"Just because it's roto-molded doesn't mean it has to be hollow!

"

RMC

Rotational Molding Compound

Imagine the Possibilities

"Just because it's Rotomolded, Doesn't Mean it has to be Hollow"

by Scott Saxman, Mold In Graphic Systems

"Just because it's roto-molded doesn't mean it has to be hollow!"

RMC

Rotational Molding Compound

features permanently molded inside or outside of your hollow part! Imagine having this ability whenever you want it, anytime, anywhere and in any mold with any polyethylene resin! By incorporating a new material concept known as RMC3, or Three Dimensional Rotational Molding Compound, these ideas are now possible. Developed by the staff of the new R&D Center at Mold In Graphic Systems, in Clarkdale, Arizona, this revolutionary technology will allow a rotomolder to easily insert a pliable form of polyethylene material inside their mold at any critical point, for the purpose of creating solid areas or design features within the finished molded part. Upon initial inspection, this neverbefore-seen form of polymer has a dough-like consistency with the basic look and feel of clay or similar type of industrial putty. This is where comparisons to all other known entities in the plastic community cease to exist. With its ability to be easily shaped, roll-formed, or even pre-molded, RMC3 can overcome the weak spots within existing molded parts. More importantly, it will begin to open the doors for new product designers to create entirely new types of molds with exciting new solid or reinforced features. RMC3 Hits The Market RMC3 was publicly unveiled at the January 25-27, 2002 Association of Rotational Molders Conference held in Minneapolis, MN. The patented RMC3 was introduced as part of "The Future of Color and Graphic Applications for The Rotational Molding Industry". Our Research Team at Mold In Graphic Systems has been working hard over the past several years to perfect these materials and we are proud to introduce this new concept to the rotational molding industry. The reception that we have had for RMC3 has been overwhelming to this point. We are very excited to bring this new product to the marketplace. Our RMC3 technology received positive reviews in a recent issue of Plastics News magazine and the flurry of inquiries received after this article was printed helped to inspire us to accelerate our final development efforts. We are now prepared to supply the needs of our customers as of March 15, 2002. The product is now commercially available and will initially be shipped in 10 pound incremental lots for smaller orders. Trial samples can also be obtained upon request. Our standard product formulas that will be in stock will initially be offered in black and natural PE colors. We anticipate the bulk of our shipments will eventually be custom ordered. Colorants will be precompounded into the RMC3 and we will strive to achieve exacting matches. The physical densities of the compound can be adjusted to ensure compatibility of our RMC3 with specified powder resins to achieve specific results in the end product. Special additive packages and various structural materials can be incorporated into the final compounds and custom blends can be developed that mix in fiberglass cloth, chopped fibers, foaming agents, or other unique additives.

Imagine having the ability to instantly create solid plastic

How Rotational Molding Compound Works In its basic state, the unique RMC3 material enables the molder to physically pack any amount of the pliable material into the areas of their mold for the purpose of creating solid plastic features. Problematic flow issues in existing mold designs can be immediately overcome by making that area in the part solid or thicker than is normally specified. The RMC3 will retain the same basic shape in which it was manually, or mechanically, preformed before it was inserted into the open mold. This Rotational Molding Compound for rotomolding is amazing in that it does not melt and flow inside the mold like a typical commodity polyethylene resin during the heating cycle. The RMC3 that is inserted will cure solid during the normal rotomolding process and it can be utilized without significant changes in your operation. It is truly unique and we feel that after part designers and molders begin to understand what RMC3 is and what it has to offer, it will begin to change the way our industry looks at how new parts can be designed in the future. A Rotomolders View Several rotational molders have been conducting pre-production trials with the new RMC3 compound at their facilities. The following are their comments:

"It seems that almost every week an issue will rise related to poor internal flow or fill problems in our rotomolding operations," said Jim Leitz of the
Gregstrom Corporation, a custom rotomolder located in Woburn, MA.

"I think the advent of the new RMC3 from Mold In Graphic Systems can answer many of these concerns. We have been testing these materials for several months and we have found that they enable us to correct many of our typical problems. We can create unheard of features by simply applying layers of the compound for added additional wall thickness. We can now reinforce our metal inserts, mold solid external nipples, make solid handles, make solid feet in the bottom of a material handling container, and create solid flanges for mounting. By utilizing the RMC3, we have also greatly improved the quality of several of our difficult molded-in tank threads. As the current President of the Association of Rotational Molders, I strongly encourage everyone in our industry to investigate the many potential uses of how these materials could benefit their molded parts."

Barney Grosberg, Vice President of Sales for The Molding Company, a progressive custom molder with operations in Farmington, MO and Broomfield, CO, stated, "We feel strongly that

the invention of the RMC3 from Mold In Graphic Systems, combined with our commitment to the T.R.I.P. Mold process, will definitely expand the opportunities for all of us who are associated with the rotational molding industry. We are firm believers that the Rotational Molding Compound and the T.R.I.P. Mold technology will provide us new ammunition that will enable us to garner new jobs that may otherwise be awarded to processors of other plastic types. We are now producing dramatic new hybrid hollow parts that feature solid external fasteners, mounting tabs that protrude outside of the product, all of which appear to be injection molded. These types of new products will transform the rotational molding industry by providing new types of intrinsic value if we push the proverbial envelope with these new technologies."

