OAK BROOK, ILL. - Rotational molders are using a material-usage survey in their mission to drum up business. The Association of Rotational Molders' materials committee -a 14-member panel composed of rotational molders and manufacturers of raw materials - is looking to improve product performance and boost production for rotational molders.
The group's goal is to encourage the resin industry to focus on rotational molding by collecting and disseminating information about industry usage, growth potential and marketing opportunities, said Jeff Giacchino, PDM Molding Inc. president and ARM committee chairman.
Phil Dodge, development associate at Quantum Chemical Co. in Cincinnati, said the survey should help the industry.
``The suppliers would look at the survey and say, `Hey, there is another market out there,'*'' Dodge said. ``A 20-30 percent growth rate is interesting to other suppliers.''
ARM surveyed the industry for several years, then switched to an independent firm in 1993 in hopes of increasing participants, said Charles Frederick, ARM's executive director.
Integrated Design Engineering Systems of Laramie, Wyo., was brought in to collect data submitted by companies anonymously. This new format allows companies to protect the confidentiality of an individual rotomolder's usage, he said.
``We feel we have an obligation to know the size of the industry for such groups as the lending institutions,'' Frederick said. ``People are making expansions or buying new equipment, and it's important that they know the potential market.''
According to the survey, ARM members worldwide used about 380 million pounds of materials, of which 309 million pounds were polyethylene. However, industry leaders say too few rotomolders - committed to keeping company figures secret - are willing to provide specific numbers to make the survey truly reflective of the industry.