BP&R April 2012

British Plastics

and Rubber

bp&r

THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR BRITAIN’S POLYMER PROCESSORS

APRIL 2012

TH Plastics sign UK agreement with world-leading plastics machinery manufacturer, JSW Optimising colouring processes

Spinning nature’s web Getting the most out for high performance of WPC production polymers

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bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER www.britishplastics.co.uk EDITORIAL Editor: Leanne Taylor T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: leanne@rapidnews.com

SALES Advertising Sales Manager: Lisa Montgomery T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: lisa@rapidnews.com

ART

Show success for the

sunshine state From novelty blow-moulded walking sticks, to basketball playing robots and injectionmoulded drinking cups, the machines certainly seem to have made an obvious and noisy return to NPE in 2012.

Exhibitors on the show floor suggested the upsurge in the number of equipment systems brought to the show was attributable to the recovering economy and the cost savings and streamlined logistics available to exhibitors in the new Orlando venue.

NPE 2012 attracted 1,933 exhibitors, more than in each of the three previous NPEs. The total exhibit space occupied at NPE 2012 was 23 percent greater than in 2009. There was a 26 percent increase in attendance, with a total of 55,359 visitors representing 19,283 unique companies, in comparison to 18,600 at NPE 2009.

Those who I spoke to at the show considered the move from Chicago to Orlando as a resounding success, with many stating they felt they had a more centralised position within the new venue to target all of their US customers, especially those from Latin America.

“Moving from Chicago to Orlando was the first initiative in SPI’s strategy of ‘breaking the mould’ by creating a broaderbased and more exciting NPE with new benefits for exhibitors and visitors,” said William R. Carteaux, president and CEO of SPI, which produces the triennial NPE. Business activity at exhibitor booths was healthy, with constant reports of strong

enquiries and sales. Steve Jones of Cincinnati Milacron reported that the company’s booth “had been constantly busy”, and later a PolyOne spokesperson stated that the leads and enquires at its booth were excellent, relating to large and immediate projects.

There was some interesting new material launches at the show – such as a new bio-based resins from Natureworks and Arkema and a new fast-acting biobased plasticiser from PolyOne. Sabic’s Innovative Plastics business announced a major new sustainability milestone with the use of up-cycled material in a heavy truck from post-consumer recycled content.

For a roundup of some of the best news, videos and pictures from NPE, make sure you read this month’s digital Xtra, which contains a selection of some of the highlights.

Back to home soil and news for the UK plastics manufacturing industry continues to be positive, with major investment from the automotive and aerospace industries reaffirming the UK’s manufacturing ability.

This is reinforced by a strategic document launched by the BPF highlighting the importance of the plastics industry to the growth of our economy. Read this month’s ‘From the Front Line’ feature to find out more.

Enjoy the issue.

Leanne Taylor - Editor

Production & Design Manager: Samantha Hamlyn T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: sam@rapidnews.com Production: jonny jones T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: jonathan.jones@rapidnews.com

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PUBLISHER Mark Blezard T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: mark@rapidnews.com British Plastics & Rubber is available on free subscription to readers qualifying under the publisher’s terms of control. Those outside the criteria may subscribe at the following annual rates: UK: £80 Europe and rest of the world: £115 British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (10 times/year) by Plastics Multimedia Communications Ltd, Unit 2, Chowley Court, Chowley Oak Lane, Tattenhall, CH3 9GA T: +44(0)1829 770037 F: +44(0)1829 770047 © 2012 Plastics Multimedia Communications Ltd While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained within this publication is accurate the publisher accepts no liability for information published in error, or for views expressed. All rights for British Plastics & Rubber are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

ISSN 0307-6164 Incorporating Polymer Age and Rubber and Plastics Age.

Associated organisations

TH Plastics signs UK agreement with JSW

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UK ancillaries solutions provider, TH Plastics, has signed an agreement with plastics machinery manufacturer, JSW, to distribute its cutting-edge injection moulding machinery in the UK. Based in Japan, JSW first commercialised electric injection moulding machines 24 years ago and is recognised worldwide as a technology leader.

Dean Francis, President of Windsor Technologies, JSW’s European EIMM distributor, said: “We are delighted that TH Plastics has agreed to be our UK distributor. Its knowledge and technical expertise in the UK plastics industry is well documented and combined with its customer service excellence and our expansive, quality product portfolio, it’s set to be a powerful relationship.”

With these additional assets to its portfolio, TH Plastics states it can provide the best complete turnkey solutions to help companies improve their productivity through better quality, reduced cycle times and reduced energy costs and in turn increase profit

margins for its customers.

Managing Director of TH Plastics, Lee Thomas, explained: “We will be distributing JSW’s injection moulding machinery from its extensive portfolio.

“The all-electric machines are renowned for their reliability, precision, energy savings and speed. This is great news for the UK plastics industry. JSW offers some of the best manufacturing machinery across the world. The addition of JSW to our expanding portfolio enables us to provide our customers with additional prime machinery, even more cost

effective solutions for any size of business and the increased ability to scale internal operations and develop low maintenance systems which increase productivity.”

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.thplastics.co.uk

(L-R) Lee Thomas, MD, TH Plastics agrees a deal with Dean Francis, European Distributor for JSW

THE BIG STORY

28 31 12 26

on the cover

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20

bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER

contents april 2012

on the cover TH Plastics sign UK agreement with world-leading plastics machinery manufacturer, JSW UK ancillaries solutions provider, TH Plastics, has signed an agreement with plastics machinery manufacturer, JSW, to distribute its cutting-edge injection moulding machinery in the UK.

20-23 REGULARS FEATURE RUBBER PIPE AND PROFILE Is colder better? Advanced cooling for pipe and profile extrusion

24-27 ]FEATURE

8

RECLAMATION & RECYCLING

18

ENGINEERING MATERIALS

28

INJECTION MOULDING

41

FROM THE FRONT LINE

40

CURRENCY CORNER

43

SOFTWARE

43

BUYERS’ GUIDE

44

See page 4 COLOUR MANAGEMENT Optimising colouring processes

3 EDITOR’S LETTER Show success for the sunshine state

31-35 FEATURE COMPOUNDING

12-13 FEATURE

Growth for UK compounding company

BIOPOLYMERS

37-39 FEATURE

Spinning nature’s web for highperformance polymers

WOOD PLASTICS

14-17 FEATURE AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS

Getting the most out of WPC production

39

Robots are the next frontier in injection moulding technology

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EPDM rubber roofing system reaches great heights UK-based waterproof roofing specialist, AAC, has invested £65,000 in a second vulcanising machine to meet growing demand for its Prelasti EPDM rubber system.

The company has commissioned and installed the 10 metre unit, adding to its existing 25 metre machine, to increase capacity and eliminate maintenance downtime.

AAC is the UK’s sole supplier of Prelasti, a prefabricated EPDM rubber roofing system that uses vulcanising bonding technology rather than adhering strips.

According to the manufacturers, this makes the material more durable and gives it a longer 20-year guarantee and a proven life expectancy of 50 years.

Prelasti is also said to be UV stable, ozone resistant and fully recyclable.

AAC recently installed Prelasti at TV adventurer Bear Grylls’ lighthouse off the North Wales coast. It also worked on Snowdon’s rebuilt mountain summit café.

Marketing Coordinator, Alan Williams, said: “The second vulcanising unit is coming online just at the right time.

The material was used on the new summit café at Snowdon

RUBBER

news

Alan Williams at AAC Waterproof Roofing

“We aim to grow further in 2012, and continue to promote the advantages of off-site fabrication, especially where roofing is concerned, and hopefully see greater understanding in the industry of the benefits it brings.”

In January AAC became Achilles Building Confidence accredited, adding to its Investors in People award. Many public sector departments and building contractors now insist on Achilles accreditation from roofing contractors and other trades.

Prelasti prefabricated EPDM rubber is recognised for its environmental qualities and is frequently specified for roof gardens and as pond and lake liners.

AAC states it has also supplied and installed Prelasti as a complete external “skin” for an artist-designed house in Dungeness, and an environment-friendly row of terrace houses at Scotland’s first housing expo.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.prelasti.co.uk

Desma 968.400 ZO B750 (S3)

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Desma Benchmark S3 sets new standards Rubber injection moulding machines manufacturer, Desma, has launched the Benchmark S3 with a range of technical features for enhanced performance.

In addition to new features, the machine is said to be equipped with a new operating panel, the first to integrate a Haptic-Touch screen that provides users not only with visual information, but also touch feedback.

The new machine concepts are said to focus on reduced energy costs, substantial improvements of the complete injection process as well as of ease of operation.

On the S3 machine Servo Gear technology has been employed, where servo drive and hydraulics are used together for the first time. Desma states

this energy-saving hydraulic concept reduces energy consumption by 10 - 13 percent (depending on cycle and equipment) as well as achieving a low noise level.

The clamping unit has been fully redesigned and is now fitted with even wider opening strokes as well as a hydraulic oil supply. Hoses are reduced to a minimum, resulting in cost savings.

The S3 also features a newly developed, hydraulically operated, nonreturn valve, PlastControl. The result is said to be distinctly improved precision in material metering and plasticising. This is said to be particularly advantageous for the processing of low-viscosity materials such as liquid silicone, because the nonreturn valve can be actively closed.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.desma.de

CRDM had a successful 2011 with increases in customer demand across a complete spectrum of its capabilities To allow for further growth in 2012, CRDM has had to be “proactive” and put in place further capacity to ensure that customers can continue to receive the fast, efficient, delivery that is demanded from its Rapid Prototyping and Production facilities.

SLS – Selective Laser Sintering, the addition of a SEVENTH machine ensures that CRDM will continue to offer machine capacity supporting its range of PA12 / Nylon materials.

CRDM LTD START 2012 WITH A BIG CAPACITY INCREASE

SLA – Stereolithography, the addition of a FIFTH machine plus a bigger build area allows not only more direct SLA parts availability but additional capacity to support Vacuum Casting.

DMLS – Direct Metal Laser Sintering, the addition of a THIRD machine to continue the growth of producing tooling and parts using the increasing range of metal powders.

Polyurethane Vacuum casting, the manufacturing shifts have been increased allied with the large build capability of 2,000mm x 1,000mm x 700mm for the tooling means CRDM offer the package to fit most requirements.

In addition CRDM can offer ample capacity from the rest of our capabilities including Rapid Tooling & Injection moulding, Assembly, Finishing, CNC machining, Laser Scanning, Additive Layer Manufacturing Consultancy to name a few.

So CRDM are now ready to face increased demands from customers for more products and tooling without compromising on the lead-times. To add to the total package CRDM now supply the Hewlett Packard 3D, FDM printers plus the full range of consumables. You can even ask for a TRY & BUY package.

Come and see how CRDM can support your capacity demands.

Further information www.crdm.co.uk

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BIOPOLYMERS

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news Avantium and Danone announce partnership for bio-based plastic bottles Netherlands-based R&D company, Avantium, has announced its second major partnership for its YXY technology to produce 100 percent bio-sourced polyethylene furanoate (PEF) bottles.

Danone Research and Avantium have entered into an agreement for the development of PEF bottles for Danone, the second largest producer of bottled water worldwide. The agreement is said to form another cornerstone of Avantium’s commercialisation strategy to further codevelop the YXY technology for producing PEF bottles.

“The agreement with Danone Research is a fantastic step forward on our path to commercialise PEF bottles,” said Avantium's CEO, Tom van Aken.

“Today, Danone Research is at the forefront in contributing to the development of next generation bio-based plastic bottles. Our YXY solution for the

packaging industry creates a new biosourced material delivering superior functional properties versus conventional PET technology (for example light weighting potential, barrier and thermal properties). We believe that the process economics and carbon footprint of PEF make it a suitable PET alternative. A recent study done by the Copernic Institute, showed that PEF has a 50 - 60 percent lower carbon footprint than oilbased PET. Finalising the LCA study is part of the Joint Development Agreement.

Avantium is currently validating the use of existing supply and recycling chains, enabling a full transition to bio-based PEF bottles in three to five years from now.”

Based on the YXY technology, the Avantium and Danone Research joint objective is to contribute to the emergence of a new renewable material generation technology that will not be in direct competition with food. YXY is used as a fast and efficient chemical-catalytic technology to convert carbohydrates produced from plants, grains, energy crops, lignocellulosic matter, waste streams, waste paper or agricultural residues, into a wide variety of bio-based polymers. Based on ongoing R&D programmes, Avantium states it will also continue to develop PEF from renewable feedstock not competing with food.

Avantium has recently opened its pilot plant in Geleen, the Netherlands, with the capacity of producing 40 tonnes of PEF for application development. The collaborations it has had with Danone and also The Coca-Cola Company are key to securing a smooth transition into the mass production phase of PEF bottles.

