Poly Composite Materials
Making the switch to use recyclable materials instead of depleting natural resources such as wood is a solution that is complementary to the worldwide campaign to plant billions of trees to save the environment.
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On this note, SGmatec has developed an improved polymer composite and other mechanical support products that could replace wooden steps in the manufacturing of the Embarkation and Pilot Ladders and potentially other products that are traditionally made with wood.
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The new material has undergone a series of composite formulation and successfully passed the ISO 877-2:2016 1 Year Environmental Ageing Test required under the respective ladder standards as a wood replacement.
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Series of tests were conducted to prove that this improved polymer composite was not only on par with its counterpart wood product, but also can be recycled for reuse after its usability period.
Features and Benefits
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Steps meet ISO 5489:2008 & ISO 799:2019
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At least 30% lighter in weight compared to 1.8kg wood steps for easier handling & deployment
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Able to sustain 1100kg loading with minimal residual deflection after load is released
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Drainage system of the step reduces wind resistance and water retention providing better stability performance over traditional wood
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Consistent quality can be achieved compared to fluctuating natural wood quality due to various sources in the supply chain
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More predictable and scalable global supply with economic benefits as wood harvesting is government regulated and requires time to harvest
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The material of step can be recycled for reuse
Comparison with traditional ladder
Traditional Ladder
SGmatec Ladder
Heavy, poor anti-ageing, poor corrosion resistance and easily broken
Barely pass 8.8kN load test due to material, process and ageing reasons
Consumes a lot of natural resources, not environmentally friendly
Most are not FSC-certified, are unsustainable and have fluctuating product quality
At least 30% lighter than traditional ladders, anti-ageing, anti-UV and anti-salt fog
Ladder step and fixture has zero-visible slipping even under 11kN load-bearing (25% higher than 8.8kN in standard)
100% recyclable at the end of the product lifetime
Excellent product quality consistency and are produced using mould injection process
The commonly used aluminium clamp process is not recommended by the latest ISO 799-1 as it is not firm enough and can potentially damage the manila ride rope
The first polymer side rope ladder that adopts the rope seizing method and meets ISO 799-1:2019 & 4.4
A variety of step fixture designs that have inevitable gaps and slipping problems during the ladder application
Uses SGmatec's self-developed, innovative step fixture that combines the step & fixture in one part with excellent ladder strength