NSInail systems international

In 1992 NSI started a project to improve existing technology for tips used in today’s nail industry.

The research and development team at NSI set their sights on finding an injection moldable, medically safe and user-friendly material to create tips that could surpass the problems of ABS Plastic.  Some common complaints from nail technicians were that ABS tips weren’t solvent resistant (they melted in Acetone), and they lacked flexibility which resulted in cracks when trying to conform the tips to different nail shapes.  NSI wanted to create a solvent-resistant, color-stable and flexible tip that could conform to any nail shape.

Materials of modified ABS, nylon and delran proved fruitless in achieving these goals.  After almost exhausting R&D testing, the NSI team discovered a material of high-impact modified vinyl plastic which exhibited improved properties over existing nail tip materials.  Modified vinyl plastics have been used in the manufacturing of foil protection in pharmaceuticals and blood container bags for years.  It is the only approved material by the European Pharmacopoeia who provides 100% safe packaging to use for extended periods of time.  Modified vinyl plastics are difficult to ignite and have a low hear release combined with low acid and smoke emissions.

The material met the requirements that NSI was looking for in their new nail tips.  It exhibits high strength and stiff dimensional stability with low thermal expansion, fatigue and chemical resistance, and non-water absorbency with high UV stability.  In other words, the proprietary modified vinyl material was flexible, non-fracturing, non-staining, non-yellowing, and offered absolute bonding and overlay product compatibility.  It also didn’t breakdown with Acetone.    It now became a matter of resolving the problems of utilizing this new material with existing tools and injection molding equipment.

25 formulas were created and evaluated.  Each rigorous step of formula modification significantly changed the hardness, tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexible strength, flexible modulus and ultimate elongation of the material.  For instance, achieving greater flexibility in one formulation caused greater solvent absorption.  The optimum temperature levels and injection speeds were all part of a lengthy five year R&D program.  Tool designs and injection molding techniques were rethought to obtain the desired results that finally led to the finished material.  Color control and consistency was finally achieved.

NSI patented the material under the name PolyFlex® and used it to create their state of the art tip line; Elation Nail Tips.  PolyFlex® Technology created the tip of the future for the nail technician today, available only through NSI.