BP&R July/August 2016 by BP&R Magazine

British Plastics

and Rubber

bp&r July/aug 2016

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PLASTICS RECYCLING: WHY THE MODEL NEEDS TO CHANGE

BREXIT: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE UK PLASTICS SECTOR?

NEGRI BOSSI: CULTURE, CREATIVITY AND CUSTOMERS FIRST

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bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER

www.britishplastics.co.uk EDITORIAL

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

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duncan wood T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: duncan@rapidnews.com British Plastics & Rubber is available on free subscription to readers qualifying under the publisher’s terms of control. Those outside the criteria may subscribe at the following annual rate: UK, Europe and rest of the world £249 British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (8 times/year) by Rapid Plastics Media Ltd, Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, CH4 9QE T: +44 (0) 1244 680222 F: +44 (01244) 671074 © 2016 Rapid Plastics Media Ltd While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained within this publication is accurate the publisher accepts no liability for information published in error, or for views expressed. All rights for British Plastics & Rubber are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. ISSN 0307-6164 Incorporating Polymer Age and Rubber and Plastics Age.

onwards in the face of uncertainty...

n our first issue since the UK made the historic decision to leave the European Union, the passage of time has allowed the plastics industry to truly reﬂect on what it means. Although, no one really does, yet. By all accounts change has started, and more will come, but many plastics processors I have spoken to insist that despite the many question marks hanging over the future, and an undisputed undercurrent of uncertainty, it is “business as usual” for the time being. You can read the thoughts and feelings of some senior industry figures in our ‘Brexit’ roundup, starting on page 12, as well as a post-referendum special of our regular ‘Polymerman’ plastics materials insight, on page 43. Whilst we’re on the subject of materials, this issue focuses on how plastics make it possible to innovate across a great many industries. From their use in enabling the first round-the-world ﬂight powered by the sun’s energy as part of the Solar Impulse 2 aeroplane (page 41) to their part in the first commercial sale of Milacron’s metal-replacing plastic canning technology (page 27), plastics are driving forward some of the products and projects that will have an impact on lives for years to come. Oh, and

By all accounts change has started, and more will come, but many plastics processors I have spoken to insist that despite the many question marks hanging over the future, and an undisputed undercurrent of uncertainty, it is “business as usual” for the time being.

I mustn’t forget to mention the intriguing project being undertaken by motor company, Ford, and renowned tequila manufacturer, Jose Cuervo, that is exploring the use of a byproduct of the drink’s production process to formulate a bioplastic for use in vehicles (page 42). I’ll drink to that. Enjoy the issue.

Leanne Taylor, Group Editor

bp&r

THE BIG STORY

K2016: In “a class of its own” AS WE RACE FASTER TOWARDS K SHOW, THE PLASTICS AND RUBBER INDUSTRY’S BIGGEST TRADE FAIR AND EXHIBITION SET TO TAKE PLACE IN GERMANY FROM 19-26 OCTOBER, WERNER MATTHIAS DORNSCHEIDT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MESSE DÜSSELDORF GMBH, SAYS THE EVENT WILL BE “UNMATCHED” IN TERMS OF BREDTH AND DEPTH. HERE BP&R LOOKS AT WHAT BOTH VISITORS AND EXHIBITORS CAN EXPECT FROM THE SHOW.

ooking at the statistics ahead of K 2016, it is not hard to see how the show has earned its status as the behemoth of the plastics tradeshow calendar. According to Dornscheidt, more than 3,100 exhibitors will fill the 19 halls of Düsseldorf’s fairgrounds following an “extremely lively” demand for space. The show will have a truly international presence, with exhibitors from every continent presenting the latest developments in the fields of machinery and equipment, raw materials and auxiliaries, semi-finished products, technical parts and reinforced plastics products. Visitor-wise, organisers are expecting somewhere in the region of 200,000 across the eight-day show. “Thanks to its unparalleled breadth of offering and the unmatched internationality of exhibitors and visitors, the fair is in a class of its own worldwide,” Dornscheidt said. “The spectrum of participating companies ranges from globally operating industrial groups to start-ups and covers all segments of the world market for polymers.”

This, he added, guarantees that trade visitors will find world-class products and services in every area covered. “And it gives the exhibitors the opportunity to meet industry experts from over 100 countries and establish contacts with potential customers that they might not have been able to reach in other ways.”

“Easy to plan”

Despite its sheer size, the show’s organisers say that visitors will still be able to find the parts of the exhibition applicable to them, thanks to clear structure regarding the layout of the halls into specific categories. “This structure ensures that each visitor can easily locate the exhibitors most likely to match his or her professional interests,” Dornscheidt continued. “An extensive range of web-based services makes planning very easy before and during visits to the trade fair. As an additional resource, the exhibitor database allows a comprehensive identification of the new developments and innovations presented by exhibitors.” And it is these innovations that will be a central theme of the show for 2016, with companies expected to launch a plethora of new products and ideas at the fair. “Innovative products are the most important assets in a competitive environment. Only those who can offer new technologies that bring real benefits to their customers will be able to hold their own against strong competition,” Dornscheidt Organisers expect K 2016 to attract aroun explained. d 200,00 international vis itors

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Werner Matthias Dornscheide said K 2016 will be “unmatched” in terms of breath and depth.

Future developments

In addition to innovation, K 2016 will also feature enterprises from industry and research institutes spotlighting developments and future prospects in the plastics and rubber industry. There will also be a “special show” in Hall 6 of the Düsseldorf exhibition centre, focusing on how plastics can shape the future and solve tomorrow’s challenges – in functional, aesthetic and sustainable ways. “Topics like resource efficiency, lightweight construction, new materials and Industry 4.0, and even the controversial marine litter, will be addressed in panel discussions and presented in multiple media,” said Dornscheidt. While the special show is directed at industry decision-makers, there will also be a Science Campus, which will act as the meeting place for the scientific community. WWW.K-ONLINE.COM

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contents

PLASTICS &RUBBER

july/august 2016

on the cover K2016: In “a class of its own” As we race faster towards K Show, Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, President and CEO, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, says the event will be “unmatched” in terms of bredth and depth. Here BP&R looks at what both visitors and exhibitors can expect from the show. SEE PAGE 4

EDITOR’S LETTER

Onwards in the face of uncertainty...

12 feature

Brexit Special: UK votes to leave the EU but plastics industry will “readily adapt”

As the dust slowly starts to settle following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, BP&R looks at the reaction from across the industry.

19 feature

Culture, Creativity and Customers First: The World According to Negri Bossi In the past 18 months Negri Bossi has ﬂourished under its new owners. Leanne Taylor spoke to CEO, Craig Ward, about its secret to success.

24 feature

Plastics recycling: Why the ownership model needs to change

Recent failures of several wellknown plastic recyclers have led some to question the financial sustainability of this sector, yet others are getting things right. So what is the solution? Keith Freegard, Director of Axion Polymers, writes for BP&R with his insights for success.

REGULARS

INDUSTRY NEWS machinery Reclamation and Recycling RAPRA SKILLS SERIES materials BUYERS’ GUIDE SOFTWARE NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

30 feature

Galloping to victory: The winning plastic design set to improve equestrian welfare This year’s ‘Design Innovation in Plastics Award’ (DIP) tasked students from universities across the UK with the challenge of creating a new product to improve animal welfare. BP&R spoke to the designer behind the entry that ‘raced’ to first prize.

43 feature

Polymerman – Brexit Special: What are the implications for the UK plastics sector?

In this special edition of our latest column looking at some of the key issues affecting polymer prices, Mike Boswell looks at the implications of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

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ENERGY AND SAVINGS – WITH ADVANCED PERFORMANCE PrimePac is a busy and successful plastics manufacturer supplying packaging products for leading international household brands found in thousands of national retailers such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Boots and B&Q. The Northern Ireland-based manufacturer now has a new temperature control solution, with higher performance plus an estimated £20,000 a year in energy savings. The ‘A’ rated Aptus chiller together with a free cooling unit was installed as part of a 25% production capacity expansion for the production which operates 24/7 during the working week. “We’ve had a good working relationship with them for about 25 years and trust their expertise. The recommendation was a free cooling option as it offers us what we need,” said Eddie Rath, PrimePac’s Managing Director. The free cooling system starts operating when the ambient temperature reaches 12°C or lower and is especially hardworking and efficient in cooler climates. In the first full year it has operated for over 4,600 hours - 55% of the total cooling system’s working hours, giving energy savings and fewer compressor operating hours, extending the life of the chiller. There were extra financial benefits by identifying and assisting with the application for a full interest-free loan of £80,000 from the Carbon Trust Northern Ireland. Financial assistance: ask us about available funding schemes as these vary according to location.

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INDUSTRY | NEWS STARBUCKS UK CHAINS SET TO TRIAL RECYCLABLE COFFEE CUPS Starbucks could soon become the first major high street chain to test new recyclable coffee cups in its UK outlets. The ‘Frugalpac’ cups are the brainchild of British entrepreneur, Martin Myerscough, who designed a the new, easily recyclable cup in a bid to divert some of the 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups that are currently incinerated or landfilled. The Frugalpac cup differs to ordinary disposable coffee cups by way of a lightly glued thin plastic liner designed to easily separate from the paper component during the recycling process. The current difficulties of recycling traditional coffee cups – due to the specialist equipment required to separate the heavily-bonded plastic coating from the paper counterpart – have led to fewer than one in 400 cups being recycled by major coffee retailers, such as Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Pret-A-Manger. As a result of this, Starbucks introduced a system whereby drinks were discounted upon customers using reusable receptacles. However, following campaigning

KEVIN HORNE ANNOUNCED AS NEW PMMDA CHAIRMAN Managing Director of Renmar Ltd., Kevin Horne, has been announced as the new Chairman of the Plastics Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMMDA). Existing Chairman, Nigel Flowers of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery UK Ltd took his place as President, replacing Tim Peet of UK Plastics Machinery, who stepped down following serving the maximum time in the role. Richard Hird of Premier Moulding Machinery has taken on the role of Deputy Chairman, which incorporates the job of Treasurer. With Peet’s departure from the

by TV personality, Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall, the chain is set to trial the Frugalpac cups in some of its UK stores. A Starbucks spokesperson said: “We are very interested in finding out more about the Frugalpac cup and we will be testing it to see if it meets our standards for safety and quality, with a view to trialling its recyclability.” The campaigning by FearnleyWhittingstall has led to the creation of an industry-wide Paper Cup

Committee, Marcel Machado of Romi Machines UK Ltd was nominated for the vacancy on the Committee and unanimously voted in to take the position. Nigel Baker of BMB Plastics Machinery Ltd, Colin Tirel of Arburg Limited and Andy Gibbens of Piovan UK Ltd remain as Committee Members. During the meeting, grateful thanks were given to Peet, who served on the Committee for many years and offered tremendous support and enthusiasm. Machado was welcomed as the newest member of the Committee and it was noted that, “with his enthusiasm and strong participation in past PMMDA member meetings,” he will make “an excellent member of the team.” Kevin Horne will be the new columnist for our regular feature going forward. WWW.PMMDA.ORG.UK

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Recycling and Recovery Group (PCRRG), including a pledge to “significantly increase” the number of cups recycled by 2020. Signed by companies such as Pret-A-Manger, Caffe Nero, Waitrose, Marks and Spencer and Costa Coffee, Myerscough is currently in talks with some of these other major coffee outlets about the possible uptake of the cups. WWW.FRUGALPAC.COM

MDA ected PM e Newly el rn o H in , Kev Chairman gift ts en s re p (right), A ing PMMD to outgo t. ee P Tim President,

The new, easily recyclable Frugalpac cup could be trialled in Starbucks as part of a pledge to reduce the number of disposable coffee cups being landﬁlled or incinerated in the UK.

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UK POLYMER CONSULTANCY MAKES FINAL OF NATIONAL EXPORT COMPETITION A UK-based consultancy that specialises in the polymer, chemicals and manufacturing industries recently made the finals of a high-profile competition promoting exporting. Manchester-headquartered PREA Ltd was one of 10 British businesses vying for the top prize in the ‘Action Plan’ competition, organised by Open to Export. Open to Export has been set up by the Government as a digital solution to boost the UK’s SME exports. The Export Action Plan is the latest addition to its online offering, which is dedicated to helping

Pravin S Mistry presenting at the competition

businesses prepare to sell overseas by giving them free access to online information, support and advice. Pravin S Mistry, Group Chief Executive Officer at PREA, presented the company’s Export Action Plan to a panel of judges at the International Festival for Business 2016.

“It’s tremendous to have made the final line up of this prestigious competition,” he explained. “We trade globally, from North America and Europe to the Middle East and Asia – which presents a wealth of opportunities, and the Export Action Plan has been an additional tool and easy resource to check, restructure and further develop our business. We’d definitely recommend that other companies working in international trade take it on board.” The top prize went to Glasgowbased Klik2Learn Ltd - a digital design company specialising in education, which has been awarded £3k funding and other benefits. WWW.PREA.CO.UK

TWO MORE UK PLASTICS RECYCLERS ENTER ADMINISTRATION

niﬁcant reduction There has been a sig use in England since in single-carrier bag the 5p charge of n tio the introduc

ENGLAND USES SIX BILLION FEWER PLASTIC BAGS FOLLOWING 5P CHARGE The amount of single-use plastic carrier bags used by shoppers in England has fallen by six billion since the introduction the 5p charge last year. The Government data suggests the charge for the bags has also resulted in donations of more than £29 million from retailers towards good causes including charities and community groups. Environment Minister, Thérèse Coffey, said that the reduction in numbers was “fantastic news” but that more could always be done.

