BP&R February 2013

British Plastics

and Rubber

bp&r

THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR BRITAIN’S POLYMER PROCESSORS

february 2013

PVC proves its green credentials

The next challenge for UK recycling

Polymer prices: Review and Outlook

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bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER www.britishplastics.co.uk EDITORIAL Editor: Leanne Taylor T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: leanne@rapidnews.com

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

ART

UK plastics recycling

takes to the spotlight

Production & Design Manager: Samantha Hamlyn T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: sam@rapidnews.com Production: PETER BARTLEY T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: peter@rapidnews.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS The subject of plastics recycling is never far from the agenda, however, this month has seen some important announcements in terms of where the industry could be headed. In this issue, we look at how changes made by DEFRA to recycling targets in the UK need to be mirrored by the introduction of other regulatory amendments in order to ensure, as a nation, we reap the benefits.

In our reclamation and recycling focus, Jonathan Short, Managing Director of ECO Plastics, shares his opinion on a need to review the current PRN/PERN system in order to create a level playing field for UK plastic reprocessors and Chris Dow, CEO of Closed Loop Recycling, praises DEFRA’s decision to introduce a new MRF Code of Practice to improve the quality of dry recyclates from co-mingled commercial and local waste streams in the UK. In addition, MBA Polymers recently called on the Government for an exemption or reduction in VAT on recycled plastics to help stimulate consumer demand and encourage investment in the UK’s plastics recycling industry.

MBA’s Chief Executive, Nigel Hunton, said at an event in Westminster on the future of plastics recycling that the UK could become “a world leader” in the sector,

but only if it changes its approach.

“Recycled plastics are a resource - not a waste product. There is the potential for major environmental and economic benefit such as attracting new jobs and investment to the UK,” he commented.

The potential creation of new green jobs in the sector is encouraging news for the next generation of workers due to embark on a career in the plastics industry. Earlier this month I visited the Polymer Training and Innovation Centre in Telford for a summit on apprenticeships. The event, attended by representatives from industry, trade associations and the sector skills council, highlighted the need to change the way in which apprenticeship schemes are delivered in the polymer industry in terms of funding, course content, delivery methods and assessment. By speaking up as an industry as to what is needed from the schemes, we can ensure that succession plans are in place so that workers with the appropriate level of training and skill are filling the new jobs being created. You can read the full report on page 28.

Enjoy the issue.

Leanne Taylor — Editor

Subscriptions Manager: Tracey Nicholls T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: tracey@rapidnews.com

PUBLISHER Mark Blezard T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: mark@rapidnews.com British Plastics & Rubber is available on free subscription to readers qualifying under the publisher’s terms of control. Those outside the criteria may subscribe at the following annual rates: UK: £80 Europe and rest of the world: £115 British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (10 times/year) by Plastics Multimedia Communications Ltd, Unit 2, Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, CH4 9QE T: +44(0)1244 680222 F: +44(01244 671074 © 2013 Plastics Multimedia Communications Ltd While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained within this publication is accurate the publisher accepts no liability for information published in error, or for views expressed. All rights for British Plastics & Rubber are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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

Associated organisations

THE BIG STORY Spotlight on Resinex: Distributing a well-rounded plastics portfolio Founded in 1988, Resinex is part of the €5 Billion Ravago Group, specialising in the supply of raw materials to plastic and rubber convertors around the world.

As of 2012, Resinex had 400 employees and sold 600kt of polymers with a turnover of €1 billion in Europe. The company states the key to this success is that it has remained true to its core values as a customer service focused, quality orientated and reliable plastics distributor. Matthew Marsh, Managing Director of Resinex UK Ltd, said: “I am proud to be involved with a company that has flourished in recent years, cementing its status as the original and still the best plastics distributor.”

Resinex UK offers a next-day delivery service

Products

Services

Working with long term partners, Resinex provides first class products from the world’s leading suppliers such as Dow, Styron, Ticona, Braskem, Sabic, DSM, Arkema and Solvay, to name but a few. Resinex has a broad portfolio, including PP, PE and PS, along with engineering thermoplastics (PA, ABS, PC, POM) and speciality materials (TPE, PPS, LCP, PA46, PA12, PEI), as well as a full range of synthetic and natural rubbers.

Resinex is also a leading supplier of polymers for the rotational moulding industry, offering branded natural polymers from its partner, Dow Chemicals, and its own range of natural, black and coloured resins. In addition it offers a range of speciality polymers, such as semi-conductive, foaming PE and flame-retardants.

Technicians have also created a range of special effect polymers.

Based on standard RX branded materials, Resinex states these effects help customers differentiate their products from their competitors.

Alongside these 'brand name products’, Resinex also supplies an extensive range of tailor made customer compounds, sourced from the Ravago Group compounding operations. These compounds can range from prime-based to recycled materials; in short, it says, whatever the customer requires.

Resinex UK says it was the first plastic distributor in the UK to appreciate the time constraints that many manufacturers face in sourcing material. It is for this reason, the company says, that it became the foremost UK distributor to offer a next day delivery service. It was able to do this by acquiring an 8000m2 warehouse facility in Northamptonshire in the UK, where most materials are stocked, offering a next day delivery service from 25kg lots to full truck loads.

The team at Resinex prides itself on going the extra mile to keep customers satisfied. The company says that when a customer calls the sales office, they will speak to a dedicated, technically qualified sales specialist, who will endeavour to provide as much support as necessary. Employees are trained in material specification, technical development, tool design and even MoldFlow support.

Industries Resinex supply materials into numerous industries. In the automotive industry, the Resinex Group has a dedicated team of professionals cooperating with OEMs and tiers as well as with moulders on automotive developments and projects. In the medical and pharmaceutical industries, Resinex says it is a trusted partner, as a broad portfolio of unique polymers is available to meet the requirements of this strongly regulated market. The dedicated technical service team devoted to this particular industry is also said to be able to provide close cooperation during every step of product development, from material selection, suggestions for tool design, MoldFlow analysis, regulatory compliance, production guidelines and by providing the required certificates for the several approval processes required for medical and pharmaceutical applications.

•Resinex says the dynamic nature of the plastics industry means the business is constantly evolving, resulting in a steady change in the way that society and industry thinks about plastics used for packaging and manufacturing.

The company states it has responded well to these challenges by offering such a wide range of materials, that processors and end users now have a huge choice of materials based on cost, performance behaviour and environmental credentials.

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The Resinex team can offer advice on MoldFlow support

Further Information: www.resinex.co.uk

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25 30 on the cover

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bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER

contents

FEBRuary 2013

on the cover Spotlight on Resinex: Distributing a wellrounded plastics portfolio Founded in 1988, Resinex is part of the €5 Billion Ravago Group, specialising in the supply of raw materials to plastic and rubber convertors around the world.

See page 4

3

20-22 FEATURE Automation and Robotics Investment provides robotic boost for UK moulder

24-27 FEATURE

38-41 FEATURE Testing and Inspection Testing and characterisation of materials for medical plastics

REGULARS ENGINEERING MATERIALS

30

INJECTION MOULDING

36

FROM THE FRONT LINE

42

CURRENCY CORNER

43

SOFTWARE

43

BUYERS’ GUIDE

44

Vinyls PVC proves its green credentials

EDITOR’S LETTER Future of UK plastics recycling takes to the spotlight

8-11 FEATURE Biodegradables Clearing the myths: Compostable, Biodegradable, Oxo-Biodegradable and Bio-Based plastics

12-15 FEATURE

28 FEATURE Apprenticeships Generation plastics: Making apprenticeships work for the polymer industry

29 FEATURE

38

Mo’s Corner What is meant by ‘dosing’ in the context of injection moulding?

Packaging Dedicated machine launched for the packaging sector

16-19 ]FEATURE Reclamation and Recycling PRNs – the next big challenge for UK recycling

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Biodegradables

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news Biodegradable plastic developed from wheat straw developed for E&E appliances The Technological Institute of Plastics in Spain (Aimplas) claims it is developing a fully biodegradable plastic produced entirely from wheat straw, which has the properties required to be used in the manufacture of white goods and household electronics.

The development of the bioplastic is being co-ordinated by Aimplas as part of ‘Bugworkers’, a 48-month long project involving 15 European companies including Fermax and the Basque technological centre, Tecnalia.

The plastic is produced from bacteria that are fed with sugars derived from wheat straw, with the cellulose fibres from the same residue being used to provide the necessary rigidity for the material’s use in electronic and electrical appliances.

Wheat straw is an agro-industrial residue, however, Aimplas states within this project it will considerably reduce the manufacturing cost of a biodegradable plastic and therefore increase its value.

The wheat straw was chosen for its low cost and its high availability, especially in Central Europe.

So far the Bugworkers project has achieved good results with regards to process efficiency and therefore will be produced on an industrial scale. Aimplas

Biodegradable plastics get the cold treatment A famous Italian ice-cream maker is to completely replace its disposable plastic items with Mater-Bi, the biodegradable and compostable bioplastic from Novamont.

Grom, which has 57 sales outlets across Europe, Japan and the Americas, has taken the decision to use Mater-Bi to make all of the disposable items at its sales outlets, including spoons, cups, refuse sacks and carrier bags. Grom is also using specially made Mater-Bi mulching film for growing strawberries and melons at its farm.

Novamont states Mater-Bi is becoming one of the reference materials for food packaging and catering due to its biodegradability and compostability, which

The project is developing plastic developed from wheat straw

states the results will lead to further discussions regarding cost and competitive properties.

“We need high performance in the process of synthesis of bioplastic by using bacteria to be able to talk about a competitive product in terms of costs, and

the Bugworkers project is getting very positive results in this respect,” said Ana Espert, Technical Coordinator of the project at Aimplas. further information: www.aimplas.es

Italian ice cream maker Grom says it will use biodegradable plastics

represent added value for products contaminated with food scraps that would otherwise be difficult or uneconomical to recycle.

Last year, fast food giant McDonalds chose Mater-Bi to provide its customers at

London 2012 with cutlery, straws, cups and lids made of biodegradable plastics. further information: www.novamont.com

The bioplastic flag flying over Westminster

Flying the (potato) flag for UK biotechnology A potato-based bioplastic and reportedly fully biodegradable Union Jack flag was flown during proceedings at the UK’s largest showcase of industrial biotechnology in Westminster last month.

As the global bio-economy continues to expand, ‘Leading IB: A UK Showcase’ (hosted by the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum, IBLF) examined the success the UK has achieved in industrial biotechnology, highlighting exemplar projects, processes and products in the field.

Manufactured by Biome Bioplastics, a UK producer of starch-based bioplastics, the flag was commissioned by Chemistry Innovation and Biosciences Knowledge Transfer Networks as an example of the bio-based materials and products being developed in this country.

Biome Bioplastics’ CEO, Paul Mines, commented: “Modern bioplastics can already be used in a wide range of

sometimes-surprising applications, the flag is just one example, but with emerging technologies we can take this even further. For example, Biome Bioplastics is currently exploring opportunities for the manufacture of biobased materials through the use of synthetic biology, an area which offers exciting commercial and technical possibilities.”

Oxo-biodegradable and degradable additives drive investment at Wells Plastic Specialist masterbatch manufacturer, Wells Plastics, has received a £1.5 million follow-on investment from private equity house Key Capital Partners and current shareholders.

The Staffordshire-based firm says it will use the additional funding to invest in new machinery to increase production capacity and offer more flexible production. Following the funding, the business is planning to increase output by around 25 percent to support its growth plans.

‘Reverte’, Wells Plastics’ line of oxobiodegradable and degradable additive masterbatches and compounds, is said to be one factor driving the increase in

demand. After recent contract wins with a number of blue chip companies, sales volumes of Reverte are said to have increased 20 percent over the past twelve months alone.

Key Capital Partners made its initial investment in Wells Plastics in February 2011, alongside senior debt facilities from longtime banking partner, NatWest.

Chief Executive of Wells Plastics, Dr. Neil Partlett, said: “The follow-on funding is great news for the development of Wells Plastics. It will help us develop the production facilities we need to support the future growth plans of the business.

Mark Buttler, Director at Key Capital Partners, said: “Despite the difficult conditions in the manufacturing sector, Wells Plastics has maintained a strong position. We remain on the lookout for

To highlight the potential of bio-based materials, the Chemistry Innovation and Biosciences Knowledge Transfer Networks have also commissioned a short film illustrating the production of the flag, which was screened for the first time at the event.

