The Challenges:

• How do you bring innovation to a well established product line of industrial floor mats?
• How do you establish first-time injection molding capability for a large and detailed product?

The Solution:

• Have the POLYMERS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE assist with the design of a floor mat with a unique combination of features.
• Have the POLYMERS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE assist with the implementation of in-house injection molding capability to mold the floor mat.
• The POLYMERS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, Charlotte, North Carolina came to APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. for assistance with the design and start-up production of a professional grade floor mat for a major manufacturer of industrial and institutional floor mats.

Working in close concert with the client’s manufacturing and marketing departments, the POLYMERS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE and APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. provided assistance with product design, materials selection, selection and installation of injection molding equipment, operator training and start-up of a line to manufacture this new line of mats.

The Result:

The client now has the winning combination of a very marketable product combined with the economy and flexibility of in-house molding capability.

Special features incorporated in the mat:

• Super-sized 18” X 18” tiles.
• Open and solid top surface options.
• Operator comfort.
• Durability.
• High load bearing capacity.
• Patented interlocking system that provides:
  • Ease of assembly.
  • Strong interlock.
  • Accurate alignment.
  • Virtually seamless floor.

Assistance provided by the Polymers Center of Excellence AND APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. included:

• Data and technical support for a make vs. buy economic analysis in the form of materials, equipment, and
  processing cost projections.
• Design and Engineering:
  • Concept development.
  • Prototyping.
  • Functional assessment.
  • Mold fill analysis.
  • Design finalization.
  • Material selection.
  • Tool builder support.
  • Initial part assessment.
• Process Engineering:
  • Equipment selection.
  • Installation assistance.
  • Operator training.
• Process start-up and shake-down.

Whether you are looking for someone to assist you with product design, process set-up, or operator training – think of the Polymers Center of Excellence as your one-stop source for all your plastics needs.
www.polymers-center.org

APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. regularly assists the POLYMERS CENTER of EXCELLENCE with product design and
engineering challenges.