Standardisation and New Product Developmentshop.bsigroup.com/upload/Conferences/Conference... · • High end sports wear companies are starting to require the fabric manufacturers

PIL Membranes Ltd PAS600 Launch

Standardisation and New Product

Development

D Randall

PIL Membranes LtdPart of KL Technologies


Based in King’s Lynn, Norfolk


KL Technologies Ltd

• Privately owned

• Four operating companies

– PCL Ceramics Ltd

– PIL Membranes Ltd

– KLT Filtration Ltd

– Nanoflam Ltd

• Number of employees: 150

• Offices in Hong Kong , Shanghai, Moscow, Philadelphia

• ISO 9001:2008 certified


PIL Membranes Ltd

• Manufacturers of polyurethane membranes for use in garment,

accessory and industrial end

markets

• Integrated from chemical building blocks through to membrane end

effect.

• Manufacture own polymers and can redesign when necessary.

• Can carry out nearly all the end testing that our customers

markets require.


Employs 110 people responsible for:

•Permair Leather

•Porelle Membranes

•Porelle Inserts

•Aquatex Fabrics

•Porelle Healthcare

•Printing Blankets

•Nanoflam Textile Coatings


A microporous membrane designed to substitute the top layer of

quality grain leather

•Available in a range of different

grains and colours

•Suitable for a wide range of

applications

•Waterproof and breathable

•Highly scuff resistant

•Wipe clean and easy care


Porelle inserts are used globally by

leading manufacturers and brands

for a range of market applications.

They are typically used as a lining

technology in gloves, footwear, hats

and socks.

•Extremely waterproof

•Highly breathable

•Durable

•Used in Sports and LeisureApplications

•Technical Applications

•Tailored Design


A wide range of waterproof, windproof and breathable films

• Microporous Polyurethane Membranes• Hydrophilic Polyurethane Membranes

• PTFE Bi-component Membranes

• Cross-linked Polyurethane Membranes

• Air Permeable Membranes

• Fire Retardant Membranes

Laminated into a wide range of textiles for use in:

Utilities

Military

Sports and Leisure wear

Outdoor Clothing

Industrial


Markets Served

• Technical– Microporous membranes

used as processing aids in

vacuum resin infusion

manufacture of wind turbine

blades

– Membrane allows for a vacuum to be drawn over a

large surface ( 90m blades )

but also acts a resin barrier.

– Improved quality, less defects in blades


Markets Served

• Garments– Membrane forms a

waterproof and breathable

barrier layer which is

laminated to one or between

two layers of fabric

– Changing the chemistry of and additives in the

membrane allows the

performance and end use of

the membranes / fabrics to

be chosen


Markets Served

• Industrial

– Police

– Military

– First Responders

– Fire Fighters

– Surgeons Gowns

– Gas and Oil Field

• Sports and Leisure

– Jackets

– Gloves

– Shoes

– Socks


Standardisation

• Different types of Standardisation and Legislation have an

impact on what we can sell and what we have to do to avoid /

benefit from them.

– European Legislation – REACH

– Industry Initiatives – Oekotex and Blue Sign

– National Norms – NFPA 1971

– Trade Barriers – Berry Amendment


REACH

• EU system for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and

restriction of CHemicals

• A chemical can be classified under REACH as a Substance of

Very High Concern ( SVHC ).

• Products containing an SVHC are subject to restrictions and

ultimately the use may become banned or impracticable.

• The reasons for becoming an SVHC are

– Carcinogenic/mutagenic/toxic for reproduction ( CMR )

– Bio-accumulative and toxic ( PBT )

– Very bio-accumulative ( vPvB )


REACH

• One product we use as an additive was classified as vPvB, a brominated fire retardant.

• An immediate change to a similar halogenated but not restricted product was possible

• However, it also provided an opportunity and reason to redesign the product and introduce to a conservative market

• The new FR package is halogen free and hence perceived to be better environmentally

• Although starting as a European legislation issue , this has had the benefit of

– Repositioning in the US as a “ greener “ alternative

– Gaining business in previously closed markets


Oekotex and Blue Sign

• These are both standards developed by and for the fabrics

industry.

• Oekotex sets limits on chemicals that are detectable /

extractable from the fabrics.

• It has different levels depending on the end use , the most

stringent being for garments for babies.

• Blue Sign incorporates the Oekotex requirements but then

extends it to the manufacturing process and its environmental

impact

• It is expensive and complicated to become registered for

these


Oekotex and Blue Sign

• High end sports wear companies are starting to require the

fabric manufacturers to certify their products to these

• The membrane used in the fabric has to be at the least

Oekotex compliant

• In order to meet this we faced a number of problems

– Catalyst residue from manufacture of the polyurethane

– New catalysts investigated which would not be a problem for Oekotex

– New identified product shows improvement in cycle time


NFPA 1971

• American Fire Fighters standard for

turn out gear.

• Upgrading of the requirements

meant that our current product that

we have been selling was no longer

suitable.

• Main change that caused us

problems was that the final fabric

was exposed to 260 C for 5 minutes

and afterwards

– No burning or dripping

– Low shrinkage

– Maintain barrier properties


NFPA 1971

• The type of polyurethanes PIL manufactures have an upper operating temperature of 180 C

• Exposure to 260 C causes severe discolouration and shrinkage

• In order to meet this new standard we need to develop a new generation of polymer.

• The existing building blocks are not suitable so we are redesigning our polymer.

• In the process we are learning how to upgrade part of our other product range to be able to claim higher temperature performance


Biobased Products

• The potential for a biobased polyurethane membrane is very good

• This would be an opportunity in the Sports and Leisure markets, particularly with the “ big “ brands.

• This would also align itself with our energy strategy where we have installed both a wind turbine and a solar panel array which supplies

greater than 90% of our site requirements.

• Assuming that suitable building blocks can be produced then the secondary requirements of REACH and Oekotex would also need to be

applied

Documents

Standardisation and New Product Developmentshop.bsigroup.com/upload/Conferences/Conference... · • High end sports wear companies are starting to require the fabric manufacturers