Further Information: www.biomebioplastics.com

Reverte plastic bags

opportunities to expand and continue pushing into new markets.”

Wells Plastics employs over 40 people at its manufacturing site in Stone and has a reported turnover of £10m. further information: www.wellsplastics.com

Biodegradables

news

feature

Clearing the myths: Compostable, biodegradable, oxo-biodegradable and bio-based plastics ---

what are they?

Gordon Thompson, Technical Manager at the Renewable Energy Association, writes for BP&R on the definitions, differences and distinguishing factors in order to clarify an often misunderstood area.

Compostable, biodegradable, oxo-biodegradable and bio-based plastics are now in increasingly common use.

Unfortunately in many cases the definitions are confused and misused. These are probably some of the most highly defined and yet misunderstood subjects in the plastics industry. In order to bring some clarity to this situation, it is necessary to understand what the various terms mean and how they relate to the management of waste plastic and packaging materials.

In order for any plastic or packaging material to be accepted for composting on a site producing compost to the PAS 100 standard and Compost Quality Protocol, the plastic or packaging material must be independently certified as meeting the EN 14995 (plastic) standard, EN 13432 (packaging) standard (or another similar, accepted standard), or criteria for home compostability. Currently, DIN CERTCO (in Berlin) and Vinçotte (in Belgium) are the leading European organisations that assess and certify material as complying with these standards (in the UK, Renewable Energy Assurance Limited provides certification services in partnership with DIN CERTCO and Vinçotte).

The certification schemes aligned to the standards can award two levels of recognition — registration and certification. Registration applies to non-finished items in three categories: raw materials (e.g. plastic granules), intermediates (e.g. plastic film), and additives (e.g. inks, dyes,

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DIN CERTCO and Vinçotte are the leading European organisations that assess and certify materials

pigments, adhesives and coating substances). Certification applies solely to finished products, such as bags and kitchen caddie liners.

In order to gain recognition, non-finished items and finished products must pass a series of tests to demonstrate their compostability. These tests measure the biodegradability, disintegration, ecotoxicity and the levels of 11 chemical elements contained in the sample.

Biodegradability is a measure of how much the sample is broken down by microbial action into CO2, water and biomass.

Disintegration quantifies the extent to which the sample falls apart into pieces greater and less than 2mm. Ecotoxicity investigates whether the residue from the disintegration test has any adverse effects on plant growth and finally, chemical analysis determines the concentrations of 11 elements that have the potential to cause harm to the environment. As can be seen from the above, biodegradability is only one element of the tests and assessments carried out to determine whether a non-finished item or finished product is compostable.

In addition to the standards referred to above, there are ‘OK compost HOME’ criteria defined and published by Vinçotte and this organisation operates a certification scheme geared to these criteria. Although similar to the EN 13432 standard,

Only finished products that have been certified as (commercially) compostable or home compostable are allowed to display the relevant certification mark

feature

parameters for the biodegradability and disintegration tests are different, being designed to reflect the smaller mass and volume of home composting heaps and their less intensive management (compared with commercial scale composting).

It should be noted that in order for a finished product to be certified as (commercially) compostable or home compostable, all of the components of that product must themselves be compostable/home compostable.

Whilst any item that gains recognition under the certification schemes referred to above will be given a unique identification number, only finished products that have been certified as (commercially) compostable or home compostable are allowed to display the relevant certification mark.

Oxo-biodegradable plastics are oil-based (polyolefin) plastics to which metal salts, filler and stabiliser substances are added. The metal salts play a key role in early stage break down of the polymer chains, reducing the discarded product from a single, large item to a marginally lower total mass of macroscopic fragments. Further degradation will occur over time, the rate being influenced by temperature, ultraviolet light, oxygen, moisture and microbes (species diversity and population size) in the degradation environment. It should be noted that although oxo-biodegadable plastics are eligible for testing for compliance with standards for (commercially) compostable and home compostable criteria, they tend to take much too long to reach a highly biodegraded state, and certification bodies are not aware of any oxo-biodegradable plastic product that has complied with all of the criteria.

Bio-based plastics are plastics, potentially manufactured from fossil derived materials that contain a bio-based constituent. This could potentially be a percentage of biopolymers or bio-based filler within the plastic. Bio-based plastics are defined and certified according to their non-fossil carbon content, on a percentage basis. Non-fossil carbon content is quantified by measurement of two carbon isotopes: Carbon 12 and Carbon 14. All living things absorb both isotopes throughout their lives and absorption ceases at death. The amount of Carbon 12 contained within the body of an organism will remain unchanged after death but the amount of Carbon 14 will gradually decrease after death. By measuring the ratio between these isotopes it is possible, in most cases, to establish the time since death of the organism.

The exceptions to this are where the living organism has received its carbon intake mainly from fossil, lentic or deep marine sources.

It is possible for there to be a bio-based constituent in almost any product, for example a car steering wheel could have a significant amount of bio-based content (e.g. 85 percent). Whilst bio-based plastics can justifiably claim that they contain an identifiable content derived from renewable carbon sources, they are not necessarily compostable. For example, crop-derived carbon can be made into polyethylene, which is not compostable.

Renewable Energy Assurance Limited1 works in close cooperation with DIN CERTCO and Vinรงotte, the certification bodies that manage schemes for the recognition of nonfinished items and finished products as compostable and home compostable. REAL and DIN CERTCO are currently setting up a cooperation agreement to provide a service for assessing and certifying bio-based materials.

Vinรงotte operates a certification scheme for home composting

further information: www.organics-recycling.org.uk

Renewable Energy Assurance Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Renewable Energy Association.

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packaging

SELECT 40 to 600T www.billion.fr

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% COST EFFECTIVE 01908 223344

news Dedicated machine launched for the packaging sector Injection moulding machine manufacturer, Arburg, has launched new versions of its electric and hybrid ‘Allrounder’ machines specifically for the production of packaging.

Arburg states due to the packaging industry’s need for fast, high-volume production, it has launched the two highperformance machines, the Allrounder Alldrive (A) and Hidrive (H), specifically with higher productivity and reduced energy consumption in mind.

The machines are tailored for packaging requirements, with features such as adaptation of the distance between tie bars, clamping force and opening stroke to suit the requirements of the packaging industry.

The Allrounders 570 A and H feature a clamping force of 1,800 kN, Allrounders 630 A and H 2,300 kN, Allrounders 720 A and H 2,900 kN, Allrounders 820 A and H 3,700 kN and Allrounders 920 A and H 4,600 kN. The rigid, longitudinal steel machine base is said to support heavy mould weights and compensate for high load changes during mass movements. The FEM-optimised mounting platens combine rigidity with low weight. Arburg states together with servo-electric toggle-type clamping units, this facilitates extremely fast opening and closing movements, leading to shorter overall cycle times.

Energy recovery during braking ensures that the energy applied is used even more

The packaging version of the hybrid Allro under 720 H is said to meet the high demands of the packa ging sector

efficiently, and the company states energy savings totalling up to 30 percent can be achieved in comparison with hydraulic clamping systems.

Servo-electric dosage drives are said to ensure fast operation across cycles, short dosage times and maximum productivity.

The use of barrier screws ensures homogeneous melt preparation and a high material throughput. Injection involves either servo-electric or hydraulic accumulator technology via positionregulated screws. Using a dynamic filling process, active acceleration and deceleration is achieved. Together with higher injection speeds of up to 500 mm/s, this is said to enable the short injection times required in the packaging sector.

Arburg states if production sequences need further optimisation, injection can be started simultaneously with the mould closing movement as standard.

For the production of thin-walled items and screw caps, special features are available that enable the packaging

Allrounders to be adapted to the particular application.

The equipment for producing thin-walled items is said to include preparations for connecting an external in-mould labelling system or other removal system. In addition, the extension of the robotic system interface is said to enable the robotic system to advance as the mould opens.

For screw-cap production, a servoelectric ejector with hydraulic booster function is available. Arburg states this reduces problems during demoulding, even with shrunk-on closures.

Dropping of the moulded parts can reportedly be adjusted with precision to keep the mould opening times short.

Higher screw circumferential speeds enable correspondingly short dosage times.

Further Information: www.arburg.com

Petainer’s plant in Lidköping

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Petainer invests in Husky for PET packaging Petainer, the specialist PET packaging firm, is to invest millions in Husky injection moulding equipment to boost its production capacities at the Group’s plant in Lidköping, Sweden.

The firm states that investment in the new Husky HPP injection equipment will enable the plant to run more ecologically, allowing it to provide environmentally friendly PET packaging solutions.

Group CEO, Nigel Pritchard, said: “This investment follows on the heels of our initial investment plan from the second half of 2012, and we will be following this up in 2013 with yet further investments.

This is an exciting time in our development and the investment in the latest technology is a demonstration of our confidence in our Lidkoping business.”

Further Information: www.petainer.com

High performance counts! 7.3 million cycles per year on an ALLROUNDER HIDRIVE: performance becomes high performance. This is what really counts in the packaging sector.

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

www.arburg.co.uk

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packaging

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news New static control bar for labelling, packaging and converting Meech has launched the latest addition to its static control range, the Hyperion 971, which it says is ideal for use in labelling, packaging and converting applications.

“The decision to update our range of static elimination equipment is a direct result of customer feedback,” explained Business Unit Director for static control, David Rogers. “We pride ourselves on being flexible and having the capacity to respond rapidly to change.

“A lot of the companies that employ our equipment work in dusty environments. The airborne contaminants build up on ionising bars and cause a drop in performance. The bars need to be

designed to minimise the effects of the contamination and to help reduce the amount of cleaning required.”

Featuring the existing pulsed DC technology used by the popular 976 bar, Meech says the 971 has an improved design that is more resilient to the build-up of contamination that naturally occurs during use, and therefore allows for easier cleaning. Like previous designs, the emitters can be removed for offline cleaning or can be replaced individually, without the need to substitute the whole bar. Furthermore, Meech says the Hyperion 971 features an integrated and improved compressed air-boost system, which permits better long-range performance in particularly difficult applications.

GCS Group hits 2000 conveyors Global Closure Systems, a provider of plastic closure solutions for the fastmoving consumer goods (FMCG) market, has chosen Berkshire-based UPM as its preferred supplier of belt conveyors.

The Group, which includes major moulding companies Zeller Plastik, Obrist, UCP and Massmould, now has over 2000 conveyors for automation of product transfer with integration to the moulding machine.

Following on-site meetings with GCS, UPM custom engineers each belt conveyor to a detailed specification, resulting in dimensioned drawings using 3D mechanical solid modelling design software for creating 3D digital prototypes using the design visualisation and simulation of products.

UPM invested around £50k in the new software, which includes assembly stress analysis, allowing UPM to input driving loads, friction characteristics and dynamic components to run simulation tests to see how a product would work under real production conditions. This is then followed by intensive preproduction testing at UPM to ensure the equipment is delivered to the respective site for ‘plug and go’ operation.

GCS has six branded divisions, each serving markets regionally and globally with a range of closing and dispensing systems for standard and custom wide mouth closures, push-pull sports caps for carbonated and non carbonated soft drinks, as well as childresistant closures.

New packaging is easy squeezy RPC Containers Corby, based in Northamptonshire, has developed a custom-designed squeezable 300ml bottle for a range of accompaniments from General Mills’ Old El Paso brand.

The multi-layer polypropylene bottle

The Hyperion 97

Whilst providing very powerful ionisation performance, the 971 static bar is said to have shockless emitters, which make it safe for operators to handle.

Available in a choice of lengths of up to 4m, the bar operates up to 15KV as standard and provides highly effective long-range ionisation typically from distances of 200 to 1000mm.

Further Information: www.meech.com

A conveyor from UPM

Further Information: www.upmconveyors.co.uk

has been designed for easy handling and squeezing for the consumer, as well as accurate portion control.

The lightweight polypropylene structure incorporates a layer of EVOH to provide an effective barrier against oxygen ingress and deliver the required extended shelf life for the products.

Old El Paso products in the new packaging from RPC Corby

Further Information: www.rpc-corby.co.uk

01908 223344 packaging

www.billion.fr

news Case Study: Plastic packaging firm improves efficiency and saves space Thermoformed rigid plastic packaging manufacturer, Phase 3 Plastics, says it has improved production efficiency and saved space with the acquisition of a Ridat 8040AVF automatic vacuum-forming machine.

