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Incorporating Polymer Age and Rubber and Plastics Age.

All eyes on Paris

At the end of May, the intergovernmental negotiating committee on plastic pollution, will hold its second meeting in Paris. Its goal, as I’ve mentioned previously, is to develop a legally binding global plastics treaty governing the use and re-use of plastics, with the aim of eliminating pollution by single-use plastics by 2030.

Such an ambitious goal is a noble pursuit, and I doubt the industry would disagree. Given, however, that the INC has yet to agree on core obligations for any such treaty, it feels a little piein-the-sky for now. Recent years have taught us just how difficult it is to achieve consensus and progress between multiple international players, but with circularity as a common goal, I have no doubt that some good will come from the discussions.

That said, it’s concerning to me that within the core obligations that have been suggested as possible outcomes from the discussions, the language focuses on ‘phasing out’, ‘banning’ and ‘reducing the demand’ for polymer as a material. A more sensible approach, of course, would be to dedicate this energy and resource towards adoption of novel technologies such as carbon capture as a plastic feedstock, or chemical recycling.

The global population is expected to grow by two billion in the next thirty years. There will, realistically, be no let-up in demand for food supply chains in which produce can be kept fresher for longer, allowing it to reach more plates before spoiling. Or for packaging which can be made lightweight, to reduce the impact of global distribution. Or in the case of the medical sector, which faces the gloomy but likely challenges of antimicrobial-resistance and further pandemics in the future, cheap, mass produced items like face masks and gloves will be something future society will be completely dependent on. Disappointingly, despite the vital role these last two products played during the pandemic, they are what’s displayed on the IUCN’s news page dedicated to the Paris meeting. Specifically, it’s a photo of a face mask and a glove floating

in the ocean. Nobody would deny that single use plastics need to be kept out of waterways. But honing in on these essential products, suggesting they're 'problematic', sends the wrong message about plastics – and actually, when you’re talking about a 2030 target, it seems completely bonkers to even suggest banning these items. To be replaced by what? Any argument for banning or reducing demand for life saving technology must be grounded in science. Any alternatives proposed must not only outperform the current options, but also have a comparatively superior LCA and lower carbon footprint. Unfortunately, I don’t think a bamboo-based facemask with limited protective properties and a horrendous supply chain, charged at £2.99 per unit is likely to cut it (that’s a hypothetical example, by the way).

So here’s hoping the Paris meeting will be an open-minded affair, which uses scientifically sound data to promote a circular economy that is realistic for the future.

Head of Content

DAVE GRAY

“The global population is expected to grow by two billion in the next thirty years. There will, realistically, be no let-up in demand for food supply chains in which produce can be kept fresher for longer, allowing it to reach more plates before spoiling.”

British Plastics and Rubber

Ask the experts: BROADWAY COLOURS

Who are you and what do you do?

We are Broadway, a family-owned UK manufacturer of high-quality masterbatches, compounds and rotational moulding powders. Our products are used by plastic moulders throughout the UK and Europe to improve the appearance, performance, value and sustainability of their mouldings.

We are specialists in the development of custom colours for plastics and we offer a FREE colour matching service. Our colourants are used in many market sectors and are specified by a number of multinational consumer goods companies for use in their branded packaging. But we’re about so much more than colour; we also offer an impressive portfolio of special effects and a growing range of performance-enhancing additives. Our in-house technical team allows us to respond quickly with the development of new materials to meet the changing needs of our customers. Our experienced sales team provides exceptional customer service, which helps us forge lasting business relationships.

What innovations will you bring to Interplas?

With the UK plastic packaging tax being implemented in 2022, we’ve naturally seen an increase in colour match requests for colours being used in material with high PCR content. Whilst plastics have environmental advantages over alternative materials, we believe it’s important to support the circularity of plastics to help tackle the end of life challenges we see so widely documented. Our technical team have focussed their recent efforts in this area.

Our recent product developments include NIR ‘piano’ black masterbatches, PCR-based masterbatches and odour neutraliser additives. We believe our NIR blacks for PET and PP offer a great solution for the packaging industry. They deliver a rich deep black, they’re EU food approved and NIR detectable. We’ll demonstrate these with an NIR detector, allowing a comparison with mouldings using carbon black pigments. We’ll also offer a sniff test for our odour neutraliser additives. These suppress odours, which can be a common problem when processing recycled materials.

What

are

the key features of these innovations?

NIR Detectable ‘Piano’ Blacks

High opacity, high gloss black plastics are a popular choice. However, tonnes of black plastic items end up in landfill due to a reliance on carbon black pigments. Recycling centres commonly use near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to characterise and sort plastics. Carbon black pigments are strong absorbers of infrared radiation, so items containing carbon black masterbatches will not reflect a signal to the detector. This impedes the ability to sort the item, resulting in otherwise recyclable plastic going to landfill.

Our technicians have developed NIR detectable ‘piano black’ masterbatches for PET and PP. These colourants deliver a rich black. During extensive in-house tests, they returned a distinct and statistically significant spectroscopic signature. Unlike with traditional black masterbatches, this means mouldings containing our NIR Detectable blacks have the potential for identification during NIR recycling.

Odour Neutraliser

The trend for mouldings to incorporate higher percentages of recycled plastics will continue as moulders, brand owners and consumers all seek sustainable options. Whilst there are obvious circularity advantages, recycled materials also pose challenges. Our

in-house technical team have worked hard to address a common issue –the smell! Recycled materials come from a range of sources and can carry various contaminants, these can cause odours which still remain apparent after reprocessing. Even some virgin plastics can carry smells which need eliminating.

Our R&D scientists invested months of research, exploring odour neutraliser additives for plastics. They consider these a more desirable option than attempting to mask smells with a fragrance. Our odour neutraliser masterbatches have been tested by customers in applications such as bottles and containers. Further product testing continues as we welcome new enquiries to trial our odour neutralises. We can supply the product as a stand-alone additive masterbatch, or with colour as a combined masterbatch or compound, for a range of polymers.

How can your technology help solve them?

We can formulate new colours with industry-leading turnaround times. We also offer customers the opportunity to approve new matches on-site as colours are developed. These services allow us to assist customers with the speedy development of new colours for use in PCR. As the tint of PCR base materials can vary from batch to batch, new colour formulations can be required to counteract the colour variance. Broadway’s quick turnarounds can be of real benefit in such instances.

Hall 4, Stand B12

Who are you and what do you do?

Millers Oils is a leading manufacturer and independent blender of oils and lubricants operating since 1887 in Brighouse, West Yorkshire. We pride ourselves on our award-winning innovation and our independence. This allows maximum flexibility to meet our customers’ needs. Millers Oils supplies over 5,000 distributors and end users in the UK.

What innovations will you bring to Interplas? What are the key features of these innovations?

New energy efficient products that with new technology can help saving energy consumption to the end user where they can feel it in the end of the year profit. Also a new metalworking product that has both antifoam and antibiocide packaging that improves the way machines works and reduce the downtime with testimonials to prove it works.

Our Fluid Management Division will be the main topic of discussion at Interplas. The core principle of setting up a Millers Oils fluid management program is to assist companies with preventative

Jordan Wimpenny, UK Sales Development Manager – Fluid Management Division Hall 4, Stand 35

Ask the experts: MILLERS OILS

maintenance, over 80% of damaged hydraulic components can be attributed to contamination within the hydraulic oil, that’s why oil sampling is a critical tool to help protect capital equipment. This also makes the cost of a proactive fluid management program minimal compared to the costs of replacement hydraulic components and more importantly, it will help reduce the loss of production time due to unscheduled maintenance downtime.

What challenges are your customers facing?

The main challenges our customers deal with are unscheduled down-time, the amount of oil changes needed throughout the year and actually finding the time and money to plan in maintenance, on top of that is the environmental impact .

How can your technology help solve them?

We have already helped a large number

Millmax EE 46 HV

of businesses in reducing unscheduled downtime through a dedicated Millers Oils Fluid Management program, ultimately, helping our customers keep their capital equipment running more efficiently and reliable.

There are a number of ways to achieve a more efficient use of Hydraulic Oil. Millers Oils believes that the tailored services we offer can support our customers with their impact on the environment. Millers Oils recognises that a level of oil consumption is not always fully avoidable, for this reason we identify our technology as environmentally friendly due to the fact it provides a more intelligent, efficient and practical use of oil as opposed to treating oil as a disposable and infinite resource. Millers Oils filtration technology keeps hydraulic oil continuously clean, ensuring that equipment runs at optimum efficiency meaning the oil can be kept in use – this extends the life of the oil and reduces the number of oil drain cycles. Saving money, time and overall your environmental impact.

Who are you and what do you do?

TH Plastics was established in 2008 and has quickly become one of the marketleading ancillary products and solutions provider in the UK, with a portfolio of customers that includes some of the most high-profile and technically demanding plastics brands in Britain. As the exclusive distributor of Moretto, Rapid Granulator, Altero and Crizaf in the UK, TH Plastics supplies, installs and services ancillary equipment across the British plastics industry.

