Category Archives: Manufacturing

Inspace Media Teams Up with Avian Fleet

Inspace Media, the leading provider of illuminated chevron and safety signage, has entered into a strategic partnership with vehicle installation specialist Avian Fleet. Under the agreement, Avian Fleet will act as the company’s national installation partner – providing mobile engineering support and fitting services – and become an approved distribution agent offering its complete product range to new and existing commercial fleet customers.

“Avian Fleet is one of the most established fleet installation specialist’s in the UK, with over 30 years of industry experience, so they are an ideal partner to support us moving forward,” explains Alex Knowden, Director of Sales and Business Development at Inspace Media. “This latest agreement will enhance our installation offering, enabling us to provide a high-quality, hassle-free solution at our customers’ locations and better meet the growing demand for illuminated chevrons and safety signage.”

Inspace Media will deliver mobile nationwide installations using Avian Fleet’s team of over 120 field-based engineers. Each of the engineers possess the training and certifications required to handle both the decal fitting and electrical elements of the installation process. As a result, commercial fleet operators will now be able to benefit from the quickest, most convenient and cost-effective solution available, while keeping any vehicle downtime to an absolute minimum.

Graham Price, Managing Director of Avian Fleet commented: “We are excited to team up with Inspace Media and be involved in the launch of their innovative illuminated chevrons and safety signage. We are always looking for emerging fleet technology manufacturers to both partner and share our specialist installation expertise with. Roadside safety is a critical consideration for any commercial fleet operation, so we truly believe that Inspace Media’s solutions have tremendous growth potential because of the ability to reduce risk exposure and better protect drivers, work teams and members of the public.”

Inspace Media’s illuminated chevron and safety signage solutions are designed to dramatically improve visibility and create a safer working environment for those operating at the roadside or next to a live lane. The unique and revolutionary technology is suitable for all types of vehicles – including HGVs, vans, cars and specialist vehicles – and provides dramatically greater visibility than a premium-grade Chapter 8 chevron solution. This enables vehicle operators to mitigate fleet risk and overcome duty of care concerns for their recovery, emergency, delivery and works teams.

Element AI Whitepaper Reveals Only One in Ten Organisations Ready to Operationalise and Scale AI

Element AI, a global developer of artificial intelligence-powered (AI) solutions and services, this month announced that it has published the AI Maturity Framework, which consists of a mapping tool and a whitepaper.

The whitepaper provides in-depth insights on how organisations across all industries can become AI-ready faster and the tool helps organisations quickly map their AI-readiness. The tool and whitepaper address a knowledge gap in the AI industry, as few resources exist on how organisations can actually evolve their AI-readiness from theory to practice.

Since 2019, the Element AI AI Maturity Survey has collected data vital to informing the AI Maturity Framework whitepaper and tool. To date, the survey has collected insights from 200 senior decision-makers across multiple industries—primarily in North America—and determined that organisations are still struggling with their AI journeys. Key findings in the survey reveal:

  • Fewer than one in ten organisations are mature enough to operationalise and scale AI production
  • 79 percent of organisations surveyed haven’t graduated from experimenting with AI in a lab setting
  • Only 14 percent of organisations surveyed are formalising their approach to deploying AI within their organisation

“The progress and full integration of AI into most industries is uneven because implementing AI is as much about organisational factors as it is technical ones—and few resources exist to help leaders plan and strengthen their foundations for industry-grade AI,” said Karthik Ramakrishnan, Vice President, Head of AI Strategy and Enablement at Element AI. “We want the AI Maturity Framework tool and whitepaper to provide organisations around the world with a systematic perspective to help them chart and realise their AI journey.”

While there are plenty of resources written with calls to invest in AI and the benefits of the technology, few exist on how organisations can take AI technology and develop a plan that is actionable and fits within an organisation’s culture. The Element AI AI Maturity Framework whitepaper provides insights into how the AI journey is unfolding in multiple industries, drawing from first-hand experience of the Element AI advisory and enablement practice. The whitepaper provides a deeper dive in understanding the nuances of the different stages and dimensions of AI-readiness, and provides industry benchmarks, case studies and practical tips/tactics on how to move to the next stage of AI integration.

