BP&R July/Aug 2017 by BP&R Magazine

British Plastics

and Rubber

bp&r JUL/AUG 2017

Your journey to SMED

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INTERPLAS: A UNITED INDUSTRY MAKES IT A MUST-ATTEND SHOW

MEXICO: OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UK PLASTICS INDUSTRY

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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 Assistant Editor: John Carlon T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: john.carlon@rapidnews.com

SALES

Group Advertising Manager: Lisa Montgomery T: +44(0) 1244 952 372 E: lisa@rapidnews.com

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

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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

PUBLISHER

duncan wood T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: duncan@rapidnews.com British Plastics & Rubber is available on free subscription to readers qualifying under the publisher’s terms of control. Those outside the criteria may subscribe at the following annual rate: UK, Europe and rest of the world £249 British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (8 times/year) by Rapid Plastics Media Ltd, Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, CH4 9QE T: +44 (0) 1244 680222 F: +44 (0) 1244 671074 © 2017 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.

There’s a great future in plastics

hen the immortal line “there’s a great future in plastics” was uttered in the film The Graduate some 50 years ago, the film’s protagonist, Benjamin Braddock, was somewhat unmoved. Fast forward to 2017 and, conversely, recent events held by the plastics industry have moved students to showcase the beginnings of very great future careers. The events in question, the student Design Innovation in Plastics Award; the PlasticsEurope and EPCA’s Youth Debating Competition; and StudioINTO and The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy Project for the students of Central Saint Martins in London, all challenged students to integrate plastics into either design or argument, revealing unbelievable talent and a great deal of passion. The Design Innovation in Plastics Award had a brief that put polymers into the frame for new and innovative design and the students involved certainly came up with the goods, thinking up products that one could easily imagine seeing on the shelves of major retailers. The Youth Debating Competition, which saw 60 students debate the role of plastics in the digital age, gave the plastics industry yet another opportunity to connect with a new generation. Nathalie Debuyst, Communication and Education Manager at EPCA, said

she witnessed “an engaging debate amongst digital natives who showed great enthusiasm and understanding of society’s development and needs and the contribution of science, petrochemistry and plastics in our daily lives.” Finally, the students of Central Saint Martins were tasked to create bold ways for plastics to be used within a circular economy. Design undergraduates made products for their finals that showcased everything from recycled plastic cutlery to a novel concept that made toy packaging part of the product, avoiding waste. Not only did each of these events showcase great talent, but they also gave recognition to the entrants, introduced them to new materials and production processes, as well as opportunities for further learning, placements and product development. Long may the industry continue to run such initiatives for the good of solving the skills gap, enhancing our lives through innovation and rewarding true talent. There certainly is a great future in plastics, and these students are it.

The Design Innovation in Plastics Award had a brief that put polymers into the frame for new and innovative design and the students involved certainly came up with the goods

Enjoy the issue.

Leanne Taylor, Group Editor

bp&r

THE BIG STORY Your journey to SMED BEGINS AT INTERPLAS

ncreasingly stringent demands on the design and quality of injection moulded parts presents a challenge for plastics processors. This coupled with STÄUBLI WILL SHOWCASE the trend for greater A DEMONSTRATION numbers of product CELL AT INTERPLAS variants, which leads TO DEMYSTIFY JUST to a commensurate reduction in batch sizes, HOW AUTOMATION leads to frequent mould SOLUTIONS FOR changes which, for some INJECTION MOULDING manufacturers, can CAN OPEN NEW LEVELS amount to several times OF PRODUCTIVITY, per shift. All of the above has PROCESS RELIABILITY a negative effect on the AND FLEXIBILITY. productivity of injection moulding machines, with the unproductive setup and idle times of these expensive capital goods becoming a serious problem. As a partner to the plastics industry with over 60 years of shared experience, Stäubli is aware of the issues and has come up with a globally unique range of integrated solutions that derive from its core competencies in connectors, QMC (Quick Mould Change) and robotics.

Exchanging injection moulds: Pure unadulterated SMED

The future of injection moulding lies in productivity

The injection moulding cell will incorporate preheating station, automatic mould transport/ exchange, automatic magnetic clamping system, advanced coupling technology for fully automated connection of all media, power and signal circuits, and the world’s fastest Safe Robots with automatic gripper changing system. The cell represents the future of injection moulding, says Stäubli, and the company is looking forward to demonstrating why to visitors. “Productivity, namely what we produce for the amount of work it takes to do it, and solving the issue of it flatlining in the UK in recent years, is a hurdle the manufacturing industry must jump in order to remain competitive,” explained Stäubli’s Craig Forrester. “Noise around overcoming the UK’s ‘productivity puzzle’ has been getting louder of late, with solutions pointing at working smarter, not harder, with investment essential to secure future success. “However, the selection of the correct technology and the correct processes are imperative to maximise return on investment. The aim should always be to choose the most suitable system, one capable of operating safely and securely over many years, meeting the financial and productivity goals established at the outset. That is the essence of productivity.”

“The aim should always be to choose the most suitable system, one capable of operating safely and securely over many years, meeting the �inancial and productivity goals established at the outset. That is the essence of productivity.”

Stäubli’s stand in Hall 4 will be home to a pioneering demo cell for Interplas 2017, in which all the essential process steps of a fully automated injection moulding machine can be observed. Visitors will be shown how networked Industry 4.0-compatible components enable the individual processes to be coordinated and optimised. This automation solution illustrates how easily a complex task can be mastered with integrated Stäubli technology. But above all, the realistic trade fair demo application will exemplify the Stäubli concept of Quick Mould

Change and SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die). These superior QMC solutions allow the exchange of moulds to be performed to the highest safety standards within minutes.

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bp&r BRITISH

contents

PLASTICS &RUBBER

JULY/AUGUST 2017

on the cover Your journey to SMED begins at Interplas Stäubli will showcase a demonstration cell at Interplas to demystify just how automation solutions for injection moulding can open new levels of productivity, process reliability and flexibility. SEE PAGE 4

At a time of year when travel is at its height, student finalists in this year’s Design Innovation in Plastics competition showcased true innovation through their products designed to provide a more comfortable and less stressful travel experience. John Carlon reveals the winner’s story.

9-17

FEATURE IML: Providing the perfect blink of an eye

Editor’s Letter There’s a great future in plastics

Interplas Preview UK plastics industry unites to make Interplas a must-attend show The UK plastics industry will unite in September in a show of strength and resilience amid current political and economic uncertainty. In this issue, BP&R looks at some of the show floor highlights awaiting visitors in September.

FEATURE POST-ELECTION BOOST GIVES UK PLASTICS MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS RENEWED CONFIDENCE After a slowdown ahead of the general election, the UK’s machinery manufacturers and distributors are benefitting from a boost in orders that they are hoping will carry on until Interplas and beyond.

FEATURE ‘Peek’ performance: Kids travel accessory puts competition in the shade

REGULARS

interplas 09 INDUSTRY NEWS 21 MATERIALS 37 MACHINERY 45 RECLaMATION AND RECYCLING 58 polymerman report 35 FILM AND SHEET 41 BUYERS’ GUIDE 63 SOFTWARE 65 NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE 66

Kevin Heap, Packaging Expert at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK explains why In Mould Labelling (IML) has the advantage over adhesive printed labels in creating packaging that stands out in an overcrowded consumer market.

FEATURE The modern PVC industry: “United we stand” BP&R reports from the fifth annual VinylPlus Sustainability Forum in Berlin earlier this year and reflects on two days of high level debate and discussion around the PVC industry’s ambitions to contribute positively to the EU’s circular economy goals.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Is your hydraulic oil saving you money? Operators using Mobil DTEâ&#x201E;˘ 10 Excel premium hydraulic oils saved, on average, nearly $40,000 * in total costs. Is it time you joined them? Visit us at stand E88 at Interplas to meet with our hydraulic oil experts and find out more We also invite you to attend our exclusive energy efficiency guide webinar on Sept 12th for Injection Moulders

*Savings based on extended oil drains, increased production/equipment uptime, energy efficiency or other tangible savings achieved by 147 customers in 2015, as compared to use of market general hydraulic oils. ÂŠ 2017 Exxon Mobil Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its affiliates unless otherwise noted.

HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10

www.quick-mould-change.com

INTERPLAS | PREVIEW

UK plastics industry unites to make Interplas a must-attend show

espite the turbulence affecting the UK plastics industry since the decision to leave the European Union over 12 months ago, it is yet again showing THE UK PLASTICS remarkable INDUSTRY WILL UNITE resilience. This IN SEPTEMBER IN A is proved by the SHOW OF STRENGTH keenness to carry AND RESILIENCE AMID on with business CURRENT POLITICAL as usual, whilst the negotiations AND ECONOMIC in Brussels are UNCERTAINTY. being thrashed out. Testament to this “keep calm and carry on” approach, the industry will come out in force at Interplas in September, where the show will take place over two halls for the first time since 2005 owing to a huge surge in exhibitor demand. For visitors, this will mean more more working machinery and demonstrations, more networking opportunities and a bigger space to conduct the on-site business that Interplas is renowned for. “With its central location at Birmingham’s NEC, and with great transport and hospitality links, Interplas provides the ideal meeting point for companies up and down the country. Where it could ordinarily take a whole day to travel to a sole meeting, Interplas provides the opportunity to conduct several in one day,” explained Duncan Wood, CEO of Rapid News Communications Group and Interplas Events Limited. “Couple this with the working machinery, technological demonstrations and ability to see and assess equipment in real-time, as well as a must-see conference over two stages, the opportunities for visitors from all end sectors to benefit their businesses are endless.”

Pavilions

In addition to the increased number of exhibitors, Interplas this year is also running more specialist Pavilions than ever before. These Pavilions are designed to group companies by type or service, such as the

Mediplas Pavilion, PlastikCity Pavilion and GTMA Pavilion, or, provide advice, support or assistance with specific issues, such as support, training or development, found on the Knowledge Pavilion. A full breakdown of the Pavilions and their benefits for visitors starts on page 10.

Conferences

Where conference programmes are concerned, this year’s line-up has been tailored with the specific aim of adding value to a visit through new ideas, innovation and learning. With two stages providing content that will both highlight opportunity and impart advice, the programme is reason alone to ensure you or your staff visit the show. More information on the conference and the full programme listings starts on page 13.

Horners’ Award – Winner to be Announced

Exclusive Launches

Interplas is being used as a flagship event for many of the industry’s biggest names to launch new machinery to the UK market. From moulding, extrusion and ancillary machinery to process control and monitoring equipment, the event will showcase the very latest technology available, with experts on hand to explain how it can work to benefit productivity, efficiency and quality within the manufacturing process. There will also be no shortage of information about the very latest new materials, compounds and additives available from some of the UK’s most experienced producers and distributors. A full round up of all the news from the exhibitors will be featured in September’s issue of British Plastics and Rubber, along with exclusive interviews from conference speakers. WWW.INTERPLASUK.COM

Interplas has long been known as a show that champions UK plastics talent, and therefore will once again welcome back the ceremony for the Horners’ Award for Design and Innovation. The winner of the award will be announced by the Master Horner on the first day of the conference, during the break between morning and afternoon sessions in the Main Stage auditorium. Once the announcement is made the winner and other delegates will be around for networking and questions.

Women in Plastics Event

The Women in Plastics Group is returning to Interplas to mark its third year of championing diversity and the talented females in the sector. The Group is holding a free-to-attend networking event on the second day of the show, from 5pm onwards, where visitors are encouraged to attend to discuss how they can implement diversity and equality within their own businesses, as well as listen to some fascinating keynote speakers.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10

Tel: 01952 671918

Email: connectors.uk@staubli.com

INTERPLAS | PREVIEW

Specialist pavilions provide opportunities for visitors to source, engage and discover IN ORDER TO CREATE VALUE FOR VISITORS, INTERPLAS IS HOSTING A NUMBER OF DEDICATED ‘PAVILIONS’ FOR THE 2017 EVENT. DESIGNED TO HOUSE SPECIFIC CLUSTERS OF EXHIBITORS BY TYPE OR SERVICE PROVIDED, THEY MAKE SHOW FLOOR NAVIGATION EASIER FOR VISITORS AND PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIND NEW SUPPLIERS, NEW PRODUCT SOLUTIONS OR INFORMATION. THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE LOOKS AT EACH PAVILION AND ITS BENEFITS.

