Andrew Fletcher, Head of Plastics & Rubber (Commercial and Technical) at TR, sits down with BP&R to discuss how the new range of 100% recycled nylon-made plastic fasteners positions itself in the company’s overall sustainability strategy.
TR Fastening
Plastic fasteners range from cable ties to plastic rivets and are used extensively in the automotive industry for a variety of applications from cable management to the fixing of internal and external trims. They’re also used in electronics; for example, a support post that clips onto a printed circuit board is a plastic fastener.
They do everything a metal part can’t do. They’re useful for lightweighting, electrical insulation, corrosion resistance and aesthetics.
With environmental legislation and design standards changing, durable and eco-efficient components are now more important than ever. TR recognised engineered fasteners’ untapped potential and invested in trials and testing on multiple products, from push lock rivets and wire saddles to fir tree clips and threaded pillars.
Discussing the company’s R&D programme, Andrew notes, “When talking to customers and material manufacturers, I noticed the bulk of work was being done on large plastic components. This made me think that we should also consider smaller components, despite them not currently being at the forefront of people’s minds.”
He continues, “We first looked at nylons containing just 30% of recycled material. We ran trials and noticed they processed as well, if not better, as virgin material from a moulding point of view. However, the CO2e savings were minimal compared to their prime counterparts.”
To support the search for sustainable nylons, the company turned to an engineering materials producer. “Their materials demonstrated strong mechanical properties, heat stability and more, delivering up to 80% of near-prime performance. We conducted mould trials using two or three different grades and eventually selected a nylon made from 100% recycled content at a raw material level, sourced from both post-consumer and post-industrial sources. Crucially, it delivered a 90% reduction in CO2e emissions compared to prime-grade materials,” he points out.
The next step was to understand how it performs mechanically against its prime counterparts. He explains, “We carried out a variety of installation, mechanical and torque tests depending on the part. Some outperformed others because they were slightly stiffer due to the recycled content. Overall, they seemed to be a good all-around option.” The samples were then sent to a test house, which conducted accelerated heat ageing at 85 degrees C to see if it degraded the performance of the parts. The results showed small differences, but nothing that would cause a part to fail prematurely.
“Now it’s about getting the word out and gathering market feedback. We want to showcase the material in real-world scenarios to get practical examples we can build on. These will help guide production and inform line trials based on customer needs. But we expect a few challenges,” he claims.
One of them is the perceived reliability of 100% recycled materials. “Recycling is often associated with using regrind, but that’s not the case here. The material is professionally blended by the manufacturer and supplied as moulding granules, produced to meet a controlled and consistent specification. Whatever the part sample is, we invite our customers to do line trials. Working with universities, we can also simulate them if required to reproduce an in-situ application.”
Other challenges may include the material’s flammability ratings and the fact that it comes from many different feedstocks. “The standard materials are black because they take different feed requirements, which makes achieving a natural colour impossible at this stage,” he clarifies.
TR’s development of recycled nylon is part of the company’s larger strategy to support customers with engineered-led and environmentally responsible solutions. “We’re working through a sustainability strategy on CO2 footprint for the whole supply chain. The next step is customer learning. We want to present it to the customers who may take us in a different direction than what we initially thought,” Andrew concludes.