Entech’s Micronized Rubber Powder (MRP) Thermoplastics Operation Achieves ISO 9001:2008 Certification
(PRWEB) March 15, 2017 -- In order to better serve the automotive industry, Entech began the process of becoming ISO certified in July 2016 with the help of Randy Bender of Bender Consulting. Bender has led hundreds of tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers to become ISO certified over the last 25 years. Entech was awarded their certification in December 2016 by Intertek. The certification covers MRP production and all phases of compounding and injection molding.
Leading authorities on transportation polyolefin applications, economics and market trends have been pulling for Entech’s success. Haikun Xu, Entech’s research and development chemist, presented at the SPE® Automotive TPO Engineered Polyolefins Global Conference in October 2016. The conference advances learning of how to design lighter, less costly automotive components using TPO’s, TPE’s and TPV’s. Haikun demonstrated how Entech’s innovative process of recycling tires into micron-size rubber powders (MRPs) offers a low cost and environmentally friendly solution for adding elastomeric properties to thermoplastic parts.
“It’s rare for companies to achieve ISO certification in this niche,” says Bender. “Tire recycling presents many challenges to producing consistent raw materials. Until now, MRP was typically only used for imprecise applications such as infill, turf and track surfaces. Entech’s achievement sets them apart as the leader in MRP formulation and processing of finished parts.”
According to Lavon Detweiler, Entech’s CEO, the ISO certification process of standardizing processes, metrics and training has institutionalized a continuous improvement culture at Entech. “We keep raising the bar for plastic component applications,” he says. “At first we were just looking for imprecise, bulky parts that would simply benefit from improved weatherability, flexibility, memory, impact resistance, stress resistance and surface grip. As we met with automotive materials engineers and other plastics professionals we quickly realized there is a much bigger potential. We can in fact achieve tight tolerances and incredible surface finishes.”
“We have a big picture objective to advance the MRP thermoplastics technology. We really don’t want to be the only ones formulating resin and producing finished parts with MRP. We want to see many companies begin compounding and processing MRP into injection molding, vacuum forming, extrusion, and rotational molding applications. We’re taking the lead in order to help this process become mainstream,” says Neal Frey, Business Development Manager.
More information about Entech’s ISO certification, TPE program, and examples of thermoplastic MRP parts can be found at http://www.entechTPE.com.
About Entech:
Entech, Inc. has been finding new ways to give old tires a second life for over 20 years and has perfected the process of recycling tires into micronized rubber powder (MRP). The Entech TPE unit specializes in compounding PP Copolymers, TPE’s and MRP. Capabilities include material formulation, tooling, compounding and injection molding.
Chad Root, Spearhead Sales and Marketing, http://www.spearheadsalesmarketing.com, +1 (574) 294-6900, [email protected]
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