Whoa, 2020 is almost over!  Apparently, time flies in the midst of a global pandemic.

This year was not one without its challenges.  From material shortages, mandatory shutdowns to shipping delays, we are proud of all of our team’s achievements in solving our customer’s most complicated problems.  We still hold true to our company’s motto: “Problem Solved”.

As we enter 2021, Performance Plastics is committed to becoming a global leader providing precision, tight tolerance injection molding solutions for the medical, aerospace/defense and industrial sectors.

In these final holiday weeks of 2020, we’d like to say thank you for all your support throughout the year. Our team at Performance Plastics want to wish you a holiday season is full of happiness, cheer, and prosperity for the coming new year.

UV-C light can be used to kill germs such as bacteria, viruses such as Covid-19, and spores. UV-C light disrupts the DNA of pathogens, eliminating their ability to replicate This technology works by the line of sight so the light must reach the surface in order for the bacteria or virus to be deactivated.

Historically, medical device manufacturers did not consider plastics to mold parts because plastic resins posed the possibility of cross contamination.  Today, medical device engineers are reconsidering plastics, specifically fluoropolymers that can be formulated to resist UV-C light degradation and reflectivity to leverage sterilization benefits and part manufacturing flexibility.

Fluoropolymers or Teflon®, are a group of high-performance plastics with excellent temperature and chemical resistance that are increasingly being injection molded in a variety of medical products today.  Unique characteristics such as UV-C light reflectivity, biocompatibility, low friction, chemical inertness, non-porosity, and compatibility with UV-C sterilization technologies, make them suitable for uses in many types of medical devices.

Fluoropolymers, such as FEP and PFA are resistant to higher transmission rates of UV light than glass, polyethylene, or polycarbonate allowing the full spectrum of solar light to pass through offering the benefits of sterilization.  These fluoropolymers are flexible and do not discolor, making them an ideal material to produce medical components to be UVC sterilized.

Performance Plastics, located in Cincinnati, OH  has over 30 years’ experience in molding tight tolerance advanced plastics such as Fluoropolymers (FEP & PFA) for the medical industry.  We have developed proprietary processes enabling injection molding of parts that are thin-walled, tight dimensional tolerances, and complex geometries.

For more information and solutions, please contact Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at 513-321-8404 or email [email protected].

At Performance Plastics, our primary job is to facilitate designs that create better products. Our direct gating technology does just that by increasing the value of existing products and providing advantages for new, innovative concepts. Our hybrid direct gate technology eliminates the runner waste associated with conventional molding, significantly reducing material use and per part cost. Polymers are injected directly into the part mold eliminating the need for runners.

Direct gating is suited for deep draw parts such as pipettes and syringe barrels or for small parts like medical infusion components.  This saves both resin and typically cuts cycle time by up to 50%.  In addition, it eliminates the need for downstream processing of the cold runner, which in medical applications can not typically be used as regrind.  The part quality achieved by direct gating is in many cases improved over parts manufactured with a cold runner.

Part quality is always critical in the medical industry due to safety concerns.  With medical parts, sharp edges or pronounced gate vestiges can potentially tear latex gloves or even skin.  In the medical industry, even seemingly small improvements in quality can make a significant difference in everyday applications and safety.

Performance Plastics excels at helping customers create intricate injection molded components that can benefit from a combination of high temperature, low surface adhesion, chemical and organic resistance in a package with complex geometries and/or tight tolerances.

Performance Plastics has developed a number of industry leading technologies enabling us to injection mold intricate, thin walled components out of some of the most sheer sensitive materials such as fluoropolymers.  This is critically important when working with sheer sensitive, expensive materials such as fluoropolymers (FEP, PFA, PVDF) and PEEK.

Performance Plastics Ltd offers high-performance injection molding thermoplastic expertise featuring tight tolerances and thin walled part geometries.  The industries we serve include aerospace/defense, medical and industrial applications. For more information, please visit our website at www.performanceplastics.com or [email protected].

With many of the food banks pushed to the brink this year because of COVID-19, Performance Plastics is hosting our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive.  Following strict COVID-19 guidelines, we are gathering non-perishable, shelf stable canned goods for donation to a local church.

Many food banks and pantries are facing decreased food donations while more families than ever are visiting for the first time.  In the southwest Ohio area, one in every four children and 15% of the elderly live in poverty.

