Category Archives: About AIN Plastics

Join me for an introduction to the world of plastics!

Your Guide to Plastics Past, Present, and Future…

Lisa Anderson, Marketing Manager ThyssenKrupp Materials NA, AIN Plastics Division

It’s hard to believe it’s been over 6 months since I began working at AIN Plastics. Hard to believe because everyday is packed full of lots of projects and lots of things to learn about plastics. There have been new people to meet and old friends to reconnect with, and it’s all been really fun, so the time has truly flown by.

As I’ve gone through these months I developed a hunch. My guess is, when it come to plastics for manufacturing and specialty uses, a lot of you in many industries are in the same boat because there are so many material choices out there. So I’m inviting you to take the journey along with me to learn about plastics. What are plastics, what are the different types, why are they being used more and more, and what plastics will work for your applications. In fact, I hope you’ll share your applications and experiences as well.

While we are at it we’ll take a stroll through plastics history too. I’m a huge history buff so every time I hear about a plastic I like to dig in and find out how it all started. These days plastics seem to surround us, but it wasn’t that long ago we relied on other materials such as wood, metal, and glass for everything from IV ‘bottles’, to baby bottles, cooking utensils, sporting equipment. Hmmm – what were shower curtains before plastic? I’ll get back to you on that one, or if you know, please share! We love comments.

So let’s get started! Today I’d like to stay in the present and take a look at a helpful piece that came across my desk. As we all know there are literally thousands of types of plastic materials out there and more are hitting the market all the time, so anytime there is something that can help you to select the best one for the job we here at AIN will be sure to share it with you. After all, getting the right material helps everyone. The item that came across my desk is in regards to Materials for seals and gaskets.

So let’s start with a couple of questions –  
• Do you make seals or gaskets?
• Do you need your seals and gaskets to be Teflon®?
• Do you have a high temperature application?
• Do you need FDA compliant seal and gasket material?

The most common choices for seals and gaskets are UHMW – PE, Teflon, and PEEK. These are all great options, but another material called Fluorosint® has, until now been a little less known for seals and gaskets however, it is proving to give material specifiers another excellent option for certain higher temperature applications. Two Fluorosint® materials are FDA compliant giving you options for special applications in food or medical applications.

In selecting material for gaskets and seals temperature and pressure are the two biggest factors people generally consider. This chart easily shows where TIVAR® UHMW-PE, Teflon®, Ketron® PEEK, filled and unfilled PTFE, and Fluorosint® and Duratron® fit in as material options. Test results clearly show that Fluorosint® and Duratron® fit very well into a gap left for high temperature and high pressure applications. To make your selection even more exact, Quadrant (manufacturer of Fluorosint®) has developed several Fluorosint® materials (207, HPV, 500) and each was specifically developed with a certain application area in mind.

Below is a Material Selector Guide that covers all of these materials in two easy formats. One simply compares how a product does in relation to heat and pressure. The other compares Fluorosint® to Rulon®, another common material for seals and gaskets. You can also compare the FDA compliant materials.

Material Selector Guide for PTFE Seal and Gasket Material

From materials suitable for average heat and pressure to the highest, this chart will help you to easily cross reference common seal and gasket materials.

 

Chart comparing Rulon to Flurosint

Compare test results of Fluorosint and Rulon and see at a glance what material fits your application.

As we go forward I’ll be looking at each of these products on an individual basis. But, if you see something here you like and you want to know all the details right now, we do have more information available on our website: Fluorosint Product Information. You can also talk to one of people. We have a knowledgeable staff that can help with any questions you may have about seal and gasket materials. Just call 877.246.7700 and you will be connected with the AIN Plastics office nearest you.

If you are along for the journey that’s great!  If seals and gaskets aren’t your thing, no worries, I’ll be talking about all sorts of other materials as we go. In fact, you can sign up and get our posts in your mailbox so you don’t miss the latest.

I hope you find these charts helpful in your search for that just right seal or gasket material. We’ll see you in the blogosphere again very soon!

Lisa Anderson

Marketing Manager
ThyssenKrupp Materials, NA
AIN Plastics Division

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