INNOVATIVE PLASTICS MOLDER DESIGNS NEW POOL VOLLEYBALL SET TO INTEGRATE INTO HOT-SELLING POOL BASKETBALL SET Released: June 1998 Media contact: Paul Entin at 609.397.1558; pentin@modroto.com Ashtabula, OH: With sales of the breakthrough, plastic Pool Shot water basketball system from Pool Shot Products, Ormond Beach, FL, exceeding projections, the outdoor products manufacturer sought to expand its line by creating a pool volleyball system. Targeting a ready-made audience of Pool Shot basketball owners, as well as new customers, and to capitalize on production efficiencies without creating new tooling, the new volleyball system needed to incorporate the components of the innovative basketball system. Greg Graham, President of Pool Shot Products, turned to the engineers at plastics rotomolder Meese Orbitron Dunne Company (MOD), Ashtabula, OH. MOD had been instrumental in the development of the basketball system several years earlier. MOD responded by designing a seamless, hollow, plastic net support stem. The innovative stem slides easily into the existing plastic support base for easy retrofitting into the basketball unit. For deckside portability, anti-tip stability and safety, the plastic support base is filled with water to a weight of more than 400 pounds. The rotomolded stem delivers added strength and stability for long life and withstands rough play and towering spikes. The entire stem, support system and base are rotomolded from UV-treated linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) to eliminate potential for rust and cracking due to sunlight while assuring longevity under severe, outdoor conditions. The rugged Super Water Volley featuring the MOD stem is immune to chlorine and stands poolside throughout the year. According to Bob Dunne of MOD, neither blowmolding nor injection molding could yield a unit of comparable strength and integrity. "Our engineers rotomold hollow parts extremely well, which injection molding typically doesn't," says Mr. Dunne. "And while blowmolding can do some hollow parts, it just can't produce the same level of strength and certainly not in small runs." In addition to its strength, the MOD stem was designed to be manufactured at 50% of the weight of designs using other materials and processes. The relatively light weight has enabled Pool Shot to realize additional savings on shipping and handling. Although designed several years after the original components, the MOD stem appears structurally and cosmetically identical to the basketball unit. For more information, contact Bob Dunne; 4920 State Road; Ashtabula, OH 44005; 1-800-772-7659; (216) 998-1202; FAX (216) 992-4667.; rdunne1@usa.net; www.modroto.com..