The Polymer Sector comprises four discrete processing areas: Plastics Processing, Rubber Processing, Polymer Composite Processing and Sign Making. Just fewer than 14,000 companies operate within the sector employing some 286,000 employees. This figure rises to approximately 400,000 employees when companies who process polymers as a secondary operation to their main business, are taken into consideration. The industry is extremely dynamic being subject to many changes and opportunities arising from technological change, development of new materials and processing technology and not least, the development of new products and changes in consumer requirements.
The industries require innovators, technologists, designers and highly skilled processing technicians to remain at the forefront of developments and changes in the worlds demand for more versatile, lightweight, low cost and energy saving products and applications.
Products and component parts developed using polymers, are used in many applications and each year the demand steadily grows.
*Aerospace * Automotive * Marine * Defence * Medical * Electrical * Plastic Electronics, * Construction * Transportation * Consumer & Domestic Products * Leisure, Toys, Packaging.
Engineers and designers are on an ever increasing scale becoming aware of the important position polymers play across a wide band of engineering applications. Advances in electronic and automotive engineering depend heavily on polymers. The aerospace industry would grind to a halt without advanced plastic and polymer composites. The automotive industry and its need to reduce carbon emissions require the use of lighter materials that can be formed into complex shapes to assist with this process.
The ability of polymers to be moulded to very complex shapes gives the designer the opportunity to design for assembly, to reduce overall cost and produce a more efficient end product. For the future, composites look set to play an even greater role. Both thermoplastic and thermosetting plastics reinforced with glass, carbon and aramid fibres have already made their mark on products from racing cars to tennis rackets. In industry, advanced polymers and composites are everywhere replacing metal components in processes from food production to nuclear processing. Polymers have revolutionised the sports goods, household appliance and electronic industries, and tissue compatible plastics, have made an enormous impact on the design of medical equipment and prostheses.
Rubber processing is also as equally diversified in its application as plastics and composites. Providing sealing rings to the space shuttle and notably tyre manufacture. If you watch Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing you would know that tyre selection based on design, construction and texture plays a significant part in winning a race.
In the Governments latest report on Skills for Growth (Building Britain’s Future) the Composites area is singled out as a strategic area for growth, Cogent are working with The Department for Business Innovation & Skills to ensure we have a skilled workforce at the relevant levels for the Polymer Composites Industry.
It has been often said that “If it wasn’t for the Sign Making industry you wouldn’t know who or what we were” Plastics in the form of Acrylic is used extensively within the industry for both illuminated and non-illuminated displays. The design of the signage can inform an individual about many things, including the perceived importance of an organisation. Companies involved within this sector are often micro companies employing only one or two individuals but can rise significantly with national franchised organisations.
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