Prior to commissioning the machine in June 2012, manufacturer Ridat made a variety of customisations to the machine to fulfil Phase 3’s requirements, from the overall size of the machine to its colour.

Southampton-based Phase 3 Plastics needed a machine with a large forming area, however, the available space within its facility could only accommodate a small machine footprint. Phrase 3 says Ridat was the only manufacturer it approached that was able to meet its requirements.

The 8040AVF machine was reduced to 4740mm x 1144mm overall size, compared with other machines that required 4740mm x 2070mm, a space

saving of over 40 percent without the need to sacrifice the forming size of the 2000mm x 1540mm.

The goal for Terry Lucas, Managing Director of Phase 3 Plastics, was to improve production efficiency. “Ridat have been exceptionally flexible in their approach to this project, the adjustments they made to the machine enabled us to streamline our manufacturing process,” he commented. “The size of the machine was a major consideration, having found a solution we discussed how the machine would fit within our existing production process to give us complete in-line manufacturing.

“Ridat, unlike other equipment OEMs we spoke to, were able to change the configuration of the machine to run right to left and utilise the same narrow web material as our other machines. We wanted to be able to run the machine continuously using a roll of film, which Ridat accommodated by adding a pneumatic lifter to the end of the machine.

These customisations have significantly

The Ridat 8040AVF vacuum-forming machine

boosted our ability to manufacture medical devices efficiently.”

The Ridat 8040AVF’s special features include a clamping system for materials up to 12mm thick. It has top and bottom heating with a closed loop digital heating control system providing accurate zone temperature control. Features such as automatic sag control, photo-electric safety curtain, quick cooling of formed product, bubble facility, quick mould changes and a user friendly micro-processor system that assists with fault faulting are also included.

Further Information: www.ridat.com

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reclamation & recycling

news John Lewis partners Liverpool recycler for new plastics recycling strategy The John Lewis Partnership has committed to developing a ‘closed loop’ waste plastics strategy through a pioneering new contract with Liverpoolbased recycler, Centriforce Products — a move believed to be a first for any UK retailer.

The new arrangement will guarantee that thousands of tonnes of plastic waste from Waitrose and John Lewis shops are recycled into useable products by Centriforce, a UK independent plastics recycler.

The retailer is also said to be exploring opportunities to reuse Centriforce products, such as plastic planks and sheeting, in its new store construction programme to achieve a true ‘closed loop’ in its plastics waste stream.

Centriforce will collect more than 3,000 tonnes of plastics waste from John Lewis and Waitrose distribution centres across the UK annually and bring the

Returning delivery trucks are used to transport waste

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Waste plastic from Waitrose and John Lewis is transported to Centriforce

Benches made from Centriforce recyled plastic are used outside many John Lewis and Waitrose stores in the UK

waste to its Liverpool manufacturing centre.

“We want to be completely transparent in our approach to waste management and ensure that as much as possible is recycled and then reused in our own businesses,” said Mike Walters, Recycling and Waste Operations Manager for the John Lewis Partnership. “We are committed to keeping ownership of our waste all the way to its final destination, rather than selling it to the highest bidder, or losing control over what happens to it.”

Centriforce has capacity to recycle more than 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year to produce plastic sheets, boards and profiles. These offer a durable alternative to wood and traditional materials and could find a wide range of uses in store.

Mike continued: “We are working with Centriforce’s innovations team to explore ways in which we can reuse more recycled plastic products in our stores in future, especially for new store construction. We already have recycled plastic furniture made by Centriforce outside most of our Waitrose and John Lewis stores.”

All waste plastics from John Lewis and Waitrose stores — from warehouse packaging and pallet films to used Waitrose ‘Bags for Life’ — are transported to central distribution centres by returning delivery vehicles.

“We have had a policy of backhauling

our waste through the space available in empty vehicles for a number of years. It provides the perfect starting point for recycling,” added Mike. “We have declared our aspiration to achieve zero waste to landfill with a diversion target of 95 percent by the end of 2013. Plastics waste plays an important role in that, but even more exciting is the possibility that it can be recycled into products we can use again.”

Centriforce has been working with the John Lewis Partnership to recycle a proportion of its waste for more than five years. However, in the new contract Centriforce will reprocess all of the John Lewis Partnership’s soft plastics. The contract follows Centriforce’s recent investment in its own mixed plastics sorting line, a facility vital to guarantee the processing capacity needed by the John Lewis Partnership.

“By working with Centriforce, the John Lewis Partnership can ensure it avoids landfill costs and makes an income from its waste arisings. Furthermore, it is pioneering closed loop arrangements provide the perfect demonstration of total waste ownership as well as underpinning the company’s sustainable corporate responsibility,” said Centriforce’s Managing Director, Simon Carroll.

Further Information: www.centriforce.com

University spin out pioneers fuel from mixed plastic waste University of Warwick spin out company, Recycling Technologies, has completed an equity financing deal with the Wroxall Investors Group (WIG), a Midlands-based business angel syndicate.

Recycling Technologies was formed to commercialise a process developed at the University of Warwick that can transform Mixed Plastic Waste [MPW] into heat and electricity using an advanced Fluidised Bed Reactor, called the WarwickFBR. Adrian Griffiths, Managing Director at

Recycling Technologies, commented: “We are really pleased with this deal. It not only secures the funding we need at this stage in our growth but simultaneously has expanded the experience that we can draw on as we develop the business.”

Martin Lusby, one of the investors, will be taking a position within the company as Chairman of the Board to fully support the business as it develops.

“Recycling Technologies is at an exciting stage in its development,” said Martin. “The concept of a machine that can be installed into existing recycling facilities to turn what most people still

The Warwick FBR new technology

regard as waste plastic into electricity and heat in a CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plant is timely given the increasing costs of landfill and energy prices. With the first machine due to go into production in 2014, the WIG investment will allow the team and company infrastructure to be expanded at the Swindon base to ensure this commercial opportunity is fully exploited.”

Further Information: www.recyclingtechnologies.co.uk

reclamation & recycling

news

reclamation & recycling

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news DEFRA unveils MRF Code of Practice consultation DEFRA has unveiled a new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Code of Practice and Quality Action Programme designed to improve the quality of dry recyclates from co-mingled commercial and local waste streams in the UK. The new code of practice, which was unveiled on 1st February by Resources Management Minister, Lord de Mauley, is now open for consultation. It is hoped the plans will increase quality as well as promote a stronger market for recycled materials.

Commenting on the new MRF Code of Practice, Chris Dow, CEO of Closed Loop Recycling, said the announcement was “the Government’s first major step towards realising its plans to become the greenest government ever.”

He continued: “We at Closed Loop Recycling agree with the ESA and other industry leaders that all aspects of the

scheme must be mandatory and enforced via the Environmental Permit regime. It is absurd to believe that the illegal exporters would join the scheme if voluntary. We also believe that independent audits should be unannounced and should include physical sampling by the independent auditor. Without this check, illegal exporters would be able to create false but seemingly compliant sampling documentation. The audit might also include a holistic view of ISO systems documentation and customer feedback regarding quality.

“With a mandatory MRF Code of Practice, greater enforcement of the Trans-Frontier Ships Regulations and a review of the PRN/PERN system, UK reprocessors will feel confident to invest in additional capacity, which will lead to the creation of substantial numbers of green jobs and will reduce the UK's imports of virgin raw materials.”

Further Information: www.defra.gov.uk

Closed Loop’s Chris Dow has welcomed the Code of Practice for MRFs

the next big challenge for UK recycling Jonathan Short, Managing Director of Lincolnshire-based ECO Plastics, writes for BP&R on how changes made to recycling targets in the UK need to be mirrored by the introduction of other regulatory amendments, including a review of the Packaging Recovery Notes (PRN) and Packaging Export Recovery Notes (PERN) regimes.

In March 2012 DEFRA made the necessary move of introducing mandatory recycling targets. As a result, the UK expects to recycle 57 percent of its packaging waste by 2017. ECO Plastics and other leading players in the market welcomed the announcement as a step forward for both the reprocessing industry and the wider green economy. However, we were very clear that the targets would not deliver the necessary changes for a thriving domestic sector on their own.

They must be accompanied by other regulatory amendments, most importantly a review of the Packaging Recovery Notes (PRN) and Packaging Export Recovery Notes (PERN) regimes.

The current system for PRNs and PERNs does not provide a level playing field. UK plastic reprocessors can only claim a credit after their feedstock has completed the wash phase, or in extreme cases the melt phase. Process losses of up to 30 percent of the original feedstock through the removal of dirt, moisture and other contamination can be expected through these stages. No such requirement is needed to claim PERNs, with exporters realising 100 percent of the tonnage simply by exporting containers of unprocessed material — feedstock that contains waste paper, dirt, glass, liquid and organic residue.

As it stands, the Government’s approach is clearly encouraging the export of waste plastic at the expense of domestic processors. Not only are UK players at a commercial disadvantage, but more importantly, the lack of financial returns will hinder much-needed

investment in domestic reprocessing infrastructure. With increased levels of mixed plastics at home and the Far East market for plastic waste steadily softening, investment in our own supply chains must be the priority. The alternative is that we will be left with a mass of material that we can neither recycle nor export.

We are advised by DEFRA that revising the PRN/PERN system to allow for these anomalies risks being ruled as anticompetitive under EU laws, yet it still appears to be okay to disadvantage UK manufacturing. In my view there are two simple alternative solutions to acknowledge the contamination levels in the price of PERNs: Firstly, exporters should be required to follow the same stringent audit trails expected by the EA of the domestic reprocessing industry and to clearly demonstrate the quality of every load placed in a container.

Secondly, perhaps an easier answer is to allow domestic re-processors to claim on all UK tonnage (including the inherent contamination).

Additionally, the revenue from PRNs and PERNs must be utilised exclusively for inward investment in reprocessing technology and infrastructure, or for consumer education programmes. Again, with strict audit checks on how the PRN/PERN funds have been utilised.

Although there has been previous engagement with manufacturers on how to manage packaging waste through the

Changes to recycling targets need to be mirrored by other regulatory amendments, says Jonathan Short

Courtauld agreement, these targets are the first set of mandatory regulations and will undoubtedly drive up the value of PRNs. The higher the value, the more disadvantaged the domestic reprocessing sector becomes.

There are other challenges facing the sector, but changing the PRN/PERN system is the easiest issue to tackle, with simple legislation and no need for additional funds, widespread stakeholder engagement or campaigns. Naturally there must be desire to make the change and I see little evidence of that desire.

The UK recycling industry is now at a crossroads. If we continue on our current path of neglecting the domestic market and shipping our waste, it is only a matter of time before we are forced to reopen landfill sites. The reform of the PRN/PERN system is key to encouraging investment in domestic markets and ensuring the development of a self-sufficient recycling infrastructure.

Further Information: www.ecoplasticsltd.com

reclamation & recycling FEATURE

PRNs -

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Automation and Robotics

news High performance shelf mounted robot benefits injection moulders Stäubli Robotics has introduced a sixaxis shelf mounted robot into its range of four-axis and six-axis robots specifically designed for the plastics market. The TX340 SH can be mounted on top of an injection moulding machine and is said to deliver excellent reach and payload capability; increasing production flexibility and providing a smaller footprint than conventional gantry robots.

Stäubli states its six-axis robots are ideal for injection moulding applications, as not only can they provide high-speed demoulding but, with six degrees of freedom, are able to perform many secondary operations at the side of the moulding machine, such as desprueing, part inspection, assembly tasks and packaging — usually all within the machine’s moulding cycle. Stäubli’s robot range has been developed in close co-

operation with end users in the plastics market to ensure that the robots are responsive and easy to use, meeting all the demanding real-time operational requirements of injection moulding.

The latest introduction to the range is the TX 340 SH, a shelf mountable, six-axis robot that can be positioned on top of the IMM. Stäubli states mounting on top of the IMM reduces the cell footprint and allows the robot to operate effectively on both sides of the machine. The robot can handle payloads up to 165kgs and has a reach of 3680mm, making it suitable for most moulding shop tasks.

Designed with IP65 protection, this machine can reportedly operate at speeds up to 12 metres/second while still maintaining a repeatability of +/- 0.1mm over its full working envelope.