What innovations will you bring to Interplas?

At Interplas 2023 we will show our full range of capabilities by presenting a closed loop system that includes storage, dosing, blending, drying, cooling, conveying, granulating and pelletising. Each system will be set up on the stand so that you can experience it as if you were walking through each step, giving you the chance to see how each component may be used to enhance the functionality of your facility and educate you on how you can

Hall 4, Stand D90

Ask the experts: TH PLASTICS

INSET: Sophie Fletcher, Sales and Marketing, TH Plastics

further develop your system to ensure it is more efficient and future proofed. Additionally, demonstrations and interactive displays will highlight the remainder of TH Plastics’ extensive line of equipment.

One of the products we will showcase at Interplas will be the DGM Mini Blender. Launched at K Fair 2022, this blender is aimed machines under 30kgh, encompassing high levels of accurate dosing for up to 4 materials and reducing waste from production inconsistency, and material wastage.

The Rapid 300 series granulator has a distinctive “open-hearted” design that provides operators with a quick and simple access to the granulators cutting chamber for cleaning and maintenance.

After our recent partnership with Crizaf, we will be showcasing their automated

handling capabilities with a range of conveyors, box shifters and counting devices to help our customers maximise production efficiency.

How can your technology help customer challenges?

We approach the plastics industry with three main motivators for improvement; simpler systems to require less manual labour and higher degrees of automation and traceability, lower energy costs to run and a greater process to reduce the production of scrap.

Our technology is also built with safety in mind, removing traffic from the shop floor to ensure easier maintenance routines to prevent breakdowns. This is all sewn together by a supervisory system to allow feedback to factory managers, to better understand the shop floor and where improvements can be made. At heart, TH Plastics are known for our ability to not only solve problems, but design better systems to eradicate the issue in the first place. We have a wealth of engineering talent in our Glossop HQ, and this paired with our installation team makes us a very strong force in the industry for Ancillary equipment.

There are many forms of finance available to businesses today, but one of the most effective for companies wanting to invest in their growth without impacting cashflow, is asset finance.

So, what is asset finance?

Very simply, it’s a type of financing that enables businesses to acquire a range of assets, from injection moulding machines to temperature control units and vertical mixers.

There are several types of asset finance, including:

Hire purchase: Hire purchase is a type of asset finance where the borrower agrees to pay for the asset in instalments over a specified period. During the hire purchase agreement, the borrower is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the asset. At the end of the term, the borrower has the option of purchasing the asset outright.

Refinancing (capital release): Refinancing is a quick way to access the cash from assets on an existing balance sheet

Ask the experts: CLOSE BROTHERS

Hall 4, Stand J77

and use that value elsewhere within a business – for example, to fund a deposit on new equipment or ease cash flow.

Sale and HP back: Sales and HP Back is a form of refinance that can be used against most types of equipment, making it suitable for companies of all sizes, including sole traders. It works by the lender purchasing the asset and financing it back to the borrower. Repayments are calculated in line with the income stream that will be generated by the asset and at the end of the refinance term, the borrower owns the asset.

Finance lease: Finance Lease lets the borrower use the equipment without having to buy it outright. Rent is paid for the full use of the asset and the rental period is flexible and can be tailored.

During this period, the borrower pays the full cost of the asset, including interest and when the end of the primary lease term is reached, the borrower can choose to continue to use the asset by entering a secondary rental period; sell the asset and keep a portion of the income from the sale, or return it to the lender

Operating lease: Operating lease is a type of asset finance where the borrower rents the asset for a short period. At the end of the lease term, the borrower can choose to either return the asset or continue leasing it.

Who are you and what do you do?

Summit Systems is a leading provider of plastic processing solutions in the UK and Ireland, with over three decades of experience in the industry. We have introduced various ground-breaking technologies such as the Gravimetric Blender and Vacuum Drying into the UK plastics market, which have both seen significant growth over the years, saving customers countless production hours and drastic energy savings.

What innovations will you bring to Interplas?

One of our focuses this year is on the progress and development of vacuum drying technology. Historically, vacuum drying was only available for mass production, but now it can be used on a smaller scale for standard production. This unique vacuum technology has really taken off, with many of our customers already benefiting from this advanced technology. Additionally, we will be showcasing our industry 4.0 integration and supervision systems, which offer innovative and advanced features to our existing product offering.

Hall 3A, Stand BB10

Ask the experts: SUMMIT SYSTEMS

INSET: Matt Ross, sales director, Summit Systems

What are the key features of these innovations?

These latest innovations are focused on efficiency, productivity, and staying up to date with the latest technological developments within the plastics industry. The vacuum dryers have made significant strides in reducing energy consumption, increasing production efficiency, and reducing material changeover downtime. These advancements result in increased productivity, enabling customers to produce more with less energy and fewer interruptions.

What challenges are your customers facing?

The most crucial issues now are undoubtedly the energy crisis and

economic climate. Higher energy costs mean there is limited availability of funds to invest in upgrading equipment due to any excess revenue being used to keep the factories running. This has placed additional pressure on plastics manufacturers to fi nd ways to reduce energy consumption and increase effi ciency to keep their operating costs low. It’s the chicken and egg scenario!

How can your technology help solve them?

Our customers are looking for innovative solutions that can help them to reduce costs, increase productivity, and stay competitive within the market, and we are committed to addressing these challenges by providing the most cost-eff ective, energy-effi cient solutions that help our customers to improve their production processes while reducing their overall operating costs. Our job is to solve our customers problems, increase production and help get every kg of plastics processed for as little money as possible!

INTERPLAS 2023

Who are you and what do you do?

Labotek GB, is subsidiary of the Danish ancillary equipment manufacturer Labotek A/S, who are celebrating 80 years in the plastics Industry. We are also the UK partners for the DynaCon modular conveyors, Ferlin Plastics Automation Gravimetric Blenders and Getecha Granulators.

What innovations will you bring to Interplas?

At Labotek we are focusing on overall efficiency. Not just energy consumption, but also how to improve our customers operational efficiency, with optimised material conveying and drying systems. Our other focus will be the modular DynaCon conveyor System from Dynamic Conveyor Corp. With support from Ferlin & Getecha to provide a sustainable solution for recycling regardless of the size or type of business you are.

What are the key features of these innovations?

With an optimised material conveying and drying system, the processor can operate more safely and efficiently. The

Hall 4, Stand H24

Ask the experts: LABOTEK

DynaCon system is a modular conveyor system that enables the user to reconfigure the layout, as their requirement changes. Providing a sustainable and low cost of ownership option to the user. By controlling and monitoring the throughput of the ingredients being processed, with the Ferlin Blenders. Our customers have reduced their reject rates, save time, energy, and material in the process.

What makes the innovations unique?

The truly modular DynaCon system has standard modules that can be configured and re-configured by the end user. For example, a starter “Conveyor in a Box” system can be added to or reconfigure by the customer to suit their exact requirements at any time in the future. This modularity also allows for any component to be easily replaced, to extend the serviceable life of the conveyor. Adding up to a sustainable solution for the end user. Information

Richard Hird, UK Sales Director, Labotek

and Data is key to improving efficiency and reducing waste, with the latest FerlinBridge system from Ferlin, this can be done regardless of the factory’s location either nationally or globally.

What challenges are your customers facing?

We are all aware of the well documented challenges, especially the ever-increasing energy and material cost, together with the skills and labour shortages. However, we have found by working with our customers, we can provide creative solutions to not only overcome these challenges, but also to allow them to thrive and grow.

How can your technology help solve them?

Individually, each product can make a sustainable and efficient improvement to our customers production. However, our customers have seen the largest improvements when they are combined to produce a complete solution, to target their individual challenges.

www.labotek.com/uk

Who are you and what do you do?

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery

UK Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Germany, and specialises in the production of electric, hybrid and servo hydraulic injection moulding machines with clamping forces between 50 kN and 15,000 kN. With over 162,000 machines installed worldwide, over 80,000 of which are full electric, we supply machines to all sectors within the plastics industry.

What innovations will you bring to Interplas?

This year we will showcase a full production cell featuring an IntElect 75T with our ‘handle & box’ automation solution showcasing to customers how to achieve a fully integrated automation solution within a very small footprint. All of the automation programming production information and mould settings will be integrated and saved via the machine HMI. This is the first presentation to the UK and Ireland market of our new in-house SAM (Sumitomo. Automation.

(SHI) DEMAG

Ask the experts: SUMITOMO

Machine) automation platform.

What are the key features of these innovations?

