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UL Solutions Enhances Prospector® Search Engine to Help Manufacturers Navigate Complexities in the Global Supply Chain

New features and enhancements to the Prospector search engine from UL Solutions make it easier for manufacturers to find and compare plastics from global suppliers.

Plastic raw material in granules against the background of Chemical Laboratory and reagents. Polypropylene, Ethylene, Polypropylene research in laboratory conditions

September 11, 2023

NORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS — Sept. 11, 2023 — UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, today announced updates to the Prospector® search engine that make it easier to find and compare materials and suppliers in the plastics industry. These updates come at a time when many companies are evaluating the materials they use due to increasing pressure from stakeholders to balance the impact on the environment and rising costs.

Supporting UL Solutions’ mission of working for a safer world, Prospector enables product developers to accelerate their innovation process. It helps manufacturers enhance the quality and safety of their consumer products.

“The rising expectations and demands for environmental, social and governance reporting combined with the impacts of inflation throughout the global supply chain are driving manufacturers to consider all potential options when it comes to plastics and other materials,” said Pam Walker, director of supply chain and product insights at UL Solutions. “Prospector from UL Solutions implemented substantial updates for the plastics industry to empower manufacturers with the information and technical specifications they need to make critical decisions when selecting materials that can affect their products, the environment and their bottom line.”

Prospector combines the information and application platforms of Innovadex, a specialized chemicals and food ingredient search engine, and Integrated Design Engineering Systems (IDES), an online resource for plastics and metals. IDES and Innovadex were launched separately by engineers and scientists who recognized the information exchange inefficiencies between suppliers and product manufacturers. Featuring technical information for tens of thousands of products and the ability to connect with suppliers around the world, Prospector provides an efficient way to find many different kinds of materials or ingredients.

Chemical and plastics buyers have trusted Prospector for reliable and accurate data for over 20 years. Physical property data, technical specifications, compliance records and more are included in detailed product profiles within the search engine. The service adds to and refreshes its repository of technical product data with daily database updates.

Visit ULProspector.com to learn more about the latest features and updates for the plastics industry.

About UL Solutions

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers’ product innovation and business growth. The UL Certification Marks serve as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers’ products and reflect an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains, and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.

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Tyler Khan
UL Solutions
ULNews@UL.com
T: +1 (847) 664.2139

Steven Brewster
UL Solutions
ULNews@UL.com
T: +1 (847) 664.8425