Working with a local church, we are collecting items which they have requested. “With many families in our community facing struggles this year, its more important than ever to help” stated Christina Smith Second Shift Leader at Performance Plastics, and member of the First Baptist Church. Christina is our Thanksgiving Food Drive Leader. “COVID has put so many people in a hard place, it’s the least we can do”.

In addition to items donated by employees, Performance Plastics is matching monetary donations.  Our plan is to donate all the items and cash to the church in plenty of time, so everyone has a great holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

 

 

 

Performance Plastics Ltd is pleased to announce the promotion of Brandon Fawley to Automation Technician.  Brandon has been with Performance Plastics for over 19 years in several roles, most recently as a 1st Shift Process Technician.  Brandon will have responsibility overseeing and maintaining our electrical and automation assets.

“Brandon has been with Performance Plastics through our growth and has extensive tribal knowledge second to none,” said Chris Lawson, , Chief Operating Officer.  “Shifting Brandon to this new role is a statement of our commitment to expand our capabilities, increase efficiency provide our customers with the excellent service they expect from an industry leader. We are excited that Brandon has accepted the challenge of a new role.”

Brandon Fawley is a native of Goshen, OH and attended Goshen High School as well as the Live Oaks Vocational program where he received his degree in Engineering Technologies and Robotics. He has acquired extensive experience by working within many departments within our organization and possesses valuable knowledge of the workings of our proprietary processes and automation technology.

Brandon stated, “I look forward to helping Performance Plastics continue to exceed customers’ expectations by providing the highest level of quality, as well as working with my new supervisor Jake Edwards.  Jake is a great guy and I look forward to learning from the best”.

Performance Plastics is a custom injection molder of high performance, tight tolerance thermoplastic components for markets where failure is not an option, including Medical, Energy, Aerospace/Defense, and Industrial.

Clean Room

Performance Plastics Ltd – is pleased to announce the addition of new high-performance equipment and a new clean room environment.

Milacron Fanuc S450iA – High Speed Press -The Next Generation of Artificial Intelligence in injection Molding Machine.  Named the “Roboshot”, it features a high precision, reliable molding capability.  It is designed for cleanrooms and molding environments that demand precise process control, high speed injection and consistent reliability.

Yushin 0B7 Collaborative Robot – Features productivity, accuracy and safety. It is the next generation of collaborative robots.  Equipped with safety sensors, is can work at high speeds performing complex automation jobs.

Terra Universal Cleanroom – Features Whisper Flow Technology, our 10 x 20 custom soft wall cleanroom is configured with ceiling grid lights and fans/filters.

“The investment in the two new pieces of equipment and clean room environment expands our capacity to produce high volume, technically challenging parts for our customers” stated Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales & Marketing.  “We aspire to be the best not the biggest and become an invaluable customer resource in solving our customers engineering challenges”.

Performance Plastics Ltd offers high-performance injection molding thermoplastic expertise featuring tight tolerances and thin walled part geometries.  The industries we serve include aerospace/defense, medical and industrial applications. For more information, please visit our website at www.performanceplastics.com.

 

 

Introducing the EnduroSharp® Nutplate Abrasion Tool “The NAT”. The NAT consists of six components 1 each upper handle (top), 1 each lower handle (base) and 4 each nutplate base inserts.

The NAT along with the specially designed abrasive pads (sold separately) allows the maintainer to quickly abrade the bond surface of CR series nutplates.  The tools radially abrades the bond surface of the nutplate, ensuring that 100% of bond surface is abraded uniformly in a matter of minutes.

The NAT is available with or without a convenient carrying case. The rugged case comes with a high-density custom foam insert for easy inventory and protection.

NAT “CR Series” Abrasive Pads

 

Nutplate Abrasion Tool (NAT) Operational Flow Chart

 

 

 

Nutplate Abrasion Tool (NAT) Instructions

A.  Select the appropriate unused abrasive pad that matches the nutplate being installed.

B.  Align flats on an unused abrasive pad with the flats and detent pins in the NAT upper handle (top) and snap into place.

C.  Ensure abrasive pad is fully seated in the top portion of the NAT.

D.  Align and snap the NAT nutplate insert that matches the size of the nutplate being installed into the NAT lower handle (base).

E.  Solvent wipe the nutplate being installed with the appropriate solvent and AMS3819 wipes.

F.  Seat nutplate into the cavity of the nutplate insert

G.  Align NAT top with base, press together, feeding the nutplate fixture through the hole in the abrasive pad and seat the nutplate bond surface to be abraded against the abrasive pad.