Productivity and energy-efficiency are the key benefits of the IntElect series. With excellent tie bar distance vs tonnage benefits, combined with a wide range of plasticising units available on each machine, this offers the customer complete flexibility when selecting a machine. The IntElect will also be demonstrating our award winning Active FlowBalance technology which helps compensate for unbalanced cavity moulds. The “handle & box” SAM-C robotic system, designed for injection moulding machines within the 75 to 280 ton clamp force range, is fully integrated within the IMM control system, using our own low-maintenance servo-motor, drive

and guide technologies.

What challenges are your customers facing?

Energy costs, productivity and labour shortages are the most prevalent challenges reported by our customers and the industry. These challenges naturally create investment caution. Having access to Academy courses to further enhance productivity, as well as tools to benchmark like-for-like process improvements all help to support investment.

How can your technology help solve them? Investing in new energy efficient machinery, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag can help reduce energy costs and improve productivity with faster cycle times which in turn leads to higher profit for the customer. With our new in-house automation we can simplify selection of a complete solution with minimal footprint. Our Training Academy has developed a range of injection moulding courses to address the skills shortage within our industry. We train not only Sumitomo (SHI) Demag customers, but anyone who wishes to enhance their knowledge.

Darren Herron, Business Development Manager, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag

INTERPLAS 2023

Who are you and what do you do?

Qatar National Plastic Factory (Qplast) is a company based in the State of Qatar that specialises in the production of uPVC, HDPE, PPR piping system and also blown films which includes trench marker tapes, agriculture and construction films etc. The company was established in 1977 and has since become one of the leading manufacturers of plastic products in the region.

The company has a large production and testing facility that is equipped with modern European machinery and equipment to ensure high-quality production. The company has a team of experienced professionals who can work closely with customers to develop packaging solutions that meet their requirements. The company is also certified with International certificates like Kite mark, WRAS FM approval.

What sets you apart from the competition?

Uniquely in the market, and building on our investment into the most advanced quality testing methods, we have introduced the most advanced German,

Ask the experts: QPLAST

Hall 4, Stand H21

Mr. Raed Amarneh, General Manager, Qatar National Plastic Factory

Austrian and Italian machines to enable us to manufacture the latest pipes and fittings.

Tell us more about your products

We manufacture single, double and triple layer PVC pipes, uPVC, CPVC, foamcore and silent pipes that comply not only with the traditional standards but also the new European requirements on the use of recycled materials in plastics. We have introduced new technology to provide an inexpensive range of solutions better adapted to the Qatari environment that can replace PE, GRP and Clay Pipes with less expensive longer lasting better adapted systems. We are innovating with the introduction of new pipes and products for the needs of Qatar, in

particular our soil and waste, foul sewer and pressure pipes have resistance to chemical attack and Chlorine Dioxide disinfectants at a fraction of the cost of PE alternatives.

What is the history of the company?

Our roots go back to the time of the independence of Qatar itself. In 1976, we ordered our first PVC Extrusion Machines from Italy. In 2017, we invested in our first injection moulding machine. In 2018, we made our factory greener, and stopped the production of plastic bags. Most recently in 2019, we started production of triple layer pipes, followed by large diameter pipes in 2020. uPVC pressure and non pressure pipes from 20mm to 630mm, uPVC pressure and non pressure fittings from 26mm to 200mm, uPVC ducts and duct holders for all purposes, uPVC electrical conduits and conduit fittings, PE pressure and non pressure pipes 16mm to 800mm, PE ducts for all purposes, sheets for construction purposes from 20m to 500m, and PE warning tiles.

Who are you and what do you do?

Protective Packaging Ltd is a specialist in the creation of laminate structures that incorporate a layer of aluminium film with a combination of polymer film layers, allowing us to derive a range of flexible packaging films for the protection of climatically-sensitive products with a particular relevance to plastic polymers and compounds. Protective Packaging Ltd offer a range of moisture vapour and oxygen barrier packaging formats that include in-liners for corrugated cartons and octabins, bulk bags and drums and pails, together with 25Kg sacks and pouches, with and without re-sealable zippers.

What innovations will you bring to Interplas?

We will bring a range of innovative products and solutions to Interplas, including moisture barrier bags (for anticorrosion and dried product protection), anti-static bags, and vacuum packaging products.

What are the key features of these innovations?

The key features of our products include

Ask the experts: PROTECTIVE PACKAGING

Harry Lewis, marketing manager at Protective Packaging Ltd

advanced moisture barrier protection, anti-static properties, and customized solutions. The products are designed to meet the highest quality standards, namely ISO 19001:2015.

What makes the innovations unique? Our innovations are unique because they are designed to meet the specific needs and requirements of our customers. The company’s team of experts works closely with its customers to understand their needs and develop customized solutions that provide enhanced protection and security. This approach ensures that the products are tailored to the needs of our customers, making them unique and highly effective. Protective Packaging Ltd’s short lead times and no MOQ

(dependant on format) make us stand out from the crowd.

What challenges are your customers facing?

Protective Packaging Ltd’s customers face various challenges, including product damage during transportation and/or storage, contamination.

These challenges can result in significant financial losses and impact the quality and performance of their products.

How can your technology help solve them?

We can help solve these challenges by providing advanced protective packaging solutions that address the specific needs and requirements of its customers. The company’s products offer protection against moisture and contamination, ensuring the safe and secure transportation and storage of valuable products. By using Protective Packaging Ltd’s offering of barrier foil packaging, customers can reduce the risk of product damage, improve product quality, and enhance their overall business performance.

AUTOMOTIVE

Driving sustainable change

Dave Gray: Increased customer preferences for sustainable solutions have made their way into every industry. How has the automotive sector adapted to this change so far?

Chris Newman: The sustainability trend has led to a shift towards more sustainable practices in the automotive industry, be it the surging popularity of electric vehicles (EV) or the increasing demand for eco-friendly material in the construction process. Car manufacturers are investing heavily in e-mobility, thus promoting demand for batteries and other components required for EV production and the charging infrastructure. In their quest to reduce the carbon footprint of traditional petrol and diesel-powered vehicles, many producers also opt for lighter and more sustainable materials to both reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency. Using renewable energy sources, reducing waste, and choosing recycling- or biobased compounds over standard material, many automotive companies have already implemented sustainable practices in their manufacturing processes, which not only helps them reduce their own environmental impact but also promotes sustainability throughout the supply chain.

Overall, ALBIS is wellequipped to respond to these efforts of OEMs towards more sustainability with its extensive portfolio of ecofriendly and resource-efficient solutions, which have time and again proven themselves in different automotive applications. Given that the sustainability trend is the main factor currently driving change in the industry,

Sustainability in automotive, challenges for manufacturers, and how ALBIS contributes to a strong circular economy. Dave Gray puts Chris Newman, regional technical manager at ALBIS UK in the driving seat.

we expect to see more innovation and investment in eco-friendly technologies in the years to come, and are continuously expanding our portfolio to match the evolving requirements of our customers.

Dave Gray: Autonomous driving is frequently discussed as the future of automotive. Could it also help reduce emissions?

Chris Newman: Yes, autonomous driving has the potential to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency, which would help to mitigate the impact of climate change. Autonomous vehicles are typically designed to reduce unnecessary acceleration and braking, as well as improve route planning and reduce congestion. Compared to traditional vehicles, this can lead to significant reductions in fuel consumption and thus emissions. In addition, autonomous driving technology can also facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles, which produce zero

emissions at point of use. In the UK, the industry has already seen major development in form of the successful launch of a Level 2 partial autonomous vehicle from Ford, a significant milestone that will surely be followed by other OEMs in the future. Right now, the UK government is supporting this technology with a 100-million-pound investment for manufactures. However, it is important to keep in mind that the widespread adoption of these technologies will require significant investment in infrastructure, research, and development.

Dave Gray: While it is exciting to see where technology can take us, what does it take for automotive OEMs to fully establish a closed-loop process?

Chris Newman: A closed-loop procedure refers to a circular or regenerative system where waste is minimised and resources are reused. Circular solutions play a key role in increasing sustainability

all along the value chain. At ALBIS, we contribute to a strong circular economy by helping OEMs take the necessary steps to work towards this approach. For example, manufacturers can reduce waste and emissions by opting for the many biobased or recycled materials from our leading partners.

When looking at the bigger picture, these players need to approach their entire production process with circularity in mind. In the automotive sector, a closedloop procedure would involve designing vehicles and components for easy disassemble and reuse, implementing recycling and re-manufacturing programs, and using renewable energy sources to power manufacturing facilities. While this can be a complex multi-step journey for manufacturers, it is the only way to minimise their environmental impact while also improving their bottom line.

Dave Gray: How does ALBIS respond to the resulting changes in manufacturers’ needs as a distributor?

Chris Newman: As the automotive industry continues to shift towards more sustainable and lightweight materials, and with applications such as Driver monitoring systems (LIR), driver safety assistance (LiDar), and Radar gaining recognition, we respond to the resulting challenges with an excellent range of products that meet the requirements of these different technologies.

