Polykemi AB: Our new material gives substantial benefits

"The fact that Victorinox selected our material is of course quite an honour. We know for a fact that Victorinox puts a lot of focus both on quality and performance, regardless if it is the steel in the blade - or the material for the knife’s handle. Victorinox is simply world class amongst knife developers and manufacturers around the globe, and thus we are especially proud to be able to deliver our unique plastic material to them," states Mr. Mattias Persson Sales manager of Polykemi AB.

Right from the very beginning the Hunter Pro knife got a lot of positive attention and the reviews are overwhelming. It was initially intended for the US-market, but the success made the knife one of the most wanted hunting knives in the world. It is an all-round knife that suits huntsmen just perfect, but principally also for any hikers spending time outdoors in the nature in need of a knife. The knife has numerous uses by outdoorsmen as well as among hunters and farmers. "The Hunter Pro is one of the most prestigious knives that Victorinox has on the market," underlines Mr. Mattias Persson.

Highest reviews

Mr. Mattias Persson is a passionate huntsman himself and he gives the knife absolute top ratings: "The knife feels very solid and sturdy with a good weight and a comfortable grip. Our POLYfill PP Touch - material gives the sensation that the handle is both soft and hard at the same time. In addition the good grip remains – even when the handle being moist or even wet. The fact that the blade is perfect is almost beyond mentioning. To deliver to a world leading brandowner like Victorinox is all about handling high expectations. Our development department has done a fantastic job and together with our production department we have succeeded in delivering a material that makes us really proud," underlines Mr. Mattias Persson.

A four year development

The question is – what is so special about POLYfill PP Touch? Let us ask Mr Henrik Eriksson - development manager of Polykemi AB: "Initially the material was developed with interior automotive parts in mind. The idea was to combine mechanical properties with a surface that both visually and when touching it – is to give you the luxurious feeling associated with soft lacquered - or over-moulded materials. A target application was for instance door panels for mid-price class cars and trucks. Many trials involving POLYfill PP Touch were carried out over a four year period and during this development – the concept found usages in many different projects."

Self-healing properties

The high scratch and wear resistance – obviously highly appreciated by Victorinox, has also come to good use in the wear surface of a cutting board. In this application the material is praised for having almost self-healing properties. Sometimes soft plastic materials are associated with hazardous softeners, but this is not the case with POLYfill PP Touch. "This means that all users can feel really safe with the material," claims Mr. Eriksson. Another aspect of the special surface properties is the materials rare ability to provide more friction in contact with other materials than normally associated with a non elastomeric material. This fact has been used commercially in some technical applications where high friction towards other contact surfaces has really been the key property.

What are the future expectations at Polykemi AB for this material?  

"This material has already found usages in products that we almost did not know existed. We hope for the continued contribution of POLYfill PP TOUCH when resolving future challenges faced by our customers - in whatever field of industry they may occur," ends Mr. Henrik Eriksson.

www.polykemi.com