dreamliner.  This engineering gem will cut operation costs by over 30% compared to a large B-767 jetliner.  It’s no surprise that Composites and plastics will replace even more steel than ever before on a jumbo jet.

 

Image showing the average use of plastic materials in the Boeing 787 Airplanes

All percentages on useage are from published Boeing information

AIN Plastics is one of several ThyssenKrupp Material Divisions that have been deeply entrenched in Aerospace for many years.  Steel and aluminum have been major components of aircraft since the Wright Brothers determined that wood and fabric could only go so far in air travel, and with the high tech engineering plastics we now have AIN Plastics expertise has been welcomed into the aerospace business as well. Paul says he is not surprised that these days plastics are finding their way into more parts of today’s jetliners just as they are finding their way into cars, trucks and other vehicles.  In both aerospace and automotive industries the benefits of choosing plastics stem from many of the same reasons:

  1. Lower weight means less fuel used
  2. Specialized Engineering Plastics can eliminate the need for lubrication (like internally lubricated DuPont™ Vespel’s® SP-22 and SCP-5050)
  3. Plastics can extend the life of mating parts because they wear well under extreme conditions such as high heat
  4. Plastics can last longer than steel in corrosive environments
  5. In some cases plastics can rival or surpass the properties of previous materials including metals, wood, and more.

Throughout Paul’s work in the plastics industry he has found when it comes to plastics, no material is more high tech than DuPont™ Vespel®.  He explained this family of Polyimide Thermoplastics can handle temperatures over 550°F  with excursions up to 900°F.  Some Vespel® is graphite filled to reduce friction, others have a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of steel. The unique combination of benefits is what makes Vespel® the choice material for Actuators, Bearings, Bobbins, Bushings and many other components that work behind the scenes to keep the mechanical functions of an airplane functioning. In fact, DuPont™ Vespel’s® use in aircraft is mandated by ASTM Standards (ASTM D 6456-99, MIL-R-46198) as the material to be used in numerous applications. For more on this, see our earlier blog post titled “When Saving a Little can Cost you a Lot!” Paul noted too that “AIN Plastics is the DuPont™ Vespel® Authorized distributor so you can always buy with confidence that you are getting authentic DuPont™ Vespel®.”

To find out more contact AIN Plastics today and Paul Hanson or one of our other AIN Plastics sales team will be happy to share the benefits of high tech plastics with you and more importantly, work with you to engineer these components into your products. When it comes to highly specialized materials like DuPont™ Vespel® there are many things to consider and our sales team is knowledgeable in products as well as applications so we can assist you in finding just the right material for your needs.

For more about DuPont™ Vespel® visit our website: ainplastics.com or call us toll free: 877.246.7700

Now that you are thinking about plastics on airplanes, the next time you jump onboard,  take a look around, see where plastics have made for a more comfortable and safe ride.  FYI – Even the mirrors may just be a polycarbonate supplied by AIN Plastics. Most of all, enjoy a safe and happy trip!

See you again soon!

 

 

 
HurriGuard® Panels by Gallina are easy to install and weigh less than plywood

Transparent Product Replaces Plywood for Hurricane Protection

Storm Season Is Here! It’s here and it’s anyone’s guess what this year’s hurricane season will bring. What do you do for your home or business? Do you buy now, do you procrastinate in hopes that you won’t need to make that investment in plywood to board up glass windows and doors? Stress not my friends! AIN Plastics has a tried and true product that we think you will really appreciate as much as our guys in Florida do.

A Chat with Dick Cubero of AIN Plastics, Florida About Hurricane Season
Unlike myself, a life long Michigander, Dick Cubero of AIN Plastics lives and works in Florida and he really understands the stress and expense that hurricane season brings to everyone. So we sat down and talked about the issues and why he really likes the HurriGuard® product.

Dick says traditionally people have boarded up windows and doors with plywood which works, but it has its short comings. Mainly, it’s heavy, it can be very hard to come by once you know a hurricane is on its way, it is used only once and then it’s thrown away, and once it’s up you have a very, very dark home or business. It can also be very expensive.

Along came Gallina USA who saw the potential with a clear ultra strong engineering plastic called polycarbonate. This product is known for clarity as well as strength. In fact, AIN Plastics works with places that are manufacturing aircraft to supply polycarbonate for mirrors and windows. Polycarbonate’s strength, clarity, and the fact that they don’t shatter makes them ideal for aircraft, military vehicles, even storefront windows! It also hold up well under UV light.

