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| nGrain offers lasting, realistic woodgrain effects Americhem, Inc., a global provider of custom color and additive solutions for building products and other polymer-based products, introduces its new product brand, nGrain. The product is the culmination of several decades of experience in simulated woodgrain technology and represents the latest evolution in this solution for the building products industry. nGrain offers manufacturers the ability to produce true-to-life woodgrain products without the drawbacks associated with alternative processes. In the past, these effects were achieved with embossed surfaces and laminated film until simulated woodgrain concentrates were developed. Americhem has evolved simulated woodgrain by building the effects directly into the formulation, according to Laura Prexta, Ph.D., Americhem's Technology Manager for Building Products. "nGrain by Americhem helped us to achieve realistic woodgrain effects that are infused to the core of our product," says Tom Hughes, President & CEO of Hughes Processing. "This allows us to offer the natural-looking products homeowners want with the lasting performance they demand. Plus, the technology, support and service offered by Americhem are second to none." "We developed nGrain directly in response to customer – and consumer – demand," says Chris Piazza, Business Director, Building Products & Extrusion of Americhem. "We were approached by companies that were looking to develop more natural-looking products. Most homeowners want the beauty and realism of wood without the continual maintenance because they don't want to spend free time painting siding or staining decks. Because the color is built into the formulation, nGrain will not delaminate, crack, or be nicked or cut. Unlike the repeated patterning found in printed film, nGrain creates effects that are consistently random just like natural woodgrain. The formulations can be altered to give a multitude of wood-like effects, from bold grains to subtle feathering. "I have many years experience with a range of building products applications that utilize Americhem's nGrain. People are captivated by the visual effects you can achieve with these simulated woodgrain solutions. You can't beat the look," said Paul Thompson, VP of Operations, Millennium Decking. "Plus, Americhem's support personnel are outstanding. They always exceed my expectations. I don't need to follow up with Americhem because I can trust in their promptness and responsiveness." Beyond its realism, nGrain offers manufacturers several distinct advantages. Since it's added directly during the manufacturing process, it helps to reduce manufacturing costs by avoiding the extra equipment and operators needed for lamination. This also avoids issues with the lamination process including flying splices, mismatched accessories, excess scrap and critical surface preparation. nGrain can also be used in monoextruded, coextruded and foamed products, such as siding, cladding, decking, fencing, railing, windows, doors, flooring, roofing, window blinds, interior profile, sheet, trim board, and injection molding accessories like vents and fence post caps. Unlike existing competitive products, nGrain is effective with a wide range of resins, including ABS, ASA, Acrylic, PE, PP, PVC, and Polysterene. It can also be used with wood or cellulosic composite compounds with PE, PP and PVC. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Construction News :: home page |