WESTLAND, Mich.—APS Elastomers, a domestic supplier of high-performance thermoplastic elastomers, has increased inventory to assist customers in the health care and medical industries during this unprecedented time.
APS, deemed an essential supplier in the battle against the coronavirus, said TPEs are "desperately needed" to manufacture products like face masks, adding it also intends to assist small- and medium-size plastics manufacturers in surviving this difficult period by managing its supply chain to offer competitive pricing.
"Our ability to source materials globally ensures availability, and by selecting our supplying partners based on geography and technical knowhow, we can provide quality elastomers at competitive pricing," said Stephane Morin, co-owner of APS Elastomers.
APS Elastomers supplies thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic vulcanizates and styrenic-based thermoplastic elastomers from multiple international sources, allowing APS to be versatile in matching its product to both chemistry and process.
APS' brands include Zythane TPUs, Maxelast TPEs and Viprine TPVs, as well as TPE alloys, a compounding series, and custom and standard soft elastomer formulations.
"We continue to expand and diversify our TPE portfolio by adding new product offerings and aligning ourselves with manufacturing partners to better serve our customers in North America," Morin said.
APS' TPVs can be found in weatherstripping, seals, soft overmolding grips and gaskets, while its TPUs can be found in automotive sensor cables, robot cables, ABS cables, calendering and caster wheels, among many other applications.
Its TPEs are used in medical devices and electronics, as well as footwear and toys, among other end products.
"Our mission is to ensure the right polymer is used, develop new applications and better processing techniques, and help OEMs and processors market their end products successfully and efficiently," said co-owner Roger Huarng.
In March, APS Elastomers announced that it was moving its operations to a larger location in Westland. APS had been located in Romulus, about 10 miles south of Westland, since 2009. Both cities are Detroit suburbs.
Company officials said in a March 10 news release that the expansion will allow APS to double its volume of TPUs and styrenic-based TPEs, and the larger site has room for a new product testing lab.