Gallina USA has been in the business of making clear plastics for over 50 years and they have become a favorite of many architects with good reason. Their products are noted in structures around the world for the beauty and lasting strength they bring to commercial and private structures. Gallina took that global experience and created a multiple wall (that’s layers of polycarbonate), coextruded, clear polycarbonate sheet that is an ideal product for hurricane protection. When properly installed it can protect your windows and doors from hurricane-force winds, flying debris, and severe weather while still allowing light to enter. They have performed extensive testing and received approvals from Miami Dade County Florida for use in Hurricane protection. It’s just the kind of material that AIN Plastics in Florida wanted to provide to their customers.

I found a couple of pretty amazing videos showing the testing of their product. In these videos the folks at Gallina shot off missiles from an air cannon aimed directly at a sheet of HurriGuard® set up in a frame similar to what you would have in your home or business.

 

In addition to the missile testing Gallina exposed panels of HurriGuard® to high air pressure to simulate 170 mph winds. The HurriGuard® panels have passed all the tests and received the following approvals:

Miami Dade Approval 08-0213.02

 Florida Approval 10799

So other than the advantages of the product being clear and strong why would you choose HurriGuard® over traditional plywood? Well, Dick had a whole list of reasons to tell me about that made good sense:

  • A panel of HurriGuard® weighs about 1/4 of what the same size piece of plywood
    HurriGuard® Panels by Gallina are easy to install and weigh less than plywood

    Panels are easy to install and transparent

    would weigh (a 4×6 sheet of HurriGuard® weighs about 12 lbs.)

  • It’s easy to install with tools you probably already have around your house
  • It saves a whole lot of time, money and, according to Dick, his stress level has been greatly reduced because he knows he won’t be waiting in line trying to get plywood.
  • You can reuse it year after year
  • Since it lets light in you can install it well ahead of an emergency so you are ready
  • It’s stronger than plywood
  • It’s cost-effective
  • Fire Resistant
  • It also comes with a 10 year warranty
  • It’s available in many sizes

How do you get HurriGuard® for Your Home or Business?
It’s easy! Give Dick Cubero at AIN Plastics a call at 813.242.6400. You can also contact him via email: dick.cubero@thyssenkrupp.com

Dick says they have HurriGuard® 16mm (5/8 inch thick) sheets in stock in the following sizes:

  • 4 x 8
  • 6 x 8
  • 6 x 10
  • 6 x 12
In addition to the panels AIN Plastics stocks H and U channel for installation. H Channels come in 10 ft. lengths and U Channels come in 12 ft. lengths.
For information about how to properly install HurriGuard® Panels download Gallina USA’s Installation Guide: Installation Guide – HurriGuard
You can also find out more about these products by visiting the AIN Plastics website:
For more about the Gallina, the manufacturer of HurriGuard® Panels you can visit their website as well.

 

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Honors AIN Plastics with Distributor of the Year

Photo - Mike Farran with the TYGON Award

Mike Farran, AIN Plastics Corporate Buyer for TYGON® with the Distributor of the Year Award. Mike recently took over for Lydia Gonzalez who has moved to a new position within AIN. Mike says he plans to continue the success begun by Lydia and to bring home the award to AIN again this year!

AIN Plastics awarded 2011 TYGON® Elite Distributor of the Year by Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics

We carry a lot of different kinds of plastic products as well as ancillary items. But we don’t just toss things on our shelves and look for buyers. We really enjoy what we do and to that end we strive to be experts when it comes to the products we sell. We want to find the best products out there and deliver them at the best possible prices. We also want to be able to answer customer questions when they need help with products so that we offer the best product and service experience all the way around. This year we received a great honor from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics for our support and sales of their TYGON® products. The Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, “Distributor of the Year” is awarded annually and is based on meeting the criteria of the TYGON® Elite Channel Partner Program sales and marketing objectives.

Mike Block, Channel Manager at Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics stated, “Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics is pleased to present our TYGON® Elite 2011 Distributor of the Year award to AIN Plastics, for their outstanding achievements in the promotion of the TYGON® brand over the past year.  As one of our “Elite” channel partners, AIN Plastics continues to remain a major contributor to the advancement of the TYGON® brand name. AIN Plastics continues to play an important role in our marketing efforts by providing technical expertise, new business development, comprehensive stocking programs and customer service support for TYGON® application specific tubing. We value the relationship, the motivation to achieve results, and the professionalism we enjoy in working with these fine people.”

