CONSUMER

MATERIAL COMBO AMPLIFIES COMFORT AND USABILITY FOR SWISS ARMY™ KNIFE

CASE STUDY: BERGAMID™ POLYMER FORMULATIONS & GLS™ TPES VICTORINOX™ UPDATES ITS ICONIC POCKET KNIFE WITH MATERIALS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

THE CHALLENGE THE SOLUTION The Original Swiss Army™ knife from Victorinox™ PolyOne engineers guided the Victorinox is one of the world’s most recognizable team early in the development cycle for the brands, and the company has earned a strong new Soldier’s Knife, proposing a combination reputation for the quality of its pocket knives. of materials for the handles that would meet Victorinox designed and manufactured its the design aspirations as well as Swiss Army first knives more than 130 years ago, and their standards for durability. They also provided pocket knives have been officially issued to local support during the sampling process, Swiss Army recruits since 1891. Today, the which helped speed testing and development tradition of quality and innovation lives on, time for Victorinox. and the Swiss Army knife has become a trusted Achieving the non-slip handle Victorinox companion of consumers, adventurers, military envisioned required a soft material for the new and rescue personnel all over the world. grip areas that would chemically bond to a But even an icon needs a facelift now and rigid polymer underneath. PolyOne material then. It all began when the Swiss Army asked scientists found the perfect combination with Victorinox to update the military-issue Swiss a custom rigid nylon formulation for the handle Soldier’s™ Knife. For engineers at Victorinox, paired with a soft GLS™ thermoplastic elastomer the answer was to make it even more durable (TPE) in the grip areas. and user-friendly than previous versions. This included an upgrade to the knife’s grips, which THE IMPACT long had been made of metal. Although a very With PolyOne’s support, Victorinox was durable material, metal can present a challenge enabled to do what it does best—develop and as it can become slippery when wet. manufacture high-quality tools that meet both military and consumer needs. PolyOne provided Designers conceptualized a new, larger version product development assistance and testing, of the Soldier’s model, including 10 tools, a lock and ultimately delivered customized materials blade that can be opened with one hand and, that met strict requirements for durability. importantly, a non-slip handle manufactured from a combination of hard and soft The new knife was a major success. Other thermoplastics. militaries around the world also adopted the redesigned Soldier’s Knife, and Victorinox has The handle concept was key to the redesign, even added the two-part handles to several according to the Victorinox team. They wanted consumer models. to transition from metal to a polymer-based, two-component handle that would deliver: What made this success possible? Beyond finding the best material combination— • scratch and chemical resistance Bergamid™ Nylon Copolymer and GLS™ TPEs— • excellent mechanical properties PolyOne’s global presence and expertise across • a grippy, soft-touch feel an array of specialty polymers and colorants, To support the transition, Victorinox sought combined with local service and support, PolyOne’s help based on its expertise in helped Victorinox to accelerate development polymer science and ability to support product work, streamline production and reach their development and efficient manufacturing design goals. of the new two-component handles. © 2016, All Rights Reserved PolyOne Corporation, 33587 Walker Road, Avon Lake, Ohio USA 44012