“We are very much looking forward to some interesting and insightful conversations with visitors as part of the Knowledge Pavillion at Interplas” 10

KNOWLEDGE PAVILION The importance of cooperation, experience and innovation will be emphasised at the ‘Knowledge Pavilion’, a dedicated space for engaging in the plastics dialogue, where visitors can get fast access to information, advice and support. The Knowledge Pavilion will be fully staffed throughout Interplas by experts from the plastic industry’s leading associations who, together, have an unrivalled knowledge and wealth of experience in a number of areas. The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE); the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN); the Polymer Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMMDA); the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3); the Plastics Consultancy Network (PCN); and The Worshipful Company of Horners will all be represented in the Knowledge Pavilion, offering visitors the opportunity to engage with them. This new addition to the Interplas 2017 programme gives attendees from every section of plastics processing the chance to develop their industry knowledge and to forge relationships with some of the brightest brains in the industry, who will be on-hand to give advice on machinery investments, product research and development, materials selection and behaviour, skills and education and regulation. Kevin Horne, Chairman, PMMDA, said: “We are very much looking forward to some interesting and

insightful conversations with visitors as part of the Knowledge Pavillion at Interplas. With the PMMDA’s presence as part of this, combined with our 26 members currently signed up to exhibit come September, we believe that the show this year is set to be terrific. “The Pavilion will give visitors an ideal opportunity to ask questions about their specific manufacturing and business needs and receive information and insight on updates that can help businesses remain competitive in a period of uncertainty as Brexit negotiations take place.” Dr Bernie Rickinson, Chief Executive, IOM3, said: “IOM3 is a professional body, which can help people working in the polymer and related industries with their career progression and to gain registered qualifications. Staff will be on-hand on our stand to advise on the process of registration and give details of our member benefits to help individuals in their careers. “IOM3 also runs a confidential and objective Materials Information Service. Our experts have a wealth of experience and this long running service does everything from finding relevant literature to arranging for testing and consultancy services. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Interplas and to the Knowledge Pavilion.”

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

PLASTIKCITY PAVILION Giving plastics manufacturers a unique opportunity to source new suppliers, the PlastikCity Pavilion is returning to Interplas in 2017 following its successful debut at the 2014 event. The bigger and bolder 2017 Pavilion will introduce 20 exhibitors to visitors, providing access to new products and services from UK companies. These include a robot gripper supplier, a machine guarding supplier, an oil management company and a thermal imaging service provider, who are all exhibiting for the first time at the show. “Following a very successful show in 2014, we are delighted the organisers worked with us to provide the new, bigger PlastikCity Pavilion, where we’ll be hosting 20 of our partners,” commented Carl Futcher, Managing Director at PlastikCity. “The majority of these companies have never exhibited at Interplas before, so this opportunity is great for them and also provides the visitors with many new products that wouldn’t have been present at past events. Our team is looking forward to what we’re sure will be another great show, where we’ll welcome many customers, both old and new.” Plastikcity will host a reception event on the Pavilion where visitors can find out more information about each exhibitor.

“The majority of these companies have never exhibited at Interplas before, so this opportunity is great for them”

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MEDIPLAS PAVILION The highly specialised area of manufacturing plastic parts for the medical industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the plastics industry and the ‘Mediplas@ Interplas’ Pavilion will focus the spotlight on the essential aspects and considerations of medical device manufacturing that are unique to the sector. Organised in conjunction with - and sponsored by - Medical Plastics News magazine, this special feature zone will enable visitors to quickly identify the exhibitors showcasing technologies, materials and services relevant to their field. Covering all areas of the medical plastics supply chain – including design and prototyping, materials, clean room machinery and equipment, process control, contract manufacturing, assembly, testing and regulations, the Mediplas@Interplas Pavilion will highlight the developments in this fastmoving sector. The Pavilion will provide a focus for medical manufacturing within the UK’s largest plastics exhibition and will bring together a host of industry experts to offer practical advice and guidance for manufacturers from initial concepts and design ideas, through to materials and process optimisation. “The UK medical device sector is at the forefront of technology. For medical plastics suppliers it offers a valuable opportunity to be part of an industry that combines the latest

“With around 3,000 medical device companies operating in the UK, and many large US companies using the country as a base for their subsidiaries, the UK oﬀers opportunities for the entire medical device supply chain, particularly in the areas of imaging, cardiovascular and diagnostics” in research, science, and technology as well as having a direct link on the health and well-being of the population,” explained Lu Rahman, Group Editor for the Life Sciences portfolio at Rapid News Communications Group. “The UK device market is strong - according to Emergo, it is the third largest in Europe. With around 3,000 medical device companies operating in the UK, and many large US companies using the country as a base for their subsidiaries, the UK offers opportunities for

Visitors can access exhibiting companies showcasing applications in the highly specialised area of medical plastics

the entire medical device supply chain, particularly in the areas of imaging, cardiovascular and diagnostics.” In addition to the Pavilion, Interplas is also offering visitors from the medical plastics sector the opportunity to hear from inspiring speakers, with a dedicated conference track. This will be held on the second day of the event, Wednesday 27th September, and will feature a range of high quality experts discuss issues that are making - and will make - a difference to their businesses both now and in the future. “I’m highly excited to have professor Dan Clark, Centre for Healthcare Equipment and Technology Adoption (CHEATA) who will be explaining how businesses can make their medical device NHS-ready. This type of sound advice is crucial to medical device designers and manufacturers who need to look to the NHS from the offset to achieve longlasting business success,” Rahman continued. “Another expert I’m thrilled to have on board is Jane Gardner, PVCMed Alliance. She’ll be sharing her expertise with visitors on how healthcare can contribute to the circular economy. It’s always important that

manufacturing companies consider their social and ecological impact and we’re seeing increasing numbers of businesses wanting to know more about the circular economy and how to be part of it. “Having Alexander Seifalian, Director and Professor of Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine, the London BioScience Innovation Centre, on board is a major coup for us. His medtech credentials are exemplary and he boasts the development of the world’s first synthetic trachea as one of his many achievements. He was awarded the European Life Science Awards winner for this as the most innovative product in 2012. “Seifalian’s presentation promises a valuable look at the future of materials in biomedicine and how the next generation of plastics will be based on carbonbased nano materials. “It’s a stellar line-up and we look forward to seeing many of the medical plastics and device communities there.”

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WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

GTMA PAVILION Representing the UK’s leading companies in precision engineering, rapid product development, toolmaking, tooling technologies, metrology and other critical products and services, the GTMA pavilion will provide visitors looking to build their manufacturing supply chains with a valuable resource. Returning to Interplas once again in 2017, the GTMA’s exhibiting members have experience of working with OEMs and Tier Ones in sectors from aerospace and automotive to marine, rail and medical. With the growth of companies realising that overseas production is not as cost effective as it used to be, and, with increasing supply chain costs and wages, the business practice of reintroducing domestic manufacturing, known as reshoring, has become more common in recent years. The GTMA will be on hand to talk about its new ReshoringUK website as part of its collaboration with eleven Trade Associations of the engineering skills available in the UK.

Exhibitors on the GTMA Pavilion can help visitors build their domestic supply chains in the areas of precision engineering, toolmaking and metrology

ENGEL automotive

competence is standard

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

Visit us at Interplas 2017 26 - 28 September Birmingham | Booth F70 & G70

www.engelglobal.com

HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10

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INTERPLAS | PREVIEW

Stellar conference line-up adds extra value to Interplas visit MAIN STAGE The conference and seminar sessions at Interplas will add value to any visit; with a purpose-built auditorium set to play host INTERPLAS 2017 WILL to the ‘Main Stage’ programme. The HOST TWO THEATRES stage will provide a space for thought WHERE VISITORS WILL leaders and revered industry figures to HEAR FROM EXPERIENCED deliver insights, information and updates SPEAKERS IMPARTING that will be beneficial to business. The conference, free to enter, will cover GENUINE INSIGHT AND a variety of key topics over the course of INFORMATION. HERE, the three show days. These include the BP&R LOOKS AT SOME manufacture and supply of plastics into OF THE PROGRAMME the automotive and medical industries; HIGHLIGHTS ACROSS THE advancing plastics manufacturing in the UK; and supporting sustainability, THREE SHOW DAYS. recycling and the move towards a circular economy. On the first day, keynote speakers from Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan will address the audience, covering what the automakers need and require from their plastics supply chains. Not to be missed, the seminars will provide vital information crucial to capitalising on the opportunities available for working within the UK’s burgeoning automotive sector. On day two of the show, the morning programme will focus on ‘Advancing UK Plastics’. Here, keynote speakers from KPMG and the Brexit Committee of the BPF will tell the audiences valuable information about topics including how to mitigate business risk as the country negotiates leaving the European Union, as well as how the plastics industry specifically can utilise the technology, processes and systems integrated in the ‘Industry 4.0’ movement in order to advance their businesses and gain the most rewards. In the afternoon of day three, the medical programme will impart invaluable information to visitors in the field in the areas of regulation, design and next-generation materials, as well as steps to follow to get a device NHS ready. Finally, on day three, the Main Stage will welcome the return of the ‘Green Room’

programme, with keynote addresses from Procter and Gamble (P&G) and the Welsh Government highlighting how the UK plastics industry can move forwards in its sustainability efforts and in advancing the circular economy. Always a popular session, the speakers will look at aspects covering design, recycling and new materials development.

INTRODUCING STAGE In addition to the main programme, Interplas will also host a brand new, concurrent seminar stream new for the 2017 edition. The ‘Introducing Stage’ will offer quick-fire presentations to introduce the most innovative ideas, technologies and processes conducive to efficiency, productivity and success within a business. On the first day, the Introducing Stage will take the theme of machinery and process efficiency, and will include presentations from speakers on energy efficiency within the injection moulding process, gas-based technologies for higher productivity in injection moulding and how to get the best from your machinery investment. On the second day, the programme will feature expert speakers from the worlds of materials and design, with presentations focusing on antimicrobial and detectable additives and how they can enhance a plastic product, smart packaging and how designers and brand owners can understand its future role and thermoplastic compound solutions for lighting applications. Finally, day three will introduce a day dedicated to Inspex, the brand that incorporates testing, measurement and metrology. Speakers in this stream will present papers including innovations in IR thermography for improved quality control in the injection moulding process, cavity pressure monitoring for zero defect injection moulding and a new ASTM Standard for measuring plastics film and the impact for the industry.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10

www.quick-mould-change.com

INTERPLAS 2017 CONFERENCE PROGRAMME MAIN STAGE day 1 tuesday september 26th

DAY 2 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27TH

DAY 3 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH

MORNING PROGRAMME: AUTOMOTIVES: OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UK PLASTICS INDUSTRY

MORNING PROGRAMME: ADVANCING UK PLASTICS

MORNING PROGRAMME THE GREEN ROOM LIVE 2017

10:30-11:00 - KEYNOTE Mike Boswell - British Plastics Federation

10:30-11:00 - KEYNOTE Neil Rogers - Procter and Gamble (P&G)

Brexit and the British Plastics Industry: A Perspective

“Eco Design” for a Circular Economy

10:30-11:00 - KEYNOTE Ian Ray - Jaguar Land Rover Meeting Future Headwinds: What JLR wants from its plastics manufacturers and parts suppliers 11:00-11:30 Speaker TBC - Nissan Europe Title TBC 11:30 - 12:00 Craig Norrey - DuPont Thermoplastic composites and injection moulding for automotive manufacturing 12:00 - 12:30 Richard Logan - SMMT Opportunities for the UK plastics supply chain LUNCH AFTERNOON PROGRAMME: AUTOMOTIVES: OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UK PLASTICS INDUSTRY 13:30 - 14:00 - Antonio Pagluica - 3M Advances in Adhesive Bonding Increasing design options and product performance for light-weighting speciality vehicles 14:00 - 14:30 - Carley Kent - ACG Chem How AGC’s Fluon ETFE is Evolving to Meet the Demands of Future Automotive Systems 14:30 - 15:00 - Nigel Barrow - EMS Grivory Long Fibre Reinforced Structural Materials for Automotive Design 15:00 - 15:30 - George Fowkes Basepower Advances in Megawatt scale Combined Heat and Power (CHP) driving energy savings and CO2 reductions in plastics manufacturing 14

11:00 - 11:30 Alec McCullie - KPMG Industry 4.0 for the Plastics Industry 11:30 - 12:00 Paul Walsh - Siemens Financial Services Going global: How export ﬁnance can help the UK plastics industry grow 12:00 - 12:30 Mike Josypenko - Institute of Export (IoE) Brexit: The Supply Chain Challenge LUNCH AFTERNOON PROGRAMME: MEDICAL PLASTICS

11:00 - 11:30 Dr Andy Rees - Welsh Government Title TBC 11:30 - 12:00 Tony Hancock - The Independent Packaging, Environment and Safety Forum Sustainability, Recycling and the Circular Economy 12:00 - 12:30 Dr. John Williams - Former Government Advisor and Director, Aquapak Ltd Designing plastics for a circular economy – the challenges and the trade-oﬀs LUNCH