“AIN Plastics is honored to be named Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Distributor of the Year,” stated John Shepherd, President at AIN Plastics. “Our partnership with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics has provided many opportunities for both of our organizations over the years, and we are excited for the future growth we foresee with this quality solutions manufacturer.”

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastic’s partnership with AIN Plastics supports many business to business sales transactions in focus markets throughout North America. AIN Plastics, Division of ThyssenKrupp Materials NA is based in Madison Heights Michigan and has locations all across the United States. Our network of locations allows us to easily service customers throughout North America.

AIN Plastics, Division of ThyssenKrupp Materials NA and TYGON® Products
TYGON® is a brand of application specific tubing, manufactured by Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain Performance PlasticsPerformance Plastics. These products are used in Food and Beverage, Chemical, Industrial, Habitat, Micro Electronics, Document Processing, Pharmaceutical, Bio Technology and Medical applications for the worldwide market. For more information on TYGON® Products from AIN Plastics visit the TYGON® pages on our site or for more about AIN Plastics, Division of ThyssenKrupp Materials NA visit our website at www. ainplastics.com 

About Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics manufactures standard and custom TYGON® tubing, engineered thermoplastics and flexible hoses worldwide for diverse markets, including chemical, industrial, food and beverage, habitat, and medical. The company is headquartered in Aurora, Ohio, and has manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, China and India.  For more information, visit us at www.processsystems.saint-gobain.com

When Saving a Little can Cost you a Lot!

…aka why it’s Important to Choose Authentic DuPont™ Vespel®


In business we are always looking for ways to save money and ways we can take that savings and turn it into making more money and better profits. While there are a lot of good ways to do this, like shopping online and comparing prices to get the best deal, when you add up all the costs, sometimes those dollars aren’t worth the savings.

In fact, at times there can be serious consequences. This is actually from a blog post we initially published some time ago. But it’s so important that we like to be sure the information stays out there.

Authentic DuPont™ Vespel®

Authentic DuPont™ Vespel®

Machine Shops Beware!
Over the years there have been reported instances of DuPont™ Vespel® shapes being machined into smaller diameter counterfeit rod from larger diameter rod by unauthorized resellers.  In these instances, the unauthorized resellers attempt to sell the product as Authentic DuPont™ Vespel® shapes to unsuspecting machine shops.  Instances of altering the original Certificate of Conformance (CoC) to reference the smaller diameter have been discovered as well.  These altered CoCs do not contain the correct lot number information intended to match product size and composition for traceability purposes.

Why Is This Important?
Unlike Authentic DuPont™ Vespel®, these counterfeit altered rods do not meet ASTM D 6456-99, MIL-R-46198 and OEM Specifications.  In fact, the characteristics of these counterfeit rods differ from rod made to the original size in the proprietary DuPont™ isostatic molding process.

It is important to note that when your customer qualifies a material they are not only specifying the grade of resin. They are also qualifying the process in which the material is formed. When  it comes to DuPont™ Vespel® testing has shown that smaller diameter rods ground down out of a larger rod are not the same. SP-1 data indicates that smaller diameter ISO rods have a statistically higher tensile strength and elongation than larger diameter rods. Similarly, testing on rods ground out of DuPont™ Vespel® Plaque show differences from ISO rods.
So, in the long run, shopping around and finding that great deal on something that says it’s DuPont™ Vespel® could cost you far more than the dollars you saved by going with something that appears to be close enough to do the job.

But if it’s Made from DuPont® Vespel® Material What’s the Problem?
To answer that, let’s take a look at ASTM Standards and the organization that creates the standards – The International ASTM organization was founded in 1898 and with more than 30,000 members it is one of the largest voluntary standards developing organizations in the world. They strive to maintain a no border policy meaning the organization is made up from people all over the world (over 100 countries) and all walks of life from industry, to government, to just regular people in the private sector.

What Exactly Is an ASTM Standard?
According to the ASTM website: “As used in ASTM, a standard is a document that has been developed and established within the consensus principles of the organization and which meets the requirements of ASTM procedures and regulations. Full consensus standards are developed with the participation of all parties who have a stake in the standards’ development and/or use.”