“It shows small actions can make the biggest difference, but we must not be complacent as there is always more we can all do to reduce waste and recycle what we use,” she said. Over seven billion carrier bags were issued by seven main retailers in 2014, falling to just over half a billion in the first six months of the 5p charge for single use carrier bags introduced in October 2015. The reduction in numbers follows the trend seen in the rest of the UK since the introduction of the levy. WWW.GOV.UK

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Administrators have been appointed at two separate UK recycling firms after both entered administration within a two-week period. Lincolnshire-based CK Group, which is owned by parent company CK Holdings, called in administrators on 13th July following “difficult trading conditions” relating to oil prices and a reduction in export demand. Although buyers for two of CK Holdings’ sites in Melrose, Scotland, and Hull have been found, saving 17 jobs, a total of 42 employees were made redundant. Additonally, just over a week later on 21st July, administrators were appointed at PlasRecycle Ltd, the West London-based recycler of LDPE plastic bags, leaving 20 of the firm’s 36 staff without jobs. According to EY, which is handling the administration process, the situation was caused by PlasRecycle’s failure to secure an additional £6million investment to improve efficiencies and increase capacity at the plant. “The cost and time to get this plant operational was significantly more than originally envisaged, leading to greater levels of debt,” EY said in a statement. “However, with its unique process, PlasRecycle has all the fundamentals to be a significantly profitable business.” Read our feature on page 24 for Keith Freegard’s insight on what needs to be done to prevent more casualties in the UK’s plastic recycling industry. 11

Brexit special: UK votes to leave the EU but plastics industry will “readily adapt”

efore 23rd June 2016, several industry-wide polls across plastics, as well as wider manufacturing in general, suggested that the uncertainties that loomed over a decision to leave the European Union were too great a AS THE DUST SLOWLY risk for businesses to take. Earlier STARTS TO SETTLE this year, at the annual conference FOLLOWING THE UK’S of EEF, the manufacturer’s DECISION TO LEAVE organisation, the Financial Times’ THE EUROPEAN UNION Chief Economics Commentator, Martin Wolf CBE, said a vote to leave BP&R LOOKS AT THE the EU would be “an astonishingly REACTION FROM uncertain gamble.” The EEF’s ACROSS THE INDUSTRY. CEO, Terry Scuoler, added that the unpredictability of a vote to leave was something that both he and his organisation “sought to avoid.” Likewise, in pre-referendum polls by both the British Plastics Federation (BPF) and the Plastics Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMMDA), members voted strongly in favour of remaining for the very same reason. Now, however, a month on from the announcement of a result to leave the European Union, a decision that has resulted in a new Prime Minister and Cabinet, how is the industry feeling about the future?

Protecting the future of the plastics industry

The British Plastics Federation says that despite the many ‘unknowns’ for the industry as a result of the decision to leave the EU, it will work to help its members make sense of changes and move forward. “Whilst the ramifications of this decision are still not known or understood the BPF will continue working with Government, members and other stakeholders to make sure the interests of the UK plastics industry are protected and developed,” Philip Law, Director-General of the Federation, told BP&R. “We will also be working closely with members to help them interpret the impact these changes will have on their business.” In its most recent survey, the BPF saw the effect of this uncertainty on members’ projections for turnover, profitability and investment. However, Law said this was “understandable” in the immediate aftermath of the referendum, adding that “a clearer message” would emerge when members were surveyed again at the start of next year.

Close ties will remain

In a statement issued by German plastics and rubber machinery association, VDMA, it “noted with regret” the UK’s decision to leave the European Union adding that it was particularly concerned about the effect it would have on investment.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

“Great Britain is an important market for us,” commented Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman. “In 2015, as in the previous year, the United Kingdom was ranked seventh among the most important countries buying German plant and machinery. At 152 million euro, our exports were 6.6 percent higher compared with 2014. The first quarter of 2016 saw another sharp increase in deliveries to the island, up 25.9 percent, putting the UK fifth among the most important customer countries in that period.” The association says that while it hopes the period of uncertainty will be “as short as possible”, Managing Director, Thorsten Kühmann, insisted that its close ties with the British plastics and rubber industry would not be affected. “Many of our members have branches in the UK. These close ties between our UK partners and the continent will not change,” he stated.

the BPF in the aforementioned survey cited for being less optimistic about profitability in the coming months. Commenting, Mike Boswell, Chairman of the Polymer Compounders and Distributors Group at the BPF and Managing Director of Plastribution, told BP&R that from a business perspective companies will have to live with the outcome of the referendum. “From what we see so far, the implications of a weaker GBP is price inﬂation for plastic raw materials where prices are typically Euro or USD denominated and this will certainly impact prices,” he explained. “On the other hand, devaluation of the GBP will make the UK more competitive

from a value-added perspective and, as we saw following the devaluation of GBP after the 2008 banking crisis, this was good both for UK manufacturing in general and the plastics sector in particular.” Boswell added that beyond the implications for the UK, the Brexit decision brings uncertainty to the rest of the EU and it will take time to see how this plays out. However, he remained upbeat about the future of the industry. “Ultimately, I think that the UK plastics sector will readily adapt to this new European order and we should remain confident about the future prospects for this important sector of the UK economy,” he added.

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Perspective from the UK’s machinery association

New Chairman of the PMMDA, Kevin Horne, said that despite the majority of its members being in favour of remaining as part of the European Union, the industry “would have to wait and see” what the future brings. “The main thing that will affect members is the ﬂuctuation in the currency market, but as we are virtually all importers we are all in the ‘same boat’, as it were,” Horne told BP&R. Horne said that from his own experience, as well as that of his customers, the situation in the UK has not significantly changed in the aftermath of the referendum. “The companies considering major capital investment are carrying on regardless,” he explained. “I think maybe the effect is seen more on smaller manufacturers who rely on sub-contract work, this has been noticed in lower value orders being delayed by a month or so.” Agreeing with Horne’s sentiments, President of the PMMDA and Managing Director of Sumitomo Demag UK, Nigel Flowers, said he is “confident” that the UK industry can rise to the challenge of change. “The UK has always proven to be a country which can adapt to change – and a Brexit vote is just the next challenge we will need to adapt to – I am confident that we can rise to this challenge,” he added. Finally, with K Show on the horizon, Horne said this major industry event would be an “interesting exhibition” and an opportunity to gauge UK reaction once the post-Brexit dust has further started to settle.

Polymer prices to rise

Away from machinery, the UK exit from the EU is resulting in higher polymer prices as the pound weakens against the USD and Euro. Indeed, exchange rate volatility and increasing raw materials prices were the major reasons members surveyed by

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Engineering Passion

Wittmann makes machinery the focus of its 40th

he Wittmann Group has marked its 40th anniversary with the launch of new products across its range of equipment and machinery for the plastics processing industry. During a two-day event held on June 8 and 9, the company took over a full hall at the Vienna Messe and Congress Centre, where it exhibited its complete product range, allowing customers and delegates to view several new lines for the first time. During an opening speech, company founder, Dr. Werner Wittmann, said the key drivers for the impressive development of the company’s product offering over the last 40 years were “a combination of a highly motivated and qualified team, modern ways of working and lots of innovation”. Innovation, he added, plays a “particularly important” role.

Growth in numbers

The Wittmann Group was founded in 1976 and has seen constant growth during this period, including the last financial year. In 2015 the company’s overall revenue was €359.4million, an increase of 19.5 percent on 2014. Commenting, Michael Wittmann, Wittmann’s CEO, said: “This growth is really exceptional and we are all very proud of this increase. We experienced a good growth in Europe, particularly in the Eastern European countries, but noticeably in North America and Mexico where demand from the automotive industry continues to be a key inﬂuencing factor.” Wittmann said the company predicted a positive increase in sales growth for 2016, however, at around three percent nothing like the numbers seen in the past financial year. This, he added, was still a success, and “growth nonetheless”. He said the goal for 2017 was revenues of €400 million.

The company debuted its new robot ranges

World premiere of new robot ranges

During the event, Michael Wittmann told the 1,650 delegates that 2015 had been a “key year” for the Group’s automation product ranges, with “a huge

Wittmann took over a full hall at the Vienna Messe to celebrate its 40th anniversary

demand” on any kind of robotic system – from the very complex to simple pick-and-place variants. It therefore was no surprise that in time for display at its 40th anniversary celebration, Wittmann launched new robot models in its W8 pro series. It says these advanced designs were developed in response to many users who wanted to be able to rely on ﬂexible automation in the large machine segment. The W853 pro is designed for a payload capacity of 40 kg – and the W863 pro is rated for 75 kg. These robots, it says, are best used with machines in the clamping force range of 1,300 to 2,400 metric tonnes – ideal for handling automotive components, white and brown goods, as well as technical parts.

New conveying units displayed

The 40th anniversary celebration also saw the display of two new conveying units for the first time. The first, the Feedmax Basic, is the updated version of the Wittmann central loader with discharge shut-off valve. Secondly, the company exhibited the ‘big brother’ of the Feedmax basic, the Feedmax plus. This has a capacity of up to 80 l and differs from the Feedmax basic in terms of its material discharge. Both units are equipped with Wittmann’s ‘ambiLED’ status display, which is designed to make it easy for the operator to quickly determine the condition of the conveying unit.

Grand entrance for G-Max 12 granulator

Other highlights included the company’s new G-Max 12 granulator, presented for the first time. This is a conventional beside-the-press granulator for the grinding of soft to middle hard engineering resins. Wittmann says this granulator is specifically designed for the inlinerecycling of sprues coming from injection moulding machines with clamping forces of 90 tonnes or less. WWW.WITTMANN-GROUP.COM

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

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Moldex3D is computer aided plastics simulation software. Credit (Moldex 3D)

PLAZOLOGY FIRST UK COMPANY TO ACHIEVE MOLDEX3D EXPERT ACCREDITATION Leeds and Liverpool-based consultancy, Plazology Ltd, has achieved ‘Expert Accreditation’ status from Moldex3D. The only UK Company and one of merely a handful worldwide, Plazology earned the professional qualification through rigorous technical, written and practical examinations.

ENGEL AND JLR SHOWCASE HIGH-END TECH FOR AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS Over 200 members of the UK’s automotive supply chain attended Engel’s headquarters in Warwick recently for two days of presentations and live demonstrations. The event, which was organised in conjunction with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), focused on the latest high-end developments for automotive interiors for both cost-down and higher quality surface finish. “The automotive market is really, really busy - so that means bigger tonnage machines on average but also because we’re going high-tech. People are ready to invest in a more sophisticated process and this event has been designed to showcase the latest new technologies coming forward,” explained Graeme Herlihy, Managing Director of Engel UK. During the event Engel showcased its ‘Clearmelt’ process for durable, scratchresistant and high-gloss surfaces. By combining thermoplastic and polyurethane in a 2K over moulding process, a deep gloss finish with high scratch resistance directly from the mould is achieved. Additionally, there was a live demonstration of the ‘Variotherm’ process, which utilises rapid heating and cooling to elimiate moulding defects and achieve a high quality, piano black surface. “Plastics are already very important, but going forward they are going to be key,” explained Ian Ray, Lead Materials Engineer at JLR. “Perceived quality is extremely important - so both durability of the plastics and maintaining that perceived quality - in particular scratch resistance and surface properties - is vital.”

Moldex3D is computer aided plastics simulation software designed to assist customers with the journey of a product from design through development and into production. It can shorten a product’s time to market and maximise the product return on investment, by ensuring consistent, high quality parts, an optimised process, faster production roll-out and cost reductions. The company is now also able to simulate Mucell technology, providing customers with analysis on lightweight parts, shorter cycle times and reduction in warpage. “This qualification takes Plazology to an advanced level of plastic simulation. In recent months we have been investing heavily in improving and updating our capabilities,

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including the launch of our Virtual Moulding Design Analysis (VDMA) service,” explained Plazology’s Jasmin Wong. “Virtual Moulding Design Analysis enables designers and manufacturers to design, visualise and simulate products, from the conceptual design phase, right through to manufacture, reducing the need for costly physical prototypes.” She continued: “The key to effective use of simulation software is to bridge mathematical calculations (i.e. Simulation) with the actual events on the moulding shop ﬂoor. It is essential to ask the right questions and, as a result, input realistic information in order to obtain accurate and reliable results.” WWW.PLAZOLOGY.CO.UK

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PREMIERING PLASTICS PRODUCTS FROM PORTSMOUTH TO GLASGOW: MORETTO WRAPS UP UK ROADSHOW Italian producer of plastic auxiliary equipment, Moretto, has recently completed a two-week roadshow of the UK, during which it demonstrated its latest innovations in plastics automation. The company conducted the tour via its ‘Moretto in Motion’ vehicle, a 40 metric tonne articulated lorry outfitted with Moretto’s complete range of products, including feeding and conveying, drying, dosing, granulation, storage, cooling, temperature control and supervision systems. “It’s the ability to physically bring our business to our customers that makes Moretto in Motion such a powerful part of our overall message,” explanined Angelo Moretto, Sales Manager. “At Moretto we want to show our customers firsthand what makes Moretto not just unique, but also the industry leader.” Moretto began the UK tour from its home outside Venice, Italy, and drove north through Europe to its first stop in Portsmouth on the south coast of England. From there, Moretto crisscrossed the UK, visiting customers directly

The ‘Moretto in Motion’ lorry during its UK tour

before concluding the tour just outside Glasgow in Scotland. The tour was complemented with a twoday Open House at the home of TH Plastics, Moretto’s UK distributor and partner. Lee Thomas, Managing Director of TH Plastics, commented: “TH Plastics is committed to expanding Moretto’s market presence in the UK. The UK presents a strong market for