Avantium states it is in active discussion with other leading brand owners to develop PEF bottles, fibres and film. In the longer term, Avantium will license its YXY technology to enable large scale, worldwide production and use of its biosourced plastic materials. further information: www.avantium.com

Avantium will work with Danone to d produce bio-source ter wa r fo es ttl bo PEF

Roquette and Rhodia Acetow sign joint development agreement for new plant-based polymers Roquette and Rhodia Acetow have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to develop new plant-based polymers. The JDA will enable both companies to bring together respective competencies in the field of plant-based polymer chemistry.

Jean Bernard Leleu, Deputy CEO and Research Innovation Development Director of Roquette, commented: “Our goal is to continuously search for new solutions in growth markets and to boost our competitiveness with new technologies. This agreement is an excellent opportunity to speed up the development of a new range of starch derivatives, offering a cost competitive and sustainable alternative to fossil-based polymers.”

“This JDA will accelerate the launch of new polymers based on renewable raw material, for which the demand is drastically increasing. The plant-based polymer cellulose acetate and cellulose acetate fibre will remain the key products for Rhodia Acetow. This agreement is one first step towards the diversification of our product portfolio,” stated Gérard Collette, President of Rhodia Acetow.

Thanks to Roquette’s expertise in starch derivatives and Rhodia’s industrial technologies, some trials of starch acetate production will be carried out from early 2012, providing several tonnes that will be available for testing in diverse industrial applications. further information: www.rhodia.com www.roquette.com

The Vestamid Terra family of polyamides from Evonik Industries

Roquette and Rhodia will develop new plant-based polymers

has been certified as ‘bio-based’. Image: Evonik Industries

Certified bio-based: highperformance plastics The Vestamid Terra family of polyamides from Evonik Industries has been certified as ‘bio-based’ by independent institutes.

The bio-based components have been certified per DIN ISO 10694; 1996-08 and by the USDA’s Biopreferred programme.

These official laboratories used C14 trace carbon analytics to verify that the carbon in these products originates not from petroleum, but biomass instead.

According to Evonik, Vestamid Terra polymers are partially or entirely based on renewable feedstocks. The starting material is the castor bean and its oil derivatives, which are synthesised into monomers that form the basis of the Vestamid Terra product range. At present, three Terra products are available.

Vestamid Terra HS is based on polyamide 610, which is the polycondensation product of 1,6hexamethylene diamine (H) and 1,10decanedoic diacid (sebacic acid – S).

Sebacic acid is derived from castor oil, making Terra HS a 63 percent bio-content polymer.

Vestamid Terra DS is based on polyamide 1010, which is the polycondensation product of 1,10decamethylene diamine (D) and 1,10decanedoic diacid. Both decamethylene diamine and sebacic acid are derived from castor oil, making Terra DS a 100 percent bio-content polymer.

The 45 percent bio-content polymer Vestamid Terra DD is based on polyamide 1012, which is the polycondensation product of 1,10-decamethylene diamine (D) and 1,12-dodecanedoic diacid (D).

“Vestamid Terra proves that outstanding performance and responsible sourcing are not mutually exclusive,” said Benjamin Brehmer, Business Manager for biopolymers. “We impart precisely those properties to our materials which the market expects from high-performance plastics.” Evonik states that thanks to their excellent chemical resistance, low water absorption, and good dimensional stability, Vestamid Terra polyamides are suitable for a vast number of applications and processing techniques. further information: www.evonik.com

Spinning nature’s web The spider silk biopolymers have

for high performance polymers

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a number of beneficial properties

Spider silk has attracted human interest for a number of years due to its strength, toughness and potential to be a very strong biopolymer.

Academic research has produced large quantities of data about the beneficial properties of using spider silk in high performance materials, but has been unable to produce a significant quantity in order to carry out any sort of product development. Now, German company, Amsilk, in association with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research, is developing a new spin process to produce the material en masse.

Leanne Taylor reports.

From our most primitive days in the classroom,

we are taught that a spider’s web has extremely high strength and toughness with regards to its low density.

Spider silk has evolved with nature to boast a range of physical properties that rival man-made materials and much academic research has been undertaken in an attempt to replicate the unique properties that it boasts.

Until recently, it wasn’t possible to utilise this high-performance material for technical applications, because there was no known process to produce enough spider silk. However, German-based company, Amsilk, has announced it has developed a process to produce spider silk biopolymers on an industrial scale, inspiring the development of new products with previously unachievable features across a number of industries and applications. These new products are said to enable breakthrough changes in the

development of high performance materials in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, composites, and technical textiles.

Axel Leimer, Managing Director of Amsilk, explained in a recent interview with 21st Century Business Television on CNBC and Fox Business Network “there is a great demand in the industry today for new materials, in particular those that are in contact with the human body.” Mr Leimer stated that the silk is completely non-toxic and biocompatible, allowing it to be used for lucrative medical purposes such as wound coverings, surgical and medical implants or devices without any adverse reaction. The biopolymers are also being commercialised for highly technical products for the automotive industry, as well as in sports clothing or military textiles.

BIOPOLYMERS feature

lymers will The spider silk biopo plications be used in medical ap amongst others

Until recently, it has been difficult to produce spider silk in large quantities

“These polymers are very lightweight, so if you make a composite material out of these fibres, you have a final product that is a lot lighter than if you use say, glass fibre. So if you can save weight, that means less energy for the car and any gram you save on weight is worth a lot of money,” Mr Leimer continued.

Today Amsilk is producing the spider silk polymers on a kilogram scale, which is a far cry from the amount of fibre that can actually be produced from a spider, which are notoriously hard to breed. “25 years of academic research has resulted in a great many ideas of what you can do with the material, the problem is no one has been

able to produce any sort of significant quantity of the material to do any product development,” said Leimer. “Most academic labs have worked with very small amounts, some have actually resorted to milking spiders and getting a few milligrams of fibre pulled directly out – but you can’t develop a product with such little material. So what we have developed is a system where we can get more material and develop the products on a real commercial platform.”

The system fundamentally consists of taking a gene that is copied from the spider silk protein gene and adding a harmless variant of E.Coli bacteria. The

bacteria is then fermented and grown until all of its metabolic energy is used to produce this particular type of protein.

According to Leimer, this production process is already successfully used for the production of antibodies for biological drugs, so the company is using an established platform and adding their unique encoding sequences.

The mass scale production of spider silk polymer products in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research is now underway, with the company hoping to introduce the first three products containing the material to the market in 2012. Although the company will launch these products as a showcase for the material, Leimer states that most ideas will be licensed out to large companies that are established in their respective fields.

“I think the material, spider silk, will be something we will find in lots of different products – I think we will see it a lot in cosmetics, in medical devices, medical products and implants. In some areas it will happen very fast and in others it will take five to 10 years for the material to establish itself, but our vision is that spider silk will become a common material in high performance products,” Leimer concluded. further information: www.amsilk.com

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Compact flexible robot is the next frontier in injection moulding technology Leicestershire-based DB Automation is hoping to offer the injection moulding industry the next generation of high performance robotic take-out technology with the launch of its Compact Flexible Robot (CFR).

According to the company, the CFR can achieve take-out times of as low as 200 milliseconds by following the opening of the mould tool and taking advantage of the increased opening stroke required for products with significant depth.

This side entry robot is said to use an articulated motion to swing through a radius and enter the mould area whilst the tool continues to open. Once inside the tool area, a further high specification servo controlled axis follows the continued opening movement and removes the moulded product prior to receiving the mould open signal via the Euromap.

DB Automation states this concept offers unrivalled levels of performance and minimises the delay to the injection moulding cycle.

The new CFR robot

AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS

news

Traditional Cartesian methods can delay the mould cycle by up to 1.5 seconds whilst de-mould is completed.

DB Automation states that with the reduction in this delay offered through the integration of the CFR robot with the injection moulding machine, the company can offer increased throughput and increased production figures.

Ideally suited to products with depth, the CFR is said to have a proven track record in the production of buckets and plastic containers. The simplified movements of the CFR are said to result in a robust and reliable production cell adding to the impressive production rates.

A well-known UK plastic injection moulder has placed orders for 3 CFR units, following its proven performance.

The latest units are to be installed within a cleanroom environment, along with integrated down-stream take-off handling

units and conveyor stacking systems from DB Automation.

The CFR unit is said to easily adapt to different products through installation of dedicated tooling, or by simple product selection from pre-configured component options available through the intuitive HMI interface.

By offering up to a 25 percent increase in production compared to that of a Cartesian system, DB Automation states that the competitive price the CFR robot will be an asset to any moulding company.

DB Automation fully integrates the latest in technology with the injection moulding machine to produce a fully functional production cell. further information: www.db-automation.co.uk

The S5-15 robot The Success 22 robot

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New robots introduced for improved performance Sepro Robotique has recently introduced two of its newest models to the market, the S5-15, the smallest unit in the advanced S5 Line of Cartesian beam robots and the Success 22, the first in a new line of faster, stronger pick-and-place robots for mid-size injection-moulding machines.

Designed to automate plastics injection moulding machines with clamping forces of between 30 and 180 tonnes, the S5-15 is the final model to be developed in Sepro’s fifth generation of high-performance robots for complex automation applications.

According to Sepro, each of the S5 Line robots has been developed with longer strokes and larger payload capacities than units of comparable size in the previous Generation 4 (G4) range.

The standard 5 kg payload of the S5-15 represents an increase of more than 66 percent over the maximum available on the G4 unit, and the 500 mm demoulding or strip stroke is 25 percent longer. This means S5-15 can handle parts with deeper draw.

A single piece rigid frame structure, combined with prismatic linear guide rails and powerful servomotors, is said to mean that this increased level of performance is achieved while maintaining the same level of speed on all axes. Maximum speed on the horizontal axis is 4 m/sec, 5 m/sec on the vertical axis, and 3 m/sec on the demoulding stroke. Other important specifications include a 1500- to 4000 mm horizontal stroke and a 1000 mm vertical stroke.

“These robots are among the most advanced available and they are perfect for multi-axis, multi-function parts manipulation inside or outside the mould space on small and mid-sized injectionmoulding machines,” said Jean-Michel Renaudeau, Managing Director. “For similar applications on machines from 500 to 5000 tonnes – a size range for which Sepro is well-known – we will continue to offer Generation 4 robots in four different sizes.”

The new Success 22 is designed for plastics injection moulding machines with 150 to 450 tonnes of clamp and is said to be faster and able to handle bigger,

heavier parts than previous generation Sepro Axess robots in the same size range.

“Our new Success robots build on the legacy of the Sepro Axess Series,” Mr Renaudea stated. “Like our Axess robots, this new line makes three-axis servo speed and precision available to moulders who have applications that require simple pick-and-place functionality and simple downstream operations. Now, a new approach to design and production allows us to make a truly affordable robot with enhanced capabilities.”

When complete, the Success range will include four units designed to serve moulding machines from 20 to 700 tonnes. The new Success 22 will be available for delivery from mid 2012. further information: www.sepro-robotique.com

2TQFWEVKQP GHƂEKGPE[ EQWPVU A broad perspective is essential: every day, some 3.5 billion high-quality plastic parts are produced on ALLROUNDER machines – so the utmost RTQFWEVKQP GHƂEKGPE[ KU TGSWKTGF +H [QW CTG UGGMKPI VQ RTQFWEG VJCV GHƂEKGPVN[ YG CTG VJG TKIJV EJQKEG

ARBURG Ltd. Tachbrook Park Drive Warwick CV34 6RH Tel.: +44 (0) 1926 457 000 Fax: +44 (0) 1926 457 020 e-mail: uk@arburg.com

www.arburg.co.uk

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AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS

The Heku DS robot

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news New generation robot said to be “fastest on the plastics market” Hekuma, a manufacturer of high performance automation systems, presented what it claims to be the fastest robot axis ever for plastics processing at this year’s NPE. For the development of the new, highspeed Heku DS, Hekuma states it concentrated on both the design and the innovative drive concept for the removal of small, lightweight, fast running, highvolume parts.

With an acceleration of up to 30Gs and a speed of up to 10 metres per second, the company claims the Heku DS is likely to be the fastest robot on the market today.

“Our task was to develop a new generation axis specifically for small, light parts in the high speed sector. That is why we needed to come up with a new design concept. Among other things, we reduced the moving mass compared to our standard series Heku 2 and utilised low friction ceramic spheres in the guide rails.

Everything was sized for extremely high acceleration and optimum tolerances,”

said Michael Schmidt, the engineer responsible for the design. “A series of tests showed surprisingly good performance data. The Heku DS definitely is one of the fastest robot axes on the plastics market.”

In contrast to the traditional vertical arranged robot axes, the Heku DS is built to stand on its side. Hekuma states that the aluminum/carbon fibre gripper is therefore not cantilevered and the motions are absolutely symmetrical to the line of force. The degree of contamination is reduced, which is a must for cleanroom applications.