H.  Oscillate the abrasive pad back and forth 15 times by rotating the NAT top and base back in opposite directions

I.  Separate the NAT top from the base

J.  Inspect nutplate bond surface for uniform abrasion (Do not touch, wipe or clean the abraded surface). Reseat nutplate in the NAT nutplate insert and measure the abraded nutplate surface with the Surface Analyst (SA reading less than 50 is required). Re-abrade if necessary.

K.  Discard the used abrasive pad.

L.  Apply appropriate adhesive to nutplate bond surface and install in structure per Technical Data or manufactures directions.

 

 

Tara CollinsPerformance Plastics Ltd is pleased to announce the addition of a new Quality Manager, Tara Collins.  Tara joins Performance Plastics with over 15 years’ experience working with manufacturers who offer highly engineered products that require complete conformance.  Tara will have responsibility for our continued exceedingly high-quality standards.

“Tara brings a wealth of experience in ISO Standards, quality management systems (QMS) and an overall quality customer experience to our company,” said Chis Lawson, Chief Operating Officer for Performance Plastics.  “The addition of Tara as a quality leader is a statement of our continuing commitment to provide our customers with the excellent service, they expect from an industry leader. We are excited that Tara has joined our team and look forward to continued growth.”

Tara Collins brings with her extensive quality management knowledge as well as a demonstrated history of working in machinery, chemicals and the medical device industry. She brings knowledge from working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Quality Auditing, Medical Devices, Quality Management, Validation and Business Process Improvement. Additionally, she is a strong information technology professional with a RABQSA, Medical Device Management focused in ISO13485. Requirements TPECS from BSI Training.  She is a Certified Lead Auditor for ISO 9001:2015, as well as Certified in Lean Manufacturing with a proven history of effective continual improvements through directing Kaizen events.

Tara stated, “I look forward to helping Performance Plastics continue to exceed customers’ expectations by providing the highest level of quality, as we grow this business”.

Performance Plastics is a custom injection molder of high performance, tight tolerance thermoplastic components for markets where failure is not an option, including Medical, Energy, Aerospace/Defense, and Industrial.

 

 

EnduroSharp® has changed the way aerospace maintenance professionals remove sealants and adhesives from substrates and fasteners. EnduroSharp® tools are made from Torlon®, a high strength polymer, creating a non-metallic scraper tool that will not damage aircraft composite structures during use.

The new, Enhanced EnduroSharp® Pocket Handle features a heavier, ergonomically improved design.  It is easier to use and is a more effective tool for aircraft maintenance.  The tool is ideal for tighter edges, and is designed to remove adhesives, sealants and coatings from aircraft structures.

The EnduroSharp® lineup consists of a variety of scraper blades, gap blades, reamers, cutter, bits, and discs for removal of substances on aircrafts.

Performance Plastics is a custom injection molder of high performance, tight tolerance thermoplastic components.  We specialize in geometrically complex precision parts that consist of chemically inert materials.  Our expertise led to the development of our patented EnduroSharp® line of Aircraft Maintenance Tools.

For more information on the Enhanced EnduroSharp® Pocket Handle, or any of our EnduroSharp® product line, please contact Rich Reed at [email protected] or our website at www.performanceplastics.com.

 

 

Performance Plastics Ltd is pleased to announce the addition of a new Sales & Marketing Lead, Aileen Crass.  Aileen joins Performance Plastics with 10 years’ experience working with manufacturers who offer highly-engineered, tight tolerance products for the medical, aerospace/defense and power generation industries. Aileen will be based out of our Cincinnati, OH location, and will have responsibility over marketing operations and inside sales.

“Aileen brings a wealth of experience in marketing, sales and a history of demonstrated success to our company,” said Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Performance Plastics.  “The addition of Aileen as a sales leader is a statement of our continuing commitment to provide our customers with the excellent service they expect from an industry leader. We are excited that Aileen has joined our team and look forward to continued growth.”

Aileen brings with her broad sales & marketing knowledge as well as a variety of custom product applications.  She has outside sales experience within the industrial sector; including graphite machining and material sales.  She commented, “I am excited to be joining a growing team and look forward to bringing my experience to help grow the business.”

Performance Plastics is a custom injection molder of high performance, tight tolerance thermoplastic components for markets including Medical, Energy, Aerospace/Defense, and Industrial