Moretto’s products and their passion for excellence and their complete range of solutions are exactly what our customers are looking for. “The Moretto in Motion experience is a powerful way of spreading the message of Moretto to customers around the country.” WWW.THPLASTICS.CO.UK WWW.MORETTO.COM/EN/

BATTENFELD-CINCINNATI GROUP BOUGHT BY NIMBUS Austrian manufacturer of extruders and extrusion lines, battenfeld-cincinnati group, is under new ownership following the announcement of its sale to financial investor, Industrie Holding Nimbus. The details of the purchase price have not been disclosed. With the take-over, the battenfeldcincinnati group says it will receive new financial resources and equity capital will be strengthened in a sustainable manner. “After our successful organisational restructuring in the middle of last year, we can now focus on further product developments and investments that will strengthen and expand our market leadership with Nimbus’ support,” commented Gerold Schley, CEO of the battenfeldcincinnati group. “We are delighted to have a new 16

battenfeld-cincinnati, which manufactures extrusion machines and systems, has been sold to investment ﬁrm, Nimbus

investor in Nimbus that will actively support and advance the new developments and growth plans of the battenfeld-cincinnati group.“ Nimbus invests in Europeanbased industrial companies and has offices in Zeist, the Netherlands, and Munich, Germany. The company says its primary objective is to “create sustainable, strong European industry leaders that can hold their ground in the global market place.” Ed van Dijk of Nimbus commented: “Nimbus invests in WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

companies that have a healthy core. At battenfeld-cincinnati this core is the technical know-how and the quality of the team – whether we are in Europe, Asia or America.” battenfeld-cincinnati says it will make its first appearance under the new ownership at the upcoming K Show in October, where it will present some new developments in the area of pipe, profile and thermoforming sheet extrusion. WWW.BATTENFELD-CINCINNATI.COM

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CASE STUDY: OIL CHANGE: COCA COLA ENTERPRISES’ LUBRICANT SWITCH ACHIEVES SIGNIFICANT ENERGY SAVINGS Coca Cola Enterprises (CCE) has achieved significant energy savings at one of its UK manufacturing sites following a switch from standard to performance lubricants on its injection moulding machines. CCE worked with The Lubricant Company, strategic distributor for ExxonMobil Lubricants, to investigate the energy saving potential of changing the type of lubricant used

in its Husky HyPet injection moulding machines as part of its policy of continuous improvement and reducing its carbon footprint. Previously, CCE’s injection moulding machines were filled with a standard mineral oil for the production of high quality plastic drinks bottles in two litre and 500ml sizes. During a 12-month trial period the company switched to Mobil DTE 10 Excel 46 premium hydraulic oil, one of ExxonMobil’s next generation products. As a result, CCE achieved average

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energy savings of 3.1 percent during continuous production. This saving equates to a three-year projected energy cost saving of £23,754 for CCE for each of the two machines. “Many companies do not consider lubricants as an area where energy savings can be made,” explained Phillip Henry, Business Development Manager, The Lubricant Company. “As a relatively small expense in any plant’s budget, lubricants are often overlooked by Cost Managers, when in fact the impact they can have on production efficiency can be quite significant.” Across this trial with CCE, energy savings ranged from 2.9 percent to 3.2 percent, as recorded by the automatic recording system within the Husky equipment. “In a large plastic manufacturing site, this could equate to substantial monetary savings, as well as a more sustainable operation,” Henry continued. The Lubricant Company says manufacturing sites should consider lubricants when looking at cost saving projects. “Mobil High Performance lubricants are engineered to offer better equipment protection and longer drain intervals, both of which lead to reduced equipment downtime, and subsequently reduced maintenance costs,” Henry added. “The benefits of upgrading to Mobil DTE 10 Excel high performance hydraulic oil can lead to significant savings for manufacturers, and we have seen a number of examples within the plastic sector.” Lubricants can also contribute to improved HSSE practices, says Henry, adding that storage, handling and access issues can contribute to increased risks for employees. There are several simple solutions that can be considered, from a more organised lubricant storage area, through to complete plant labelling for lubricants. “Improved HSSE practices not only help protect employees, but also reduce the risk of lubricant cross contamination, potentially further reducing equipment downtime and maintenance costs,” he concluded. WWW.THELUBRICANTCOMPANY. CO.UK

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Culture, Creativity and Customers First: The World According to Negri Bossi

“An unbelievable 18 months” In the 18 months since the change of ownership, Negri Bossi has achieved some impressive sales figures. Ward says this is a combination of the right product, the right markets and the right approach. “I think our current owners were fortunate in the sense that they bought the business at a time when the market started to pick up a bit,

so we’ve had a good tail wind there. In terms of our historic markers, we have seen growth of around three to five percent. However, overall as a group in the last 18 months we have grown in the region of 30 percent, which is a phenomenal result and an unbelievable achievement. We’re very pleased that things have started that way.” Ward attributes this growth to the strength of its core product lines, the Canbio and Vector models, as well as growth in new markets in which it has invested heavily, such as India and the USA. “If you look at the tonnages of the Vector, it’s in the 500-1000 mark and, therefore, sits in the ideal area for the automotive market,” Ward explained. “Obviously the automotive market is still doing very well and that’s really driven the growth of this model in some of our historical markets.” Whilst on the subject of automotive, I asked Ward whether automotive was a key driver for business in the UK. “For sure, it’s definitely a key market. However, I wouldn’t say it has helped our business in the UK as much as it has helped some of our local competitors. Our UK subsidiary is one of our strongest and it has a very broad customer base, so it’s not reliant on the success of one sector. “Things will inevitably cool off in the automotive market in the UK, but it’s not something that particularly worries us as a company because of the footprint of loyal customers we have.”

Craig Ward, Negri Bossi Group CEO

arlier this year saw Negri Bossi’s UK subsidiary benefit from the first worldwide public showing of the new variants of the company’s EOS and Canbio IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS ST injection NEGRI BOSSI HAS moulding FLOURISHED UNDER machines. The machines have ITS NEW OWNERS. THE been upgraded COMPANY HAS SEEN in terms of GROWTH OF AROUND control systems 30 PERCENT, SUCCESS and software, IN NEW MARKETS AND making them THE ADDITION OF NEW much more intuitive and VARIANTS OF ITS PRODUCT user friendly. LINES, WHICH WERE The changes PREMIERED IN THE UK. are partly as LEANNE TAYLOR SPOKE TO a result of CEO, CRAIG WARD, ABOUT listening to the ITS SECRET TO SUCCESS. feedback of customers and technicians and this, says Craig Ward, the company’s British CEO, is where the secret to success begins. “Our strategy is very much based around customer satisfaction,” Ward told BP&R. “We recognise that without our customers, we have no business, so it’s in our best interests to ensure that we listen to what they want.” This, he added, is an approach instilled by Negri Bossi’s owners of the past 18 months, US-based capital expenditure firm, Kingsbury. “They operate a very service-orientated culture. As a company with new owners we’re still the same people, the same history, the same skill set – everything’s good in that respect – we’ve just changed our direction. Before we were very much working for our owners and, now, under the new owners, we are working for our customers. I think that’s the main change.” With its American owners, a British CEO and global subsidiaries, does Negri Bossi’s Italian heritage still play a part in the business? “Absolutely,” Ward told me. “The company will always be Italian at heart. We’re a global company in a global market and the new ownership and a British CEO at the helm is just natural progression. I am aware of what our Italian background brings to the table and want to make sure we retain that. I can’t stiﬂe the creativity and passion that these people have. It is what makes our products our products.”

Growth plans in the short to medium term

In terms of how the future looks for the Negri Bossi Group, Ward says that the growth seen in the last 18 months is unlikely to be repeated. “We still see that the markets will grow for the next three to five years, and we expect our overall growth to be steady based on this,” he explained. “We’ve had a really exceptional 18 months and we don’t expect growth on this scale to continue. That said, with our heavy investment in India and America we do expect to see good growth there. But these are quite specific investments and strategies.” Finally, Ward said that although its owners were “always on the lookout for acquisition opportunities”, the Group would continue to invest in research and development to continually improve its existing product offering. “Obviously we have to create value for our customers, so we’re constantly reviewing our products and services so that we can bring a new package of upgrades to the market when ready. For us that’s very important.” WWW.NEGRIBOSSI.COM

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RECLAMATION & RECYCLING | NEWS BÜHLER UNVEILS LATEST SORTING TECHNOLOGY FOR HIGH END RECYCLING The Bühler Group has unveiled a new machine that it says presents a “breakthrough” in polymer sorting technology. The Group’s ‘Sortex E PolyVision’ model is able to identify same-colour polymer contaminants by analysing their chemical signatures. This, it says, delivers higher-grade rPET flakes that exceed industry standards for minimum contamination levels. The new machine has been designed to overcome common problems with removing same-colour polymer material from rPET flakes, such as difficulty to distinguish between polymer types, as well as their often-small size. It features a new, patent-pending lighting system, which enhances detection of thinner polymer contaminants, as well as highprecision ejectors that remove delicate flakes, with little or no loss of good product. “Polymer contaminants that are the same colour as rPET flakes, such as Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE) and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are difficult to detect using conventional sorting solutions that typically rely on either transparent or reflective

Young players next to the specially designed collection bins

rtex The So ision E PolyV ing s s e c pro kes a ﬂ rPET

sorting,” explained Bernhard Gabauer, Segment Development Manager for Plastics at The Bühler Group. “But with the Sortex E PolyVision, both methods are used simultaneously, enabling polymers to be identified by their unique chemical composition and removed with a much higher efficiency - reducing the contamination to below industry standards of 50 parts per million. This is the reason that the Sortex E PolyVision is able to deliver the

purest, cleanest recyclate for highend uses, with minimum loss of good ﬂakes.” Bühler says the new machine will now enable recyclers to provide rPET ﬂakes for high-end specifications, such as for the packaging industry and reinforced components for the automotive industry, where the emphasis is on achieving the lowest contamination, measured in parts per million.

FOOTBALL SHIRTS MADE FROM BOTTLES SHOW YOUNG SPORTS FANS THE VALUE OF PLASTICS RECYCLING

water bottle to football shirt. They also used a voting system, asking the children a football-related question before placing their used bottles in specially designed collection bins. “It has been fascinating talking to so many young people and to tap into their passion for sport to inspire a passion for recycling,” commented Anne Hitch, RECOUP Communications Manager. “The idea that a plastic bottle can be recycled into a football shirt really fascinates.” Players in the teams that made the National Finals were to be supplied with Nike football kits to wear at the event, made from recycled PET.

Global food brand, Danone, and recycling organisation, RECOUP, recently joined forces to encourage the recycling of plastic bottles by young sports fans. Representatives from RECOUP attended the UK regional heats of the ‘Danone Nations Cup’ – the world’s biggest football tournament for children aged 10 to 12 – in order to promote the afterlife possibilities of plastic bottles, such as those used for water at the tournament. By using graphic displays and popup information, RECOUP showed the children the recycling journey from

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GROUNDBREAKING UK PLASTICS RECYCLING FACILITY OPENS UP NEW MARKETS The UK’s first mixed plastics-toextrusion HDPE and PP recycling plant is providing new market opportunities for the sale of recycled material, as well as new jobs and enhanced relations with local authorities. Monoworld Recycling Ltd (MRL) opened the new new £9 million stateof-the-art plastics recycling facility (PRF) in Rushden, Northamptonshire, at the beginning of this year. The company also operates a film and metal sorting plant at Sharnbook in Bedfordshire. The Rushden plant encompasses a post-consumer mixed plastics recycling facility, as well as a wash and granulation line. The plant has the capacity to recover up to 100,000 tonnes of recyclates annually. A total of 120 new jobs have been created at the site. The new 10tph PRF, which is based on a nine acre site with over 140,000 square feet of warehouse space, was built by the Italian AMUT Group and features sensor-based sorting technology supplied by TOMRA Sorting. TOMRA’s ‘Autosort’ units have been installed to separate the mixed baled plastics into PET, HDPE, PP, film, paper, steel and aluminium. The PRF is capable of handling

Monoworld’s new state-of-the-art PRF

post-consumer pots, tubs, trays and mixed bottles, using TOMRA’s technology able to sort black plastics from the post-consumer trays. The black material is processed further downstream. The recovered HDPE and PP materials are used in-house in the hot wash plant, producing high quality washed ﬂakes which are supplied back to extrusion, injection moulding and pipe applications in UK and Europe. The other recovered material fractions – including PE natural and jazz and PET – are sold to customers throughout the UK and Europe. Commenting on this major new investment, Claire Shrewsbury,

VEOLIA PURCHASES EURO CLOSED LOOP’S FORMER FACILITY IN “COMMITMENT TO UK RECYCLING” Resource management company, Veolia UK, has acquired manufacturing assets in East London that it says will enable it to unlock the complete supply chain for manufacturing plastic bottles from recycled material. The Dagenham-based reprocessing facility formerly belonged to Euro Closed Loop Recycling, which entered administration earlier this year. Veolia says its acquisition of the site allows it to now offer the complete range of services, from collection of raw feedstock (waste plastic bottles) direct from people’s homes or businesses, through all

Veolia has acquired recycling premises in Dagenham

the recycling steps, and back to food grade pellets ready to be blown into new plastic milk bottles. It says the move will boost the UK’s domestic recycling capability, create 30 permanent jobs and enable the company to make and sell a high value product from the 200 million plastic milk bottles it collects annually. “We are very interested to collaborate in this space since co-