The removal arm of the Heku DS is said to consist of hollow, milled aluminium components that are covered with carbon fibre plates. The combination of metal and carbon fibre allows for a light but very stable assembly that prevents unwanted oscillation and vibration. The hollow frame of the gripper body allows for plenty of space for QC specific components such as vacuum sensors, light curtain amplifiers and the manifold for vacuum and electrical connections. further information: www.hekuma.com

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news Nike dresses sporting stars in plastic bottles Nike has revealed that as part of its commitment to lowering environmental impact in the creation of its sportswear, it has created a range of products that are made from recycled plastic PET bottles.

As part of its ‘better world’ ethos, Nike states it has incorporated innovation into the design and development process, addressing use of environmentally preferred materials, reduction of waste and eliminating toxics.

Utilising recycled PET plastic bottles, Nike has designed what it describes as “superior performance apparel”.

Reclaimed, discarded plastic bottles are melted down to produce new yarn and converted into fabric to create the products, with the process saving raw materials and reducing energy consumption by an estimated 30 percent compared to manufacturing virgin polyester.

Innovative recycling method to manufacture plastic pellets using ocean litter Production-run pellets made partially from plastic ocean litter have become a reality, thanks to 18 months of cooperation between packaging brand designer, Method, and recycler, Envision Plastics Industries LLC. The first batch of pellets were produced at Envision's Chino plant before

A selection of sporting apparel

reclamation & recycling

100% Recycled Nylon 100% Prime Properties made using recycled PET

This year, Nike is expanding its use of this technology, crafting the fabric of its Hyper Elite basketball shorts from 100 percent recycled polyester, while the jersey fabric is made from approximately 96 percent recycled polyester. The uniforms are made using an average of 22 recycled plastic bottles.

In the global football arena, Nike is introducing national team kits made using an average of 13 recycled plastic bottles per kit: shorts fabric is made with 100 percent recycled polyester, and jersey fabric is made with approximately 96

being loaded into 1,200 pound (544 kg) boxes ready to be blow moulded into a Methoddesigned container that will hit a major US supermarket chain in the autumn.

Plastic made from ocean litter is more brittle than traditional recycled plastic because of exposure to ultraviolet light and ocean degradation. The two companies had to develop the right blend of materials for the pellets, which initially will be made from 75 percent traditionally recycled high density polyethylene and 25 percent ocean litter. The litter is a 50-50 mix of HDPE and polypropylene.

“It's something we've worked together on for longer than a year,” said Parham Yedidsion, a co-owner of Envision Plastics.

“The ocean scrap is more challenging, so we had to do a lot of testing and qualification work.” In addition, he said, ocean scrap requires more hand-sorting

percent recycled polyester. According to the company, the creation of this year’s kit used approximately 16 million recycled plastic bottles, enough to cover 28 football pitches.

Additionally, fabric for the Nike Pro TurboSpeed bodysuit for track and field athletes is made with approximately 82 percent recycled polyester, using an average of 13 recycled plastic bottles. further information: www.nikeinc.com

because of the need to take out items such as buoys and plastic nets. The material also runs through optical sorters before it is ground into flake, washed, and blended with traditional post-consumer HDPE flake, before being fed into an extruder and repelletised.

“As long as we continue to make new virgin plastics instead of recycling plastics products, this problem gets worse. The real solution to the plastics pollution problem is to use the plastics we already have on the planet. If you don't make new plastics, you don't create new waste,” said Adam Lowry, co-founder and CEO of Method.

Lowry stated the pellets are the first phase of the company's plan to raise awareness of the plastics pollution problem. “Phase one of this project is to just go out and get the plastics we need to make this product,” he said. “ In phase two, we want to work with a lot of beach clean-up organisations all over the world and we want to set up a network to intercept that plastic scrap before it goes to landfills.” further information: www.petcore.org

Cromwell Recycling doubles in size Leeds-based Cromwell Polythene’s recycling division has moved to larger premises, doubling the size of the existing facility and substantially increasing its growth potential. The move follows last year’s relocation of the company’s head office and warehouse complex, just a mile away.

The new facility, where plastics, card and other materials are sorted, graded and baled before processing, is in addition to more than half an acre of outside storage and allows for continued expansion of the division.

“The relocation of our recycling business to much bigger premises on the same industrial park in Sherburn-in-Elmet, near Leeds, is a major vote of confidence in its continued growth,” said Cromwell’s CEO, James Lee. “Last year alone saw a 40 percent increase in tonnage and we’ve every confidence that we can sustain that growth in the recovery of post-industrial packaging, which serves as the raw material in the manufacture of new recycling sacks and other products.”

01925 750320

a Spirit of Partnership

Cromwell has moved to larger premises, doubling the size of its facility

www.ultrapolymers.co.uk

Cromwell’s ‘closed loop’ philosophy is at the heart of the company’s sustainability strategy. The recycling division works with some 200 companies in industries as diverse as agriculture, food, pharmaceuticals, waste management and logistics. Used polythene such as pallet wrap, garment covers, sacks, and film is recovered,

alongside hard plastics, including pallets, food trays, buckets and tubs. further information: www.cromwellpolythene.co.uk /recycling

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pipe and profile

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news Plastic pipe processing machinery firm celebrates 50 years Sica, a specialist in machinery and service for the plastic pipe extrusion industry, is celebrating its 50th anniversary at Plast 2012 in Milan in May. The company will be exhibiting several solutions for plastic pipe processing at the exhibition, including its Duet 200 cutting machine, Multibell 75 belling machine and Unibell 200JW plus belling machine.

The Duet 200 is an automatic inline planetary cutting machine in the Duet series. It cuts and chamfers PP, HDPE and PVC-U pipes up to diameter DN 200, performing automatically double-cycles of simultaneous cutting at high extrusion speeds.

The Multibell75 is an automatic in-line

belling machine that sockets by means of an oven with recirculated and thermoregulated hot air; it is designed for double-extrusion lines for PVC-U pipe 16 – 75 mm in diameter and 1 – 6 m in length. According to Sica, it can form solvent cement sockets in a multisocketing process with external cooling by pre-cooled compressed air and internal cooling by water in the mandrel.

The Unibell2 200 JW Plus belling machine represents Sica’s new range of ‘Unibell J’ belling machines for PVC-U pipes. These belling machines are said to feature new processing technology for socket moulding in pipes, significantly increasing production capacity, taking up less space and reducing running costs, while offering operational simplicity and reliability.

TestPEP enters final year of tests for NDE of plastics pipes Plastic pipes have many advantages over pipes made from metals or concrete, such as good chemical resistance, low weight, low cost, and longer predicted service life, and are already used extensively for the transport of gas, water and chemicals. However, their use in more safety-critical applications is limited by the fact that there is currently no validated inspection system available to evaluate the joints.

The TestPEP project is now in its third and final year of operation to identify and test an automated non-destructive evaluation (NDE) approach for testing welded joints in plastics pipes. The project team, involving 17 organisations from seven countries, is currently developing and validating inspection equipment and techniques for both butt fusion (BF) and electrofusion (EF) joints in polyethylene (PE) pipes.

For BF joints, the team has designed and manufactured angled water wedges, choosing water as the coupling medium due to its good acoustic properties in relation to the plastic material. The angle of the wedge is optimised to reduce the electronic steering with the probe elements while still covering the weld fusion zone.

The approach for inspecting BF joints covers four different techniques: sector

pulse-echo, tandem, creeping wave and time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD). The techniques are complementary both in terms of coverage area and types of defect that can be detected. The capabilities of the techniques were evaluated initially using pipe test samples containing holes and notches of known size and location.

For inspecting EF joints, the TestPEP project team is using 0° water wedges, with bespoke phased array probes and, as with BF joints, carrying out validation

Sica will showcase machinery for plastic pipe extrusion at Plast 2012

further information: www.sica-italy.com

procedures in PE pipe joints containing known flaws with diameters up to 710 mm. These joints are also being mechanically tested to determine critical flaw sizes.

TestPEP will complete early in 2013, when the team will specify a complete approach to the automated nondestructive evaluation of welded joints in plastic pipes. further information: www.twi.co.uk

Phased array probe with an angled water wedge for inspection of BF joints

machines from the uniEX series is claimed to be the extremely wide process window, as well as the option of processing a great variety of materials thanks to specialised screw geometries. The extruder concept favours high throughput at low melt temperatures and consequently high process stability. battenfeld-cincinnati states the processing units are mounted on an extremely robust basic frame in a spacesaving U configuration. A powerful drive system means the uniEX extruders are laid out for handling melt pressures of up to 500 bar, while maintenance-free AC motors keep energy consumption low.

Uniform control cabinets and control units have been used for the first time in this series. The latter are said to be easy to operate and offer the option of having several extruders of a coextrusion line integrated in a single control system if desired. further information: www.battenfeld-cincinnati.com

The flexible uniEX 45-30 singlescrew extruder – ideal for processing pipes and profiles in the medium-output range

UK piping company’s EastEnd project An above-ground drainage system from Polypipe Terrain, a UK plastic piping systems manufacturer, has been specified for use on a £200 m regeneration scheme in the heart of East London.

Terrain’s PVC Soil and Waste system is to be used as part of a £47 m new build programme on the Ocean Estate in Stepney, one of the largest regeneration schemes in the UK. Working closely with contractor Promech Services Ltd, Polypipe Terrain is to manufacture and supply its PVC Soil and Waste system to 470 residential units comprising of one, two and three bed configurations.

Steve Pearce, Director of Promech Services Ltd, commented: “This project will transform the lives of many residents in East London and create much needed affordable homes in the area.

“Having used Terrain’s PVC aboveground Soil and Waste system on a number of developments in the past, we were naturally keen to use it again on this particular project as it has always provided excellent performance.”

The new development will use Polypipe Terrain’s system

New all-round extruder series for pipes and profiles battenfeld-cincinnati has launched a new single-screw extruder that is said to be suitable for manufacturing both pipes and profiles.

The new uniEX model is available in four sizes, which are said to cover the medium-output range from 50 to 500 kg/h. The extruders can process all known thermoplastic materials from PVC to polyolefins, as well as thermoplastic elastomers and engineering plastics.

According to battenfeld-cincinnati, the processing highlight of the new extruders is their consistently high specific throughput at every screw speed. This is said to be due to the extruders’ special feed zone. An additional benefit of the

further information: www.polypipe.com/terrain

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pipe and profile feature

Is colder better?

ADVANCED COOLING FOR PIPE AND PROFILE EXTRUSION

Technology for cooling plastic pipe and profiles has made huge advances over the last 20 years.

But which techniques should processors learn from and which should they leave behind? Bob Bessemer, Sales Manager for Conair, explains to BP&R how to utilise today’s technology to get the best results.

T

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oday’s high-productivity extrusion operations have come a long way from the days when profiles were cooled in nearly static baths of city or well water, with water being drained to the sewer after extracting as much heat as possible. Water supply and disposal charges were enough to nearly end this practice, even before productivity issues made a more intelligent approach a necessity. With the help of downstream extrusion system experts, extruders are calculating exactly how much heat needs to be removed — and how quickly — in order to operate both successfully and profitably. You might think the secret would be found in getting the water as cold as possible. And you might be wrong.

In fact, it’s a lot more complicated than that.

Since plastics extrusion was invented, suppliers of downstream cooling equipment and their customers have been seeking better ways to get process heat out of extruded shapes. Their efforts have followed a logical progression and today, the high-intensity spray tank represents the highest state-of-the-art available.

The secret to the high-intensity tank’s effectiveness is a uniform, 360° highvolume water spray that optimises cooling.

While conventional spray tanks simply shower water on profile surfaces, the highintensity tank creates a full-cone spray pattern of atomised mist that covers all profile surfaces with extremely small water droplets. This high-intensity spray has much greater cooling potential than immersion cooling or even a conventional spray tank. That’s because, although water is sprayed in very fine droplets, the tank brings a tremendous amount of water to the surface of the profile. While a conventional tank might pump 379 litre/min, the high-intensity tank pumps 1363 litres. Water and vacuum manifolds accommodate the tooling required for more complex, multi-hollow shapes.

At the same time, extruders have migrated from using city water or cooling tower water (at temperatures between 4.5 and 26.5°C) to using chillers that bring cooling water temperatures down to below 4.5°C. But, now extruders have reached the point where they need to ask if colder water and a highly turbulent spray can continue to enhance cooling. If the wall is relatively thin and uniform in thickness, then the answer, almost certainly is to ‘go cold’.

However, in pipe and profiles that are thicker, the cool outer wall of the extrudate may actually be insulating the hot plastic at the core, preventing further cooling. We have all seen heavy-wall pipe come off the extrusion line cold to the touch, only to have it heat back up while lying on the dump table for a few minutes.

Is Cold Water Best?

Cold (turbulent) water can do a lot toward optimising heat-transfer rates, but only within a specific wall-thickness range. In pipe, anything above Schedule-40 wall thickness is a good point at which to think about going from cold water to tempered water to optimise cooling rates. As the extrudate goes from its hot, plastic state to a rigid state, the heat transfer rate decreases. So, as the pipe or profile outer surface skins, it actually insulates the inner material from the cooling water. As the wall thickness increases, this becomes a more severe issue. You may in fact be wasting chilled water, which can be very expensive. It may actually be better to temper the water temperature in the initial tank to 26.5 to 54.5°C to pull BTUs (British Thermal Units) out without freezing off the skin.