Voluntary Organization? If  it’s Voluntary What’s the big Deal?
Although the standards are voluntary many governments, including the U.S. cite ASTM standards in laws giving them much greater power. In 1995 the U.S. passed the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (Public Law 104-113). This law requires government agencies to use privately developed standards instead of investing taxpayer dollars to create their own. The law saves tax payers a huge amount of money and it also means more ASTM standards have become part of U.S. laws. To read the Law in it’s entirety click on this link: Public Law 104-113 pdf

What Does This Mean for Machine Shops and DuPont™ Vespel®?
ASTM Standards are used in numerous industries including aerospace, automotive, petroleum, even sports and recreational equipment. Large manufacturers use ASTM standards to guarantee product quality. ASTM standards hit us in our daily lives too. Sports organizations are making certain participants in their events use protective gear that meets an ASTM standard. In the aerospace industry the ASTM Standard states that only DuPont™ Vespel® may be used. So, any altered product such as ground rods, or any similar product does not meet their standard and therefore using it in what you do for an aerospace company means you are going against the rules they have set in place to ensure the highest quality products are used when building aircraft. Supplying them with a product that is anything less than their standard sets you up for being liable should anything happen. We all know what that means – potential law suits and possibly even worse.

Still Worth the Money Saved to get a product that almost meets the standard?
If not, how do you know you’ve got the real deal? Contact AIN Plastics, Division of ThyssenKrupp Materials NA. As the authorized distributor, AIN Plastics will provide you with the lowest possible price for authentic Dupont™ Vespel® shapes such as rods and plaques. In addition to being the most cost effective source AIN Plastics is the most reliable because they are required by DuPont to maintain a robust inventory of all grades and sizes of Authentic DuPont™ Vespel®.

Learn More About Authentic DuPont™ Vespel® and thyssenkrupp Engineered Plastics
For technical assistance on working with Vespel® or about purchasing Authentic Vespel visit the AIN Plastics website: Authentic DuPont™ Vespel®.

For more information on DuPont™ Vespel® visit our online catalog: onlineplastics.com

  • SP1
  • Vespel SP21
  • Vespel SP211
  • VespelSP22
  • Vespel SP3
  • Vespel SCP5000
  • Vespel SCP5009
  • Vespel SCP5050
  • Vespel SCP50094
  • Vespel CR6100
  • Vespel SP202
  • Vespel ST2010
  • Vespel ST2030

For more information about ASTM Standards visit: ASTM.org

We hope you find this information helpful. If you have any questions about DuPont™ Vespel® feel free to call thyssenkrupp Engineered Plastics as well. They have a toll free number that will put you in contact with the location nearest you. 1.877.246.7700.

Machined and Finished Epoxy Paste

Paste Application Process – Gets the Wow Factor!

Yup, this one gets the Wow factor folks. Many of you maybe familiar with tooling paste from years back. Well, it’s been a lot of years since paste was introduced for composite tooling applications and it has traveled light years in terms of product and equipment quality.

 

AIN Plastics + RAMPF GROUP + Tartler Machines
AIN Plastics has been selling RAMPF GROUP Tooling board for many years, in fact, we are one of the largest distributors of tooling board in the country. So, when we had the opportunity to take on RAMPF GROUP’s new paste materials we wanted to be on board right away.
RAMPF Group, a strong leader in the tooling board manufacturing business developed three versions of RAKU-TOOL® Close Contour Paste; each is a 1 to 1 mix ratio that applies easily, even on vertical or overhead surfaces at thicknesses up to 40mm. The paste applies to numerous substrates including acrylic, wire mesh, foam, or tooling board to name a few.
When machined, the cured paste creates very little dust and finishes to an extremely smooth surface that can be finished as needed.
To make their product even more successful RAMPF knew having the right dispensing equipment was also a must. So, RAMPF Group worked diligently with Udo Tartler, founder of Tartler machines, who began creating two-part meter mix equipment in the early 1980’s.

Udo Tartler, President of Tartler Machines

Udo Tartler, President of Tartler Machines

Mark Davidson, RAMPF Sales Manager noted that “Tartler is on a constant path to create new and better equipment and to refine their existing equipment. They have listened to the needs of both the end user as well as the product manufacturers, and that’s why we wanted to partner with them. He went on to say “once we were confident in our product and working with Tartler we brought the process to AIN Plastics who immediately saw the value.”  Unlike some past machines that ran on high pressure, Tartler equipment runs on a safe low pressure system. The equipment is easy to use, cleans up within 15 minutes, and outputs a smooth steady flow of paste at a consistent viscosity. The RAKU-TOOL® Close Contour Paste and Tartler dispensing machine is a far cry from the early days of epoxy tooling paste systems.