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Programme Area Manager for Plastics at WRAP, said: “The focus on effective separation of household plastics and further reprocessing of the polypropylene and polythene fractions will give local authorities and waste management contractors the confidence required to continue to increase collections of non-bottle household plastic packaging in support of UK plastics recycling targets through to 2020 and beyond.” WWW.MONOWORLDRECYCLING.CO.UK WWW.TOMRA.COM WWW.AMUTGROUP.COM

operation with the manufacturing sector, the people actually making things from recovered materials, is essential in order to be successful for the long term,” commented Estelle Brachlianoff, Senior Executive Vice President, Veolia UK and Ireland. “This is a great opportunity to work in tandem with our Rainham plastic recycling facility to turn the high density polyethylene (HDPE) milk bottles back into bottles and we are excited at mastering the full supply chain by moving into this type of manufacturing. This shows once again Veolia’s commitment to investment in the UK.” The new business will produce around 10,000 tonnes of high quality food grade HDPE pellets annually. WWW.VEOLIA.CO.UK

comment

plastics recycling:

why the ownership model needs to change It’s been a turbulent year so far for post-consumer packaging plastic recyclers with the sad demise of several high-profile names. The failure of these ‘ﬂagship’ companies RECENT FAILURES OF when reprocessing kerbside SEVERAL WELL-KNOWN collected bottles and films is a PLASTIC RECYCLERS concern and raises questions over the future viability of the HAVE LED SOME TO UK plastics recycling industry. QUESTION THE FINANCIAL For almost two decades now, SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS the UK has been growing the SECTOR, YET OTHERS ARE required plastics collection and GETTING THINGS RIGHT. SO recycling infrastructure, with WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? well-developed technology for HDPE, PET and PP bottles, PTTs KEITH FREEGARD, DIRECTOR and even ﬂexible films recycling OF AXION POLYMERS, becoming established. There’s WRITES FOR BP&R WITH HIS a widespread household INSIGHTS FOR SUCCESS. collection system in place, with strong consumer awareness, and buy-in and bottle recycling levels are pretty high. Demand is strong for recycled polymer used in a variety of markets, such as packaging, construction and durable goods. Overall, this high-level snapshot would suggest everything’s rosy, but that’s not the case. So why have some companies failed and what are the potential solutions for those that are struggling? What are the issues behind these business failures?

disadvantage. When there is an imbalance in that supply and demand (for both the material and the PRN), then the price can go up quite significantly. Waste management companies that own the baled material can easily access world commodity markets and are motivated by maximising their shareholder return. Quality too can be variable with contamination by dirt, moisture and nontarget items. The available process technology for the mainstream polymer types and packaging formats, from sorting, washing and size reduction through to polymer extrusion, is well developed and getting better all the time. It is relatively low-risk in terms of a business plan and shouldn’t be an issue if properly selected, installed and operated. Process yield loss is critical; the lower the target end product yield, the higher the volume of waste output, which is costly to handle and dispose of. Every percentage point lost from high-value sales yield adds a big negative on plant operating costs and that rapidly erodes gross margin. Dealing with unwanted waste tonnage causes process ‘bottle-necks’, consumes logistics and site storage capacity, absorbs management time and can ultimately devastate profits. onomic The ‘ec h trap’ ic w d n sa

The recycling business model

Consider the three elements of any recycling business model: input feedstock; process technology; output market. Unless you’ve got secure long-term raw material supply, a process technology that is proven to work and an end market for the plastic recycled products, then your business plan is doomed. Plus, the management team needs the experience and skills to control the operational technology and to deal with commercial market volatility. For input feedstock there is a finite supply volume of high-quality baled plastics available from UK sorting MRFs. With high overseas demand for these materials and the inequalities of the PRN/PERN system, UK-based recyclers are often purchasing their raw materials at a

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There’s a widespread household collection system in place in the UK

For almost two decades now, the UK has been growing the required plastics collection and recycling infrastructure

For plastic sales into the output polymer market, volatility on the oil price continues to cause problems with many big-company buyers stuck in ‘price index + discount’ purchasing mode for recycled plastics. The input raw material bale prices never vary to the same degree as the oil price (circa 50 to 60 percent in recent months), so pegging your business to an unrealistic polymer price index is a recipe for disaster in terms of gross margin on material cost.

The ‘economic sandwich trap’

Essentially, these post-consumer plastics recyclers are caught in what I call the ‘economic sandwich trap’. That is the financial squeeze position forced upon recyclers ‘sandwiched’ between waste management companies seeking the best prices for their waste plastics bales and the packaging producers seeking continual percentage discounts from very low virgin polymer prices. The independent reprocessor is ‘stuck’ between the waste collector on whom he depends entirely for his raw material and the plastics converter who only buys the output material if it is cheaper. Purchasing infeed at the mercy of the input bale and PRN prices, while sailing the rough seas of the oil-based polymer price market, there’s little he can do to control these massive external factors. So the poor recycler becomes squeezed to a point of no profit, subsequent loss and then into administration. I think that’s the problem. Clearly the current economic model is not working for large-scale post-consumer plastic recyclers and therefore we need to review the way the whole industry is structured to seek a long-term viable solution.

A closed-loop circular supply chain model

Looking to the future, I believe a closed-loop circular supply chain model is what’s needed. A ‘common

shareholder’ approach with waste management companies as ‘owners’ of both the MRF and PRF process stages, combined with long-term inward supply security, would encourage process collaboration and allow supply chain optimisation to work. The financial strength of large waste management firms would deliver stability through periods of challenging market economics and lead to long-term project return, providing supply security for converters and end-user customers. Who knows…we could even see big-name brands taking a shareholding in their own inward supply chains; with plastic packaging collected from householders, reprocessed, refilled and then delivered back to retailers for a second beneficial life. A gradual delinking from the dependency on oil-based plastics would then occur. This model works because it is similar to the one developed by Axion Polymers and our investors over the last 10 years. The parallel here between automotive recycling and the recycling of plastic bottles is to keep the ownership of the whole recovery process chain under one shareholding ‘umbrella’ and to remove any ‘open trading break points’ from that chain. Considering an answer to the question, ‘is this really a sustainable industry’, I think it’s only going to work if the industry moves to much more integrated business models and builds long-term material supply chains that link into a transition toward the Circular Economy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Keith Freegard is Director and founder of Axion Recycling Ltd, one of the UK’s leading recyclers of ELVs. Keith in a Chartered Chemical Engineer and holds an MBA from Cranfield. WWW.AXIONPOLYMERS.COM

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PACKAGING | NEWS SABIC DEVELOPS NEWGENERATION POLYPROPYLENE GRADE FOR STRONGER RIGID PACKAGING SABIC has developed the first of a new generation of polypropylene impact copolymers to make stronger rigid packaging products. The company says that rigid packaging made with the latest addition to its ‘Flowpact’ range of polypropylenes, SABIC PP FPC45, can be hot-filled and has “considerably higher top-load strength” than identical products made with current benchmark materials. SABIC says PP FPC45 incorporates important advances in polymer chemistry that yield a material with a balance in stiffness and impact strength that it believes is unmatched in the market. “We saw a need in the market for a material capable of delivering higher top load strength and superior stiffness in hot filling applications, what we have achieved is significant,” commented Bert Claessens, Polypropylene Business Manager. “SABIC PP FPC45 delivers a top load strength that is some 17 percent higher than current benchmark materials commercially available today.” The material is said to have good ﬂow properties, enabling further thin walling and faster injection than previously, as well as a higher crystallisation temperature that will enable parts to be demoulded

RPC GROUP BUYS BRITISH POLYTHENE INDUSTRIES FOR £261M

RPC Group has agreed to buy British Polythene Industries (BPI) for £261m as it looks to gain a foothold in the European polythene films market. The acquisitive plastics company says the purchase of BPI is “strategically compelling,” as it continues to advance with its ‘Vision 2020’ strategy of selective consolidation in Europe.

SABIC nextgeneration Flowpact PP provides property and processing boosts for rigid packaging.

faster—reducing energy consumption and increasing productivity for the processor. Developed for production of rigid packaging with volumes ranging from as low as 200 ml to as large as around 10 litres, SABIC PP FPC45 can be used for containers intended for packaging foods and non-food products, as well as caps and closures and housewares. “We regard SABIC PP FPC45 as an important step forward that should enable our customers to use less material and less energy to produce

rigid packaging with the same or even better properties than before, more quickly than before,” added Claessens. “SABIC plans to debut additional products towards the end of this year. This is the beginning of a new wave of products from SABIC for rigid packaging—and for other segments as well. We are upgrading our full portfolio to cater for unmet needs in the market. This is part of a major innovation drive in the company.”

This is the latest in a long line of recent acquisitions for RPC, including UK-based M&H Plastics, rigid plastic packaging manufacturer, Promens, and closure specialist, GCS. This is the first purchase to take RPC into the ﬂexible packaging market. “The proposed Offer for BPI represents a compelling strategic opportunity for RPC to enter the European polythene films market through an established platform. BPI has a strong product portfolio with attractive market positions in its core

markets in Europe,” commented Pim Vervaat, Chief Executive Officer of RPC. “The combination will further broaden RPC’s range of polymer conversion technologies in line with global peers, establish a new growth platform with a strong cost synergy potential whilst enhancing the Group’s overall polymer buying capability.”

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Tel: 0845 34 54 560

Email: sales@plastribution.co.uk

www.plastribution.co.uk 02/08/2016 13:56

Klear appetite for Milcron’s packaging production system as ﬁrst sale is conﬁrmed

ilacron has confirmed the sale of its first ‘Klear Can’ production system, the first-to-market clear plastic can that allows brand owners the opportunity to give consumers a window into the ingredients inside. After what it describes as “extremely successful” qualitative testing with consumers in Asia, conducted by Nielsen Market Research, Milacron says its first customer plans for the Klear Can to be inmarket, on retail shelves and available for consumer purchase no later than Q1 2017.

Disruptive Technology

“After years of development and strong, positive consumer results, we’re excited to launch the Milacron Klear Can in key global markets. We are also thrilled about the prospect of transforming the metal can industry,” explained Milacron’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Ron Krisanda. “The Klear Can is fully recyclable. After consumer use only a small amount of metal remains on the can’s upper rim, the residual ring on the ﬂange will separate during the grinding phase.”

Revolutionary packaging

The Klear Can is a patented, coMilacron’s Co-injection business unit injection moulded, polypropylene EVOH developed the Klear Can, which is a plastic can, which Milacron says can be disruptive technology in food packaging. cooked and seamed meeting all industry Milcaron says the Klear Can is an “ideal standards. It is BPA-free and designed to alternative to antiquated metal cans” for withstand standard retort pressures and fruits, vegetables, soups, meats, and other temperatures (up to 130° C). products. The product uses a single standard metal Design advantages, such as the can’s can-end, and uses the industry standard The packaging behaves like a crystal-clear transparency and recyclability, can but is fully recyclable can-end double-seam process. Milacron have led to the first major commercial sale says “rigorous testing” has verified that the of the production system for a large brand Klear Can seal integrity is approved and owner focusing on tropical fruits. proven safe and reliable. In addition, while Klear Can is lightweight, it is also stackable and dent-resistant through all aspects of the manufacturing and transportation process. The Klear Can concept allows consumers to see the product inside

Behaves like a can, fully recyclable

The Klear Can is similar to many PP plastic containers with double seam EZO can-ends found in stores today. Although it behaves like a can, it is recyclable. The base is plastic and the rim is a very low percentage of the package; so low, it is microwavable. The product is over 98 percent plastic after the can is opened and qualifies as a ‘5’ for recyclability. Based on barrier layer percentage, Milacron says the Klear Can provides more than two years shelf life, and is also cost competitive to metal cans. The Klear Can uses the same filling, seaming and retorting machinery as metal cans, so minimal downstream investment is required. In addition, the Klear Can allows manufacturers the ﬂexibility to mould cans at the filling site (i.e., via ‘through-the-wall’ supply operations), which offers operational efficiencies. WWW.MILACRON.COM

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IN-MOULD LABELLING | NEWS BENEFITS OF IML FOR PLASTIC PACKAGING HIGHLIGHTED AT AWARDS Verstrate IML has credited its “excellent collaboration” with industry partners for its recent success at an awards ceremony. The Belgian company was the recipient of three accolades at the In-Mould Decorating Association’s (IMDA) annual awards ceremony, which aims to highlight the benefits of the in-mould labeling (IML) and decoration process for plastic packaging. “Our winning projects would never have been so successful without the excellent collaboration with our partners,” commented Dieter Maes, Business Development and Marketing Manager at Verstrate IML. The company received a ‘gold’ prize in the ‘Thin Wall Packaging’ category for its work with RPC Bramlage-Wiko USA, PSPM and Berry Plastics on the recent redevelopment of margarine containers and lids for global consumer brand, Unilever. Along with being made significantly thinner and changing shape from round to rectangular, Unilever switched from direct printing to in-mould labelling for the decoration

of the packaging. The judges highlighted the photographic quality of the labels, as well as their availability in seven different sizes, as helping to give Unilever a unique market position. In the ‘Best Blow Moulded Package’ category, Verstraete scooped another gold prize for its work with Lebanese dairy giant, Taanayel Les Fermes. The company recently changed from glass packaging to a plastic blow moulded version, decorated using in-mould labelling. Verstraete says in-mould labelling is the “perfect packaging technology” for dairy produce, thanks to the moisture-proof nature of the labels. They can also withstand temperature ﬂuctuations, which it says makes them particularly suitable for decorating synthetic packaging for

refrigerated products. Finally, Verstraete was awarded a silver prize in the ‘Best Product Family’ category for its work with Berry Plastics. The company’s ‘SelecTE’ product group is a range of 100 percent recyclable, polypropylene sealed packaging provided with three or five-sided IML labels. The award was given due to the way in which, thanks to the use of the labels, the quality of the food product is clearly visible to the consumer through the transparent sections of the packaging, whilst also allowing high quality photographic branding on the non-transparent sections. The ability to use either transparent materials or metallic designs for the labels was also highlighted as an advantage. WWW.VERSTRAETE-IML.COM

The winning line-up of products

RPC Bebo Plastik’s IML-T technology has been recognised with an industry award

IML-T TECHNOLOGY RECOGNISED BY THERMOFORMING INDUSTRY An example of a container decorated using IML-T

RPC Bebo Plastik’s pioneering in-mould label thermoforming (IML-T) technology has been recognised in the European Thermoforming Parts Competition 2016. The company’s IML-T tubs and lids took first prize in the category ‘Thin Gauge – Food Packaging Applications’.