Materials from our portfolio such as Covestro’s Makrolon AI are an excellent fit in cases where only the highest level of purity is acceptable

Tool-Temp ensures that your processing facilities are kept at the ideal temperature – o ering over 60 standard models and enough individual solutions to satisfy any special requirements you may have.

Main features of our new MATIC temperature control units

 Simple operation

 Modular Control that is easily expandable

 Preset actions and easily configurable recipes

 Anticipatory behavior & predictive maintenance

 Connectivity

 Energy e icient control

Please contact us on 01933-442633 or

to speak with a member of the Team.

AUTOMOTIVE

for safety critical applications. Our own MOCOM Altech PC bespoke colour compounds are specially designed and industry-proven solutions for these demanding automotive applications as well.

As a polymer distributor, ALBIS understands itself as a partner who provides companies not only with innovative solutions but also with the necessary know-how regarding the circular approach mentioned above. We currently work with many manufacturers developing new materials from bio-based or recycled sources that can replace traditional fossil-based plastics in automotive. There has been a major surge in the development of engineering plastics based on bio waste. These polymers are identical to their fossil-based counterparts and serve as drop-in solutions while retaining important qualities needed for the application. We understand that especially in automotive, OEMs do not want to compromise on the highly relevant, technical properties of the materials they use. Thanks to the development expertise of our leading partners and the broad experience of our own technical teams here at ALBIS, we can identify the best fit even for demanding applications, thus helping manufacturers reach both their sustainability goals and retain the material properties of previously used fossil-based counterparts.

Dave Gray: Can you give an example of how automotive manufacturers can already combine function with sustainability?

Chris Newman: As fuel efficiency becomes a top priority for these manufacturers, lightweighting is an important strategy that helps reduce the overall carbon footprint of production, as well as emissions on the road. At ALBIS, we offer lightweight polymers and composites such as our WIPAG recycled carbon fibre filled PP and nylons, which have already become the material of choice for many of our customers that seek to replace heavier materials like metals in automotive components.

In a highly competitive industry such as automotive, we are aware that manufacturers are always looking for ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors. This is where our customised polymer solutions come in as they meet the specific needs and requirements of individual manufactures and help them to stand out in the market. With the increasing digitalisation of the automotive industry, we also offer digital solutions to help to streamline the entire supply chain and reduce the overall cost for the manufacturer. This can include EDI ordering systems, order tracking, optimised production with JIT service, and inventory management. By constantly pushing the development of sustainable and lightweight materials, providing customised solutions, and embracing digitalisation, ALBIS can help drive the automotive industry forward while also contributing to a more sustainable future.

Coffee with a compounder: WELLS PLASTICS

At the end of 2022, additive masterbatch compounder Wells Plastics opened its innovation centre at its Stone HQ. Now fully up and running, Dave Gray paid the facility a visit, and spoke to Carl Birch (right), sales and marketing director, and Dr Gary Ogden (above), technical manager, to find out more about the current outlook for additive masterbatch.

On the occasion of its inauguration, Philip Law, Director General of the British Plastics Federation said: ‘’The BPF’s congratulations go to Wells Plastics on the opening of its very well-equipped Innovation Centre. This is a great statement of the technical support provided by Wells Plastics to both the UK plastics industry and in export markets. Wells have nominated circularity as a key innovation theme and this can

only help customers meet the challenging targets which are emerging globally’’.

It’s just one of a string of growth activities that the company has undertaken in recent times A new raw material warehouse, a management buyout, and the attaining of the Gold EcoVadis certification - recognising Wells Plastics Corporate Social Responsibility systems, polices and work on sustainability - have all helped the firm to cover new ground.

“The only way OEMs can stay on top of the sustainability trend is by choosing sustainable materials”

The firm offers a wide range of polymer enhancing properties from improved recyclability, processability, UV stability, antimicrobial performance through to enhanced barrier properties. The firm offers a wide range of additive masterbatches which can enhance polymer properties such as improving recyclability, processability, UV stability, antimicrobial performance through to developing enhanced barrier properties.

Dave Gray: To begin with tell me about the background to the company, and why you’ve decided to open this facility now?

Carl Birch: We were formed in 1984, as a specialist additive masterbatch and compound producer. We’ve always operated in in the Stone area, and over the past few years there’s been strong growth within the business, financially, but also in terms of headcount and customer base. We’ve also seen a greater demand for technical products, with the associated technical support and resource that’s required. So as we’ve invested into that, it became apparent that we needed more space to house that growth. Gary and his team were growing in terms of headcount, but also they were acquiring more equipment. Some of the equipment was in the laboratory, and some of it was in the factory or warehouse. So when the opportunity for a nearby unit came up, it really seemed like the ideal time to bring everything together under one roof, in a clean environment.

Gary Ogden: We have two sides to the function of the innovation centre, the analytical side and the processing side. We had a twin-screw compounder next to our analytical kit, which was not ideal – so this move was brilliant, it means we can provide a better service.

Carl Birch: The way that we operate is that we can have customers come on-site as part of a development process, development is not always done in isolation. The new facility provides a much more usable environment for them to come and have an area to do their own work whilst we’re doing some work for them. From there we can meet, and discuss the results of that work, and be much more collaborative about it.

Dave Gray: And how has it gone so far? Have you had many customers come to use the facility?

Carl Birch: We were up and running at the end of September and we’ve had customers in every month since then, on a very regular basis.

Dave Gray: And have you had any surprising challenges from them?

Gary Ogden: Obviously we often have confidentiality agreements in place, but we’ve got an existing customer who’s come up with some brand new applications for them, which involved some novel materials for us as well, so we did a week’s worth of trials for them recently. There’s always something new and challenging. Another recent example would be high clarity polymers which required functional additives incorporating, whilst maintaining the clarity of the base polymer – that is a significant challenge – but is progressing as well.

Carl Birch: Customers will generally come to us with a novel application or materials that might be particularly complex to handle or have difficult processing requirements. Well, we can’t do everything, but our goal really is to make a careful technical assessment of whether we think this is something that we can progress into a commercial opportunity.

Gary Ogden: And we can assess that very well with the kit that we’ve got here. We can do a full on-site technical review of the material, from an analysis through to processability. Our rule of thumb, is that if we can process it on the lab line here, then we can process it on the plant – and we have seven lines on the plant, all different configurations.

Dave Gray: Are your formulations exclusive to specific customers?

Carl Birch: It’s a real mixture. We have our own portfolio of products that we’ve developed and that we service the market with, sold under the Wells Plastics brand. We have another area which is Reverte, which is our oxo-biodegradable material. And then there are our bespoke products and custom compounds which may be totally Wells-owned formulations, joint IP, or totally customer-owned IP.

Dave Gray: And what are the big trends that you’re seeing from customers?

Carl Birch: We’re involved with a number of companies who are trying to improve the recyclability of their materials or who require extra stabilisation for their materials during processing to help with the extrusion or properties of their finished articles.  Within the UK there’s still a keen interest in high performance materials, that’s important because as an industry, we need to remain cutting edge.

Gary Ogden: And of course, the pandemic brought antimicrobial technology to the forefront, so there’s a few projects we’re working on in that area.

Dave Gray: Is there a limit to batch quantities you can offer?

Carl Birch: No, we run seven machines, with different sizes and configurations. We also have the laboratory line which acts as an eighth production light to some extent. We can produce anything from 25 kilos on the lab line, through to 20, 30, 40 ton runs on the main plant. It’s really quite varied and that’s one of our strengths as a business: we have a variety of different lines which have different capabilities.

“Our goal is to make a careful technical assessment of whether we think this is something that we can progress into a commercial opportunity”

ENGEL UK is one of the key players in the UK’s injection moulding supply market. The official UK subsidiary for the Austrian IMM brand is headed by MD Nigel Baker. Dave Gray caught up with Nigel to talk trends, taxes, and tradeshows!

ON

IN CONVERSATION WITH: NIGEL BAKER, ENGEL UK

Dave Gray: So Nigel, how’s business at ENGEL UK?

Nigel Baker: We closed our financial year at the end of March, and it looks like we’re going to post a healthy result again.

We were particularly delighted by the technical market –that sector has made a big contribution to our financial result. Packaging has done very well too, and then we’ve got the medical sector, which continues

to be a strong focus for us, especially in Ireland.

Automotive remains quiet, however we’re starting to see some promising signs of an upturn in that area.

Dave Gray: That’s really encouraging. So those are the markets that are doing well, but what are customers looking for lately in terms of technology?

Nigel Baker: The biggest trend is technology geared towards the

circular economy. Energy consumption is always the big driver. I think we can all agree that the running costs of a new moulding machine are very similar from one brand to another, but we’ve got some pretty smart patents in our machines that do give our customers an advantage. Because the running cost comparisons become very similar from brand-to-brand, we’ve been looking at technological differentiators that give us and give our customers a competitive edge. The IQ products that we’ve got patented give us that result.