Also, if wall thickness varies within the profile, rapid cooling with cold water can cause the profile to bow, twist, and warp.

It may be necessary to elevate the water temperature in the primary cooling tank to help equalise the heat-transfer rates.

Application Tips Starting from the premise that colder is not always better, it is important to know which cooling approach works best in a

Thin-Wall Pipe For pipe with Schedule-40 wall thickness or below, especially rPVC, use highintensity spray tanks with properly sized water circulation systems designed to use chilled water in the range of 3.3 to 7.2°C throughout the line. A properly designed spray tank can cool 76 to 102 mm Schedule-40 pipe at approximately 364 to 998 kg/hr per 7.3 m of tank. It is interesting to note that, due to residencetime and surface-area issues, 51 mm Schedule-40 pipe will actually require approximately 30 percent more tank length for the same throughput per hour.

Heavy-Wall Pipe Schedule-80 pipe can benefit from using tempered water in the primary sizing spray tank to control the rate at which the skin forms while pulling maximum heat from the wall. Keep throughput (kg per hr) in mind when sizing the water circulation system and the length of spray tank required. It will be critical that the heat exchangers are properly sized to control the water temperature.

Solid Profiles Wood-plastic composites and other solid or foamed profiles can also benefit from high-intensity spray tanks for optimal processing. Again, tempered water can control the rate at which the skin forms, which will help to optimise cooling rates while minimising chilled water costs.

Typical processing rates are now around 682 kg per hour and work is being done to lower the density of these profiles by foaming. This will further inhibit cooling rates due to the insulation characteristics of this material. A potential line for 682 kg per hour of foamed (HDPE) wood-plastic composite (50 to 60 percent wood) might consist of a series of dry calibration tools mounted on a manifold-cart in front of the primary spray tank, with perhaps three temperature zones: the first might be a 7.3 m-long high-intensity spray tank with tempered water at 37.7 to 54.5°C, and the second and third zones might then be 4.9 m-long high-intensity tanks with chilled water at 1.6 to 4.5°C, followed by a cleatstyle puller, travelling saw, and dump table.

Hollow Profiles (Window and Door Lineal, rPVC Fence) Complex hollow profiles, especially those with fit-and-function specifications, can

Hollow profile

Wood-plastic composite profiles

processing situation. Here are some tips for optimising heat removal — and productivity — in a variety of extrusion applications.

than Schedule 40)

Thin-wall pipe (Schedule 40 and below)

Heavy-wall pipe (thicker

take advantage of spray technology to both enhance rates and decrease scrap.

Current technology uses dry calibration tables as long as 9.1 m, in combination with an immersion tank with form guides.

A low vacuum is pulled on the tank to help maintain the hollows. For high rates, extruders have gone to expensive dual lines, requiring dual pullers, saws, etc.

However, a high-intensity spray tank with an up-front dry tool of 0.3 to 0.9 m can easily outperform current cooling and sizing rates while taking up less floor space. And, with a form-guide system mounted within the spray tank, spray can be directed from all sides of the profile or even varied from side to side to optimise the cooling rates. As with solid profiles and foam, the dry tooling could again be designed to work at specific temperatures to optimise the sizing and cooling rates to ensure consistent, repeatable processing at high rates. Again, if the hollow profile has non-symmetrical walls, a watertemperature control system could be integrated to offer water tempering to further minimise warp, bow, and twist.

With a better understanding of how plastics cool, we can design the heat transfer process to work for us and not against, realising maximum throughput rates while minimising scrap. And as the extrusion process becomes more of a science, it will become far more consistent and repeatable.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.conairgroup.com

Datacolor unveils 45G reference-grade handheld spectrophotometer Datacolor has announced the availability of the Datacolor 45G, a high accuracy handheld spectrophotometer with integrated gloss measurement.

Datacolor 45G is said to excel in colour appearance evaluation of painted surfaces, plastic parts, package prints, automotive parts, commercial furniture and other manufactured goods.

Measurements made with the 45G capture the effect of base colour, gloss and texture on overall visual appearance.

Automotive interior components, with varying texture and finish, and each manufactured by different vendors, need to visually match. Datacolor states the 45G enables quality control of multiple components to a close numerical tolerance in order to achieve an overall

Image: The new 45G spectrophotometer

colour management

news

match in colour appearance. Paint and coating applications can benefit from the 45G’s ability to detect changes in appearance from both gloss and base colour. Appearance changes in plastic injection moulded parts due to mould wear can be measured with the 45G before the changes lead to off-quality production.

“With 45G, product manufacturers can precisely measure and control both colour and gloss in a single convenient package,” said Bob Karpowicz, Product Manager, Instruments, at Datacolor. “The unique optical design and dynamic calibration algorithm used by 45G results in consistent measurement over time and across multiple 45G units. Manufacturers can benefit tremendously from using the 45G for batch-to-batch quality control.

Reliable measurements with 45G can enable a data-driven quality process through the supply chain.”

The software on the device is said to enable storage of standards and batches, calculation of colourimetric values, and indication of pass/fail in quality control.

The 45G is said to seamlessly integrate with the included Datacolor Tools desktop software, synchronising standards and batch results to generate QC reports and manage large amounts of measurement data. Datacolor states the 45G establishes a new benchmark in performance, convenience and value for handheld spectrophotometers. further information: www.datacolor.com/45g

The opaque plates

The new Ral P2 range of colours

200 new shades for creative colour communication in plastics Ral Colours is expanding its plastics programme introduced in 2010 with 200 new ‘Ral Design’ colours.

The 160 opaque and 40 transparent polypropylene plates are said to open up new design opportunities for the plastics sector.

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“Together with our 100 classic shades, the Ral Plastics colour standard now comprises 300 colour samples for precise and sophisticated colour design in the plastics sector,” said Dr. Wolf D. Karl, CEO of RAL GmbH. The new Ral product, Ral P2, was presented for the first time at Chinaplas 2012, with cool teals, juicy leaf greens, earthy ochres, brilliant berry hues and delicate lilacs bring fresh and warm colours to the plastics palette.

Ral states the new colours are intended for all plastics manufacturers and plastics processors, for products in the cosmetics industry and the construction sector, and for household goods and packaging.

As with Ral P1, the Ral P2 plastics plates are made from 3 mm thick polypropylene, sized at 105 x 148 mm (A6). Three surface structures and material thicknesses of 3 mm, 2 mm and 1 mm give the user a realistic impression of the colour effect in various material applications.

Polypropylene, a bulk plastic used in many end products, was intentionally chosen for Ral Plastics due to its suitability for a wide variety of manufacturing processes and its

The transparent plates

compatibility with a wide array of different dyes.

Ral P2 comes in a complete set with 200 plastic colour plates. The protective sleeve for each RAL plastic plate details the masterbatch code, the colourmetric measures, the absolute values, the reflectance curve and the distance to the plastics original standard. The plates are said to be lightfast and temperature resistant. further information: www.ral-colours.com

Pantone Plastic Standard Chips Colour Collection Volume 1

New colour collections for on-trend plastics Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company and provider of professional colour standards for the design industries, has announced two new Pantone plastic standard chips collections that are said to offer inspiration, direction and standards for designing and specifying plastic products.

Developed using on-trend colours for product design and manufacturing, the new ‘Pantone Plastic Standard Chips Colour Collection Volume 1’ contains 154 of Pantone’s most sought-after colours.

These include important selections from all major colour families, key-trending neutrals, lustrous metallic and vibrant neons selected from the Pantone Plus Series and the Pantone fashion and home colour systems.

The other new collection, ‘Pantone View’, includes large-format plastic chips in 73 forecasted colours from the recently announced Pantone View home and interiors 2013 forecast.

“Colour consistency is essential to the product development process,” said Giovanni Marra, Director of Corporate Marketing at Pantone. “The new Pantone Plastic Standard Chips Collections are matched to internationally recognised Pantone Colour Libraries, making the coordination across all materials simple and reliable. For example, Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango is the same for textiles or plastics.” further information: www.pantone.com

Pantone View

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COLOURING PROCESSES make up Bolta’s repertoire Attractive colors for a bright business future: some 2,700 colors

colour management FEATURE

Optimising

Costs of changing colours, on-going reduction in batch sizes, optimised cleaning and the use of colour pigment carriers are all factors to be considered when colouring profile extrusions.

Novosystems, a supplier of liquid colours and corresponding equipment for extrusion, injection moulding and PUR foam manufacture, has launched Novopearls, a wax-based micro-granulate.

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Extrusion specialist, Bolta, is one of the first companies in the plastics industry to deploy Novopearls. Colours play a significant role at Bolta in marketing profile section products. Colours range from crystal clear to opaque, diffuse or solid-coloured, plain and metallic colours – with 2,700 colours in total. This variety all has to be reproduced on the company’s production lines. Since the colour recipes play an important role in terms of profitability and product range, the choice

of the right colour pigment carriers for macro-granulate, micro-granulate and liquid colours are vital. In comparison to conventional masterbatch in granulate form; liquid colours and the new microbatch have proven to enable much quicker colour changes.

According to Stefan Beer, Production Manager at Bolta, speedy colour change is one of the main factors to keep production costs under control. Several mould and colour changes on each production line have to be calculated in the daily schedule. “The trend towards smaller batches, short-term material planning and reductions in stock have a direct impact on manufacturing – we have to be very flexible and ensure that colour changes, re-fitting and cleaning costs are kept under control,” he explained.

The new Novopearls micro-batch is said to bridge the gap between liquid colours and

macro-batches. The colour carrier possesses physical characteristics, which combine the benefits of solid carriers with the well-known advantages of liquid colours. Novosystems states that when it came to colouring profile sections black, liquid colours were problematic. The result was colour swirls in the cross-section and thus insufficient colouration. Adjustments to the recipe and degree of volumetric colour fill did not result in the required effect. Lumps often formed at the front feed. What followed was a test with the Novopearls micro-granulate with satisfying results. The low melting point of 85°C and a sufficient dwell time in the screw chamber led to the required homogenisation of the colour pigments with the basic polymer in the melt. The degree of colour fill could be significantly reduced in comparison to other pigment carriers. In addition, the spherical microgranulate results in excellent low friction properties.

According to Stefan Beer, dosing machines for micro-granulates or liquid colours such as peristaltic pumps for liquid colours or gravimetric dosing machines in the case of micro-batches are an advantage when the materials are not pre-mixed in the mixing plant. Moreover, in the case of dual screw extruders with high thrust, the dwell time must be sufficient for homogenisation.

“What matters, in particular in the case of high volume production, is to optimise the feed into the screw chamber.” For Bolta, the rheological properties of the 400 µm size granulate with colour pigment in a wax carrier are not the only decisive factors in terms of homogenisation; shearing is also reduced by the pigment carrier and cleaning requirements when changing colours or moulds are reduced. Novopearls cleans the screw constantly as the material flows through the machine. The fact that Novopearls is dust-free is an additional positive aspect. “The cleaning effect is a striking advantage in comparison with other colour pigment carriers, but above all, in comparison with macro-granulate, this helps us to lower mould changing times. When we can halve the time for a colour change, this helps us cut costs,” says Stefan Beer. further information: www.novosystems.de www.bolta-industrie.de

Novopearls microgranulate: 400 μm diameter wax-based colour pigment carrier

engineering materials

Excellence in Nylon Distribution

news Fully mouldable Solef PVDF foam for the aircraft industry Solvay Specialty Polymers announced recently that a second generation of Solef PVDF Foam is now available for the aircraft market.

New Solef 82050 is the only fully mouldable PVDF foam able to pass the key aircraft fire, smoke and toxicity tests (FAR and AITM), which certify complete resistance to flame, total heat release, low toxicity on combustion products and reduced optical smoke density.

Thanks to the development of the base polymer matrix, new Solef PVDF Bead Foam displays increased mechanical properties and higher temperature rating compared to the first generation of Solef 80 000 Series e-PVDF. In addition to this, the innovative material is said to allow a significant weight reduction, up to 50 percent density decrease over the existing

The eyes have it as plastic replaces metal in frames Sabic has revealed that Intermestic Inc., a speciality retailer of eyewear and accessories, has chosen its tough, lightweight Ultem polyetherimide (PEI) resin for the frames of a new line of Zoff Smart glasses.

The aerospace-grade Ultem resin is said to help meet Japanese consumer demands for new eyewear styles with longterm performance and comfort; by eliminaing titanium and aluminum from the material selection process.

product, which is already 16 times lighter than Solef PVDF resin.

The new product is offered as foamed moulded items and parts made of Solef 80 000 e-PVDF are manufactured by JSP in partnership with Solvay Specialty Polymers.

According to Sabic, the Ultem resin also provides flexibility, flame retardance, and resistance to chemicals, heat and ultraviolet (UV) light, as well as expanded design freedom.