Stäubli states the economic benefits of automation by using six-axis robots have never been clearer. While labour rates continue to rise and availability of skills provides on-going difficulties, the real cost of robots has been decreasing.

Payback times of 18 months and less are

High cavitation take-out system beats required cycle time Leicestershire-based DB Automation recently completed an order for the production and installation of a high cavitation take-out robot and automation system in Mexico.

The client wanted to unload from a stack tool, 16 plus 16 products, place them in an area for cooling and present them for packaging at a later stage. DB Automation designed a system capable of a cycle time of 11.5 seconds.

The system comprised of a high-speed servo driven side entry take-out robot, with downstream palletised cooling conveyor, which afforded the required cooling time for the product. An added complexity to the system was the incorporation of a manual unloading area where the parts

would be packed for onward shipping.

The system was designed, built, programmed and tested at DB Automation’s new premises in Broughton Astley. Initial parts arrived in late August and the machine was on test for customer approval by the middle of November 2012.

The system is based on a B&R control system, which DB Automation states offers the operator or supervisor The system was designed, built and tested at DB intelligent screens on a userAutomation’s UK headquarters friendly HMI unit to control speed and functions as well cycle time of 10.5 seconds, below the as diagnose errors or faults.

Final installation was completed in late required 11.5 seconds.

December and DB Automation states that Further Information: the system out-performed the initial www.db-automation.co.uk requirements and has been operating at a

The TX340 SH 6axis robot is suitable for shelf mounting on injection moulding machines.

With a reach of 3680mm and payload capacity of 165kgs the TX340 is suitable for most moulding shop tasks.

achievable through increased productivity and reduced wastage of materials, in addition to the benefits of operator safety.

Further Information: www.staubli.com/en/robotics

Automation and Robotics

news Case Study: Investment provides robotic boost for UK moulder Technical plastic injection moulder, Certwood, has revealed that investment in two new six-axis robots from Fanuc UK has helped it become a more competitive option to offshore trade moulders and is helping it retain large contracts in the UK. Certwood, based in Luton, is a busy trade moulder producing 500,000 components per month for three core sectors. It is a tier one supplier of technically complex interior mouldings for the automotive industry, a manufacturer of plastic stadium seating, as well as its own storage tray system used by schools and laboratories.

All 20 moulding machines at Certwood are equipped with robots to unload mouldings. The two new Fanuc M-10iA robots have six-axis arms providing increased flexibility over conventional ‘Beam’ three-axis robots commonly used by the plastics industry.

Steve Dennis, Managing Director of Certwood, explained: “An automotive customer asked us to look at a process improvement on a current product with a view to introducing it later into a proposed new product. The original process involved manually applying a label to a moulding that we first had to cool down to allow gases to fully disperse. Time taken to accurately position the label and the risk of it bubbling were two key areas to address.

“We worked with plastics automation specialists Hi-Tech Automation to identify solutions and focused on In Mould

Labelling (IML) which is more common in the food packaging sector. The process offers a neat solution as the label is positioned in the mould tool and the part is moulded around it making it non removable, an essential requirement for a safety critical component, and the need to cool down the moulding is eliminated.”

The six-axis Fanuc robot is equipped with end of arm tooling to handle a label, a moulding and a static discharge device.

The robot vacuum grips a label from a dispenser cassette and waits for the mould tool to open. When it opens the robot tooling grips the ejected product and moves the label to within 5mm of its position on the tool. A static charge is then applied that allows the label to be held accurately in place once the robot has positioned it. The robot moves out of the mould tool and the moulding cycle continues.

Engel expands Viper range of linear robots Engel Austria recently expanded its linear robot series with the addition of the ‘Viper 120’, which, with a nominal loadbearing capacity of 120kg, is said to be the largest linear robot in its competitive field.

Now available in seven sizes (from a nominal load-bearing capacity of 6kg upwards), Engel states the linear robots in its current Viper generation are ideally suited to automation tasks in the injection moulding field whilst also ensuring very high clamping forces. With a mould takeoff stroke of 3000mm and a reach of 3550mm, Engel believes the Viper 120 is

reaching new heights in linear robotics.

Engel states common characteristics across the Viper series of robots include maximum stability, dynamism and ease of use combined with lightness. The robots are said to benefit from an innovative design that utilises laser-welded steel sections to keep the dead weight of the robots low, enabling the load-bearing capacity to be raised.

Smart software packages are said to reduce the structure-borne vibration of the robots — even with longer axis dimensions — and optimise their movement and dynamic values, resulting in enhanced efficiency. Engel states the Viper robots therefore make a crucial contribution towards the reduction of cycle times and the increase of productivity for a range of applications, whilst also demonstrating

Two new Fanuc M-10iA robots have been install ed at Certwood

Certwood states automating the process has provided an aesthetically improved moulding with a more accurately positioned label that cannot be peeled away. Production time has reportedly been reduced and storage issues removed with the elimination of the need to cool prior to labelling.

“We met our customer’s request to research improvements in this labelling process delivering both quality and economic advantage,” continued Steve Dennis. “IML is now an established part of our service offering, it illustrates that manufacturing innovation gives added value to our customers and also gives Certwood a process that takes it up a level and supports customer retention.”

Further Information: www.fanucrobotics.co.uk

The Engel Viper 120

their high level of energy efficiency.

Engel states it has significantly increased its sales and market shares in the linear robotics range since introducing the viper series at Fakuma 2009.

Further Information: www.engelglobal.com

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Automation and Robotics

news A comprehensive selection of new and recently released Wittmann robots, injection moulding machines and other process technologies will be on display at Wittmann Battenfeld’s Competence Days, an event held at its expanded Kottingbrunn plant in Austria on Wednesday April 24 and Thursday April 25 2013.

Wittmann built upon its robot portfolio at Fakuma 2012, where two new models, the W808 and W822, were launched. The new W832 was launched just before Christmas 2012 and further robot product launches are expected this year in the run up to October’s K 2013 exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The company states its W808 model (pictured) represents a significant improvement over the previous model, W801. The W808 servo robot is designed for the shortest cycle times, which are typically found in smaller machine applications up to about 150 tonnes. This model is equipped with a fixed kick-axis with a reach up to 600mm. The horizontal axis is available in lengths of 1,250mm, 1,500mm or

The newly launched W808 model

KUKA finds a new research role in UK

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Kuka Robotics UK has signalled its ambitions to help develop innovative, new automated production processes for the high-value manufacturing sector.

The Black Country-based industrial robot supplier is now a member of the MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre) at Coventry’s Ansty Park.

Kuka has supplied two of its high payload KR 240 robots for a variety of research projects at the centre, a unique collaboration between a group of leading

2,000mm, while the vertical axis is available in either 600mm, 800mm or 1,000mm. The W808 can handle a maximum payload of 3kg and comes as a standard with the Wittmann R8.2 robot control.

Another new introduction to the Wittmann group is robot model W822. It features a special vertical design within the W82x robot series of Wittmann. This comprises a rack and pinion, making the W822 robot able to handle payloads up to 15kg with strokes of 1,000mm and 1,200mm. The optional vertical axis of 1,400mm still offers a payload of 12kg.

Otherwise, the model W822 features the same mechanical dimensions as the W821. This robot model thus provides a reach in the kick-axis of 780 mm and a horizontal traversing stroke of up to 4,000mm.

Wittmann states both of these newcomers are equipped with the robot control R8.2, offering high flexibility coupled with a user-friendly interface. The W822 model also demonstrates a new real-time function, which is called ‘DynamicDrive’ and directly affects the control of the drives. DynamicDrive monitors by default in the background the load limit of each axes motion of the robot. This feature was originally designed for the Ultra High-Speed Horizontal Robot from Wittmann and has now been adjusted to the standard series.

In the deactivated state of DynamicDrive, a warning is displayed in case the maximum load limits are exceeded. In the activated state, however, DynamicDrive governs the acceleration and deceleration profiles of each axes motion of the robot.

Witmann states this real-time function

universities and technology organisations in the UK. The company will work alongside founder industrial members, which include Rolls-Royce and Airbus, in a bid to develop new technologies aimed at improving productivity and lowering costs.

“The centre provides a unique environment and we fully support its objective of raising the UK’s competitive advantage through innovative research,” commented General Sales Manager, Ian Walker.

Kuka is also lending its robotics expertise to another top research body as a member of the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

developed for the complete range of robots with R8.2 control therefore serves as a protection for the mechanical structure and drive control, as well as for the optimisation of each movement of the robot.

Wittmann has also developed a W821 UHS robot model from the Ultra HighSpeed series, which will also be presented at the open day, which is said to be typically designed to operate with opening times of up to and around one second.

With a factory-set payload of 3kg tailored to high acceleration and deceleration profiles, Wittmann states the UHS robots can specifically take advantage of the DynamicDrive functionality. Wittmann’s Ultra High-Speed series also features the W837 model, which can be deployed in a horizontal arrangement, operating with In Mould Labelling (IML). The last Fakuma exhibition, 2012, saw this arrangement producing credit cards and the Group states many further applications are being planned. The W837 model is said to highlight the benefits of highest acceleration and deceleration as well as intelligent signal exchange with the injection moulding machine. These features reportedly enable fast cycle times and very low power requirements.

The April 2013 Wittmann Group Competence days will feature these robots in action within production cells at the Kottingbrunn plant. UK moulders have a limited number of places reserved for their attendance at this event and interested companies should now apply directly to Barry Hill, MD of Wittmann Battenfeld UK in order to reserve a place.

Further Information: www.wittmann-group.co.uk

Ian Walker, General Sales Manager at Kuka Robotics UK, seated, with Ken Young, MTC’s Technology Director.

KUKA robots are being used to explore automated assembly solutions for the aerospace industry as part of a major research project at the Rotherham-based establishment.

Further Information: www.kuka-robotics.com

Vinyls

news Evonik launches new generation of PVC plasticisers Evonik has announced it plans to launch a new generation of PVC plasticisers to include phthalate-free and bio-based varieties.

Alongside the company’s portfolio expansion, Evonik states it will also develop a new brand of products as well as broadening its range of sustainable plasticisers.

Production of the phthalate-free plasticiser 1,2-Cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester is expected to begin in the second half of 2013, with an expected annual production of 40,000 metric tonnes at its facility in Marl, Germany.

Evonik states it will undergo research to successively add additional products to

Date for your diary: The 12th International PVC Conference returns to Brighton in 2014 In 2014 the triennial PVC conference will return to Brighton, UK. The conference is said to be the world’s largest and most reputable forum to support the future of PVC globally and is a leading platform for the exchange of information, educational debate and discussion.

The 2011 event welcomed more than 70 presentations and 400 delegates from all over the world, including the UK, Europe, North and South America and the Middle East and Far East.

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Evonik will start producing phthalate-free plasticisers at its chemicals plant in Marl

the new generation of plasticisers, including the launch of bio-based varieties.

“With our new plasticisers, our customers will soon be able to choose the plasticisers that meet their exact requirements from an even wider range of

products," explained Dr. Rainer Fretzen, Head of Evonik’s Performance Intermediates Business Line.

The event has built a reputation for its broad appeal, contrasting speaker content and high quality papers, in which specific industry areas are explored and discussed. The conference calls for abstracts for consideration for the programme by 1 May 2013.

In order to maintain the quality of the programme, authors will be asked to ensure the paper they present is new or updated work that has not been presented (or scheduled for presentation) elsewhere. The conference will cover market, application and technical developments.

PVC 2014 is organised by PVC professionals for the PVC industry in conjunction with IOM Communications Ltd on behalf of the Polymer Society (a division of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining) and the British Plastics Federation. The event is also supported by the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers and the Society of Plastics Engineers.

PVC 2014 will be held at Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel 1–3 April 2014.

Further Information: www.evonik.com

Further Information: www.pvc2014.org

Vinyls

news PVC-U recycling facility makes sustainability its focus Dekura, the recycling arm of PVC-U and PVC-Ue window manufacturer, Epwin Group, has undergone a reorganisation in order to meet increased in house demand, as well as increasing the amount of recycled products in the group’s portfolio.

Dekura recycles and reprocesses available UK PVC-U waste from its dedicated collection plant in Telford.

“Recycling has never been more important to us and in our systems thinking approach to sustainability,” said David Wrigley, Managing Director of Epwin’s window systems division.

