BP&R April 2016

British Plastics

and Rubber

bp&r APRIL 2016

METRO G – COMBINING the best of two worlds PE FILM EXTRUDER CLOSES THE LOOP WITH NEW SYSTEM

PAEK POLYMER COMPOSITES SET TO TAKE ON AEROSPACE

VDI CONFERENCE: A PLATFORM FOR AUTOMOTIVE PLASTICS

£1895 Compressed Air Dryers from just

FOR QUALITY & VALUE THAT STANDS OUT, CALL

THE ANCILLARY CENTRE Tel 01933 354 463 • e.sales@hiclassmachinery.co.uk • www.hiclassmachinery.co.uk Unit 7 Brindley Close Rushden Business Park Rushden Northants NN10 6EN

PLUS: • Single and Three Phase Vacuum Loaders • Granulation, Dosing & Conveying • Hot Air & Dehumidifying Dryers • Temperature Controllers • Material Feed Systems • Pick & Place and Beam Robots • Silos, Mixers & Containers • 12 Months Warranty on all equipment

comment

bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER

www.britishplastics.co.uk EDITORIAL

group Editor: Leanne Taylor T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: leanne@rapidnews.com

SALES

Group Advertising Manager: Lisa Montgomery T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: lisa@rapidnews.com

ART SAM HAMLYN T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: sam@rapidnews.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: subscriptions@rapidnews.com

PUBLISHER

duncan wood T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: duncan@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 rate: UK, Europe and rest of the world £249 British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (8 times/year)

by Rapid Plastics Media Ltd, Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, CH4 9QE T: +44 (0) 1244 680222 F: +44 (01244) 671074 © 2016 Rapid Plastics Media 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.

Pre-peeled pandemonium

R

ecent reports in the media of then maybe people would realise plastic packaging’s ability to the value packaging has. Easier do as good a job in protecting said than done, as many in the certain fruits as their natural skins or industry will be all too aware, with casings has caused a storm on social the innovations behind plastics media. A Canadian packaging, as well supermarket’s as the ongoing decision to stock and thorough de-stoned and sustainability and If only someone environmental efforts peeled avocado halves in plastic by businesses would point out made and cardboard, as in the sector often well as a Californian going completely the fantastic retailer’s decision overlooked. Truly ability of the to sell pre-peeled food for thought. orange segments in material to plastic containers, Enjoy the issue. prompted debates provide a barrier Leanne Taylor, around sustainability, Editor layer as protective waste and accessibility. Many – if not more so – proclaimed the packaging solutions as the original, were “wasteful” which extends and “unnecessary”, suggesting that shelf life and nature’s own packaging for the ultimately fruits was adequate. stops Others, however, endorsed the new damage and ideas, stating that deterioration of for individuals with mobility issues that the product might struggle with the thick outer casing of an avocado or the flexibility required in their hands or fingers to peel an orange, the new packs offered an accessible alternative.

My reaction to the story is, that once again, plastic is made to look like the ‘bad guy’ in a debate that really centres around a retailer’s decision to stock a new type of convenience food. The plastic is simply there to do its job. If only someone would point out the fantastic ability of the material to provide a barrier layer as protective – if not more so – as the original, which extends shelf life and ultimately stops damage and deterioration of the product,

bp&r

THE BIG STORY METRO G – COMBINING the best of two worlds

W

ith plastics processors increasingly looking to save time, reduce materials cost and improve productivity, a material loader that is both intuitive and flexible can make a substantial difference to end results.

The Metro G range COMBINING THE BEST OF combines the best aspects TWO ESTABLISHED MATERIAL of two established material LOADERS FROM BOTH loader lines from Motan MOTAN AND COLORTRONIC, and Colortronic to provide NEW METRO G LOADERS a modular ‘building block’ OFFER PROCESSORS A system. This allows users SOLUTION THAT REDUCE to configure and create an WASTE AND INCREASE optimal material loader for any application, whether simple or PRODUCTIVITY. HERE, BP&R complex.

TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT The range features over THE TECHNOLOGY. 5,000 different configurations, starting with a machinemounted 0.5L unit, ideal where small throughputs of material are used. The range then extends to hoppermounted units, from 0.5 to 50L volume, with stainless steel bodies or glass viewing sections.

Units come with varied vacuum valves, side mounted for ease of cleaning, lid mounted for high vacuum and material loading applications or the unique diaphragm valve, which is typically used in clean rooms as no compressed air is used. Material inlets on the units are replaceable and an optional marathon flap, which has an angled inlet, allows highly glass filled or abrasive material to be reliably conveyed with minimum wear to the unit.

A unique dedusting head with a vertical material inlet allows a dust-reduced material to be supplied directly to the machine, increasing product quality, in particular with optical parts.

Quiet, quick and ability to retrofit

The Metro G units are further enhanced in areas where noise generated by the conveying process may be an issue, says Motan Colortronic, with the patented ‘silent line’ system. This unique pipework, combined with Intelliflow speed controlled conveying, can reduce noise by up to 12 dB(A) and energy usage of the vacuum pump by up to 60 percent.

Another benefit includes high rates of material throughput, which can now achieve over 10T per hour with the new CVS system. This permanent vacuum system can process up to 18,000 cbm/hour of air and achieve parallel conveying to several machines at one time, unlike conventional systems (one at a time).

This system, when using larger throughputs or a vast amount of hopper loaders, can save up to 50 percent of energy compared to multiple conveying systems. This system has been installed successfully in several plants with new systems, however, it can also be retrofitted to conventional systems on the market.

Metrolink

METRO G

Control and coupling

The control of the conveying systems is based on a modular CAN-BUS based system, called MetroNet. The MetroNet can typically control up to 96 hopper loaders and is totally integrated into the ControlNet platform. It can be linked to all other controls in the plant via Ethernet and has an easy-to-use touchscreen, which allows a full overview of the process at all times.

Manual coupling stations, or the fully automated automatic material manifold, MetroLink, can be integrated into all the systems, allowing fully automated plant to be achieved.

The Metro G loaders are available in the UK and Ireland, from Motan Colortronic’s facility in Chesterfield.

The company has a full range of equipment and systems available for display at its technical showroom, as well as extensive spares and stock.

WWW.MOTAN-COLORTRONIC.CO.UK

4

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

BOY 35E. PACKED FULL OF PRECISION.

WITH A REQUIRED FLOORSPACE OF LESS THAN 2m2, BOY’S 35 E IS THE MOST COMPACT MACHINE IN ITS CLASS AND OFFERS AN UNBEATABLE PRICE/PERFORMANCE RATIO. The BOY 35 E is a four-tie bar hydraulic machine, with energy efficient servo drive, reciprocating screw injection moulding machine and a two-platen clamping unit.

Features include: • Procan ALPHA® 2 multi-touch-control • Servomotor pump drive • Easy access, ideal for incorporating optional equipment • Optimum screw L/D ratio • Optimised injection units for precise control • Four tiebar, cantilevered two-platen clamping system with generous tie bar and platen distances

Call us today for further details or to arrange a mould trial

Tel. 01933 354460

sales@boy.ltd.uk

Spritzgiessautomaten

www.boy.ltd.uk

bp&r BRITISH

contents

PLASTICS &RUBBER

APRIL 2016

on the cover THE NEW MATERIAL LOADERS COMBINING THE BEST OF TWO WORLDS Combining the best of two established material loaders from both Motan and Colortronic, new Metro G loaders offer processors a solution that reduce waste and increase productivity.

Here, BP&R takes a closer look at the technology.

SEE PAGE 4

3

EDITOR’S LETTER PRE-PEELED PANDEMONIUM

21 feature

polymerman on prices

In a new regular feature, we get an update from Plastribution’s Mike Boswell as he looks at some of the key issues affecting polymer prices.

29 feature

MAGIC EIGHT: REFLECTING ON THE CREATION OF WITTMANN BATTENFELD

On the eighth anniversary of the creation of the Wittmann Battenfeld Group, Managing Director of the company’s UK subsidiary, Barry Hill, reflects on whether the partnership has been a success, as well as how the acquisition is affecting UK sales today.

6

31 REGULARS INDUSTRY NEWS feature

how paek polymer composites are set to revolutionise aerospace industry Tim Herr, Global Strategic Business Unit Director for Aerospace at Victrex, writes for BP&R about how thermoplastic composites are the key driver in solving many of the weight and cost issues faced by the aerospace industry.

MATERIALS

08 18

Reclamation and Recycling 45

BUYERS’ GUIDE

47

SOFTWARE

49

50

NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

37 feature

ambition is the key additive in masterbatch manufacturer’s growth

Manufacturer of masterbatch, Astropol, has grown from a niche business in the North West of England to one that has doubled its size and turnover, diversified into new markets and even formed a complimentary sister company. BP&R reports on how it intends to use its new armoury to expand both at home and overseas.

41 feature

vdi automotive conference: a platform for plastics

British Plastics and Rubber reviews new materials, products and services for the automotive market launched at VDI last month.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

41

NOW HERE’S A NEW INJECTION OF INTELLIGENCE

NEW FLOW MANIFOLD

ADVANCED CONTROLLER

ACCURATE AND RELIABLE TCU SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR PLASTIC PROCESS With pressure on to achieve production targets, ICS Cool Energy’s range of TCU solutions has been designed to optimise cycle times and produce reliable results time and time again.

Thermal Oil Heaters (9-72kW)

Water TCUs (9-72kW)

Direct Injection Water and Oil Units

Pressurised Water to 225ºC

NEW Flow manifold system with integrated TCU

Full interface capabilities with leading moulding machines

Advanced controller and touchscreen available

Units available from stock for immediate dispatch

NEW to ICS Cool Energy’s best-selling i-Temp range is the unique i-Temp Manifold, a compact add-on component to provide accurate measurement of fluid flow rates in all parallel connected TCUs. It can connect up to 4 or 8 individual and adjustable circuits.

Find out more by calling free on 0800 774 7415 or email info@icscoolenergy.com T H E T E MP E R AT URE CON T ROL SPECIA LISTS. SALES. HIRE. SERVICE.

WWW.ICSCO O LENERGY.COM

INDUSTRY | NEWS Alexander Bordino, with his winning ice cream pump

PLASTICS DESIGN COMPETITION WINNER RECEIVES PRODUCT PATENT The winner of the 2015 Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) competition has received the patent for his product and is now in the process of approaching manufacturers for production.

Alexander Bordino, a third year BSc Product Design student at Nottingham Trent University, revealed the news during an address at the Knowledge Transfer Network’s (KTN) recent plastics design workshop.

“It was very exciting to learn that my product had received its patent, and by approaching manufacturers, I am now on the next steps towards getting the pump into production,” explained Bordino.

Bordino redesigned the internal gear pump mechanism inside whipped-style ice cream machines, which was previously made of metal.

8

He was praised for his ingenuity in reducing the number of parts required to make it, producing something that was light and durable, antimicrobial and which would provide cost savings for manufacturers.

At the KTN workshop he talked about the challenges he faced

604065-MI British plastics & rubber advert April 16 190x124mm 02.indd 1

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

when seeking a new and innovative design for the DIP competition and how polymers provided a myriad of opportunities and design advantages.

“I would not have been able to do this had it not been for the opportunities presented by competitions such as Design Innovation in Plastics. It opened my eyes to the many ways in which plastics can be used, and we all realised that it can provide great career opportunities along the way.

The industry needs young people because they are the innovators of the future.”

Covestro recently announced it will sponsor the DIP competition, along with other industry partners including IOM3 and the Worshipful Company of Horners, once again in 2016.

WWW.DESIGNINNOVATIONPLASTICS.ORG

16/03/2016 11:58

Nampak’s Infini bottle

NEW SCOTTISH BOTTLE FACTORY TO CREATE 20 LOCAL JOBS A leading producer of plastic milk bottles has secured the lease on a new 20,000 sq.ft.manufacturing facility in Scotland, creating 20 new jobs.

Nampak Plastics, producer of ‘Infini’ lightweight milk bottles, has made the investment in the space at Springkerse Industrial Estate in Stirling in order, it says, to capitalise on the business opportunities that exist within the area.

These, it added, include the opportunity to support its Scottish customers through better market access, as well as being located close to a major new dairy facility proposed by ‘Graham’s The Family Dairy’ and its 98 farming partners, to which it would supply its plastic

bottles.

“Nampak has been manufacturing in Scotland for a number of years from its plant in Bellshill. We have been exploring how to increase investment to support the growth of our customers, particularly in the areas of product innovation,”

commented Eric Collins, Managing Director of Nampak Plastics Europe. ”We’re now looking forward to working with partners in the area to expand our manufacturing operation.”

WWW.NAMPAK.COM

MOULDER SEES £1M OF NEW CONTRACTS THANKS TO UK AUTO BOOM A Birmingham-based plastics injection moulder says it has landed more than £1million of new contracts thanks to a UK automotive market that is “through the roof.”

The company has announced new work, including interior parts and light guides, for several major automotive OEMs and a rapidly expanding supercar manufacturer.

It comes after a “hugely successful” twelve months that has seen the firm take on 15 new staff, exceed sales targets and invest more than £500,000 on a new EDM machine, a 650-tonne injection mould press, a 420-tonne press and new cranes in preparation for handling bigger tools.

This, it says, has given it the capacity to produce larger components and to manufacture more than 50 million mouldings every year for automotive clients and customers involved in construction, electronics, medical and retail.

“We have always been a trusted supplier to the Tier Ones and car makers and that is what the business has been built on…having said that, the last eighteen months has been some of our most successful in this

(L-R) Peter Tedd, Matt Harwood and Mark Harwood from Barkley Plastics

arena,” explained Matt Harwood, Business Development Manager at Barkley Plastics.

“Investment in the domestic auto sector has gone through the roof and we have certainly benefitted from being located close to a number of major plants. There is also a willingness to buy parts from the UK, with many of the orders we’ve secured won back from overseas.”

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

He continued: “When things are in the ascendancy it’s a good time to build on your strengths and we have invested significantly in a new Negri Bossi press, a new assembly line and recruiting more tool makers and apprentices.”

WWW.BARKLEY.UK

9

LINPAC TO MAKE £1.2M MACHINERY INVESTMENT AT ST HELENS SITE Food packaging manufacturer, Linpac, is set to make a £1.2million investment in new machinery and upgrades in order to produce a further 200 million expanded polystyrene (EPS) trays annually at its manufacturing site in St Helens in the North West of England.

