TPEs bring personal computing into consumers’ hands

The Pepper Pad — a handheld personal computer from Pepper Computer Inc. that unifies email, instant messaging, the Web, pictures, music, video and remote control into a single compact product — has earned worldwide recognition from some of the world’s top electronics magazines, as well such agencies as CBS-TV, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

But the product also presented unique production and housing requirements from the outset, and might never have come to fruition at all without thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) supplied by GLS Corp.

One formidable production obstacle arose when it was discovered that the end caps of the unit were not moldable, as originally planned by Pepper Computer. For this reason, overmolding was chosen as the best option, and a Versollan OM1262NX-1 overmold grade TPE was selected, which is applied onto a special PC/ABS. Additionally, the GLS Corp. TPE enabled users to be able to grip the unit securely during operation and move the scroll wheel without difficulty. An added advantage of the overmold TPE for the end caps was the ability to show the Pepper name through the TPE. GLS Corp. also selected its Dynaflex G7970 TPE for use around the product bezel.

With these difficulties ironed out, the challenges then switched to custom injection molder PTA Corp, of Oxford, Conn., which — after much trial and error — used state-of-the-art software to create a design that eliminated flow and knit lines, giving the finished product a seamless appearance.

GLS Corp. (McHenry, Ill.);

www.glscorp.com

1-800-457-8777