Forward Looking Rotomoulding Technology for Defence Applications

Market Trends

in Holography

The demand for holographic product packaging and labels is expected to witness growth momentum in the developed and developing nations. It is encouraging to see a rise in purchasing power of consumers that will prompt affordability of holographic solutions by brands that will help them earmark the legitimacy of products for the end consumers, and fight the fakes.

can make a product come to life in the fiercely competitive world and can protect the brands from fakes or lookalike products.

Enhance the Visual Appeal

Today, brands are aggressively relying on holographic solutions to make their products stand out on the retail shelves and catch the consumers’ attention. The holographic solutions used by packaging manufacturers and brands are made by integrating a wide variety of eye-catching colour combinations, which can be attractively patterned, differently shaped and sized to suit the product packaging requirements. Holographic solutions can make a product look unique, exclusive and visually aesthetic, allowing brands to be easily identifiable and different from the others. The superior and creative finishing adds an element of premium quality giving a sense of pride in owning the product.

Holographic solutions are economically priced and can be incorporated into the product packaging without significant addition of costs, given the quantum of benefits they provide. Intelligent Labels

Holographic labels and solutions not only enhance the overall look and feel of the product, but also open a world of possibilities and added functionalities. Subsequently, these intelligent labels and solutions can store customisable information as required by the brands and consumers. They boost supply chain performance monitored with a linked digital bank of information that could provide information useful to any stakeholder of the product, such as information about product development, packaging journey and so on. It acts as direct communication between the consumer and the brand. Today, beyond aesthetics, the scope of holographic solutions in packaging is growing manifolds. Due to its traceability that helps trace reverse logistics for the e-commerce sector, the legitimacy of transactions

can be assured, which is helpful to prevent unfair business practices and fraudulent returns. Enabling Authenticity Holographic solutions are high-quality, water-resistant and heat-resistant solutions that ensure no deterioration during the course of transit. Holographic To know more, please subscribe to PoLymErS Communiqué at subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com A recent technology that uses augmented reality to project the ultra-realistic hologram from within the product packaging ensures seamless interaction between brands and consumers. The inbuilt tool is activated using a smartphone and the hologram can be viewed through the mobile phone camera. This technology is serving as a self-help handy kiosk for intelligent and data-curious consumers.

Forward Looking Rotomoulding Technology

for Defence Applications

Rotomoulding has vast opportunities. It’s only an individual’s imagination for applications to move ahead with development. Defence provides huge business potential not only in India, but from India to the world.

Rotomoulding, a legendary technology, has had a strong base in developing the plastics industry for many innovative and successful products. The most popular being water storage tanks. This technology was first adopted to make hollow products, especially PVC toys. The properties of being hollow, seamless and stress-free are the unique proposition of this technology. Rotomoulding has seamlessly transited to other materials and products. The primary material being used today is LLDPE and has also been the highest contributor this far. New materials have been developed for rotomoulding and we now see their contribution increasing with many new, innovative products in various fields.

With water storage tanks business being stable, business owners and new entrants have now started looking forward to newer avenues such as materials and technologies which have good potential, advanced properties as well as efficient and advanced manufacturing.

Some of the few industries and sectors wherein the rotomoulding industry is looking forward to include infrastructure, telecom, waste management, logistics, marine, automotive, defence and many more, where many other technologies are not able to serve or economics are not justified. We will talk about an important sector which has high potential, and has also been an important sector for any country, for safety reasons - the defence sector.

Prashant Trivedi

Head Operations, BU: Engineering Plastics, Loxim Industries Ltd., Ahmedabad

For the Armed Forces

The defence sector of any country has multi-facial activities, over and above safeguarding the country. Their services are always requested during natural calamities, disaster management and during the country’s internal disturbance. They need to be ready 24/7 for any such situation and are also required to be well equipped. Defence also needs products which can be helpful to them in adverse environmental conditions, even at remote places. Rotomoulding technologies have been offering many such products which can be of great help and assistance to the defence in order to face and handle situations as well as

conditions. Due to statutory requirements, it restricts us to showcase the product details; though we will be discussing here the product needs and those developments for the required usages.

The first area we shall look for products which can help our defence, especially the army who is securing the borders in cold regions that are covered by snow throughout the year and temperatures nearing -35°C. The conditions are rough and tough to survive.

Defence also

needs products which can be

helpful to them in adverse

environmental

conditions, even at remote places. Rotomoulding technologies have been

offering many such products which can be

of great help and assistance

to the defence

in order to face

and handle

situations as well

as conditions. Insulated Shelters

They are in the shape of an igloo and have similar applications; their double-layer insulated shelter keeping the habitat safe. The material is LLDPE and can be moulded with a single shot, large enough to take care of 6 - 10 people to stay inside comfortably. The insulation thickness is enough to take care of the outside temperature. This can be made in a camouflaged design as well. There is also an underground shelter designed where needed.

Safety Guards at Posts / Stations

There are shelters designed such that they can be placed to safeguard the posts / stations. Designed with reinforcements, these shelters ensure safety of guards in case of insurgency.

Insulated Water Tanks

Availability of drinking water is challenging in such adverse conditions. Thus, insulated water tanks which can keep water in a liquid state for a sufficient period of time is the need of the hour. This double walled structure is again built with LLDPE along with a thick insulating material.

Insulated Fuel Storage

These are double walled with different outer and inner materials so as to restrict the oozing out of the fuel through the tank as well as ensuring that it does not freeze.

Waterless Toilet Blocks

These toilets are an essential part of the defence camp as they have a self-decomposing mechanism and do not discharge water thereby safeguarding the environment.

Listed here are some other products that play a crucial role in the defence sector. Defence Boxes

There are two types of rotomoulded defence boxes - one for storage of equipment and ammunition which needs to be carried along and thus needs to be light and strong. The other one is used for dropping at site or air lifted. These boxes (carrying ammunition and other contents) also need to be light and designed much stronger so as to withstand the impact.

All-terrain Vehicle Body Parts

The all-terrain vehicle needs to be light as well as feasible to operate in an adverse surrounding environment. The body parts need to be replaceable and also should have the ability to be camouflaged.

Surveillance Drone Body

In today’s scenario, drones are playing a very important part in surveillance as well as for transporting light shipments, especially for medical support, and during disaster management or while providing medical assistance to the remotest part where no other mode of transport is available. The fundamental need here is to make the drone body as light as possible so that its lifting capacity can be increased.

Medical Stretchers

These have been very useful during war scenarios, natural calamities or any internal disturbances. They are fast to manufacture and can be delivered in a very short time.

Specifically for the Navy

Speed Boats and Rescue Boats

Rotomoulding plays a crucial role in making single moulded boats which can be designed to meet the functional requirements. These can be used by the navy to transport its teams to the required sites and also be useful to save incumbents in danger. The lifesaving boats, which are not speed boats though, have been used extensively during floods by the navy for saving citizens in distress.

Defence Barges and Floats

These are seamlessly designed floats which can be self-assembled for required load-bearing capabilities.

Naval Buoys

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