The investment will see existing extruders and thermoformers upgraded to further enhance the quality, environmental benefits and cost effectiveness of its packaging.

“We are working towards a major upgrade to our manufacturing capabilities. This will ensure that we can offer our customers both market leading quality and increased capacity to service their needs. This will give us an increased competitive edge in an important market for Linpac,” explained Mick Wood, Linpac UK’s Operations Manager.

Once the upgrading of machinery is complete, Linpac St Helens will have four extrusion lines and 10 thermoformers in operation, supported by three reclaim units.

In addition, conventional heating systems are in the process of being upgraded to infrared systems via the addition of new Ceramicx ovens on the site’s thermoformers. This is expected to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the Linpac EPS product range, due to the company achieving a 40 percent reduction in average energy consumption.

Linpac says the investment is the largest to be made in the UK this year and will create an additional 20 roles at the site.

WWW.LINPACPACKAGING.COM Linpac is making significant investment in its production capacity for EPS packaging

ONE51 ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AND CONTINUED GROWTH IN 2015 The One51 Group, which represents a number of plastics companies within one umbrella brand, has revealed “significant progress” and “continued growth” after announcing its final results for 2015.

The results are ahead of expectations, says the Group, with revenue up 32 percent and earnings up 67 percent.

“2015 was a year of significant progress and continued growth

The One51 Group has revealed “significant progress” made in 2015

10

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

for One51 as evidenced in particular by two key events, the Group’s entry into the North American plastics market through the acquisition of IPL Inc. and the receipt of €51.8m from our investment in Altas Investments plc,” commented Alan Walsh, Chief Executive, One51.

The Group also successfully integrated Straight plc, acquired in August 2014, with its MGB Plastics business, to create the largest environmental plastic manufacturing business in the UK. The Group now plans to position itself for further growth, including the listing of shares on one or more stock markets to raise the capital it needs to finance its future development plans.

WWW.ONE51.COM

11

The Skills Series

Rubber Training – A ‘Black Art?’

M

any people in the polymer industry still refer to rubber manufacturing as a “Black Art”, but like all IN THE SECOND OF OUR other aspects NEW SERIES FOCUSING of polymers it ON SKILLS AND TRAINING, generally needs MARTYN BENNETT a little science applying to OF ARTIS DISCUSSES it. Those of THE UNIQUE NEEDS us fortunate OF THE UK’S RUBBER enough to INDUSTRY AND HOW AS have studied AN ORGANISATION IT materials HAS TAKEN A HANDS-ON — or even polymers — at APPROACH TO OFFER undergraduate COMPANIES THE NICHE level will have TRAINING REQUIRED IN had a very THIS FIELD. small taste of the delights of rubber science and technology, and this is where the problems begin. By the time an undergraduate leaves University they will not have had enough exposure to these materials to form a judgement and become interested in understanding the behaviour of elastomeric materials.

For those that enter the business at the sharp end, the chances are they do not have a good grounding in rubber at all, only an exposure to thermoplastics processing and maybe some property relationships too. Consequently, being able to relate what they see on the shop floor or in the lab to what is happening at a fundamental level is extremely difficult. Most of the issues seen in the manufacture of rubber articles relate to the way the material reacts to the process and the history of the material up to the point of manufacture. If we can relate to this then we have a

chance of understanding many of the manufacturing issues and designing products and processes appropriately.

There is a clear dearth of training opportunities for this highly niche field, especially at this level and it will not be addressed by the few universities that have the expertise.

Rubber training is being addressed to an extent by the ELTAG project from BRPPA and the advent of a new national polymer processing centre, but it is clearly up to the industry to organise and train its recruits to a suitable standard if it wants hands-on skills in its workforce. This is going to be a real challenge in a declining market, but what is clear to us is that if UK manufacturing is to focus on “high end” markets then it needs well trained staff at all levels who fully understand the technical difficulties of a very special material.

When we formed ARTIS from the R & D group of Avon Rubber we were blessed with an intimate knowledge of the manufacture of most articles that can be made using rubber and we felt that we could instil that knowledge to the wider industry. As a small group we were limited to the number of courses that we could provide and we took the decision to target a very specific audience and offer a unique training experience.

We decided to focus on people involved with the industry on a day-to-day basis, and needing either some basic understanding of the materials they worked with or some additional detail to a bank of experience and knowledge they already possessed. We based the course on our experience teaching engineering and design recruits,

and leading shop floor staff in Avon Rubber and we decided that initially we would offer the basic rubber short course; more in depth and specialised courses will follow.

Hands on experience is so important, so training needs to offer the opportunity to mix your own compound, produce some samples and do the testing to show how good the material really is — it may not be black art but there is no substitute for handling the materials yourself.

Accreditation too is important in order to ensure that recognition is made of the value of the course, in this case from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, so that the industry knows what it is getting.

What is clearly required is an understanding of how the materials are manufactured and are likely to behave when subjected to the mixing and shaping processes used in industry, and it is only by understanding that can they get a real knowledge of why problems occur and what is the best way to solve them.

The next training date is 17th and 18th May with additional dates available for the duration of 2016.

About the Author

Martyn Bennett is Chief Scientist at ARTIS, an independent materials consultancy specialising in the testing, analysis, development and recycling of rubber materials based in Melksham, Wiltshire.

WWW.ARTIS.UK.COM

About the RAPRA Training Programme Drawing on its experience of providing technical support through a unique network of Preferred Service Providers, RAPRA has launched its comprehensive training programme representing the best of rubber, plastics, composites and related industrial training available in the UK, of which ARTIS is one of those providers.

12

RAPRA will continue to identify where the gaps are and will be on the lookout for high quality, relevant training courses to add to the training programme.

The RAPRA Training Programme can be viewed at WWW.RAPRA.ORG/CAPABILITIES/TRAINING

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

The trusted standard for temperature control • Swiss-made precision, corrosion resistant construction • Complete range of water, pressurised water & oil units • Suitable for applications from 0ºC to 360ºC

World-beating

TCUs World-class

expertise FREE

We can help you to perfect your process Call us to organise an on-site process audit by one of our experienced engineers using the latest thermal measurement and infrared imaging technology...

• Achieve optimum flow rate to maintain accurate temperature across your mould/s • Identify and eliminate problem areas in your system • Reduce start-up times and downtime - maximise productivity

Telephone 01933 442623 www.tool-temp.net

NO-OBLIGATION

PROCESS AUDIT including IR imaging

BOOK NOW 01933 442623

Confidence in control

FILM EXTRUSION | NEWS QUINN PACKAGING TO INVEST OVER €3 MILLION IN NEW PET SHEET EXTRUSION LINE Irish plastics packaging manufacturer, Quinn Packaging, has announced it is to invest over €3 million (approx. £2.2m) in a new PET sheet extrusion line.

The company says the investment at its site in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, is part of its strategy to become a major player in the rigid food packaging market and will provide additional capacity to further develop its PET sheet and meat tray business when the machine is fully commissioned in mid-2016.

The machine will be supplied

by SML, an Austrian company that specialises in building high performance extrusion equipment, and will feature the Vacurema Recycling System from EREMA, a patented technology that allows the use of post-consumer, or recycled PET bottle flake to make food contact approved PET sheet.

“We believe that the extra investment being made in the Vacurema recycling system as part of the new extrusion line will give us a competitive advantage over many of our competitors by allowing us to replace virgin polymer material with recycled material and still produce a higher quality sheet,” explained Mark McKenna, General Manager of Quinn Packaging.

The new extrusion line at Quinn Packaging

The production facility at Ballyconnell totals 19,000m2 and employs over 140 people in the manufacture of a range of plastic packaging products, including food grade trays, punnets and containers, as well as thin gauge sheet for form, fill and seal applications. It also produces flexible packaging for industrial and agricultural applications such as shrink/stretch hoods and silage wrap.

Speaking on the investment Karl Stoeger, Managing Director of SML, stated: “SML Maschinen gmbH of Austria looks forward to supplying Quinn Packaging with a new state-of-the-art sheet line for the production of high-

quality, food-grade RPET-sheet for its thermoforming applications.

“The line specification is based on SML’s technology partnership with EREMA Austria, utilising the Vacurema system for the main extruder and SML’s single screw technology for the co-extruded skin layers. A high-capacity roll stack and downstream equipment, together with additional laminating capability for a functional film, will ensure flexible and highest-quality sheet supply for Quinn’s expanding packaging business.”

WWW.SML.AT WWW.QUINN-PACKAGING.COM

COLINES ACQUIRES FELLOW FILM EXTRUSION MACHINERY MANUFACTURER Gruppo Colines Holding (GCH) has announced the acquisition of fellow Italian manufacturer of film extrusion equipment, Torninova.

Colines says the purchase of Torninova, which specialises in equipment for producing air-bubble film, will help it strengthen sales of machinery in this area.

Commenting, Eraldo Peccetti, President and CEO of GCH said the acquisition represented “a perfect combination and substantial synergy” between the two companies.

WWW.COLINES.IT Massimo Mencarelli, CEO of Torninova (L) and Eraldo Peccetti, President and CEO of Gruppo Colines Holding (R)

14

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

PE FILM EXTRUDER CLOSES THE LOOP WITH PLANS FOR ADDITIONAL RECYCLING SYSTEM One of the biggest producers of extruded polyethylene (PE) film in Europe is set to install its sixth central system for the inhouse production of recycled pellets for bin liners.

Polifilm Extrusion GmbH, based in Germany, has a production capacity of 220,000 tonnes per year from more than 70 extrusion plants. It uses the scrap material from the reconfiguration of each line to produce the pellets in a closed-loop process. It says the planned installation of an additional central recycling system from EREMA is crucial from both a cost saving and sustainability perspective.

“With our recycling machines we not only realise the waste-free factory, we also work very economically,” said Reinhard Händel, Project Manager at Polifilm “With a production capacity of 220,000 tonnes of film per year, reconfiguration and start-up scrap is inevitable – and using your own recycling lines pays off. If you work properly with recycling materials instead of virgin you can save around 30 percent for every tonne of material processed and that corresponds to roughly 300 to 500 Euros (approx. £240 - £400 GBP).” he explained.

In addition to technical films, packaging films, construction and agricultural films and stretch films, which are produced in cast or blown film extrusion processes, Polifilm produces 80 different types of recycled pellets. The company operates six central recycling lines in total – besides edge trim refeeding on every plant – working in four shifts and producing 25,000 tonnes of recycled pellets every year.

The company is now looking to install an additional EREMA system, to complement the ‘T’ systems for nonprinted and ‘TVE plus’ systems for printed film scrap it currently operates. The systems work without stuffing units and use the equipment’s cutter/compactor to guarantee constant material flow.

This is achieved, says EREMA, with the combination of a preconditioning unit with the recycling extruder, which allows films of varying thicknesses to be cut, heated and compacted to a uniform bulk density of around 350 kg/m³. By being compacted this way, the material can be added continuously and pulsation and process fluctuations are ruled out. Another benefit of the cutter/compactor, EREMA says, is the preheating of the materials, which requires less energy intake for plastification inside the extruder and therefore thermomechanical stress on the polymer is minimised. The cutter/compactor also carries out the degassing process. This is because moisture deposits on the film scrap can occur from time to time due to fluctuations in temperature and air humidity when in-house waste is kept in storage.

Each of the 70 extrusion machines at Polifilm is reconfigured several times a day, the scrap material is collected and sorted according to type and colour before it goes to a recycling machine

Versatile.

Flexible.

Durable.

(Could we be any clearer?)

optical-grade liquid silicone rubber

Proto Labs now offers for custom prototyping and low-volume production. It’s a durable, lightweight material that’s replacing glass in many optical applications.

Clare Barker Account Manager

Order online anytime | Free design analysis

protolabs.co.uk +44 (0) 1952 683047 customerservice@protolabs.co.uk

WWW.EREMA.AT WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

15

CASE STUDY: ‘DRYER-LESS’ EXTRUSION SYSTEM TURNS MIXED REGRIND INTO HIGHQUALITY THERMOFORMED SHEET IN PRODUCTION-SCALE TRIALS Manufacturer of sheet extrusion machinery, Processing Technologies International (PTi), says it has successfully demonstrated that its ‘dryer-less’ twin-screw extrusion production system can convert mixed regrind (PETG and APET) into high quality thermoformed sheet for consumer packaging.

Production-scale trials were run on PTi’s 85-mm high-vacuum twin-screw extruder, with 100 percent mixed GAG scrap. Clear mixed material sheet was produced, demonstrating a successful method to recycle such sheet scrap. The final blend was composed of approximately 20 percent PETG/80 percent APET. “Our dryer-less, twin-screw system is a new option that is well suited to process post-consumer and postindustrial PET GAG regrind, unlike conventional extrusion systems that require a dryer and a crystalliser,” said Sushant Jain, Senior Scientist for PTi. Many thermoformers use a PETGAG sheet, which is a PETG/APET/ PETG multilayer sheet structure for consumer packaging. The benefit of this structure is that the PETG layers offer superior heat sealing and printing properties over APET. However, the scrap from this sheet structure ends up in a landfill because extruders can’t effectively process this material with

AMUT ENHANCES WATERPROOFING WITH SINGLESTEP EXTRUSION PROCESS AMUT says that its single-step extrusion process is capable of improving the performance of waterproofing membranes produced from different thermoplastic materials, including F/PVC, TPO and TPE. The company has recently supplied its ‘Hybrid’ line to a customer in Turkey capable of producing F/PVC or TPO membrane 2.200mm wide, with three layers of thermoplastic material and thickness range from 1 to 3 mm.

It says that the special design of the extruder screw means it is 16

The HVTSE system

conventional equipment.

Recycling the trim and thermoforming skeleton scrap is a challenge due to the widely different drying temperatures for PETG and APET, according to PTi’s Jain. PETG’s drying temperature is 66°C, while APET’s is approximately 149°C. At higher temperatures, pellets/flake can agglomerate and plug up the crystallizer and dryer.

The HVTSE dryerless extrusion system, explained Jain, is ideally suited to process mixed PETG and APET sheet scrap. PTi’s patented High-Vacuum Twin-Screw Extruder (HVTSE), which uses Bandera technology, allows PET to be processed without the need for crystallising and drying, and can easily convert this material into usable sheet.