“We deliberately tried to find other external customers in non-window markets in 2010 and 2011. Now, with our in house demand rising, we recognised we needed to refocus Dekura on our own needs. This meant looking at the business model and making some changes to how we collected both post-industrial and postconsumer waste and how we flexed production within our recycling capacity.

That process was completed in the final quarter of 2012.”

Epwin Group states the Dekura recycling facility makes an important contribution to supply chain stability. “Raw

After granulation recycled PVC-U is colour sorted and further refined by Dekura to produce pellets of PVC-U ready for use in new products. Credit: Epwin Group

material prices have been stubbornly high since 2009 and in that year the industry also experienced real shortages of the supply of resin. A material stream of recycled product helps mitigate, to some extent, both high virgin material costs and potential supply shortages,” continued Wrigley.

The Epwin Group plans to incorporate new products incorporating recycled material in the near future. “Britain is

bound by statute to reduce its CO2 emissions from their 1990 levels by 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.

Our Systems approach is to minimise waste, minimise carbon footprint and maximise recyclability, whilst using sustainable materials in our process,” Wrigley added.

Further Information: www.dekura.co.uk

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PVC proves its green credentials: Recovinyl recycles more than one million PVC-U windows a year in the UK This month it was announced more than one million PVC-U post-consumer window frames are being recycled in the UK every year through Recovinyl, the PVC industry’s recycling scheme. Project Manager Jane Gardner of Axion Consulting, Recovinyl’s UK agents, explains further.

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PVC-U is proving its ‘green’ credentials as the recycling infrastructure continues to develop in the UK and more manufacturers realise the environmental and cost-saving benefits of incorporating recycled content in new products.

The latest audited figures show that end-of-life windows and profiles comprised 25,480 tonnes (52 percent) of the total 48,544 tonnes of waste PVC recycled in 2011. Other materials collected and recycled through the Recovinyl programme included pipes and fittings, cables, flexible PVC and rigid PVC films. New verified data for 2012 is expected in April.

Recovinyl estimates that this windows and profiles fraction, which does not include doors, would equate to roughly 1.25 million frames or enough replacement windows for around 122,000 houses and flats — almost as many as the 137,000 new dwellings built in the UK throughout 2011.

The assumption is based on the weight of an average PVC-U window frame and taking out 5,000 of the 25,480 tonnes that would include other waste

PVC building products from refurbishments, such as roofline, cladding, window boards and ducting.

These figures are an impressive achievement and clearly demonstrate the sustainability credentials of PVC as a building material that can be easily recycled and re-used, as well as the ongoing industry commitment to more sustainable practices.

Thanks to the real efforts being made to collect these waste frames and the infrastructure now in place to recycle them, waste PVC-U can be diverted from landfill and successfully turned back into useful new products.

Other examples of broad industry progress in PVC-U window recycling are documented in the British Plastics Federation's publication 'PVC-U Windows Recycling in Action — Some Case Studies’.

Jason Leadbitter, Chairman of the VinylPlus Controlled Loop Committee, said: “Importantly, we are not claiming that all of the one million window frames are being manufactured into new window frames, but we are claiming that more than one million window frames are being

recycled into second life products for longterm use in the construction industry, including new windows.”

Godfrey Arnold, of PVC market research company D & G Consulting, acknowledged the figure as a ‘conservative estimate’, adding: “Nonetheless, these statistics present a very positive picture of the PVC industry’s recycling success. Given the growing demand for recycled content in new PVC products, we can only expect these volumes to rise in the future.”

Increasing use of recycled PVC-U content in a variety of new building products, from cladding and roofline products to reinforcement for PVC-U windows, and the growth of new end markets has contributed to Recovinyl’s continued success since the scheme’s 2005 launch in the UK. “This recycling record adds considerable strength to the role of PVC windows in sustainable construction,” commented Philip Law, Public and Industrial Affairs Director at the British Plastics Federation. “The numbers are truly outstanding considering the long-life

Further Information: www.axionconsulting.co.uk www.recovinyl.com

Vinyls FEATURE

of PVC windows, the rate at which they enter the waste stream and the flat market conditions in the construction sector.”

Recovinyl remains at the heart of the PVC industry’s drive for greater sustainability and to encourage more companies to recycle, rather than landfill, their PVC-U waste with associated economic and environmental benefits.

Commenting on the outlook for 2013, Ian Murray, Managing Director of PVC Recycling, an independent PVC recycler, said: “This year we are encouraged by orders and intent from UK manufacturers as opposed to the European market, which has been successfully using PVC in all manner of products for some considerable time.”

He added: “The cost and quality advantages in the recycled material is key as manufacturers are under pressure to deliver savings in a market place where trading is still very tough. However, we believe that our status as an independent recycler will be attractive to potential customers and we look forward to developing further UK sales this year.”

As the PVC industry’s recycling scheme, Recovinyl is also an initiative of VinylPlus, the ten-year Voluntary Commitment of the European PVC industry, which is tackling the sustainability challenges for PVC and delivery of fresh recycling targets to 2020. These targets include 800,000 tonnes to be re-used in all European countries by 2020 — with 700,000 tonnes mechanically recycled and the rest using new technologies for more difficult-to-recycle or contaminated PVC. The latest audited figures show that end-of-life windows and profiles comprised 25,480 tonnes of the total 48,544 tonnes of waste PVC recycled in 2011

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Apprenticeships FEATURE

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Generation plastics: Making apprenticeships work for the polymer industry Words: Leanne Taylor At the end of January, the Government announced apprenticeship starts had topped half a million in the UK. It said in the 2011/12 academic year, 520,600 people started an apprenticeship. This is an increase of 13.9 percent on the preceding year and 86.1 percent since 2009/10. There was particularly strong growth in the engineering sector, figures revealed, with starts up 21.5 percent to 59,480. Whilst this is encouraging news, in the polymer industry it would seem the reality of finding an apprentice to ensure succession plans are made, training is suitable and return on investment is achieved, is somewhat a bleaker, not to mention a more confusing, picture. Leanne Taylor attended an ‘Apprenticeship Summit’ at the Polymer Training and Innovation Centre (PTIC) in Telford earlier this month to find out more about the current situation and how it can change.

So, we’ve all heard about the skills shortage, but the reality is that many companies in the UK plastics and rubber industries are more than a little concerned about succession planning. With the image of manufacturing being described as “dirty and mucky”, sixth-formers being told that the only way forward is university and a distinct lack of awareness of this type of programme, it’s obvious that it’s going to be a steep mountain to climb.

So where do we start with all of this?

Well, you might say, the Government is pushing many millions of pounds into apprenticeship schemes in the UK, so surely there is a pot of gold just waiting to be tapped into? It would appear not. There is a lot of money being pumped into apprenticeships, but where is it and how is it being used is in need of review, not to mention additional factors such as delivery models, retention rates and getting the right person for the job in the first place.

“The funding for polymer apprenticeships is unfeasibly low compared to other courses,” said Charmaine Bowers, Operations Manager at the PTIC. “This is bad news so I started a campaign two to three months ago to try and enforce change.

“Employers and businesses need to feed back as to what they need from an apprentice, across every area from funding to delivery methods to costs to business. By the industry raising its voice and outlining what needs to change with apprenticeships, the trade associations can echo concerns and recommendations to the powers that be to try and change it.

It is critical that we as an industry take action now as so many companies need to ensure succession plans are in place.”

Dan Freckingham, Polymer Lead at Cogent, the sector skills council, explained

Apprenticeships are vital for succession planning

that the way the funding has been calculated is specific to the course and it also comes down to supply and demand.

“We need to get colleges interested in delivering the apprenticeships and we need feedback from industry as to what should go in the course,” he commented.

Aside from funding issues, Charmaine explained the polymer apprenticeship courses, of which there are currently two, are only delivered by between five and six colleges across the UK. “If we don’t engage the industry, this won’t change,” she continued.

For the polymer industry, cost to business and ROI are two key areas of concern, as well as the fact that course framework, delivery and content needs to be suitable for business. Day release, operational down-time for mentoring or training, as well as candidate suitability were all thrown up as factors and barriers that were preventing businesses from getting what they needed from an apprentice.

Knowledge sharing and succession plans are vital for successful industry continuation. In Europe, there are concrete routes in place to ensure that the next generation of workers benefits from skills passed on by the current workforce.

The apprentices being hired are potentially going to be the next managers as well as project leaders, so the feedstock needs to be good, with trainees being bright, work-ready and with good interpersonal skills. But how does the industry go about attracting the best

students? The image of manufacturing needs to change, said Philip Watkins, BPF President. “We need to change the perception of manufacturing as dirty and let it be known to young people that a university degree is not the only route available to them,” he commented.

Far from it being all doom and gloom, the event highlighted the positive effects that apprentices can bring to a business when the balance is right. Claire Schallcross from Schoeller Allibert explained that despite having to overcome the issues involving funding, additional costs and course delivery, the company is extremely pleased with the three apprentices it has currently. “One of our apprentices solved a blow moulding problem that even the most experienced workers were shaking their heads over, thanks to a fresh pair of eyes and new way of looking at things,” she commented.

“This, to us, means he has paid for himself already.”

The conclusion from the event is that industry needs to shout up in order to ensure workers of the future are skilled and succession-ready. British Plastics and Rubber will be reporting on future developments with regards to any changes in the apprenticeship scheme for polymers in coming issues. Further information on the current programmes is available through the PTIC. Further Information: www.wolvcoll.ac.uk/polymer/

Q:

What is meant by “dosing” in the context of injection moulding?

A:

Mo says: dosing is a way of combining two or more components in the right ratio.

feature The great benefit of plastic is its versatility and flexibility. By altering ingredients and additives, you can create precisely the right compound for a given application — changing the material’s mechanical properties, resistance to chemicals or its colour.

There is a downside to these possibilities, however. On the one hand, because there is such a vast array of ingredients to choose from, it makes little economic sense for the raw materials industry to individually customise their offerings to the many diverse wishes of plastics processors — especially as the lot sizes they want to buy continue to shrink.

Yet on the other hand, plastics processors are faced with demands from their end customers, who in light of ever-shorter product lifecycles are clamouring for new materials to be made available rapidly.

The solution? Plastics processors can either buy ready-made compounds or create them themselves.

Ready-made compounds are usually not the most cost-effective solution, as a premium is often charged for small lot quantities. Moreover, they leave little room to manoeuvre if you want to change the composition at short notice.

For greater flexibility, it makes sense to mix the material yourself. There are two ways to do this: blend the recipe centrally (manually or automated) or dose and mix

Dosing unit for plastics processing

directly at the throat of the processing machine (automated). Whichever method you choose, it is imperative that you follow the recipe to the letter: all quantities and ratios must be exactly right.

When mixing the recipe manually, the individual components are weighed by hand before being combined, often with a cement mixer. On the face of it, there is nothing wrong with this method.

But there are serious drawbacks — in terms of wastage and material segregation issues, for example. It can be difficult to correctly estimate how much of the mix you will ultimately need. And if you get the recipe wrong, you can be left with a significant amount of expensive but useless leftovers.

In contrast, working automatically at the throat of the processing machine offers multiple advantages. It allows you to mix recipes on demand and at short notice. Changing the recipe is quick and easy, and results are visibly fast. Surplus material is kept to a minimum and recipes can be easily reproduced.

Dosing is an essential stage of this process — combining two or more components in precisely the right ratio.

Whether the ingredients are granules, powders, paste or liquid, a number of basic principles apply. A dosing device in the dosing and mixing unit draws an exact amount of material from a supply hopper or similar container and transfers it to a reservoir or directly into the throat of the processing machine. Because it is responsible for measuring the ingredients with pinpoint precision, the dosing device plays a crucial role in the final outcome.

The choice of dosing device depends on the type of material and its properties. As solids tend to be the preferred material for injection moulding, the metering device must be able to dose granules, microgranules or powders.

A number of material properties

Dosing unit in the home

must be taken into account. Rheology — that is, how the ingredient flows — is particularly important: powder can, for example, be free-flowing, sticky or can fluidise. In addition, granules can be rigid or flexible, and they can be brittle and easily damaged. Regrind has its own dosing issues as it usually lacks a uniform consistency and contains more dust.

Dosing screws are suitable for the vast majority of applications. Other forms of dosing device include cone valves, disc dosing elements, slide-gate valves, dosing chambers and rotary valves. One dosing device that will be familiar to everyone is the measuring cup used for baking. And just as in baking, one rule matters above all else — whatever you are manufacturing, accuracy is everything: components must be measured with 100 percent precision.

