GERMANY’S biggest toymaker PLAYMOBIL figured INEOS could help – and they were right.
The company needed a hard-wearing, flexible material for three new special characters – an ice dragon, a transparent pink robot and a pirate.
PLAYMOBIL knew what INEOS could do because they have worked with the company for years. But this time they needed a material that was tough, easy to mould and transparent.
INEOS Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, suggested Zylar, one of its specialty chemicals – and the match was perfect.
“They were demanding requirements but we have always aimed to find the right solution, no matter who the customer is,” said Julia Herzog, Marketing Communications Manager.
PLAYMOBIL characters first appeared on the scene in 1974. At that time there were just three of them – a construction worker in stripy bib, a knight with a silver helmet and an American Indian with a feather in his hair.
Since then, about 4,000 different designs have come off the production lines in Malta and almost 3 billion plastic figures have been made.
“Zylar has become more and more a material of choice for toys,” said Peter Rath, Director Sales Construction, Distribution, Compounding & Others, INEOS Styrolution. “Without plastics many toys and all kinds of sporting gear wouldn’t exist.”
He said INEOS felt honoured to work with such an iconic toymaker.
Zylar is currently used for medical devices but can be found in a multitude of household applications including water filters or coffee machine water containers.