HVTSE systems ranging from 85 to 170mm are capable of processing PET at rates ranging from 1,045 kg/hr to 2,500 kg/hr, and convert a variety of resins including postconsumer and industrial PET/ PLA, PP, HDPE, HIPS and more. PTi

suitable for both materials, so no screw change is required.

The use of these materials for membranes is said to improve both the technical performance and the physical appearance, according to AMUT, whilst ensuring the finished products still conform to international standards and requirements in the civil construction sector.

The extrusion technology produces multi-layer membranes in one step (no off-line lamination required) using a single calender. This process reduces the costs and simplifies the running operations for the operator, says AMUT. In addition to being flexible WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

says the energy-efficient design allows virgin or recycled PET to be processed without the need for raw material drying and crystallising. It employs a single atmospheric and dual high-vacuum, vent system with a co-rotating twin-screw extruder. This approach, it says, allows moisture and other volatiles to be removed as part of the extrusion process.

The dryerless sheet extrusion system is an eco-conscious manufacturing solution, which delivers major energy and cost savings, according to Matt Banach, PTi’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. It is a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of virgin and recycled PET sheet production.

In terms of sustainability advantages, the HVTSE process is said to provide a reduction of about 80-85 kWh/1000 lbs in energy consumption versus conventional PET processing.

WWW.PTIEXTRUDERS.COM

AMUT’s Hybrid extrusion line

in terms of processing different materials types, the line also supports base (fleece-back) lamination, usually on the lower side of the membrane.

WWW.AMUTGROUP.COM

New materials handling range from Renmar Cost saving with Renmar

Renmar has been appointed the UK alarm and desiccant bed change-over and Ireland distributors for the Marse valve location. All of which is handled by range problem of materials equipment quickly anand automatic programming A significant thathandling can occur reaches the desired facility. There which includes hopper loaders, dryers are nine different models in the range. with moulding machines is when the operating temperature in a much and descalers. Manufactured in tool overheats.

Whendelivery this happens, This launched not only reduces Europe, short times and highly shorter Thetime. recently range of the only options areprices to increase the cycle times but sohas using competitive are guaranteed. compressed airdoes dryers been the cycle times or stop production less energy than competitive designed formany elevated installation in Hopper Loaders – There are three heaters. situations that require a small to medium altogether.

Neither option is in anyway individual series throughput. An electronic control panel desirable but there is a within simplethe andhopper loader range - answer; MA, MATinstall and Duplo easy via an internal data relatively economic, an Both allows the TCU andsetting VCU ranges are – and a total of seventeen different base of main materials.

AEC TCU or VCU mould heater. more than capable of handling mould models. So there really is a machine with complex cavity designs. to suit all applications. Every model is tools Mould Tool Descaling - Lime scale The high flow rates delivered bygrade the stainlessWe have a number of customers manufactured from high buildup in injection moulding tools can TCU and VCU range moulda heaters who have successfully reduced the Mould Tool steel and can of handle variety of be a thing of the past with the different materials.

Descaling If used regularly mean that as the water is delivered number of olderunit. competitors heatersas part of ainstance planned where maintenance through the tool, turbulence occurs - in one 6 x 6kWprogramme Dehumidified and Compressed the Mould Tool Descaling Unit will keep which increases the efficiency of the conventional units were replaced by 3 Air dryers - Packed with features all the mould tool waterways clear. unit and gives better heat transfer. x AEC TCU300-9kW units, essentially including different timing options and Portable and is easy to move from one Because the water is delivered at a halving their running costs. For more industry-leading safety elements covering machine to the next. higher compressed rate and at aair potential failure, higher over temperatureinformation contact Renmar on 0844 temperature, the tool is heated more 6933225 or go to www.renmarltd.com

w renmarltd.com

e info@renmarltd.com

MA Loader

t +44 (0)844 6933225

RENMAR LTD Unit 2 Sanders Close, Finedon Rd Industrial Estate Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 4HQ Responsive, Reliable & Realistic!

The gentle way

RegrindPro®

The gentle way to success in regrind recycling.

Are you looking for the ultimate way of producing top recycled pellets from thick-walled regrind? For end products with best performance properties and a particularly high recyclate content? The new INTAREMA® RegrindPro® offers the ideal solution: extremely gentle processing in combination with high-performance filtration. A true material all-rounder so you remain as flexible as possible. RegrindPro®. Go the gentle way.

CHOOSE THE NUMBER ONE.

1601079ERE_British Plastics & Rubber.indd 1

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

24.03.16 09:28

17

MATERIALS | NEWS The creation of the film set in progress

NEW SETS CREATED WITH AIRPOP MEAN THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO! Cult sixties television series, Thunderbirds, has had a modern-day revival thanks to the use of airpop material to create the new film sets.

Thanks to the success of an Internet campaign that raised the necessary funding, in late 2015 three new episodes of the programme were made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sci-fi show.

In order to recreate the programme exactly as it looked in the sixties, airpop – formerly known as expanded polystyrene – was used to enable the creative designers to ‘carve out’ a range of backgrounds and sets.

The material was transformed into the frozen walls of an ice cave that the villain of the story uses for his nefarious purposes and even used to create the Himalayas as a backdrop to a scene where the Thunderbirds encounter dangerous blizzards of blinding snow.

“It has been extremely useful and time-saving to have ice cave walls that can be very easily picked up and shifted around. In ten minutes a

MIKE BOSWELL ELECTED AS NEW CHAIRMAN OF BPF COMPOUNDERS AND DISTRIBUTORS GROUP Former President of the British Plastics Federation (BPF), Mike Boswell, has been elected as the new Chairman of the association’s ‘Polymer Distributors and

torture chamber can be transformed into an icy prison or mysterious corridor,” commented Andrew T. Smith, Associate Producer of the new episodes. “Chunks of EPS that were left over after the ice walls and mountains had been carved were then grated down – using cheese graters – to make snow that was then blown into shot by a desk fan.

Rather low-tech but it looks great on screen!”

The airpop used in the new series was hand-modelled, hot-wired or electric sawed to create the many

scenes required in the adventures.

Then the material was finished using paint and surfacing techniques to create a reality and believability, which helps Thunderbirds come alive for the viewer.

The new episodes of Thunderbirds are set to be released on DVD and issued in the first instance to those individuals that pledged money to the online campaign. It’s not yet known whether the episodes will be televised.

Compounders Group’.

Boswell, who is Managing Director of Leicestershire-based Plastribution, succeeds Ultrapolymers’ David Viehoff who has held the position for the last two years.

The Group aims to maintain a platform for the UK’s materials compounders and distributors to

strengthen the network, as well as meeting regularly to discuss business-critical issues such as polymer consumption, fraud risk in the sector and continuity of supply.

WWW.AIRPOP.COM

WWW.BPF.CO.UK

SPECIALIST PROCESS FLUIDS for Plastic & Rubber Manufacturing

Expert technical advice and factory direct pricing, since 1998 www.hydratech.co.uk info@hydratech.co.uk tel: 01792 586800

18

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

UK bioplastics start-up, Floreon, went to St. James’ Palace (pictured) last month with its bioplastic product

UK BIOPLASTICS START-UP TAKES BUSINESS PITCH TO ST. JAMES’ PALACE Bioplastic technology start-up, Floreon Transforming Packaging Ltd, has been recognised at the 2016 Duke of York’s ‘Pitch@Palace’ initiative, part of The Prince Andrew Charitable Trust.

The company was chosen as one of 14 companies to make the finals of the initiative, held at St James’ Palace last month, which was established to help support UK startups by giving them access to finance and advice from successful business leaders and investors.

Floreon says this marks a “significant step” for the business as it looks to challenge perceptions within the industry and encourage the uptake of its patented, high performance plastic made from renewable resources, using plants as a raw material.

The Floreon plastic is a biodegradable, polyester-based polymer blend of a standard bioplastic polylactic acid (PLA), that the company says yields a resin that is much tougher and easier to process than current materials and has the potential to expand the use

TEKNOR APEX EXPANDS EU COMPOUNDING PORTFOLIO WITH ACQUISITION OF PTS Teknor Apex has announced the acquisition of Plastic-TechnologieService (PTS), a German-based custom compounder of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and engineering thermoplastics (ETPs) for an undisclosed amount.

Teknor Apex says it hopes the deal, which was finalised on 31st March

of bioplastics and replace other plastic derivatives.

“What makes Floreon unique is that we have significantly boosted the performance of PLA without adversely changing the nature of the material,” explained Dr. Andrew Gill, Technical Director, Floreon. “Our additives are effective at very low addition levels, maintaining a high level of biobased content without compromising the compostability or safety of the material.”

Shaun Chatterton, CEO of Floreon, said: “It was truly an honour to be recognised as one of the 14

entrepreneurs invited to take part in the Pitch@Palace final. There was strong competition, with many finalists showcasing innovations in the medical, consumer healthcare and research technology sectors.

Reaching the final was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our product and explore opportunities with potential industry influencers. The response has been remarkable and we’re excited to continue highlighting the benefits of Floreon to the wider industry.”

2016, will expand and enhance its presence in Europe as a compounder of TPEs and ETPs, as well as bringing new products and technologies that diversify its portfolio.

“PTS is well known for innovation and is the European leader in developing ‘hard/soft’ solutions that combine elastomers with rigid polymers,” said Suresh Swaminathan, Senior Vice President of the global TPE business of

Teknor Apex. “They will bring to our partnership a range of unique technologies and service capabilities.”

PTS operates a state of the art manufacturing plant at Steinsfeld, Germany, with more than 20,000 tonnes of installed capacity, as well as a technical support facility.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

WWW.FLOREON.COM

WWW.TEKNORAPEX.COM

19

NEW: @POLYMERMAN ON PRICES Are polymer prices being determined by input costs or supply/demand balance?

Welcome to this new section of BP&R which will be a regular feature throughout 2016 and will look at some of the key issues affecting polymer prices.

A

s was reported in the ‘Market Report’ section of the January 2016 edition of BP&R, in 2015 the price of ‘Commodity Polymers’ such as PE, PP and PS was highly volatile, with the ‘Polyolefins Basket’ recording a volatility of almost £390 per tonne within the 12 month period. For many plastic processors the difficulty of explaining such significant cost changes is a real challenge; so what are the economic drivers in play?

As the graph illustrates, there is a clear correlation between crude oil and commodity polymer pricing over the medium term, and, in this case, the driver of price is clearly input costs (petrochemical feedstocks and energy). In these ‘normal’ conditions, price is typically set by the highest marginal cost producer.

However, at certain times it appears that the supply/demand balance is a much more significant influence, and this has been the dominating force affecting commodity polymer prices since about the middle of 2015, with a distinct interruption

in the relationship between oil and commodity polymer pricing. In these circumstances the perceived availability of material is less than demand and sellers take advantage of competition amongst buyers to secure scant resources. Since the 2008 financial crisis the perceived availability of commodity polymers has typically been lower and, in part, this is a function of both reducing the amount of working capital

“So when will more normal conditions prevail? This will of course depend upon when the market perceives that supply and demand are once again in balance”

tied-up inventory, as well as the aversion to the commercial risk of holding inventory in the event that the market prices collapse from the relatively high current level.

So when will more normal conditions prevail? This will, of course, depend upon when the market perceives that supply and demand are once again in balance and, given the excellent margins present, it cannot be too long before temptations such as increasing output or taking advantage of arbitrage opportunities from lower price regions become just too tempting.

Who is @polyerman?

Mike Boswell is Managing Director of UK materials distributor, Plastribution, as well as the Chairman of the British Plastic Federation’s Polymer Compounders and Distributors Group. He has a broad knowledge of both materials and the issues affecting the wider industry, with over 20 years experience in the field. @polymerman is the title used for announcements made via his Twitter account.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

21

The original one stop shop for all your moulding supplies Introducing Moldtec Plastic Processing Ancillaries • Robust, reliable construction with advanced electronic control • Full support, installation and spares service

TMW Mould Temperature Controller

TMW water heaters heat the mould and maintain set temperature.

Direct cooling and high pressure pump ensure constant temperature.

With our optimised design, water can reach 120˚C and the accurate PID control maintains accuracy of ±1˚C. Features: • Accurate PID control maintains temperature within ±1˚C. • Multiple safety devices with visible alarm.

• Accurate temperature control achieved by direct cooling.

• 5 BAR 42 litres/min • Max temp 120˚C.

from mould

In stock.

TM900W: In stock. Price £1295 to mould

PMS Ltd 24 Brunel Road, Corby, Northants NN17 4JW

22

www.pmseurope.com

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

( 01536 403886

www.kraussmaffei.com

INJECTION MOULDING | NEWS The new Weekly Timer will be integrated as a default setting on KraussMaffei’s MC6 Control Software

NEW ENERGY SAVING PRODUCTION TIMER IS INDUSTRY 4.0 IN ACTION, SAYS KRAUSSMAFFEI KraussMaffei has launched a new production timer for injection moulding machines that it says “significantly reduces” energy costs and waiting times.

The new ‘Weekly Timer’ function is now a default part of the Group’s MC6 Control Software that enables the user to set a precise production start time in advance.

“The MC6 ‘learns’ the boundary conditions of the machine thanks to an intelligent sequence. This tells the control system how long the preheating phase will take, which in turn allows the machine to be ready with pinpoint accuracy,” explained Dr. Reinhard Schiffers, Head of Machine Technology at KraussMaffei.

The new timer is also said to respond to changing temperatures (e.g. seasonal changes) or the installation of new plasticising units.

It can also detect changes to the process and reconfigure the times “immediately and continuously” says KraussMaffei. Thanks to this intelligence, the machine operator can define the exact start of production intuitively and without calculations, it added, meaning that inconvenient programming is no longer necessary and sources of

The new Borsche 560 installed at Alderburgh Group

error are reduced.

By using the Weekly Timer, KraussMaffei says machine waiting times are now “completely eliminated”, meaning significant savings potential in energy costs.

“Let’s take an easy calculation example. Even if a GX 650/8100 from KraussMaffei is not yet producing, but has been preheated, it requires energy. If such a machine remains in waiting mode for one hour three times per week, it can incur costs of 450 Euros (approx. £350 GBP) per year. If you calculate this for 20 machines over a 10-year period, you get 110,000 Euros (approx. £86,000 GBP), which our customers could save by using Weekly Timer,” said Schiffers.