Dave Gray: On the subject of sustainability, I gather you have a recyclate package available now. What does that include, and what are the benefits?

Nigel Baker: There are various options in this package. As an example, if a customer asked us to do a study on a particular material that they wanted to work with, we can send it to our recycling department in Austria where we’ll do an analysis, and then we’ll give a recommended machine configuration to process that material.

save to offset that added burden. So at Interplas we’ll be showing a 280 tonne e-speed machine running 2.8 seconds with rPET, which is a material that has traditionally been difficult to process with a thin-wall section.

Dave Gray: That should be really popular! And you sold your first Wintec machine in the UK last year. Are these growing in popularity in the west? What could be driving that trend?

Nigel Baker: Well as you know, Wintec is part of the ENGEL Group. We made a strategic decision to bring Wintec into Europe, as before that the brand was just for the Chinese market. So, the idea was to be able to offer European customers a lower specification, high-quality machine - made in China, but with the blueprint of the renowned technology that’s been developed in Austria.

The interest in these machines has been overwhelming, and we have a 650 tonne Wintec here in our Warwick demonstration room for anyone who wants to come and see for themselves the technology and build quality.

started acting as the UK agency for HB Therm, the Swiss temperature control manufacturer, so we really can help customers to build full solutions.

We’re also keen to do our bit for the future of the UK industry: we’ll soon be taking on two more apprentices, so we’ll have four apprentices within our business. These individuals will be the next service engineers for the future of our industry.

Additionally, we’ve invested in some power analysers and we’re offering free energy checks on power consumption of older machinery. This is available to existing and new customers, and it gives them a great insight into what they can save by investing in new machinery – which is especially important in the current climate.

Dave Gray: And you’ve already touched on this, but what else will ENGEL be bringing to Interplas this year?

Nigel Baker: We feel it’s really important to demonstrate to the market our service support offering. So we’ll have a customer service department expert corner, where we’ll present all the aftersales products

We’ve got some great add-ons to the machines, including degassing, which enable recycled materials to be handled effectively. And those, in combination with iQ weight control, are particularly effective for processing recyclate.

Dave Gray: According to HMRC, the Plastics Packaging Tax is on course to exceed its first year target, meaning that processors are paying the tax rather than incorporating recyclate. The fact remains, there’s a paucity of quality recyclate around. Do you expect your recyclate package to become more popular in the UK, given these conditions?

Nigel Baker: I think we will do. Food packaging is still the problem, because of issues with contamination. But if customers can’t avoid the tax, for example for food-contact packaging as I mentioned, we have ways to help them

Dave Gray: As we're doing this interview, ENGEL is exhibiting at JEC World over in Paris. What makes Engel a key player in the field of composites?

Nigel Baker: It’s the resource behind the innovation. ENGEL has invested heavily into R&D for composite technologies, because it’s an important area for us. So as a result of that, we’ve become a recognised technology leader in new formats, and composites is one that we’ve been heavily involved with for quite a number of years now.

Dave Gray: What else is ENGEL known for in the UK, besides moulding machines?

Nigel Baker: Well, we do have our automation arm as well. And we also have trusted mouldmakers that we work with too. So we can help build packages to help clients make their products in the most economical way. We also recently

that we can offer our customers to give them added security in helping them get the best out of their machinery.

Dave Gray: Finally Nigel, where is ENGEL’s future investment going? What’s the next big technology?

Nigel Baker: We’re still investing heavily in our version of Industry 4.0, which we call Inject 4.0. That includes the iQ products I’ve already spoken about. Our aftersales teams are now starting to offer expert view goggles to customers. So if a customer needs some help in optimising the machine or process set up, or even intervention/repair, they can put their expert view goggles on, and that customer becomes the eyes and ears for our service teams. So they can then guide them step-by-step through the process. That’s all part of our continued investment in futuristic technologies and customer service.

“The interest in these machines has been overwhelming, and we have a 650 tonne Wintec here in our Warwick demonstration room for anyone who wants to come and see for themselves the technology and build quality.”

What's in the pipeline?

Dave Gray reports on the latest developments from plastic pipe extruders and their suppliers.

It’s an uncomfortable truth that 40% of waste plastic used in construction sites ends up in landfill. Polypipe Building Services is one of the UK’s manufacturers that is aiming to turn the tide on that, with a new recycling service that was trialled recently with plumbing trade merchant Wolseley UK.

In fact, the trial has been so successful that it’s now being rolled out across 11 of Wolseley’s branches in the UK.

The trial began in three of the group’s branches in Brimsdown, Trafford and West Bromwich. Since January last year, Polypipe says it has collected more than 2,700 kilos of recycled waste.

Polypipe's drivers drop off empty collapsible pallets to the merchants they supply, which can be filled with PVC piping offcuts, obsolete products, plastic packaging, and bulk bags, and will pick the full ones up on their next delivery to the branch.

Alex Ashton, environmental & sustainability manager at Polypipe Building Services, said: “This scheme ties into our strategy of using more recycled materials in our processes following the release of our Terrain PVC sustainable pipe last year which is manufactured from up to 65% recycled PVC-u and is helping us to hit our targets as part of the Genuit group, which is committed to using more than 60% of recycled materials in our products.

“Plastic often gets a bad name when it comes to the environment, but when it’s used responsibly it can be recycled again and again helping us to limit the resources we take out of the earth.”

Cardboard, wooden pallets

and plastic bottles are already recycled at Polypipe Building Services headquarters in Aylesford, and recycling bags are also supplied by Polypipe to building sites they supply, so any offcuts can be collected and recycled instead of going to landfill.

He added: “We’ve already had interest in the trial from several of our other distributors as it really is a winwin for them, their customers and our environment, and we have employed two dedicated recycling staff to sort all the different recycling streams.”

Luchiana Laza, category manager at Wolseley, added: “We have weekly deliveries from Polypipe so the volume of waste which we can now recycle means this scheme also makes good financial sense due to the cost saving on skips.”

Polypropylene random copolymer (PP-R) pipes, and the later generation PP-RCT (polypropylene random copolymer with modified crystallinity and temperature resistance) pipes, have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their superior chemical and mechanical properties, versus older materials. A comparatively low environmental impact means they have been used more and more in the construction of hot and cold water distribution and water purification systems, in heating systems, in the transport of compressed air, but also for the transport of chemical fluids.

Responding to the trend, pipe extrusion machinery group Bausano has now developed extrusion lines dedicated to PP-R and PP-RCT mono and multilayer pipes.

MAIN IMAGE: PBS recycling crates at Wolseley.

ABOVE LEFT: Polypipe Building Services recycling operative Paul Knight with the Recycling Award from Wolseley and an image of the PBS recycling crates at Wolseley.

ABOVE CENTRE: Bausano has now developed extrusion lines dedicated to PP-R and PP-RCT mono and multilayer pipes.

ABOVE RIGHT: Each of Bausano’s new lines consists of one or more single-screw extruders, equipped with a specially designed screw, and optimised melt plasticisation.

FAR RIGHT: Guill Tool has released a new spiderless die for pipe extrusion, offering material savings.

Low thermal conductivity is a key benefit of PP-R pipes, resulting in reduced heat loss or heat gain when transferring hot or cold fluids. They also exhibit strong resistance, even under changing environmental conditions, with a temperature range of 20°C to 95°C, as well as being able to withstand abrasion by solid particles, aggressive chemicals and alkaline solutions. As a result, PP-R pipes can remain functional for over fifty years.

Smooth internal surfaces also make for a lower coefficient of friction, further contributing to system efficiency. In multilayer PP-R pipes, the intermediate layer consists of a glass fibre compound, which further increases the pipe’s strength and limits its thermal expansion. They’re also non-toxic, and less prone to electrolysis.

Each of Bausano’s new lines consists of one or more singlescrew extruders, equipped

with a specially designed screw, and optimised melt plasticisation. Calibration and cooling benches, made of stainless steel, are designed to give effective cooling, providing a flawless surface. The other components of the new lines are the drive systems for a continuous, vibration-free drive, the cutting unit and the packaging wrapper. The latter is an automatic system, capable of forming bundles of pipes of the predetermined number, from 16-125mm in diameter and from 1-6m in length. The machines also come with Bausano’s ‘Digital Extruder Control 4.0’ for process control and data analysis.

“The combination of superior performance and lower raw material costs is leading to the increasing use of PP-R pipes, replacing the less efficient metal pipes,” said Massimiliano Fenili, Bausano’s technical manager. He added:

“For this reason, at Bausano we have been specialising for some time in the design of dedicated extrusion lines that can meet the most challenging requirements of our customers. The goal we constantly keep in mind is in fact to offer a complete solution, aimed at guaranteeing maximum results and designed down to the smallest detail to optimally process the chosen material, with particular regard to its rheological behaviour. The inclusion of the gravimetric dosing unit, which provides interesting data on the amount of plastic processed,

combined with downstream automation such as the bar wrapper, testifies to our commitment to customising our technology to specific production requirements.”

