As someone who’s been in the caster wheel industry for over fifteen years, I’ve seen firsthand how the choice of material can make or break a project. Whether it’s for a hospital cart gliding silently through a ward, a heavy-duty industrial trolley navigating a factory floor, or a sleek office chair, the material of a […]

Having spent over a decade in the plastics manufacturing industry, I’ve worked hands-on with injection molding processes for a wide range of materials, from automotive components to consumer goods. Two materials that often come up in discussions are thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and polyethylene (PE), each with its own strengths and quirks when used in injection

As someone who’s spent years in the materials science and manufacturing industry, I’ve worked with countless polymers, from automotive parts to consumer goods like acupressure mats. These mats, designed to stimulate pressure points and promote relaxation, rely heavily on the choice of material for comfort, durability, and safety. When it comes to thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)

As someone who’s been working in the plastics and adhesives industry for over a decade, I’ve seen firsthand how tricky it can be to bond materials like thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and polypropylene (PP). These are both fantastic materials—flexible, durable, and widely used in everything from automotive parts to medical devices—but their low surface energy makes

It’s interesting — I’ve stood in countless factories across Asia and Europe, watching lines churn out everything from toothbrush handles to automotive weather seals made of TPE. One complaint I hear surprisingly often is, “Why does the surface gloss look so dull, almost like it has a film of haze?” You might think this is

I’ve spent a good part of my career standing next to humming extruders, tweaking parameters to chase down elusive issues. Among the most stubborn — and frankly, one of the most aggravating — problems you can encounter when running TPE compounds is unexpected bubbles in your extrudate. It’s not just an aesthetic flaw. Those bubbles

When you’ve spent enough years in the plastics field — elbows deep in dusty compounding lines, or finessing tricky overmolding jobs — you start to recognize patterns long before others do. One of the more common (and often frustrating) sights I’ve run into is TPE products developing an oily surface, sometimes days, sometimes months after

Having spent over a decade in polymer processing and formulation — tinkering with everything from medical-grade TPE to highly engineered automotive elastomers — I’ve encountered countless cases where customers come to me, baffled by why their supposedly “brightened” TPE ends up with an unsightly yellow hue over time. At first glance, it seems ironic. You

Having spent nearly two decades in the materials and manufacturing industry, I’ve had the chance to work with a wide range of polymers, from rigid plastics to stretchy elastomers. One process that’s always fascinated me is TPE overmolding, a technique that combines the soft, flexible qualities of Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) with a rigid substrate to

As someone who’s been knee-deep in the world of material science for over 15 years, I’ve worked with countless polymers, tweaking formulations to get just the right balance of feel, function, and durability. One question that keeps popping up in my line of work is about TPE and TPU blends—what happens when you mix these