Finally, KraussMaffei says Weekly Timer is an “excellent example” of how the vision of Industry 4.0 — the complete networking of all processes in production — can be implemented using intelligent machines. Weekly Timer registers changes automatically, responds and optimises the start of production of the injection moulding process through self-directed learning.

KraussMaffei refers to the implementation of Industry 4.0 within its own business as “Plastics 4.0”, under the three categories of ‘Intelligent Machines’, ‘Integrated Production’ and ‘Interactive Services’.

ALDERBURGH INVESTS £1.5M IN NEW INJECTION MOULDING MACHINES AND LARGER FACTORY

It purchased and installed a Borsche 560-tonne moulding machine earlier this year and has subsequently ordered another three machines, namely a new Borsche 800-tonne and two additional-560 tonne models.

“We have been delighted with both the performance of the new Borche 560 together with the energy efficiency,” commented Gary Baker, Director, Alderburgh Group.

Specialist manufacturers and suppliers of building protection systems, Alderburgh Group, says continued expansion has seen it invest £1.5 million in the last 12 months on new injection moulding machinery and a move to a 6,500 sq. ft. manufacturing facility.

The Littleborough-based company, which produces various plastics products in relation to ground works in the construction industry, already has an existing in-house injection moulding facility with eight machines.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

WWW.KRAUSSMAFFEI.COM

WWW.BORCHE.CO.UK

23

Superior unmanned moulding. With FANUC it’s easy.

FANUC ROBOSHOT

HIGH PRECISION ELECTRIC INJECTION MOULDING

Roboshot was designed for maximum precision, convenience and performance. Thanks to FANUC’s common control platform it’s also easy to automate with robots. Adding these not only enables seamless tending but also gives you the flexibility to produce sophisticated parts that require inserts. That way you have the best of everything: excellent cycle times, low costs per part and the ability to mould almost anything.

marketing@fanuc.co.uk http://goo.gl/nZcCXH

ReferenceBP&R052016

www.kraussmaffei.com

CASE STUDY: NEGRI BOSSI UK TO HOST WORLD PREMIERE OF NEW MACHINE RANGES The first ever showing of two new injection moulding machine ranges from Negri Bossi will mark the official opening of the company’s new UK facility.

The site in Rugby will open its doors on 18th and 19th May 2016 for an Open House event that will see it exhibit the latest models in Negri Bossi’s EOS and Canbio ST ranges.

“We are honoured to have the first world-wide demonstration of these two new models,” said Alan Dodds, Negri Bossi UK General Manager.

In with the new In terms of new developments, both the new machinery models will, as standard, feature the latest Bosch Rexroth GH4 pumps, which have been specifically developed for servo motor applications. The pumps come with Baumuller three-phase synchronous motors, which are of similar design to servo motors currently used in industrial robots.

The latest ‘Tactus’ series touchscreen B&R-based controller is now standard to both models.

This has a familiar layout to that of previous ‘Columbia’ controller fitted to the outgoing Canbio machine, but uses a ‘single touch’ interface that Negri Bossi says is both easy to navigate and can be operated with a gloved hand. Communication rates are also improved, it added, thanks to the new ‘Powerlink’ Ethernetbased communication system that replaces the older Canbus technology.

The EOS

The latest EOS models will be available with up to 180 tonnes clamping force, and as well as maintaining their unique ultracompact design, major changes to guarding systems are said to provide better access to key areas, whilst reducing the ‘working footprint’ still further. Other changes include an improved material discharge system and options to decrease the minimum mould height when required.

The new Canbio ST models benefit from the recently introduced ‘bushless’ platen system, which utilises the latest prismatic linear bearing systems that minimise lubrication whilst offering improved opening and closing speeds, as well

The Canbio ST

The Negri Bossi UK team (pictured here outside the new facility in Rugby) will welcome visitors to demonstrate new machinery on 18-19th May.

as enhanced mould protection.

“We believe that Negri Bossi machines are the ‘technician’s choice’, so we always listen to any comments that will help in the long term development of our models.

This is particularly demonstrated in the case of the EOS machine, which now uses the same type of familiar control system as our other models,” continued Dodds.

“The new Tactus touch screen is another example of waiting for the technology to get to a point that is compatible with the ‘real world’ environment of a busy mould shop.”

Leading suppliers in attendance As well as demonstrations from Negri Bossi, the Open House will facilitate guest speakers from Utility Team (specialists in the reduction of energy costs), as well as from Plastribution, focusing on material supply issues and market trends.

The event will also give delegates the opportunity to meet Negri Bossi CEO, Craig Ward, as well as a number of plastic sector suppliers. There will also be representatives from Sytrama, including General Manager, Domenico Ghilardi, who will be aiding in the demonstration of the latest robot range and a live demonstration of Negri Bossi’s ‘Amico Teleservice’ system.

If you are interested in attending the Negri Bossi Open House, contact sales@negribossi.co.uk together with your preferred day.

WWW.NEGRIBOSSI.COM

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

25

Engineering Passion

SUMITOMO (SHI) DEMAG REPORTS “MOST SUCCESSFUL YEAR” YET IN 2015 Sumitomo Demag has reported the most successful year in the company’s corporate history with an 11 percent year-on-year rise in sales to EUR 234 million (approx. £185 million GBP).

The company attributes the success to strategic changes it initiated in April 2015, including a focus on core competencies, the pooling of its two German production sites into one production centre and a capacity expansion at Demag Plastics Machinery in Ningbo/China.

“In 2015, we took a new – and successful – approach to our sales and customer service strategy. In future, we will strive to consolidate and sustain this success,” commented Gerd Liebig, CSO of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag.

The company has recently opened new subsidiaries in Hungary and Austria, as well as expanding and consolidating sales structures in Israel, Saudi Arabia and Iran. It has also rebranded its aftersales department to reflect international customer service.

“We can be proud of our

achievements in 2015. Our shares in target markets, such as automotive and E+E, have increased significantly, as have our shares in the market for allelectric injection moulding machines,” commented Dr. Tetsuya Okamura, CEO of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag.

“The demand, particularly in the market segments relevant to complex all-electric machines such as packaging, has risen sharply.

In 2016, we will to continue our efforts to consolidate our market position and be successful. The excellent results in 2015, which vastly exceeded our expectations, provides us with the strength for new strategic investments.”

Modernising its machine range, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag says it has made investments in the “doubledigit millions”. It says an expansion of industry-oriented sales efforts and establishing additional sales outlets are next on the agenda.

“We have intensified our efforts to consolidate and expand our production portfolio in 2016. This year will be dominated by the K trade fair, where our company will present an

Kongskilde your conveying specialist

The Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Management Board

abundance of innovative products with a strong focus on our target segments.

Among these will be new machines with a clear focus on higher output rates for injection moulders as well as advanced functions and integration options for existing machine ranges,” Andreas Schramm, CTO of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, concluded.

WWW.SUMITOMO-SHI-DEMAG.COM

for the first…

insolvency online auction

the focus is on

Kongskilde offers complete systems for conveying and handling large volumes of plastics materials generated from today’s production lines.

These systems ensure a high efficiency, significant savings and an improved working environment.

Kongskilde UK Tel. 01263 713291 mail@kuk.kongskilde.com www.kongskilde.com

large plastic injection moulding corporation in southern Germany approx. 35 injection moulding machines (Mannesmann) Demag (up to 2006), clamping force 25 to 800 t, e.g. Concept 250/630-1450 (2006), intern. type-size designation 2500-1450, clamping force 150 t, 2 core pullers, 2 pneumatic valves, 2 pneumat. tool needle valves, 3 signal inputs/outputs, control system, Demag NC4, unloading robot, Demag W721-0739, X/Y/Z - approx. 550/1,000/2,500 mm, safety enclosure, resp.

2 2K plastic injection moulding machines, ERGOtech system (1999 resp. 2000), intern. type-size designation 2000-310-310, clamping force 200 t, and ultrasonic welding system, Herrmann VE 20 Slimline Dialog 4800 (2013), complete tool manufacture equipment, approx. 8 silos, VA/aluminium, 48 m³, batch floor conveyors, diff. types of works and business equipment, and many other items

our Hotline +49 40 450 14 20 end of auction 25.05.16 viewing 23.05.16

Detailled technical catalogue: www.industrierat.de

26

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK NEU IR 86x124 Kunststoff.Untern engl.indd 1

06.04.16 08:27

www.kraussmaffei.com

SLOWDOWN IN CHINA SEES HAITIAN SALES DOWN SLIGHTLY IN 2015 Haitian International has revealed that the slowdown in its domestic market of China resulted in a decline in its overall sales figures for 2015, however, sales of its all-electric and two-platen machines were strong.

The Haitian Group delivered around 26,000 machines and recorded a turnover of RMB 7.34 billion (approx. EUR 1.04 billion), which represents a decrease of 3.0 percent compared to the previous year.

In its export markets, Haitian International launched new products, strengthened its sales network and pre-sales and aftersales The Zhafir Venus Series remains a best seller for the Group

services. In some regions such as Vietnam, Korea, India, Europe and Mexico, the Group says it recorded impressive sales growth. Its overall export sales amounted to RMB 2,292 million (approx. EUR 324.19 million), which, despite representing a drop of 1.6 percent compared to 2014, is still the Group’s second highest export ever.

Haitian International said in order to cope with the challenges in the market during the year, it continued its business development strategy of converting small tonnage hydraulic machines to electric solutions and large tonnage machines to twoplaten solutions.

The sales of its all-electric Zhafir Venus Series increased by 29.5 percent to RMB 675.7 million (approx. EUR 95.57 million) and reached more than 1600 orders, an increase of 46.2 percent compared to 2014. Sales of its large two-platen Haitian Jupiter Series reached nearly 500 units and rose by 39.8 percent to RMB 741.3 million (approx. EUR 104.85 million) compared to 2014.

The proportion of Zhafir electric machine sales in small tonnages increased from 11.1 percent to 14.8 percent and the sales of two-platen machines in medium-sized and large tonnages rose from 19.5 percent

to 28.5 percent. The Mars Series remained the Group’s bestseller and accounted for nearly 70 percent of total sales.

“Over the past five decades, we faced different ups and downs and structural changes to the Chinese economy. We will continue to navigate through the existing environment and capture business opportunities again so as to grow stronger,” commented Zhang Jianming, Executive Director and CEO of Haitian International. “We will launch a significant upgrade of our electrical and two-platen series which comprises second-generation models of all the product lines. This will enable us to improve customer benefits and expand our market share.”

The Group says it will focus on production efficiency and sustainable growth in 2016. It recently held a ‘topping out’ ceremony for its new 7,500 m2 production hall in Germany, which will be officially opened on June 6th, 2016. In the UK, Haitian and Zhafir are sold and serviced by Premier Moulding Machinery (PMM).

WWW.HAITIAN.CO.UK *Currency conversions correct as Dec 2015

EN 100 The Romi

MOULDING MACHINE SLASHES ENERGY USAGE AT UK MANUFACTURER A UK manufacturer of plastic components says a new injection moulding machine is using between “a quarter and a third” less energy than its existing machines in the same tonnage range.

Worthing-based Nordell, which produces bespoke and standard products as well as tooling for an international customer base, says the installation of its new Romi EN 100 machine was originally as a replacement model, but “booming” business has seen the company add it to its existing line-up.

“We had planned to replace an older machine but in fact the EN 100 has become an additional line due to demand,” explained Liam Price, Production Manager at Nordell.

“We looked at four manufacturers

but the Romi [machine] was our preferred choice. The platen size is good compared to other 100 tonne machines, it has a small footprint and it is very energy efficient.”

Nordell bought the EN 100 with one particular contract in mind.

However, the company says it is now fully utilising the machine 24 hours, five days a week to produce a broad range of items. Romi says virtually all thermoplastics and elastomers can be processed on the EN 100,

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

including high performance grades of LCP, PAA, PBT, PEEK, PEI, PPS, TPE, TPU, blends and specialist compounds.

“The maintenance on the Romi EN 100 is minimal and the results consistently good. The new graphic user interface is very logical so although there was a learning curve, it wasn’t onerous,” Price added.

WWW.ROMIUK.COM

27

ENGEL automotive

competence is standard

The automobile industry is shaping up for the future with intelligent technology. ENGEL will join your company on this journey: with competence, experience and visionary solutions for injection moulding. Whether your plastic components are to be safe, functional, lightweight or attractive, we at ENGEL will work with you hand in hand, allowing you to make sure your innovations are ready for series production even faster. For example, with our centre for lightweight composite technologies: Here ENGEL optimises new thermoplastic and reactive processes for your pioneering lightweight construction components.

www.engelglobal.com

www.kraussmaffei.com comment

MAGIC EIGHT: REFLECTING ON THE CREATION OF WITTMANN BATTENFELD

A

pril 1 of this year saw us celebrate the eighth anniversary of The Wittmann Group’s ON THE EIGHTH acquisition of ANNIVERSARY OF THE Battenfeld’s injection CREATION OF THE moulding WITTMANN BATTENFELD business.

GROUP, MANAGING As is well DIRECTOR OF THE documented, COMPANY’S UK SUBSIDIARY, Battenfeld from being BARRY HILL, REFLECTS ON the doyen WHETHER THE PARTNERSHIP machine builder HAS BEEN A SUCCESS, and process AS WELL AS HOW THE innovator of ACQUISITION IS AFFECTING the 70s and UK SALES TODAY. 80s - had been tumbling through at least two decades of very tough times. The Wittmann Group sales trajectory and story was quite the opposite. The Vienna-based supplier, known for its ancillary equipment for plastics processing and family-based management, had yet to prove itself in terms of core injection moulding technology.

The deal on April 1, 2008, therefore, saw the industry hoping for positive outcomes but holding its breath. Would the move be a perfect fit – could The Wittmann Group succeed where others had failed?

Eight years on and I believe that we have our clear and definitive answer: Two months ago, for example, Dr Werner Wittmann was in Hong Kong inking a deal to supply more than 100 new Wittmann Battenfeld machines to Hayco Manufacturing.

Wittmann Battenfeld IMMs and ancillaries installed at UK customer, Linear Plastics.