“This tool and whitepaper offers prescriptive advice on how companies can align the five dimensions of organisational AI maturity: strategy, data, technology, people and governance. All organisations can benefit—no matter where they are on their AI journey and regardless of whether they’re buying AI solutions off the shelf, building them from scratch, or something in between,” continued Ramakrishnan.

The Element AI AI Maturity Framework tool and whitepaper is available for free download here: https://www.elementai.com/products/ai-maturity

For more information about Element AI solutions and services, contact: elementai.com/contact

SMART Balustrades expands team with production manager

Staffordshire-based SMART Balustrades has recruited a new production manager to drive and coordinate growth of the manufacturing side of the business.

Tom Dopierala has joined the company, which is part of the Unitech Group, with a wealth of experience in manufacturing and a background as an experienced welder and fabricator.

SMART Balustrades provides a range of bespoke glass and stainless-steel balustrades and glass Juliet balconies, which are manufactured at its Burntwood production facility. The firm has extensive experience in the fit-out sector and works heavily in the hotel and leisure markets.

Due to a continued demand for its specialist products and having previously outsourced a lot of the manufacturing processes, SMART Balustrades now does much of this in-house, and as production manager, Tom will be responsible for leading the manufacturing processes onsite.

David Hough, managing director of SMART Balustrades, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Tom to the SMART Balustrades team. His newly created role as production manager will allow us to bring more manufacturing processes in-house. Being able to take on more of these processes has great benefits to our clients; as we can be more competitive on price and can control quality and lead times.

“Tom has the ideal expertise for this position having previously worked within manufacturing for our sister company Unitech Engineering for nine years, before working for another balustrade company. He came highly recommended and many have spoken of the quality of his workmanship.

“In the short time he’s been with us, his attention to detail and the quality of his work is exceptional. Most importantly he’s a good guy and is a great fit with our team. I’m sure he will have a longstanding and successful career with us.”

On his new role as production manager, Lichfield-based Tom, said: “SMART Balustrades is operating in a large and competitive market and has proven to be a highly professional company with great potential for further expansion, so I’m delighted to have joined the team.

“With over 16 years of experience in engineering, fabrication, welding and machining, the role is ideal for me. My main responsibility is to organise the manufacturing process, whilst ensuring the company provides its customers with the best service, precision and high-quality standards, always on time. I’m relishing this new challenge and the opportunity to make a difference.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the construction industry and some developments currently on pause, much of the SMART Balustrades team are working remotely, with manufacturing staff safely distanced according to government guidelines in the factory.

SMART Balustrades was set up by brothers David and Jonathan Hough and its current commercial portfolio includes luxury hotels, universities, retail and leisure facilities.

Furniture Manufacturer Sofas by Saxon now producing PPE for NHS workers

Lancashire-based furniture manufacturer Sofas by Saxon has started to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS workers and is encouraging other businesses to step up and do the same.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the company has been unable to make or deliver any furniture for the last few weeks. So, they made the difficult decision to close their workshop and furlough their production staff until things stabilise.

However, when Managing Director Matt Deighton saw that the UK’s healthcare professionals were in desperate need of PPE, he wondered whether the company could help. Some manufacturers, such as Burberry and Barbour, were already helping other areas of the UK, and he wanted to support the NHS workers in Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

Over the Easter bank holiday weekend, he reached out to local ‘scrubs hubs’ on Facebook. These are communities of people already trying to fill the gap caused by the PPE shortage, and they were able to give him all the information he needed, from what kinds of fabric were required to where scrub sewing patterns can be found.

There were still other challenges to overcome, though. For example, the fabric used to make scrubs is in very high demand at the moment, so they had to reach out to a lot of different contacts before they were able to source the fabric they required.

They also had to make sure their sewing machines could handle such a thin fabric, as they’re used to dealing with more robust materials like leather and velvet. Fortunately, all of their tests were successful.

The company spoke to their furloughed employees and asked if they would be willing to help make PPE for the NHS on a voluntary basis, in line with the social-distancing guidelines. They received a fantastic response and were able to reopen their workshop to start production. All of their scrubs will be donated, free of charge.

On top of this, Sofas by Saxon has been cutting fabric for local sewers and even turned their premises into a pick-up and drop-off point. So, independent makers can drop off the likes of scrubs, gowns, and visors, and healthcare professionals can stop by to collect supplies for their teams.

