Gateway Manufacturing Company

Material Assessment for Bumper Cover

Donald McFarlane
 Performance and viability study of three(3) possible materials for push-cart
bumper cover. The materials reviewed in this assessment are; PVC (polyvinyl chloride),
6/6 Nylon (polyurethane), and Reinforced Rubber. The materials were rated on 4
properties and 6 production considerations.

The properties rated are: Flexural Modulus, Elongation, Tensile Strength, and
Shore Hardness. These are rated from 1 – 5 with 1 being the lowest.

The production considerations are rated with the same scale and are; Ease of
Assembly, Cost Effectiveness, Cosmetic (pigmentation, finish), Pliable, Durable, Source
Availiblity.

The following charts show the rankings and supplier based data for the properties.

Material Flexural Modulus Elongation Tensile Strength Hardness (Shore) Final

Polyurethane 275000 (2) 200 – 700 (1) 27 (1) 84 (3) 7
PVC 481000 (3) 200 (2) 48 (2) 68 (1) 9
Rubber 800 (1) 500 (2) 4500 (3) 75 (2) 8

Based on the above chart PVC is the top choice, with Rubber as a second choice.
Accordingly the flexural modulus is the highest priority as we need the part to absorb
impact and return to original shape. The hardness is the lowest priority as the impact
force is minimal.

Production considerations are of greater importance to this item as cost (final per
unit cost) and assembly (line speed and repair times) are important. Due to similarities
of the three (3) materials in sourcing availability (how easily it can be produced and
number of sources we can purchase from), durability (how well the material handles
normal wear), and cosmetics( ability to be colored and accept different finished), these
considerations are not used in the final selection.

Material Ease of Assembly Cost to produce Pliability Final

Polyurethane 2 2 1 5
PVC 3 2 2 7
Rubber 2 1 4 7

Based on this data PVC and Rubber have equal final results. As the ease of
assembly directly affects the cost and repair ability of this product it is given greater
impact on the final selection.

The Rubber is the most flexible choice as its properties can be changed with the
infusion of different binder materials. The addition of binders affect the cost and
availability. Also the color choices are limited by the binder and darker colors.

Based on the above data I feel that we should use PVC for this part. Suppliers for
this both as raw material (pellets) and ready-to-assemble part are readily available. I
will list two (2) sources for both forms of this material that can provide us a steady
supply based on our projected needs.

RAW PVC:

MIDPOINT CHEMICALS COMPANY

Address :Entry Drive Bensenville, Illinois
Tel: 1 - 630 - 7580400 Fax: 1 - 630 - 7581773
EMAIL ADDRESS: midpointer@msn.com
Homepage www.ec21.com/midpointchemicals

Almaida Chemicals, LLC

1582 NW 108th Ave
Miami, FL 33172
Tel:1-305-436-5759 Fax:1-305-436-8979
EMAIL ADDRESS: info@almaidachemicals.com
Homepage: http://www.almaidachemicals.com/index_english.htm

Finished Materials:

POLY ONE
33587 Walker Road
Avon Lake OH 44012
Telephone: +1 440 930 1000 or +1 866 POLYONE
Fax: 440 930 3799

Shintech Inc.
#3 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1150, Houston, Texas 77046, U.S.A.
+1-713-965-0713