The equipment will be shipped to Hayco’s new manufacturing plant currently being built in the Dominican Republic. A number of machines will also go into an expansion of Hayco’s three existing factories in China.

Of course, such large, multimachine deals do happen from time to time. However, the fact that Wittmann Battenfeld sold so many machines to a company with so many Chinese machine builders in its own back yard is testament to their performance, and not least the fact the Group, as Wittmann Battenfeld, can supply a complete ‘one-stopshop’ for its moulding cells. From a marketing point of view, it seems clear that such a ‘one-stop-shop’ is desirable and necessary. It was clear from the start that a new and improved Battenfeld machine range would make a perfect match with Wittmann ancillary technology - and thus create a convenient purchasing platform for plastics processors worldwide.

And this has come to pass since April 1, 2008, and continues to develop and grow. All around the world, our companies are now enabled to supply everything needed for an effective moulding cell; automation; granulation; conveying; materials handling; temperature control and so forth. So not only is this year’s 100 plus machine order a great morale boost for Wittmann Battenfeld, it also sends a clear signal to the industry that the Battenfeld brand is now truly revived and thriving – under the Wittmann management.

Record year for Wittmann Battenfeld UK

Wittmann Battenfeld UK (WIBA) had a record year overall last year and is set to at least equal that again this year; thanks partly to a continuing and strong performance in robotics and automation. Our automation growth seems slightly ahead of that in UK and Irish manufacturing generally and we estimate our market share for linear robots and automation at between 60 and 70 percent in the contract

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Wittmann Battenfeld UK’s MD, Barry Hill

moulding sector. We also continue to land bulk orders from the trade. A leading small parts producer is now up to 31 Wittmann pick-and-place robots at its facility.

We also expect an increase in IMM numbers for several reasons, including the launch of our prequalified medical injection moulding machines (IMM) and our growing penetration of that market both in the UK and also in Ireland, as well as the completion of the full line of our IMM machines - from five to 1600 tonnes (with further sizes expected at K 2016).

In addition, aside of course from the availability of the full suite of ancillary equipment aforementioned, the growing popularity of our midsized to large machine(s) and the continuing strength of the successful UK SME trade moulding and automotive sectors are also working in our favour.

In conclusion, Wittmann Battenfeld is now a leading and global force in injection moulding. The Wittmann Group has revived it and modelled it in its own image as a family-style business with roots, values and strengths to match. WIBA UK feels very fortunate in facing the future with such quality resources at our disposal.

WWW.WITTMANN-GROUP.COM

29

COMPOSITES | NEWS Professors Leeke (Front) and Grover during the International Canoe Race

0845 34 54 560

ACADEMICS MAKE DEBUT OUTING IN RECYCLED CARBON FIBRE KAYAK

www.plastribution.co.uk

Plastribution.

The UK’s official distributor of Radici engineering polymers.

30

PLA0230_Radici Ad Half Page_02.indd 1

Two academics have successfully made their maiden voyage on a kayak made from recycled carbon fibre.

Professor Gary Leeke, honorary researcher at the University of Birmingham, led a team of scientists and engineers to create the kayak out of fibre reinforced composite materials, believed to be a world first.

Professor Leeke entered the 125mile International Canoe Race – a feat compared to climbing Everest – over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend with his teammate, Professor Liam Grover, to showcase that the kayak could “withstand the toughest of races.”

They paddled for 16 hours non-stop and retired, due to battling Storm Katie.

The kayak excelled however, proving it was high performance.

Professor Leeke and his team developed a technique using a process known as solvolysis to recycle composite materials, a process that is notoriously difficult. The kayak is built using this technique and is said to be as strong as the original, unmodified material.

“The kayak is only two to three millimetres thick. The material is light, extremely strong and hardwearing.

It can be used in a huge number of applications, as well as high performance sporting goods as demonstrated by our kayak,” explained Professor Leeke.

“We are excited to be putting the material to the test with the creation of the kayak. By racing it myself, with my teammate Liam, we know first hand how durable the material is.”

The material has been created to illustrate that composites can be recycled and used in manufacturing processes with industry. Recycled composites could have a large part to play in the future of manufacturing within industries such as automotive, renewable energy and construction.

There is a huge need to do this as the majority of composites are currently sent to landfill. This is becoming an increasing burden on the environment and it is expected that by 2025 it will be illegal to send composites to landfill in the UK. Professor Leeke is the lead academic for a project called EXHUME which develops new and resource efficient recycling and re-manufacturing processes with industry. EXHUME is a partnership between the Universities of Birmingham, Cranfield, Exeter and Manchester and is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

WWW.CRANFIELD.AC.UK/RESEARCH

01/04/2016 09:09

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

How PAEK polymer composites are set to revolutionise the aerospace industry

T

TIM HERR, GLOBAL STRATEGIC BUSINESS UNIT DIRECTOR FOR AEROSPACE AT VICTREX WRITES FOR BP&R ABOUT HOW THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES ARE THE KEY DRIVER IN SOLVING MANY OF THE WEIGHT AND COST ISSUES FACED BY THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY.

here are several significant trends and drivers within the Commercial Aerospace Industry that range from reducing costs and weight while boosting production speed, to achieving part design freedom while providing robust mechanical performance.

PAEK thermoplastic composites are the key to addressing these challenging goals and are aiding engineers in improving next-generation primary and secondary structural brackets that were previously made from metals or thermosets.

Carbon fibre consists of crystalline filaments, merely a few microns in width.

While the filaments are thin, they can impart high strength and rigidity to plastics, and the resulting composites, generically known as carbon-fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP), are in increasing demand across a variety of industries. In aerospace, fuelefficiency favours replacing metal parts and components with lighter CFRP counterparts.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a well known case in point, where the goal was an aircraft 20 percent more fuel-efficient than the 767 it was replacing.

Victrex estimates that if the use of carbonfibre composites reduces aircraft weight by 100kg, an airline with 500 short-range aircraft could save up to US$5 million (approx. £3.55 million GBP) per year in fuel costs.

Changing the Equation in Aerospace Composites

These PAEK solutions, for example, include

Fitting using VICTREX PEEK. Copyright Airbus Helicopters

the VICTREX AE250 composite product family, launched specifically for the Aerospace market, along with a novel hybrid moulding processing technology. VICTREX AE250 composites are the only PAEK composites that allow the overmoulding of a continuouslyreinforced composite with fibre-reinforced VICTREX PEEK injection moulding polymers.

This enables an unmatched combination of weight savings, cost reductions, design freedom, strength and production speed in structural applications such as interior, seating, engine or fuel system brackets.

The manufacturing cycle times for VICTREX AE250 thermoplastics are far shorter than those of traditional materials used. While it typically takes several hours to produce thermoset composite or metal components in some cases, the thermoplastic composite brackets have manufacturing cycle times measured in minutes.

PAEK thermoplastic composites can provide chemical and corrosion resistance to jet fuel, hydraulic fluid, de-icing solution, salt, steam, water and other commonly-used service fluids that would typically undermine the longevity of metals and thermosets. PAEK composites can offer between four and five times higher fatigue strength, specific stiffness, and specific strength when compared to that of traditional aviation metals such as aluminium.

Due to outstanding mechanical properties, an ability to perform across a broad range of temperatures and a durability in chemically aggressive environments, PAEK polymers have emerged as one of the top materials of choice for the Aerospace industry. Moreover, injection-moulded PAEK components open up new design possibilities, not only for reducing aircraft weight, but also for simplifying assembly and maintenance.

The high-modulus fibre (HMF) advantage

Because they are lightweight, durable, exceptionally strong, chemically resistant and inherently flame retardant, Victrex polymers have been used in the aerospace industry WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

for many years. In the summer of 2013, for example, aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, qualified the high-performance VICTREX PEEK 90HMF40 along its entire supply chain.

Reinforced with high-modulus fibres, HMF polymers offer a high-flow, easily processed material that provides parts that deliver several key benefits, including an up to 100-times longer fatigue life and up to 20 percent higher specific strength and stiffness when compared with aluminium 7075-T6 under the same conditions.

Airbus Helicopters’ deployment of VICTREX PEEK 90HMF40 is a case in point, where the company opted to replace aluminium in a fitting in the aircraft door of the Airbus A350-900 with a high-modulus, carbon fibrereinforced high-performance polymer. The bracket, manufactured from VICTREX PEEK 90HMF40, is now in serial production for commercial use, after receiving the relevant component qualification. The successful replacement of metal with the composite resulted in a 40 percent reduction in weight and costs. The injection-moulded polymer solution significantly reduces the higher costs associated with the traditional method of manufacture, where the bracket was machined from an aluminium block.

In addition, this reinforced polymer makes drilling much easier and easily withstands the moisture that continuously accumulates inside aircraft doors, compared with an aluminium component, which is prone to corrosion and requires a special surface coating.

In short, PAEK polymer-based solutions address the core challenges that the aircraft industry currently faces: reducing cost and weight while improving production speed.

About the Author

Tim Herr is the Global Strategic Business Unit Director – Aerospace, for Victrex plc, a UK-based specialist in polyaryletherketone (PAEK) polymers including polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

31

AF-Carbon

®

Deep black based on Nigrosine, “Made in Germany” – AF-Carbon® PA 950509 black and PA 950532 black • Least possible influence on the emission performance characteristics of the finished product.

• Black colorations with high degree of gloss, deeper black tones and better surface quality, specially in filled polyamide compounds.

• Enlargement of the processing window for PA 6 and PA 6.6 in GIT and WIT, as well as in foamed applications.

Black Magic ...

Our partner in UK: K.D. Feddersen UK Ltd. Member of the Feddersen Group www.kdfeddersen.co.uk www.af-color.com

MASTERBATCH AND ADDITIVES | NEWS The range of additives available in the sealed drum technology

COMPLETE RANGE OF LIQUID ADDITIVES IN SEALED DRUM TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHED Riverdale Global has launched a full range of modifiers and process aids supplied as liquid dispersions for processors who need to employ additives as stand-alone ingredients rather than in blends with colours.

The company’s new ‘GlobalPlus’ product line includes a full range of additives, each supplied as a singleadditive dispersion in a container that stays sealed from the moment it arrives at the processor’s loading dock, through storage, handling, and metering into the process, and during return to Riverdale Global for replenishment.

Riverdale says where liquid additives have typically been supplied in blends with liquid colours, the GlobalPlus sealed additive system is designed for processors who run clear or natural resins or who need to supplement the additive packages in pre-compounded or

SILVERGATE’S MASTERBATCH NAMED ‘BEST IN CATEGORY’

BY GLOBAL MATERIALS CONSULTANCY Silvergate Plastics says that recognition of one of its products by a global materials consultancy will open the door to exciting new sectors and opportunities.

The company’s ‘Simply White’ technology, used in a range of white masterbatches, has been named ‘Best In Category’ by Material ConneXion, which will now include samples of the product in its global library of innovative materials.

“Materials ConneXion has an incredible global presence and its ability to promote new innovations across several countries offers a highly attractive proposition for Silvergate Plastics, which is why this announcement is so exciting,” commented Maryann Wilcox, Silvergate’s UK and European Sales Manager.

Materials ConneXion helps companies to leverage material innovation to create better products and experiences. It is renowned for introducing new product developments to worldwide markets.

Silvergate says its Simply White technology performs extremely well in terms of colour accuracy and

masterbatch materials.

In keeping with Riverdale Global’s proprietary ‘Pump in a Drum’ design, the additive is metered into the process by a pump that is located inside the drum. The system is said to eliminate the complications of handling liquids — including spillage, leakage, cleanup, pump maintenance, unused additive, environmental concerns and disposal costs — according to Kevin Cabana, Riverdale’s Vice President of Process Technologies.

Although liquid additives typically cost more per pound than pellet concentrates, they contains higher active ingredient loadings, are used

at lower addition levels and take up much less warehouse space, Cabana explained. “While concentrates require higher letdowns to ensure good dispersion, liquid additives by their nature disperse more readily.

As a result, letdowns of only 0.1 to 1.5 percent are typical for liquids, whereas letdowns for concentrates may range from 0.5 to 4.0 percent.”

The GlobalPlus sealed additive product range includes slip agents, blowing agents, UV light stabilisers, nucleating agents, antistatic agents, antioxidants, antimicrobials and flow modifiers.

WWW.RIVERDALEGLOBAL.COM

covering power, at a “lower price” value. I am delighted that our than industry alternatives. This, it continued effort in driving new added, offers a less costly alternative innovations has been recognised by for plastic processors without such a prestigious and well-known compromising quality. advisory body to many of the world’s The masterbatch produced using leading organisations,” Wilcox added. the technology is said to achieve Samples of Simply White have now good colour and opacity whilst been added to the Innovation Library helping to overcome common and are available for worldwide problems related to screw and distribution. barrel wear. The technology removes the need for customers to specify WWW.SILVERGATE.CO.UK titanium dioxide contents by providing an opacity index figure for each product.

“This accreditation and opportunity has the potential to introduce us to new sectors, including fashion, Silvergate says its Simply interiors and automotive; industries White technology can be in which we can add tremendous used to create a low-cost, high quality product

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

33

Contact Us: www.biesterfeld-petroplas.com sales@biesterfeld-petroplas.com Tel: 01235 822040

When it comes to matching colour, no one gets closer.

• We want to bring your colour inspiration to life.

• We develop amazing new colours and special effects for some of the worlds leading brands.

CMYK COLOR INFORMATION:

INDORAMA DARK BLUE: C100 | M80 | Y6 | K30 {PANTONE 288C) INDORAMA GREEN: C97 | M2 | Y98 | K12 (PANTONE 348C) INDORAMA LIGHT RED: C2 | M100 | Y82 | K6 (PANTONE 186C)

• Performance is built-in, and cost designed out.

• Any colour, Anywhere, Anytime.

Masters of colour

34

Performance Masterbatches Telephone: +44 (0)1495 310583 Email: customer.service@pmb.co.uk

Polymer distribution across the UK & Ireland www.pmb.co.uk

www.biesterfeld-petroplas.com

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Graphic showing the antistatic properties of the new masterbatch.

Image: Tosaf

TOSAF DEVELOPS NEW ANTISTATIC MASTERBATCH OPTIMISED FOR PP PACKAGING Tosaf has developed a new antistatic masterbatch optimised for polypropylene packaging that it says remains highly effective even at very low atmospheric humidity.

