New Products
Spartech is committed to developing products that allow our customers to develop applications that are lighter in weight, weather resistant, safer, longer lasting, easier to process, better for the environment, etc. Listed below are some or our more recent product introductions.
Spartech’s ROYALITE® Sheet is the Best Medicine for Reducing Weight and Cost and Boosting Performance of Device Enclosures
Introduction Date: 9-14-2007
Description: Spartech Corporation, a leading producer of engineered plastic sheet, polymeric compounds, and engineered products, will showcase its ROYALITE® family of sheet products for medical and dental applications at the SPE Thermoforming Conference 2007, Booth #201. ROYALITE sheet products for medical applications, available in four standard blends and custom formulations, offer light weight, high heat distortion and anti –microbial characteristics. Most notably, ROYALITE’s cap technology provides excellent color control, a desired gloss level, special effects and medical-related additives. This unique process provides the full benefit of the desired requirements without the cost of incorporating them into the substrate.
Brentwood Industries of Reading, PA, uses ROYALITE R59 sheet with cap technology to pressure-form the exterior covering of a high-tech imaging device used for dental and ear/nose/throat applications. “Our excellent experience with ROYALITE over a number of years prompted us to recommend the R59 sheet to meet our customer’s needs for attractive aesthetics and easy cleaning, as well as compliance with UL94 V0 flame retardance standards,” said David Fry, Brentwood’s sales manager. “The material is prepared by Spartech with a cap incorporating a custom color and a low-gloss finish, which avoids the need for secondary painting. From a processing standpoint, the R59 sheet is easy to form, picks up precise detail, and machines beautifully. We like working with it, and our customer was delighted with the results.”
Spartech’s unique cap process enables specific properties such as colorants, gloss, textures and special effects to be added to the extruded sheet. Further, because the calendared cap layer is applied after the sheet is extruded, these enhancements are not subjected to potential distortion from the high heat of the extruder. This process ensures lot-to-lot consistency and retention of properties after thermoforming. In addition to capping, ROYALITE sheet can be enhanced with decorative films.
“Our family of ROYALITE materials provides a choice of properties to meet the diverse needs of today’s medical devices,” said Eric Lattanner, ROYALITE product manager. “Whether it’s lighter weight compared to traditional PVC acrylic, or the addition of special capabilities achieved through our proprietary cap process, ROYALITE products make it easy for design engineers to find the best material for their application.”
To support customers’ application development needs, Spartech offers in-house compounding, an analytical and physical laboratory, and a full research and development staff.
ROYALITE sheet for medical applications is available in four grades: R52 PVC/acrylic; R59 PVC/ABS; R71/920 PC/ABS alloy; and R11/24 GP ABS with an anti-microbial cap layer. ROYALITE materials are widely used in the building and construction industry as well as transportation, electronics, and recreation and leisure.
Division: Spartech Plastics
Introduction Date: 5-10-07
Description: TUF-GLAS® LD is a light-diffusing modified acrylic sheet, specifically designed to enrich the appearance and improve the economics of channel letter signs using LED lights. TUF-GLAS® LD sheet has the same attractive qualities as TUF-GLAS® modified acrylic sheet, with an added benefit that provides the exceptional combination of high light transmission and LED light “hot spot” hiding capability. TUF-GLAS® LD sheet has a brilliant white color that is highly appealing when unlit during the day, and a high light transmission that allows graphics to “pop” at night.
Focusing on the channel letter and sign face market, TUF-GLAS® LD sheet has the potential to support and accelerate LED growth in the sign industry. While end users enjoy the look, performance, low maintenance, and energy savings of LED lights - TUF-GLAS® LD sheet benefits sign manufacturers by enabling them to satisfy customer demand for appearance and economics. Other benefits of Spartech’s TUF-GLAS® LD sheet include:
- Excellent light transmission, decreasing the number of LED lights needed
- Eliminating the need for expensive diffusion film
- Enhanced design driven thermoforming opportunities
- The ability to create thinner cans which provide design freedom and savings
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and Spectar Clear |
with GreenGuard Certified Materials, |
Division: Spartech Plastics
Introduction Date: 9-20-2006
Description: Spartech worked in conjunction with Eastman Chemical Company to modify three existing materials to meet the stringent chemical emission guidelines set forth by the Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI). Utilizing three Eastman co-polyester resins (Spectar Clear, TiGlaze ST, and TiGlaze SV) that have been tested and awarded GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification, Spartech makes the sheet products: Ultra Tuf CX, Spectar Clear, and Solarex SV. These products have been honored as low emitting products for better indoor environments.
GEI certification procedures are the gold standard in indoor air safety, employing methods that easily translate from the lab into real-world scenarios. By scoring barely detectable emissions, these Green Materials have become part of an initiative to make plastics more commercially acceptable.
The GEI testing method is performed by placing test materials inside a special environmental chamber that measures the chemical and particulate emissions of products in a typical home, office or other indoor area. Purified air enters the chamber, interacts with the product and is measured for pollutants as it exits the chamber. By measuring the air as it exits the chamber, GEI can determine the level of chemical emission. Three values integral to measurement in product emission testing include how much a product emits at one time, how much that emission rate changes over time and how a real room environment is affected as the emissions accumulate.
These materials are used in the building and construction market for use in manufacturing skylights and other architectural products as well as the food, beverage, consumer; medical and point-of-purchase markets.