In tooling, US player Guill Tool recently announced the availability of a spiderless pipe die. The firm says this die configuration increases material savings compared to conventional basket dies for pipe extrusion. Designed to be used by tube and pipe producers for larger diameter capabilities, this new pipe die is capable of providing a finished extrusion with OD from 2”-15”. It’s offered in 4140 steel or stainless with heat treating.

In general, according to Guill Tool, material costs can range from 50% to 70% of the total cost of polymer pipe production. Increasing energy and labour costs also contribute to a need for pipe extruders to make savings in their process. The precision nature of the spiderless die means it should cut materials costs for processors, according to the firm.

“Material costs can range from 50% to 70% of the total cost of polymer pipe production. Increasing energy and labour costs also contribute to a need for pipe extruders to make savings in their process.”

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POLYMERMAN

Commercial realities of the UK Plastics PackagingTaxandpotentialinfluencesfrom thenewEuropeansingleusepackagingtaxes

With the new financial year has come an increase in the rate of UK PPT of 5.41% taking the price from £200.00 to £210.82 per tonne of packaging produced or imported into the UK. In effect this increases the maximum value of the 30% recycled content required to be exempted from the tax by £36.07 per tonne.

In the context of both benefit to the environment and supporting the economics of recycling this looks like good news. However, this needs to be considered in terms of overall polymer prices and within that the discrepancies in cost base between virgin polymer and recycling; whereby virgin polymer production has high fixed cost and low variable costs and recycled polymer economics are the complete opposite.

Since April 2022 virgin polyolefin prices have fallen by around £200 per tonne according to the following graph.

This reduction corresponds with the maximum value of the recycled content, thus rendering the increase in the PPT as meaningless in terms of supporting the economics of recycling, where any such premium may apply. The coincidental reduction in virgin polyolefin prices and the value of the packaging tax has gone some way to ensure that the PPT has had limited inflationary impact on plastics packaging products. HM Treasury looks like the obvious winner with a higher rate of tax being applied to what is likely to be a similar volume of material.

Looking further afield, Spain introduced its own Plastics Packaging Tax earlier this year, but rather than setting a recycled content threshold it has chosen not to tax recycled inputs. This approach has the advantage that any amount of recycled content up to 100% is incentivised and accordingly rewarded. Although there is no set threshold, the economics should in and of themselves work providing that the cost of the recycled content is less than the taxed virgin alternative. The tax rate is €0.45/kg (£391 per tonne) and with this comes the risk that Spain will increase imports of recycled materials, if economically viable, which may in turn drive up the price of recycled materials, including from the UK either directly, or through a ripple effect.

Germany has plans to introduce a special levy on single use plastic items from 2025, with a rumoured taxation rate of €0.871/kg (£757 per tonne) for non-tabaco products and €0.9495/kg (£778 per tonne for) tabaco packaging.

As was, and still is to some extent, the case in the UK, other countries in Europe have to grapple with the complexity of regional schemes, and with that also comes the administrative burden both in setup and maintenance. That said it is clear that taxation is helping to drive innovation in, and the development of polymer recycling, with recent developments in food grade rPP being a case in point.

Who is ‘Polymerman’?

is the title used for announcements made via his Twitter account. This column is compiled using data from PIE (Plastics Information Europe) www.plastribution.co.uk | www.pieweb.com

As the plastic packaging tax increases in the UK, Plastribution’s Mike Boswell looks a the wider implications.

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 and its ‘BREXIT Committee’. ‘Polymerman’

"This needs to be considered in terms of overall polymer prices and within that the discrepancies in cost base between virgin polymer and recycling; whereby virgin polymer production has high fixed cost and low variable costs and recycled polymer economics are the complete opposite"

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Addressing the material handling challenges of composites manufacturing

The high strength and performance characteristics of composites have been the driving force behind the increasing use of these materials within the aerospace and automotive sectors. Both of these sectors are renowned for developing and influencing advanced manufacturing techniques and processes, which then migrate out into other manufacturing sectors.

The disruptive changes currently taking place within the automotive and transportation industry overall is further increasing the demand for lightweight components. In addition, other sectors such as renewables, where harnessing wind energy is a key part of our future energy security, is another area where the use of composites for advanced structures will continue to expand the uptake of these materials.

Manufacturing processes require specific handling solutions

The different manufacturing stages and processes used in composites production bring with them their own unique challenges. In the Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) manufacturing process, the required shapes are cut from the dry FRP textiles on CNC cutting tables. These sensitive workpieces then have to be picked from the cutter and transferred to a table or loaded to a magazine temporarily before further processing and “laying-up.” During this operation different layers are placed on top of each other in a defined order to create a specific layer structure.

These operations require careful handling of the individual workpieces, and within the aerospace sector for example, it is

LEFT: Specialist high flow vacuum gripper systems are used to handle delicate parts)

COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING

not possible to use needle grippers for fear of damaging the integrity of the fibres. Instead, specialist high flow vacuum grippers are used.

These gripper systems, which have a suction rate of up to 650 litres of air per minute, only produce a vacuum of 100mb therefore making it possible to handle these delicate pieces successfully without deforming the product.

Within the automotive sector however, the handling of the individual cut workpieces using needle gripper systems is permitted, and many of the individual composite components produced for high performance cars and motorsport are handled using this technology. Needle grippers penetrate the workpiece with up to 24 needles. The needles on both sides of the grippers move in opposite directions generating the necessary tension to hold the textile securely.

Prepreg materials present an altogether different set of handling challenges. Before the prepreg materials can be processed, which is usually done through hot pressing, the adhesive material is cut to the appropriate size on a cutting table. With the protective film on the material removed manually, the precut prepreg pieces are then stacked on top of each other in a specific order, with the various layers forming a kit. The kit is then placed within the moulding press, where the material is pressed and cured. The challenge in handling prepreg materials is ensuring that the cut piece does not remain stuck to the gripper during the handling process and allowing it to be released

precisely. Furthermore, care needs to be taken to ensure that the gripper does not become too heavily contaminated.

In this application Schmalz suction plates provide an even vacuum distribution, and their flat design also prevents the workpiece from being drawn into the gripper, protecting the semi-finished products from permanent deformation.

Processing Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC) requires a completely different approach to overcome the material handling challenges. Cut from a roll into the desired size and shape, the long fibres of this material are embedded into a duroplastic matrix and are randomly oriented. The grippers used to handle and place these workpieces are generally

special needle grippers with the high penetration force required to pick up the stack of individual layers and position it in the moulding press.4

At the final stage of composite component production, the cured and often still hot components must be gripped securely during their removal from the mould tool, but crucially without leaving marks on the workpiece surface. Suction cups manufactured from HT1 are ideal for this process. These suction cups are both heat-resistant and free of substances that contain silicone or could impair any subsequent painting processes. If FRP components are to be coated at a later stage, this avoids potential surface imperfections.

Just as composite materials have found their way into a multitude of different applications, the gripper and handling technologies required to process these materials have also evolved to provide the optimum solution which meets the unique criteria for each stage of the process.

“

Processing Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC) requires a completely different approach to overcome the material handling challenges.”

INSET: Schmalz suction plates use an even vacuum distribution to handle prepreg material

BELOW: Special needle grippers are used to handle sheet moulding compound

TECHNICAL 101: Formulating plastic compounds

There are so many factors one needs to consider when formulating thermoplastic compounds, regardless if it is being formulated for compounds or masterbatches (concentrates).

Pravin S Mistry, global CEO, PREA Ltd. gives a technical summary of the key considerations when formulating a compound.

The starting point is what is the end application / product? The formulators are usually second or third tier suppliers in the chain and do not always know what the end product will be. The moulder may be only supplying a small or integral part of the finished product. So it is quite important to know which sector the product will be in, for example, food, pharmaceutical, medical, automotive industrial. Not only is it cost that need to be controlled but more importantly the safety side. Different formulations will be used in food contact products compared to industrial products.

Questions formulators may ask:

• Polymer of choice for the compound?

• What are the typical processing temperatures and dwell times of the manufacturing process and does the end-product need to be protected for prolonged contact with high temperatures?

• If so, what temperature and for how long?

• How important is the light fastness and or weather fastness?

• If outdoor use for what country and for how long is the life expectancy requirement?

• Are there any toxicity requirements, food contact, human body contact, toys etc?

• What is the minimal wall thickness of the end-application? This is important to know if the opacity/transparency is of importance.

• To help design the best formula we should always be informed of the end application.

• Any other important information such as filler type and content or additive requirements that the customers has specifically requested?

