Leading industrial designer and injection moulder Agentdraw is currently reaping several benefits in quality and reduced cost through its use of Aquapurge purging compounds.

The latter’s Barrel Blitz Universal (BBU) compound has been the cornerstone of several recent production successes at the Leicester-based business.

Owner and Managing Director, Darren Parsons says that ‘we now use BBU extensively through our production. To be honest, the product has been a real revolution for us: When, in some cases, the material/polymer content is well over 50% of the selling price of the unit, we absolutely need a production process that delivers faultless quality on time, every time. Repeated use of BBU helps us do just that.’

One recent demanding job  – producing critical components for emergency services vehicles – had such a material profile. The job had defeated the quality department of fourteen previous plastics processors worldwide before the client brought it to Agentdraw.

Darren recalls that the client’s first question was ‘what is your policy on rejects?’.  ‘We realized then that this project had been subject to less than perfect mouldings and we knew – thanks to BBU – that Agentdraw had the capability to put an end to that situation and to provide zero defects for our new customer. Several months on and we are now reaping the benefit of steadily increasing business with that company.’

Darren adds that ‘I sometimes compare BBU to the Daz commercials of old. Like that product it really does wash ‘whiter than white’ – and all our machinery and systems at Agentdraw are much the better for it.’

Aquapurge founder and technical director John Steadman says that ‘we are delighted to be helping Agentdraw achieve its manufacturing goals and increase sales.’

Steadman adds that ‘there is nothing worse than having an expensive, polymer-rich job spoiled through even the slightest trace of contamination or ‘speccing’. We designed BBU to precisely overcome this situation. BBU not only comprehensively changes out the previous colour or job, but also completely eliminate all build up of carbon black in the machine. For every new moulding job we, therefore, aim to have a new machine ready. ‘

Darren says that, prior to the company’s use of BBU compound, Agendraw injection moulding machines needed to be physically stripped down and extensively polished in order to get the production quality back up to par again.  ‘This was extremely expensive every which way,’ he recalls, ‘in terms of the skilled labour required, the machine downtime and other factors.’

Today, says Darren, BBU delivers better and non-disruptive results in a matter of seconds. ‘Put it this way, as the Managing Director I know the impact of these matters through all technical and commercial corners of our business. I, therefore, know what the full difference would be if we were not using it. We are a very satisfied customer.’

BBU is the Aquapurge’s proprietary scrubber concentrate, primarily designed for the total removal of carbon particles, purging fully degraded materials and plate-out from concentrated pigments or additives.

BBU is a mechanical (non-chemical) purging compound and works most effectively from 160°C (320°F) to 340°C (644°F). It is easily cleaned out by any material – including clear ones –ensuring no milky mouldings and can also be used as a strip-down material.

BBU thrives on problem materials or processes; high to low temperature changes, heat sensitive materials (PVC, POM, PBT, Flame retardant additives), metalizing ABS or PA, and high temperature materials.

BBU is also the world’s most effective transitional product to polycarbonate (PC).

Aquapurge’s next generation powder-only BBU material ensures a completely constant mix and a smooth dispersion through plastics machinery.

New pack security for BBU means a handy scoop inside and other innovations in order to ensure contamination-free use and ease of dosing in the workplace.