New ST7505HP has low rates of addition of just one to five percent for extrusion and three to five percent for injection moulding, which bring about a significant reduction of the high electrical surface resistance typical for products made of PP. As a result, the company says electrical charges can quickly be reduced from moulded parts, rigid packaging or films, even in regions with a dry climate.

“We had already developed products for polyethylene which similarly retained their effect even at very low humidity. ST7505HP means we can now meet this requirement for the entire range of polyolefins and their applications as packaging materials, for example for foodstuffs, personal care, electrical and electronic products,” explained Irina Shtein Rozenman from Tosaf’s additives R&D division.

The new masterbatch has no effect on the colour and transparency of a material and

The Medi-Shower uses antimicrobial additives from Addmaster

meets FDA and EU requirements for food contact. Tosaf says in laboratory testing, ST7505HP has demonstrated an “excellent antistatic effect”, which is retained over the long term – even at just 12 percent RH – whereas conventional additives of this kind, such as hydrophilic surfactants, require a significantly higher atmospheric humidity in order to be effective. The new antistatic additive ensures, therefore, that electrical charges, which may attract dust or could damage and even destroy electronic devices, do not build up after extended dry storage

or after frictional contact with other surfaces.

Tosaf says ST7505HP is particularly suitable for PP packaging used in the electronics industry, as it doesn’t show a corrosive effect on the polycarbonate (PC) that is frequently used in this sector and therefore doesn’t cause stress cracking of the PC boards. In the film processing industry, ST7505HP can enable higher production speeds because film layers can be more easily separated from one another.

ANTIMICROBIAL SHOWERHEAD USED ACROSS NHS FOR INFECTION CONTROL

“We are delighted to receive the recognition from the SDU, we see this as a big step towards Medi-Shower becoming the ‘go-to’ showering system for healthcare,” explained Christie Allen, Managing Director of Medi-Shower.

NHS infection prevention teams face increasing number of challenges as they try to address the issue of waterborne bacterial infection, especially those that have become resistant to antibiotics.

The Biomaster additive technology is effective against most common types of bacteria including Legionella, Pseudomonas and MRSA and remains active for the lifetime of the product.

Biomaster antimicrobial technology from UK-based Addmaster is being used in a plastic showerhead adopted by the NHS as ‘best practice’ for its hospital showering systems.

‘Medi-Shower’ is a new shower system designed to tackle the challenge of both bacterial growth and bio-film build up in showers.

It comprises an antimicrobial embedded showerhead and hose with a colour-coded removable spray insert for infection control.

The NHS Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) has published a case study demonstrating how MediShower is helping reduce waterborne bacterial infection in hospitals while significantly lower in cost, waste, water and labour.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

WWW.TOSAF.COM

WWW.ADDMASTER.CO.UK/BIOMASTER

35

THE NEED FOR SPEED - HIGH PERFORMANCE TEMPERATURE CONTROL SOLUTIONS THERE’S A PERFECT MATCH OF SPEED, EFFICIENCY AND HIGH PERFORMANCE WITH ICS COOL ENERGY’S BESPOKE SOLUTIONS. THEY BRING PRECISE TEMPERATURE CONTROL TO A WIDE RANGE OF INDUSTRIES, WITH LONGESTABLISHED EXPERTISE IN PLASTICS AND RUBBER PROCESSES.

We never compromise on “anything less than perfection, so

it’s reassuring to know that their systems and service are not only of the highest integrity, but also well proven. And ICS Cool Energy were straight on the case, with a delivery planned to meet our tight three-week deadline,

“

ICS Cool Energy provided machines colour-finished to match the equipment at Pektron’s new high precision facility and showcase.

Giles Sutcliffe, Injection Moulding Manager, Pektron.

NEW – ADVANCED TEMPERATURE CONTROLS There’s a new level of precise control for injection moulding processes with the i-Temp Flow Manifold that guarantees the reliable distribution of high intensity cooling and temperature control across multiple individual circuits. It provides even greater visibility and temperature control management for a more consistent end product.

• • •

Temperature control up to 120°C Control of up to 8 circuits from one interface Alert system if tolerance bands are breached

SOLUTIONS ON CALL ICS Cool Energy is a leading international temperature control specialist providing total equipment, service, hire and emergency support for all types of manufacturing businesses.

With a heritage of nearly 30 years’, understanding and meeting the demands of close temperature control for managers in plastics and rubber processing and manufacturing is a speciality.

PRECISION AND AESTHETICS – PRIORITY FOR PEKTRON Leading edge electronics specialists Pektron supplies demanding customers across the globe including e-vehicle and high performance sports cars as well as safety, industrial and off highway markets.

Regularly welcoming visitors from around the world, a prestigious facility is as important as high precision manufacturing for Pektron. ICS Cool Energy stepped in with a rapid response to deliver and install a fully integrated solution within just three weeks.

Eleven new i-Temp ci 140T high performance units have been installed to provide full control over heated water to 140°C for optimum precision in the plastics moulding process. The fully integrated system allows intelligent communications and control between the moulding machines and the heating units, minimising the deviations in temperature that can impact on product quality.

ICS Cool Energy’s attention to detail also included a custom colour finish to match the Engel moulding machines, a small but important point for Pektron.

“We do things differently and we want our facility to reflect our ethos of high precision engineering with a clean, smart looking workplace. ICS Cool Energy were straight on the case with a fully integrated solution with impressive speed and detail, even to colour matching the temperature controllers,” said Giles Sutcliffe, Injection Moulding Manager, Pektron.

CONTACT US NOW 0800 774 7415 or email us: info@icscoolenergy.com THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL SPECIALISTS. SALES. HI RE. SERVICE.

W W W. I C S C O O L E N E R G Y.C O M

Ambition is the key additive in masterbatch manufacturer’s growth

A

stropol, based in Hindley Green, Lancashire, says it is looking forward to an exciting year in 2016 as it uses recent investments to drive forward its ambitions in both domestic and export markets.

Spearheading these MANUFACTURER OF developments, Chris Wright, MASTERBATCH, ASTROPOL, the company’s Managing HAS GROWN FROM A NICHE Director, says the recent expansion of its manufacturing BUSINESS IN THE NORTH facility, the purchase of new WEST OF ENGLAND TO machinery and equipment, ONE THAT HAS DOUBLED as well as recruiting new ITS SIZE AND TURNOVER, technical personnel will allow DIVERSIFIED INTO NEW the business to push forward MARKETS AND EVEN with its expanded range of products and services for the FORMED A COMPLIMENTARY PVC market and beyond.

SISTER COMPANY. “Astropol created a niche BP&R REPORTS ON THE in the colour masterbatch COMPANY’S FUTURE PLANS. market using unique polymeric dispersion techniques for PVC,” Wright explained. “However, where the business started out as a small manufacturer of bespoke colour formulations supplying a handful of accounts in the traditional PVC pipe and cable markets, we have, over time, diversified to the wider PVC-U building sector, with a focus on window profile and pipe extruded and moulded products.”

Investing for Success The decision to progress the company into new markets and sectors was driven by Wright as part of a successionplanning role when he first joined the company in 2001.

However, following a Management Buyout in 2008, Wright pursued the opportunity to grow the company, which has resulted in a number of investments over the last few years.

The company produces a wide range of colour masterbatch for PVC

“The investments we have made recently have included a large building expansion to double the size of our manufacturing facility, which now totals 13,000 square feet,” said Wright. “This investment also importantly included the associated external building works (and drainage) to address the ever more stringent environmental requirements of this type of business.”

The company has also invested in additional machine capacity, with the installation of a second, new high-speed MTI mixer/cooler combination, adding to the existing plant and increasing blending production by 50 percent. It has also purchased three new extruders, one counter-rotating and two co-rotating, providing a 100 percent increase in extrusion production.

Staying core to its PVC colour masterbatch production, which remains the company’s key product area, has resulted in it more than doubling its turnover in the period from 2008-2015. This success, however, has been supplemented by the decision to use the same PVC-based masterbatch technology used in its colour masterbatch production to manufacture additive masterbatch for PVC, including foaming agents and antimicrobials.

“The whole time that we have undergone expansion and investment in our product offerings and facilities, we have remained true to our close working partnerships with our customers, which is key to our success,” Wright commented.

“Particularly in recent years this has seen us supporting our customers with their voluntary commitments to remove Lead from their formulations, including colour correction projects and the removal of lead chrome pigments.”

To strengthen this customer service offering, as well as its technical competencies, Astropol has recently appointed two senior staff in its production management and technical sales departments, bringing the overall headcount at the company to more than 20.

Forward Thinking

With a strong manufacturing and personnel base to support its plans, the company is now honing opportunities for growth. in e wing sit This includes the recent Astropol’s gro Lancashire formation of a separate Hindley Green, sister company, Colourpol, which for the first time sees the business diversifying into the formation of masterbatch for plastics other than PVC. It also includes its plans to develop in both the domestic market, with the company preparing for the PVC 2017 event in Brighton next year, as well as overseas, with the K Show in October 2016 providing it with an opportunity to expand its export platform with access to new customers from around the globe.

Celebrating his 15th year anniversary with the business last month, Wright says he is excited by what 2016 holds for the company. “These are really exciting times for Astropol,” he explained. “Over recent years we are grateful for the ongoing support of our customers, who are very important to us. The investments we have undertaken across the business mean that we can continue to provide them, as well as new clients, with quality masterbatches and effective service.”

WWW.ASTROPOL.UK.COM WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

37

100% ORIGINAL

Don’t play games with safety! www.staubli.com

Choose the original Stäubli.

There is no secret behind linking performance and safety.

We always have in mind innovation, quality and safety when we design our connectors range.

Using copies is a dangerous game to play.

Only the systematic and exclusive connection of Stäubli sockets and plugs together can guarantee operator safety and equipment performance.

Stäubli (UK) Ltd - Phone: +44 1952 671918 - Mail: connectors.uk@staubli.com

Driving material change

0845 34 54 560

www.plastribution.co.uk

AUTOMOTIVES | NEWS

The Peugeot 308.

(Image: Peugeot)

PEUGEOT 308 SEES ALMOST 3KG OF WEIGHT SAVINGS THANKS TO ARPRO A lightweight, expanded polypropylene bead foam material has been used to achieve almost 3kg of weight savings, as well as reductions in CO2 emissions, in Peugeot’s 308 model.

The new EURO NCAP 5-star rated Peugeot 308 uses ARPRO material from JSP in six applications in the vehicle, resulting in a six percent reduction in fuel consumption and 20 percent less CO2 emissions as a result of the weight saving.

“The Peugeot 308 is an excellent example of how using innovative new materials can significantly reduce the weight of a vehicle, while benefitting passenger comfort, safety and performance,” explained Bert Suffis, ARPRO Innovation Manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“Importantly, using a material such as ARPRO also offers flexibility and versatility in the manufacturing process.”

One of the biggest weight savings

SOLVAY POLYMERS CHOSEN FOR FURTHER APPLICATION IN ALL-PLASTIC ENGINE

The Amodel A-8930 HS PPA water inlet/outlet fixture

High performance polymers from Solvay have been chosen in a further application for the ‘Polimotor 2’ nextgeneration, all plastic engine project.

The water inlet/outlet fixture in the Polimotor 2 engine’s cooling system will be fabricated from Solvay’s Amodel A-8930 HS polyphthalamide (PPA), a highperforming reinforced grade that is said to retain mechanical properties in high-temperature engine coolant better than standard polyamide 66 (PA66). Solvay’s TecnoflonPL855 fluoroelastomer (FKM) will also provide a strong chemical- and heatresistant seal for the fixture.

Led by automotive innovator Matti Holtzberg, the Polimotor 2 project aims to design and

as a result of using the material is in the vehicle’s integrated seat ramp, which is made entirely from ARPRO, enabling a flat, modular chassis and a saving of almost 2kg per vehicle.

Other applications in the vehicle that use the material include the boot panel, where a one-piece ARPRO component was engineered to house the spare tyre and create a flat floor loading area to save-space as well as weight, and also the head restraints, which weigh just 29g each using ARPRO. Within the engine compartment

two pieces of ARPRO, totalling 58g, sit under the bonnet providing energy and noise absorption. Finally, the footrest in the driver’s seat well and the kneepads by the steering wheel both use the material.

“Peugeot is a truly innovative vehicle manufacturer and the future for the new second generation 308 looks very promising. Production is expected to grow further in 2016, so the 308 has a long life to come,” added Suffis.

manufacture an all-plastic engine for competitive racing in 2016.

“Automotive designers – on and off the race track – are seeking more heat-resistant polymer technologies as engine downsizing raises the performance demands on cooling system components,” explained Holtzberg. “No company can match both the breadth and depth of Solvay’s high-performance polymer portfolio, which continues to provide the Polimotor 2 team with flexible design options. We considered several grades from the Amodel PPA and Ryton PPS product families, but, ultimately, Amodel A-8930 HS PPA was best tailored to meet the thermal and structural requirements for this application. It also delivered strong corrosion resistance and weight reduction benefits.”

A recent addition to the Solvay portfolio, Amodel A-8930 HS PPA is a 30-percent glassfibre reinforced, heat-stabilised polymer specifically offered for high-temperature components in automotive, aerospace and industrial

applications. It was selected for the Polimotor 2 water inlet/outlet, in part, for its strong hydrolytic stability, which enables it to retain mechanical performance after extended exposure to high-temperature engine coolants. More specifically, Amodel A-8930 HS PPA retains its high tensile strength and elongation after extended exposure to ethylene glycol at 135°C. Solvay says its reinforced PPA also exhibits superior creep resistance and low moisture absorption compared to PA66.

The injection moulded water inlet/outlet now links Polimotor 2’s cylinder head and engine block to the radiator via a rubber hose. In conventional race engines, the part is more likely to be an aerospacequality army/navy fitting machined from aluminium billet. In today’s production engines, PA66 is more typically used, depending on thermal requirements.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

WWW.ARPRO.COM

WWW.SOLVAYSPECIALTYPOLYMERS.COM 39

Flexible Plastics.

Tailored to your requirements.

IN TOUCH WITH PLASTICS

Your Vision. Your Product. Our Solutions.