AIN Plastics Offers Custom Application Services
In addition to supplying RAKU-TOOL® Close Contour Paste, John Shepherd, President of AIN Plastics, announced that AIN is now available, on a per job basis, to complete custom applications of RAKU-TOOL® Close Contour Paste for customers at the AIN Madison Heights facility. In fact, by the time of this post, AIN has already completed four large paste application projects. John Shepherd noted, “We listened to our customers who voiced concerns about using paste in the past. The first concern is the time to apply the paste and the time until it can be machined. Typically the two-part epoxy paste is fully cured in 24 hours. But, for many places running an assembly line the cure time has been a limiting factor in their ability to put this product to use. Places that don’t do large volume also noted the cost of the equipment as a factor. We are looking to be an asset to our customers and we realized this was a great opportunity to fill a gap in an industry that can really benefit from this product.”
The value to building custom shapes can be a huge savings in both time and material. It also eliminates issues such as glue lines and how to handle left over pieces of board and the end product is fantastic. By using the new service at AIN Plastics customers can take advantage of the benefits of the using paste without investing heavily in assembly line time or in equipment purchases. Meanwhile those companies that make the investment in the dispensing equipment can be assured of excellent product availability and customer support.
At a recent demonstration of the product dispensing, visitors were all impressed by the quality and ease of use that RAMPF Group, Tartler Machines, and AIN Plastics are now able to provide with this new joint venture of product, equipment, and customer sales and support.

For more information on RAMPF Groups RAKU-TOOL® Close Contour Paste and other tooling products please visit our website: AIN Plastics Composite Tooling Materials

OR –
Download a .pdf

Technical Data Sheets for RAMPF Group RAKU-TOOL® Epoxy Close Contour Paste:
CP 6050
CP 6070/6072
CP 6100

Request a Quote 

It’s all About Plastics!

Welcome to thyssenkrupp Engineered Plastics on the Bloggesphere!

I’m Lisa, Marketing Manager here at tkEP and I’ll be your regular host to everything on our blog. I hope you’ll check in often to see what we’ve added. In fact, feel free to subscribe and that way you’ll get updates as they happen. Don’t forget to comment too. We are looking to make this a forum for conversation about what is happening in the plastics industry.

The thyssenkrupp Engineered Plastics History

We began way back in 1970 with the founding of AIN Plastics. This plastics distribution company started with just two employees and a small investment and a big dream. The owners worked hard and saw continual growth of their new company within a short time. A big break came when AIN Plastics became authorized distributors for several premier manufacturers of mechanical plastic mill shapes. In 1993, AIN Plastics was appointed E.I. DuPont’s first national distributor of Vespel® PolyImide stock shapes, one of the industries most sophisticated materials. The ensuing years saw the company continuing to expand its product offerings, including specialty grades of nylon, Delrin®, PTFE, Ensinger’s TECA line, thermoset laminates and more.  In 1996, AIN Plastics joined the ThyssenKrupp Materials NA group (then Thyssen Inc., NA), a move which positioned the company for continued success.

In 2015 ThyssenKrupp underwent a major rebranding with a new logo and renewed presence in their markets across the globe which include steel and metals distribution, aerospace, elevators, and more. In 2016, AIN Plastics followed suit by rebranding and changing their name to thyssenkrupp Engineered Plastics.

Today, thyssenkrupp Engineered Plastics Plastics operates 11 stocking warehouses with sales offices across a major portion of the United States. tkEP also has two machining facilities. The company is structured around local distribution service centers providing fast, efficient delivery to their customers. Our value–added processing system is customer–based, designed to give salespeople the tools they need to quickly and accurately process orders. Finally, our nationwide logistics system allows the company to provide next–day delivery to the majority of customers in North America. As part of our commitment to continuous quality improvement, tkEP Plastics has several ISO 9001:2000 facilities and is in the process of registering all locations to the latest ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems. Geographical and product line expansion ensure that the history of this dynamic company will continue to evolve.

So there you have it – this is who we are and we are ready to have some fun sharing what’s going on so look for more posts!

Until next time!

 

Lisa