Innovative applications for 3-D printing; sustainable healthcare recycling; and custom vinyl flooring have been announced as top winners in the INOVYN Awards 2016.
The winners were announced at a special ceremony held last night to coincide with ‘K2016’, the flagship fair of the plastics and rubber industries, which is being held in Düsseldorf (Germany) until 26 October 2016.
The INOVYN Awards 2016 attracted entrants from around the world including manufacturers; distributors; product specifiers; architects and designers; students; academics and research organisations. More than 70 projects were competing for the top accolades in three award categories: Innovation; Sustainability; and Industrial Design.
The winners in each category were selected by an independent panel of expert judges comprised leading figures from the world of sustainable development; materials science; life-cycle assessment; industrial design and architecture; and the media.
The five expert judges were:
Ms. Lena Johansson - Senior Advisor, the Natural Step
Dr. Keith Watkinson - The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
Mr. Riccardo Giovanetti - Designer
Dr. Martin Baitz - Director Content, thinkstep AG
Ms. Leanne Taylor - Group Editor Plastics, Rapid News Communications Group
In the main award category ‘INOVYN Award for Innovation with Vinyls’, the Gold Award winner was announced as Chemsom Pacific Pty Ltd from Australia, for its project to formulate and engineer 3-D vinyl to be used as a cost effective and sustainable raw material in 3-D printing. Comments Greg Harrison, Managing Director, Chemson: “It's really an honour to have won this award and to be recognised by INOVYN for our contribution to PVC. We have a great belief in sustainability. We believe that we will now take PVC into the new world of Advanced Manufacturing. It's definitely an opportunity for us, and it's a sustainable opportunity.”
Comments Dr. Keith Watkinson, INOVYN Awards judge: “This development opens up many exciting opportunities for PVC in additive manufacturing. The unique properties of uv and fire resistance will permit many new products to be created.”
There were two other award categories recognising achievements in Sustainability and Industrial Design. Winner of the ‘Sustainability’ category was UK-based Axion Consulting for its RecoMed PVC take-back scheme that recycles plastic used in healthcare. Winner of the ‘Industrial Design’ category was Bolon AB, Sweden, for its interactive design tool allowing customers to customise their own flooring design.
Comments Chris Tane, CEO INOVYN: “Innovation is the lifeblood of the vinyls industry. Therefore, as Europe’s leading producer of vinyls we are extremely proud to have hosted the INOVYN Awards 2016, which has highlighted the continued diversity of innovation with vinyls.
“The global vinyls industry is highly progressive, representing the extensive use of this highly versatile material in all aspects of modern society. From products that make our homes and offices more energy efficient, comfortable and affordable to high performance leisure products and lifesaving medical equipment, vinyls continue to improve and enhance our everyday lives.
“Sustainability is absolutely critical to the continued success of the vinyls industry and it is extremely pleasing to see that so many of the projects entered into the INOVYN Awards had a strong sustainability focus. INOVYN is a driving force in sustainability and a lead sponsor of a number of European industry initiatives focussed on sustainable development both in Europe and around the world, including VinylPlus.”
The complete list of winners for the INOVYN Awards 2016 is:
CATEGORY - INNOVATION
Gold Winner
Chemson Pacific Pty Ltd, Australia, for its project “3D-Vinyl for Advanced Industrial 3D Printing.”
Silver Winner
Beaulieu International Group, Belgium, for its project “BerryAlloc vinyl planks and tiles: quicker to install with DreamClick locking system.”
Bronze Winner
The Aliaxis Group, France, for its project “Shhhh! Quieter Chutunic branch pipe for high-rise buildings.”
CATEGORY – SUSTAINABILITY
Winner
Axion Consulting, UK, for its project “RecoMed - a ‘healthy’ way to increase sustainable PVC recycling.”
Special Prize
Benecke Kaliko AG, Germany, for its project “Dynactiv Power – energy-producing reservoir cover.”
Special Prize
Aarhus School of Architecture, Denmark, for its project “Reuse = Waste Reduce: sustainable urban agriculture with reuse of PVC.”
CATEGORY – INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Winner
Bolon AB, Sweden, for its project “Bolon By You - woven vinyl flooring with an accent: yours.”
Full details of the winning projects for 2016 can be found on the dedicated Awards website at www.inovynawards.com
ENDS
For editors:
Formed on 1 July 2015, INOVYN is a vinyls producer that ranks among the top three worldwide. With an annual turnover in excess of €3.5 billion, INOVYN has more than 4,300 employees and manufacturing, sales and marketing operations in ten countries across Europe.
INOVYN’s portfolio consists of an extensive range of class leading products arranged across General Purpose Vinyls, Specialty Vinyls, Organic Chlorine Derivatives and Chlor Alkali. Annual production volumes are in excess of 40 million tonnes.