They’re also urging people to support their local ‘scrub hubs’, which are made up of people who are often spending their own money on supplies to make PPE that they can donate. If anyone would like to learn more or help support the fantastic volunteers at the Manchester, East Lancashire, and Cheshire Scrub Hub, they have a Go Fund Me page, where donations go towards buying essential raw materials for the PPE equipment.

Based in Bolton, Sofas by Saxon is predominantly helping the east Lancashire area. The team is well aware that many other regions need this kind of assistance, though, and so are encouraging other companies to do what they can to support their communities.

They recommend that your first step should be to contact local ‘scrub hubs’ on Facebook to find out how to help, but the company is also more than happy to support other organisations in getting their PPE production off the ground. Any manufacturing businesses looking for advice can contact the Sofas by Saxon team by emailing sales@sofasbysaxon.com.

Matt Deighton, Managing Director of Sofas by Saxon, said: “With so much bad news circulating at the moment, we’ve all felt quite down and helpless for the last few weeks. But, being able to contribute and support those on the frontline has helped to put a spring back in all of our steps.

“Our staff, who otherwise would have been sitting at home with nothing to do, have told us they love that they’re able to come in and volunteer for a great cause. It really helps to have a sense of purpose, and I’m so glad we’re able to support our local health workers at this difficult time.

“Like us, there’ll be a lot of companies out there who have had to shut down their operations, leaving their factories empty. So, I really want to encourage other businesses to use their time and resources to help, if they’re able to. Not only can you be proud of doing your bit, but it will also be great for staff morale, and is sure to give you a lot of satisfaction.”

Earthworm invests £3.7m into the future of our planet

As part of their mission to prove that smart investment doesn’t mean leaving your ethics at the door, in April Earthworm invested £3.7m across four companies that balance social and environmental responsibility with commercial opportunity: DMP Metals (£691k), LAT Water (£900k), Shepherd (£1.1m) and Vertical Future (£1.1m).

Earthworm is a fast-growing impact investor with a portfolio across food, energy and waste. Encouraging and supporting businesses that have a positive impact on the environment is central to the company’s ethos. Their recent investment furthers Earthworm’s bid to secure a more sustainable future, by investing in businesses with the longevity to redefine current supply chains and methods.

The investment into these four companies comes at a crucial economic time, where disruption in industry is leading to a shift in emphasis on the long-term impact, and flexibility of companies. This will become increasingly important as the wider conversation and focus switches back to protecting our planet and futures.

On the investment, Kerry Hughes, Earthworm’s Head of Portfolio and Investment said: “We are really proud to be supporting these businesses at a time when the UK economy desperately needs its entrepreneurs and the investment community to pull together. Covid-19 has impacted every aspect of our lives and will continue to do so for some time, but the way in which we build back from here is by supporting and investing in the sustainable businesses of tomorrow. We want to put a marker down to say that our aims to drive positive environmental change in the UK burn as bright as ever and we want to show that we can do some really incredible things when we all work together.”

About the companies:

DMP Metals is revolutionising waste management; establishing a facility that can recycle large amounts of previously wasted metal. The company uses a unique and innovative method of extracting non-ferrous metals from everyday items. By effectively isolating the non-ferrous materials through their efficient recycling technique, DMP Metals are able to recycle this higher-value metal from volume levels not currently the focus of mainstream metal processors.

LAT Water has developed an award-winning low-cost, high-efficiency technology for treating wastewater and/or desalination, using renewables or low-grade waste heat. The technology reduces the cost of water treatment, and meets best environmental practice and regulation. The company has won several awards for innovation and aims to expand its portfolio of sites and services in the UK and abroad.

Shepherd are award-winning specialists in property performance management, their advanced data science and real-time analytics transform the way businesses manage and maintain properties and assets by inspiring and empowering their clients to create smarter, more sustainable buildings. Shepherd is working with a wide range of other property companies to decarbonise and reduce risk across their buildings: from commercial office blocks and industrial parks, to helping Zurich UK look after vulnerable residents in their Housing Associations.

Vertical Future is focused on protecting the UK’s food security and improving long-term population health through building a better, smarter, more efficient food system. The company performs activities across growing, technology, and research and development, led by a management team that has experience spanning life sciences, engineering, and plant sciences. Vertical Future’s growing operations, based in Deptford, produce sustainable, pesticide-free produce for the food sector.

