Elastomer focus at new UK polymer centre

Coventry, UK – The Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick has established a new National Plastics Processing Centre (NPPC) which will provide a national hub for innovation and research in plastics processing.

The new NPPC brings a fully integrated approach to plastics design, manufacturing and disposal, encompassing multifunctional design and low environmental impact.

The WMG is an academic department at the University of Warwick, providing research, education and knowledge transfer in engineering, manufacturing and technology.

It will have its own building by 2017 with facilities for training, research and development, and will also house a fully equipped elastomer technology laboratory.

From the early days of its research, WMG recognised that plastics offer significant design flexibility advantages for industrial application – examples include:

Reduction of concept development time using design automation

Prototype tooling for low volume manufacturing in as little as one day

Non-destructive testing and materials analysis

Use of cryogenics to reduce stress

WMG’s chair, Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya said: “The manufacture and processing of plastic and rubber materials is a multi-billion pound industry central to the future prosperity of the UK. There isn’t an industry which is not underpinned in some manner by plastics materials, from telecommunications, energy, transport and defence to healthcare. The centre will have capability in every polymer process with pilot scale equipment and larger, extensive testing and characterisation facilities.”

“Our new centre’s research will be built upon four principles for materials processing: innovating the manufacturing process, added functionality to material and component, full integration into structure, and sustainability and holistic environmental design, including end of life.”