“We are delighted with the capabilities of Sabic’s Ultem resin, which represents a new chapter in the evolution of eyewear,” said Mr Takeshi Ueno, President, Zoff.

“This one material provides a complete solution for creating superior frames – from extremely light weight for wearability, to exceptional elasticity that allows you to bend the earpieces freely.”

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New Zoff Smart Eyewear Frames Using Sabic’s Ultem Resin

The new PVDF foam is available for the aircraft market

further information: www.solvayplastics.com

Takeshi Maruyama, Japan Country Manager, Innovative Plastics, said: “The Zoff Smart frames help validate Ultem resin’s continued success in replacing traditional materials to reduce weight and improve design freedom.”

Ultem resin is said to deliver a broad range of desirable performance properties for eyeglass frames. The material offers elasticity coupled with resistance to deformation, allowing the frame to be bent easily yet returned to its original shape.

The Sabic resin’s dimensional stability ensures that the lenses are retained in the frame, while heat deflection at high temperatures protects the frames even when left on a car dashboard in hot sun.

In addition to its intrinsic lightweight of up to 50 percent compared with metal, Ultem resin is said to be suitable for precision thin-wall moulding down to 1.2 mm, cutting weight even more. The weight of the Zoff Smart frame is 9.4g without the lens, which compares favourably to metal frames typically weighing around 20g. The material can be custom coloured to provide a wide range of aesthetic effects. further information: www.sabic-ip.com

www.ultrapolymers.co.uk

The 8ft diamond sculpture weighs two tonnes

Jeweller rocks 8ft plastic diamond to promote range Evonik Cyro’s Acrylite Satinice acrylic sheet, formerly called Acrylite Crystal Ice, has been used to create one of the world’s largest diamond sculptures measuring 8ft tall.

The unique, two-tonne sculpture was commissioned by Denny Jewellers in Springfield in the USA and was produced

by Ace Sign Co. “We didn’t want a traditional sign. We strived to make something more exciting and Evonik Cyro’s Acrylite Satinice proved to be an excellent solution for achieving such a unique design,” said Scott Bringuet, Manager of Sales and Design at Ace Sign Co. “The acrylic sheet’s frosted and abrasion resistant texture mimicked the exterior and durability of a diamond. It also had excellent light diffusing properties and high light transmission, which gave the diamond the ability to ‘glow’ with the 2,000 LED lights behind it.”

Antoinette Spages, Product Manager of Acrylic Sheet Specialties at Evonik Cyro, said she was impressed with the way that Acrylite Satinice was used. “Evonik Cyro is known for its innovative acrylic products and it is always a thrill to see our customers create unique and inspiring designs with our material,” Spages commented. “Satinice is such a versatile product that offers a variety of excellent design possibilities for signage, Point-ofPurchase (POP) store fixtures and decorative glazing applications, however, this type of outdoor illuminated structure is definitely a first.” further information: www.evonik.com

01925 750320

Clariant launches nonhalogenated flame-retardants for transport and construction applications Clariant has launched what it claims to be a novel, sustainable solution to achieving high fire safety levels for transport and construction applications, with its pioneering new Exolit EP nonhalogenated flame retardants for epoxy resins.

Exolit EP 150 and EP 200 are reactive phosphorus-based flame-retardants that provide highly effective fire protection at low dosage levels for epoxy thermosets and laminates. Currently available as laboratory product samples, they create exciting potential for parts manufacturers in these sectors to improve their efficiency and transition towards non-halogenated flame-retardants.

Clariant states the ground-breaking Exolit EP grades have unmatched high phosphorus contents of 25 percent and 29 percent respectively, which enables only a low dosage of flame retardant to be used to reach the desired protection effect. Their performance is proven in electrical and electronics (E&E) applications, where UL 94 V0 fire ratings can be achieved at a loading of only 50 percent of conventional flame-retardants.

“Clariant is committed to support the increasing need for safe fire protection based on environmentally-compatible and sustainable solutions. With our new Exolit products we make our best effort to capture these requirements in applicationspecific grades,” commented Adrian Beard, Head of Flame Retardants Marketing, Clariant. “We see exciting potential for the new efficiency-boosting Exolit EP within the transport and construction sectors, in addition to the E&E sector, and we have already begun the up-scaling process for commercial

a Spirit of Partnership

production in line with this.”

Exolit EP 150 and EP 200 do not migrate out of the resin material. They bind with the polymer and are said to ensure minimal impact on material properties. Processing and handling are also made easier because the flame retardant becomes part of the resin.

According to Clariant, Exolit EP 150 is a low viscosity liquid, which makes it suitable as a flame retardant for infiltration processes. The liquid format is of particular significance for large-size applications, such as structural parts for airplanes or ships, where the ability to flow evenly across a large distance without separating or filtering from the glass fibre or carbon fibre, is critical for effective, long-term performance. While Exolit EP 200 is available in solid form, it will melt at higher processing temperatures to provide the same user benefit. further information: www.clariant.com

New Exolit EP non-halogenated flame retardants for epoxy resins from Clariant

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a Spirit of Partnership

news The Pulse GX 50 obtained its first commercial application in the Audi Q3

The Pulse GX series is said to meet the requirements of automotive interiors

engineering materials

www.ultrapolymers.co.uk

Styron launches two new solutions for automotive interiors Styron, a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber, has launched two new premium solutions for automotive interiors.

Pulse GX70 and Pulse GX90 are an expansion of the Pulse GX premium line of solutions for automotive interiors. The Pulse GX resins address the industry’s demand for lighter materials without compromising quality, performance or cost.

The Pulse GX line offers resins made of a PC and ABS blend that provide easy flow and are said to be more cost-efficient in comparison to conventional PC/ABS materials.

“At Styron Automotive we have combined our industry knowledge, capabilities and experience to offer our customers a great portfolio of state of the art PC/ABS solutions, the Pulse GX series,” said Dagmar van Heur, VicePresident Automotive for Styron.

The Pulse GX series consists of tailormade PC/ABS products that are said to meet the practical heat requirements in automotive interiors and provide low

temperature ductility for the most stringent safety requirements. Introduced in 2011, Pulse GX50 launched the Pulse GX series, and Styron states it obtained great success from the start. After only a year in the market, the company states the cost-efficient solution with optimised heat distortion resistance obtained its first commercial application in the Audi Q3.

Similar to Pulse GX50 in its costefficiency, the new Pulse GX70 is said to differentiate itself by targeting interior parts that require higher heat resistance.

Pulse GX70 demonstrates desirable low temperature ductility in conjunction with superior UV and thermal stability. Other advantages of Pulse GX70 are said to include its low odour and low carbon emissions (VOC), which is standard for all Pulse products. This engineering resin is said to be suitable for a wide range of applications, particularly surface areas with exposure to sunlight including central consoles, pillar trims, instrument housings, side protection mouldings and ventilation systems.

Pulse GX90 is designed for niche applications that require further heat resistance than Pulse GX50 and Pulse

GX70. This new resin is said to offer superior low temperature ductility that is specifically targeted for direct airbag exposure of upper pillar trims.

To match OEMs’ specific colour requirements, Styron Automotive Colour Group has developed new UV-stabilised Colour Concentrates, which are said to protect the hydrolytical stability of the Pulse family. The Pulse GX solutions are also said to be suitable for unpainted applications, providing the pleasant low gloss surface finish and good UV-stability today’s car manufacturers demand. Styron Automotive states it provides customers with options by delivering custom formulated masterbatches in combination with natural resins or tailored compound pre-colored resins. further information: www.styronautomotive.com

news Dugdale says REACHfriendly plasticisers will inflate costs Prices of flexible PVC compounds have risen during the change to REACH-friendly plasticisers – but they should stabilise by 2013 when the industry has completed the transition away from DEHP, listed by the European Chemicals Agency as a ‘substance of very high concern’ (SVHC).

This is the view of West Yorkshire-based Dugdale plc’s Technical Director, Dr Jeff Ryan, who says prices have been driven up because Prices of flexible PVC compounds plasticiser manufacturers have risen during the change to are phasing out bulk REACH-friendly plasticisers deliveries of traditional products so they can switch production to the alternative plasticisers.

An unplasticised PVC material is rigid and used to produce products such as window profiles, gutters, electrical conduit and pipes. Incorporating plasticisers softens the material so it can be used for more flexible applications such as sealing gaskets, electrical cable insulation, medical blood bags and tubing, footwear, flooring, clothing and toys.

These comments coincide with the release of Dugdale’s fact sheet on phthalates and the political pressure to use alternative plasticisers. The fact sheet is available for downloading at www.dugdaleplc.com Dr Ryan stated: “Manufacturers of plasticisers have tried to switch their output to REACH-friendly formulations as soon as possible, but while demand for targeted products such as DEHP remains high, parallel manufacture and delivery will inevitably affect prices. We are encouraging our customers to adopt alternative plasticisers such as DINP and DPHP, which are not on the SVHC list, or to orthophthalate-free types such DEHTP. “Customers are, however, understandably reluctant to change because the alternative plasticisers are less efficient and up to 10 percent more expensive than DEHP. Furthermore, alternatives may inflate prices of end products as physical properties and performance may differ, necessitating additional development and testing costs.”

Dr Ryan says the relationship between phthalates and health has been under media, legislative and scientific scrutiny for 30 years. However, despite these regulatory pressures in Europe and the United States, there is widespread scepticism throughout the industry concerning the possible health risks to humans, which has never been backed by factual evidence. further information: www.dugdaleplc.com

Te el: 0845 34 54 560 Email: sales@plastribution.co.uk www.plastribution.co.uk

compounding

We’re Plastribution.

Hello. We’re The UK’s leading distributor of plastics raw materials.

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compounding

news Lean thinking leads to business and profit growth for UK compounder Leading thermoplastic compounder and distributor, Albis (UK) Ltd, is celebrating after increasing capacity and growing its profitability for the second year running.

The Knutsford-based company has increased its manufacturing capacity by almost 10 percent and made savings in machine time of over £350,000 as a result of training with The Manufacturing Institute, the charity founded to educate, inspire and improve manufacturing companies and their employees.

After enrolling on the Accelerated Route to Lean Manufacturing course, Continuous Improvement Project Leader, Mark Norbury, led a team to implement business improvements, which are said to have increased the company’s capacity, streamlined operation processes and

improved employee engagement within the business.

As a result, the company, which compounds and distributes technical resins and elastomers to companies throughout Europe, Asia and the US, saved over 3,000 hours in machine time.

Widespread training across Albis UK saw more than 80 employees gain NVQ Level 2 or above. They were all directly involved in team-based ‘in-company’ improvement projects, achieving additional benefits for the company including improving order waiting time by 25 percent and reducing cleaning times between orders by almost half.

Mark Norbury, Continuous Improvement Project Leader at Albis (UK) Ltd, said: “Working with the Institute has been invaluable to our business. The tools and techniques we have learned have already made a significant impact in terms of savings, increased capacity and improved efficiency and this is reflected in our profits, which are increasing year-onyear. We’re now integrating lean thinking across the whole business, not only in

Albis (UK) Ltd has increased capacity and profitability

JENCO

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production but in areas like finance and sales.”

Ian Mills, Managing Director at Albis (UK) Ltd said: “This has been a real team effort within Albis UK Ltd and The Manufacturing Institute have helped facilitate significant business improvements, which will strengthen our business for the future.”

Julie Madigan, Chief Executive Officer at The Manufacturing Institute, said: “The biggest asset for any company is its workforce and it’s clear to see this recognised by Albis (UK) Ltd, who have achieved significant improvements that can only continue to help grow their business into the future. Successful manufacturing companies have the tools and expertise to tackle both day-to-day challenges and deliver against strategic goals in order to continually improve. This is exactly what our programmes are designed to help businesses achieve.”

Manufacturing companies can now enroll on to The Manufacturing Institute’s 2012/13 education programme.

‘Accelerated Route to Lean’ runs one day per week for 12 weeks, with the next programmes beginning on 2 October 2012 or 12 February 2013. further information: www.albis.com

Akro-Plastic has made its product

Polyamide compounds meet UL requirements for the electrical and electronics industries Plastic compounds specialist, AkroPlastic, has made its product range of PA 6 and PA 6.6 compounds, both nonreinforced and with as much as 60 percent glass fibre reinforcement, fit for Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listing.

Compounds by Akro-Plastic are used in a range of applications, in a broad array of industrial sectors. With increasing frequency, Akro states its customers are exporting their components and systems to countries for which the appropriate listings are required.

This, coupled with the desire to increase the potential range of applications for their products in the household appliance, construction, electrical and electronics industries, has prompted Akro-Plastic to list their nonreinforced PA 6.6 compounds (Akromid A3 1) and PA 6 grades (Akromid B3 1), as well as the PA 6 and PA 6.6 product families with up to 60 percent glass fibre reinforcement according to UL guidelines.

range fit for UL listing

The UL listings pertain to compounds in natural and black tones, as well as all customer-specific colours.

