Lubrizol® Engineered Polymers Raises the Bar for Material Testing and Product Quality
For decades, plumbing professionals worldwide have relied on the FlowGuard® family of brands as the premier chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) solution for a variety of residential and commercial plumbing needs. Backed by their legacy as the inventors of CPVC technology more than fifty years ago, The Lubrizol Corporation continues to lead the industry through its capabilities as a polymer technology provider, ultimately creating a better plumbing system than metal or other alternative materials.
Lubrizol continues to pioneer the development of new CPVC product innovations for the building and construction market today under its Lubrizol® Engineered Polymers division. As the industry’s largest team of experienced technical support specialists and research scientists, Lubrizol works with its customer network to ensure the pipes and fittings on the jobsite are the best in the business. From the design of the base materials, to the production of the resins and compounds used to manufacture FlowGuard products, Lubrizol has established world-class research and development capabilities, differentiating it from its competitors and setting a higher standard for product quality.
One of the many Lubrizol advantages is the team of specialized scientists, each focused in a specific area of research and development. This team continuously develops new and improved compounds as well as validates the quality and performance of existing compounds. Through a proven, well-established process that is built for testing and continuous product refinement, Lubrizol ensures the base materials are manufactured to the highest standards, including meeting or exceeding the requirements of NSF International, a leading regulatory agency for the industry.
“There is a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes that is involved with bringing one of our products to market – as many as two years or 16,000 hours of testing to ensure the base material is of the highest quality,” said Mark Julius, manager, technical services and applications. “Our team is uncovering new ways to improve the quality of the products, often offering help to establish codes in countries around the world, helping to push the market to new heights and set the standards for others in the industry to follow.”
Lubrizol’s expertise extends beyond designing the base material to include helping its manufacturing customers get the most from the material. A field technical services team works hand-in-hand with customers to help them see the full potential of the performance attributes that the compounds and resins can provide. In addition to the series of analytical tests on the materials, Lubrizol also focuses its R&D efforts in the physical testing of the finished pipes and fittings.
“Physical testing allows us to see how a finished product will perform under real-world conditions,” said Julius. “By having this capability in-house, we can immediately begin to evaluate the test results and make any necessary adjustments to the base materials, should they be needed, or make recommendations to improve the process. It is one more example of the Lubrizol advantage.”
Another extension of Lubrizol’s commitment to CPVC technology is its on-site and field training programs for its manufacturing customers, as well as plumbers, contractors, engineers and other specifiers. With a focus on CPVC education, the company hosts FBC University, a three-day conference, available to customers worldwide, that is designed to communicate new CPVC product advancements, installation techniques and best practices.
The company also offers technical support for proper installation training and specification. The average piping system consultant has over twenty years of experience in the piping industry. Trained piping system consultants combined with processor support teams means customers can count on unparalleled support for all of their piping needs.
“Our commitment to our customers runs deep, through our R&D services to the sales teams in the field,” said Julius. “While some may view what we do for our customers as exceptional, we simply see it as the way we do business. It is what makes us Lubrizol Engineered Polymers.”
Through product innovation, technical expertise and the many value-added services it offers customers, Lubrizol continues to advance CPVC solutions for the building and construction market.