Research & Development

Research and Development is an ongoing element of the ConVerTec process. ETA maintains an active R&D department monitored by experts in the fields of polymer science, organic chemistry, biology and mechanical engineering. The next phase of the R&D program will coincide with the opening of the plant in Hawaii where various formulas for new products may be tried and tested. All of the equipment necessary to perform structural tests on product prototypes will be installed in the lab so that feedback may be obtained immediately. Expensive outside laboratory testing will then only be necessary for independent verification.
The initial focus will be on standardization of material conditioning and panelization , extrusion/injection molding screw and barrel design. Requests from customers for research into specific products that fall outside the scope of current explorations and previously developed formulas will be considered individually.
Waste formula research will be of an equal priority. However, since waste types fall into a limited number of generic categories and product types are virtually limitless, it is anticipated that, eventually, more time will be devoted to product research than waste research.
Some products will require a different mechanical system and thus R& D will work closely with the manufacturing department to refine delivery systems such as the following:

* Sorting before shredding, melting and re-feeding plastics into the extrusion process. 
* "Sandwiching" materials where one combination of materials may be used as a tuner core and another used as an exterior surface. 

ETA will gradually focus its R&D on system miniaturization so that industrial and institutional waste producers can eliminate or reduce waste and save money or make additional profit in the process. In certain instances, with proper planning and feasibility, these larger waste producers will be able to produce products that they use daily in their own businesses. They can thereby keep waste in a closed loop system and save money by entirely avoiding the retail costs of the products they use that are made from their own waste. Since one of the ETA's missions is to expand and diversify within the environmental technologies sector, the R & D team will also have the responsibility of reviewing the work of other scientists in the field. ETA can then expand through partnership or licensing, those technologies that are consistent with its direction. One of the distinct economic advantages of the Dura-Build and TYCON systems is their vertical integration as a manufacturing line. To control and actually be paid to take raw materials and create end products, all within a single operation is generally practiced only by the largest conglomerates. To capitalize upon this feature, ETA plans to focus its R&D efforts on new products that increase profit margins by eliminating work and or the need for specialized skills on the part of the product purchasers, such as with the pre-panelized housing kits.