Through our global technical & sales network we offer tailor-made TPE solutions based on ALFATER XL® (TPV), DESMOPAN ® (TPU), SIPOLPRENE® (TPC), EVOPRENE® (TPS) and SOLPLAST® (TPS). Join us to explore new opportunities.

ALBIS (UK) Ltd. Parkgate Industrial Estate · Knutsford GB-Cheshire WA 16 8XW Phone: +44/(0)1565/755777 · Fax: +44/(0)1565/755196 albisuk@albis.com · in Ireland: ireland@albis.com www.albis.com

40

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Driving material change

0845 34 54 560

www.plastribution.co.uk

VDI Automotive Conference: A platform for plastics BRITISH PLASTICS AND RUBBER REVIEWS NEW MATERIALS, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE MARKET LAUNCHED AT VDI LAST MONTH. ON-POINT FOR AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS

WORDS | LEANNE TAYLOR

F

T

he VDI Automotive conference in Germany is widely considered to be an important platform for polymer suppliers to show their latest innovations in the presence of the newest car models and applications – and this year was no exception. This year more than 1500 visitors attended the conference and exhibition, with key topics including lightweighting solutions for interior and exterior applications, CAE simulations for crash behaviour of plastic components and Industry 4.0. During the event, a number of new materials, products and services were launched.

Designed to improve driver and passenger safety and comfort, OnFlex LO slashes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 50 percent.

Credit: PolyOne/ ThinkStockPhotos. com

irstly, PolyOne launched a new thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and specialist design service specifically for Europe. The company says the availability of both the new ‘OnFlex LO TPE’ and ‘IQ Design Labs’ service will help manufacturers in the region to increase both the safety and time-to-market of their products.

OnFlex LO TPE is designed to improve driver and passenger safety and comfort, by reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 50 percent and minimising fogging and odour in interior automotive components. Well suited, the

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

company said, for a broad range of automotive applications including heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) seals, buttons, controls, coin trays and drink holder mats, the new material can be overmoulded onto polyolefin substrates using two-shot injection moulding processes.

“PolyOne has once again pushed the innovation envelope to help automotive OEMs improve the consumer driving experience,” explained Charles Page, Director of Global Marketing, PolyOne. “Our new material will play an important role in minimising further off-gassing of chemicals to help automakers create a healthier, more enjoyable vehicle environment.”

PolyOne tested OnFlex LO TPE against its existing TPEs according to VDA 278 standard for VOCs and fog, and VDA 270 standard for odour. Results, its says, showed OnFlex LO TPE cut VOC emissions by approximately 50 percent and fog emissions by 40 percent, while maintaining outstanding low odour performance.

In addition to the new materials, the company also announced the availability of its IQ Design Labs service in Europe. By combining expertise in design, polymer science and manufacturing, PolyOne says that the industrial designers and project engineers based in the Labs work with customers in the early stages of product development to inspire creative designs that can be efficiently manufactured and successfully launched.

“PolyOne continues to introduce new polymer solutions and design services to help our customers innovate,” explained Holger Kronimus, Vice President and General Manager, Speciality Engineered Materials, Europe, at PolyOne. “Based on its success in North America, the IQ Design Labs service will now additionally support the creativity of Europe’s manufacturers and help them shrink the time required to introduce new products.”

41

Driving material change

Providing m

HIGHLY REINFORCED POLYAMIDES AND POLYESTERS Lanxess showcased its new, expanded range of highly reinforced polyamides and polyesters for the design of extremely strong automotive structural components.

The company has launched Durethan AKV 60 XF, a polyamide 66 with a glass fibre content of 60 percent. The new high-performance thermoplastic, it says, combines the benefits of a highly reinforced, easy-flowing compound with the advantages of a polyamide 66 resin.

“The material exhibits excellent strength and stiffness. It unlocks a whole new dimension of design freedom for all-plastic parts, plastic/ metal hybrid technology and continuous-fibre-reinforced semifinished thermoplastic composites.

What’s more, it can be used as a metal substitute in a whole range of applications,” explained Ralf Heinen, a Plastics Expert at Lanxess.

Durethan AKV 60 XF offers the benefits of thinner walls without

42

Compared to polyamide 66 with a glass fibre content of 50 percent, new Durethan AKV 60 XF, which is reinforced with 60 percent glass fibres, features much higher stiffness and improved flowability.

Photo: LANXESS AG

sacrificing mechanical performance.

At 13,300 MPa (conditioned, room temperature), the material’s modulus of elasticity is more than double that of the standard polyamide 66, Durethan AKV 30 H2.0, which has a

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

glass fibre content of 30 percent.

When it comes to resistance to heat and chemicals, compared to its other polyamide 6 materials with the same glass fibre content, the new polyamide 66 structural material

material choice

offers better resistance to chemicals, while its temperature of deflection under load (ISO 75-1,-2), at 250 °C, is almost 40 °C higher.

“Moreover, at 180 °C, the maximum long-term service temperature is some 40 °C higher than for polyamide 66 grades with standard heat stabiliser. This exceptionally high thermal stability is a very special feature of the material that significantly expands its range of applications,” added Heinen.

Another advantage of the new material, says Lanxess is its processing characteristics, including flowability, shorter cycle times and excellent surfaces.

The new polyamide 66 can also be used as a substitute for metals in components under the hood.

Potential applications include valve covers, transmission and engine oil pans, brackets and intake pipes.

Engine mountings and coupling rods in the chassis area are also viable applications for the material.

PC-ABS FOR EXTERIOR APPLICATIONS

Global materials company and manufacturer of plastic, latex and rubber, Trinseo Automotive, launched its new ‘Pulse XT’ line of PC-ABS products. The new series is aimed at providing cost effective solutions for exterior automotive applications, including roof spoilers, side mirrors, mirror housings, roof bows, front grills, front bumper grills and spoilers. “[Materials in] the PULSEXT series stand out with their density advantage of up to 10 percent versus competitive PC-PET solutions, allowing for considerable weight savings,” said Anis Tebib, Marketing Manager for Trinseo.“These PC-ABS blends are meeting the latest OEM exterior material specifications and allow for high gloss exterior paintability specifications. The PULSE XT9215 was recently used in the first very low CLTE roof rail application.

There is great market opportunity to use this solution in other automotive platforms in the future.”

Key performance benefits of the Pulse XT series include a very low Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion (CLTE); easy flow and reduced cycle time; easy processability and high-gloss finish and improved dimensional stability.

0845 34 54 560

www.plastribution.co.uk

LIGHTWEIGHTING, AIR MANAGEMENT AND CAE DEVELOPMENTS

NEW ABS PLATING GRADES

ELIX Polymers presented its new ABS plating grades

ELIX Polymers, a manufacturer of ABS resins and derivatives in Europe, introduced new ABS plating materials at VDI. Target applications for the electroplating grades include radiator grilles, logos, profiles, tailgate handles and decorative interior parts.

The company unveiled HH P2MC, which is an upgraded version of its flagship ABS grade, P2MC, as well as a platable ABS/polycarbonate (ABS/ PC) blend, Ultra HH4115PG. The new HH P2MC, which ELIX says has similar behaviour to the original in terms of processability and properties, but its heat deflection temperature (HDT) is several degrees higher, at around 104°C, is said to have several other advantages over other platable high heat grades in the market, such as compliance with automotive low emission requirements.

ELIX says for applications where even higher temperature resistance or impact strength is required, it has developed the new Ultra HH4115PG, an ABS modified with PC. This, it says, offers very competitive advantages over PC-ABS grades (PC modified with ABS) in terms of processability, lightweighting and costs. Adherence of the metal phase is also said to be one of its strong points.

“The conference was very positive and there was a high interest in our new products,” explained Fabian Herter, ELIX’ Industry Manager for Automotive. “It is an event where we need to be present, because we meet our key contacts from OEMs and Tiers, can discuss new trends of the automotive industry and can also make new contacts.”

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

During the event, DuPont Performance Materials highlighted the cost savings and performance gains achieveable through the use of its Hytrel thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) in jounce bumpers as a replacement for polyurethane foam.

It also demonstrated opportunities to reduce vehicle mass without compromising safety through the use of its Vizilon thermoplastic composites in different structural applications, as well as the latest applications of DuPont’s portfolio of high temperature tolerant materials to enable the downsizing of engines.

In addition to product specific initiatives, DuPont representatives explained how recent advances in computer aided predictive engineering (CAE) have huge potential for design, performance, emissions reduction, cost savings and safety.

“The VDI Congress is a landmark event in the calendar for industry leaders to come together and share new ideas,” said Patrick Cazuc, Global Automotive Marketing Director for DuPont Performance Materials.

Next year the VDI conference returns to Mannheim, Germany, and is scheduled to take place on the 29th 30th March 2017.

WWW.POLYONE.COM WWW.LANXESS.COM WWW.TRINSEO.COM WWW.ELIX-POLYMERS.COM WWW.PLASTICS.DUPONT.COM

DuPont’s portfolio of high temperature tolerant materials was discussed at the event.

43

28 SEPT - 29 SEPT 2016

REGISTER NOW

RECLAMATION & RECYCLING | NEWS MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY CALLS FOR BOTTLE DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is calling for the introduction of a deposit return scheme in the UK as a measure to tackle the growing number of plastic bottles littered on the nation’s beaches.

The charity is urging the country’s devolved governments to consider the implementation of such schemes following the latest figures from its annual ‘Great British Beach Clean Up’, which revealed an increase in the number of plastic bottles littered by over 43 percent.

“Deposit Return Systems (DRS) are nothing new. Lots of people will remember taking pop bottles back to the shop and up until last year the makers of Irn-Bru were returning 30p on glass bottles,” commented Lauren Eyles, MCS Beachwatch Manager.

“Currently DRS schemes run successfully in Germany, Denmark, and some states in Australia and the USA. Studies have shown that a scheme can reduce the amount of littered drink containers, lead to more recycling and contribute to the

circular economy – where resources are used again and again to extract maximum value. The schemes put a surcharge on drinks containers and when they’re returned – avoiding pollution – the surcharge is refunded.”

MCS says the introduction of DRS on all single use drinks containers — plastic, aluminium and glass — will see a massive increase in recycling and a change in people’s behaviour

VEKA RECYCLING MAINTAINS EUROPEAN CERTIFICATION FOR STANDARDS

Simon Scholes, Director at VEKA Recycling UK ltd.

Kent-based recycler of PVC-U post-consumer window profiles, VEKA Recycling Ltd., has received continued accreditation under EuCertPlast, a European Unionwide certification scheme aimed at standardising the recycling of postconsumer plastics.

Developed through a three-year project financed by the European Union under the Eco-Innovation Programme, the scheme works according to EN15343:2007 and aims to encourage the environmentally friendly recycling of plastics by standardising the processes, particularly focusing on the traceability and assessment of conformity and recycled content of recycled plastics.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

The MCS is calling for the introduction of a DRS to alleviate the amount of litter on the nation’s beaches

from simply throwing items away.

Deposit Return Systems, it added, give value to items often regarded as having zero worth and therefore are disposed of irresponsibly.

WWW.MCSUK.ORG

The goals of the scheme include an increase in recycling rates; the development of innovative applications for recyclates; an increase in plastics industry transparency; and the fulfilment of REACH requirements and food contact compliance for recyclers.

“By providing effective operating standards, EuCertPlast offers those of us in the recycling industry minimum standards to work to and for our customers it provides reassurance of a range of measures that are key to effective recycling,” explained Simon Scholes, a Director of VEKA Recycling UK Ltd. “It also provides confidence that recyclates are traceable and of high quality. We wholly support such standardisation and any measures that drive up quality.”

45

CHALLENGING QUESTIONS ON MARINE LITTER ADDRESSED AT MULTI-STAKEHOLDER CONFERENCE The ultimate aim of zero plastics entering the marine environment was the key theme of a multi-stakeholder conference organised by industry trade association, PlasticsEurope.

The PolyTalk conference, which took place on 16-17 March in Brussels, raised and addressed a number of challenging questions and potential solutions to reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in the world’s seas and oceans.

“Marine litter is a global challenge that needs a global solution. We want to find the right answers to marine litter because our aim is for zero plastics entering the oceans,” said Patrick Thomas, CEO of Covestro and President of PlasticsEurope.

“The plastics industry is an important industry to Europe. We have a key role to play in providing leadership and best practice. We all share the same goal: to protect the environment,” he added.

The event gathered more than 250 high-level representatives from the world of politics, industry, NGOs, media, science and academia to discuss solutions to marine litter.

The PolyTalk conference for 2016 addressed the issues surrounding plastics in the marine environment.

“This is one of the clear symbols of a resource inefficient economy,” said Marianne Wenning, Deputy for Quality of Life, Water and Air, DG Environment, European Commission.

“The plastics industry has taken steps to raise this issue. However, we need to increase our efforts and address the challenge. The Circular Economy Package is an important tool in this respect,” she explained.

During the PolyTalk conference, the launch of a new website, www.marinelittersolutions.com,

was announced, which provides the latest news and information about industry’s involvement in the prevention of marine litter. To date, more than 60 plastics associations in 34 countries have signed the plastics industry’s global declaration, through which 185 projects have been planned, initiated or completed since its launch in 2011.

the ground by concrete stems.

The huts are powered by solar energy and feature an interior fan to keep overnight guests cool.

The concept for the recycled beach huts (Image: Spark)

WWW.MARINELITTERSOLUTIONS.COM WWW.POLYTALK.EU

FIRM DESIGNS OVERNIGHT BEACH ‘PODS’ MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC OCEAN WASTE First there were modern-day yurts, then luxury ‘glamping’ and now a new spin on traditional camping, in the form of beach ‘pods’ made from recycled plastic waste.

The pods are the vision of architectural design company, Spark, whose founder, Stephen Pimbley, was inspired by recent campaigns by adidas and G-Star RAW to produce new products using plastic waste collected from the seas and oceans.

Spark wants to use HDPE collected from the South Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of marine debris in the South Pacific waters, to produce brightly coloured, pine cone-shaped huts for beaches in Singapore.