About GEI
GEI is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that is committed to improving public health and quality of life through its programs to improve indoor air. Founded in 2001, GEI awarded the first GREENGUARD Certification in 2002. For more information please visit www.greenguard.org.
Division: Spartech Plastics
Introduction Date: 2-20-2006
Description:
As part of its ongoing Green Initiative to develop more environmentally friendly products, Spartech introduced the new Rejuven8™ family of materials made with NatureWorks® PLA material on February 20, 2006. PLA or Polylactide is a material made from lactic acid derived from dextrose by fermentation of corn. With petroleum being a non-renewable resource and the main ingredient for most plastics, Spartech is continually researching and testing new materials that are derived from renewable resources like corn.
Rejuven8™ is a material designed specifically for thermoforming applications that is made from 99% NatureWorks® PLA. It is ideal for a wide variety of packaging applications as well as many uses in the graphic arts industry.
Made from 95% NatureWorks® PLA, Rejuven8Plus was specifically developed for printed applications. This unique alloy material has enhanced characteristics over standard PLA that allow it to mimic PET. Secondary processing criteria further raise its heat resistance properties to well over 150°F, much higher than standard PLA’s maximum temperature range of about 105°F to 120°F.
UltraTuf® CX~D Copolyester Sheet
UltraTuf® CX~D Copolyester sheet is co-extruded utilizing Eastman Chemical's TiGlazeSUVT formulation as a weatherable surface layer over Spartech's UltraTuf® CX sheet. It has passed the strenuous testing requirements and has received a notice of acceptance by the Miami-Dade County Florida Building Code Compliance Office (Miami-Dade County, Florida; NOA 06-1214.02, Expiration Date: 05/20/2012). Miami-Dade County testing data indicates that ULTRATUF(r) CX~D sheet made from TiGlaze SUV(tm) is in compliance with the Florida Building Code, including the High Velocity Hurricane Zone.
UltraTuf® CX~D competes with traditional materials in performance and value while offering cost savings to the Skylight manufacturer and the consumer. For thermoformed skylight application you will not find a clear material that process as easily as UTCX. The key features of this material include superior outdoor weathering, high impact, 93% light transmittal and excellent forming characteristics.
Features and Benefits
- Drying is not required for forming operations.
- Cost saving in production -reduced energy to form
- Miami/Dade County NOA- 06-1214.2
- Weatherable applications where impact is important
- Excellent chemical resistance
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| Typical physical and mechanical properties of UltraTuf® CX-D Copolyester sheet- are detailed below. | ||||
| Property | Test Method | Units | Data | |
| Specific Gravity | D-792 | 1.223 | ||
| Tensile Modulus | D-638 | (psi) | 260,000 | |
| Tensile Strength | D-638 | (psi) | 7,700 | |
| Flexural Modulus | D-790 | (psi) | 290,000 | |
| Flexural Strenght | D-790 | (psi) | 10,300 | |
| Izod Impact, notched | D-256 | (ft-lbs./in.) | ||
| 73°F | NB | |||
| 32°F | 2.2 | |||
| -22°F | 1.6 | |||
| Heat Deflection Temp | D-648 | (°F@264 psi) | 163 | |
| (°F@66 psi) | 171 | |||
| Gloss@ 60° | D-2457 (%) | 150 | ||
| CLTE | D-696 | (in./in./°F) | 4.26x10-5 | |
| Flammability | UL94 HB | Passes | ||
| ICC (ICBO) | Certified | |||
| Miami-Dade County NOA 06-1214.02 | ||||
Target Markets & Applications
UltraTuf® CX~D Copolyester sheet is a great choice for a wide range of applications and market segments requiring flexible thermoforming without drying.
- Vending Faces
- Skylights
- Kiosks
- Barrel Vaults
Processing
UltraTuf® CX~D Copolyester sheet - can be thermoformed in standard thermoforming ovens. Sheet material can be formed over wood, composite and aluminum cooled tooling. Care must be taken in forming to heat sheet evenly and not to overheat sheet. Stock temperatures of approximately 270° F - 310° F are recommended for proper forming. As with any thermoplastic material, care should be taken to account for the coefficient of thermal expansion when considering part fit and tooling design parameters.
UltraTuf® CX~D Copolyester sheet -
is recommended for Weatherable applications where impact is important.
Colors & Textures
UltraTuf® CX~D Copolyester sheet -
is offered in clear or white. Allow 4-6 weeks for color matching.
Available Textures -Smooth, Matte, and Prismatic.
Availability
UltraTuf® CX~D Copolyester sheet -
is a custom extruded sheet product.
- Sheets Size maximum width is 64". Prismatic and Matte texture maximum width is 60".
- Gauges 0.060 - 0.375
Minimum Order 5,000 lbs.
Environment to Reap Multiple Benefits from Spartech's New Rejuven8® Sheet Based on Annually Renewable Resources
Spartech Corporation formally introduces their new Rejuven8® family of environmentally responsible plastics, which can significantly reduce energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional materials. Rejuven8® sheet is made from annually renewable resources instead of petroleum and at the same time offers customers excellent performance for diverse printing and thermoforming applications. Typical applications for the Rejuven8® materials include food packaging, drinking cups, tableware applications, consumer packaging, gift and phone cards, and plant tags. Cards using these materials were commercialized last year with Spartech card customers, including several leading national retail brands.