13.30-14.00 Speaker TBC - PVCMed Alliance

AFTERNOON PROGRAMME: THE GREEN ROOM LIVE 2017

How healthcare can contribute to the circular economy

13:30 - 14:00 Edward Kosior - Nextek Limited

14.00-14.30 Professor Dan Clark - Centre for Healthcare Equipment and Technology Adoption (CHEATA)

Improving Sustainability and Reducing waste by Design Innovation

Getting your medical device NHS ready

14:00 - 14:30 Dr Terence Cooper - ARGO Group International

14.30-15.00 Professor Alexander M Seifalian - The London BioScience Innovation Centre

Overview of World Bioplastics Technology and Markets: Future Drivers, Developments and Trends

The next generation of plastics for biomedical application will be based on carbon-based nanomaterials

14:30 - 15:00 Keith Freegard - Axion Consulting

15.00-15.30 Speaker TBC Connect2Cleanrooms Title TBC

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Sustainable Materials for Circular Product Design

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INTERPLAS 2017 CONFERENCE PROGRAMME INTRODUCING STAGE day 1 tuesday september 26th

DAY 2 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27TH

DAY 3 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH

MORNING PROGRAMME:

MORNING PROGRAMME

MACHINERY AND PROCESS CONTROL

MATERIALS AND DESIGN

INSPEX@INTERPLAS

10:00 - 10:20 Peter Gladigau - Sumitomo Demag

10:00 - 10:20 Dan Jarvis - Plastribution

10:00 - 10:20 Rob Lawrence - Solvetech

Getting the best from your Injection Moulding Machinery Investment

Vistamaxx performance polymers engineered to create new possibilities

10:20 - 10:40 Professor Simon Vaitkevicius - RJG Technologies

The new ASTM Standard for measuring plastics ﬁlm and the impact for the Industry

10:20 - 10:40 Huw Durban - Steritouch

Aluminium vs. steel tooling – A practical study 10:40 - 11:00 Craig Forrester - Staubli Connectors Division Introducing small changes for the biggest rewards in injection moulding

Antimicrobial and detectable additives: the key issues and how to overcome them

MACHINERY AND PROCESS CONTROL 14:00 - 14:20 Fred Pratt - CCS Injection Moulding : Achieving Your Goals in Energy Eﬃciency 14:20 - 14:40 Tobias Mansfeld - SIGMA Engineering GmbH Virtual Optimisation of Injection Moulding Tools and Processes

Weathering and Lightfastness Testing Best Practice for Product Protection

10:40 - 11:00 Steve May-Russell - British Industrial Design Association (BIDA)

10:40 - 11:00 Manfred Pfadt - Micro Epsilon

Title TBC

Innovations in IR thermography for improved quality control in the Injection Moulding Process

LUNCH AFTERNOON PROGRAMME:

10:20 - 10:40 Joanne Snow Tyler - Impact Solutions

LUNCH AFTERNOON PROGRAMME: MATERIALS AND DESIGN 14:00-14:20 Tim Marsden - CPI Innovation Services Smart Packaging: A case study from the Pharmaceutical industry 14:20 - 14:40 Speaker TBC - Netcomposites An Introduction to Composites

14:40 - 15:00 Andreas Praller - BOC

14:40 - 15:00 Andy Pilling - ALBIS

Gas-based technologies for higher productivity in injection moulding

Thermoplastic Compound Solutions For Lighting: Collaborate to innovate

LUNCH AFTERNOON PROGRAMME: INSPEX@INTERPLAS 14:00 - 14:20 Duncan Webster - Kistler Instruments Cavity pressure monitoring for zero defect injection moulding 14:20 - 14:40 Andy Francis - Q Labs Essentials of Laboratory Weathering for Plastics 14:40 - 15:00 Dr Julien Loste, Smithers Pira Merging smart factories with high volume manufacturing

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Post-election boost gives UK plastics machinery manufacturers renewed conﬁdence AFTER A SLOWDOWN AHEAD OF THE GENERAL ELECTION, THE UK’S MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS AND DISTRIBUTORS ARE BENEFITTING FROM A BOOST IN ORDERS THAT THEY ARE HOPING WILL CARRY ON UNTIL INTERPLAS AND BEYOND. BP&R SPOKE TO MEMBERS OF THE POLYMER MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS AND DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION (PMMDA) TO DISCOVER WHAT THEY FORESEE FOR THE YEAR AHEAD.

espite the shadow of uncertainty cast over the country by both the button being pressed to start the process of leaving the EU, coupled with the recent snap general election and its outcome, the UK’s machinery manufacturers are quietly confident in their outlook for the rest of the year. “Leading up to the General Election, we found that there was a significant ‘cooling’ in the market and business was quiet,” explained Richard Hird, Sales Director at Premier Moulding Machinery and Haitian UK. “However, since the Election there seems to be a renewed confidence and we have experienced a surge in orders received. We are confident that this is likely to continue towards Interplas and beyond, as our customers appear generally to be in a good position with strong order books.” Interplas, which is taking place from 26-28 September at Birmingham’s NEC has expanded into an additional hall for the first time since 2005 as a result of market demand. This, the industry hopes, will mean a boost in the last quarter of the year for the UK industry. Colin Tirel, Managing Director at Arburg UK, says that the show will provide a good indication as to how the market is feeling.

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“Arburg has not experienced any became very stagnant,” Thomas detrimental effect from the market explained. “The decision went a since the general election, quite the different way than a lot of my clients contrary, we have enjoyed a good expected. However, since the vote, order book going from last year into businesses are still progressing with 2017. With the exception of January, projects, expanding, and relocating which started slowly, the subsequent to bigger premises within the UK. It months have been extremely pleasing seems it’s ‘business as usual’. I was for the level of enquiries and resultant concerned when I saw the result but orders for machines and automation. now I’m cautiously optimistic.” This has been underlined with a Someone else who is taking an number of multiple machine orders optimistic view is Tom Bouchier, which have just been placed with us,” Managing Director of FANUC UK, who he explained. says business has started to pick up “As we look towards the next in the month since the election. quarter leading up to Interplas, “There was a lot of uncertainty in the market remains robust and the UK in the wake of the general customers are looking at many election, and a lot of people seemed new projects. There doesn’t seem unwilling to part with their money. to be any negative feeling in the However, in the last month or so market, despite the continued media business has started to pick up,” speculation surrounding Brexit. Many Bouchier explained. in the industry, including myself, are “For all areas of the FANUC looking forward to Interplas as it will business, closing the deal before the provide a good benchmark into what general election had been quite slow, the market is feeling and how this but this seems to be changing. All could affect longer term thinking.” of our divisions, including Roboshot, The Manufacturers Organisation, have seen an increase in the number EEF, has said that it is the UK of enquiries and orders over the last manufacturing industry’s “ability to month. This may be because a lot of keep calm” despite of the continual our existing and potential customers political uncertainty in the last few are benefitting from the weakness of years that has enabled it to continue the pound at the moment.” unscathed. However, it is calling for “That being said, there is still the new Government in the months uncertainty with regards to Brexit and ahead to put industry first and ensure no one really knows what its effect will businesses receive as much support be. Nevertheless, it is great to see and backing as possible, with a the return of manufacturing to this clear plan for Brexit and the right country. A lot of industries are now negotiating position a priority. on-shoring their manufacturing, which will be very beneficial to the supply Nigel Flowers, Managing Director SEE THE chain and the economy in general. of Sumitomo Demag, says that it is E ON TH This change is much needed in the this lack of a clear Brexit plan that PMMDA DGE E L UK – we can’t just be a banking or concerns him the most looking ahead. W O N K AT “In general, we have noticed a significant a services economy. Manufacturing PAVILION – has been, and always should change in investment strategy post-election,” S A L INTERP be, the bread and butter of our he explained. “In terms of machine deliveries, it 4 L HAL economy,” he added. seems that the UK market as a whole increased 90 STAND C Despite the new challenges that by around 10 percent over 2016. The next quarter covers the holiday season – so is difficult to call – but political instability introduces, plastics I would say that Brexit is back in discussions and most processors and manufacturers still face the concerning is the lack of a clear plan.” ongoing fight against managing energy costs and how to Kevin Horne, Managing Director of Renmar Plastics increase efficiencies. For Nigel Hallett of IsoCool, this has Machinery and Chairman of the PMMDA, agrees that meant a constantly busy period for the company. the upcoming holiday season will make it difficult to “We have continued to be very busy since the General accurately judge the effect the election and ongoing Election. Our customers and manufacturers, generally, negotiations are having on the industry’s fortunes. appear confident for the long term,” Hallett explained. “There is mixed opinion from PMMDA members about “Energy saving, which translates into monetary saving, the effect of both the election and the triggering of Article is always popular and we have found that our Carbon 50, with some finding it has led things to cool off and Trust accredited supplier status, together with our others feeling no impact at all. The fact that we are now established and proven experience, has meant that our entering the main holiday season leads us to expect system designers and engineers are continually working. things to be a little slower, so we are all looking forward “We do not expect to see very much difference in the to things picking up at Interplas and a successful last run up to Interplas UK, but are optimistic in seeing an quarter.” increased volume of enquiries from our presence there. One area where the UK’s plastic product We feel very positive about the growth of the show this manufacturers are benefitting is the weak pound, which year.” is strengthening exports. This, believes Lee Thomas, Visitors to Interplas can visit the PMMDA on their booth Managing Director of TH Plastics, is helping create a on the Knowledge Pavilion, stand C90. A free guide to all “business as usual” approach in the market, at least for PMMDA members exhibiting at the show will be available the time being. free of charge for visitors to pick up at the show. “Once the vote to leave the EU was announced there was a lot of uncertainty – and the manufacturing market WWW.PMMDA.ORG

“The decision went a diﬀerent way than a lot of my clients expected. However, since the vote, businesses are still progressing with projects, expanding, and relocating to bigger premises within the UK. It seems it’s ‘business as usual’” – Thomas

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INDUSTRY | NEWS The BPF’s latest Business Conditions Survey has revealed an optimistic mood amongst members

A RECORD 80 PERCENT OF COMPANIES EXPECTING TURNOVER TO INCREASE, SAYS BPF SURVEY The latest survey of Business Conditions undertaken by the British Plastics Federation has revealed a record number of companies expecting an increase in turnover in the next 12 months. The survey, carried out in June and July, revealed 80 percent predicted an upswing in sales fortunes, with just five percent expecting a decrease in turnover. The survey was released and presented at a BPF Council meeting, which took place on 12 July at the Bank of England, which was attended by Bank representatives, as well as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). It showed that the number of companies predicting an increase in export sales also remained high at 62 percent — echoing the sentiment of the previous survey undertaken in January. Seven percent of companies, however, predicted export sales will decrease, compared to just one percent in January. Almost a third expected profitability to increase, a quarter expected it to decrease and 44 percent expected no change. Almost all companies expecting profitability to remain the same or fall mentioned that the weak pound was having a detrimental effect on the cost of raw material.

BIFFA POLYMERS TO DOUBLE OUTPUT THANKS TO £7 MILLION INVESTMENT

Biffa Polymers is building a new recycled High Density Polyethylene (rHDPE) line

Biffa Polymers is building a new recycled High Density Polyethylene (rHDPE) line, which will enable the company to double its output from

The survey found 35 percent of companies aim to increase staffing levels over the next twelve months, although 57 percent still report ongoing difficulties recruiting. Engineers are the hardest staff to recruit, followed by shop floor staff and technical managers. When asked about investment intentions regarding plant and equipment, a third of companies reported they are planning to invest “significantly”. This number has been steadily increasing over the past year, suggesting that the confidence to make large investment decisions is returning. It had initially fallen slightly after the UK voted to leave the EU. Out of the companies that claimed Brexit had changed their investment decisions, the data shows that investment has mainly increased

in the areas of overseas business development, automation and staff training. “The survey we undertook in January showed that the initial pessimism arising from Brexit had dissipated — and this survey continues this positive trend,” commented BPF Membership Services Director, Stephen Hunt. “With 80 percent of companies expecting sales turnover to increase, a new record has been set, suggesting growing optimism amongst the UK plastics industry despite Brexit negotiations revealing little so far about our future relationship with current trading partners.“

9,000 to 18,000 tonnes a year. The Redcar facility operates permanently throughout the year, and has been modernised throughout with upgraded materials. The new line was opened on 29th March 2017, and will create 20 new jobs for the region, as well as providing extra capacity for plastics recycling at a time when the wider plastics recycling industry is experiencing instability. Ian Wakelin, CEO of Biffa, said: “The creation of a new rHDPE line at our Redcar plant will put capacity back into the market to meet the growing demand that we are seeing, which is particularly important given events in the plastics recycling industry. Enabling us to

double our output, this investment in our facilities and the additional infrastructure it provides will also mean that more discarded plastic generated by UK households can be processed here in the UK rather than being sent abroad for processing.” Chris Hanlon, Commercial Director at Biffa Polymers, said: “The new line is a real boost to our leading industry position in plastics recycling here in the UK. The investment is also great news for the region, creating a significant amount of jobs for local people.”

