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HOUSTON, Texas (June 27, 2006) – Research to create a new material for an
injection-molded tire resulted in the commercialization of Santoprene™
thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) 25 years ago. Today, the Santoprene product
portfolio has over 300 grades that are used by thousands of customers across
the globe in the automotive, food and beverage, consumer electronics,
electrical, and appliance markets. This resourceful, innovative and committed
pioneer continues to be recognized today as the global leader in engineered
TPEs.
This article celebrating 25 years of Santoprene brand TPEs charts the
development of the brand from the obstacles it faced to the successes it
enjoys with an outlook toward continued growth.
Overcoming early hurdles
The unique material that became
Santoprene TPE exhibited the performance characteristics of rubber and the
processing ease of a plastic, with complementary benefits. But it was not an
overnight success.
“Initially we targeted the processors that manufactured finished parts from
rubber,” said Bob Liskiewicz, global sales manager for ExxonMobil Chemical’s
Specialty Elastomers Business. “The new material got a luke-warm reception
from the rubber industry. Target customers weren’t prepared to work with a
material that was fully compounded or invest in the new equipment they needed
to process it. We were excited about the opportunities of the material, but
the rubber industry was reluctant to invest in a new business.”
A revised business strategy focused on the customers of the rubber processors.
Approaching automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and appliance
manufacturers proved successful. “We convinced them that we had an
interesting new material. Now we had to encourage the creation of a supply
chain that could manufacture the parts,” explained Liskiewicz.
The clear message that got the interest of the OEMs was cost savings.
Santoprene TPEs’ faster part-production cycle times, lower weight and ease of
production all contributed to lower part costs. “We established Rubber
Conversion Economics, which compared every aspect of producing a part in a
traditional rubber material with Santoprene TPE. We demonstrated that an OEM
could save a significant percentage on the cost of the final part if they
converted to our TPE,” said Liskiewicz.
In addition to cost savings, the establishment of unrivalled technical support
capabilities and the manufacturing capabilities to provide materials of
consistent quality across the world led to a successful global business.
Early successes
The brand achieved an important early
application success in the automotive sector. While the rack-and-pinion boot
only costs a small percentage of the steering system to manufacture, it plays
a critical role in protecting the system. The ability of Santoprene TPE to
improve flex life, fluid resistance and sealability of the boot is key to the
success of this application. The reduction in manufacturing costs is an added
bonus. “The application has been so successful that it can probably be found
in four out of five cars on the road today,” explained Liskiewicz.
In the appliance sector, the business worked with OEMs to manufacture
components – often seals – for household appliances such as dishwashers and
washing machines. A dishwasher sump boot made with Santoprene TPE was an
early success as it was installed in many major brands and models. Again the
functional benefits of Santoprene TPE -- good sealing and resistance to heat
and fluids -- were important.
The elastomer’s sealing capabilities also led to early successes in the
domestic and high-rise construction sectors in applications such as window
seals, caster wheels, tubing and small hose parts, electrical connectors and
coatings for wire & cables.
Santoprene TPE also found success in the highly demanding medical industry
where it is used as a gasket on syringe plungers.
Sound strategies
At the outset, the business implemented an
astute intellectual property strategy that extended Santoprene products’
commercial longevity as competitive products entered the market. As these
products became available, the strong brand values that were established and
built from the earliest days demonstrated that it takes more than products to
help make customers successful in rubber replacement and other TPE
applications.
Combining performance improvements and cost reductions with the best global
support in the industry – logistics, inventory in-hand, 24-48 hour delivery,
consistent quality and extensive technical support – have all become key
components in the success of the business. It established a 98 percent
on-time delivery rate for customers from Boston to Barcelona to Beijing. “We
serve thousands of customers with an extra special level of service day after
day,” added Liskiewicz.
As the business worked with OEMs, it started to bring work to processors,
creating a strong loyalty among them. “We collaborate and dedicate resources
to companies often before they are customers. Whether it’s market knowledge,
design assistance or supply chain expertise, we bring all our experience to
bear to help companies design, develop and introduce new products to market.
