New compounder Rev Materials LLC helps processors speed up product development by offering small samples for initial testing in an e-commerce format followed by quick supply of variations of the sample for fine tuning.
The Prescott, Wis., startup has a library of reinforced polyolefins that it can ship in two days or less to get the development process going. After testing the initial compound, Rev Materials can quickly provide iterations, or formula adjustments, for the next stage of product development.
“We can custom iterate in seven to 14 days,” said Rev Materials CEO and cofounder Larry Doerr in a phone interview.
Rev Material is initially stocking 38 highly filled polyolefin compounds reinforced with carbon nanotubes, glass microspheres, natural fibers or other reinforcements. The carbon nanotube offering, for example, has 37 percent nanotube loading, well above typical commercial materials with ten percent loading. Cofounder Jeff Cernohous said sample compounds are highly dispersible based on proprietary technology. Another highly filled material is 90 percent talc-filled polyolefin.
Rev Materials offers samples as small as 25 pounds. The low cost of the small sample often means less paperwork and time are needed for the customer to push the requisition through the corporate purchasing system. As well, Rev Materials offers samples smaller than what most large compounders would want to handle.
Rev Materials was launched in June at the Innoplast Solutions Polymer Compounding Conference held in Newark, N.J. Doerr's background includes a stint as chief operating officer of 3-D printer major Stratasys Ltd. Cernohous's career as a chemist and entrepreneur includes employment as a researcher with 3M Co.
Rev Materials plans to extend its offerings beyond polyolefins to include engineering polymers. The company says it can scale up to commercial production of a compound without typical problems of scale-up encountered with variables such as mass and heat transfer and shear.
“Rev puts ultimate design freedom back into the hands of the innovator to create and disrupt through mass customization of novel materials with speed and efficiency,” Doerr stated.
Tel. 715-629-1250, email [email protected]