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DOW DUPONT UPDATE: MERGER ON TRACK FOR AUGUST AND REVIEW UNDERWAY Dow and DuPont have announced that the merger of the two companies is still on track to close in August 2017 and that a comprehensive review of their respective portfolios has commenced. In a joint statement, the companies said that the portfolio review will use the knowledge gained since the intention to merge was announced in December 2015 to “capture any material value-enhancing opportunities” in preparation for the intended creation of three separate companies. The Lead Independent Directors of each company are working together to oversee the process. The DowDuPont Board is expected to review the results soon after the merger closes.

“TURN AMBITION INTO ACTION TO DRIVE INDUSTRY 4.0” URGES KPMG The latest report from KPMG, entitled ‘Beyond the Hype: Separating industry from reality in Industry 4.0’, has shown that while most manufacturers are investing in Industry 4.0 capabilities, few have achieved the scale and integration needed to drive enterprise value. The report finds that despite the fact many manufacturers are working towards creating the ‘factory of the future’ or digital enterprise, few have worked out how to apply those capabilities across all corners of their operations. Stephen Cooper, Head of Industrial Manufacturing at KPMG UK, said: “UK manufacturers have shown more

“The management teams and directors of both companies are in regular dialogue with our shareholders, and we have undertaken significant preparation work in advance of the close” said Jeff Fettig, Lead Director of Dow. “As a collective board we are committed to delivering maximum, long-term shareholder value by ensuring that each of the intended companies will have clear focus, an appropriate capital structure, a distinct and compelling investment thesis, scale advantages, and focused investments in innovation to better deliver superior solutions and choices for customers.” The three independent, publicly traded companies will be in the areas of agriculture, materials science and speciality products. Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company would

enthusiasm than preparedness for Industry 4.0, and our latest report reflects that this is a global trend. In February we released our Rethink Manufacturing report which showed that the majority (56 per cent) of UK manufacturers agreed that Industry 4.0 represents an unprecedented opportunity to revitalise our manufacturing across the country. “However, they are far less sure about how it will affect their business and whether they have a coherent strategy and the right talent and skills to capitalise on it.” The report included a number of benchmarking exercises which found that many organisations demonstrated only low to medium levels of maturity in key areas such as a demand-driven supply KPMG is urging manufacturers to “turn ambition into action” to benefit from Industry 4.0

have a market capitalisation of approximately $130billion (at announcement). The companies reaffirmed their expectation to close the merger in August 2017, with the intended spin-offs to occur within 18 months of closing. WWW.DOWDUPONTUNLOCKINGVALUE.COM

chain, machine to machine (M2M) communication and digital twinning. However, they showed somewhat better maturity in cloud, robotics, Big Data, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Alec McCullie, Associate Director and UK Lead for Industry 4.0 at KPMG, said: “Gaining experience with Industry 4.0 technologies is certainly important. But the real value of Industry 4.0 comes not from the component technologies or capabilities, but rather through smarter processes that integrate automation, data, analytics, manufacturing and products in a way that delivers unique competitive advantages and unlocks new business and operating models. This cannot be accomplished without achieving larger scale, greater integration across functions and a willingness to disrupt the status quo.” McCullie concluded: “Success in Industry 4.0 is not about how much you invest; the winners will not be those with the deepest pockets. To win in tomorrow’s competitive and rapidly changing environment, manufacturers need to start being bolder in their vision, strategies and actions if they are to succeed.” WWW.KPMG.COM

Ellen Britton

he Design Innovation in Plastics Awards, organised by the Worshipful Company of Horners and the Institute of AT A TIME OF YEAR WHEN TRAVEL Materials, Minerals IS AT ITS HEIGHT, STUDENT and Mining (IOM3), FINALISTS IN THIS YEAR’S were held at the DESIGN INNOVATION IN PLASTICS Painters Hall in the City of London COMPETITION SHOWCASED TRUE on June 30, with INNOVATION THROUGH THEIR six product design PRODUCTS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE students in the A MORE COMFORTABLE AND LESS final. STRESSFUL TRAVEL EXPERIENCE. The judging panel, led by Richard Brown of RJG Technologies, was looking for unique and sustainable plastic products aimed at enhancing the experience of travelling. From 160 submissions, the judging panel selected six final entries: PEEK Interactive sunshade by Ellen Britton; an inflatable lap seat for babies in air travel by Kayleigh Dobson; a neoprene camera body strap by Russell Kilgour; a bike lock pedal by Aidan Smith; a face mask to counteract jet lag on long-haul flights by Monique Spoerri, and a wristband to prevent sunburn by Dom Tindale.

Peak performance

The competition, which is organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining and the Worshipful Company of Horners, awarded first prize to Ellen Britton, a year four Product Design Engineering student at Glasgow School of Art.

First prize was won by Ellen Britton, of Glasgow School of Art, for her car sunshade made with heat sensitive polymers that lets kids doodle on its surface. After collecting the Award, which comes with prize money of £1000, a trip to awards sponsor, Covestro, a training course at RJG Technologies and a seat of honour at the Company of Horners’ banquet in October,

Britton said: “I’m really surprised and overwhelmed, I felt that my interview went well back in May, but it was yesterday when I was so impressed with all the other talent that my hopes felt dashed. But now I’m delighted to win. “It’s surprising because I had a lot of trouble developing the project and there seemed to be a lot of doubt and moments if it would become anything, but now I see the sunshade really resonated with people.”

Through a child’s eyes

Before the award presentation, Britton revealed how she developed the travel screen concept: “When I first saw the task I began to think about travel experiences as a child - how it is more exciting through the wide eyes of a child. Then I thought about modern travel habits, and I started to wonder – is that magic being depleted? “iPads are thrust upon children to entertain them, and dark sunshades hinder a child’s view of the world, forcing them onto iPhones and tablets, which isolates them from the happiness of the journey. I think an intervention is necessary to reconnect children with the reality and the magic of travel,” Britton explained. “I’m sure everyone has fond memories of doodling on a fogged up window. This is an ageless and universal experience, but of course it requires specific conditions. I set out to consistently recreate this tactile experience with my product. “After much experimentation, I decided on smart plastics - mainly

‘Peek’ performance: Kids travel accessory puts competition in the shade >>> WORDS | John Carlon

“I truly believe in this product to disrupt the travel entertainment industry for children”

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thermochromal technology, which changes colour with temperature to facilitate this kind of interaction. “It was when I discovered ‘Touchand-Reveal’ thermochromal film, which transforms from opaque to transparent with the warmth of human touch, I got really excited about what the product could be,” she continued. “I came up with ‘Peek - the Interactive Travel Sunshade’. Touch the thermochromal surface to reveal the world beyond, and restore the magic of travel. “Peek is a normal sunshade, until the child decides to touch and rub the surface, to create an experience where they scribble an image, then see what’s out of the window, then watch it fade to black and disappear again. As the action is dynamic and gratifying, children will be mesmerised time and again.” Britton is a student on the Product Design Engineering course at Glasgow School of Art, which is co-accredited by Glasgow University. The course covers a range of aspects in product creation, from mechanics and materials to economics and aesthetics. She now heads into her final year.

A focus on polymers

The competition brought her focus onto polymer applications, and she explained how she used them in the sunshade design: “This product is facilitated by a range

of different plastics that all work together to aid interaction. “The first film is a suction tape, that adheres to the window without leaving residue. The product can then be removed and replaced again. Next there is some transparent elasticised PVC, which insulates the film keeping the surface temperature constant. “Then I’ve integrated some technology that is used in the window tinting industry, which is a polyethylene to keep UV light out. Then there’s metallised polyethylene to reflect up to 70 percent of the heat back off the surface. Then, on top there is the ‘Touch-and-Reveal’ film to facilitate the interaction, and, finally there is a flat PVC frame to keep its structural integrity. “For sustainability, the PVC components can be disassembled and sent for recycling. While the films cannot, due to the differing pigments and particles, they are key to the product, offering value. I also designed the product with longevity in mind, the components are carefully considered and assembled for a long life. “I truly believe in the power of this product to disrupt the travel entertainment industry for children and as an antidote to the iPad. The market is not niche, but massive, with over six million three to eight year olds in the UK alone. I fully acknowledge that more expensive

materials treatment will be needed to fully optimise this product, but given the appropriate resources I’d eventually like to pursue this as a product.”

A worthy winner

“I think an intervention is necessary to reconnect children with the reality and the magic of travel.”

The Design Innovation Plastics Award aims to encourage students to think about use of plastics as a key design material. Held annually for over fifty years, it is the longest running award in plastics design. This year’s competition brief asked students to design sustainable products that will provide a more comfortable experience for travellers. Bernie Rickinson, Chair of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, said in his introductory speech: “This competition’s theme epitomises the nature of changing product requirements. Products designed for personal travel are absolutely key to meet our changing needs - I’m looking for that little bit of travel calmness… [The candidates] are all winners, and I’m sure they’ve gained a great deal and a broadening of confidence because of joining the competition. The Institute is a very proud co-organiser of this competition celebrating harnessing young talent with materials expertise. We wish the students every success.” Richard Brown, Chair of the Judges, said: “This year the winner is very worthy - she has a product that has used old techniques to give something to kids in the iPad generation. She had children from a Montessori school test the product and she explained the material investigation she undertook to provide the solution. She is a very worthy winner, and the judges will take an active interest in how this product develops.”

WWW.DESIGNINNOVATIONPLASTICS.ORG

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IN-MOULD LABELLING | NEWS INNOVIA LAUNCHES NEW IN-MOULD LABEL FILM FOR HIGH CLARITY AND EFFICIENT PROCESSING Innovia Films has launched a new, high clarity in-mould film it says is designed to capitalise on the trend for transparent packaging. Produced with Brand Managers in mind, new RayoForm ICU is produced using Innovia’s unique bubble process and issaid to be tailored for ultra-high clarity for on-shelf differentiation. “There is a continued trend towards clear containers,” said Richard Southward, Global Product Manager for Labels at Innovia Films. “Brand Managers favour them because they allow consumers to see the nature, quality and colour of their products before purchase. Clear containers also allow brands to enhance their on-pack branding and offer greater shelf impact.” RayoForm ICU has been specifically developed to maximise brand impact through not only enabling the use of clear contrainers, but also increasing moulding performance and efficiencies. Innovia Films says the new product also allows for high quality printing, with trials showing ICU can readily exceed industry standards for sheets

The new 500g tub produced and decorated using RPC Bebo’s IML-T process

Pots produced with new RayoForm ICU from Innovia

per hour. The film’s balanced mechanical properties offer potential SKU reduction as sheets can be sheetfed in multiple directions. For the moulder, RayoForm ICU is said to offer increased productivity through faster label handling, enhanced container shape retention and more

efficient stacking. “RayoForm ICU is currently available in thickness of 58 micron/230 gauge. We are already seeing a lot of interest in this new product,” Southward concluded.

IML-T SPREADS INTO MARGARINE SECTOR THANKS TO COST AND QUALITY BENEFITS

production lines. RPC says the use of IML-T enables high quality, intricate designs in up to eight colours to be incorporated to achieve a better level of finish and greater coverage of the container than direct printing. The process also offers flexiblility both in terms of the type of container to be decorated and the application of the labels. Labels can be applied to complex designs, from round or rectangular containers to multi-compartment versions. The same system can handle different containers at different weights, as well as barrier and non barrier and bi-colour packs, including those that require autoclaving.