We offer the immediate technical and design support of our engineering
specialists through web conferencing, online collaboration, our AnswerPerson™
service and face-to-face,” said Liskiewicz. “As a result, we have achieved
double-digit growth in volume and sales for most of the past 25 years.”
As another demonstration of its commitment to the industries it serves, the
Santoprene specialty products business is certified to the same standards as
some of its customers and their customers. For example, it recently achieved
certification to the globally accepted automotive industry quality standard
ISO/TS 16949:2002.
Continued growth
The business expanded in the mid 1990s when
it began to promote the use of Santoprene TPE to enhance the way products look
or how they feel to the touch. This “soft-touch” concept enabled the business
to develop extensive use of Santoprene elastomers in grips for consumer
products such as ski poles, gardening and power tools, razors, toothbrushes
and pens. The business worked with product designers who began to use
Santoprene TPE for the aesthetic effects it produces – soft touch, color,
texture and special effects. “This extra dimension opened up the consumer
market for us,” said Liskiewicz.
In the late 1990s, the business developed new opportunities in the automotive
industry by proving to automotive OEMs that TPEs were a viable alternative to
thermoset rubber for sealing systems.
Today, automotive OEMs fully recognize and embrace the opportunities for
improved performance, weight reductions that boost fuel efficiency, and parts
cost savings that are achieved using Santoprene TPE. The use of Santoprene
TPE also enables soft/hard material combinations, depending on the performance
requirements of each part of the seal. Other automotive OEMs have come to
appreciate the benefits of changing to TPEs.
An exciting future
“Looking forward we see potential for growth
in developing countries, new applications, product development and modular
systems,” said Liskiewicz.
China and other countries in Asia, Central Europe and Latin America represent
growth markets. The Santoprene brand is established in Japan through
commercial links with major OEMs in the automotive sector. Establishing a
presence in China and helping a customer there create a first commercial
success with Santoprene TPE 20 years ago, the business is ideally positioned
to benefit from this rapidly evolving market.
New applications will continue to drive growth. Many of the consumer markets
are only just starting to truly appreciate the benefits of Santoprene products
and there are still excellent growth opportunities in the automotive sector.
New products are in development as the business researches compounds or
hybrids of TPEs and TPVs to match target performance requirements. New
Santoprene TPE bonding grades maximize the potential of overmolding technology
to eliminate the need for adhesives and mechanical interlocks to combine
different materials.
As part of ExxonMobil Chemical’s Specialty Elastomers Business, there is also
a broad portfolio of elastomer products on which to draw. This has recently
led to the adoption of a modular approach where the performance requirements
of a whole system, such as a car door system, are being considered and
solutions proposed.
“Without doubt, the underlying success of the business has been a singular
focus on the customer, delivered by exceptional people with an inquiring and
responsive attitude. Adding value to a customer’s product helps them bring
value to their customers. This is, and always will be, at the core of the
development and growth of the Santoprene brand,” concluded Liskiewicz.
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Robert S. Liskiewicz
Global Sales Manager
Bob Liskiewicz, Santoprene products global sales manager ExxonMobil Chemical’s
Specialty Elastomers Business, has 28 years of experience in engineering,
manufacturing, marketing and technical services, new business development,
human resources and global sales.
He is an alumnus of the University of Connecticut with a bachelor of science
degree in mechanical engineering. He holds an MBA from Western New England
College.
About ExxonMobil Chemical
ExxonMobil Chemical is a global
leader in technology, product quality and customer service with petrochemical
manufacturing and/or marketing operations in more than 150 countries around
the world. Its products include olefins, aromatics, fluids, synthetic rubber,
polyethylene, polypropylene, oriented polypropylene packaging films,
plasticizers and synthetic lubricant basestocks.
To find out more about ExxonMobil Chemical's Santoprene rubber, visit
www.santoprene.com. To find out more about ExxonMobil Chemical, visit
www.exxonmobilchemical.com.
Note to Editors:
1. The term "ExxonMobil Chemical" refers
collectively to some or all of the companies affiliated with Exxon Mobil
Corporation which have chemical manufacturing and/or marketing operations
around the world.
2. ExxonMobil, the ExxonMobil logo, the "Interlocking X" and Santoprene are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
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ExxonMobil News Media Desk: 330-849-5120 or 281-870-6607
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