Further important factors include whether the dosing system is volumetric or gravimetric, and how the ingredients are mixed — these points and many more will be explained by Mo in more detail in upcoming columns.

Further Information: www.motan-colortronic.com

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Engineering Materials

news Energy-generating polymer film powered by water vapour Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a new polymer film that can reportedly generate electricity from water vapour.

The new film is made from an interlocking network of two different polymers. One of the polymers, polypyrrole, forms a hard but flexible matrix that provides structural support. The other polymer, polyol-borate, is a soft gel that swells when it absorbs water. The films harvest energy found in the water gradient between dry and water-rich environments.

When the 20-µ-thick film lies on a surface that contains even a small amount of moisture, the bottom layer absorbs evaporated water, forcing the film to curl away from the surface. Once the bottom of the film is exposed to air, it quickly releases the moisture, somersaults forward and starts to curl up again. As this cycle is repeated, the continuous motion

Centre for research on Graphene to be created at Cambridge A centre for research on graphene is to be created at the University of Cambridge in order to engineer real life applications for the material, which has the potential to revolutionise numerous industries, ranging from healthcare to electronics.

The Cambridge Graphene Centre started its activities on February 1st 2013, with a dedicated facility due to open at the end of the year. Its objective is to take graphene to the next level, bridging the gap between academia and industry.

The Centre’s activities will be funded by a Government grant worth more than £12 million, complemented by strong industrial support, worth an additional £13

converts the chemical energy of the water gradient into mechanical energy.

The MIT states that harnessing this continuous motion could drive robotic limbs or generate enough electricity to power wearable electronics.

A printed graphene device.

Credit: Andrea Ferrari.

million, from over 20 partners, including Nokia, Dyson, Plastic Logic, Philips and BaE systems. A further £11 million of European Research Council funding will support activities with the Graphene Institute in Manchester and Lancaster University.

Graphene is a one-atom thick layer of graphite with remarkable properties. It is exceptionally strong, yet also lightweight

The new film harnesses energy from water vapour

Further Information: www.web.mit.edu

and flexible, enables electrons to flow faster than silicon and functions as a transparent conductor. Researchers in industry and academia are keen to harness its potential to make significant technological advances. This work might lead to numerous new devices and applications that could then be commercialised by industry and help to boost economic growth.

Peter Davis, Director General of the British Plastics Federation, recently highlighted the need for the UK to develop the potential of graphene in order to stay competitive, as well as highlighting the importance to the plastics industry.

“Plastics will be an important carrier material for this ground breaking product,” he stated.

Further Information: www.cam.ac.uk

news Bac2’s latent acid catalyst wins ‘materials’ category in top innovation award A UK polymer materials company has been announced the winner of the ‘Raw Materials’ category by the JEC Group for its work in composites innovations.

Bac2, based in Romsey near Southampton, has won the award for developing its CSR family of latent acid catalysts to make prepolymeric mixes easier to store, transport, handle and process.

The JEC Group states the jury selected the best composite breakthroughs based on their technical interest, market potential, partnerships, financial and environmental impact and originality. The winners will be presented with their awards in a ceremony at the JEC Europe composites show and conferences on 12th March 2013.

Using CSR catalysts, the storage life of pre-polymeric mixes used in SMC and BMC processes has been extended from minutes or hours to over three months, simplifying materials handling, storage and transportation. In pultrusion, process efficiency gains of more 100 percent have reportedly been achieved, coupled with a 30°C reduction in curing temperature.

The latter dramatically reduces both manufacturing costs and CO2 emissions. CSR catalysts also enable the manufacture of inherently flame-retardant mouldings by enabling the production of stable phenolic and furan-based pre-polymeric mixes.

Mike Stannard, Bac2’s CEO, commented: “Coming shortly after we received the Composites UK Innovation Award in November 2012 for CSR, it’s further confirmation that this is a groundbreaking family of materials capable of transforming the productivity of many composites manufacturing processes.

Equally important, it’s enabling companies to significantly reduce their energy consumption and costs.”

31 Further Information: www.bac2.co.uk

bp&r

Engineering Materials FEATURE

Exchange rates are a significant factor affecting both exports and imports

Polymer

raw material prices: 2012 Review

& 2013 Outlook

As 2013 gets underway, Plastribution’s Mike Boswell takes a look at the UK polymer market and aims to provide an assessment of what has happened over the past year and what may happen in the year ahead, particularly in terms of the outlook for polymer prices.

Looking ahead to 2013, there is, of course, a strong need to emphasise the phrase ‘what may happen’, since the global polymer market is incredibly volatile and prices are often influenced by a wide range of both obvious and sometimes subtle drivers.

Given that the cost of the polymer raw material can often represent between 40 and 70 percent of the input costs for a plastics processor, and that over the last four years the cost of our ‘Polyolefin Basket’ of products has varied by almost 100 percent, it is clear that managing the volatility is a key factor in determining profitability.

Plastic processors commonly face the additional burden that since polymer pricing is heavily influenced by oil prices, high raw material costs commonly coincide with high energy and transport costs, so resulting in additional margin pressures.

From a business perspective, the whole environment was dominated by the woes of the global economy, with Europe and America struggling to recover from the impact of the 2007 economic crisis.

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Whilst the UK avoided the pressures faced in the Southern European countries, many parts of the economy struggled.

Through a lack of economic growth, the country found itself in the grips of a ‘double-dip’ recession, albeit that the UK economy returned to growth in the final quarter largely based upon some special factors.

In the manufacturing sector there was a very mixed picture, where demand for non-durables appeared to be quite robust. In the durables sector the automotive industry was exceptional with record numbers produced, more cars exported than imported and strong demand from the private buyers.

Exchange rates are a significant factor affecting both exports and imports and the devaluation of Pound vs. Euro following the 2007 economic crisis has been a major factor influencing UK manufacturing.

Following the drop from €1.50 down to a low of €1.05, the Pound remained relatively stable against both the Euro and the Dollar throughout 2012.

The influence of the Euro vs. Dollar will be discussed later, but, as the graph depicts, there was a period of significant weakness resulting from the issues in the Eurozone PIIGS countries.

Exchange Rates 2012

The devaluation of sterling has been a major factor influencing the UK plastics sector. Following an extensive period in which, from a manufacturing perspective, sterling was overvalued and UK plastics manufacturing declined, more recently we have seen that a weaker sterling has helped UK manufacturing become more competitive on the global stage.

This, along with the issues raised by the Japanese Tsunami and flooding in Thailand, has served to highlight the fragility of global supply chains, helping to ensure that new products manufactured in the UK are more likely to be supplied with domestically-produced plastic components.

As a consequence, there has been an increased tendency to ‘re-shoring’, as existing components can be manufactured more competitively here in the UK. Another major influence in the plastics sector is the cost of crude oil, as in the long-term there has been a strong correlation between oil and polymer prices. Oil prices have been robust, averaging almost $112 per barrel (2011 $111 per barrel) and only averaging below $100 per barrel in June 2011 when the Eurozone crisis was most severe.

High oil prices are a key influence on polymer feedstocks that are predominantly derived from oil and hence, in turn, an influence on polymer producers.

Polyolefins 2012

Almost two price cycles were completed in just 12 months, although the second peak is smaller and less severe. The change in oil price that took place at the beginning of June and suddenly stimulated buying interest is very clearly evident, as is the variability between the finished polymer, monomers, the common intermediate Naphtha and of course crude oil.

Price volatility was strongly influenced by the tactics of both buyers and sellers. Buyers typically tried to capitalise when they believed that prices had bottomed by increasing order volumes in order to build inventory.

Sellers limited sales volumes and often closed order books early to curtail such pre-buying. In the end, sellers were more successful than buyers but the overall situation became antagonistic with the net outcome of creating the high levels of volatility that neither party wanted.

It was also notable that due to producers reducing output rates from around September, there was not the typical spree of seasonal offers, as producers needed to shift inventory down the supply chain in order to create warehouse capacity for volumes produced in December when off-takes are low from converters due to the Christmas shutdown in Western Europe.

Styrenics 2012

In the case of Styrenics, butadiene was again a key theme. In 2012 there was a significant reversal in the price trend for this important monomer as demand from the automotive sector for tyre production slumped and supply improved for the production of styrenic polymers including HIPS and ABS. However, as can be seen from the graph, Benzene prices, which are really influential in the pricing of styrenics including PS and ABS, commenced a strong upward trend in the final quarter pushing prices up.

In the case of polystyrene, the market perceives prices as high relative to competing polymers such as PP and PET and this will continue to be an influence on demand going forward.

Engineering Materials FEATURE

However, at what point polymer producers acquire and indeed realise the cost of their raw materials is matter of great significance and commonly of great influence when it comes to matters of profitability.

This sensitivity can be further influenced depending upon whether the feedstocks are acquired on a spot or contract basis (in which case ‘take or pay’ contracts can further affect economics).

Many polymer producers suffered reduced profitability in 2012 and those buying monomers faced the greatest difficulty as margins were often negative.

Oil price also has a significant bearing on both transportation costs and energy prices.

These are also of significance in the polymer supply chain, where transport is a significant factor in moving raw materials and finished goods around the world and energy is a significant component of polymer production and subsequent conversion.

So in terms of manufacturing cost, the high cost of crude oil would suggest that from the supply side prices of both plastic raw materials and plastics converted into finished or semifinished components should be high.

However, the other side of the equation is the economy, which on a global basis was very weak. The net outcome of high input prices and poor demand is invariably weak margins and this was particularly evident in the case of lower margin, more price sensitive plastics applications.

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Engineering Materials FEATURE

High oil prices have had an effect on polymer producers

Engineering Plastics 2012

As the graph clearly demonstrates, the margin over feedstock and oil price for engineering polymers is much greater than for standard thermoplastics, as such prices tend to be less dynamic and are more heavily influenced by the global economic situation.

Whilst from a European perspective the expectation would be for prices to fall on the back of a poor economic situation, on a global basis there was GDP growth and the price stability of the engineering polymers portfolio reflects this.

As with styrenics, the recent increase in benzene costs is a concern for producers of Nylon 66 and particularly PC producers who typically have much finer margins.

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Outlook 2013: The key drivers of polymer pricing are likely to remain — exchange rate, crude oil and feedstock prices, as well as the global economic situation.

Needless to say, all of these factors are fragile and often subject to change at short notice. On this basis, no reliance should be placed upon the information provided.

In particular, a slight strengthening of the GBP against the Euro will bring some relief on polymer prices, which are mainly Euro derived. Stability of the Euro vs. USD will ensure that exchange rate is not a factor influencing the European cost of crude oil.

Oil price is possibly much harder to predict, although it is unlikely that the shale gas revolution in the US is going to have any major influence on oil prices in 2013, especially considering the economics of oil derived from more recent sources such as tar sands and deep water drilling are significantly higher than more conventional sources.

The probability of Brent Crude remaining above 100 USD per barrel is pretty high and we are again likely to see an average around $110.

There is little doubt that there is another tough year in prospect. Across the whole UK economy even a one percent growth in GDP looks like a tough ask. However, the renaissance in the manufacturing sector, as a result of exchange rate and government policy, looks set to continue and this will certainly influence the plastics processing sector.

Overall, in terms of the major influences on polymer prices, it looks very much a case of more of the same. Whilst this will have a similar bearing on polymer prices, further detail is provided on what may be in store for both some of the main polymer groups as well as individual polymer types at the Plastribution website.

Further Information: www.plastribution.co.uk/price-know-how

This report is produced based upon the following fundamentals: • Euro-based pricing for feedstock and polymer pricing • Conversion of Euro and USD based prices at prevailing exchange rates • Product baskets weighted according to UK consumption

Injection Moulding

Engineering Passion

news Milacron LLC acquires MoldMasters for $975 million Plastics machinery manufacturer, Milacron LLC, has announced the acquisition of Mold-Masters, a global hotrunner manufacturer, in a deal reportedly worth USD $975 million (approx. £623 million).

The new, combined company will concentrate its capabilities across five businesses: Milacron (Plastics Machinery), Mold-Masters (Hot Runners), DME (Mould Base Technologies), Aftermarket (Parts and Service) and CIMCOOL Fluid Technology (Metalworking Fluids and Services), according to a press release announcing the news).