In-Mould Label Thermoforming technology from RPC’s Bebo division is now available in the butter and margarine spreads sector thanks to a new deal with Kerry Foods. Kerry Foods says its decision to use the process for the creation of its new 500g tub was a combination of both the high quality offered by the labels as well as low lot-sizeper-design options, in addition to competitive unit costings and an increased environmental profile. RPC introduced the IML-T technology, which applies pre-printed labels to a container or lid during the thermoforming process, without the need to change Kerry Foods’ existing

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CASE STUDY: ICE ICE BABY: IML HELPS KEEP FROZEN TREATS COOL AS TEMPERATURES RISE A US-based manufacturer of a frozen ice product has moved to in-mould labelling for its packaging following a failure of its existing cardboard design. Sno-Balls, a family owned firm based in New Orleans, produces shaved ice flavoured with syrup to create a frozen product that it originally sold from small stands in cups or glasses. Following the success of the Sno-Balls, in 2011 the company launched the product in a prepacked version for retailers and shops, known as ‘Sno-Balls-to-Go’. Orginally, the company used cardboardbased labelling for the convenience product, however, it found problems with the containers not closing properly, causing the contents to leak or become dry. Additionally, Sno-Balls said the print quality of the packaging needed improvement. Following consultation with food packaging producer, Berry, the company was introduced to containers produced using in-mould labelling (IML). Sno-Balls used ‘MockUp IML’ from Belgium-based Verstraete IML to mock up a variety of sample products with a low production cost and short lead time. After comparing the samples, Sno-Balls chose to switch its production to IML using a contrasting combination of Verstraete’s ‘Matte’ labels, for a natural look, and ‘UltraGloss’ labels, for a high-intensity colour finish, for onshelf differentiation and to enhance the brand’s artwork. “In-mould labels are extremely resistant to moisture and major temperature fluctuations. This makes them the perfect label solution for plastic packaging for frozen and refrigerated products,” explained Peter Paelinck, Business Development Manager for North America at Verstraete IML. “In-mould labels are also highly resistant against scratches, tears and wrinkles and the print quality is exceptional: the offset printing technique guarantees high-resolution images in up to eight colours. In addition, a single label lets you decorate all sides of the packaging in a single action.” Launched in 2017 in 14 different flavours, the new recyclable IML packaging is being well received by consumers, according to Chris Cuadrado, Managing Partner at Sno-Balls. “The feedback from customers has been fantastic. The new IML packaging looks amazing,” he commented. WWW.VERSTRAETE-IML.COM WWW.BERRYGLOBAL.COM Sno-Balls-To-Go are now packaged in containers decorated with IML

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IML: Providing the perfect “blink of an eye”

rom a quality perspective, IML leads the way. An unlimited range of colours, images and graphic designs can be applied to lids and containers using IML, resulting in photo-like images to create highly decorative and visual shelf displays. Likewise, brand owners can opt for matte or gloss finishes. Shaped packaging containers also lend themselves well to IML. Brands are increasingly turning to IN TODAY’S unique, geometric and asymmetrical CONSUMER MARKET, packaging forms and shapes to IT’S THE TACTILE AND create visual intrigue. Some emerging VISUAL FINISHES OF developments, especially in the cosmetics and personal care markets, A CONTAINER THAT include wavy rectangular or bulbGIVES IT A UNIQUE like containers, such as those used STANDOUT ON- for liquid soap. In the food sector, SHELF AND IN THE products with dual compartments, CONSUMER’S HAND. such as yoghurt pots or snack dips, IN MOULD LABELLING are also more commonplace today. It can be more challenging to stick (IML) USING INJECTION printed self-adhesive labels onto these MOULDING HAS THE less traditional packaging styles. ADVANTAGE OVER However, because injection moulded ADHESIVE PRINTED labels are applied in the mould, LABELS, SAYS KEVIN it is much simpler for converters HEAP, PACKAGING and manufacturers to achieve a consistently high quality finish.

EXPERT AT SUMITOMO (SHI) DEMAG UK. HERE HE EXPLAINS WHY.

A ﬂexible choice

Compared to other decorative techniques, IML is also much more flexible. For instance, you can easily adjust the format of the label to the packaging. It is even feasible to change the artwork during the production process. For markets like confectionery, the adoption of IML is especially beneficial. Eager to eliminate the secondary decoration process, move to lighter weight containers and reduce scrap rates, IML caters varied tub sizes, seasonal gift packs and anniversary editions, generating full-colour IML graphics easily, to provide strong visual and brand reinforcement with quick processing changeovers. In the personal care market, products once confined to the back of a vanity unit now take pride of place on the bathroom shelves. For statement or higher-value brands, moulded labels are more resilient. Because the labels

don’t peel off and are water resistant – for items like shampoo bottles – this helps to enhance the consumer experience.

Sustainable advantage

Sustainability is another factor where IML has the advantage. Because the label is printed directly onto the packaging material, householders can recycle the packaging as a single container, making packaging more environmentally friendly. From a manufacturer’s

perspective, printing the text and visuals directly onto packaging also means fewer resources are being used. In addition to reducing manufacturing costs, fewer machines and materials are required. Most IML processes are automated and, longer term, this can save a business a significant sum on resources. In addition, the decoration aspect of their labelling can now be brought in-house rather than outsourcing, streamlining production and realising further cost savings.

Adhesive labels are harder to apply to geometric and asymmetrical packaging which are being used to create standout shelf appeal

Kevin Heap, Sumitomo Demag

Advances in labels

While label substrates have become thinner - most filmic IML labels are around 40 microns - they have also advanced from decorating a small portion or strip of a pack to covering the entire container. For fresher foods, such as baked items, this is a big development as labels can incorporate multilayer barriers and even provide full

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IML Injection Moulding offers a cost effective method of forming robust thin-wall containers with lots of visual shelf appeal

coverage to minimise oxygen penetrating the pack, extending shelf life and reducing product waste. Previous challenges, such as label distortion on deeper containers - for instance ice cream tubs and yellow fats have also been solved. It is now possible to apply labels to containers 80mm deep, while staying consistent and true. Smaller production runs are also feasible, with digital technology especially suited to shorter IML runs. When it comes to the application of labels, techniques vary. In injection moulding the most common approach is to index pre-cut labels into the mould using a dedicated robotic arm, and immobilise them using vacuum or static electricity. The polymer is then rear-injected into the mould, while heat and pressure are carefully adjusted to deliver the required degree of melt in the film.

“By improving the packaging and labelling on products, manufacturers can retain trust and conﬁdence in their brands. IML is one of the techniques to help accomplish this” – Farmer IML graphics provide strong brand reinforcement and cater to seasonal confectionery patterns

comparison to 31 percent for IML extrusion blow moulding and a mere one percent for thermoforming. This reflects the much deeper penetration of the technology in Europe, where, currently, 95 percent is IMLIM compared to the other IML alternatives. “Despite being around for over two decades, IML is certainly gaining more traction,” observes independent packaging expert, Neil Farmer. “Packaging today has reached a crossroads, where sustainability, innovation and cost efficiencies are all important. Now, more than ever, consumers seek clarity and information such as ingredients and nutritional value, function and safety to be communicated clearly and in a way that is easily understood. It’s all about the seven second ‘blink of an eye moment’ when purchasing decision is made. By improving the packaging and labelling on products, manufacturers can retain trust and confidence in their brands. IML is one of the techniques to help accomplish this.” *http://www.convertingquarterly.com/blogs/ converting-curmudgeon/id/6488/where-the-inmold-label-market-will-be-in-2017.aspx

WWW.UK.SUMITOMO-SHI-DEMAG.EU/

Future growth predicted

Industry commentators predict that injection moulded IML will continue to grow the most rapidly of all primary-packaging label technologies between now and 2020. In part, this can be attributed to widespread adoption of thin-walled packaging. Based on global IML volume the injection moulding format (IML-IM) dominates at 68 percent* in

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@POLYMERMAN ON PRICES Are polyoleﬁn prices about to ‘bottom-out’ or is a gradual softening in price more likely? IN THIS EDITION OF OUR LATEST FEATURE LOOKING AT THE KEY ISSUES THAT INFLUENCE POLYMER PRICES, MIKE BOSWELL ASSESSES WHAT’S HAPPENING TO THE MARKETS NOW WE’RE INTO THE SUMMER SEASON, AS WELL AS HIS THOUGHTS AS TO WHAT COULD DRIVE INFLATION IN THE MONTHS TO COME.

he summer months typically bring some degree of uncertainty with regards to pricing. In the most part this is a function of seasonal holidays and, whilst polymer converter shut-downs are more typical in the hotter regions of Southern Europe, this is a period where commercial activity throughout becomes a little subdued as buyers and sellers take time off. Fortunately, the cracker maintenance season which affected the first half of this year passed without incident, and, despite the natural fears that the 2015 supply debacle would be repeated, there was actually a sense of prices softening in this period. The graph on the top right, which is deliberately denominated in Euros to avoid GBP:Euro exchange rate distortion, does in fact depict the price of both PP and PE softening from April onwards. At this stage it is also worth noting the healthy margins that polymer producers are continuing to enjoy. So, given this relatively satisfactory set of affairs for polymer producers, what could drive price inflation? One obvious possibility would be an increase in input costs, be it C2, Crude Oil or, more significantly, Naphtha, and subsequently a fairly unified move by polymer producers to lift prices in order to retain margin. Without a significant move on crude oil beyond the current $45 - $55 per barrel range, this feedstock driven price inflation looks quite unlikely. The other option is that there is a significant uplift in demand that gives producers the confidence to lift prices. In this case, buyer behaviour can lead to a selffulfilling destiny as converters compete to secure volumes at competitive prices. The action of suppliers to close order books once planned volumes have been

exceeded tends to exaggerate this demand-led spiral of price inflation. Whilst all of this may sound rather uncertain, the probability of any significant change would appear to be unlikely and for converters the possibility of further moderate price reductions would be the best scenario, as these circumstances typically lead to better margins as the pass-through of input prices is typically delayed. For the UK, currency factors cannot be ignored and the recent weakness in the GBP vs., the Euro after the UK general election is having a significant impact, with recent reductions in the value of sterling effectively adding £30 - £45 per tonne to the cost of a tonne of a typical PE or PP grade, albeit that this increase has been masked by the fall in polymer prices. Of course “time will finally tell” and no doubt there can always be some element of surprise as we move through the eak See Mike sp summer period. las

at Interp | | Main Stage Wednesday th 27 September

Who is @polymerman

Mike Boswell is Managing Director of UK materials distributor, Plastribution, as well as the Chairman of the British Plastic Federation’s Polymer Compounders and Distributors Group, and, most recently, its ‘BREXIT Committee’. 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.

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MATERIALS | NEWS WHITE HORSE PLASTICS TURNS THE TABLES ON BUZZY DECKS White Horse Plastics, an injection moulding firm in Oxfordshire, has developed a vibration dampening technology for record decks. The development occurred after one of the company’s suppliers introduced White Horse Plastics to a Wittenburg-modified grade of TPE, that prevents bounce and vibration. White Horse Plastics first applied the grade to vibration dampening in car gear boxes, reducing Noise Vibration Harshness (NVH) whilst working alongside a longstanding customer. During development planning for the use of Wittenburg in gear boxes, White Horse and the customer looked at its application in place under hi-fi equipment, particularly vinyl turntables. White Horse Plastics made test parts to suit the average diameter on hi-fi separates. The parts were

“THESE TWO TYPES OF POLYSTYRENE, WHICH OFFER CONSISTENTLY HIGH PRODUCT QUALITY THANKS TO THE UNIFORM MANUFACTURING PROCESS, COMPLEMENT OUR EXTENSIVE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO EXTREMELY WELL.”

