ANAHEIM, CALIF. ― Sealpac USA LLC, Dow Chemical Co.'s automotive systems group, Piper Plastics Inc. and Igus Inc. were honored for their efforts in the development new products by the UBM Canon trade magazine Design News and its 2015 Golden Mousetrap awards.
Sealpac USA of Richmond, Va., was recognized in materials processing for the EasyLid packaging system, which provides a hermetic seal and full lid function in a single sealing process. Product applications range from antipasti, meat spreads, deli meats, salads and snacks up to confectionary goods.
Parent firm Sealpac GmbH of Oldenburg, Germany, and injection molder Naber Plastics BV of Waalwijk, the Netherlands, collaborated in developing the packaging system.
Igus, the material specialist based in Providence, R.I., won for 3-D printing and rapid prototyping.
The Igus iglide-brand Tribo-filament was developed specifically for motion control applications in 3-D printing. Enhanced with low-friction properties, this filament comes in spool diameters of 1.75 millimeters and 3 millimeters and allows flexibility for the design of 3-D printed bearings and prototypes.
Dow won in the fastening-joining-assembly category for its Betamate-brand 1630 structural adhesive, a one-component, toughened epoxy material for bonding lightweight vehicle body structures. Partially through replacing welds and mechanical fasteners, the adhesive allows for per-vehicle weight reductions of 154-220 pounds versus previous models. The material can also be used to bond vehicle doors, hoods, trunks and deck lids.
Dow automotive systems reports within the consumer solutions operating segment of Midland, Mich.-based Dow Chemical Co.
Piper Plastics captured the engineering plastics category with its metal-replacement Kyron Max series for applications such as aerospace fasteners. Engineering polymers in the series combine a proprietary high-pressure molding technology with state-of-the-art materials to make high-strength structural components.
Piper Plastics is based in Chandler, Ariz., and has other operations in Libertyville, Ill., and Thailand's Rayong province.
