Rolco has been molding Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE's) for 20 years. Our experience is in all classes of TPE's over a wide range of applications including single and multishot components.
The term 'thermoplastic elastomer' applies to a range of materials that have the characteristics of both rubber and plastic. They are available in different degrees of hardness and the list of most common configurations includes; TPE, TPO, TPU, TPV, TPS, COPE, COPA and PVC.
TPE's are an excellent replacement for rubber. The development cycle for molded components is similar to plastics and the performance of the finished part is like a natural rubber. However, unlike rubber, TPE's can be recycled. In addition, multishot applications can take advantage of the thermoplastic element to produce a single homogeneous part using two materials in a single molding cycle resulting in lower costs and increased value.