The new dampeners

moulded at a nominal thickness, which appeared to have good dampening property, and kept aesthetic quality for a good-looking living room piece. Nick Allen, WHP Engineering Manager, said: “Not many spouses are generally tolerant of hi-fi idiosyncrasies that push the limits by adding large blocks of black resin in the living space – we chose a metallic housing to hide the dampener in a sleeker looking shell. This assembly can also be used the other way around - for speakers and equipment with spikes rather than

BIESTERFELD ADDS BASF POLYSTYRENE TO DISTRIBUTION PORTFOLIO Biesterfeld Plastic is to distribute polystyrene in Europe, North Africa and the CIS region following a development of its agreement with BASF. International plastics distributor, Biesterfeld, is adding polystyrene 158K and the recently commercialised polystyrene 148HQ produced at BASF’s plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, to its portfolio. “We have an expert distribution partner in Biesterfeld. We’re delighted that we have now also been able to agree a strategic cooperation at international level,” explained Bartholomäus Stiburski, Sales Management and Marketing Styrene/Polystyrene EMEA, BASF SE. Polystyrene 158K has versatile applications in numerous industries. Its properties of heat resistance and fast solidification make this food-safe polystyrene (EU Regulation 2016/1416) especially suitable for food applications such as disposable WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

feet – again protecting floors and furniture.” Allen added: “We found when placing these units under a good quality audiophile turntable that there is an instant increase in solidity and precision of the music being listened to.” Other applications saw improvements with the WHP dampeners including CD players, isolating speakers and under laptops. The new product is now currently being prepared for market as a potential tool to enhance the listening experience – somewhat like good interconnect cables and speaker cables. The WHP dampeners are currently being sampled by various Hi-Fi dealers and wholesalers and WHP is awaiting feed-back in preparation for wholesale selling. “We are looking to offer a product that offers great performance while looking good, and at a sensible price,” added Allen. WWW.WHITEHORSEPLASTICS.CO.UK

tableware and packaging. The high transparency of the plastic also enables it to be used as a stretch wrap film. 158K also has growing areas of application in medical equipment and laboratory supplies, for example in the manufacturing of petri dishes, beakers and lab slides. Additionally, BASF says the insulating properties of polystyrene 148HQ make it especially suitable for the production of XPS insulation boards and impact sound insulation. It has applications in building insulation, where high and stable output is required, as well as in the manufacturing of consumer goods. Martin Umbach, Managing Director of Biesterfeld Plastic GmbH, added: “BASF has been an important partner of ours for around 20 years. These two types of polystyrene, which offer consistently high product quality thanks to the uniform manufacturing process, complement our extensive product portfolio extremely well.” WWW.BIESTERFELD.COM

The chair combines durability, comfort and style by using different plastics from DuPont and 3D printing techniques

FLEXIBLE CANTILEVER CHAIR USING DUPONT MATERIALS GOES ON SHOW IN LONDON A furniture designer has turned to DuPont’s PBT ‘Crastin’ and TPC ‘Hytrel’ to create a cantilevered chair for a show at the Royal College of Art in London. Frederic Rätsch started his project ‘Flexible Seating in Public Spaces’ in October 2016, as part of his graduation project in design products at the college. He intended to make

the first flexible cantilever chair with benefits in sitting and stacking. So far only two cantilever chairs made structurally from plastic have been identified on the market and none of them is capable of providing the flexibility one would expect of a cantilever chair. To do this he needed DuPont Crastin PBT, a strong and durable material, for structural firmness, and the flexibility of thermoplastic elastomer, Hytrel, for enhanced softness and pleasant tactility of the surface. Andreas Zöller, DuPont Marketing Leader, said: “It has been a fantastic journey to bring our world-class application development capabilities to this project. Bringing deep understanding of material properties, functional and aesthetic design concepts has been energising and enabled us to push the limits in our minds.” The chair is intended for cafés, restaurants, canteens, museums, libraries, universities and other public spaces. It is designed with the research of the context, material, design history and sitting behaviour in mind. The use of high performance plastics gives the chair a comfortable elastic seat, made of Hytrel, that

INSET | An iPad case produced using Biomaster has protection from bacteria and fungi for the lifetime of the product

INNER-VISION DEBUGS IPAD CASES IN HOSPITALS Hampshire-based Inner-Vision Technology has created antimicrobial cases for iPads used in hospitals to provide protection against contamination. The ‘Tough-PAC’, which has longlasting antimicrobial protection, is a hard-shell case for both old and new iPads. Biomaster silver ion antimicrobial technology is engrained in the plastic case, inhibiting the growth of contaminating bacteria and fungi by a 99.6 percent reduction. Tough-PAC is encasing iPads at The Walton Centre, a neurosurgical hospital in Merseyside, which developed a digital record system in 2016 and replaced paper observation charts with an e-observation system. It has 160 iPad Tough-PACs. The Phoenix Children’s Hospital in 38

Arizona, USA, which provides every young patient with an iPad during their stay, also has Tough-PACs to minimise contamination. Keith Smith, Managing Director of Inner-Vision Technology, said: “We are really pleased to be supplying our products to support patient care in the UK and abroad. The ToughPAC system with added Biomaster protection is a great way to minimise WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

contamination in a hospital setting, aiding infection control.” Paul Morris, CEO of Addmaster, added: “Biomaster ensures effective antimicrobial protection for the effective lifetime of the product, helping to keep surfaces clean and hygienic and reducing the threat of cross-contamination.” WWW.ADDMASTER.CO.UK

Crédit photo : GettyImages - © Echo

allows adaption to the body. It is visually totally flat and solid, but when sat upon is soft and flexible. The Crastin PBT with its strength is an adequate material to support the seat shell, while still allowing some flex. The design process was driven by a constant exchange between the computer and full-scale model making. CAD models are used as a tool to record the process and test stackability and chair use. The Institute of Plastic Processing at RWTH-Aachen University, Germany, made a full-scale prototype on its large 3D printer, using Hytrel for the seat shell to showcase the intended flexibility. Nicolai Lammert of the Institute said: “The IKV is happy to have successfully contributed with its knowledge and large 3D printing assets in fused filament fabrication (FFF). Using that promising technology, the making of a fullsize 3D printed chair has been a challenge, due to its size, the use of DuPont’s new engineering filaments and the time constraints. There was no room for production repetition, but these new filaments revealed to be low warpage and easy in the printing process.”

“BRINGING DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES, FUNCTIONAL AND AESTHETIC DESIGN CONCEPTS HAS BEEN ENERGISING AND ENABLED US TO PUSH THE LIMITS IN OUR MINDS.”

WWW.DUPONT.COM

“With Stäubli’s magnetic clamping, the confidence of the whole company has increased!” CLARIANT AND HUNTSMAN ANNOUNCE ALL-STOCK MERGER Materials giants Clariant and Huntsman have announced they are to merge to create a global speciality chemicals company. The all-stock merger of the US- and Swiss-based groups will create a new company named HuntsmanClariant, with sales of approximately $13.2 billion (approx.. £10.1bn GBP), an adjusted EBITDA of $2.3 billion (approx. £1.7bn GBP) and a combined enterprise value of approximately $20 billion (approx. £15.4 billion GBP), according to a joint statement. The two companies say the new combined entity will benefit from each other’s strengths, stating it will have “a significantly improved growth profile in highly

attractive end markets and geographies.” Clariant shareholders will control 52 percent of the combined company, with Huntsman controlling the remainder. The new company will be based in Switzerland and governed by a Board of Directors with equal representation from Clariant and Huntsman. Hariolf Kottmann, current Clariant CEO, will become Chairman of the Board, Peter Huntsman, current Huntsman President and CEO, will become CEO and Jon Huntsman, founder and Chairman of Huntsman, shall become Chairman Emeritus and board member of HuntsmanClariant. The transaction is targeted to close by year end 2017. WWW.CLARIANT.COM WWW.HUNTSMAN.COM

William, Production Director

Magnetic clamping system: Experience born from confidence. “Thanks to Stäubli’s magnetic clamping, my teams have more peace of mind and independence. Moulds are changed faster, machine downtime is reduced and productivity is greatly improved.”

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26-28

The Pressunr! e is O

September

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PACKAGING | NEWS NEW ADDITIONS FROM SABIC FOR THINWALL PACKAGING SABIC has added to its polypropylene portfolio for packaging with the introduction of two new high flow, injection-moulding grades. New SABIC PP 513MK46 and 512MK46 are impact copolymers based on a phthalate-free catalyst. The grades will provide packaging manufacturers with production efficiency through shorter cycle times for thin wall manufacturing. SABIC has aimed for the grades to comply with the industry’s organoleptic requirements for taste and odour, with excellent stiffness and higher top-load strength for high stack ability that helps manufacturers achieve faster production cycle times, along with lower transport and storage costs. “The need for the industry has never been greater to find efficient solutions to the challenges - especially in food packaging

NEWLY DEVELOPED PACKAGING FILM HELPS BOLSTER CO-OP’S RECYCLING AMBITIONS

Coveris is a strategic partner to the CoOperative group

An innovative new, multi-layer film with integral sealing capabilities that enables current polythene-lined packaging trays to be more easily recycled has been developed by UKbased Coveris. The company is a strategic partner to the Co-Operative group and says that by working closely with the retailer on the development of the new film it is helping bolster its ambitions to make 80 percent of its own brand packaging recyclable by 2020. Coveris’ Technical Engineers working at its Winsford site formulated a thin, multi-layer, polyester barrier solution that enables plastic lidding film to be heat-sealed direct to the packaging tray through integral capabilities within the material.

SABIC has added to its polypropylene portfolio for packaging

- that the world faces today,” explained Lada Kurelec, Director of Polypropylene Business at Sabic. “SABIC understands the need for its packaging customers to not only stay ahead of industry trends and regulations, but also meet the demand for lowering weight and cost by reducing packaging thickness with down gauging, faster production

cycle times and minimising waste and the environmental impact. SABIC’s new impact polypropylene 513MK46 and 512MK46 grades are created to help our customers remain at the forefront of industry where consumer safety and sustainability are all critical.”

Traditionally film is sealed to the pre-lined tray using a polythene (PE) bonding layer, which currently makes the PET tray more unlikely to be recycled. Printed and converted at Coveris’ Gainsborough site, the finished format offers a sustainable, highquality, high performance solution for tray-packed products. Currently available across standard and ‘Irresistible’ Co-op cooked meat lines, the new packaging has been developed in collaboration with Tulip, the country’s largest producer of pork products. Specially formulated using innovative nine-layer extrusion technology and converted to form a high-performance laminate, Coveris says the new solution works to deliver the same, if not better, seal integrity, visual clarity, and shelf-life benefits as before. The new film also utilises burst-peel functionality to offer a more consumer friendly, easyopen solution.

Fundamental to driving the project forward from a manufacturer’s perspective, Matt Richards, Tulip’s Group Innovation Manager, said: “We are delighted to have worked alongside Co-op and our packaging supplier, Coveris, on this project, which is an excellent example of how supply chain collaboration plays a key role in reducing packaging waste. “Tulip is committed to developing more recyclable packaging solutions that benefit product quality and shelf life, and this innovative new film meets leading sustainability, functionality and performance demands.” The new film was recognised at Co-op’s recent annual technical conference with the coveted sustainability award. Leading the discussion around packaging recyclability and the retailer’s ambitious 2020 targets, Iain Ferguson, Co-op’s Environment Manager, added: “The Co-op is delighted to see packaging manufacturers such as Coveris producing new developments that help us to achieve our ambition of making our packaging easy to recycle.”

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T K Y

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Part of the new Pan-European polymer distribution company

CEFLEX is a new project organised by a consortium of European companies representing the entire value chain of ﬂexible packaging

NEW FLEXIBLE PACKAGING INDUSTRY CONSORTIUM TO BRING CIRCULAR ECONOMY SOLUTIONS A group of European flexible packaging companies have set up ‘CEFLEX’, a new project to advocate the use of flexible packaging in the circular economy. The scheme continues the work of the recently concluded FIACE project, which helped to quantify the added value and identify opportunities to increase recycling of flexible packaging; and REFLEX, an Innovate UK funded technical project focused on recycling flexible packaging in the UK. The consortium currently has 34 stakeholders representing raw materials suppliers, converters, retailers, advocates and sorters, including Tomra, Suez, Dow, Borealis and Siegwerk. Graham Houlder, Project Coordinator, said: “The earlier studies clearly identified technical solutions for successfully sorting and recycling more than 50 per cent of flexible packaging, using state of the art technologies. We are moving forward from this excellent work.

The new method was unveiled for the first time at Interpack

“We expect more flexible packaging to be collected and recycled in an increasing number of European countries. There will be recognition of the significant value this packaging format adds to the circular economy through measurable resource efficiency, waste prevention and recycling benefits.” CEFLEX will work towards the development of a collection, sorting

and reprocessing infrastructure for post-consumer flexible packaging across Europe by 2025. This will be enabled by the development and application of robust Design Guidelines for both flexible packaging and the End of Cycle infrastructure to collect, sort and recycle it, due for completion by 2020.

ALBIS AND FRAUNHOFER INSTITUTE DEVELOP SIMPLE METHOD TO MEASURE FILMS’ OXYGEN ABSORPTION

For this method, the measurement of the oxygen reduction in a hermetically closed Erlenmeyer is based on the effect of dynamic luminescence principle. The luminescence consists in an emission of light by a substance not resulting from heat. In this case, the oxygen is reacting with the sensor and the emission power is related to the oxygen in contact with this sensor. It is a non-destructive method that permits to follow the same sample during the time. “We are carrying internally an O2 absorption test on each produced batch of Shelfplus O2 by using our own test method. This method needs special equipment which makes it difficult for our customers to replicate it. The protocol developed by the Fraunhofer Institute uses equipment available for everyone and permits to compare results with our customers and replicate trials,” explained Roland Schultz, Global Director Marketing Packaging of Albis Plastic.