The plastic would be colour-sorted and shredded before being mixed with recycled glass and moulded into ‘tiles’ to clad the timber inner frames of the huts, which are elevated from 46

WWW.SPARKARCHITECTS.COM WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

BUYER’S GUIDE

PL Machinery BG 2015_Layout 1 2

MATERIALS

DEHUMIDIFIERS

Whatever your ancillary needs – we have the solution

MASTERBATCH

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

HEATING EQUIPMENT

BLACK & WHITE MASTERBATCH Compounding

Recycling

Moulding

Film

Pipe

Conduit

Whitelands Mill, Whitelands Road Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6UG, UK Tel: +44 (0)161 308 2550 Fax: +44 (0)161 343 2026 E-mail: aml@abbeymb.com Web: www.abbeymb.com

Telephone: 01582 883666 Email: sales@plmachinery.com Web: www.plmachinery.com

MOULD RELEASE

ASSEMBLY hot plate welding Branson Ultrasonics

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

induction heating for platens and tools

pulse staking H.T.E Engineering Ltd

Unit 9, St Ives Enterprise Centre, St Ives, Huntingdon Cambridgeshire, UK, PE27 3NP T: +44 (0) 1480 467321 M: +44 (0) 7435 967632 E: john@hte.ie W: www.pulsestaker.com

ultrasonic welding

MF Induction Heating

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.

colour masterbatch

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

HOT RUNNER SYSTEMS hot runner controllers

DRYERS 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

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Call: 0161 624 2114

Email: sales@colourmaster.co.uk Eclipse Buyers Guide_Layout ANCILLARIES 1 07 www.colourmaster.co.uk

InControl Ultrasonics Ltd (FFR Ultrasonics Ltd)

New and used Granulators, Shredders, Pulverisers, Wash Plants 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.

Blades and Screens Blade Sharpening Ancillary Items Service – Repair - Spares UK & Ireland Agents for

Tel: 01827 838840 Email: info@granulators.org www.granulators.org

BG Advert buyers guide.indd 1

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222

PO Box 10380, Sileby, LE12 7ZX T: 01509 621992 E: enquiries@ffr-ultrasonics. co.uk W: www.ffr-ultrasonics.co.uk

MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE gravimetric/volumetric blending Motan Colortronic Ltd

Telsonic UK 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

12a - 15 Birch Copse Technology Road, Poole, Dorset BH17 7FH T: 01202 697340 F: 01202 693674 E: info.uk@telsonic.com W: www.telsonic.co.uk Blog: telsonicuk.wordpress.com

for sale

vibration welding Branson Ultrasonics

158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 21/01/2015 16:42 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.bransoneurope.eu

DRYER HIRE Hire from one month Monthly rolling contract Opportunity to purchase

CHILLERS/TEMPERATURE CONTROLLERS 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

Range of models Preventative Maintenance Visits

We buy/sell

prime, reprocessed, regranulated PVC compounds, dry blends, pulverised, scrap flexible PVC, PVC resin and associated raw materials.

Please send us your offers/enquiries.

vinyl_ltd@mail.com vinyl_ltd

We can offer prime PVC compounding facilities to cover your specific requirements, bespoke compounds, breakdowns, holiday cover etc.

Please telephone to discuss.

Vinyl Ltd Tel: 01625 500912 Mobile: 07860371294

47

BUYER’S GUIDE SCREWS & BARRELS

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT LABORATORY MACHINES

Magnetics Separators Metal Detectors Eddy Current Separators

Bunting Magnetics Europe Ltd European Design & Manufacturing Facility

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

TRAINING

Northbridge Road Berkhamsted Hertfordshire HP4 1EH, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1442 875081 Email: sales@buntingeurope.com www.magneticseparation.co Contact: Carlton Hicks

NOZZLES & NOZZLE TIPS Engineers to the Plastics & Rubber industries, specialising in the following: Screw & Barrel Manufacture Screw & Barrel Refurbishment Tie Bar Repair & Manufacture Screw Tip Assemblies Feed Liners, Plain & Grooved 100 Tonne Screw & Barrel Press Bimetallic Barrel Blanks up to 50 mm In Stock Please e-mail or phone Karl for more info.

E. info@tws-mail.co.uk T. 01706 655402 W. www.tws-ltd.com Technical Welding Services (Rochdale) Ltd

MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE hopper loaders

PRINTING MACHINES pad

Global manufacturer & distributor of inserts for plastic, fasteners for plastic, cable management, circuit board hardware, nylon rivets & screws, rubber bumpers & feet & many more.

thermocouples

www.trfastenings.com sales@trfastenings.com

SECONDHAND AND RECONDITIONED

3D PRINTING

3D Printing FOR SALE

in Plastic & Rubber

BILL CARRINGTON

Regular quantity of Nylon/Polyester mixed fibre based in bales of 300400 kilos per bale.

Contact 01253 736963

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

STATIC CONTROL

Tel: 01420 88645

www.projet3d.co.uk

SERVICES MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS

Arrowquint Ltd

Unit 2 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.

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

RECYCLING SYSTEMS EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H.

MIXING, FEEDING & DOSING 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

48

Unterfeldstraße 3 4052 Ansfelden / Austria Phone: +43 (0)732/31 90-0 Fax: +43 (0)732/31 90-71 sales@erema.at www.erema.at

CHOOSE THE NUMBER ONE.

Cooper Plastics Machinery

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, haul-offs, fly knife cutters, conveyors/tip tables, in-line punches, coilers etc.

New and used. Repairs, servicing or rebuilds.

UK agent for Lyons Electronics.

SCREEN CHANGERS Industrial Plastics Ltd

DM Machinery 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

Used Injection Moulding Machine Stockists 40 Thorne Lane, Wakefield West Yorkshire, WF1 5RR T: 01924 290206 E: sales@dmmachinery.co.uk W: www.dmmachinery.co.uk

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

hardness - IRHD and shore MAPRA Technik Co — BAREISS For Bareiss of Germany IRHD & SHORE hardness testers, Abrasion & Rebound testers.

T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk

inspection & measurement MAPRA Technik Co – DOSS – MARCEL AUBERT – KAFER

For DOSS visual solution of Italy – Inspection & sorting machines for O’rings, Seals, Gaskets.

T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222

BUYER’S GUIDE

SERVICES SOFTWARE

PRINTERS

Gammadot Rheology Testing & Consultancy Services

printers of plastic mouldings 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 Sub-Contract Pad Printers to the Plastics Industry

PARTS & SERVICE

TESTINg/CONSULTANCY

Component PRINTERS

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

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222

TAMPO.SCREEN.FOIL

Contour Marking Co Ltd Albert house, Gledrid Industrial Park, Chirk ,Wrexham, LL14 5DG T: 01691 770093 F: 01691 770023 Sub Contract Tampo, Screen & Foil Printing to the plastic moulding industry E: sales@contourmarking.com W: www.contourmarking.com

SOFTWARE DIRECTORY A listing in the Software Directory costs £160 per programme per year. Call Lisa on 01244 680222 for details. real time production monitoring, scheduling and process monitoring Epicor Mattec Real-time MES (Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers & “Web Based”) Epicor Software (UK) Ltd T: +44 (0)1344 468 468 E: info.uk@epicor.com Modules: Production Monitoring, Process Monitoring, “Drag and Drop” Scheduling/Planning, “Family Moulding”, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts’ Trace-ability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, E-mail/Public Address System Alerts, Stand-alone “Drag and Drop” Scheduler, Stand-alone SPC “Machine Analyzer”, Machine Energy Monitoring, KPI Dashboards, Visual Manufacturing (Large LED Displays), Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (For Integration with Epicor ERP & Other Manufacturing Systems/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. intouch T: 01604 646144 E: enquiries@ intouchmonitoring.com Website: www.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, Stand-alone SPC Machine Analyzer, Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (for integration to Manufacturing Systems and other software packages).

SYSCON – PlantStar MTec Services Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7711 036750 Tel: +1 574 232 3900 E: mt@mtec-services.co.uk W: www.mtec-services.co.uk W: www.plantstar.org

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. Browserbased software and hardware, and wireless Ethernet technology make for highly versatile and configurable systems providing information wherever needed.

Standard systems include realtime alarms, downtime & reject analysis, capacity scheduling , ERP integration and more. With options including SPC/SQC, Labour tracking and Scheduling, Family Tooling, Materials traceability, barcoding. New QuickShot entry level system, provides real-time data collection & reporting, plus drag & drop scheduling and much more for less than £500 per machine!

enterprise resource planning Epicor ERP Manufacturing Software (For Plastics’/Rubber Processors) Epicor Software (UK) Ltd T: +44 (0)1344 468 468 E: info.uk@epicor.com Epicor ERP software for the polymer 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, warehousing and distribution.

Available on-site, hosted & SaaS it seamlessly integrates with Epicor Mattec Real-time MES to provide a single system that offers a complete quote-to-cash solution for the plastics’/rubber industries.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Process Optimisation Software RJG Technologies UK Ltd t/a G&A Moulding Technology T: +44 (0)1733 232211 E info@gamt.co.uk Zero Defect Moulding – What’s your target?

• Cycle time reduction • Reduced scrap rates • Improved process capability • Higher yield and OEE PRO-OP™ software provides a stepby-step procedure for optimising the injection moulding process to deliver optimum quality products at the most favourable cycle time.

PRO-OP™ is a server based application which, by setting an optimum moulding process, highlights weaknesses and problems in relation to part design, mould design, mould construction, moulding equipment efficiency, moulding equipment specification and material selection.

The moulding process is documented with explanations for each key process parameter setting demonstrating the processing conditions and equipment contributions to the final result.

PRO-OP™ is aimed at companies whose focus is quality and consistent part manufacture.

PRO-OP™ supports companies by providing a documented and structured validation protocol which is recognised in the in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors.

49

comment

NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

B

bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER 50

But we all know we can’t develop business at home let alone overseas without skilled staff. This is a vexed issue, which the BPF has taken on board. We have just published our first ever Skills and Education Survey asking companies to analyse their upcoming skills requirements. The aim of the Survey was to help the BPF to better understand the skills gap, in turn allowing us to engage with key stakeholders to help shape the skills landscape for the industry.

A key finding was that, from over 53.6 percent of companies who participated, at least one board member was a former apprentice. Further to this, the report found that some 78 percent of respondents recognised a gap between current training offered and what they really want; 83 percent of respondents saw short courses as a valuable means of narrowing the skills gap; half of respondents want ‘Hands on staff who are operational’; 84 percent believe they understand what is involved in taking on apprentices; the majority felt that clear guidance on what training courses are available is crucial but lacking. Among the serious issues surrounding the attraction of skilled staff are salary levels, a lack of availability of advanced courses and general awareness of the industry. We will use this information in our plans going forward.

Lastly this month, there has been some signifincant progress achieved by our PVC take-back scheme, which BPF is leading with assistance from Axion Consulting. The Recomed scheme is a global first focusing on improving the environmental performance of PVC healthcare products. By collecting items such as IV solution bags; nasal cannulas; oxygen tubes; anaesthetic masks and oxygen masks, the scheme helps avoid certain medical devices unnecessarily ending up in the clinical waste destined for incineration. Instead these items are recycled into tree ties for the horticultural industry, reducing waste and promoting that most fashionable of concepts, the circular economy. As of March 2016 the scheme has recycled over 830kg of PVC medical waste and now operates at seven hospital sites. Progress!

WWW.BPF.CO.UK

ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS

PF is now looking forward to its second major international trade fair in 2016. This time we will be carrying the UK plastics industry message to the ‘Chinaplas’ show in Shanghai THIS MONTH, BPF DIRECTOR- due to be held between 25-28 GENERAL, PHILIP LAW, LOOKS TO April 2016. This is now the THE EAST AHEAD OF CHINAPLAS world’s largest annual plastics IN SHANGHAI, AS WELL AS exhibition and this year marks the 30th edition. Estimates SOME INTERESTING RESULTS say that it will cover some FROM ITS SKILLS SURVEY AND 230,000 square metres and PROGRESS FROM ITS MEDICAL will provide a magnet for PVC COLLECTION SCHEME. 125,000 visitors and 3000 exhibiting companies.

The BPF’s Pavilion at the event is supported by UKTI and, with the BPF itself, will feature twelve exhibitors. They include MSA Engineering Systems; The Aerogen Company; Nextool; Meech; Atlas Converting; J & A Young (Leicester) Ltd; Applied Market Information; Boston Matthews; Ceramicx; Zotefoams; and PREA, many of them veteran exporters to China with considerable depth in the local market.

We have a very clear conception of what we are really good at in the UK plastics sector and what makes us stand out from the international competition - specialist materials and products, niche processing machinery, ancillary equipment, expertise in energy efficiency, technical and rotational moulding, pipe extrusion, packaging solutions, innovative recycling technology and more besides. With this in mind, BPF will be promoting over 500 members firms via 1,000 printed copies of our ‘British Guide to Chinaplas’, which we have translated into Simplified Chinese.

We have exhibited at Chinaplas for practically every show for the last 20 years and the BPF brand is well established there. We have Memoranda of Understanding with both the China Plastics Processing Association as well as the Shanghai Plastics Processors Association.

Justyna Elliott at the BPF is co-ordinating our presence and for any information on how to hook up with the UK contingent in Shanghai please contact her on jelliott@bpf.co.uk

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

www.kraussmaffei.com

Wet molding RTM Technology Semi-structural components made of recycled carbon fibers, e. g. hybrid components

Surface RTM Technology Fiber-reinforced, paintable surfaces such as roof elements, door inner panels, trunks or engine hoods

RTM Technology Structural and semi-structural components such as underbody structures, side frames or seat structures

IMC Technology Fiber-reinforced, structural components such as front ends, mounting supports, instrument panel carriers

FiberForm Technology Continuous fiber-reinforced components such as crash elements, B-pillar reinforcements or seat structures

Fiber composite solutions for advanced lightweight components Engineering Passion

NEW SS60

Economical Granulator

Get an unfair advantage 630 m

m

860mm

37kW

“At around 30% less cost than similar granulators, the SS60 is the economical solution to in-house recycling. By cutting out third parties, payback can be achieved in just 50 tonnes or 100 hours.”

Mike Jordan Managing Director, Summit Systems

Ÿ 30% more affordable Ÿ CE compliant Ÿ 400 x 600mm rotor for universal applications Ÿ from sprues to purgings Ÿ add a shredder to boost throughput Ÿ £19,299 Ÿ full range of spare parts and services

01827 265 843 | info@summitsystems.co.uk