Let’s start as follows:

Polymer choice

When producing compound formulations it’s important to know just what’s expected of the end application. If the wrong choice of base polymer is selected then this could result in a product failure costing thousands if not millions of pounds and in the worst-case scenario a possible criminal prosecution, should there be a catastrophic failure leading to personal injury or even death. So before deciding on what base polymer should be used for the compound, one must first make sure that the selected polymer has the mechanical properties that are the right fit for the end application.

Additive choice

There are many additives which can be used within the compound formulation to enhance the properties of the base polymer, some are added to improve output rates such as processing aids, a common type being a fluoroelastomer, this same additive can also give better mould release and prevent melt fracture in blown film applications.

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Other commonly used additives include UV stabilisers designed to help prolong the life of the base polymer, a typical application being stadium seats when helping to prevent the seats from becoming brittle and or discoloured in too short a period of time. A UV Absorber is another type of additive often used in conjunction with UV stabilisers to offer polymer protection and these type of additives can also help prevent any UV sensitive contents of a container from being damaged, particularly relevant for some pharmaceutical and food and drink applications.

Antioxidants are also used to help prevent polymers from undergoing thermal degradation whilst being processed or when in contact with heat over a prolong period of time, such as in the case of automotive under bonnet applications.

Other properties like low friction, impact strength, viscosity, antibacterial, conductivity, and antistatic, increasing or decreasing densities as well as many other functional performances can be modified by selecting the right appropriate additives.

Filler choice

Fillers are often used to modify the properties of the base polymer or in some cases they are added just to reduce costs, the most common types being calcium carbonate (chalk) magnesium silicate (talc) mica, glass bead and fibre, barium sulphate. The level of filler content can be as high as 80% as is sometimes the case when barium sulphate is being used to increase the density of the host polymer.

Calcium carbonate is often used to reduce costs. Talc is used to increase rigidity and deflection temperature and to enhance other properties such as thermal

Pravin S Mistry, global CEO, PREA Ltd.

conductivity and lower cycle times. Mica has good sound deadening properties. Glass beads can lower the frictional properties of the base polymer and glass fibre is often used to reinforce polymers such as nylon and polypropylene.

Colourant choice

When it comes to the colouring of a compound, the choice of colourants are many and varied. There are three main types (1.) Inorganic pigments (2.) organic pigments: both are finely divided solid particles which become insoluble particles when mixed within the polymer. Whereas (3.) dyes are designed to dissolve into the polymer.

Dyes do not have such wide compatibility with polymers when compared to inorganic and organic pigment types and their

migration resistance, especially in higher concentrations is often inferior.

The main properties of these three colourant categories are;

1. Inorganics

Generally inorganic pigments tend to be less vibrant and their tint strength is lower than organics pigments and dyes. They have excellent migration resistance. Generally they have higher heat stability, e.g. ultramarines blues, chrome oxide greens and red shade iron oxides can all withstand temperatures in excess of 400°C more than enough for all polymers. The light and weather fastness is normally excellent and have none or very little influence on warping behaviour. In most instances they have excellent chemical and solvent resistance even when used in low concentrations and are generally easy to disperse.

2. Organics

Generally Organic pigments are strong vibrant colours, with excellent tint strength and their migration resistance is normally very good though there are exceptions to this rule. There are many organic pigments where the heat stability is up to 300°C, but others can be as low as 180°C. ( Light and weather fastness can also be quite variable( Light fastness measured using the ISO 105 B02 Blue wool scale (1-8) can in the worst cases be as low as 1 or have the highest value of 8, similarly weather fastness measured using the international ISO 105 A02 Gray scale (1-5) can be as low as 1 or as high as 5.)

Warpage can be a major problem when formulating with organic pigments, especially with the commonly used phthalocyanines. However there are quite a few organic pigments where the warpage is considered to be low and a small selection where it is believed there is no influence on the warping behaviour. Chemical and solvent resistance is generally quite good, but some commonly used organic pigments are known to interact in a negative way with such additives as zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, alkaline based additives such as antistatics and some stabilisers, these are often found in compound formulations. Usually if there is a negative interaction this can be seen as a shade variation, as a result sometimes there can be a very dramatic colour shift when a yellow shade turns to orange or a red turns to brown. Also it can be >

“If the wrong choice of base polymer is selected then this could result in a product failure costing thousands if not millions of pounds and in the worst-case scenario a possible criminal prosecution, should there be a catastrophic failure leading to personal injury or even death.”

101: COMPOUNDING

difficult to disperse especially in higher concentrations.

3. Dyes

Dyes are strong vibrant transparent colours, with excellent tint strength. Migration resistance can be very good, though there are exceptions to this rule. If dyes are used at higher concentrations than recommended they do have more of a tendency to migrate. Most Dyes have good to excellent heat stability some in excess of 320C though most tend to be around 240°C to 300°C.

Light and weather fastness is very variable. Light fastness measured using the ISO 105 B02 Blue wool scale (1-8) can in the worst cases be as low as 1 or have the highest value of 8, similarly weather fastness measured using the international ISO 105 A02 Gray scale (1-5) can be as low as 1 or as high as

5. Dyes have no influence on

warping behaviours Chemical and solvent resistance is generally quite good. No issue with dispersion as they dissolve into the polymer.

Summary

As can now be seen when choosing the right polymer and ingredients for the compound application, many factors must be first taken into consideration. Most importantly one should always try to get the end customer to tell you what they are expecting from the compound and where and for how long the end product is going to be used. e.g. Formulating a red compound requiring a 5 year life expectancy for a stadium seat application for use in the UK is going to be an easier proposition than for 5 years in Saudi Arabia, but both can be achieved by selecting the right polymer, additive and colourant package. Failure to use the right selection of ingredients could result in a product failure within just a few months, some organic pigments especially reds, can start to colour fade when exposed to sunlight in just a few weeks.

Opacity is another important factor to take into consideration when making any compound colour, adding more pigment than necessary, can add considerably to the cost, since some pigments cost over £60 per kg. Mechanical properties can also be adversely affected if too much pigment is added to the compound, it’s not uncommon for polymers such as ABS to have as much as 10% titanium dioxide added into the formula to help mask the yellowness of the base polymer, but this level of pigment will drastically reduce the impact strength and other key properties.

It’s important to always check what effect the selected pigments are having on the properties of the compound. Poor dispersion of

any of the pigments can result in lower impact and tensile strengths and in severe cases even the surface finish of the mouldings can look pitted rather than smooth in appearance. In transparent mouldings poorly dispersed pigments can sometimes be mistaken for black specks.

Finally one of the most important aspects of any compound formula is ensuring that it meets any food, toy or other toxicity compliances requested by the customer or those known to be relevant for the end application. The regulations vary from country to country so it’s essential we know the type of end application and where in the world it’s going to be used in order to select the right ingredients.

By gathering all the right information compounds can then be made to be both cost effective and fit for purpose.

SCAN ME

APPLICATIONS: SPORTS

In years gone by the use of plastics, rubbers and synthetics in football pitches had been somewhat taboo at the professional level of the sport. However as technology advances there has been an acceptance to the use of such materials in pitches.

At a recreational level ‘3G’ materials have become a normal part of the game. These pitches consist of synthetic turf, sand infill and performance infill – typically rubber or EPDM, these pitches try and replicate the feel of playing sports on grass, as does the 4G material. However, the latter surface does not require the use of infills and is less dense - the pitches provide an allweather alternative for a game traditionally played through winter.

There had initially been concerns surrounding the safety of the rubbers and synthetics used in these surfaces. However, according to research undertaken by the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Registration of Chemicals (REACH), the EU’s researcher into material safety the use of such material is safe.

This has encouraged the Football Association (The FA) promote the ‘plastic pitches’. The FA has also promoted reusability in such synthetic pitches: according to its guidelines, pitches must contain substances called polycyclic-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Within this the FA encouraged infill to be produced from recycled rubber tyres produced after 2010.

At the top level of the sport a more subtle use of synthetics

has found its way into the modern game - the hybrid turf. The surface comprised of 9095% natural turf is combined with a synthetic material usually comprised of nylon, polypropylene or polyethylene to create a durable, natural

WORDS: DANIEL BALL

feeling surface. The vast majority of premier league clubs now boast such pitches including the likes of Liverpool, who installed a hybrid pitch at the start of the season. In addition to better performance, the club claims that the polyethylene in the plastic pitch will allow for less maintenance and quicker growth during the stadium’s off season. According to a statement from the club: “To the naked eye, the pitch will not look any different to last season; however, the new hybrid pitch will provide excellent performance, stability and resilience, while significantly reducing the time period for end-ofseason renovations to a pitch ready for competitive use. The average in-stadia pitch

renovation window is seven to eight weeks growth from seed. By installing a hybrid carpet system, the club is reducing this window to three to four weeks”.

The use of such materials has also had a noticeable positive effect on the game. According to a report in Reuters on plastic pitches, the pace of play is ‘20% faster than they were just 20 years ago, largely because of the trueness and quality of the surfaces.’ The use of the polypropylene also makes waterlogging virtually impossible - gone are the days of trench like pitches of the 70s and 80s as English football enters what is possibly its strongest era to date, thanks in no part to a little bit of plastic.

