Heerlen, NL, 26-March-2007
Keltan® is helping beach-goers to enjoy the hot sands and warm waters of
Brazil’s 7,000km coastline in comfort, thanks to innovative thinking and close
customer co-operation by DSM Elastomer’s R&D and Sales teams.
In a move away from the traditional EPDM application areas of automotive and
building and construction, Keltan is being used by shoe manufacturers in
Brazil for the production of beach sandals – an innovative solution taking the
beach and swimwear market by storm.
Brazil is the world’s leading country for beach sandals production, with many
shoe companies dedicating a significant part of their operations purely to
this segment.
Following close co-operation between DSM Elastomers and shoe industry
suppliers, Keltan 3200A was selected because of its ability to meet the
stringent quality demands of this application.
This application was developed together with DSM Elastomers Distributor
Proquitec and Brasmanco, the slippers' manufacturer.
Keltan 3200A provides excellent resistance to the potentially damaging effects
of UV, high temperatures and salt water. It offers flexibility and soft touch
to aid wear comfort, which in combination with its colourability, also opens
up exciting design possibilities.
Marcos Oliveira, Account Manager South-America, comments: “The beach
sandal market is a great example of Keltan: Nothing Compares in practice. It
reflects our ambitions to take EPDM into new and innovative application areas
by highlighting to customers just how Keltan’s unique combination of benefits
can cost-effectively open up new market opportunities.”