Earthworm’s investment will help each of these companies expand and develop their businesses – businesses that each have the potential to be game-changers in their industries.

TEQ plays vital role during COVID-19 pandemic with increased manufacture of high-quality medical packaging

Leading European thermoformer TEQ is proud to continue delivering a range of medical packaging solutions for customers working to address critical health needs related to COVID-19.

Many of TEQ’s medical technology customers have ‘Essential Business’ status and are playing a key role in preparing and responding to the crisis.

With production in full flow, TEQ can provide a shorter supply chain, with all packaging products coming from its state-of-the-art cleanrooms based in both the UK – at Hucknall Industrial Park, near Nottingham – and Poland.

“We’re proud to be playing a key role in making sure essential medical products reach the market in these uncertain times,” says Anne-Sophie Belamine, TEQ’s European Sales Director.

“Our production facilities in the UK and Europe are working around the clock to ensure we support our customers close to home, many of which are manufacturing life-saving medical supplies and technologies as we respond to this global pandemic.”

Built and commissioned by pharmaceutical cleanroom experts, TEQ’s facilities in Nottinghamshire and Poznan are certified to ISO 13485: 2016. Both sites meet medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers’ most rigorous packaging requirements.

TEQ’s packaging range includes procedure sets, trays, tubs, lids and sterile barrier blisters and seal blisters. The company also manufactures custom thermoformed handling trays, including dry powder inhalers, auto-injectors, injection-moulded components, pre-filled syringes and pharmaceutical bottles.

TEQ, which was recently acquired by Sonoco, has rebranded its business having previously been known as Plastique across Europe, and TEQ Thermoform Engineered Quality more widely.

As well as its two sites in Europe, TEQ also operates three thermoforming facilities as well as one extrusion operation in the United States. The company also produces recyclable, moulded-pulp-fibre packaging under the Fibrepak brand.

Fibrepak packaging provides solution to increased producer responsibility on dealing with waste

Fibrepak, a natural packaging material that uses thermoformed wet pulp, is an ideal solution for companies tasked with finding more sustainable packaging for their products.

Made from locally-sourced FSC-certified materials that have come from sustainably managed forests, Fibrepak is high quality, thin-walled and smooth sided, meaning that packaged products do not get scratched.

It can be recycled in traditional waste streams along with paper, compostable and biodegradable materials.

The UK’s Environment Bill, reintroduced to Parliament after Brexit, includes a range of new policies designed to help deal with waste. Manufacturers and distributors of products could soon be mandated to pick up 100% of the cost of dealing with the packaging waste they create.

Fibrepak, which is part of Sonoco, a company ranked 48th in Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies for 2019 offers brands a truly sustainable option. Not only is the packaging natural and renewable, but customers benefit from a high-quality finish and greater precision than is usually associated with traditional moulded pulp packaging.

“We launched Fibrepak in response to a growing demand from customers that were keen to embrace sustainability,” says Anne-Sophie Belamine, European Sales Director.

“The advent of thermoformed fibre gave us a great opportunity to combine this latest technology with our vast experience of thermoforming to deliver bespoke, complex and high-quality packaging for a range of customers, including those in cosmetics, fruit and veg, homecare and electronics.”

Fibrepak is a dust-free material, so there is no particle contamination. It is non-toxic, microwavable, static-free and incredibly shock absorbent. It can also be treated to be moisture resistant for sustained periods.

Unlike rigid cellular plastic foam packaging, there are also plenty of logistics savings to be gained used Fibrepak thanks to its ability to enable product stacking and ‘nesting’.

Production of Fibrepak at the company’s facility in Poznan, Poland is now firmly established, with multiple production lines running.

During manufacture, natural fibres are converted into high tolerance thermoformed pulp products using a unique vacuum technique and ‘cure-in-the-mould’ technology. This uses heat and pressure to press and evaporate fluid from the fibres leaving a completely dry product at the end of the process that is ready for packing.

Fibrepak solutions can be created to a customer’s exact specifications while conforming to ISTA and TUV performance standards. These include clamshells, trays and inserts.

“When the perceived value of a product and quality of packaging is important – and natural fibres are the preferred material choice – our solutions are the answer,” adds Belamine.