Plastic pitches: The grass is most definitely greener

“The use of the polypropylene also makes waterlogging virtually impossible - gone are the days of trench like pitches of the 70s and 80s as English football enters what is possibly its strongest era to date, thanks in no part to a little bit of plastic.”

Finalists announced for 2023 Design Innovation in Plastics competition

His comments follow the announcement of the finalists for the 2023 competition. This competition, contested annually by university undergraduates in the UK and Ireland, has asked the students to design a functional item for the kitchen or bathroom, made primarily from plastics, which is an original concept or a significant improvement on an existing product.

Mr Brown said the students had worked hard to tackle the brief to design an item for the bathroom or kitchen which might meet the needs of the young or the elderly or those with disabilities – an area

where there are already many products on the market.

"This made it a challenging brief and the finalists have done well to raise the awareness of the judges in some of the areas they have addressed," he commented. "Our finalists have all been provided with feedback and guidance to help them refine their products before they present them at the final judging stage."

As well as five finalists, another student has been chosen to receive a new award. This year it was decided to introduce an additional category for an entry

TDP SCOOPS KING’S AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE

which did not quite make the final cut, but which still recognises the talent which has gone into creating an innovative product or design. The category has been named ‘The Robin Jones Award’ in memory of a former DIP committee member who sadly passed away last year.

All the finalists, along with the recipient of the Robin Jones Award, have been invited to attend a training course provided by a new DIP industry sponsor Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, which will give them the opportunity to take on board new ideas as they finesse their products.

The six students are:

• Frederick Blake (Bournemouth University):

‘Bubble Buddy’

• Kyle Farquhar (Edinburgh Napier University):

‘PlateMate’

• James Forrest-Smith (Northumbria University):

‘Kitchen Helper’

• Christopher Kenny (TU Dublin): ‘Flossie’

• Scott Rutherford (Edinburgh Napier University):

‘Rotary Bottle Opener’

• Teresa Zheng (Loughborough University): ‘Pocket Operation Panel’

Design Innovation in Plastics is the longest running plastics competition of its kind in Europe, having been established in 1985. It is supported by the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining, the Worshipful Company of Horners and sponsored by leading design and plastics organisations, including Covestro, which is the headline industry sponsor.

The finalists will be presenting their products to the judges at an all-day session in London on May 26. The final result will be announced at a ceremony in London on July 7.

and putting people and the environment at the heart of its business strategy.

TDP is one of 148 organisations nationally to be recognised with a King’s Award for Enterprise. Previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, the annual programme reflects His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses. Now in its 57th year, it represents the most prestigious business award in the country and TDP is one of only 15 winners of the Sustainable Development category.

The Derbyshire SME manufactures outdoor furniture from recycled UK plastic waste and has so far saved more than 4,200 tonnes

of plastic waste from going into landfill. The distinguished award recognises TDP’s commitment to help combat climate change

The King’s Award Office said: “TDP has been awarded for a comprehensive and well-executed plan of sustainable initiatives with positive impacts, and for demonstrating inspirational leadership spreading the word about sustainability amongst its peers and through the local business community.”

TDP Founder, Rob Barlow, commented: “We are truly honoured to receive the award and want to thank everyone who has supported us on our journey. A commitment to sustainability is at the heart of our business strategy and we hope

to inspire others to follow suit. Reducing waste and driving efficiencies is a win win and can unlock new opportunities and revenue streams. We look forward to further developing our strategy and exploring what more we can do to have a positive impact on the world around us.”

The King’s Award will help shine a light on TDP’s work and demonstrate to other businesses that sustainable product development makes good business sense whilst protecting the planet.

East Midlands manufacturer TDP has been honoured with the King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development.

Design students entering this year’s Design Innovation in Plastics competition, sponsored by Covestro, have used 'out of the box thinking' and produced 'innovative solutions', according to head judge, Richard Brown.

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What is Full Expensing?

The continuing strain for households and businesses facing soaring prices was a major factor as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered his first Budget speech in March, and policies directed at getting people into work, and keeping them there, were central to the Budget. Whilst this was all positive news in terms of a commitment to the workforce and key changes on childcare and pensions, regardless of individual thoughts and feelings on how effective or relevant these were, it’s clear that Mr Hunt, like everyone else, still has an eye on energy costs, hence the news to extend the Energy Price Guarantee until July 2023 .

However, what was maybe not clearly outlined in the Budget was the end of Super Deduction. In 2021 Super Deduction was introduced which allowed a company to deduct 130% of a purchased asset value in the first year. This ended on 31st March 2023, and the replacement for this scheme is Full Expensing. This scheme is initially set for three years with the “intention” to make it permanent in the long-term.

Full Expensing works in a similar way to Super Deduction. 100% of plant and machinery value can be deducted from taxable profits in the year it is incurred. Although this represents a 30% decrease, the value of tax savings offsets this as the corporation tax rate has increased from 19% to 25%. What this essentially means is that for every £1 invested in qualifying expenditure businesses will be able to save up to 25p on their tax bill. There is no limit on the amount of expenditure that can qualify for full expensing but all assets must be unused and not second hand. The company must also be incorporated i.e. registered for corporation tax.

In addition to this the government is also offering an Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) which also allows 100% relief in the first 12 months after purchase. Unlike Full Expensing this is limited to a maximum of £1m but is allowed for 2nd hand machinery and can be taken up by unincorporated companies as well as incorporated.

In short, whilst limited support (if anything at all) is available to companies regarding energy bills, there is at least some positive news in that investment in new, more energy efficient technology, has been made a little more affordable to some businesses via these schemes. While these measures will not increase a company’s profitability alone, as they simply reduce the tax burden and the subsequent impact on cash and equity, a possible spin-off benefit is that profitability should be increased. The average moulding facility has a 30-35% spend on energy costs, and anything which is done in this area will have a direct impact on the bottom line. As with all budgets and announcements, there will be mixed and often polar opposite views on what’s there (or not there), so please don’t shoot the messenger – I’m neither a politician or an accountant, but my hope is that at least some good will come out of this for someone.

David Raine Chairman, PMMDA

“What this essentially means is that for every £1 invested in qualifying expenditure businesses will be able to save up to 25p on their tax bill.”

COLUMN

Philip Law

The BPF’s director-general Philip Law reports on Chinaplas 2023

A triumphant return to Chinaplas

The long awaited re-opening of the Chinaplas exhibition took place between April 17th and 20th, 2023. The location was Shenzen, relatively close to Hong Kong. This was a new departure. Originally the fair had taken place in Beijing but had then settled into a regular rotation between Guangzhou and Shanghai. For British exhibitors, Shanghai, with all its amenities was for long the favoured spot. The UK exhibitors, led by the BPF, were able to test the support offered at the new location as well as explore how well received British exporters are against a background of cooling relations between not just Britain and China, but also between China and the West as a whole. Whilst Chinaplas was edging towards pre-eminence among global plastics fairs, it was interesting to see how it rated, particularly in comparison to the K fair in Dusseldorf.

The show ran at the Shenzen World Exhibition and Conference Centre (mercifully abbreviated to ‘Shenzen World’). It’s a brand new purpose-built centre, with a capacity of 410,000 sqm, making it the second largest exhibition / convention centre in the world. My colleagues described it as ‘first class in every way’.

The halls were completely packed with visitors and by the end of the second day 166,049 people had visited the show, of which 16,662 were from overseas.

The BPF’s presence there was in close collaboration with the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade. We had eight companies there - Dassault Systemes, Fraser Anti-Static Techniques, Keeling & Walker, Meech International, Nextool UK, Polyglene Group, Rapidflame and the BPF itself. It would have been more, but sadly there was an early sell-out of floor space.

On the second evening of the show, the UK’s Department for Business and Trade hosted an evening reception attended by over 70 guests, including many representatives of Chinese companies, the Chinese government and local plastics associations. We also had UK companies investing in China, including Ineos, Victrex and Colloids. A keynote speech was given by Trevor Lewis, the Deputy Director Innovation and Industry at the Consulate-General, Guangzhou.

The BPF first exhibited at Chinaplas in 1982 at the very first Chinaplas show. Since then the growth of the fair, especially since the early 2000s has been truly remarkable. This year the show featured 3,900 exhibitors, making it the largest plastics show in the world by exhibitor numbers. Watch out K Fair!

Next year’s Chinaplas 2024 will take place in Shanghai at the National Exhibition and Conference Centre and we are encouraging companies to join our BPF organised pavilion there. For more information contact Justyna Elloitt at the BPF on jelliott@bpf.co.uk.

“UK exhibitors, led by the BPF, were able to test the support offered at the new location as well as explore how well received British exporters are.”

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