Among the many benefits highlighted by the judges was the wide label coverage that can be achieved, including the stacking rim of the pack and the option of barrier protection through the use of multilayer sheet, all of which can be delivered using existing tools. IML-T applies pre-printed labels to a container during the thermoforming process, meaning intricate, multicoloured designs in up to eight colours can be incorporated to achieve a better level of finish and greater coverage than with direct printing. WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

IML-T for lids allows a more precise label positioning than conventional off-mould labelling, and different lid weights can be produced from the same tooling. The technology delivers a complete pack solution, with lightweight containers, high output lines and competitive tool costs that offer an excellent return on investment. The European Thermoforming Parts Competition celebrates firstclass achievements in originality, creativity, mould complexity and technical ability to promote advanced design and developments in thermoformed applications. Established in 2006 by the European Thermoforming division of the Society of Plastics Engineers, the 2016 event took place at the European Thermoforming Conference in Sitges, Barcelona. WWW.RPC-BEBO.COM 29

Galloping to victory: The winning plastic design set to improve equestrian welfare WORDS | Leanne Taylor

econd-year Product Design undergraduate, Annabel Burton, was awarded first place in this year’s competition for ‘Flex’, her reinvention of the buckle on the surcingle, or strap, that THIS YEAR’S ‘DESIGN fastens round a horse’s girth INNOVATION IN PLASTICS as a new, quick-release device AWARD’ (DIP) TASKED moulded in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with a STUDENTS FROM tempered steel spring. UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE The surcingle attaches to a UK WITH THE CHALLENGE horse’s rug in the same way OF CREATING A NEW as current designs to keep it PRODUCT TO IMPROVE in place, but quickly releases under stress, preventing injury ANIMAL WELFARE. BP&R if the horse’s leg gets caught in SPOKE TO THE DESIGNER the strap, and also preventing BEHIND THE ENTRY THAT the rug from ripping. Horses ‘RACED’ TO FIRST PRIZE. can often get their leg caught in straps if they scratch or roll, and this can even cause a horse to break a leg which means that it has to be humanely destroyed. “I’m very excited that this competition has enabled me to bring my passion for design, production, animal safety and welfare as well as my extensive experience of riding and caring for horses into a commercially attractive product,” Burton told BP&R. “Legs becoming trapped in surcingle straps was a particular concern that I had when I was riding and I know that surcingle safety is a big topic of debate among riders, and so I wanted to ease the problem.”

Fulﬁlling the brief “perfectly”

The judges said Burton’s design fulfilled the competition’s brief “perfectly” for a product that will improve animal wellbeing. Chairman of the judging panel, Richard Brown, Managing Director of RJG Technologies Ltd, said: “Having taken on the judges’ guidance from the preliminary judging phase, Annabel developed her entry and systematically covered all the areas highlighted to her for further thought. “The material and manufacturing phase was well

considered and thought through to produce a robust product at the right market value. The exploration and investigation process was methodical and well presented and left us with no doubt that this product had other markets than the one identified. Annabel was a worthy winner in a very strong field of entries.”

“Polymers are a wonderful material”

“Polymers are a wonderful material to use when designing, as they can take on almost any properties you can see in other materials, from the strength and rigidity of metals to the ease of moulding ceramics,” Burton explained. “Polymers, however, have the ability Annabel Burton to combine properties that you may not see in just one and her winning material. The product I have designed for this competition design would not be possible without polymers and would be a much more complex design.” Burton said that her decision to use TPU for the product came as a result of a lot of research and inspiration from other products that also require good fatigue resistance and high tensile strength. “TPU has the ability to be stretched to moderate elongations and, upon removal of stress, will return to its original shape which is vital for this design as it enables the quick release of the buckle,” she continued. “Plastics are not something that I really designed with before university, and this competition in particular has led me to do lots of research into many different types of polymer, and has certainly opened my eyes to new ways of designing. I will definitely be looking to design more with plastics now.”

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Traditional ways of tightening straps can cause injury to horses

Mike Stuart, Technical Service Engineer from global materials company, Covestro, the competiton’s main sponsor, added: “This was clearly a product market which Annabel researched very thoroughly. She spotted a need and came up with a better product than is currently available. It is cleverly designed, has other potential applications where quick release is needed and it can also be scaled to suit.”

possible materials for the surcingle from the options she has narrowed down. “I will then look at the options for manufacturing some prototypes that can be tested literally ‘in the field’,” she explained. “Horses will have no difficulty in pushing the prototypes to the limit. If I can succeed at that stage there will be no question about durability or application of the product in wider markets.”

Eager to learn

Inspiration

It is the second year in a row that a student from Nottingham Trent University has won the competition, which is organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3) and the Worshipful Company of Horners. Burton now wins £1,000 plus a visit to the global headquarters of Covestro, in Leverkusen, as well as a placement at PriestmanGoode, the leading global design and brand experience agency specialising in aviation, transport and product design. “I am incredibly excited to undertake my placements,” Burton told BP&R. “I am eager to learn everything I can and can hardly believe I will gain some first hand insight into two major leading edge companies whilst I am still an undergraduate. Both Covestro and PriestmanGoode have been very welcoming and helpful even at this early stage. I feel very privileged to be offered these opportunities.” In addition, she will receive an invitation to the Worshipful Company of Horners Annual Banquet in London this October.

Next year’s competition will have a theme of ‘Products for Independent Travel’. Burton says the nature of the competition’s open brief is an opportunity for entrants to think outside the box. “I think it is an unbelievably inspiring competition,” she told BP&R. “Everyone who enters DIP knows how big the competition is and what it can mean to win. The fact that they set such an open brief is perfect; as an entrant it pushes you to make yourself stand out. For me this meant not designing for the average house pet, but really looking for the gap in the market.” WWW.DESIGNINNOVATIONPLASTICS.ORG g how Showin product the Flex ork would w

From design to market

Following in the footsteps of previous competition winners, Burton now intends to commercialise her product and take it to market. She has filed a patent and her next aim is to refine and select the best ease -rel uick made q e is Th uct prod TPU from

THE RUNNERS UP Second place went to Karl Martin, a third year Product Design student at Dublin Institute of Technology, with ‘Petect’, the first outdoor dog feeder designed to prevent dogs from catching lungworm. Third place went to Paige Hobday, a fourth year Product Design student at Coventry University, with ‘Twoof Brush Ball’, a toothbrush toy for dogs. Both Martin and Hobday, along with the other competition finalists, win monetary prizes, as well as industry placements.

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The Skills Series

How competent is your workforce?

s part of the Continued Professional Development (CPD) of our workforce we send people on training courses IN THE THIRD INSTALMENT – adding OF OUR NEW SERIES value to their FOCUSING ON SKILLS work-based AND TRAINING, JOHN performance SAVAGE OF THE NATIONAL by increasing their skills, FLUID POWER CENTRE knowledge and (NFPC) DISCUSSES safe working THE IMPORTANCE OF procedures. We must, COMPETENCE-BASED therefore, ASSESSMENT TO ENABLE BEST PRACTICE ACROSS continually address the ALL AREAS OF INDUSTRY. changes and advances in technology by ensuring the capability of our workforce. Gaining knowledge is important, gaining skills is important, however, unless some formal assessment process takes place we may never know just how effective a person is in applying his/ her knowledge and skills. Here at the National Fluid Power Centre (UK) we see our direction as to re-skill and upskill our workforce, whilst at the same time helping employers to better understand the performance of their staff through some form of competence-based assessment. At the NFPC UK we refer to competence as “the ability to carry out a particular task through the application of knowledge and key skills to achieve a satisfactory outcome safely and effectively in a given amount of time with repeatability and to a required standard.” Consequently, we are shortly to

launch the NFPC UK foundation programme in Integrated Systems Engineering (ISE). This programme will bring together a range of highly practical training courses involving Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Electronics and Control. A two-day competence-based assessment programme in which individuals will sit a written examination applicable to the knowledge they have gained, followed by a competence-based assessment on a one-to-one basis, will support each one of the three key elements. This will then measure their skills development and capability against an agreed performance criteria. The staff at the NFPC UK have some 20 years of experience involved in the development and delivery of competence-based training programmes and we believe that this is now the right direction to go. Hydraulics, Pneumatics and Electronics now form the foundation of power and motion control and we must begin to develop our engineers and technicians involved in the maintenance and management of our machines to better understand the integration of these various systems. When machines of any kind are designed they will inevitably involve ﬂuid power, electronics and control. When these same machines fail to perform, maintenance staff will need to also understand the integrated system rather than that of individual parts. The National Fluid Power Centre is taking the UK lead in competencebased assessments associated with the range of specific skills and knowledge required to manage

integrated systems. The Centre has possibly the best practical facilities in Europe and is supported by over 60 major National and International companies. Therefore, with such a unique supported industry relationship, we can continuously ensure that technicians and engineers who attend the Centre gain hands-on experience on a vast array of up-to-date technology aligned very much to their place of work. Add to this the Centre has nine Training Engineers, all from UK industry, with vast practical knowledge and experience adding value to the delivery of our training courses.

How Do I get ‘on-route’ to obtain the NFPC Foundation Certiﬁcates in Integrated Systems Engineering?

By following the NFPC recommended progression route of courses and recording your progress in the NFPC individual’s CPD record log you will begin to progress and finally achieve a range of qualifications adding immense value to you personally and to that of your Employer based upon your improved performance in the workplace.

About the Author

John Savage is Director at National Fluid Power Centre (NFPC). Based in Worksop, it is a world class training solution for integrated ﬂuid power systems and controls and takes a lead in the UK as a BFPA Certified CETOP Education Centre. WWW.NFPC.CO.UK

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

RAPRA will continue to identify where the gaps are and will be on the lookout for high quality, relevant training courses to add to the training programme. The RAPRA Training Programme can be viewed at WWW.RAPRA.ORG/CAPABILITIES/TRAINING

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MOULD MAKING | NEWS PENTAGON PLASTICS ACQUIRES TOOLMAKER PHOENIX ENGINEERING Horsham-based injection moulder, Pentagon Plastics, has acquired neighbouring toolmaking firm, Phoenix Engineering 2009 Ltd (formerly Punctual Precision) for an undisclosed sum. Phoenix, which specialises in the manufacture, service and repair of tooling for caps and closures and boasts an annual turnover of £1million, will now operate under the umbrella of the Pentagon Plastics brand. The companies have worked together since late 2015, when Pentagon started sub-contracting grinding and wire eroding work to Phoenix and providing CNC milling services in return. Pentagon says the opportunities to expand its engineering skill set, as well as its exisitng tooling activities were the main areas of interest for the takeover. “Phoenix utilises a wide range of equipment that will be of benefit to Pentagon’s tool making activities opening doors of opportunity going forward. This coupled with the proximity of Phoenix to Pentagon made for a very attractive opportunity,” explained Paul Edwards, Pentagon Plastics’ Managing Director. “The quality of work and

L-R Bettina Steuber, CFO of PSG; Udo Fuchslocher, CEO of PSG; Guntram Meusburger, CEO of Meusburger. Credit: Frederick Sams

L-R: John Horspool, Group Tooling Manager, Pentagon Plastics; Robin Rapley, Commercial Director, Phoenix Engineering; Paul Edwards, Group Managing Director, Pentagon Plastics.

commitment of staff has always been second to none which gives confidence that the level of customer service provided by Phoenix will mirror the high standards of Pentagon.” Pentagon says Phoenix’ inhouse tool design team and mould trial facility complements its recent investments in its tooling department, including the recruitment of a new Tooling Manager. “We believe that with suitable investment Phoenix can take a larger market share and further develop its services into the caps and closures market, as well as providing subcontract tooling activities to a wider customer base,” continued Edwards. “This is a very exciting move

ensuring a long term future for the highly skilled work-force and will allow the company to ﬂourish.” Robin Rapley, Phoenix Commercial Manager, added: “Everyone at Phoenix is delighted with the tie up and therefore at the prospect of working closely with Pentagon. We believe that together we can improve on the service that we offer both our sets of customers and, with the investment Paul is proposing, also improve on our efficiency in the production of our mould tools and insert work. I personally believe this is a fantastic fit for both companies and I am looking forward to working with Paul, John and all Pentagon’s staff.”

HOT RUNNER SPECIALIST PSG NOW PART OF MEUSBURGER GROUP

“With the takeover we have taken on board a strong partner with many years of experience in hot runner and control systems.” PSG says the takeover by Meusburger secures a long-term future for the company. Its turnover in 2015 was around 27 million Euros. “Like PSG, Meusburger has been a powerful partner for companies in the industry for more than 50 years. Together, we will continue to grow successfully and expand our range of products and services as a reliable partner for die and mould making,” Meusburger added.

