Cleveland — For technical compounders, the customer base always wants more — so these firms have to work to deliver.
"Our customers demand new technology and they want better performance in flame retardance and weatherability and other areas," Scott Anderson said Nov. 14 at AMI Plastics World Expos in Cleveland.
Anderson is president and chief operating officer at Polymer Resources Ltd. in Farmington, Conn. He was part of a panel of technical compounders at the event.
Star Plastics of Ravenswood, W. Va., is seeing interest in materials for lightweighting and improved fuel economy in the automotive market, technical manager Bob Powers said.
Finding qualified job candidates is a challenge for Insight Polymers & Compounding in Kingsport, Tenn., according to operations director A.J. Pasquale. "It's a tough market for young professionals," he said.
PRL also has had difficulty finding skilled labor, Anderson said. "We see most of our turnover in the first five years after we hire someone," he added.
Supply chain issues have affected technical compounders, as they have many other firms. "You can't be single-sourced," Anderson said. "You need multiple sources of raw materials and equipment."
Independent compounders — such as the three represented on the panel — can differentiate themselves from larger competitors.
"We offer speed, collaboration and flexibility," Powers said.
PRL recently received a request for a color match on a Sunday night. The firm was able to do the match on a Monday and ship a sample to the customer on Tuesday.
"Only independent compounders can do that," Anderson said. "The majors can't fill that need in the marketplace."
Pasquale added that independent compounders also can offer overall customer service and unbiased material selection to customers. In technology, PRL has used artificial intelligence to reduce time needed for color matching from two days down to a few hours.
Sustainability is a growth area for technical compounders. Star has offered recycled content materials for 30 years, but Powers said those products now have "increased importance."
PRL has offered recycled content compounds for 15 years, but now is seeing increased demand. "Recycled products had been utility grades that were used to get cost out," Anderson said. "Now, customers have sustainable needs for their end products, so it's worthwhile to provide those products."
Technical compounders are continuing to invest in their businesses. Insight recently added an extrusion line for production, as well as one for R&D, Pasquale said. The firm also has introduced new compounds for additive manufacturing.
Star has installed seven new twin-screw extrusion lines in the last 24 months for both manufacturing and development, Powers said. The firm also has launched new recycled content and PFAS-free compounds.
At PRL, Anderson said the firm has started an intern program and has installed shredders and grinders in a soundproof room to make their site more comfortable for employees. PRL also recently placed a new twin-screw extruder in its R&D lab and introduced a polybutylene terephthalate grade for outdoor applications.