Do You Like Breaking Rules? Professional design engineers, who are responsible for developing new products for the rotational molding process, accept that there are certain limitations associated with the process. One commonly accepted rule published in design manuals for the rotational molding industry encourages the designer to allow for an opening of roughly five times the nominal wall thickness to enable the powdered polymer resin to flow sufficiently. Michael Paloian, President of Integrated Design Systems, a well known new product designer who has presented several papers at recent ARM Conventions, is now looking for ways to incorporate RMC3 into his new designs. He stated, "I have seen rotomolded parts that have achieved acceptable material flow results when we pushed the established limits by allowing for only three to four times the nominal wall thickness, but that is the limit. By considering the incorporation of RMC3 into very tight areas in the mold the new standard could be zero. We can now begin to think in terms of completely solid features." John Fawcett, the proprietor Industrial Designer with Fawcett Designs, Inc., of Kent, OH, has more than 20 years experience designing new products in rotomolding. John stated, "There are a myriad of ways that I can see using RMC3 to fix molding problems on an immediate basis allowing us to address many concerns within our current molded products." "I also think that there are many creative ways to use this material to achieve single wall detail using the rotational molding process. The flexibility and relative low cost investment that is needed to achieve these new concepts is exciting."

A Mold Makers Perspective John Hammond, president of Mainland Products, Inc. in Ontario, CA is a provider of cast aluminum rotational molds. During a phone interview Hammond stated, "This new material concept from Mold In Graphic Systems is revolutionary. I am excited about the new opportunities that it provides. I can now offer my customers unheard-of-features in their new molds. I can also advise them how to resolve many of the issues with their on-going production concerns. I have never seen anything like this and I plan to educate the product designers that I work with about these new capabilities." The President of Wheeler Boyce Molds in Stow, OH, sees other interesting possibilities. Gary Shroeder comments, "I envision a new type of hybrid mold that will enable rotational molders to create solid molded parts that appear to be injection molded. There are many applications for this concept for low volume applications that cannot justify the high investment costs for an injection mold tool. By preforming or liquefying the Mold In Graphic Systems RM C3, our customers can completely fill the low cost mold with the compound to create solid plastic products or components. The flange areas at parting lines could also be extended to create independent cavities for other solid plastic parts. These solid molded components could essentially ride free' during the normal rotomolding cycle to create added value from within our traditional hollow rotational molds. I think the opportunity for these new types of applications are endless." The President of Norstar Aluminum Molds in Cedarburg, WI, Sandy Scaccia, has also previewed the RMC3, concept. Mr. Scaccia stated, "As an example, we are now quoting a project which requires a five sided box to be molded onto a larger item. This configuration is simply not possible with rotational molding as we know it. RMC3, however, may just change that given what I observed in my visit to Mold In Graphic Systems . I can now see a solid wall that can be molded via the rotational molding process.'" "I was extremely impressed with the new RMC3 and I think that it is going to revolutionize the way in which rotationally molded products are designed. I think this opens up a wide area of opportunities to the process. Molders need not limit themselves to the historical technology that was available to them in the past. Instead of making the design fit the process, we need to make the process fit the design." "The old philosophies will greatly limit the use of rotational molding for the design of plastic parts. This new product is an example of what is needed to influence the switch to making the process fit the design." What Are The Physical Properties? RMC3, is a fractional melt index polymer material that has many exceptional qualities and the physical properties of the compound are proving to be comparable to the rotational resins into which they will be molded. Extensive testing has been conducted for impact properties, using the standard A.R.M. approved DT-401 Dart Drop Tester. The Rotational Molding Compound preformed well during low temperature impact resistance at more than -40F/C at 45 foot pounds of impact. There was no ductile failure or failure due to brittleness at this low temperature. There were no failures documented at +140F(60C) temperatures using the same Dart Drop tests.

When cured, the RMC3 completely and thoroughly knits into the polyolefin matrix of the hollow part and no evidence of separation between the two materials has been witnessed to date. Phil Dodge, senior research associate of Equistar Chemicals LP stated, "Having seen the RMC3 at the Mold In Graphic Systems lab, I see some immediate uses for the rotomolder. The RMC3 can provide assistance in hard-to-fill corners, worn parting lines, threads, and around loose fitting inserts. Future applications will allow the rotomolder to design with sharper threads, sharper corners, flat tabs and molding in clear sight gauges in black plastic. The knit, or weld lines where the RMC3 meets the standard rotomolding resin appear to be very solid within the rotomolded parts that I witnessed during my recent visit." Mr. Dodge is supervising the additional physical property tests of the RMC3 that are being conducted at the Equistar Lab in Ohio and the documented results will be available for review in the near future. Conclusion RMC3 is new. It is unique and it is all together different from other polymer materials used in rotational molding. There are many possibilities for its effective use in solving typical fill problems on an immediate basis. It also offers everyone associated with the rotomolding process the new opportunities to expand our horizons. Our ultimate

For more information about the Three Dimensional Rotational Molding Compound - RMC3, please contact Scott Saxman, Jim Hummel or Tom Innis at the Mold In Graphic Systems Corporate Headquarters: Mold In Graphic Systems P. O. Box 1650 Clarkdale, AZ 86324 Phone: (928) 634-8838 Fax: (928) 634-9036 website: www.moldingraphics.com E-mail: info@moldingraphics.com In Europe, contact: Mould In Graphic Systems Peter Clark Phone: 011 44 1287 623332 E-mail: pclarkuk@hotmail.com In Australasia, contact: Nick Moldan Phone: 011 61 3 950 20150 E-Mail: nmoldan@optushome.com.au