Levitex reaching for new heights with High Jump star Morgan Lake

British high jump star Morgan Lake has thrown her weight behind a specialist sleep company, which produces mattresses and pillows made from a new innovation in foam technology.

The 22-year-old – who has been touted as one of Britain’s top prospects in 2020 – is already boosting her recovery regime after switching her old mattress and pillow for Levitex‘s range of clinically tested products, offering ‘gravity-defying’ sleep surfaces.

Lake has developed into one of Britain’s outstanding young talents, breaking a number of world youth records in recent years and becoming the only British athlete to win double gold, in the heptathlon and high jump, at the World Junior Championships in 2015.

Morgan picked up a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, has competed in the Finals of every Major Championships and has a personal best of 1.97m.

Despite her success and obvious potential, she admits her progress has been hampered by lingering niggles over the years – something she hopes to put behind her with the help of Levitex.

She said:

“I’m feeling really good at the moment and working hard to make sure I’m in the best possible condition for what I hope will be an amazing 2020. I always like to do a couple of indoor competitions every season, which helps me fine-tune so that I am ready for the outdoor season and the hectic schedule that comes with it.

“I’ve worked a lot with my team recently to make sure that every aspect of my training has been thought about and sleep quality was one area I was keen to address.

“Competing at the top-level means that recovery and rest are so important, but I’d not really paid a great deal of attention to what I’ve been lying on and how it can impact my sleep until I started to look into Levitex.

“I’ve been using the Levitex mattress and pillow for a few months now and it’s already opened my eyes to the benefits of a quality lying surface. A lot of science and evidence has gone into the products, which impressed me and my coaching team.

“Where possible, I take the pillow away with me when I’m competing or training away to make sure I’m consistent with my rest and recovery.”

Levitex launched in 2019 and ran a successful Kickstarter campaign in October, which saw the company raise its £10,000 target in just four days. The project finished 334% over target with people all over the world backing the products and the innovative polyurethane foam technology used in them.

Levitex has already attracted the attention of some big-name athletes and high-profile sports teams in the UK, including Premiership Rugby teams Sale Sharks and Harlequins; players, medical and performance staff at Preston North End FC; Chelsea F.C. Women; cyclist Katy Marchant; swimmer Tom Hamer and Adam Bishop, who was recently crowned as Britain’s Strongest Man 2020.

James Leinhardt, a posture expert and the CEO and Founder of Levitex, said:

“We’ve been up and down the country as part of our ‘Sleep-for-Sport’ programme, helping to educate athletes, sports stars and coaches about the link between sleep and athletic performance, promoting a better understanding of how what you lie on affects rehabilitation.

“From medallists to World Cup winners, we are yet to come across a professional athlete that has fully considered the benefits of recovery through sleep and how it correlates with improved performance. The reality is it should absolutely be at the top of their agenda.

“Morgan has been using our mattress and pillow for a while now and we’re delighted to have someone as high-profile as her endorse the benefits of our products.

“We’re in conversations with some big-name retailers about stocking our products and Morgan is a fantastic personality to have behind our brand. It’s clear she has a great future ahead of her and we’re very proud to be such an important part of her training in such a big year for her.

“At an elite level, sport is all about marginal gains and more and more athletes are seeing how our products offer the right combination of pressure, posture and proprioception, to help aid recovery through restful sleep.”

kp secures five-year supply of post-consumer recycled PET with Viridor

Klöckner Pentaplast (kp) – a global leader in sustainable fresh food protective packaging, together with Viridor – the largest UK-owned recycling, renewable energy and waste management company, have agreed a transformative five-year collaboration, locking in an annual supply from Viridor of 8,000 tonnes of post-consumer recycled PET to kp.

The agreement strengthens a long-standing partnership and common commitments towards a sustainable and circular economy for food packaging. Securing a stable supply of post-consumer material is fundamental to drive change at scale for an improved recycling system in the UK.

The five-year agreement will be fulfilled by Viridor’s new £65m Avonmouth Resource Recovery Centre which will make kp their largest rPET flake customer and subsequently their largest buyer of rPET flake in the UK.