Albis has collaborated with the German research organisation, the Fraunhofer Institute, to develop a simple method that customers can use to measure the oxygen absorption of films themselves. Unveiled for the first time at the Interpack exhibition in Dusseldorf earlier this year, the method consists of measuring the oxygen absorption capacity of a defined packaging sample containing ‘Shelfplus O2’, an iron-based O2 scavenger masterbatch, produced by Albis, that is used for rigid and flexible barrier packaging applications. Shelfplus extends shelf life of humid products that are sensitive to oxidation and also reduces the content of preservatives (antioxidants). This sample is placed in an Erlenmeyer containing a defined quantity of water to insure a certain relative humidity permitting the activation of the absorbing reaction. WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

WWW.CEFLEX.EU

WWW.ALBIS.COM

Exclusive | Opportunities in waves:

What Mexico oﬀers the UK plastics industry

exico is an undeniably large market, which equals the size of Western Europe and has a population of over 120 million people. It is the largest economy in Latin America after Brazil, has a free trade and a double taxation agreement with the EU, as well as free trade access to the US market from Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Some 21 major vehicle manufacturers have a presence in Mexico, with the automotive sector alone IN THE FOLLOWING generating over $52bn ARTICLE, JUSTYNA per year1 as quoted by ELLIOTT, SENIOR ProMexico.2 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT According to the Department for EXECUTIVE AT THE BRITISH International Trade (DIT), PLASTICS FEDERATION, in 2014 trade between the WRITES EXCLUSIVELY UK and Mexico was worth FOR BP&R ON THE $32bn — so it is clear there OPPORTUNITIES MEXICO are opportunities for UK PRESENTS TO THE UK plastics companies keen to enter this huge market. PLASTICS INDUSTRY, In recognition of this, DIT is LOOKING AT THE RISING providing a limited number DEMAND COMING FROM A of grants for plastics BURGEONING MARKET. companies that wish to exhibit in Mexico.

The plastics market in Mexico

Mexico’s manufacturing sector includes automotive, aerospace, medical and electronics, and accounts for 19 percent of GDP. For comparison, retail accounts for 17 percent and mining for 11 percent. Other important industries include oil and gas, as well as construction and transport. The Mexican economy grew at the rate of 2.92 percent in 2015 and the plastics sector’s growth was very close at three percent. Currently, Mexico provides two percent of the world’s plastic production, which comes to 5.3 million tons per year, as quoted by Export.gov. Productivity in Mexico’s plastics market has increased 56 percent over the past five years, ranking Mexico as the twelfth largest plastics consumer in the world. According to La Asociación Nacional de Industrias del Plástico (ANIPAC) and presented by DIT in a report commissioned by the British Plastics Federation (BPF) (using data from 2014), Mexico’s plastics industry generates more than $23bn per year and is expected to continue to grow. There are over 4,500 plastics companies in Mexico, which manufacture over 4.8 million tons annually. Mexico consumes around 5.3 million tons of plastic products each year and four million tons of raw materials. Direct plastic consumption per person in Mexico is approximately 48kg per year, compared to an average European consumption of over 100kg, which indicates huge scope for growth.

Raw materials

Mexico represents a $29.8bn market for the chemicals sector, which includes cosmetics, paints, rubber, plastics and other items, according to Export.gov. Almost 50 percent of the raw material currently used in Mexico is imported, as the existing production capabilities are unable to satisfy current national demand. UK raw material exporters can therefore capitalise on this.

Machinery

Mexico is the world’s seventh largest importer of machines and tools, importing nearly $1bn per year according to the aforementioned report from DIT. Mexico is also the fourth largest importer of plastics machinery from the UK after the USA, India and China (source: EUROMAP). There is a significant need for processing and ancillary equipment as well as specialised new and second-hand machinery.

Recycling

Currently Mexico’s plastics recycling rate is very low, as reported by Export.gov. In 2015 it was estimated to be only 1.2 million tons, which is around 15 percent of total production. Almost 65 percent of Mexico’s used PET is sent to China, suggesting significant scope for the recycling sector to grow.

Packaging

Mexico is the eighth largest food producer in the world and the sixth largest soft drinks market in the world. Most plastics packaging is Mexico is used in the food and beverage sector, followed by cosmetics, personal products and pharmaceuticals. Overall, packaging accounts for the largest share of plastics consumption in Mexico, representing 50 percent of total use, followed by construction and retail at 16 percent each (source: DIT). According to the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), Mexico is the second largest buyer of US packaging equipment in the world and imports almost 80 percent of its packaging machinery. The packaging machinery market grew by eight percent between 2014 and 2015 and imports reached $678.1 million (source: Export.gov). Source: DIT report for British Plastics Federation

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Automotive

The automotive industry is one of the most dynamic and strategically important industries in Mexico, contributing to the country’s ongoing economic growth. According to ProMexico, Mexico is the seventh largest car producer and fourth largest exporter of light vehicles worldwide. A total of 21 of the world’s major vehicle manufacturers have a presence in 14 Mexican states and the sector generates over $52bn per year, which accounts for 18 percent of Mexican manufacturing GDP. In the 1980s, brands such as Ford, General Motors and Chrysler had a total of 56 assembly plants in the USA, which by 2010 had dropped to only 19 plants. During the same period, these car manufacturers doubled their operation in Mexico and expanded their existing facilities. The steady development of the automotive manufacturing sector in Mexico has been driven by the presence of the top ten light and heavy vehicle assembly companies in the world, such as General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Nissan, Honda, BMW, Toyota, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. These also attract car parts manufacturers, which locate their production plants nearby to meet the high demand. Mexico is the third most desired country to run a car and auto parts production facility after China and India, as reported by Mexico’s manufacturing magazine Manufactura. In recent years, Manufactura claims car manufacturers have moved their production lines to Mexico due to low-cost labour, proximity to the United States and free trade agreements. Currently the labour cost in Mexico is very low, at only $2.7 per hour for factory workers, compared to $7.5 per hour in Taiwan and $11.5 in the Czech Republic according to the same source. The production value of light vehicles in 2015 was reported at $1,498 billion, with a total of 86.9 million units — 6.7 percent growth from the previous year. It is expected that light vehicle production will grow at an average rate of 1.9 percent per annum, reaching 105.9 million units and an estimated $1,649 billion by 2020 according to ProMexico. Similarly, heavy vehicles manufacturing in Mexico is growing at a fast rate. In 2015 there were 3.7 million units of heavy vehicles produced at a value of $252 billion, showing growth of 9.1percent from the previous year. It is predicted that the value of heavy vehicle production will grow at an average annual rate of 2.2 percent and in 2020 this is likely to reach $280 billion.

Grant support for exhibiting at Mexico’s largest plastics show

Recognising that this is a key growth market for the plastics sector, the BPF is running a British Pavilion at Mexico’s largest plastics exhibition, Plastimagen, which takes place in November 2017. To support companies that wish to develop export links with Mexico, DIT has provided a limited number of grants worth £2,500. These grants are being administered by the BPF. If you would like to enquire about the opportunity of exhibiting and the possibility of receiving a grant please contact Justyna Elliott at jelliott@ bpf.co.uk

“According to the Department for International Trade (DIT), in 2014 trade between the UK and Mexico was worth $32bn — so it is clear there are opportunities for UK plastics companies keen to enter this huge market.”

References: 1 2

All figures in this article are US dollars ProMexico is an institution of the Mexican Government

Sources:

www.Export.gov www.manufactura.mx EUROMAP - European Plastics and Rubber Machinery www.ProMexico.mx/documentos/biblioteca/the-mexicanautomotive-industry.pdf www.gov.uk/government/publications/exporting-to-mexico/ exporting-to-mexico www.bpf.co.uk WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

PIPE & PROFILE | NEWS Large diameter pipes from Asset Weholite

FLEXIBLE PIPES IRRIGATE TRICKY HOUSING SITE IN KING’S LYNN A project started by King’s Lynn Council and housing developer, Lovells, is on the way to building 600 needed homes after laying flexible HDPE pipes from Asset Weholite. The Orchard Place site in Gaywood, East of Lynn, is typical of local geology with soft clayey ground, which is very compressible. As underground utilities can sink with the heavy concrete chambers needed for ongoing access to pipework, the site was problematic for Lovells to stop uneven water channels and excessive settlement putting the structures above at risk. Piling is a common solution to strengthening the load capacity of traditional foundations, but it requires deep drilling, which adds extra labour and costs. The site managers chose to use a custom Weholite pipes solution to use the flexibility of HDPE plastic to allow the products to move with the ground, negating use of piling and saving time and money. Roger Bowers, Lovell Ground Manager, said: “Weholite provided an effective solution to the threat of settlement and the team at Asset played an important part in supporting us to tackle some of the

intricate challenges that this project presented.” Asset provided 70 custom manholes across the storm-water, foul and culvert network at Orchard Place, with over 840 metres of Weholite pipes fabricated off-site and delivered in sizes varying from 400mm diameter to 900mm diameter. Jonny Johnson, Asset International Technical Sales Engineer, said: “The Orchard Place project is the first phase in an ambitious and challenging five-year housing development by Lovell and the

local Council and it is our hope that our innovative Weholite water management solutions will be used throughout the entirety of the process. “Thanks to recent investment in new technologies at our factory we have been able to supply an unprecedented amount of our smaller scale diameter pipes and fabrications for this development, which has made this multifaceted project a stimulating one to map out and implement.” WWW.WEHOLITE.CO.UK

MOLECOR EXPANDS PVC-O PIPES FACTORY IN SOUTH AFRICA Molecor, a Spanish pipe engineering company, has installed a second manufacturing line at its Oriented PVC Pipes (PVC-O) factory in South Africa. Along with its partner, Sizabantu Piping Systems, Molecor has supplied thousands of miles of PVC-O pipelines in Africa, which are certified according to the specification of the South African standard SANS 16422. Sizabantu, in the Richards Bay Industrial Zone, supplies pipes to South African farms and civil engineering projects. Molecor South Africa started in 2016 with the implementation of a production line for PVC-O pipes, and only a year later the production

The recently expanded factory in South Africa

capacity has doubled with the startup of the second production line. Molecor hopes its technology will provide the answer for Africa’s urgent demand for potable water supplies. The plant has a production capacity of 8,000 tonnes per year in the manufacture of TOM PVC-O pipes - thanks to the expansion Molecor will have access to large water projects with water pipes of

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large diameters and high pressures, manufactured with Molecor technology. The technology allows the production of TOM PVC-O pipes automatically and with a pipe-to-pipe quality control, guaranteeing the quality of the product throughout its life. WWW.MOLECOR.COM/EN/

CASE STUDY: SPILT MILK IS NO MATCH FOR POLYPIPE’S RIDGISTORM-XL SYSTEM It’s not often that a manufacturer of drainage systems is asked to consider floods of milk within its system designs, but that’s what Polypipe faced in one recent project. When a historic dairy processor in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, needed to expand its delivery yard to cope with rising capacity, Polypipe supplied its large diameter RidgistormXL system to provide long-lasting protection from stormwater and dairy spillages. Established in 1938, Cotteswold Dairy distributes fresh milk to customers across the UK. Following an increase in trade, the Dairy invested heavily to increase the size of its yard to allow for the movement of the delivery fleet. Gloucestershire remains one of most susceptible counties in the UK to flooding, so it was crucial that the yard expansion at Cotteswold Dairy incorporated an appropriate water management solution to store and attenuate any excess surface water on site. Working closely with project partners, Polypipe designed and supplied more than 250 metres of Ridgistorm-XL piping to feed an engineered attenuation tank. The entire system sits beneath the lorry park and discharges stormwater into a local watercourse. Traffic movement from the delivery fleet has the potential to lead to milk spillages mixing with surface water before entering the drainage system. Due to the ability of milk to corrode metal, a cast iron or steel system was unsuitable, and to mitigate the problem plastic was selected as the preferred material. Polypipe’s Ridgistorm-XL system was chosen because of its robust and reliable nature, along with a design life in excess of 100 years. Polypipe’s ability to pre-fabricate the system off-site ensured that installation could commence immediately upon delivery, reducing time, labour and cost savings that traditional systems, such as concrete piping, couldn’t match. Within the Ridgistorm-XL attenuation tank Polypipe engineers incorporated a ‘RidgistormCheck Vortex Flow Control Chamber’, as well as 10 fabricated fittings, including 90o bends and double T sections to control the discharge of water from the tank at a consistent rate into an existing watercourse. The pipes have a spigot design, meaning pipe alignment was simple and compatible with the electrofusion jointing method. This ensured the installation process was more efficient and less time-consuming. “Being a dairy processing site, there is a potential risk of milk leakages entering the tank to consider, and for this reason plastic was the ideal solution,” explained James Berry, Civil Engineer at project partner, Infrastructure Design Studio. “Polypipe’s ability to fabricate products meant the systems specified were unique to the project and could be delivered ready to install.” WWW.POLYPIPE.COM

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EU project improves efficiencies in conventional micro-irrigation systems

icro-irrigation technology is a highly efficient system where water is applied slowly to the roots of plants through a net formed by valves, pipes, tubes, drips and emitters. Additionally, it reduces the NURIA LÓPEZ AZNAR, use of chemical products and FROM THE EXTRUSION keeps the floor humidity stable, DEPARTMENT OF SPAIN’S thus reducing the stress on the TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE plants. Despite these benefits, OF PLASTIC, AIMPLAS, micro-irrigation systems have WRITES FOR BP&R ON certain limitations relating to THE OUTCOMES OF A design, operation and control EUROPEAN RESEARCH of the installation, mainly PROJECT DESIGNED TO due to the obstruction of the MAKE AGRICULTURAL emitters as a result of the MICRO-IRRIGATION accumulation of sediments, SYSTEMS MORE EFFICIENT, the floor suction and root intrusion. ENVIRONMENTALLY Where obstructions FRIENDLY AND FUNCTIONAL. are concerned – occurring due to the growth of roots looking for water towards the micro-irrigation drips – current systems incorporate chemical treatments to treat the roots. However, most of the chemical products are trifluralin-based, an herbicide with a high toxicity for fishes and other aqueous organisms. Additionally, it is not approved by the marketing list of phytosanitary products in the market. In order to solve these limitations, AIMPLAS has been involved with a European project known as RIGA1. The project aimed to design and implement new standard polyolefin-based irrigation systems with new antimicrobial and anti-root (trifluralin-free) properties. These properties would not only allow an increase in functionality until the end of a system’s shelf life, but also contribute to a reduction in water consumption, since a lesser level of cleaning is needed in contrast with the current systems in the market.

