Ecomass nontoxic high density materials help Abbiati improve production efficiency and enhance product technology and security by replacing traditional clay chips with an RFID embedded weighted thermoplastic solution.

Challenge:

To equip their customers with the latest in industry technology and security, casino equipment maker Abbiati sought a line of high-density thermoplastic materials that could replace the traditional clay-based casino chips. Abbiati required injection moldable weighted high gravity compounds that could be engineered to provide the same weight, feel, sound and color as traditional clay-based chips, but that could also be molded to encapsulate an RFID chip to improve casino security and more accurately trace chip movement and betting activity.

Designers gathered the following list of material requirements:

  • Injection moldable thermoplastics
  • RoHS compliant materials
  • 4.5g/cc—6 g/cc material density
  • Material colorability
  • Equivalent weight, feel, sound and color to clay-based chips

The Ecomass Solution:

The Ecomass sales and technical teams addressed these material challenges by developing Ecomass weighted high gravity compounds 1700ZC89, a stainless steel-filled PA12 at 4.5 g/cc, and 1050CO94, a copper filled PA Alloy at 6.0 g/cc. These Ecomass Compounds help Abiatti move from a compression molding to an injection molding process, thereby improving production efficiency, while also cutting production costs and lead times. Moreover, the embedded RFID chips help Abiatti provide their customers with the latest in casino technology and security. The RFID microchips provide a secure and reliable verification process of the chip’s authenticity, making them virtually impossible to steal or counterfeit. Additionally, the RFID chips enable casinos to streamline and automate the counting process, and to precisely trace and record chip movement throughout the casino. The improved traceability helps casinos more accurately record player betting habits, allowing them to appropriately rate and comp their players accordingly.