In the first two years, Viridor’s largest UK multi-polymer processing plant will produce 60 kilo-tonnes (KT) of recycled plastics from 81KT/year feedstock consisting of 1.6 billion bottles, pots, tubs and trays. With the plan to raise volume to 63KT from 1.7 billion bottles, pots, tubs and trays in year three, increasing volume year on year. From this, 8,000 tonnes a year of the recovered and processed post-consumer recycled PET will be supplied to kp.

kp is delighted that this exclusive collaboration with Viridor helps towards achieving kp’s commitments to increase use of recycled content in their packaging as part of their Positive Plastics Pledge, launched in September 2018, working towards a true circular economy.

Adam Barnett, President of the Food Packaging division at kp, said:

“We are thrilled to announce this extended agreement with Viridor, which has been a significant partner of kp’s for many years.

“We have celebrated the first successful year of our Positive Plastics Pledge and are proving that plastic is a valuable material and when managed responsibly through the right infrastructure, can be collected, sorted and recycled into sustainable, recyclable packaging, while maintaining food safety, security and ultimately preventing food waste. We are engaging consumers through our on-packaging messaging, advising them that the food they buy is packaged with protective material made from 100% recycled PET, and is recyclable.

“We also want to take our partnership with Viridor to the next level of circularity as we continue to meet our common goals in true closed loop tray to tray recycling. As a strong and stable end market, kp is driving change at scale for a circular future.”

Viridor’s Managing Director of Recycling, Simon Hicks, said the agreement with kp was part of the company’s continuing commitment to translating circular economy ambitions into a practical reality in the UK.

He said:

“Viridor has listened to the feedback it has received in its annual UK Recycling Index which tracks public sentiment on recycling. UK residents want their recycling efforts at home rewarded with clear evidence that plastic which has been designed to be recyclable and can be returned to the economy. This is what the partnership with kp will accomplish. We will continue to encourage depositing the Right Stuff in the Right Bin and we, at Viridor, will then ensure that UK plastic is given another life. It need not be, single use.”

Viridor Resource Management Managing Director Keith Trower said:

“Viridor is delighted to have formed this partnership with kp, a company with which we have enjoyed a longstanding relationship. It is this kind of collaboration which will have a meaningful impact on creating a truly circular economy.

“It also demonstrates that plastic is not only an extremely versatile and valuable resource. Both companies have extremely high standards in terms of sustainability commitments, and this is how we deliver significant environmental and economic benefits.”

Plastique brings cleanroom packaging manufacturing closer to home

Leading European thermoformer TEQ:Plastique is proud to deliver a range of medical packaging solutions that are produced at state-of-the-art cleanrooms based in both the UK and Poland.

Designed, built and commissioned by pharmaceutical cleanroom experts, the facilities are certified to ISO 13485: 2016, suitable for the production of precision-made and custom thermoformed med-ical packaging.

The cleanrooms, located in Nottingham and Poznan, are designed to meet medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers’ most rigorous packaging requirements.

Its packaging solutions include trays, procedure sets, clamshells, tubs, covers, lids, sterile barrier blisters and seal blisters.

The company also manufactures custom thermoformed handling trays suitable for high-speed pro-duction, with automated assembly and transit. Handling tray solutions include auto-injectors, dry powder inhalers, injection-moulded components, pre-filled syringes and pharmaceutical bottles.

The two sites are fully certified to meet the BRC IoP Global Standard which sets strict criteria for manufacturers of packaging for the food and cosmetics industries.

TEQ:Plastique’s sister company, US thermoforming business TEQ, offers facilities that enable the company to produce identical tools for packaging products previously only manufactured in the US.

“Now, with identical machinery and tooling on both sides of the Atlantic, TEQ:Plastique can offer multinational customers shortened lead times, repeatability and uniformity together with a single global validation across a range of packaging solutions for the medical and pharmaceutical indus-tries,” says Anne-Sophie Belamine, TEQ:Plastique’s European Sales Director.

“With 40 years’ experience working with many of the world’s leading brand owners, we’re proud to be able to offer our customers a range of custom-made solutions, developed in our state-of-the-art cleanrooms in the UK, Poland and the US.

“Our facilities enable us to manufacture innovative thermoformed solutions, such as sterile barrier packaging, engineered to maximise revenue, reduce cost and increase our speed to market.”

For more information please visit: http://www.plastique.eu/