Dow drives plastics innovation through global value chain collaboration

The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: Dow) will showcase how successful value chain collaborations have led to world-class technologies and award-winning innovations from Dow’s Performance Plastics division at K 2016 – the largest global gathering of the plastics and rubber industry, held October 19-26, 2016 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Working closely with partners across the value chain has always been core to Dow’s ability to deliver tailored solutions to customers worldwide. As a result of collaboration, Dow’s solutions are bringing higher performance, versatility, and sustainability to customers and the industry. Dow’s ‘Face of Innovation’ theme at K 2016 is all about shining a light on the people who are successfully collaborating on the development of new technologies and applications around the world that meet market needs.

Dow is proud to work with customers and value chain partners such as Sino-Amaranth, a local grass farmer, and China Sun Pharmaceutical Machinery Co., an equipment manufacturer in China. Through a collaborative innovation process at Dow’s award winning Pack Studios innovation center in Shanghai, a new application was developed that elevated the bale silage industry in China, improving transportation, storage and nutritional value of animal fodder for farming.

Pack Studios also enabled Dow and OEM partner, Nordmeccanica, to introduce one of the biggest innovations in laminating adhesives in half a century. Dow’s new ultra-fast curing adhesive technology, SYMBIEX™ Solventless Adhesive, combined with the innovative Duplex SL One Shot™ lamination line from Nordmeccanica, has redefined packaging lamination, offering converters best-in-class conversion efficiency improvements, shorter time-to-market, total conversion cost reductions, and a higher sustainability profile.

For the Rio 2016 Olympic Games field hockey tournament, an elite playing surface was created to boost the technical skills of the players. Created using Dow’s resins, the turf system delivered a high performing and consistent field of play throughout the busy Olympic competition schedule.

In personal hygiene, Dow collaborated with machine manufacturer, Windmöller & Hölscher (W&H) to develop a new application that meets growing global demand for hygiene products that offer excellent mechanical performance and processability along with improved skin health requirements and personal comfort. The result was a new, ultra-thin, blown machine direction orientation (MDO), breathable film for baby diapers powered by Dow’s DOWLEXTM resins.

“Our global teams of R&D experts, our Pack Studios innovation centers, and our leadership in Technical Services & Development enable us to address both global trends as well as find solutions that work on a local basis. We are proud of what we have achieved together with partners across the value chain, and we’re excited about the future possibilities for our industry, which is why we’re showcasing our ‘Face of Innovation’ at K 2016,” says Javier Constante, Commercial Vice President, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics.

Leveraging the technologies of Dow Corning has also allowed Dow to extend its participation in Consumer Solutions and Infrastructure Solutions segments by increasing Dow’s product offerings in several end use applications such as building and construction, consumer care, and automotive. A number of Dow Corning products will be showcased at K 2016, including innovative silicone-based additives for plastics and optical lenses for advanced lighting solutions.

“Global industry events like K 2016, provide us with a prime platform whereby we can celebrate these stories of success, showcase new products in Dow’s portfolio and demonstrate the opportunities for mutual growth that come from our partnerships spanning across the entire value chain and the globe,” says Denise Beachy, Commercial Director , Dow Elastomers and Electrical & Telecommunications, EMEAI.

Visit www.faceofinnovation.com to learn more about how Dow is bringing innovation to life. Stay up-to-date with the latest news and events, and find out more about the Dow stand in Hall 8a.

Pack Studios is a global network of packaging experts, equipment and testing capabilities that accelerates the collaborative development of better packaging. There are seven Pack Studios locations strategically positioned around the world: Freeport, Texas, USA; Ringwood, Illinois, USA; São Paulo, Brazil; Horgen, Switzerland; Mozzate, Italy; Shanghai, China; and Singapore.

Pack Studios brings together the key contributors necessary for cultivating packaging innovations. The Dow resins and adhesives experts collaborate with equipment manufacturers, packaging designers, brand owners and prototyping specialists, and the result is faster commercialization of new and improved packaging.

Dow has a long tradition of working with customers to drive innovation. Building upon this foundation and the belief that true innovation is achieved through collaboration, Pack Studios is ushering in the successes of tomorrow… today.

Source: Dow