“This allows us to create applications using polyamide 6 and 6.6 compounds without additional flame retardant properties, for which UL material listings are required,” explained Manfred Bär, Head of Product Management at Akro-Plastic.

“This is a logical complement to our flame-retardant, halogen-free polyamide compounds. Thus we are now able to offer a wide range of products both in the market in Europe, from our headquarters in Niederzissen, and in the Asian market, locally produced in our factory in Suzhou, China,” Bär added.

Akro-Plastic states its glass-fibre-

reinforced grades boast excellent mechanical properties, exhibiting aboveaverage level concerning strength, stiffness, toughness and resistance to heat distortion.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.akro-plastic.com

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Vistamaxx propylene-based elastomers cover the nitty gritty The shroud for the latest Prioderm lice and nit comb is moulded from a polypropylene/Vistamaxx compound as suggested by Plastribution, the distributor of Vistamaxx propylene-based elastomers in the UK. As a result, the shroud is said to offer the right balance of flexibility and tear resistance to provide durable ease-of-use, and can be produced more cost-effectively than with previous material alternatives considered.

Bob Martin (UK) Ltd of Yatton, near Bristol, is the manufacturer of head lice and nit combs on behalf of Meda Pharma in the Netherlands, marketed under its Prioderm brand. The latest comb's unique double-ended design incorporates tines on either side - made of stainless steel and polypropylene (PP) - with a main body also made of PP. In order to protect the comb user from the metal tines when they are not in use, a shroud, or cover, was designed to fit over the end of the comb.

Requirements of the shroud were for it to produce the right balance of rigidity and flexibility to enable ease of use (repeated removal from and recovering of the tines), yet durable and robust enough for continued use without splitting. Cost of manufacture was also a major consideration.

In its original form, the cover was moulded from a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). However, Bob Martin had concerns with initial mouldings that they would not provide the required tear resistance and were proving to be too "sticky" when removed from the tines - hindering ease of use. Hence the company set about looking for an alternative material that would address the performance issues of

The shroud for the latest Prioderm lice and nit comb is moulded from a polypropylene/Vistamaxx compound

compounding

news

the shroud as well as presenting a more cost-effective alternative.

Neil Dowling, Technical Sales Representative at Plastribution, identified the issues as ones that could be solved with Vistamaxx propylene-based elastomers from ExxonMobil Chemical.

When used for polymer modification, Vistamaxx propylene-based elastomers can be blended with a variety of polymers including polypropylene to achieve the ideal balance of flexibility, transparency and impact performance.

In the case of the head lice and nit comb shroud, Bob Martin and Plastribution trialled different concentrations of Vistamaxx propylenebased elastomers with polypropylene before settling on a 40 percent loading.

The selected blend provided the best balance of flexibility and tear resistance for the application and, versus the original TPE design, resulted in a reduction in part

weight by 0.9 grams (due to the lower density of PP/Vistamaxx compound) and a more cost-effective alternative (the price of the new blend is approximately 20 percent lower than that of the specified TPE).

A spokesperson for Bob Martin stated: “Our experience of working with Plastribution was very positive. At the time we were having difficulties getting our equipment to produce the shrouds with the right degree of ‘give’ and Plastribution provided invaluable advice that helped us solve the technical challenge and at the same time reduced our costs.”

Plastribution has launched an exciting new brand movie. BP&R readers can watch the video in this month’s digital Xtra issue. further information: www.plastribution.co.uk

RTP Company has introduced a line of thermally conductive compounds for replacing metal heat sinks and housings in LED luminaires

RTP introduces Portfolio of metal replacing, thermally conductive compounds for LEDs Global thermoplastics compounder, RTP Company, has introduced a line of thermally conductive compounds for replacing metal heat sinks and housings in light-emitting diode (LED) luminaires.

The new compounds have been specially formulated to increase the thermal management design options available for LED lighting as it expands into a broader range of end-use markets including automotive, industrial, retail, and consumer goods.

“The lighting market is undergoing a dramatic shift from incandescent to LED light sources,” said Neil Hardwick, Conductive Products Marketing Manager for RTP Company. “LEDs currently comprise less than 10 percent of the overall lighting market, but their share is predicted to rise to 80 percent over the next five years. To achieve that growth, new luminaire designs will be necessary and RTP Company's thermally conductive compounds will make those designs possible.”

Reduced energy consumption and longer service life are some of the benefits of LEDs over incandescent and fluorescent lighting. “However, LED luminaires must include proper thermal management or the life of the LED is dramatically reduced,” said Hardwick.

RTP Company’s thermally conductive compounds are said to offer many benefits over aluminium in LED heat sink applications. The thermoplastic compounds are said to reduce weight by up to 50 percent, simplify injection moulding processing and lower manufacturing costs. Inherent colour eliminates the need for painting or secondary operations and heat sink life is increased in wet environments due to plastics corrosion resistance.

RTP Company states it has the ability to modify these thermally conductive compounds to meet the performance requirements of specific LED lighting applications. A variety of additives achieve in-plane thermal conductivity up to 35 W/(mK) and allow the compounds to be either electrically insulative or conductive.

Additionally, UL94 flame retardance, white colours with reflectivity greater than 95 percent and UV resistance can be included to optimise each formulation. further information: www.rtpcompany.com

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Last year’s winning design, the Cycloc

industry news

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UK composites company to be showcased as manufacturing star UK-based high-performance composites materials manufacturer, Amber Composites, has been selected to take part in a national exhibition celebrating the best of modern British manufacturing.

Beating competition from hundreds of UK companies, Amber Composites will join around 40 others at the Make it in Great Britain exhibition, which will take place at London’s Science Museum during the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer.

The exhibition aims to raise awareness of the dynamic, advanced and innovative industry that exists in the UK today, and will feature British manufacturing feats.

Amber Composites’ materials are used by a diverse set of industries including motorsport, automotive, aerospace, communications, marine and wind energy and will showcase their latest manufacturing products and processes, and educate visitors about the value of

manufacturing to UK business.

Jonathan McQueen, Amber Composites Managing Director commented: “We are honoured to have been selected as one of the best British manufacturing companies. With all eyes on the UK this summer, it’s great to be part of a programme that brings attention to the world-class manufacturing capabilities of the UK.” Business Minister, Mark Prisk, said: “Manufacturing accounts for eight percent of total UK employment and well over half of export goods, yet current perceptions of the industry are out of date and do not reflect that reality.”

“I hope that as many people as possible visit the exhibition and see all of the great examples of British design and manufacturing – it will be spectacular.”

The exhibition is the culmination of the

Let the competition begin: Entries for 2012 Horners and Bottlemakers Awards now open The Worshipful Company of Horners has opened the competition for this year’s Horners Award for Plastics Design and Innovation and ‘Bottlemakers Award’.

The ‘Horners’ Award for Plastics Innovation and Design encourages excellence in UK expertise and, as such,

entries must have demonstrated that the product, machine or process entered has significant UK content in design, materials or manufacture. As a further encouragement to UK entrepreneurship, entries must have a proven record of recent commercial success.

“The Horners’ Award is a prestigious accolade with a number of valuable commercial benefits attached. Last year we again saw a record number of entrants all demonstrating high levels of innovation and exemplary creativity in design. The calibre of entrants year-after-year demonstrates its uniqueness and how vital it is to promote all that design in plastics stands for,” said Georgina Scott, the Master of The Horners Company.

The Horners' Award is believed to be the oldest Plastics Design Award in the world, being instituted in 1945, and presents an opportunity for manufacturing companies and designers to join the distinguished ranks of winners, which include the 2011 winner, the highly innovative bike lock and storage

Make it in Great Britain campaign; an initiative launched by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills last year which aims to challenge outdated opinions of the UK manufacturing industry, worth approximately £130bn to the UK economy each year and employing 2.5 million people.

The exhibition will be open from 24 July to 9 September, and is free to visit.

Further information: www.bis.gov.uk/ makeitingreatbritain

device ‘Cycloc’ - designed by Andrew Lang Product Design Ltd. Other noted products to have won the Award include the ‘Beehaus’ in 2008 and the ‘Durakerb’ lightweight kerbing system, which won a contract to supply the London 2012 Olympics.

Entries are also being accepted for the Bottlemakers Award – where submissions must be a plastic bottle, jar or hollow container, made by any process including extrusion blow, injection blow or injection stretch blow moulding. Entries can also be injection moulded, vacuum formed and, for the first time, rotationally moulded.

The winner of the Horners’ Bottlemakers Award 2011 was RPC’s ‘Retortable Barrier Jar’.

The winners of the competitions, run in conjunction with the British Plastics Federation, will be presented with their award during the Annual Banquet of the Worshipful Company of Horners on 4th October 2012.

Entries for both awards must be received by the deadline of 30th July 2012.

Application forms for the Horners’ and Bottlemakers Award are available to download from www.hornersaward.co.uk

pular for decking Wood plastics are po

WOOD PLASTICS

news

Construction sector to drive growth in wood plastics Combinations of wood and plastics (WPC) have been used as alternatives to wood and other materials in Europe for approximately 40 years, and after slow early development the market has grown rapidly over the last five years to reach 193,000 tonnes by 2010.

A new report by Hackwell forecasts growth to almost 360,000 tonnes by 2015, which represents annual growth of 13 percent, but nevertheless a slowing in growth compared with the 2005-10 period, as a result of the continuing difficulties in European economies.

Decking is by far the largest application area with 76 percent of output, but the arguments for using WPC in other exterior and interior applications are strong.

According to Hackwell, much of the predicted growth is still expected to be in construction applications, most of which will be extruded. Important end-uses within the construction sector besides decking include siding or cladding, fencing and window applications. Germany, France and Belgium are amongst the most significant WPC producing countries in Europe and what these manufacturers look forward to most is another highvolume application besides decking.

Injection moulded products have been successfully used in vehicle and shoe parts, and various other processing technologies have been adopted in the automotive market, which takes 29 percent of output. Furniture components offer considerable potential for WPC in the medium term and a few products have already been successfully marketed.

The study forecasts that diluting expensive resin with wood flour will become increasingly economic.

Furthermore, the end products are environmentally friendly, largely free from rot and do not need painting. They are also machinable like wood and have many practical advantages including competitive whole life costs. further information: www.hackwellgroup.co.uk

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WOOD PLASTICS

news

Getting Polymera has invested in a new facility for WPC

Polymera makes solid investment in new WPC facility Polymera, a producer of wood and natural fibre polymer composite compounds, has announced the addition of a new WPC compound capacity at their central Ohio facility, said to have cost £60 million.

The 160,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility houses a state-of-the-art, fully automated manufacturing system for wood/natural fibre polymer composite compounds. The company states it has the flexibility to provide varying material formulations utilising a wide spectrum of raw materials per customer specifications.

“Polymera is addressing a need for WPC compound that simply has not been available in the industry, until now,” stated Polymera’s Vice-President, Herb Hutchison. Polymera can provide technology assistance in addition to the WPC compounds. “Our objective is to help

extrusion, injection and compression moulding companies that would like to enter the WPC market but cannot justify the very large investment in upstream blending and material handling systems.”

Merablend is a wood/natural fibre polymer composite material for injection moulding, extrusion and compression moulding applications that targets processors interested in entering the WPC market by offering multiple material options such as varying fibre loadings in high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP) base polymers. Polymera states Merablend WPC compounds can be used for both interior and exterior applications, in a variety of markets. further information: www.polymera.com

The Wood Plastic Composites (WPCs) industry is expecting continued growth in a variety of sectors by 2015. Cincinnati Milacron’s European Business Manager, Steve Jones, tells BP&R what we can expect from the Wood Plastic Composite and Natural Fibre Composite markets in 2012, as well as looking in more detail at the machinery and expertise needed for efficient production.

C

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incinnati Milacron is gearing up for an expected growth in the European Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) market of around 20 percent during 2012. This expected growth will come from a mix of new business and the pushing out of existing imported products from the Far East and the USA. “We are seeing more customers coming to us looking for higher output machines after realising that their existing plant is just ‘not up to the job’,” said Steve Jones, European Business Manager and WPC processing specialist. “It is now becoming increasingly apparent that running a basic extruder with WPC is just not a viable option for successful and profitable production of WPCs.” According to Jones, many WPC manufacturers entered the sector with a basic entry-level extruder and little or no technology know-how. They have had to learn about WPC the hard way.

At the same time as production quantities and sales have increased, so has the requirement for more tailored expertise applied to the issues of wear resistant materials in extruder

construction, and processing expertise from the extruder supplier.

Cincinnati Milacron has been involved in WPC production across a broad spectrum of polymer types and niche markets for co-extruded products for a number of years. As the production rates are increased on standard competitor extruders, more and more of these extruders are failing. Cincinnati Milacron supply replacement extruder screws and barrels to all makes of extruders as well as their own.

“The company is seeing a significant rise in enquiries for replacement screws and barrels for competitive machines due to screw breakage and excessive barrel wear,” commented Jones. “It is frightening just how many competitors screws are breaking out there in the market. As the need for more output increases producers are finding their standard extruders and barrel coating technology are not surviving.”

