Impact Solutions is proud to announce its membership of FINAT. Founded in 2002 as a spinout from BP Chemicals, the company is an independent materials and product testing laboratory that specialises in polymers, plastics materials, failure analysis, and product development. The company also has a long-running consistent thread of innovation and new technology development within the areas of waste valorisation, recycling, and sustainability.
Impact Solutions is equipped to address the most demanding market challenges and complex technical issues, guiding companies from initial concept and innovation through to comprehensive materials testing. With deep expertise in material characterisation, mechanical testing, and end-of-life analysis, the team delivers reliable, end-to-end support. As a FINAT test institute, Impact Solutions is qualified to perform the vast majority of FINAT-standard tests.
Dr. Trevor Hinchcliffe, Technical Manager at Impact Solutions, brings unparalleled expertise to this endeavour. With over a decade at 3M, where he led their performance labels business in Europe, Trevor is at the forefront of driving technical innovation and transformative partnerships. Commenting on this milestone, he shared, ”Impact Solutions is thrilled to announce our collaboration with FINAT as an official testing institute, marking an exciting chapter in our journey of innovation and excellence. This collaboration unlocks new opportunities to work hand-in-hand with label stock producers and converters across Europe, fostering advancements in self-adhesive labelling. In addition to our industry-leading testing capabilities, we are committed to supporting companies as they turn bold ideas into groundbreaking technologies—from initial concept to commercial success”.
Impact Solutions is also expanding its biodegradability testing services, which will consequently support sustainability initiatives within the labelling industry. With a significant investment in advanced biodegradation testing facilities, services include rigorous testing of biodegradable and compostable materials, helping businesses substantiate their sustainability claims and meet regulatory requirements.
The company is also proud to announce a brand-new Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) in the UK with Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, that promises to transform biodegradation testing for polymers in liquid formulations (PLFs). PLFs are specialty polymers formulated in liquids that are used in countless everyday products, including self-adhesives. They give these products their unique properties, allowing self-adhesives to bond quickly to surfaces whilst maintaining strong adhesion and flexibility. PLFs are essential but face increasing environmental scrutiny, making the development of biodegradable alternatives a critical step towards sustainability for many applications.
Through this new collaboration, experts based at Heriot-Watt’s Continuum Flow Lab (a leader in chemical and materials research) will help Impact Solutions to develop advanced methodologies that will significantly reduce the time required for biodegradation testing, from months or years to mere hours. This innovation has the potential to accelerate the development of sustainable, biodegradable polymers and adhesives, paving the way for a circular economy and reinforcing Scotland’s leadership in environmental innovation.
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