Austrian standard parts manufacturer, Meusburger, has acquired hot runner specialist PSG Plastic Service GmbH. PSG, which has approximately 200 employees across its manufacturing sites in Germany and China, will continue to operate independently as an established brand within the Meusburger Group. “We are pleased to welcome the employees of PSG in the Meusburger family,” commented Guntram Meusburger, Managing Director.

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BARNES GROUP TO ACQUIRE MOULDS BUSINESS OF ADVAL TECH US-based industrial and aerospace manufacturer, Barnes Group, Inc., has announced its intention to acquire the mould making business of Adval Tech’s moulds business (FOBOHA), to focus on the development and manufacture of complex plastic injection moulds for packaging, medical, consumer and automotive applications. FOBOHA, which is headquartered in Haslach, Germany, operates out of three manufacturing locations in Germany, Switzerland and China. Barnes Group has agreed to purchase the FOBOHA mouldmaking business for CHF 133 million (approximately GBP 103million), subject to certain closing adjustments, and the acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2016. Following the closing, FOBOHA will operate as a business

within the ‘Moulding Solutions’ strategic business unit of Barnes Group’s Industrial Segment. “We are excited to add FOBOHA’s proprietary cube mould technology to our portfolio of advanced offerings in the plastic injection moulding industry,” said Patrick Dempsey,

President and CEO of Barnes Group Inc. “The addition of FOBOHA enhances our position as a leading global supplier of complex moulding systems” WWW.BGINC.COM

John Applebee says there is a growing trend of mould makers buying fully machined plates as part of their bill of materials.

FULLY MACHINED, BOUGHT-IN MOULD PLATES ALLOW EXTRA CAPACITY The Managing Director of an Essex-based tooling component manufacturer says there is a growing trend of mould makers buying fully machined plates as part of their bill of materials. John Applebee, of Hales Tool & Die Ltd., says that there are several reasons for the increase in uptake of bought-in plates, however, most commonly it is because it allows staff and machinery to dedicate time to complex work, such as the production of mould inserts. “I personally manage all special machining projects,” explained Applebee. “I’ve been in mould making for over 30 years so I know exactly what’s required by our customers and I try to take the headache out of it for them.” Hales has been supplying specially machined plates to Basildon-based

Shalam Packaging, a manufacturer of large, multi-impression stack moulds with valve gates, for five years. “We are very happy with the quality and service we get from Hales,” commented Shalam’s Tooling Manager. “We’ve used a number of suppliers for special machining in the past but now Hales do all our plate work so I guess that speaks for itself.”

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

In terms of its own capacity, Applebee says that the ability of the company to machine several jobs at once means that it is never too busy to take on additional projects. The company works directly from customer’s CAD data and says it is committed to both service and ontime supply. WWW.HALESTOOLING.COM

CAD/CAE SOFTWARE 3D PRINTING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MOULDING & TOOLING MACHINE TOOLS METROLOGY INSPECTION

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PIPE AND PROFILE | NEWS

LIGHTWEIGHT PLASTIC PIPES PLAY VITAL ROLE IN £3M BRISTOL WATER PROJECT New HDPE pipework and fabrications are enabling the provision of clean drinking water for the City of Bristol. UK-based manufacturer, Asset International, provided hundreds of metres of its ‘Weholite’ pipes for a new UV treatment facility at Bristol Water’s Barrow Gurney works. The company’s welding team helped the project’s main contractor, BAM Nuttall, conduct on-site extrusion jointing using its latest specialist equipment. Asset provided BAM Nuttall with an extensive array of inter-process pipework – measuring 1,000mm to 1,400mm diameter – as well as complex fabrications for the Barrow Gurney works, which treats water from three reservoirs serving the city. The new UV treatment facility accommodates both the process units themselves and the pipework and services supplying them. Weholite pipework now links these units to the rest of the treatment equipment at the site. In addition, Weholite fabrications, modelled through FE Analysis by Asset’s engineering design team, were used to connect inter-process pipelines to ductile iron valves, ﬂow

PLASTIC PIPES CAN HELP MEET CIRCULAR ECONOMY AMBITIONS SAYS NEW TEPPFA PRESIDENT The recently elected President of the European Plastic Pipes and Fittings Association (TEPPFA) says that the industry strives to promote the part that the plastic pipes industry can play in meeting the ambitions for a circular economy. Commenting on his new position, Maarten Roef, CEO of Wavin, said that he is “determined” to share his beliefs about the use of plastic pipes in relation to sustainability, adding that the image of plastic as a material is “completely outdated.” “‘Take for example the lifespan of a plastic pipe, it can last for 100 years underground without leakages. Also plastic pipes can reduce energy consumption and can be recycled

Weholite plastic pipes from Asset International being used for the Bristol project

meters and static mixers. All Weholite components were designed, manufactured and prefabricated at Asset’s South Wales factory, only 30 minutes’ drive from the site, ensuring rapid delivery. Commenting on their decision to use Weholite, Martin Wearn of BAM Nuttall, said: “The benefits of utilising Weholite pipework have to be the reduced lead-in times for fabrication and its low overall weight, when compared to that of traditional material pipework.” This was reinforced by Rex Lewis from Bristol Water, who said: “In

certain low pressure situations, the use of Weholite pipe provides a very versatile and cost-effective solution.” Construction of a UV treatment unit at Barrow Gurney is part of the latest nationwide Asset Management Period (AMP6), which has seen water companies across the UK invest hundreds of millions of pounds in ultrafiltration and UV facilities. This is an increasingly popular method for removing certain types of bacteria and protozoa from potable water. WWW.WEHOLITE.CO.UK

that the plastic pipe industry can play in meeting the ambitions for a Maarten circular economy.” Roef, Roef brings 25 years of personal new President experience in the plastics and packaging industry to the role of of TEPPFA President at TEPPFA, an association he has been involved with for the last 15 years. As Wavin’s CEO, he also brings expertise from Mexichem, one of the biggest worldwide producers of plastic pipe systems, of which Wavin is part. Roef’s ambitions for TEPPFA are clear: “I believe we are a very innovative industry. The priority for us is listening to and acting on the between 5-10 times,” Roef explained. needs of our stakeholders together “Altogether, there is no other more proactively.” He says this needs material that offers that kind of to be done “together with all TEPPFA sustainability. Our industry is taking members” and is convinced this can the lead in the circular economy and, be achieved “because of the very together as TEPPFA, we should focus strong TEPPFA team.” on creating a greater understanding and acknowledgement of the part WWW.TEPPFA.EU WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

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SABIC is working on enhancing its offering to the pipe extrusion industry

SABIC ESTABLISHES NEW BUSINESS UNIT FOR THE PLASTIC PIPE EXTRUSION INDUSTRY SABIC has revealed it is setting up a dedicated business unit for the plastic pipe extrusion sector as part of a programme to reinforce its position in the global chemicals industry. By putting increasing efforts into providing its suppliers and customers in the pipe extrusion industry, SABIC says it is targeting annual growth of its business in the pipes market of over six percent through to 2025. Drivers behind the company’s decision include the continually increasing global population, which requires effective water management infrastructure for the provision of safe and clean drinking water, as well as upgrading projects for existing pipe networks, particularly in replacing materials such as metal, concrete and clay. SABIC is focusing on its customers that are active in the following four main areas in the pipes industry: domestic (water, gas, conduit, ventilation); infrastructure (for transport of clean and waste water and gas, as well as cable conduits); industrial (including large diameter pipe for oil and gas); and agriculture and aquaculture. Part of its efforts to increase its market share include a number of new grades set to launch for hot and cold water pipes, where SABIC is introducing special grades of polyethylene called PE-RT (polyethylene with raised temperature resistance), which it

Molecor has expanded its range of TOM pipes

says may be “excellent candidates” for this type of pipe. These materials have a unique crystalline microstructure and stabilisation package, which provides excellent long-term hydrostatic strength at high temperatures without the need for cross-linking. Advantages of PE-RT, says SABIC, include better high temperature performance than standard PE; better low temperature impact resistance than standard polypropylene random copolymer (PP-R); plus the ability to weld and recycle. There are two types of PE-RT, Type I and Type II. These will help pipe producers cater for market needs in different regions. The first is an MDPE with properties similar to those of PE80 and the second is an HDPE with properties similar to those of PE100. SABIC is already producing PE-RT I and plans to enter the market with PE-RT II grades before the end of 2016. In addition, SABIC is developing special grades of polypropylene random copolymer called PP-RCT, which have modified crystallinity

that enables the production of pipes with very high long-term strength (MRS, Minimum Required Strength), especially at elevated temperatures. PP-RCT grades can also be evaluated by SABIC’s customers for the production of pipes with higher pressure resistance than standard PP-R with the same diameter, or thinner pipes with the same pressure resistance. Lower wall thickness in the pipe offer weight-out and cost reductions through lower material consumption. Because the pipes are used in applications where the outside diameters are standardised, PP-RCT pipes have larger inner diameters, so pressure losses along the pipe are reduced. PP-RCT is also likely to process more easily, with processors benefitting from reduced energy consumption and/or higher extruder throughput. These new solutions, says SABIC, add to its existing portfolio of materials solutions that are already established and working in various infrastructure projects globally.

MOLECOR EXPANDS PVC-O PIPE RANGE WITH NEW DN 125MM SIZE

These, it says, include higher hydraulic capacity, which enables the transportation of higher volumes of water with the same diameter, as well as the lighter weight of the pipes, meaning large equipment for installation and moving is unnecessary. In addition, TOM pipes up to a diameter of DN 250 mm are said to be easily manipulated when installed and also provide excellent impact resistance. When applied to pressure pipelines, the TOM pipes achieve great resistance, both mechanical and chemical, and therefore have a long and useful life.

Specialist in plastic pipe technology, Molecor, has expanded its range of oriented PVC pipes in its ‘TOM’ range, with the addition of a new DN125mm size with PN16 bar. The company says the availability of the new size increases the possibilities for pipe network design, with diameters that are effective in terms of both pressure and required ﬂow, whilst providing cost savings. The molecular orientation process used to produce the TOM pipe provides “exceptional mechanical and hydraulic characteristics”, says Molecor, compared to pipelines produced with other materials that exist in the market. WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

WWW.SABIC-IP.COM

WWW.MOLECOR.COM

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

MATERIALS | NEWS The Solar Impulse 2 plane on its roundthe-world ﬂight. (Credit: Solar Impulse)

SOLVAY CELEBRATES MATERIALS EFFICIENCY AS SOLAR IMPULSE 2 COMPLETES WORLD TOUR Solvay’s CEO has written an open letter to the pilots of the Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) solar airplane, thanking them for “12 extraordinary years” of big and small technical victories in sustainable materials development. The letter, addressed to pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg upon their landing in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of 26th July, 2016, saw Solvay’s JeanPierre Clamadieu congratulate the pair upon the culmination of their 43,041-kilometre, round-the-world journey. “On behalf of all Solvay employees, I would like to say a huge thank you for these 12 extraordinary years, marked with dreams, challenges, big and small technological victories. These 12 years were supported by your energy and remarkable personalities which built the success of Solar Impulse day after day,” Clamadieu wrote. The company has been involved with the Solar Impulse project from the beginning and has provided fifteen products applied in more than 6,000 parts to enable the storage and optimal consumption of energy and lightweight the solar plane.

Bertrand Piccard (L) and André Borschberg (R) (Credit: Solar Impulse)

Solvay also supplied the composite materials for the wing spars and rear stabiliser parts. “All limits of materials we have pushed further to make this plane ﬂy with you, reinforce our belief that chemistry provides effective solutions for the sustainable development of our societies,” Clamadieu continued. “Our Group aspires more than ever to remain a bridge between science and sustainable progress. Yes, we can ask more from chemistry,” Clamadieu concluded. Solvay added that almost all of the products that were developed for the Solar Impulse project are available in our everyday lives, in markets

to-Cradle as an Innovation Engine for the Industry’, using his experience of undertaking several projects with CRADLE-TO-CRADLE major PVC processors using the SUSTAINABILITY SPECIALIST concept to review and develop their TAKES TOP SPEAKER SLOT AT business models. PVC CONFERENCE Professor Braungart The keynote ael ch studied Chemistry and Mi . Dr r so speaker for Profes Process Engineering Braungart next year’s PVC in Konstanz and conference in Darmstadt (Germany). Brighton has In the 1980s, he set been revealed as up the chemistry a specialist in the department of cradle-to-cradle Greenpeace sustainability and received concept. his doctorate in Professor Dr. Chemistry from Michael Braungart the University of will present ‘Beyond Hannover in 1985. Sustainability – Cradle-

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ranging from automotive, aviation and aerospace to construction and smart devices. WWW.SOLVAY.COM WWW.SOLARIMPULSE.COM

SOLAR IMPULSE 2: IN NUMBERS Swiss-born Piccard and Borschberg took turns at the controls of Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), their zero-emission electric and solar airplane, to achieve the first ever round-the-world solar ﬂight.

Landing back in Abu Dhabi marked the end of 23 days of ﬂight and 43,041-kilometers travelled in a 17-leg journey. The plane weighs only 2.3 tonnes, but has a wingspan equal to that of the largest passenger airliners.

