The material and RIM process provided extreme durability, ability to mold-in traction and reduction of costly labor. But it is an even higher honor when our peers select innovative new products featuring Bayer's polyurethane systems for awards in this prestigious industry competition. The Trekker Series of snowshoes manufactured by Tubbs Snowshoe Company, of Stowe, Vt., is molded with Bayer's Bayflex 110-25 elastomeric polyurethane RIM system. The Bayflex RIM system was selected for the snowshoes for its combination of extreme durability, ability to mold-in traction and reduction of costly labor. The Bayflex RIM system encapsulates the snowshoe's aluminum frame to form a nearly complete snowshoe out of the mold.
Secondary operations are minimal.
The polyurethane system provides enough structural strength to hold the components together under demanding loads, and at the same time provides an elastomeric platform that emulates more traditional snowshoe webbing materials. The Bayflex system also demonstrates excellent cold temperature properties, and in performance and durability trials it outlasted other snowshoe materials. Delivering the second award for a Bayer polyurethane RIM system was a U.S. Postal Service chute and vane, which won the Material Handling Category. Minn. The material, improved part design and expert molding resulted in dramatically improved physical properties, as well as cost consolidation and faster cycle times. It is believed to be the first part combination of its type to be molded from a material other than fiberglass-reinforced plastic.