Riddell, founded in 1929, makes athletic equipment for football, baseball, softball and many other types of sports. Recently it faced a challenge that only BioThane® coated webbing could address. Riddell needed to create a football shoulder pad that could be removed in the event of a potential spinal cord injury without moving the player.

“You can’t put shoulder pads in an MRI or CT scan machine because of the metal on them,” says Mike Rose, Riddell’s protective equipment design specialist. “For lack of a better product, we were using common bike lock cable. However, it’s metal and the coating on it eventually dried out and cracked.”

BioPlastics used a combination of various BioThane® coated webbing products to create a cord that allows the shoulder pads to be removed instantly, and with no physical disruption to the injured player.

“Riddell equipment is the safest and most advanced on the market so it’s only natural to use the best coated strap,” notes Mike. “BioPlastics has been producing BioThane® coated webbing for our equipment for years. BioThane® coated webbing makes our products better.”

Learn more about BioPlastics sporting goods applications for BioThane® coated webbing.

By Jesse Pennington, International Sales Director

I just returned from a trip to Hamburg, Germany for a retail equine tradeshow. I was there to support one of our main distributors, Germany-based Worring. The goal of our presence at the show was to engage the consumer in BioThane® coated webbing and collect product feedback.

It was a great success!

Customers were so excited to find horse products other than basic black or brown leather bridles that have dominated the German equine landscape for so long. There were several booths displaying BioThane® coated webbing in addition to the Worring booth and BioThane® is a widely known brand name sought after by many of the attendees. They appreciated that BioThane® coated webbing is durable, waterproof and cleanable.

The Worring booth was packed full of visitors every day, from open to close of the show. They had promotional material on hand highlighting why BioThane® coated webbing is better than leather and outperforms other synthetic material.

We had people representing many perspectives on BioThane® equine applications: manufacturers, a riding teacher, horse owners and more. It was truly a team effort.

BioThane® coated webbing was virtually unknown in Germany about 5 years ago, but today, brand awareness is very strong. This is in large part due to the success of our partnership with Worrring and BioPlastic Company's continued presence at key equine shows in Germany and other key European locations. Everyone there now knows and asks for "Bee-ohh-tawn-eh"!     

Horses, dogs, now bears ... oh my! We love hearing about the creative applications customers find for our cleanable, durable, waterproof BioThane® coated webbing.

Ely, MN’s Wildlife Research Institute was looking for a way to alert its resident hunters to some of the bears being radio-collared and used for research. Hunters are asked to spare these bears, so the collars needed to be as visible as possible. They also need to be durable to last through a hunting season.

“Years ago, we began tying survey tape to the collars,” says Sue Mansfield of the Wildlife Research Institute. “The tape easily tore as the bear scratched it or even just passed through brush. Then we tried duct tape ribbons -- more durable, but still not a perfect solution.”

Sue said the team at the Institute knew they needed something tough, stiff and bright. So she ordered a sample of BioThane® for its well-known durability attributes. The team attached strips of BioThane® Reflective - Edgeguard®, visible for more than 100 yards in the woods, to the bears’ radio-collars.

“The BioThane® strips and the bears wearing them made it through hunting season just fine,” she notes. “BioThane® is cub-proof—surviving the bites and tugs of even 3-cub litters!”

To learn more about Reflective - Edgeguard® BioThane® coated webbing, click here. To learn more about these bears, visit the Institute’s web page. To see these bears in action click here.
 

A major U.S.-based designer and manufacturer of pet products had been using BioThane® coated webbing for its popular line of dog collars for several years. As the company grew, it looked for ways to lower costs and identified a webbing manufacturer overseas that claimed it could make a coated webbing product that looked like BioThane® but cost less.

After a few years of manufacturing the new product and selling it to end users, the company discovered the collars made overseas were not nearly as durable as dog collars made with BioThane® coated webbing.

“The canine collars made overseas simply did not hold up like dog collars made with BioThane®,” says a company representative. “When the collars got wet, the coating came right off. Our customers were complaining. We never had to worry about that when we used BioThane®, so we switched back.”

The dog collars made with durable, waterproof and cleanable BioThane® performed much better and the manufacturer now uses BioThane® coated webbing exclusively.

“BioPlastics is the only company in the world that has a singular focus on coating webbing,” says BioPlastics President Ethan Boron. “Because that’s all we do, we do it better than anyone. We are constantly focused on product and process improvements.”

Read more about our canine applications.

When we first introduced BioSheeting years ago, it was primarily used for equine applications. But leave it to our customers to show us the benefits of our urethane sheeting in all kinds of products, from back support to insulation barriers, to protective coverings and more.

Most recently, a major U.S. manufacturer in the healthcare market used BioSheeting on its operating room table straps. Traditional construction methods, such as sewing or hook and loop, compromised the sterile nature of the straps. Because BioSheeting can be welded, it could be disinfected more easily.

“Our field tests were encouraging regarding BioSheeting's durability,” a company representative tells us. “It withstands submersion in chemical disinfectants when used as directed by the disinfectants manufacturer. This material and its ability to be welded bring confidence to the operating room that the strap is truly disinfected.”

