by Bing Carbone
Kydex Thermoplastics (Sekisui) has been making thermoplastics for years.
Since 1965, Sekisui has been a leader in the thermoplastics industry, though not under that name. That year, Kydex thermoplastics was first invented by Rohm and Haas, eventually used for aircraft interiors. This product sparked its own company under the Kydex Thermoplastics name. Five years later, Allen Thermoplastics opened its doors in Michigan. Allen excelled in thermoformers and other flexible products. These two companies later came together to form what is now Sekisui SPI.
Sekisui purchased Kydex LLC in 1990. It wasn’t until 17 years later that Allen Thermoplastics was purchased. Now the company is headquartered in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, the original home of Kydex. In addition, Sekisui has a second location in Allen Thermoplastics’ hometown of Holland, Michigan. A third plant was recently bought just a couple miles from headquarters as a way to keep up with demand during the current “plastics manufacturing renaissance.”
Products from Sekisui
Having Kydex and Allen under one roof means a large catalog of products. The durable, high performance products come in a vast array of custom textures and colors. This world-renowned company is known for creating plastics that are the best in all sorts of industries. Sekisui doesn’t just meet thermal, mechanical and physical standards; they set new ones.
These thermoplastics can be molded to fit virtually any need imaginable. Their strength, lightness and, often, high fire rating makes them ideal for even the most brutal environments. Some common applications include aircraft interiors, industrial equipment housings, recreational equipment, mass transit interiors, building interiors, hobby equipment, medical device components and more.
With so many different kinds of products available, it’s no surprise that Sekisui covers a wide variety of industries. They have products for the medical field, mass transportation, marine settings, agriculture, heavy equipment and recreational vehicles. While it may seem easy to get spread too thin with so many facets in the company, Sekisui manages to excel in each industry for which they make products.
Sekisui in the News
Sekisui has been making headlines when it comes to aircraft interiors. They recently debuted a new material for airline seats that are as durable — and soft to the touch — as silicon bakeware. This plastic can be imprinted with any image perfectly, from a floral design to a company logo. In addition, it can be formed to any shape. This means no more cloth slips with logos on them, and no more distortion if an image is printed on the plastic. Beyond aesthetics, this soft plastic absorbs a lot of sound, making for a quieter plane ride.
While that material is still in production, Sekisui has released a new ultra-low heat release thermoplastic called Kydex 4545. Designed to exceed smoke density and heat release requirements set by FAR 25.853, this new plastic is perfect for seat components, passenger service units, bulkhead laminates and a variety of other cabin interior parts for aircraft. To put it simply: Kydex 4545 is a much safer material than any others on the market. It is available in many custom colors.
Sekisui is one of the top producers of plastic in the world, and for good reason. Whether you need new airplane cabin interior plastics, housing for your agriculture machinery or simply custom parts for your next personal project, Modern Plastics has the Sekisui Kydex plastics you need. For more information or to find the right plastic, visit our products page.
