 DAYTON, OH, U.S.A., September 21, 2007: In the intensely competitive sport of paintball, where players take practice very seriously, the idea of paintless paintballs is no contradiction. Being paintless, they are reusable, enabling players to practice as much as they wish without the higher cost—and obvious mess—that comes with using regular paintballs. The challenge is to design a reusable ball that performs just like the real thing, minus the paint mark.
To meet that challenge, paintball gear marketer Rufus Dawg, Inc. used Teknor Apex Company's Monprene® thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compounds to develop reusable balls that shoot as straight as regular paintballs and hit opponents with low-intensity impact. Rufus Dawg's parent company Bastech, Inc. injection molds the reusable balls and applies a proprietary coating for efficient travel through the barrel of the gun or ''marker.'' The balls come in two series: the harder T-2 balls for target practice and the softer TAC or ''Tactical Gaming Balls'' for simulated games. A foam structure incorporated in TAC balls helps to ease their impact against the body.
Paintless balls have obvious advantages in indoor play. For indoor facilities, Rufus Dawg supplies 2,000-count cases of balls in a special fluorescent green color. For retail outlets, the reusable balls come in 100-, 300-, and 500-count containers. Currently Rufus Dawg is building a distribution network that will facilitate expansion into international markets, according to Ben Staub, president of Bastech and Rufus Dawg.
''The rubber-like elasticity of Monprene TPEs duplicates the low-impact performance of gel-like regular paintballs while providing the toughness necessary to withstand multiple firings from a compressed air gun and multiple target hits,'' said Staub. ''The work of Teknor Apex to develop customized Monprene formulations helped make it possible for Rufus Dawg to offer players the first paintballs that they could reuse safely, over and over again, as they perfect individual skills and team competitiveness.''
The expertise applied by Teknor Apex came from an application far removed from paintball, according to Elizabeth Ponte, market development representative for the company's Thermoplastic Elastomer Division. ''Our technical group drew on their experience with developing Monprene formulations for earplugs, which require a combination of softness and vibration dampening,'' said Ponte. ''These properties are also important for reusable balls in simulated paintball games because they minimize impact intensity and reduce the tendency for the balls to bounce, making it easier to collect them after use.''
The sport of paintball is widely played in North America and Europe and is growing in popularity elsewhere. Typically it involves games played by competing teams with the object of capturing the opposing team's flag and eliminating their team members from play by hitting or ''marking'' them with paint. In its more organized form, the sport includes leagues, tournaments, and televised events and is supported by an industry that includes equipment suppliers, associations, trade shows, and websites.
''Paintball is played in dozens of countries by millions of people and has reached a high level of competitiveness,'' said Chris Rife, Rufus Dawg's business manager. ''Rufus Dawg's introduction of reusable balls brought convenience and affordability to the practice and simulation that are so important for staying at the top of the game.''
Monprene TPE compounds are based on proprietary styrenic block copolymer chemistry and exhibit a high degree of versatility, meeting requirements ranging from high durability to super-soft comfort, from water clarity to brilliant opaque colors, and from compliance with FDA standards to resistance to aggressive end-use environments. Included in the product range are ultra-soft gel compounds (30 Shore 00 to 65 Shore 00), custom injection molding and extrusion compounds (35 Shore A to 90 Shore A), and specialty injection molding compounds (20 Shore A to 90 Shore A). Examples of current uses for Monprene TPEs are appliances, food-contact applications, film, grips and handles, hardware, infant care products, kitchen utensils, medical devices, oral care products, personal hygiene items, personal protection equipment, seals and gaskets, sheeting sporting goods, tubing, wheels and casters, writing instruments, and other consumer products.
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BASTECH, INC. is an engineering and rapid-prototyping company whose capabilities include computer aided design, stereolithography, selective laser sintering, reproductions in plastics or metal, prototype tooling, and short-run injection molding. Visit the website at www.bastech.com. RUFUS DAWG, INC., a Bastech company, suppliers paintball gear, including reusable target and gaming balls, markers (guns), grips and triggers, accessories, and paintball wear. Visit the website at www.rufusdawg.com.
The THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMER DIVISION of Teknor Apex Company is a leading manufacturer of TPE compounds, including ElexarÒ, MonpreneÒ, TelcarÒ, Tekbond®, TekronÒ, and UnipreneÒ products. Headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, U.S.A., the Division is an international supplier to the appliance, automotive, construction, medical-device, wire and cable, and other industries. Other plastics businesses of TEKNOR APEX include the Vinyl Div. (flexible vinyl), Chemical Div. (plasticizers), Specialty Compounding Div. (toll and custom compounding), Teknor Color Company (concentrates), Chem Polymer (engineering thermoplastics), and Singapore Polymer Corp. (diverse compounds and masterbatches). Visit the web site: www.teknorapex.com.
READER INQUIRY INFORMATION: Americas: Teknor Apex, 505 Central Avenue, Pawtucket, RI 02861 U.S.A. Tel:1-401-725-8000. Tel. from U.S. only: 1-866-GET-TPEs (1-866-438-8737). Fax: 1-401-728-5680. E-mail: tpe@teknorapex.com. Europe: Chem Polymer Ltd., Tat Bank Road, Oldbury, West Midlands, England B69 4NH. Tel: 44-121-665-2100. Email: eutpe@teknorapex.com. Asia: Singapore Polymer Corporation, 41 Shipyard Road, Singapore 628134. Tel: 65-6265-2544. Fax: 65-6265-1821. Email: apactpe@teknorapex.com.
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