Cincinnati Milacron has only ever supplied tungsten-coated screws and barrels for WPC production. This was based on many years’ experience of supplying high output WPC lines throughout the US WPC market. Producers using Cincinnati Milacron WPC extruders are now said to be realising the benefit of the quality of high resistant tungstencoated screws and barrels. According to Jones, tungsten outperforms other more basic screw and barrel coatings by nearly 50 percent in some cases.

“It's not just wear rate we are fighting here but corrosion resistance as well,” Jones continued. “It is universally accepted that for the best quality extruded product you need to have low moisture content ingredients in your formulation. If you try to process moisture within your formulation then as it enters the extruder barrel and heats up the moisture turns to steam and forms an insulated blanket at the barrel wall and restricts the heating process from the extruder barrel heaters.”

“High wood loadings have been popular and fashionable in Europe in the past, but as these products are starting to suffer and fail under outside conditions, the need for formulation expertise and wood fibre encapsulation is now much

more evident. Cincinnati Milacron has been able to extrude high wood loaded products, which are popular for internal applications. But for external applications most of the large successful WPC producers choose a formulation that contains below 65 percent wood flour to enable a completely encapsulated product,” Jones explained.

According to Jones, this is the basic key to outside stability and longevity when linked with the correct processing aids and stabilisation additives.

WOOD PLASTICS FEATURE

most out of WPC production

the

further information: www.milacron.com/plastics

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FROM THE FRONT LINE Watkins (left) BPF President Philip

ght) and Mark Prisk MP (ri

With a total industry sales value of 17.5 billion, 7430 firms, 180,000 employees, and 25 percent of its products exported, the UK plastics industry is something that can hugely benefit our economy. Philip Law, Public and Industrial Affairs Director at the British Plastics Federation, takes a look at the UK plastics industry as a strategic manufacturing sector after the recent launch of a discussion document that aims to highlight the wealth of opportunity it provides.

The discussion document sets out a powerful case for the plastics industry to be regarded as a key to the revival of the UK’s industrial fortunes. It illustrates the extraordinarily wide uses of plastics and their enabling role in the success of business sectors as diverse as automotive, construction, healthcare and retail. Philip Watkins BPF President said: “It would be impossible to have a high technological industrial base here without the UK’s plastics sector.”

Crucially, it sets out the industry’s credentials as a facilitator of a low carbon economy in the UK, documenting how plastics products not only save energy in their use but also through the increasingly impressive recycling record and their potential to provide feedstock for energy from waste schemes. As shining examples, the 30 million tonnes of CO2 saved over the average lifespan of vehicles in the EU by using 105 kg of plastics in place

of traditional materials and the 49,343 tonnes of PVC recycled from construction uses in 2010 were among many detailed cases cited.

“Our aim is to spotlight the wealth of investment and business development opportunities afforded by these wonderful plastics technologies here in the UK,” said Mr Watkins. “We invented many of them here and in so many fields we are global leaders. We want to do all in our power to help create the best investment environment.”

The BPF particularly welcomes the Foreword provided

by Mark Prisk MP, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise. Mr Watkins said: “The discussion document concludes with a number of points we want to press further with UK government, namely education and training provision; support for overseas business development; long term raw material availability; the minimisation of legislative and fiscal burdens; future energy supply; support for innovation; and the public image of plastics. The BPF will be calling on the Department of Business Innovation and Skills to consider how the uniqueness of the UK plastics industry’s contribution can be recognised by government.

Other essential stakeholders targeted by the BPF to discuss the document and highlight the opportunities in the UK plastics sector include customer industry sectors and the banking and finance community.

To access a copy of the discussion document go to www.bpf.co.uk/StrategicManufacturing

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Engineering Passion

Efficient production solution for caps and closures from KraussMaffei KraussMaffei has recently impressed international crowds with its technology for caps and closures production, in the form of the swivel-platen SpinForm CXW 200380/160 machine with integrated assembly to boost production efficiency. “The lightweight, three-part plastic closures made of polypropylene are produced on a machine using innovative cube technology. They come out of the machine ready to assemble,� said Frank Peters, former Head of the Reaction Moulding Division.

Working together with mouldmaker Zahoransky, KraussMaffei engineers designed the system for high productivity and a small footprint. The two-platen clamp of the CX series is said to offer ideal access to the mould and ample space for the integrated assembly stations. The two injection units are positioned centrally opposite each other, making it possible to use simple hot runner systems with natural balancing and short flow paths.

This reduces the volumes of melt in the hot runners, making for simpler process management and consistent part quality.

A compact Gasmelt unit consists of a compressor, a pressure accumulator, and a pressure control module

CX SpinForm: Swivel-platen machines engineered on the CX two-platen design offer simple hot-runner solutions and very high productivity

news

INJECTION MOULDING

www.kraussmaffei.co.uk

In the hydraulic machine, a BluePower servo pump drive delivers maximum energy efficiency. Energy-saving servo motors move the swivel platen in the opening direction and swivel it with absolute positional precision. This control and precision is of enormous importance for the repeatability of the assembly process. The manufacturing cell, with reduced consumption of energy, space and other resources, produces assemblyready closures. KraussMaffei states it is a brilliant example of optimal production efficiency and cost-competitive unit manufacturing costs.

UK group Plastics Closures Ltd (PCL) has worked with KraussMaffei over many years to reduce the carbon footprint of closure production. On a recently delivered AX 180-750 machine, the company produces 38mm caps in an eight-cavity mould.

Gas injection technology for moulders Working with its system partner, Bauer Kompressoren, Engel Austria has produced a new module to simplify the application of gas injection technology.

The company states that from now on, leakage monitoring is available as standard.

With a high level of design flexibility, outstanding component stability and finish quality, low material consumption and short cycle times, gas injection technology (GIT) frequently offers benefits when producing moulded parts with hollow channels by means of injection moulding.

With key patent protection rights having recently expired, this procedure is gaining fresh impetus. In partnership with Bauer Kompressoren, Engel has announced it is now offering complete turnkey solutions

The aim of Plastics Closures is to deliver to its customers on time with outstanding part quality. The company states the energy efficient AX brings financial savings plus environmental and reputational benefits. Taking delivery of the second all-electric machine from KraussMaffei made great commercial sense for PCL in terms of enhanced efficiencies and performance, with greater repeatability said to be the key benefit, as well as being environmentally friendly, with a saving of at least 40 percent on energy running costs. further information: www.kraussmaffei.co.uk

for gas injection technology under the name Engel Gasmelt.

Thanks to a leakage monitoring function that now comes as standard, the injection moulding machine is said to alert the system operator as soon as predefined limit values are exceeded. The GIT module is fully integrated in the CC 200 control unit of the Engel injection moulding machine, so the operator is able to monitor the entire process (including the gas supply) via the display on the control unit.

Based in Munich, Bauer Kompressoren has been a partner to Engel Austria in the field of gas injection technology for many years. The solutions developed as a result of this partnership are said to guarantee energy efficient operation and maximum availability. further information: www.engelglobal.com

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Engineering Passion

High performance machine gears up for exhibition Dr. Boy has announced that it will be demonstrating its Boy 35 E during the upcoming Plastpol exhibition in Poland.

The machine, which has a 350 kN clamping force and is equipped with a servo motor pump drive, will produce a technical part from polypropylene in a twocavity mould.

The company states the Boy 35 E has set new standards in its tonnage category through its high precision, dynamic and quiet operation and its extremely compact design (a footprint of only 1.9 m²). The energy efficient servo motor pump drive is said to achieve energy savings of up to 70 percent when compared to similar sized machines.

When compared to other machines in its tonnage range, the tie bar and platen distances on the Boy 35 E are said to be far more generous. The company claims the machine also has a very favourable

Romi-Sandretto UK helps Signal Plastics keep pets happy UK-based trade injection moulder, Signal Plastics, is making the most of its new energy efficient Sandretto EN 100 tonne locking force injection moulding machine in order to keep its customers in the pet products market supplied with moulded food bowls.

The group’s range of older machines had shown that they needed to start upgrading at Signal. The company, founded in 2006, inherited Sandretto UK machines from an existing business they purchased.

Alan Franklin, Signal Plastics Managing Director, said: “A few months ago we knew that we would be in need of some extra capacity — primarily to keep customers supplied with pet food bowls.”

The EN 100 machine

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price performance ratio with very low hourly rates.

The technical application that will be demonstrated on the Boy 35 E, will feature special simulation software from Simcon. The plastic technology PLC software is designed to optimise the components, the mould and the process.

With this simulation, components and the injection process are said to be optimised systemically and purposefully to defined characteristics.

Signal plastics is using the machine to

news

Boy 35 E

INJECTION MOULDING

www.kraussmaffei.co.uk

“Boy has succeeded with the E-Series machines. The servo motor pump drive technology is the right answer in light of permanently increasing energy costs,” said Elisabeth Wlazlo of Polish BOY representatives, Wadim Plast. “Boy is perfectly prepared to fulfil the requirements of the market”. further information: www.dr-boy.de

manufacture pet bowls

The new Romi-Sandretto EN 100 is now the latest edition of injection moulding machines in Signal’s Washington factory and will play a key part in the company’s forthcoming growth and expansion.

In terms of Signal’s reputation for service in the marketplace, Franklin said: “Time-to-market is often the key customer need in much of our moulding work. The latest pet food bowl range is no exception.

We therefore need and expect as much flexibility and speed of response from our suppliers as we ourselves give to our customers.”

Neil Bathard, Sandretto UK National Sales Manager, said: “We are very excited about the potential and the prospects for the new EN range of Romi-Sandretto injection moulding machines. Not only do they deliver sector-beating energy-saving figures, our clients have also been reporting significant savings in cycle time and an increased performance in speed.

The average energy consumption of the EN range of injection moulding machines is equal to the power required to boil a kettle of water.”

The new EN range is said to benefit from smaller footprint with large platen size and ease of process-control through simple graphics on a high resolution screen. “The one-touch parameters and the colour effects make it very easy to find pages and to quickly set up production runs,” noted Franklin. further information: www.sandretto.co.uk

Plastics get more expensive This month’s view from Smart Currency You wouldn’t think there was surplus industrial capacity in the western world given the way raw material prices for plastic packaging have been shooting up in the first part of 2012. In some cases, the increase has been more than 30 percent and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight as raw material manufacturers announce further price rises.

Clearly a significant factor in these increases is the price of oil. Reduced supply resulting from the Iran embargo, and increasing demand as the world recovers from the travails of 2008 and 2009, have forced oil prices up. This then feeds into increased raw material costs.

The good news is we are beginning to see sterling strengthen against the euro and the US dollar.

Problems in the Euro zone with regards to both government and bank debt have seen the euro under pressure, weakening to its lowest level against sterling in more than three years, hitting €1.215/£1 at one point. The

second Greek bailout seemed to go on and on, but was finally sorted in March. Now, Spanish Government debt is under pressure and as unemployment in the country increases and further austerity cuts are brought into play, the likelihood of economic growth fades.

Against the US dollar we have seen sterling strengthen towards the US$1.60/£1 level.

There is a mixture of factors at play, but again sterling is close to a 12-month high against the US dollar.

Therefore, if you had originally budgeted at lower exchange rates there may be an opportunity to regain some of your profits through forward buying your currency requirements. This is a simple process if done with an international payment specialist, as it will guarantee you secure the best rate and reduce your loss on those raw material prices. further information: www.smartcurrencybusi ness.com/bpr

software directory manufacturing management directory ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING Solarsoft Mattec Real-time MES (Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers & “Web Based”) Solarsoft Business Systems MEI Division (Europe) T: +44 (0)1909 479 886 E: andy.jewell@solarsoft.com Modules: Production Monitoring, “Drag and Drop”, Scheduling/Planning, “Family Moulding”, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts, Trace-ability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, Email/Tannoy Alerts, Stand-alone, “Drag and Drop” Scheduler, Standalone, SPC “Machine Analyzer”, Machine Energy, Monitoring, KPI Dash-boards, Visual Manufacturing (Large LED/LCD Displays), Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (for Integration to Manufacturing Systems &Other Software Packages).

Solarsoft iVP ERP SAAS Manufacturing Software (for Plastics’ Processors) Solarsoft Business Systems T: +44 (0)1909 479 886 E: andy.jewell@solarsoft.com Solarsoft’s iVP ERP (SAAS) software for the plastics’ converting industry covers the full range of back office operations from on-line and off-line sales and quotations to production planning, inventory management and finance through to logistics, ware-housing and distribution. It seamlessly integrates with Solarsoft-Mattec’s Real-time MES to provide a single system that offers a complete quote-to-cash solution for the plastics’ industry.

REAL TIME PRODUCTION MONITORING, SCHEDULING AND PROCESS MONITORING intouch T: 01604 646144 F: 05601 506253 E: enquiries@ intouchmonitoring.com Real-time production monitoring systems. Designed to be easy to use and providing affordable solutions to all sizes of businesses. Production monitoring, scheduling, reporting, data import/export, databases for parts, tools and operators, integration with other software packages.

