PolyOne lightweighting innovations grab top honors

POLYONE’S collaboration efforts with its customers to replace metal in LED lights earned the company top honors at the inaugural Polymers and Plastics Innovation Awards. 

The colorants and polymer company won first place in the Best Lightweighting Innovation category, and second place in the Plastics and Electronics category in the awards presented by the Society of Plastics Engineers Benelux Division. The competition recognizes innovative plastics materials in eight categories judged by a team of industry experts, academic, and design specialists.

In the Best Lightweighting Innovation category, PolyOne worked with Tier 2 supplier Ayfar Otomotiv to replace metal in LED headlights for off-road vehicles. In the Plastics and Electronics category, the firm collaborated with Finnish lighting specialist Kruunutekniikka in replacing metal in the architectural LED lighting.

Holger Kronimus, vice president for Europe and general manager for Specialty Engineered Materials, Europe at PolyOne, describe the awards as a validation of the collaborative effort that the firm brings to its projects. In the two categories where the company won, it worked with innovative customers in replacing metal with specialty polymer formulations that can conduct heat, provide electrical insulation, or conduct electricity.

The winners are on display at the Polytalk 2014, a plastics industry summit organized by trade association Plastics Europe in Brussels.