IDES Executive Summary

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Polymer Sourcing Using Prospector
February, 2006
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Sourcing polymers has never been easy.
Particularly Now
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With more than 68,000 resins on the global market
and price instabilities that are not likely to
cease, how can you make the job a little easier?
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Prospector from IDES, Inc. is a tried and tested
plastics search tool that can shave days off of
the time to find a resin.
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• Prospector basics
• Database contains 68,000 polymers from more
  than 606 worldwide suppliers
• Contains detailed datasheet and multipoint
  information in all test standards and units.
• Automatically finds candidate offset materials
• Contains thousands of automotive specifications.

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From Prospectors home page, one can search in a
variety of ways to source the right material.
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For example, using the Quick Search, it is easy
to find a grade lets say a Lexan LS2 from GE
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The table below shows all hits for the Lexan.
Now, a datasheet can be easily displayed
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Prospectors Data Sheets show detailed
information for every resin in the database.
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Now, suppose that an alternative to this Lexan is
needed. Simply click the icon
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A table is instantly shown that ranks candidate
alternatives to the Lexan. Now, it is simple to
compare these resins with the original
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A side-by-side comparison shows two offsets to
the Lexan material.
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Now, lets say that a polymer meeting certain
application requirements is needed. For example,
a 20 glass filled Polypropylene with a UL 94 HB
rating. The Property Search can locate possible
grades very quickly.
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Well first choose all of the Polypropylenes from
the list below
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We then added the criteria of 20 glass as shown
in the table below. Next, the UL requirement
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Now, simply choose HB from the list and were
done.
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The resulting Polypropylenes can now be compared
and suppliers can be contacted directly from
Prospector.
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Complete supplier contact information is provided
for every polymer in the database.
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Prospector contains the very same information
that you could find for free on suppliers web
site. However, compare the time youd spend
looking at the supplier sites with the use of
Prospector to search ALL suppliers at the same
time.