Thanks to all the speakers for their excellent presentations at last week’s IOM3 Elastomer Group Afternoon Technical Discussion on TPEs and TPVs. With five out of six travelling from overseas to present in person in London, we believe this is a record! Contributions from Vibracoustic, KRAIBURG TPE, Teknor Apex Company, Celanese and JLR reflected a good mix of perspectives across material suppliers, component manufacturers and OEM engineers, leading to a well-balanced discussion throughout the day.

With topics ranging from polymer design and processing through to application development, sustainability and performance evaluation across a range of TPE materials, it is clear that these materials offer advantages in processing, cost, design flexibility and recyclability. However, the discussions also highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of how they behave in real-world use and how to accurately predict long-term performance to support reliable component design.

Thank you to Tuğba Bayram Köktürk and Roly Whear for putting together such an interesting programme, to everyone who joined us in the room and online, and as always, we are grateful to our sponsors – ACE Laboratories, ZEON Europe GmbH and Avon Protection – whose continued support allows these events to remain free to attend.

Our next Elastomer Group hybrid meeting will take place at The Bridge Advanced Engineering Materials R&D Centre at the University of Lincoln, UK on 18 June 2026, focused on Elastomers in Transport. The event will examine the different requirements and challenges across applications such as suspension systems, as well as the design of rubber components in different types of vehicles, particularly in electric vehicles. We still have space for a couple of additional speakers, so if you are interested in taking part, please contact Merryn Hobbs or Mokarram Hossain.

Don’t forget to follow the IOM3 Elastomer Group on LinkedIn! To stay updated on what’s coming in 2026 and beyond keep an eye on the IOM3 Elastomer Group website: IOM3 | Elastomer Group!

Rubber Heart is proud social media sponsor and committee member of the IOM3 Elastomer Group.

Visit the IOM3 Elastomer Group website here: IOM3 | Elastomer Group