The combined entity will reportedly provide its customers with “market-leading technologies, superb global engineering and R&D leadership.” The statement says that through their complementary product lines, Milacron and Mold-Masters will be able to offer a “broader portfolio of exceptional products and services, providing solutions for customers’ complex plastics needs.”

In addition, with enhanced financial and operational strength, reduced cyclicality and a diverse international footprint with a strong market position in hot runners in Asia, the combined company will reportedly have “greater opportunities for global expansion.”

Tom Goeke, Chief Executive Officer of Milacron, will lead the combined entity and Bill Barker, President and CEO of Mold Masters, will continue to lead that business.

Goeke said: “The acquisition creates a global leader in the plastics industry with the scale, technological leadership, international presence and competitive positioning to deliver a wide range of products and services to more customers in more markets around the world.

“Mold-Masters’ expertise in the highgrowth hot-runner market is second to none and we are excited by the unique customer value proposition and numerous opportunities for growth that will result from this combination. Bill Barker, his management team and all of his employees share our commitment to excellence. We are thrilled that they will continue to lead the Mold-Masters business going forward and are excited to

Industry News: New Chairman at PMMDA Nigel Flowers has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Polymer Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMMDA), after Tim Peet stepped down from the role and took over as President.

The PMMDA was originally formed in 1966 by eight founder companies that set out to agree a range of standards for both UK manufacturers and distributors of foreign machinery. Now nearly 40 members strong, in 2010 the PMMDA joined forces with the PPMA (Processing

and Packaging Machinery Association) to make a combined total of 400 UK equipment manufacturers and distributors, all with common goals and challenges.

Flowers commented: “It was clear to both parties that a united front would result in benefits for its members, including networking opportunities, cross fertilisation of ideas and most importantly a louder voice in Westminster with which to lobby government for support for the UK plastics industry and manufacturing as a whole.

“Within my new role, I will also do my

The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the first half of 2013.

welcome them to our team.”

Barker said: “We are also very excited to join Milacron and become part of an industry-leading company known for providing high-quality plastics processing equipment and products, as well as exceptional customer service and aftermarket support.”

Further Information: www.milacron.com

best to see that members benefit from the services and opportunities available to them including free technical advice, support with overseas shows, access to prospect agents and discounted business services, to help their businesses prosper and grow.”

As well as the new PMMDA Chairman, Flowers is responsible for health and safety issues and chairs the Shadow Technical Committee for TC145 & ISO 270 (CEN/ISO Plastics & Rubber Machines).

Further Information: www.pmmda.org.uk

Injection Moulding

www.kraussmaffei.com

news A new face at BMB Plastics Machinery Limited Italian injection moulding machine manufacturer, BMB Plastics Machinery Limited, has a new face heading up its UK and Ireland division in the form of former Netstal Managing Director, Nigel Baker.

BMB manufactures an extensive range of injection moulding machines with clamp force ranging from 500kN to 35000kN for market sectors including packaging, caps and closures, technical, medical, automotive and PET. The range includes hydraulic, hybrid and all-electric machines, with the company’s latest all-electric machine range available up to 8000kN (800t) and equipped with power monitoring screen display as standard displaying kWhr/kg.

Nigel said: “I met the company owner, Marco Bugatti, last year in Brescia, Italy. We hit it off immediately and are both excited to penetrate the UK and Irish market with new initiatives.

Decisions are made quickly - the benefit of a family business and we can be more responsive to the customer. This is a significant benefit and will make a big difference in the long term.”

The company is hoping to establish a strong UK sales and service organisation and is looking to purchase a premises in the Midlands area. “We will soon recruit a dedicated BMB Service team complete with spare parts stock holding for our important

Husky kicks off World Tour 2013 Husky Injection Moulding Systems has kicked-off of its ‘Husky World Tour 2013’, a new series of global customer events that will take place throughout 2013.

The tour started with an event Husky’s Karl-Heinz Hoefert, VP of dedicated to Sales, Husky South Asia, Japan and beverage packaging Korea welcomes the attendees with in Korea last an opening speech month. Upcoming events include a specialty closures day in Europe, a beverage packaging day in Latin America and additional tour events throughout the year for customers in the packaging, closures, medical and hot runner markets.

Husky states its World Tour is a first-of-its-kind for the injection moulding industry, giving current and prospective customers more direct access to Husky’s latest technologies at a local level.

Tour events will include presentations and technical demonstrations from Husky and industry experts. Serving as Husky’s primary method to introduce innovations to the industry for 2013, the company is foregoing its participation in tradeshows for 2013, including Drinktec and K2013.

Further Information: www.husky.ca

L-R Nigel Baker — MD UK and Ireland, Adriano Zucchelli — Sales Director BMB SpA, Marco Bugatti — President BMB Group, Stewart Leng — Sales Manager UK and Ireland

UK and Irish customers. Stewart Leng, who has been with BMB many years, will work with me as Sales Manager,” Nigel continued.

As well as welcoming new enquiries and projects through BMB, Nigel will still hold his position as Director on the PMMDA advisory board.

Further Information: www.bmb-spa.com

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Testing and Inspection

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news Testing and characterisation of materials for medical plastics The medical industry is one of the fastest growing areas for plastics. Of increasing importance is the evaluation of raw materials used in medical plastics.

Testing and characterisation of materials used in medical plastics are necessary to assure quality and safety. In addition to meeting biocompatibility requirements, medical plastics must also meet international standards and manufacturer specifications.

“The characterisation of raw materials plays an essential role in enabling manufacturers to maintain the high levels of quality required by the medical industry,” said Erik Berndt, Medical Industry Manager at Zwick/Roell in Ulm, Germany.

Subject to rising levels of regulation, companies are placing greater emphasis on quality standards. Ensuring the integrity of incoming raw materials through testing allows manufacturers to certify the performance of their products. “This can be a differentiating factor in a competitive market,” Berndt said.

According to Zwick, medical plastics, because they are utilised in products that come into direct contact with the patient, should be tested for durability as well as biocompatibility. Material testing is one of the cornerstones of understanding biocompatibility, as indicated by ISO 10993, Part 1. Zwick offers a suite of solutions applicable to the testing of medical plastic materials as well as components, Berndt said. “Our Zwicki-Line and ProLine product platforms support tensile, compression and bend tests

Testing the toughness of Lego In a recent test commissioned by the BBC, the Open University carried out a load test on a hydraulic testing machine to find out how many 2x2 Lego bricks, stacked one on top of the other, it would take to destroy the bottom brick.

The test found the average maximum force the bricks can stand is 4,240N, equivalent to a mass of 432kg. Divided by the mass of a single brick, which is 1.152g, the grand total of bricks a single

Testing and characterisation of materials used in medical plastics are necessary to assure quality and safety

across a wide range of maximum loads, from 0.5 kN to 100 kN,” he commented.

Flexibility of test equipment is necessary to keep pace with the fast moving medical market requirements.

“Many tests are not standardised,” Berndt said. Normally, the legal producer has to guarantee that patients and users are not harmed by the product. There could be standards — but often for new products — new testing methods have to be designed, he said.

Berndt explained keeping track of records is also important in an increasingly strict regulatory environment.

Zwick has reportedly invested in its suite of testing systems to support customer needs in this area, including the introduction of an expanded traceability feature in the testXpert II measurement and control software.

Designed for medical device manufacturers and their suppliers subject to FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and Annex 11 of the EU GMP directive, testXpert II’s Electronic Records function is said to enable testing labs to capture and

piece of Lego could support was revealed to be 375,000.

So, 375,000 bricks towering 3.5km (2.17 miles) high is what it would take before the bottom brick experienced material failure.

“That's taller than the highest mountain in Spain. It's significantly higher than Mount Olympus and it's the typical height at which people ski in the Alps,” Ian Johnston, an applied mathematician and lecturer in engineering, told the BBC. Further Information: www.open.edu

The Zwicki is a low force capacity, single column tensile testing machine commonly, used for testing plastic specimens

preserve documentation of all actions and modifications performed in testXpert II. “We have also incorporated an Electronic Signatures function, which documents the assumption of responsibility and delivers paperless record keeping by replacing the physical signature with a digital signature,” Berndt continued.

Zwick states another important trend in the medical industry is cost reduction, as new innovations become high volume products. Proper selection and evaluation of raw materials enables manufacturers to meet these requirements.

Further Information: www.zwick.co.uk

The Open University's engineering department found a 2x2 Lego tower could be made 2.17 miles high before the bottom brick failed

Industry event demonstrates the latest in materials testing Last month the British Society for Strain Measurement (BSSM) hosted a dedicated event at Instron’s European Headquarters in High Wycombe, UK. Instron, a supplier of testing and instrumentation equipment, offered visitors the chance to tour its facilities as well as visit several exhibitors including Photron, LA Vision and SmartFibres. The event attracted over 100 visitors across two days, with a programme of seminars providing a platform for information exchange and debate for attendees.

The following day, Instron took the opportunity to stage an event of its own for customers and interested parties, setting the tone for an informal discussion forum amongst leading figures in the sector.

The brand new ‘Applications Laboratory’ (pictured) — a purpose-built facility hosting new and existing technologies — allowed Instron to

showcase a range of recent product releases that have been well received in several application areas, including the plastics industry.

Visitors to the Instron facility were given the chance to tour the manufacturing facility, including demonstrations of the CEAST drop tower impact system used predominantly for ISO and ASTM standards within the plastics industry, as well as specimen The new Applications Laboratory at Instron’s preparation and melt flow High Wycombe facility monitoring equipment to the from the composites industry who plastics sector. discussed developments in the aerospace Dan Bailey, Senior Applications and automotive sectors.

Engineer at Instron, said: “The purpose of “The biggest area of growth that we this event is really to concentrate on the are seeing for our machines is newest technology and how we integrate composites,” Bailey continued. “We are with external companies. The equipment seeing there is more testing being done in the lab shows how our computer on polymer raw materials that will software can be integrated with external eventually be used in composite parts, systems to provide the necessary especially in the aerospace industry.” information required.”

As well as showcasing a range of Further Information: materials testing machines focused on the www.instron.co.uk plastics market, Instron had key speakers

Testing and Inspection

news

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Testing and Inspection

news CNC milling machine dedicated to polymer materials Test equipment manufacturer, Ray-Ran, has manufactured a range of CNC Profile Cutting machines that are said to be ideal for producing test samples from polymer and plastic material over 5mm thick. The company states a typical example is to cut dumbbell samples from underground thick-wall pipes that are generally 50mm or more thick.

Metal cutting machines have not generally proven suitable for polymer materials that require very high cutting speeds — in the region of 2,400 to 24,000 rpm — to give the desired surface finish and ensure that the temperature at the cutting surface does not affect the material characteristics.

Ray-Ran states its dedicated CNC milling machine can offer X, Y and Z axis combinations to cater for most test sample sizes. Prewritten programs are available and training in the demonstration department is available.

The ball screws and The Ray-Ran Model 1 CNC slide ways are said to milling machine provide excellent positional accuracy and low frictions drives that are ideally matched to the stepper motor drive systems. The Advanced Micro-Stepping feature is said to give optimum cutter control when machining contours.

Special polymer cutting tools are available that reduce the cutting surface temperature and give optimum surface finish.

The Ray-Ran Model 1 CNC milling machine comes with an X axis of 290mm, a Y axis of 260mm and a Z axis of 100mm, and the Model 2 machine has a X axis of 600mm , Y axis of 300mm and a Z axis of 175mm. Ray-Ran can also manufacture larger machines upon request.

Further Information: www.ray-ran.com

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Extended range of test kits for surface energy levels

The new test kit from Dyne

Dyne Technology, a specialist in plasma and corona surface treatment technology for manufacturers in the plastic and rubber industries, has extended its family of test kits and now offers a new range containing up to 12 bottles of test fluid in one carry case.

Dyne states the extended range has been adopted to offer engineers a wide range of Dyne levels within the sets to use on a wide range of materials with different surface energy levels.

The new range of kits includes the QA Set, which has been adapted to enable users to purchase one kit that holds the complete range of Dyne test fluids from 30mN/m (Dynes/cm) up to 72mN/m. It is said to enable the user to have the full range of Dyne test fluids on hand, thus allowing measurement of a wide range of materials with different surface energy levels at the same time.

