Key Questions to Ask When Ordering Rubber and Plastic Board

Recently the organization Redwood Plastics is part of, the International Association of Plastics Distributors IAPD (www.Iapd.org) came out with the 12th edition of the “Introduction To Plastics” training manual. The book is a rich source of plastic information with the goal to be a resource in helping us match an application to our customer’s needs. One of the new additions are seven questions to ask when selecting a performance plastic and the answers will help narrow down what you need. We wanted to post these questions to you here to get you thinking about what we need to know, to help you!

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1.) Do you need to see through it (does the material need to be transparent)?

There are not many see through plastics available, so if the answer is “yes” this narrows down selection substantially.

2.) What is the operating temperature?

A very critical piece of information customers rarely offer up in their initial inquiry, operating temperature is key. Not just how hot the environment is, but how cold (cryogenic) it is as well. There are plastics that handle very low, and very high, temperatures but we need to know the environment we have to work with.

3.) Does it have to be chemical or corrosion resistant?

Not knowing can cause unforeseen problems. For example, certain vehicles use black ABS plastic in external applications on the outside of the car. Because the material is relatively cheap and the black is UV-stable. However, ABS is attacked by petroleum products like oil and gasoline! Unfortunately many car owners have likely had to learn the damage a splash of gasoline has caused the ABS trim on his/her car.

4.) What are the tensile/load requirements?

Again, this is an issue that keeps popping up with us at Redwood. For example, we get customers that request UHMW round bar stock for bushing applications. When we ask about the load it’s usually typical of a bushing application (-PSI) however, the customer is often surprised to learn UHMW can bear only perhaps 700PSI max in a bearing. If we didn’t inquire, we would have many disappointed customers!

5.) What specific characteristics are desired?

Meaning what do you need out of the plastic in addition to its basic properties: UV-resistance? Color? Lubrication? Electrical insulator? Etc.

6.) What are the special needs?

What we mean here are certifications. For example, if we sell fiberglass ladder systems to a water treatment plant we need to know if NSF 61 certification for potable water is required. It’s best to let us know which certifications are required right off the bat as that may preclude our ability to quote.

7.) What is the motivator or driving interest (for choosing plastic in general)?

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This could be increased lifespan, noise or weight reduction, corrosion resistance or several other reasons. Facts are that while plastics may be less expensive than metals in certain applications, often the upfront cost per-piece is more expensive. So exploring an application simply hoping “plastic is cheap” will often lead to disappointment. This is especially true with performance plastics as Redwood Plastics deals in. The good news is that if you have a need for various properties or lifespan that metal or other traditional materials cannot supply, then plastics are an effective solution in countless applications!

At the basic process level, supplier selection is the same in all companies. The purchasing department first researches potential suppliers for the materials (based on internal or external information) and creates a short list. It then looks in detail at all the manufacturers on this list, crosses off those that turn out to be unsuitable, and selects the supply partner who best meets the individual decision criteria.

The second phase, supplier evaluation, is particularly challenging in rubber and plastics processing. The reason for this is the low degree of standardization of these materials.

In the metal sector, there are firmly defined products, for example steel grades, which always have the same properties. Purchasing can therefore concentrate on finding a supplier who offers the material required by the design at the most favorable conditions.

With rubber and plastics, this is only the case to a limited extent. Both plastics and elastomers are materials with a wide range of properties that depend on their specific composition. Although there are standardized products (for example, certain types of silicone) that suppliers also have in their portfolio across the board, these are not suitable for all areas of application.

As a rule, customers need rubber compounds or plastics that are individually tailored to their needs, depending on parameters such as ambient temperatures, mechanical loads or vibrations.

Only a few manufacturers are able to design rubber and plastic articles that adequately meet their criteria. This is because the core competencies of most manufacturing companies tend to lie in the metal sector. They simply lack the know-how to deal with plastics or elastomers. If they do need a corresponding component, whether plastic parts, composite parts or molded rubber parts, they call on the consulting services of their suppliers. This circumstance should also be reflected in the selection of suppliers.

Hard factors such as price, delivery conditions and product quality also play a major role in elastomers and plastics and should by no means be neglected. However, they are not the sole focus of supplier evaluation. In the procurement of rubber and plastic articles, soft factors are also of high value, even more so than in the metal sector.

As a rule, manufacturing companies are not only looking for a product supplier for plastic components or rubber goods, but also for a development partner who can support them in both design and material selection. Rubber and plastics suppliers are more deeply involved in the value creation process of their customers than is the case in many other industries. Accordingly, the quality of their consulting services and customer service is an important part of supplier selection.

Pay attention to how potential suppliers respond to your inquiry. Reputable suppliers first analyze your requirements and general conditions before submitting a bid. Such suppliers ask questions, communicate with their customers on an equal footing and are not afraid to find unidentified challenges or alternative solutions.

Honesty and transparency are the be-all and end-all in the procurement process. As a rule, there are no elastomers and plastics that meet all customer requirements out of the box. The same applies to delivery times. Currently, the entire German industry is experiencing delivery problems and is openly communicating this. Companies that do not do so are probably not acting transparently toward their customers.

The high competitive pressure in the industry is driving many companies to align their procurement with price. As far as plastic and rubber products are concerned, however, this can only be recommended to a limited extent. The low level of standardization makes it difficult for customers to assess the quality of the material in advance. At the same time, suppliers in the low-price sector offer fewer advisory services, so customers sometimes inadvertently select an unsuitable material for their components. In the rubber and plastics sector, a strong price orientation can therefore result in restrictions with regard to product quality.

In addition, there are other decision-making criteria that should be part of the supplier evaluation apart from price. These include, for example, service, delivery reliability, local proximity and good accessibility, if possible with fixed contact persons in customer service to facilitate contact between customer and supplier.

Sustainability has also become an integral part of modern supplier management. Requirements such as the lowest possible CO2 emissions, environmentally friendly materials and a transparent supply chain free of human rights violations are part of every company’s specifications and should be conscientiously reviewed. Not only because of legal requirements, but also because sustainability has become an intrinsic concern for many decision-makers.

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