What is TPE?
Here at MUDTAMER, we believe the quality of our product starts with the material we use to manufacture our floor protection. This is why we only use the highest quality, Australian Made, TPE in all of our floor mats.
TPE, or Thermoplastic Elastomers, is a material that blends the properties of both rubber and plastic, bringing with it a whole range of benefits. TPE has an unmatched ability to stretch out and then once shaped, remember and hold that shape for years to come. If it was to warp or bend out of shape for any reason, once heated up again, even just in the sun, it will return back to the shape that we have moulded it in.
So, why not just use standard rubber like a lot of other floor mats on the market? For us, it's simple.
Why do we use it?
Holding Shape
TPE is perfect for moulding to the exact shape of your vehicle's floor while still having the flexibility to install or remove the mats without spilling their contents out onto the carpet below. Standard rubber mats only cover a small part of your floor due to their one size fits all approach. TPE allows us to be extremely particular when forming them.
Durability
A common issue we find with the standard rubber mats that have become very commonplace was the speed at which holes would wear into them. This is often seen in both OEM and cheaper aftermarket protection, especially where the driver's heel sits on them. The use of high quality TPE allows us to offer a lifetime wear-through warranty as we are certain they remain tough, even with constant day to day wear.
Cleaning
Have you ever tried to get a set of aftermarket rubber mats looking brand new again when detailing your vehicle? It's a nightmare. They hold on to every bit of dust and debris, even after hosing them down. You also need to be careful what you are cleaning them with as some products can leave marks or even start to break down the rubber over time. The plastic component of the TPE makes our mats extremely chemical resistant. We have found though, usually hitting them quickly with the hose or pressure washer is more than enough to bring them back to brand new and because of their durability, a pressure washer won't do damage to your mats. It makes the whole process so easy, no matter how much mud is caked on!
Recyclability
Most of the time we hear plastic is involved, we think of the environmental impact.
One of the great advantages to using TPE is its recyclability. All of our off cuts from manufacturing are re-ground and turned into new sheets of TPE for future use. This helps us to massively reduce our wastage and ensure that we are optimising our use of all the product.