He is also founder of the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), established in 1987, and holds the Academic Cradle-to-Cradle Chair for Innovation and Quality at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). He is also Professor at the Leuphana University in Lüneburg. Professor Braungart will head up a full and varied programme of original and international papers at next year’s PVC conference, which takes place from 25-27 April 2017 at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel and Conference Centre. WWW.PVC2017.ORG

FORD AND JOSE CUERVO ‘TAKE A SHOT’ AT BIOPLASTIC MADE FROM TEQUILA BYPRODUCT

Jose Cuervo is working with Ford to develop a new way to use its remnant ﬁbres

Ford Motor Company is teaming up with Jose Cuervo, the world’s largest tequila brand, to explore the use of the producer’s agave plant byproduct to develop more sustainable bioplastics to employ in Ford vehicles. Ford and Jose Cuervo are testing the bioplastic for use in vehicle interior and exterior components such as wiring harnesses, HVAC units and storage bins. The material is produced from the remnant fibres from the agave plant after the juices have been extracted for distillation. Currently, Jose Cuervo uses a portion of these remaining agave fibres as compost for its farms, however, the work it is undertaking with Ford is part of a wider sustainability drive. Initial assessments suggest the material holds great promise due to its durability and aesthetic

qualities. Success in developing a sustainable composite could reduce vehicle weight and lower energy consumption, while paring the use of petrochemicals and the impact of vehicle production on the environment. “At Ford, we aim to reduce our impact on the environment,” said Debbie Mielewski, Ford Senior Technical Leader, Sustainability Research Department. “We are developing new technologies to efficiently employ discarded materials and fibres, while potentially reducing the use of petrochemicals and lightweighting our vehicles for desired fuel economy.” WWW.CORPORATE.FORD.COM WWW.CUERVO.COM vo, the Jose Cuer ila rgest tequ la world’s ith w g in rk o brand, is w er rt of a wid Ford as pa e. iv dr y it il sustainab ) se Cuervo (Image: Jo

POLYCARBONATE PROTECTS ART INSTALLATION AT LONDON’S V&A An art installation at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) showcasing extraordinary feats of engineering has a central element produced using polycarbonate sheets from Covestro. The sheet is used as part of a pavillion in the central garden of the museum, which is inspired by the forewing shells of ﬂying beetles known as ‘elytra’ and constructed using a novel robotic production process using Kuka robots. Covestro supplied its Makrolon UV solid sheets for the installation, which covers an area of over 500 square metres. The eight millimetrethick, transparent sheets offer high impact resistance and good protection from the weather and elements. The exhibition will be expanded continuously over the course of the museum’s Engineering Season, which runs until November 6. WWW.COVESTRO.COM WWW.KUKA-ROBOTICS.COM

EXXONMOBIL TO EXPAND TPV PRODUCTION CAPACITY AT SOUTH WALES SITE

ExxonMobil is set to increase capacity at its South Wales site 42

ExxonMobil is set to increase capacity at its speciality elastomers plant in Newport, South Wales. The company said the project, expected to be completed in late 2017, will result in a 25 percent increase in its global capacity to manufacture Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), highperformance elastomers used for automotive, industrial and consumer applications. “Our investment in this expansion strengthens our leadership position and reﬂects our continuing commitment to help customers WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

around the world manufacture highperformance products that require both flexibility and durability,” said Kurt Aerts, Speciality Elastomers and Butyl Rubber Vice President at ExxonMobil Chemical. Santoprene elastomers perform like vulcanised rubber and process like plastic for applications in diverse markets. Like plastic, Santoprene TPV can be extruded, moulded or thermoformed easily and economically into a variety of shapes. Like rubber, it is resilient, flexible and resistant to heat, fluids and chemicals. WWW.EXXONMOBILCHEMICAL.COM

The intricate canopy is part of the design installation at London’s V&A Museum

@POLYMERMAN ON PRICES BREXIT SPECIAL

— What are the implications for the UK plastics sector? IN THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF OUR LATEST COLUMN LOOKING AT SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES AFFECTING POLYMER PRICES, MIKE BOSWELL LOOKS AT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE UK’S DECISION TO LEAVE THE EUROPEAN UNION.

here is little doubt that the financial markets took a dim view of the UK’s decision to leave the EU following the UK referendum on 23rd June 2016. Whilst the circumstances surrounding any misjudgment of the likely outcome prior to the 23rd June will be a subject of conjecture for many years to come, the very real evidence of the shock outcome was the reaction of the financial markets and the value of the GBP, which tumbled against both the Euro and USD (see graph 1). In percentage terms the change to major currency values can be seen in table 1. Although GBP vs. Euro almost reached parity at the end of 2008 following the banking crisis, the likes of the value of the GBP vs. USD has not been seen for some 40 years. Although less severe, the impact of the referendum result also impacted on the value of the Euro vs. USD, where the concern of the UK as the world’s fifth largest economy exiting the EU also impacted.

What are the implications for polymer prices?

In the case of processors who are buying in USD and Euros, the effect is direct and immediate, unless they have taken the opportunity to mitigate their exposure to exchange rate volatility through FOREX contracts. Whilst those processors who buy their raw materials in GBP may initially be immune from the impact of the devaluation of the GBP, the reality is that, to a greater or lesser extent, input costs are based upon the USD or Euro. Although both inventory in the supply chain and forward currency deals may create some resistance, the reality is that in sooner or later the cost of plastics raw materials in GBP terms will increase between seven and 10 percent relative to other major currencies.

graph 1

would represent a good outcome, particularly for those processors buying in GBP and selling to UK customers.

BREXIT – An opportunity?

TABLE 1

23/06/16

24/06/16

Change

GBP VS. Euro

1.3077

1.2162

-0.09

-7.00

GBP VS. USD

1.4877

1.3396

-0.15

-9.95

Euro VS. USD

1.1385

1.1011

-0.04

-3.29

TABLE 2 FEEDSTOCK

Change (contract)

C2 (Ethylene)

£7.79

C3 (Propylene)

£13.64

Styrene

-£97.41

Benzene

£10.13

Brent Crude

£24.25

Exchange Rate

£1.28

In terms of polymer groups the currency inﬂuences are typically: Euro PP, PE, PS, PA6 & PA66, PVC USD PC, POM, PBT, PET, PVC In addition, whilst some may initially question the validity of these economics in terms of polymers produced in the UK, the reality is that oil (and energy costs) along with feedstock costs, are typically USD or Euro based and that, in due course, labour costs are likely to increase as workers seek to achieve similar levels of purchasing power.

Relative and Real Pricing (A vote in time, saves…)

The challenge of passing on a seven to 10 percent price increase based upon the BREXIT vote is for many processors likely to be a significant challenge, irrespective of any movement in feedstock costs. In the case of USD-based POM, PC and PBT it is difficult to see any alternative, however, for PE, PP and PS seasonality may just provide some welcome relief, as reduced demand during the summer can often lead to more competitive pricing. Plus, whilst June started with increases in C2 and C3 feedstocks, at least in the case of PS there has been relaxation in SM costs (see table 2). In reality, a price rollover

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Whilst the UK Government is only currently talking of serving notice under ‘Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty’ and thereby starting a two-year countdown to leaving the EU at some point during the lifetime of this parliament, there is in the meantime the need to start trade negotiations not only with the EU, but also the rest of the world. Under current World Trade Organisation rules, the default position on import duties for plastics is 6.5 percent compared to zero percent within the EU. However, there is a range of countries that enjoy exemptions and concessions on the 6.5 percent and, were the UK to negotiate similar deals, this has the potential to significantly increase the competitiveness of the UK’s plastics processing sector. In strong contrast, the risk of a duty increase on imports from the EU to the UK is likely to be highly negative, as processors would struggle with a further negative impact on input prices.

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

think materials management

BLOW MOULDING | NEWS

NEW BLOW MOULDING MACHINE TO ADVANCE DUPONT’S AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH DuPont has installed a second 3D suction blow moulding machine at its European Technical Centre in Switzerland as part of a project to facilitate its research into materials development for automotive parts. A $1.1million ‘ST Aspi Seco’ model blow moulding machine from Swiss-based manufacturer, ST Blow Moulding, has been installed at its Meyrin facility. Here it will be used to mould automotive air ducts in DuPont’s Hytrel and Zytel resins. It is also installing a new rubber injection moulding press and moulds. DuPont says one of the drivers behind the expansion of the Technical Centre is the increasing customer demand for high performance, lightweight polymers that both offer performance and cost-efficiency. The air duct market, it added, is growing rapidly to meet the need for turbo-charged engines that help the automotive industry comply with ever more stringent emission reduction requirements. “DuPont’s investment stands for its commitment to cutting-edge technology developed in Switzerland to serve global customers,” said Patrick Schriber, Director General, DuPont Switzerland, during an official inauguration ceremony for the new machinery. The ‘ST Aspi Seco’ is the second

blow moulding machine supplied by ST Blow Moulding, with the first installation back in 2010. The new machine enhances the ongoing eight-year partnership between the companies. ST Blow Moulding says the new machine is suitable for the production of parts with materials in monolayer, coextrusion or SeCo (Sequential Coextrusion), should DuPont need to produce items requiring different mechanical or chemical properties in predefined areas. The machine is equipped with

The new blow moulding machine will be used by DuPont to develop its materials for the production of automotive parts, such as air ducts

two 60mm extruders, 1 and 1.5 litre accumulator heads and a coextrusion head. It also benefits from ST’s 4WDS radial control system, integrated in this model of blow moulding machine. This system, says ST Blow Moulding, allows the processor to obtain a uniform wall thickness, particularly for more difficult-tomanufacture parts, such as those with complex shapes. Additionally, the Aspi Seco blow moulding machine is the only model in the ST Aspi range equipped with a shutter that allows “perfect control” in the transition from one material to another during sequential production. “We look forward to using the 3D processing machine to further tailor our products from design to production. Being able to customise the plastic processing has meant we can address the needs of the customer and deliver unique solutions. Our emphasis on design, materials and processing solutions reﬂects our holistic approach to collaborating with customers,” said Olivier Magnin, Technical Director at DuPont’s European Technical Centre. WWW.PLASTICS.DUPONT.COM WWW.ST-BLOWMOULDING.COM

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

The new ST Aspi Seco machine at DuPont’s Technical Centre in Meyrin, Switzerland

www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

tly has recen Spectra in new invested blow stretch n o ti c je in y er in h mac moulding plant lk o f f u at its S ed r increas to counte mand de customer

SPECTRA INVESTS IN NEW BLOW MOULDING MACHINERY AS DEMAND GROWS Spectra Packaging has recently invested in new injection stretch blow moulding machinery at its Suffolk plant to counter increased customer demand. The firm says an “unprecedented increase” in PET projects has seen it install another injection stretch blow moulding machine, the second in the first six months of this year, with potentially more to come in the future. “The ability to be ready and ﬂexible enough to maintain busy periods in order to satisfy customer demand is hugely important to us. Steady expansion across all departments within the business has enabled us to confidently deliver excellent lead times even when we are at our busiest,” explained Joe Maynard, Managing Director at Spectra. The installation of the new stretch blow moulding machine follows recent expansion initiatives across all facets of the business, which has seen new blow moulding machines, as well as additional tooling equipment and extra investment in the firm’s decoration department. “We have seen significant increases in extrusion blow moulding, injection stretch blow moulding and injection moulding projects of late meaning the factory is working ﬂat out to meet demand,” Maynard continued. “Our responsibility is to our customers to deliver on schedule, which is why we have installed extra machines to fulfill our obligations to them.” As well as investing in machinery and technologies, Spectra has invested in a number of staff initiatives, including additional injection stretch blow moulding training in order for technicians to further develop their understanding of the processes and technologies. Staff were given extra instruction on a number of subjects aimed at improving and adding to their existing knowledge of material performances, properties, constraints, and limitations. Additionally, Spectra has also carried out in-house customer service training programmes as part of the company’s on-going commitment to excellence. “Although we continue to expand the business, investing in the most up to date machinery and technology, it is also hugely important for us to invest in our staff to ensure they have the resources and training to give our customers the highest levels of service, quality and responsiveness,” Maynard concluded.

NEC BIRMINGHAM, UK | 26-28 SEPTEMBER 2017

INJECTION MOULDING

EXTRUSION

ROTATIONAL MOULDING

BLOW MOULDING

RECYCLING

THERMOFORMING

MATERIALS

VACUUM FORMING

D ES I G N

FILM EXTRUSION

EXHIBIT NOW www.interplasuk.com

WWW.SPECTRA-PACKAGING.CO.UK WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

think materials management

FOAMING TECHNOLOGY FOR EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION Foaming technology to enable lighter extrusion blow moulded plastic bottles has received international recognition with a number of high profile awards. Packaging specialist, ALPLA, developed the foaming technology in conjunction with Unilever and MuCell, after several years of research and development and has now been awarded the ‘Smart Packaging’ accolade from the Austrian Government, as well as the internationally renowned ‘PackTheFuture’ and ‘WorldStar’ Awards. The microcellular foaming technology works when a gas is injected into the middle layer of the bottle wall. This creates bubbles in the material, similar to the structure of a honeycomb. Plastic consumption and weight are reduced by up to 15 percent. ALPLA has been using the procedure to produce shower gel bottles for Unilever at its plant in Lübeck, Germany, since 2014. According to its own figures, Unilever will save up to 275 tonnes

of plastic per year across Europe for this product line. The technology will be installed in other ALPLA sites soon for customers in the body care and household products industries. “The process is a purely physical one and does not require any chemical additives. The bottles are, therefore, fully recyclable,” explained René Plattner, Head of Packaging Management at ALPLA. “The thickness of the material

WWW.ALPLA.COM WWW.MUCELLEXTRUSION.COM

These bottles have been available in Europe since 2014. Unilever estimates annual potential savings in Europe of around 275 tonnes of plastic for this product line alone. Copyright: ALPLA.

KAUTEX SUPPLIES JAPAN’S TORAY INDUSTRIES WITH 3D BLOW MOULDING MACHINE

The Kautex KBS20 suction blow moulding machine

is reduced, but the thickness of the wall remains the same. The bottles therefore have practically the same high level of functionality in the bottling plants and during transportation and handling as conventional EBM bottles. For the end user, the bottles look and function exactly the same.”