BioThane® BioSheeting has a different finish on each side (Granite® 281 and Gold 101) and is now available in additional thickness options for increased durability, abrasion resistance and a stiffer overall feel. It’s durable, abrasion resistant, waterproof, cleanable and flexible, and can be die cut into custom shapes. Click here for sizes, finishes and more information.
 

The National Safety Council (NSC) 2011 Congress & Expo was a great show for touching base with our OEM customers. This year, end-user attendance was lower than in previous years, but people who visited our booth were surprised to learn about how broad our product line really is, as well as the number of markets BioPlastics services.

Our coating service that applies a very light application of BioThane® to our webbing drew a lot of attention. Still cleanable, durable and waterproof, the new coating makes our webbing more flexible and tactile. In fact, we had a customer introduce an entire line of fall control equipment utilizing the new fine coating technology.  

The NSC also provided the opportunity to introduce Scott Hanna, BioPlastic’s new business development manager who will be overseeing the safety markets for BioPlastics. Gary Flynn held this role and is transitioning to the operations and quality area.

While we were in Cologne, Germany for Spoga, an international tradeshow for equestrian sports, BioPlastics hosted our first International BioBriefing. We were pleased with the enthusiasm and energy our guests displayed for BioThane® coated webbing and straps.

Our team brought finished goods from every market, such as police belts, medical straps and safety harnesses. Some attendees were surprised to learn that BioThane® is used in so many markets, including equine, sporting goods, medical, safety, military and more.

Trusted for its durability, weather resistance and cleanability, BioThane coated webbing has a strong inner core with a protective polymer coating.

A big “thank you” to all of our customers who attended our first International BioBriefing. It won’t be our last!

The BioPlastics team recently attended and displayed our BioThane® coated webbing and straps at Spoga, an international tradeshow for equestrian sports in Cologne, Germany. Attendance was fantastic, with 376 companies from 30 countries presenting their products and more than 36,000 trade visitors from 106 countries in attendance.

BioThane®’s product attributes of weather-resistance, durability and cleanability are as important to our international audience as they are to our U.S.-based customers. One feature that stood out to our international booth visitors was that BioThane® has such a realistic leather-like appearance yet offers the benefits of a synthetic material.

• Easy to clean
• Stronger and lighter
• No mold or mildew

Our tradeshow booth was decorated with banners that read: Better Than Leather. This prompted several demonstrations of BioThane® over leather and facilitated many conversations about why BioThane® outperforms leather and how those attributes are a distinct advantage in the equine market.

We observed that the BioThane® brand is getting even stronger overseas and many customers are asking for it by name! One customer noted great success using BioThane® for trotting harnesses, which are typically made of nylon. She likes the easy-to-clean nature of the coated webbing and plans to use BioThane for more equine products.

 

Every year, we are inspired by the stories and causes close to our employees’ hearts.Because we pride ourselves on manufacturing our coated webbings right here in Ohio, BioPlastics is especially involved in efforts that benefit local charities or families.

One such story is that of Max, a 5-year-old boy with Down Syndrome from Eastern Europe. Max was recently moved from an orphanage to a mental institution because in his country, that’s what happens to children with special needs when they no longer can be cared for in an orphanage. A local Cleveland family has decided to adopt Max and essentially save his life!

The BioPlastics team was so touched by Max’s story that we embarked on a number of fundraising initiatives. “Frankie’s Lunch” is one way we solicit donations from our employees. Our director of Fabricated Services, Frank Rogers, was a chef at a local restaurant for 20 years. He cooks our staff delicious lunches for $6, and the proceeds go toward Max’s adoption. So far, we’ve raised almost $1,000 through Frankie’s Lunches and other donations from vendors and employees!

Our staff feels a sense of pride when they know their money is going toward a worthy cause. BioPlastics is proud to support needs of local organizations and people. When Max arrives in the U.S., one of his first visits will be to BioPlastics and we can’t wait to welcome him!

For more information, visit www.operationmaxrescue.com.

If you look closely at the “shield agents” in the upcoming movie in The Avengers series, you’ll see they’re wearing identification patches made with BioThane®. BioThane® coated webbing makes its debut in Hollywood courtesy of our LA-based distributor, Tactical Pro Shop (www.tacticalproshop.com). Owner Matt Kime says smaller run options, quick turnaround and variety of color choices makes BioThane® the preferred brand of his film industry customers.

“Often a customer wants a limited number of patches with specific colors and markings in a few days,” says Matt. “BioThane® coated webbing can be screen printed, which allows for more color options and details than traditional embroidery, and is available in smaller quantities. Plus, screen printing takes much less time.”

The “real” good guys (i.e., law enforcement officers) also appreciate tactical patches made with BioThane® because they resist fading and fraying. The professional appearance of the patches can be easily integrated with the rest of their gear and apparel.

“How clearly identified a law enforcement official is can be a serious issue and often is used as evidence in a court case,” says Matt. “Tactical patches made with BioThane® come already bonded with Velcro and allow for clear screen printing and detailed customization for individual departments or functional areas.”

Learn more.