The company states its Dyne test method plays a big part in process control for many manufacturing companies, especially in the automotive and printing industries where surface energy/tension levels must be controlled in order to maintain quality standards.

The low surface energy of polymer-based substrates often leads to poor adhesion of inks, glues and coatings. When applying the Dyne test fluid, if it remains as a film for three seconds, the substrate will have a minimum surface energy of that ink value, expressed in mN/m (Dynes). Should the Dyne test liquid reticulate or draw back into droplets in less than one second then the surface energy of the substrate is lower than that of the liquid itself. The exact surface energy (Dyne level) can be determined by applying a range of increasing or decreasing values of Dyne test ink.

Also in the new range is the ‘Self Select Kit’ for users who want to build their own kit, the ‘Standard Kit’ and a ‘Value Set’.

Further Information: www.dynetechnology.co.uk

Polypropylene film put to the test UK-based specialist in temperature controlled microscopy, Linkam Scientific Instruments, has been chosen as the supplier of a TST350 stage for the Complex Fluids and Polymer Engineering division, National Chemical Laboratory, India, to study the mechanical properties of dimethyl dibenzylidene sorbitol (DMDBS) on polypropylene.

Most commercial PP is isotactic with all methyl groups orientated on the same side of the backbone of the polymer chain. This orientation of the methyl groups within the polymer relative to each other directly influences the ability of the polymer to form crystals.

DMDBS (dimethyl dibenzylidene sorbitol) is the butterfly shaped molecule that is used as a nucleating agent in the manufacture of PP via extrusion form casting. It forms crystalline nanofibres (approx 5nm diameter) when it precipitates out of a hot melt of isotactic PP (iPP). These nanofibres form a mesh. At cooler temperatures, iPP (α-form) crystals nucleate on the surface of these fibres.

Guruswamy Kumaraswamy and a group of scientists from the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) of India have used a Linkam TST350 tensile testing temperature stage to look at the influence of this semi-crystalline morphology on the mechanical characteristics of the film. NCL India is a research, development and consulting organisation with a focus on chemical sciences. The scientists have investigated the effect of concentration on the yield stress and tensile modulus of the PP film. They have tested films created at different processing conditions and with different concentrations of DMDBS. Homopolymer iPP pellets were coated with DMDBS using a DMDBS solution in acetone. These pellets, with 0.2, 0.4, or 0.8 percent (by weight) DMDBS, were extruded through a ThermoHaake PolyLab single screw extruder. This created a film of a constant thickness of 0.45mm as the film was taken up on chill rolls (10°C). To achieve six different draw ratios, the speed of the chill rolls was varied.

These films were tested using the Linkam TST350 stage.

The stage is built to maintain uniform vertical and horizontal alignment during testing. Temperature control ranges from 196°C to 350°C with 0.1°C control and up to 60°C per minute heating rate.

It was observed that at TDIE=200°C voids form within the 0.8 percent DMDBS film during extrusion. This, the scientists hypothesised, was the reason why the 0.8 percent film exhibited a decrease in yield stress and modulus values compared with neat iPP film and the 0.2 percent and 0.4 percent films. The 0.2 and 0.4 percent DMDBS PP films exhibited an approximated 50 percent increase in modulus and yield strength compared with neat PP. This is observed to be higher in the transverse direction.

Further Information: www.linkam.co.uk

Linkham Scientific Instruments tensile testing temperature stage was used in the study of PP film

Testing and Inspection

news

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UPDATE

FROM THE FRONT LINE This month’s update from the BPF reports on a snowy but successful overseas expedition and the retirement of a key industry figure.

The British Plastics Federation (BPF) has recently returned from Moscow, where it exhibited at the Interplastica exhibition alongside other UK companies, Listgrove Ltd and Longfield Chemicals, on its ‘British Pavillion.’

This is the first time the BPF has organised a pavilion at the Russian show, held from January 29th – February 1st.

The exhibition, which is held annually, was the 16th edition of the fair and is the largest plastics and rubber exhibition in Russia.

The event attracted over 20,000 visitors with a high number of international visitors in attendance (the organisers reported that visitors came from more than 28 countries). The exhibition is growing year on year, with over 700 exhibitors taking part in 2013, an increase of more than 150 from the previous edition of the fair.

Ryan Kirby from Listgrove Ltd said of the show: “It is obvious that Russia is an expanding market and offers incredible potential for those who operate across the plastic and packaging sectors. The country offers many opportunities due to a lack of processing capability and/or the need for improved facilities.”

In spite of global economic uncertainty, the Russian plastics industry continues to grow and is one of the largest developing national plastics industries in the world. The Russian plastics market is comprised of around 4,000 plastics processors with the main centres including Moscow, St Petersberg, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara, with Moscow alone accounting for around one third of total industry revenue. Around 4.7 million tonnes of plastics are processed each year in Russia, with 3.5 million tonnes produced in the country itself.

In other news, earlier this month the Federation announced the retirement of former President and current Honorary Treasurer, Brian Mann.

Mr Mann, who is 67, will be stepping

The BPF stand at Interplastica

down from his BPF roles at the time of his retirement as Managing Director of Rosti McKechnie Ltd in January 2014. He was elected President of the BPF in 2002, serving for two years. He continued as a member of its key Strategy and Finance Committee, before becoming Honorary Treasurer in 2010.

Mr Mann was awarded the BPF’s ‘Gold Medal’ for service both to the Federation and to the plastics industry in 2010.

Further Information: www.bpf.co.uk

RAPRA enlists the help of LPD Lab Services

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As part of the Rubber and Plastic Research Association’s (RAPRA) service offering, it has enlisted a network of ‘Preferred Service Providers’ to assist with enquiries relating to research and development of innovative uses for polymers.

Lancashire-based LPD Lab Services Ltd has been a RAPRA preferred provider since the middle of 2012 following recommendation of the company’s services from a number of RAPRA members.

LPD Lab Services provides one manhour of discussion and consultancy to RAPRA members free of charge, involving confidential discussion of problems and helping to focus efforts, scope and generate a plan of work targeted at providing solutions. The inquiring company may then choose to go ahead with any suggested work.

LPD Lab Services offers a range of

bespoke technical problem solving support through its materials and chemical experience coupled with a diverse range of in-house physical and chemical analytical techniques.

RAPRA states the combination of industrial problem solving skills, practical product development experience and pragmatic approach makes LPD an ideal facility for the association to have on board. “LPD are called upon to tackle the ‘unusual’ problems, where timely, competent analysis and consultancy focused on containing and solving issues mindful of cost and downtime impact is required,” said a RAPRA spokesperson.

In the field of paints, coatings, rubbers and plastics, LPD has dealt with materials failure investigations, embrittlement and leaching issues, degradation and polymer swelling, adhesive and cohesive failure, interfacial contamination, depolymerisation, paint delamination

problems, wetting and mixing issues, amongst others. Customers using polymers and rubbers, or their customers in turn, use them in association with other materials like metals, ceramics and composites where unforeseen problems can be associated with chemicals and materials interaction. Problems can be small or large and work is scoped accordingly.

“We are extremely pleased to have LPD as a ‘Preferred Service Provider’, their response is always prompt and efficient and geared to giving the very best service to the client and RAPRA. We are receiving an increasingly diverse range of enquiries and having a facility such as LPD greatly increases our ability to service those enquiries,” said the RAPRA spokesperson.

Further Information: www.rapralimited.org

Are you OK for K? This month’s view from Smart Currency As BP&R has previously highlighted, the K trade fair, Europe's largest trade show, will be taking place again this year. Although October may seem a way off, there are plenty of factors that will increase your costs come that time, so it is wise to start planning your attendance now.

Obviously flights and accommodation can book out early, and last minute bookings (if available) are generally expensive, so booking early means you won't miss out or pay a fortune.

Equally, if not more important, are your finances. Since Christmas, the Sterling/Euro exchange rate has moved eight cents and is not expected to settle any time soon. Additionally, Germany is due to face a general election around the time of the show, which could cause noticeable volatility in the Euro's value. If travel bookings are already causing you headaches, currency movements could be even more painful if not planned in advance.

You will also need to have access to funds in order to place orders at the show. It can be both expensive and time-consuming to access such funds last minute, whereas having capital readily available will mean you can take full advantage of special show offers.

Finally, if you do take the opportunity to plan this far out, you may find that your business qualifies for government grants to offset attendance costs through UKTI. However the application process can be lengthy, and may not necessarily be applied retrospectively – meaning you should investigate this sooner rather than later.

For more details on this and how you can look to plan your finances in advance call Smart Currency Business on 020 7898 0500. www.smartcurrencybusiness.com/bpr

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Affordable systems available for all size of processor.

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

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

Call Lisa on 01244 680222 for details.

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buyer’s guide vibration welding

mould release

Branson Ultrasonics

materials

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

polymer distributors

temperature control

For Temperature Control Rental turn to the experts assembly hot plate welding colour masterbatch

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

COMPOUNDING

• FLUID CHILLERS • BOILERS • AIR CONDITIONING • HEATING • DRY COOLERS/ FREE COOLING

0800 026 4717 Rental Systems

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

wanted

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

conductive plastics and coatings TBA Electro Conductive Products Ltd Unit 3 Transpennine Trading Estate Gorrells Way, Rochdale, OL11 2PX

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

spin welding

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

1 mm Easysperse MicroPellets to 4 mm MaxiPellets.

Standards second to none.

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

ultrasonic plastics assembly systems

equipment

fastenings and fixings AEROSOLS

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

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

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

CNC ASSEMBLY MACHINES masterbatch

Cannon Shelley UK agents for Belotti 5 axis CNC machines

ancillary

T: 01480 453651 F: 01480 52113 E: sales@cannon-shelley.co.uk W: www.cannonforma.com W: www.belotti.com W: www.shelley.biz

control systems and equipment

44 bp&r

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

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

thermocouples

extruders and downstream equipment

hot runner systems hot runner controllers

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

UK agent for Lyons Electronics.

metal detection & separation equipment

gravimetric/volumetric blending

Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

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

nozzles & nozzle tips

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

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

materials handling and storage

infra red systems hopper dryers

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

Energy Saving Dryers

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

heating equipment

injection moulding hopper loaders

In Partnership with PC Moulding & Automation

printing machines pad

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

extrusion systems

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

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

screws and barrels

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

LABORATORY machines

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

BS EN ISO9001:2008

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

To advertise in this space contact lisa montgomery 01829 770037

45 bp&r

buyer’s guide injection moulding

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

".$$+ ,+0 '+$. +# # .'+0$./ ,') ),"('+% ".$$+ .'+0'+% 1--)'$./ ,+/1)0 +"4 +# . '+'+% $.2'"$/

DTL Machines We Buy / Sell all Makes, Age and Sizes of Injection Moulding Machines & Ancillaries Tool room machines and also complete factories / plants Factory Clearance Services Dismantling / Removal of obsolete plant and machinery T: 01925 596170 M: 07838138342 E: douglastrading@gmail.com Plasplant Ltd Unit 4, Oakhanger Farm, Oakhanger, Bordon, Hants GU35 9JA T: 01420 473013 F: 01420 475152 E: plasplant@aol.com W: www.plasplant.com Rawmec (EEC) Ltd Rawmec Industrial Park, Plumpton Road, Hoddesdon, Herts EN11 0EE T: 01992 471796 F: 01992 471797 E: rawmec@btconnect.com W: www.rawmec.com

4 ,"(&')) '))/ ,)*$/ , # ,3$.!4 .'#%$ $/0 ,.(/&'.$

/')(/".$$+1( ,) ",*

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

mouldflow analysis

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

thermoforming equipment

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

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

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

Cannon Shelley Sales and service for thermoforming equipment T: 01480 453651 F: 01480 52113 E: sales@cannon-shelley.co.uk W: www.cannonforma.com W: www.shelley.biz

parts & services WATER FITTINGS

tool making mouldmaking

testing equipment

printers screen changers

services

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

secondhand and reconditioned ANGLO PLASTICS LTD

46 bp&r

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

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

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

Contract cleaning Injection Moulding Extrusion • • • • • •

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

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

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

WANTED

WANTED PLASTIC SCRAP We are looking to purchase LDPE post production scrap.

Can take over 100 Tonne a week.

Payment terms: COD T: 0121 328 5222 F: 0121 328 3555 E: sales@bsplastics.co.uk