Blow moulding machinery manufacturer, Kautex Maschinenbau, has supplied Japanese chemical company, Toray Industries, with a new extrusion blow moulding machine for research and development. The KBS20 has been supplied to Toray’s plant in Nagoya where it will be used to test the production of different 3D pipes using the so-called ‘suction blow’ process. The focus will be on the development of extremely heat-resistant air ducts made from polyphenylene sulphide (PPS). The 3D blow moulding process is an especially low-waste production method. In contrast to the conventional method, the parisons are moulded into functional components without welds. Further advantages of suction blow moulding, says Kautex, can be seen in the

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

manufacture of 3D ducts. Here, the parison is drawn into the elongated cavity of a blow mould before the actual moulding of the part. This allows the use of significantly simpler and, consequently, cheaper, blow moulding tools. “The latest developments in combustion engines are once again creating challenges for automotive industry suppliers. This is especially true for the interplay between materials and engine technology. For this reason we like to work very closely together with our customers on the development of new solutions,” explained Jürgen Moitzheim, Sales Director at Kautex Maschinenbau. In tests, Toray achieved very good results using PPS for the air ducts. The Kautex machine easily processed this plastic, which is distinguished by its durability and heat-resistance up to 220 degrees Celsius. WWW.KAUTEX-GROUP.COM

BUYER’S GUIDE

PL Machinery BG 2015_Layout 1 2

MATERIALS

DEHUMIDIFIERS

Whatever your ancillary needs – we have the solution

MASTERBATCH

Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

HEATING EQUIPMENT

BLACK & WHITE MASTERBATCH Compounding

Recycling

Moulding

Film

Pipe

Conduit

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

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

MOULD RELEASE

ASSEMBLY hot plate welding Branson Ultrasonics

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

induction heating for platens and tools

pulse staking H.T.E Engineering Ltd

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

Accurate colour systems for the PVC and additives industries t: +44(0)1942 254006 e: sales@astropol.uk.com www.astropol.uk.com

ultrasonic welding

MF Induction Heating

CONTROL SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT quality monitoring control Kistler Instruments Ltd

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

Unit 5, Martindale, Hawks Green, Cannock, Staffs, WS11 7XN Replacement Coils New platens T: 01543 570642 F: 01543 574460 E: sales@mfinduction.com W: www.mfinduction.com

HOT RUNNER SYSTEMS hot runner controllers

DRYERS Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT colour masterbatch

ANCILLARIES

InControl Ultrasonics Ltd (FFR Ultrasonics Ltd)

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

MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE gravimetric/volumetric blending Motan Colortronic Ltd

Telsonic UK Ltd

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

12a - 15 Birch Copse Technology Road, Poole, Dorset BH17 7FH T: 01202 697340 F: 01202 693674 E: info.uk@telsonic.com W: www.telsonic.co.uk Blog: telsonicuk.wordpress.com Call: 0161 624 2114

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

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.

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222

vibration welding Branson Ultrasonics

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

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

CHILLERS/TEMPERATURE CONTROLLERS Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

Range of models Preventative Maintenance Visits

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222

BUYER’S GUIDE SCREWS & BARRELS

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT LABORATORY MACHINES

Magnetics Separators Metal Detectors Eddy Current Separators

Bunting Magnetics Europe Ltd European Design & Manufacturing Facility

TransXL International Ltd

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

TRAINING

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

/magnetic_separation_and_metal_detection/

Contact: Carlton Hicks

NOZZLES & NOZZLE TIPS Engineers to the Plastics & Rubber industries, specialising in the following: Screw & Barrel Manufacture Screw & Barrel Refurbishment Tie Bar Repair & Manufacture Screw Tip Assemblies Feed Liners, Plain & Grooved 100 Tonne Screw & Barrel Press Bimetallic Barrel Blanks up to 50 mm In Stock Please e-mail or phone Karl for more info. E. info@tws-mail.co.uk T. 01706 655402 W. www.tws-ltd.com Technical Welding Services (Rochdale) Ltd

MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE hopper loaders

PRINTING MACHINES pad

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222

thermocouples

SECONDHAND AND RECONDITIONED

3D PRINTING

3D Printing FOR SALE

in Plastic & Rubber

BILL CARRINGTON

Regular quantity of Nylon/Polyester mixed fibre based in bales of 300400 kilos per bale. Contact 01253 736963

Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

STATIC CONTROL

Tel: 01420 88645

www.projet3d.co.uk

SERVICES MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS

Arrowquint Ltd

Unit 2 Sanders Close, Finedon Road Industrial Estate, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 4HQ T: 08450 655455 F: 08450 655456 E: sales@arrowquint.co.uk W: www.arrowquint.co.uk Static control solutions, equipment sales and rental, repairs and on-site servicing. UK/Eire agent for Eltex – market leaders in static control systems.

ANGLO PLASTICS LTD

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

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

MIXING, FEEDING & DOSING Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

METAL DETECTION & SEPARATION EQUIPMENT Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

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

CHOOSE THE NUMBER ONE.

Cooper Plastics Machinery

8 Lyall Court, Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 1UX T: 01525 850610 F: 01525 218008 E: cooperplastics@googlemail.com W: www.cooperplastics.co.uk Extruders, water baths, haul-offs, ﬂy knife cutters, conveyors/tip tables, in-line punches, coilers etc. New and used. Repairs, servicing or rebuilds. UK agent for Lyons Electronics.

SCREEN CHANGERS Industrial Plastics Ltd

DM Machinery Ltd

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

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

TESTING EQUIPMENT Ray Ran Test Equipment Ltd

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

hardness - IRHD and shore MAPRA Technik Co — BAREISS For Bareiss of Germany IRHD & SHORE hardness testers, Abrasion & Rebound testers. T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk

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

For DOSS visual solution of Italy – Inspection & sorting machines for O’rings, Seals, Gaskets. T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222

BUYER’S GUIDE

SERVICES SOFTWARE

PRINTERS

Gammadot Rheology Testing & Consultancy Services

printers of plastic mouldings Total Print Ltd

Specialist Pad Printers Station Road, Gedney Hill, Lincolnshire PE12 0NP T: 01406 330122 F: 01406 330123 E: info@totalprintltd.com W: www.totalprintltd.com Sub-Contract Pad Printers to the Plastics Industry

PARTS & SERVICE

TESTINg/CONSULTANCY

Component PRINTERS

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

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222

TAMPO.SCREEN.FOIL

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

SOFTWARE DIRECTORY A listing in the Software Directory costs £160 per programme per year. Call Lisa on 01244 680222 for details. real time production monitoring, scheduling and process monitoring Epicor Mattec Real-time MES (Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers & “Web Based”) Epicor Software (UK) Ltd T: +44 (0)1344 468 468 E: info.uk@epicor.com Modules: Production Monitoring, Process Monitoring, “Drag and Drop” Scheduling/Planning, “Family Moulding”, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts’ Trace-ability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, E-mail/Public Address System Alerts, Stand-alone “Drag and Drop” Scheduler, Stand-alone SPC “Machine Analyzer”, Machine Energy Monitoring, KPI Dashboards, Visual Manufacturing (Large LED Displays), Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (For Integration with Epicor ERP & Other Manufacturing Systems/Software Packages). PlantMaster BMS Vision Ltd T: 01254 662244, E: sales.bla@visionbms.com Website: www.visionbms.com/ plastics. Affordable and ﬂexible MES system for the plastics/rubber industry. Real-time production monitoring features wireless data units and OPC Ethernet machine connections. “Drag & drop” job scheduling supports frame/insert level family tooling plus KAN BAN. ERP system integration, SPC/ SQC, Touch Screen Data Units, Machine Maintenance, Operator Tracking, Traceability, DNC, Energy

Monitoring, Bar Coding, Pager Alerts. Easy to use systems from a €600m company with over 30 years experience. intouch T: 01604 646144 E: enquiries@ intouchmonitoring.com Website: www.intouchmonitoring.com Real-time production monitoring systems. Designed to be easy to use and providing affordable solutions to all sizes of businesses. Production monitoring, scheduling, reporting, data import/export, databases for parts, tools and operators, integration with other software packages. ProHelp EPM (for Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers) Mattec Ltd T: 01909 561544 F: 01909 560675 E: a.jewell@mattec.com Real-time Modules: Production Monitoring, ‘Drag and Drop’ Scheduling/Planning, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts Traceability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, Pager/ Tannoy Alerts, Stand-alone ‘Drag and Drop’ Scheduler, Stand-alone SPC Machine Analyzer, Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (for integration to Manufacturing Systems and other software packages). SYSCON – PlantStar Tel: +44 (0)7747 014545 E: ianh@syscon-intl.com W: www.mtec-services.co.uk W: www.plantstar.org

PlantStar systems provide customised, scalable applications that deliver real-time plant ﬂoor data from any machine, shift, and plant anywhere in your business. Affordable systems available for all size of processor. Browserbased software and hardware, and wireless Ethernet technology make for highly versatile and configurable systems providing information wherever needed. Standard systems include realtime alarms, downtime & reject analysis, capacity scheduling , ERP integration and more. With options including SPC/SQC, Labour tracking and Scheduling, Family Tooling, Materials traceability, barcoding. New QuickShot entry level system, provides real-time data collection & reporting, plus drag & drop scheduling and much more for less than £500 per machine!

enterprise resource planning Epicor ERP Manufacturing Software (For Plastics’/Rubber Processors) Epicor Software (UK) Ltd T: +44 (0)1344 468 468 E: info.uk@epicor.com Epicor ERP software for the polymer converting industry covers the full range of back office operations from on-line and off-line sales and quotations to production planning, inventory management and finance through to logistics, warehousing and distribution. Available on-site, hosted & SaaS it seamlessly integrates with Epicor Mattec Real-time MES to provide a single system that offers a complete quote-to-cash solution for the plastics’/rubber industries.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Process Optimisation Software RJG Technologies Ltd Moulding Technology T: +44 (0)1733 232211 E ingo@rjginc.co.uk Zero Defect Moulding – What’s your target? • Cycle time reduction • Reduced scrap rates • Improved process capability • Higher yield and OEE PRO-OP™ software provides a stepby-step procedure for optimising the injection moulding process to deliver optimum quality products at the most favourable cycle time. PRO-OP™ is a server based application which, by setting an optimum moulding process, highlights weaknesses and problems in relation to part design, mould design, mould construction, moulding equipment efficiency, moulding equipment specification and material selection. The moulding process is documented with explanations for each key process parameter setting demonstrating the processing conditions and equipment contributions to the final result. PRO-OP™ is aimed at companies whose focus is quality and consistent part manufacture. PRO-OP™ supports companies by providing a documented and structured validation protocol which is recognised in the in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors.

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NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER 50

companies are planning to recruit new staff, and out of these, 75 percent will increase their staff by between 6-20 percent. Coincidentally, the BPF also published its strategic vision for the industry at the same time. This had been in germination since early 2015 – some time before Brexit was even conceived as a reality. This will be an enormously important reference point for the industry in the coming years. Within it, the BPF has identified seven key areas that need to be addressed in order to put the UK in the lead as a national plastics manufacturing industry. The UK invented both the material and the industry – and now we intend to be at the forefront in helping to resolve the issues our success has created. Firstly, we will be improving the reputation and image of the industry. There will be a continued focus on education and training, as companies continue to find it difficult to recruit skilled staff. Another key topic, in view of the extent of raw material imported, is the need for consistent and available supplies of feedstock. There will be a focus on innovation, in particular the search for energy saving products and the role of all the technological developments that make up the industry 4.0 concept, including 3D printing. Plastics will be central to the ‘circular economy’ with their easy recyclability and reuse – and this too will be a focus. Overseas business development will be spotlighted, as will the re-shoring of projects. It is also important to remember that greater collaboration – both within the industry and along the supply chain – to effect much more cross fertilisation of experience and ideas will be an essential ingredient of success. You can access the BPF’s strategic vision document at: WWW.BPF.CO.UK/PLASTICS-STRATEGY/DEFAULT.ASPX

ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS

he past month has been preoccupied with Brexit. Was it good? Was it bad? What is going to happen next? And – for us – what will be the impact on the IN THIS MONTH’S EDITION plastics industry? The fact is – it is too early OF HIS REGULAR COLUMN, to say. It is still not absolutely PHILIP LAW, DIRECTOR- certain that there will be a GENERAL OF THE BRITISH Brexit – and if there is, what PLASTICS FEDERATION (BPF), shape it will take. Additionally, it is not clear ADDRESSES BREXIT FROM A GLASS HALF FULL APPROACH, if we leave, what shape the AS WELL AS SPOTLIGHTING EU will be in at the point of our exit. As unclear, also, is THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED the UK’s negotiating strength. STRATEGIC DOCUMENT THAT I’m referring here to our WILL BE CRUCIAL TO THE UK need to acquire skilled trade PLASTICS INDUSTRY GOING negotiators and how well they FORWARD. are led. However, whatever happens, we must make the best of it and seize it as an opportunity. Now is not the time for a ‘glass half empty’ approach. Clearly, there are widespread concerns about the effects a weaker pound may have on competitiveness. Imported raw materials are more expensive, as are imported machines. Naturally, our member firms are cautious, looking for stability and continuity. In the British Plastic Federation’s (BPF) Business Conditions Survey, polled in the immediate aftermath of the referendum, over 50 percent of respondents said they still expected sales turnover to increase over the next twelve months. Many are expecting to take advantage of the pound’s weakness through increased exports. And, while the emphasis of investment is expected to change from ‘major investment’ to ‘minor investment’, investment is still taking place. In addition, approximately a third of

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

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