Practical relevance online for every customer

New Internet site for thermoplastic polyurethanes:

Leverkusen, July 2008 – Users of thermoplastic polyurethanes from Bayer MaterialScience have something to look forward to, because starting right now, they can find comprehensive processing information and material specifications for their plastic at a single Internet address – www.tpe-u.com. With the totally redesigned site, the Bayer MaterialScience Thermoplastic Polyurethanes Business Unit (TPU) puts an end to isolated solutions, providing customers with all the information they need, in German and English, at a single click.

Specialized information for every need
The “Processing” section – probably the most important for TPU customers – gives valuable practical advice on product storage, the pretreatment of Desmopan® and Texin™ granules, coloring options, and waste management. Users also can find tips on injection molding and extrusion, as well as information on specific processing methods.

The “Products” section helps customers to select the right TPU grade. Among other things, it contains comprehensive descriptions of the grades available, detailed product features and current data sheets from Bayer MaterialScience, all in a concise and clearly structured format. Graphs and tables help users to navigate quickly through the wide-ranging information, for example when it comes to nomenclature and property profiles. Customers who would like to use the reliable services of an accredited testing center can access the Bayer MaterialScience Thermoplastics Testing Center electronically. Furthermore, many of the TPU grades have further links to supplementary literature.

Engineers and developers can click on the “Applications” tab at www.tpe-u.com to view numerous practical examples from the “Automotive,” “Industrial/Mechanical” and “Sport & Leisure” segments, which illustrate how to exploit the advantages of Desmopan® and Texin™. “These examples are only intended to give customers ideas,” says Katja Rottmaier, head of the Internet project at TPU. “The unique features of thermoplastic polyurethanes include their diversity and versatility. The properties of an end product can be customized by skillfully selecting the raw materials and fitting them together like building blocks. But going beyond the simple raw material, we also offer numerous services. We see ourselves as a solution provider for our customers.”

Clearly structured and concise
For Katja Rottmaier, practical aspects were therefore a major priority when it came to redesigning the website: “We want to give all plastics processors, design engineers and product developers an effective tool to facilitate their everyday work. People lose valuable time when they have to battle their way through numerous separate homepages to find details on material properties, general manufacturing requirements and application options for TPU. With the new Internet site, we want to make research as easy as possible for our customers so that they can concentrate on creating innovative products.”

Moreover, the www.tpe-u.com site also provides information on regional contacts, joint projects and the resulting products. “More than anything,” observes Katja Rottmaier, “close cooperation with customers is the basis for custom plastics that meet specific needs. Working in partnership with our customers enables us to market innovative products with sophisticated properties. As a result, we can significantly expand our business on the TPU/TPE market. The know-how we acquire in the process benefits all new projects.”

Organizational hints and figures on the business unit, quality and environmental certificates, safety data sheets and information brochures for downloading round out the new TPU portal.