ProHelp EPM (for Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers) Mattec Ltd T: 01909 561544 F: 01909 560675 E: a.jewell@mattec.com Real-time Modules: Production Monitoring, ‘Drag and Drop’ Scheduling/Planning, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts Traceability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, Pager/Tannoy Alerts, Stand-alone ‘Drag and Drop’ Scheduler, Standalone SPC Machine Analyzer, Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (for integration to Manufacturing Systems and other software packages).

PlantMaster BMS Vision Ltd T: 01254 662244, E: sales.bla@visionbms.com Website: www.visionbms.com/ plastics.

Affordable and flexible MES system for the plastics/rubber industry. Real-time production monitoring features wireless data units and OPC Ethernet machine connections. “Drag & drop” job scheduling supports frame/insert level family tooling plus KAN BAN. ERP system integration, SPC/SQC, Touch Screen Data Units, Machine Maintenance, Operator Tracking, Traceability, DNC, Energy Monitoring, Bar Coding, Pager Alerts.

Easy to use systems from a €600m company with over 30 years experience.

SYSCON-PlantStar MTec Services Ltd T: 0114 2476267 F: 0114 2476267 E: mt@mtec-services.co.uk W: www.mtec-services.co.uk W: www.syscon-intl.com PlantStar systems provide customised, scalable applications that deliver real-time plant floor data from any machine, shift, and plant anywhere in your business.

Affordable systems available for all size of processor.

Browser-based software and hardware, and wireless ethernet technology make for highly versatile and configurable systems providing information wherever needed. Standard systems include real-time alarms, downtime & reject analysis, capacity scheduling, ERP integration and more. With options including SPC/SQC, Labour tracking and Scheduling, Family Tooling, Material traceability, bar-coding.

A listing in the Software Directory costs £140 per programme per year.

Call Lisa on 01829 770037 for details.

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BP&R buyer’s guide services

plasma surface treatment

mouldmaking

masterbatch

acquisition

WANTED

Injection Moulding businesses Are you looking to retire and/or sell out of your injection moulding business? We may well be interested, if you are not tied in to a long lease. If you're located in the West Midlands, we may well want to take on your key employees as part of the deal.

If interested, please contact, in confidence: Greg McDonald Goodfish Limited greg@goodfishltd.com (01543) 505 323

mould release injection moulding

additive masterbatch

printers Contract cleaning Injection Moulding Extrusion • • • • • •

Hot Runners Nozzles Moulds Dies Filters Screws Cleaning service for processors Remove all polymers Tel:- +44 121 511 1203 Fax:- +44 121 511 1192 Email:- LesH@claytonholdings.com Web:- www.claytonholdings.com

extrusion flow analysis Fleming Polymer Testing & Consultancy Unit 326, Hartlebury Trading Estate, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 4JB T: 01299 253300 E: enquiries@flemingptc.co.uk W: www.flemingptc.co.uk Compuplast bureau service & distributor

mouldflow analysis

printers of plastic mouldings

TAMPO.SCREEN.FOIL Contour Marking Co Ltd Albert House, Gledrid Industrial Park, Gledrid, Chirk, Wrexham LL14 5DG T: 01691 770093 F: 01691 770023 E: sales@contourmarking.com W: www.contourmarking.com

pad

Total Print Ltd Specialist Pad Printers Station Road, Gedney Hill, Lincolnshire PE12 0NP T: 01406 330122 F: 01406 330123 E: info@totalprintltd.com W: www.totalprintltd.com

colour masterbatch

materials polymer distributors

testing/ consultancy Gammadot Rheology Testing & Consultancy Services Unit 5C, Leaton Industrial Estate, Bomere Heath, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 3AP T: 01939 291677 E: enquiries@gammadot.com W: www.gammadot.com Providing independant testing solutions to all your quality control, failure analysis & flow simulation data needs

Eclipse Colours Ltd

conductive plastics and coatings TBA Electro Conductive Products Ltd

Fleming Polymer Testing & Consultancy Unit 326, Hartlebury Trading Estate, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 4JB T: 01299 253300 E: enquiries@flemingptc.co.uk W: www.flemingptc.co.uk Rheometry,TGA,DSC,MFI/MVR Impact

Unit 3 Transpennine Trading Estate Gorrells Way, Rochdale, OL11 2PX

T: 01706 647718 F: 01706 646170 E: info@tbaecp.co.uk W: www.tbaecp.co.uk

fastenings and fixings

Units 3E + 3F, Hillam Road Industrial Estate, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD2 1QN T: 01274 731552 F: 01274 738118 E: sales@eclipsecolours.com W: www.eclipsecolours.com Polymer Specific and Universal Colour and Additive Masterbatches. Fastmatch colour matching service.

1 mm Easysperse MicroPellets to 4 mm MaxiPellets.

Standards second to none.

equipment ancillary

materials for sale and wanted

tool making design and manufacture of blow moulds

assembly hot plate welding

Beaubury Precision Moulds Ltd

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4 Telford Close, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP19 8DS T: 01296 434311 F: 01296 433276 E: blowmoulds@ beaubury.co.uk W: www.beaubury.co.uk

Branson Ultrasonics 158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.branson-plasticsjoin.com

Machine Techniques Ltd Units 3-5, Sutton Court, Bath Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 9EW T: 01858 434059 F: 01858 433638 E: davidchatterton@ymail.com W: www.mactec.co.uk

pulse staking

chillers/ temperature controllers

extrusion systems

heating equipment

Motan Colortronic Ltd Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

H.T.E. Engineering Services Ltd 75, Dunboyne Business Park, Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland T: +353 (0) 1 8013261 F: +353 (0) 1 8013262 M: +44 (0) 7435 967632 E: patrick@hte.ie W: www.hte.ie

injection moulding extruders and downstream equipment

spin welding

In Partnership with PC Moulding & Automation

Cooper Plastics Machinery

Branson Ultrasonics 158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.branson-plasticsjoin.com

ultrasonic plastics assembly systems

CNC ASSEMBLY MACHINES

Branson Ultrasonics

Cannon ShelleyUK agents for Belotti CNC Machining Centres

158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.branson-plasticsjoin.com

32 Roman Way Business Park, Godmanchester, Huntindon, Cambridgeshire PE29 2LN T: 01480 453651 F: 01480 52113 E: sales@cannon-shelley.co.uk W: www.cannonforma.com

ultrasonic welding InControl Ultrasonics Ltd (FFR Ultrasonics Ltd) The Swan Centre, 8A Swan Street, Sileby, Leicestershire LE12 7NW T: 01509 816507 E: enquiries@ffr-ultrasonics. co.uk W: www.ffr-ultrasonics.co.uk

Unit 12, Harmill Industrial Estate, Grovebury Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 4FF T: 01525 850610 F: 01525 218008 E: cooperplastics@ googlemail.com W: www.cooperplastics.co.uk Extruders, water baths, hauloffs, fly knife cutters, conveyors/ tip tables, in-line punches, coilers etc. New and used.

Repairs, servicing or rebuilds.

UK agent for Lyons Electronics

induction heating for platens and tools MF Induction Heating Unit 5, Martindale, Hawks Green, Cannock, Staffs WS11 7XN Replacement Coils New platens T: 01543 570642 F: 01543 574460 E: sales@mfinduction.com W: www.mfinduction.com BS EN ISO9001: 2000 registered.

BS EN ISO9001:2008

control systems and equipment quality monitoring control Kistler Instruments Ltd T: 01256 741550 F: 01256 741551 E: sales.uk@kistler.com W: www.kistler.com Pressure transducers and associated monitoring/control equipment for new and existing injection moulding applications.

thermocouples

www.pmmuk.net Tel: +44 (0) 1296 658 638 World Class Robotics from Max Robot

hot runner systems hot runner controllers

materials handling and storage co-extrusion die heads and systems

gravimetric/volumetric blending

Ridgeway Co-Extrusion Technology Ltd

Telsonic UK Ltd Units 14 & 15 Birch Copse, Technology Road, Poole, Dorset, BH17 7FH T: 01202 697340 F: 01202 693674 E: sales@telsonic.co.uk W: www.telsonic.co.uk Blog: www.telsonicuk. wordpress.com

vibration welding Branson Ultrasonics 158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.bransonplasticsjoin.com

Elmatic (Cardiff) Ltd Wentloog Road, Rumney, Cardiff CF3 1XH T: 029 20 778727 F: 029 20 792297 E: sales@elmatic.co.uk W: www.elmatic.co.uk

dryers/ dehumidifiers Motan Colortronic Ltd Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

Unit 22, W & G Estate, Challow, nr Wantage, Oxfordshire OX12 9TF T: 01235 760435 F: 01235 763021 E: frankh@ridgewaycoex.co.uk W: www.ridgewaycoex.co.uk Optimised monolayer die heads, coating die heads up to 4 layers, multi-layer die heads up to 7 layers, for pipe/tube sizes from 1 mm O/D up to 200 mm O/D; multiple tube die heads for mono and multi-layer products; multi-layer, multi-parison blow moulding die heads up to 7 layers; multi-layer sheet and profile dies up to 5 layers. R & D and product development projects; line conversions; turnkey system installations.

granulators Motan Colortronic Ltd Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

Motan Colortronic Ltd Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

PLASTICOLOR B A Thorne (Machinery) Ltd

infra red systems

19A Imex Business Centre, Oxleasow Road, East Moons Moat, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 0RE T: 01527 584714 F: 01527 584784 E: bat@bathorne.co.uk W: www.bathorne .co.uk

hopper loaders Motan Colortronic Ltd Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

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BP&R buyer’s guide printing machines silk screen and pad Mascoprint Developments Ltd Stags End Cottage Barn, Gaddesden Row, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 6HN T: 01582 791190 F: 01582 791199 E: info@mascoprint.co.uk W: www.mascoprint.co.uk

pad

inspection & measurement

Plasplant Ltd Unit 4, Oakhanger Farm, Oakhanger, Bordon, Hants GU35 9JA T: 01420 473013 F: 01420 475152 E: plasplant@aol.com W: www.plasplant.com

MAPRA Technik Co – MARCEL AUBERT – DOSS – KAFER Unit D13 The Seedbed Centre, Langston Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 3TQ T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk

Rawmec (EEC) Ltd Rawmec Industrial Park, Plumpton Road, Hoddesdon, Herts EN11 0EE T: 01992 471796 F: 01992 471797 E: rawmec@btconnect.com W: www.rawmec.com

spark testers Buckleys (UVRAL) Limited Buckleys House, Unit G, Concept Court, Shearway Road, Shearway Business Park, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4RG, ENGLAND. T: +44 01303 278888 F: +44 01303 274331 E: sales@buckleys.co.uk W: www.buckleys.co.uk

TransXL International Ltd Thornhill, South Marston, Wiltshire SN3 4TA T: 01793 827666 F: 01793 823826 E: sales@transxl.co.uk W: www.transxl.co.uk

static control Arrowquint Ltd

www.pmmuk.net Tel: +44 (0) 1296 658 638 World Class Ancillaries from FASI

hopper dryers

screen changers Industrial Plastics Ltd Unit 13 Canterbury Industrial Park, 297 Ilderton Road, London, SE15 1NP T: 020 7252 9600 F: 020 7252 9601 E: sales@ipl-london.co.uk W: www.ipl-london.co.uk

mixing, feeding, drying Motan Colortronic Ltd Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

metal detection & separation equipment Motan Colortronic Ltd Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

nozzles & nozzle tips

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screws and barrels Technical Welding Services (Rochdale) Ltd Corporation Road, Sparth Bottoms, Rochdale, OL11 4HJ T: 01706 655402 F: 01706 657735 E: info@tws-mail.co.uk W: www.extruder-screws.co.uk

secondhand and reconditioned ANGLO PLASTICS LTD Buy/Sell Used Plastics Machinery Rutland Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 1HX T: +44 (0) 1276 470910 T: +44 (0) 7740 632907 E: information@ angloplastics.com W: www.angloplastics.com

DM Machinery Ltd Second-hand Injection Moulding Machine Stockists 40 Thomas Lane, Wakefield West Yorkshire, WF1 5RR T: 01924 290206 E: Katy@dmmachinery.co.uk W: www.dmmachinery.co.uk

Unit 5 Sanders Close, Finedon Road Industrial Estate, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 4HQ T: 08450 655455 F: 08450 655456 E: sales@arrowquint.co.uk W: www.arrowquint.co.uk Static control solutions, equipment sales and rental, repairs and on-site servicing.

UK/Eire agent for Eltex – market leaders in static control systems.

testing equipment Ray Ran Test Equipment Ltd Kelsey Close, Attleborough Fields Industrial Estate, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 6RS T: 024 763 42002 F: 024 766 41670 E: Polytest@ray-ran.com W: www.ray-ran.com

thermoforming equipment

hardness - IRHD and shore MAPRA Technik Co — BAREISS Unit D13 The Seedbed Centre, Langston Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 3TQ T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk