DRAFT Q&A: Automation, sustainability, changing markets

In this Q&A interview, Patrik Romberg, senior vice president group communications at Trelleborg addresses the challenges and opportunities facing the rubber products markets

Q: Please identify one recent, significant elastomer-technology development at Trelleborg and explain its importance?

A: We’ve invested heavily in liquid silicone rubber (LSR) technologies: as silicone is biocompatible and biostable, it lends itself to use in healthcare and medical applications.

The market for drug-eluting solutions is growing rapidly and we’re working with key healthcare and medical companies in this area.

We’ve focused on processing. In addition to the conventional method of producing drug-eluting materials – the addition of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to raw silicone – we have proven drug-eluting solutions can be produced by impregnating APIs into vulcanised silicone by immersion.

This has the major advantage of extending the range of drugs that can be used in drug-eluting silicone-based devices to include ones that would normally be damaged by heat.

Q: Are there any particular materials science or processing developments in the wider rubber industry that Trelleborg believes will have a major impact going forward?

A: One overarching trend is sustainability. This is impacting the way we do business, from transport of raw materials to processing, compatibility of our materials to delivery of parts.

There are many examples of our efforts to reduce our environmental impact. As just one example, we have worked hard to develop materials that are compatible with environmentally friendly lubricants, encouraging their wider use.

Another example, can be seen at our printing solutions facility in Italy, where we had the first solvent-free line for production of printing blankets.  And, just recently, we fully re-engineered our Sri Lankan tire facility’s steam production process with the introduction of an advanced biomass boiler.

Q: Which areas of technology should suppliers of elastomer materials and/or processing machinery focus most on today?

A: Automation and robotics are extremely important.

We are constantly looking at ways that we can better automate our processes. At our facility in Switzerland, most parts produced are untouched by human hands until packaged and some are even boxed or packed robotically.

A single operator supervises the whole hall of identical machines linked to a central computer system that monitors operations 24/7.

Allowing the supervisor to move freely, the central computer sends SMS messages to the supervisor’s tablet if there are issues with any machine.

We also use robotics in our tire production. Spray coating of agricultural tires by hand was time-consuming and inconsistent. Robots took over this process to ensure each tire is coated perfectly in a fraction of the time.

Q: What does Trelleborg see as the main drivers for growth in the technical rubber goods market?

A; It has always been about listening to customers, but now this is even more important. We live in a rapidly changing world. Renewable energies are taking the place of fossil fuels; there will be a massive increase in demand for electric cars; packaging is becoming cleaner and smarter; cruise ships are ever larger and need new berthing methods.

These are just a few of the challenges we face with our diverse range of polymer solutions. But, ultimately, providing solutions comes down to understanding our customers’ issues and supporting them with options that will work in new conditions, rapidly.

Q: What will be the main barriers to growth over the next three years?

A: Trelleborg Group has built its business on strengthening our positions in attractive market segments. This means we have a hugely diverse portfolio of offerings primarily within niche engineered segments and a have broad global footprint. We are, therefore, generally buffered from market weaknesses within regions, countries or industries.

Having said that, the market outlooks contain greater uncertainty than previously, and trade-policy decisions can have consequences for global financial development. Trade restrictions of different kinds are never good for long-term business, even if they might create local benefits in the short-term.