Overcoming limitations

In order to solve the limitations of the current microirrigation systems, both in pipes and drips, the Riga project proposed two solutions. Firstly, to reduce algae and moulds in irrigation water, antimicrobial additives would be trialled in the extruded micro-irrigation tubes, according to the biocides regulation 98/8 / CE and RD 1054/2002. Secondly, to reduce the intrusion of roots in the drips buried, alternative additives to trifluralin with low toxicity would be trialled in the manufacturing of drips by means of injection.

Participating companies and tasks developed within the project

The Riga project partners included six members from three different countries: Italy, Belgium and Spain. Spainbased Galloplast, along with Aimplas, were responsible for procuring compounds with a high load of antimicrobial and anti-root additives. These were then used by Italy’s Irritec in the manufacturing of the new microirrigation systems, where it focused on extruded tubes and injected drips for the new micro-irrigation systems. The main task of Belgium’s PCS, the research centre

of ornamental horticulture; PCG, ABOVE | Nuria López Aznar with the the vegetables extruded tube research centre; and Italy’s CERSAA, the INSET | The microagricultural testing irrigation systems and assessment produced by the centre, has been the project included validation of the tubes antimicrobial and in climatic conditions anti-root additives typical of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea and in different cultivation systems, both in open air and greenhouses.

Results obtained

The results of the validation of tubes and drips containing the new additives compared to the traditional systems have shown, firstly, that the new tubes guarantee a constant flow speed during the whole testing period. The pressure measured inside the tube was kept constant during the whole study. Secondly, the presence of the anti-microbial additive inhibits the growth of fungi inside pipes, so the greater the concentration of additive is, the greater the effect. The results show the innovative pipes ensure a performance and quality of crops comparable to traditional systems. In addition, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been performed in order to evaluate the environmental impact of the new pipe. Since this tube developed can be used for longer periods of time, less plastic wastes are generated, so less gas emissions are generated, too. After the economic evaluation, the project partners can conclude that the product is cost-competitive with current ones, since it has a cost increase of less than 10 percent. 1 “Micro-irrigation plastic pipes and drips with antimicrobial and anti-roots functionalities”. Co-funded by the Eco-innovation Initiative of the European Union. GA: Eco/13/630411/RIGA. WWW.RIGAPROJECT.EU WWW.AIMPLAS.NET

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BLOW MOULDING | NEWS KAUTEX MASCHINEBAU INTRODUCES DOWNSTREAM PROCESSES FOR ITS BLOWMOULDING MACHINES Kautex Maschinebau has announced it is introducing downstream processes for its allelectric KBB series blow-moulding machines following on from a year of record sales in 2016. This achievement was put down to the success of its Kautex’s machine line-up, its innovative approach, and its new high-performance blowmoulding machines for the packaging sector. Kautex is currently in the process of expanding its main plant in Germany to meet the increased demand, which will be officially opened in the third quarter of 2017. The increased space will be used for the assembly for the KBB and KSB machines. Alongside these developments, Kautex has also introduced a new solution for the integration of downstream processes using IntelliGate modules, which has attracted global interest. Andreas Lichtenauer, Managing Partner for Kautex Maschinebau, said: “This solution enables our machines to be digitally networked to form a complete production line in accordance with the megatrend of Industry 4.0.”

The Adblue container

Alongside the IntelliGate system is the newly developed Connext interface. The Connext interface is used to integrate downstream processes, such as the quality control process, into the machines. Individual modules can be incorporated with machines in the KBB series by the Kautex experts and are connected via the Connext interface using plug-and-play, which provides Kautex customers with a completely integrated production process from a single source. By developing Connext, Kautex says it has created a standard solution that not only helps to ensure that all connected modules are supplied with compressed air and power, but also guarantees a standardised data exchange. This solution gives users the flexibility to respond to changes in the production system by allowing them to exchange the modules of existing Kautex machines, while also eliminating the need for an additional power supply or compressed air connections. Christian Kirchbaumer, Kautex’s Team Leader for Marketing, said: “We haven’t adapted the

RPC DEVELOPS COMPLEX BLOW-MOULDED CONTAINER FOR ENGINE CARE PRODUCTS Northumberland-based RPC Promens has designed a custom blow moulded HDPE container with an integrated spout for Tetrosyl’s ‘Adblue’ range of motoring products. The 3.5 litre bottle has a built in nook to house the dispensing nozzle, designed to put Adblue, a urea solution that reduces nitrogen oxide emissions, in diesel engines. The design was a technical challenge for RPC Promens, as the container had to be have a spout suitable for easy-access to the many differently-located vehicle filler caps on a range of diesel cars. Within the design, RPC overcame

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individual downstream processes to suit the design of our machines so they look even more attractive, but instead in order to clearly highlight the added value provided. The modules connected via the Connext interface save time and improve performance, thus enabling us to offer a real competitive advantage.” WWW.KAUTEX-GROUP.COM Kautex has introduced a new solution for the integration of downstream processes using IntelliGate modules

this challenge by increasing the capacity and footprint of the container and at the same time realigning the spout within the footprint. Another benefit of this solution, is a clear front to maximise brand presence, as well as user convenience with a large handle and wide base for controlled pouring. Shazad Shah, Tetrosyl’s Product Manager for Lubricants and Winter, said: “The new pack has been extremely well-received in the market - we have been delighted with RPC’s contribution to the project, in particular their responsiveness to our requirements.” WWW.RPC-PROMENS.COM

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Milacron’s Uniloy division is installing Meech static solutions on its equipment

MILACRON UNILOY INSTALLS MEECH’S 929IPS DC BARS ON BLOW MOULDING MACHINES Milacron’s Uniloy blow moulding product brand is continuing its three-year partnership with Meech to install Hyperion 929IPS DC ionising bars on its blow moulding equipment to reduce the level of static activity. Uniloy’s European facilities are located in Magenta, Italy, with multiple manufacturing facilities situated in Germany. Uniloy machines are used to manufacture various parts and containers for a number of industries, including packaging, automotive, medical and cosmetics. “Depending on the processed material, speed and ambient conditions, high static charges can build up on the extruded parisons during the blow moulding process,” explained Massimo Davoli, Global Product Manager for Shuttle Blow Moulding at Uniloy. “Static can have a serious effect on parison alignment, with a particularly high concentration of static being able to cause the parisons on the blow moulding lines to swing out of place. Product misbehaviour can potentially result in malfunctioning equipment, loss of production and poor container quality which will lead directly to increased rejection rates.”

PLASTRIBUTION BOOSTS BLOW MOULDING AND MEDICAL PORTFOLIO WITH NEW TOSOH GRADES Plastribution is offering four new grades

UK plastics raw materials distributor, Plastribution, has expanded its portfolio with the addition of new grades from the Tosoh Corporation, the parent

The Hyperion 929IPS is a compact pulsed DC ionising bar with Integrated Power Supply (IPS), with default settings that allow quick and easy installation and use on extrusion lines. A 24V plug-andplay bar, it provides excellent static elimination for short to medium range applications (up to 500 mm). With the bar’s compact dimensions, it makes ionising the parisons easier and without compromising workflow and production speeds. To combat the effect of static on production, Uniloy has been installing Meech’s Hyperion 929IPS DC bars to neutralise parisons after the extrusion process. According to Davoli, customer needs have drastically changed in recent years. “Our customers need

more support and only the ones that have their requirements met can survive in the market. In addition to this challenge, we must constantly develop our machines and explore new technologies. In the future, the demand for fully-electric machines, which are more productive and energy-saving compared to hydraulic machines, is set to increase.” Davoli concluded: “Meech has proven to be a reliable partner and we are very satisfied with their antistatic solution, as well as the service provided. We trust in their systems and are able to supply our customers with flawless working machines thanks to our solid partnership.”

company of the Japanese chemical and specialty products and materials group. Two new grades are aimed at meeting the demands of blow moulders and additionally, a further two are suited to medical products manufacturers in the UK. Firstly, for blow moulders, the new grades of high purity HDPE resin are aimed at meeting the increasing high demands for containers storing high purity chemicals. By using new catalyst technology and control of low molecular weight components, Tosoh has produced two grades that meet the physical, processability and cost efficiency requirements of blow moulded storage containers, whilst reducing possible contamination from microparticles and metal elements. Two additive free grades are available: 8022 for small bottles up to 20 litres and 8D01A for larger

industrial containers up to 200 litres. Secondly, for medical product manufacturers, Plastribution is now offering two new grades of polyethylene aimed at the sterilisation market. Both grades are said to provide a solution to the long standing issues of deformation and reduction in clarity at sterilisation temperatures. Combined to form a three-layer film, the first grade - FY13, which is used in the outer layers, has a melting point of 133°C, thus avoiding melting during sterilisation. With its low crystallinity and the subsequent low density, the second grade, FY12, is then used as the middle layer thereby ensuring maximum flexibility and clarity. Both grades contain no additives and therefore have very low extractables.

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Engineering Passion

MACHINERY | NEWS WARDEN PLASTICS BUY DAVIS STANDARD EXTRUDERS TO ANSWER DEMAND FOR WATER TREATMENT PARTS Warden Plastics’ Biomedia product range – polypropylene parts for wastewater treatment – will continue to grow after two Davis-Standard Euro Blue extruders were bought to produce random filter media products for wastewater processes. The extruders are part of a major investment by Luton-based Warden following a surge in demand by water companies in Britain and Europe. This brings the company’s DavisStandard extruder total to five with future investments on the horizon. Davis-Standard’s Euro Blue extruder

Mark Barrett, Warden Plastics’ Managing Director, said: “We are focused on high volumes, efficiency and quality for a large range of polypropylene products for the wastewater treatment market. Davis-Standard’s Euro Blue extruders perform exceptionally well in meeting our delivery and process targets, while also allowing us to run a cost-effective operation. We have a very good working relationship with Davis-Standard, and appreciate their responsiveness in addressing our requirements.” Warden’s Biomedia series uses its patented designs to reduce energy consumption, meet environmental goals and reduce costs. The company’s products are made of recycled and virgin polypropylene, which is essential due to superior bacterial adhesion properties when compared to competing products made with HDPE. Mark Woodgate, Managing Director of Davis-Standard, said: “The Euro Blue has been a costeffective option for customers like Warden to achieve quality, reliability and excellent processing rates. This machine also offers a lot of advantages in terms of feedscrew, gearbox and barrel technology. These extruders can also be delivered in two to three weeks. It’s rewarding working alongside Warden Biomedia to help them supply the most innovative biological filtering products

RENMAR INTRODUCES NEW AND UPDATED RANGE OF AEC MOULD HEATERS

The new ZG mould heater from Renmar

Renmar Plastics Machinery is now distributing the latest range of mould heaters from US manufacturer, AEC, to the UK market. The new ZG mould heater range effectively replaces the old VCU range and there are some significant differences, says Renmar. Firstly, the heaters and pumps are now made from stainless steel rather than cast iron. Water supply outlets and inlets are three-quarters of an inch but are supplied with one-inch adapters and the high-flow pump can operate

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Biopipe produced by Warden Plastics, using DavisStandard’s Euro Blue extruder

to the marketplace.” Warden has 60mm and 90mm Euro Blue models, but the machine is also available in 50mm, 75mm and 115mm sizes. The biological filter media manufactured on these extruders is feasible for both industry and municipal wastewater treatment applications requiring organic removal, nitrification and denitrification. The Biomedia products are also used in agriculture and aquatics reaching customers in the Americas, Turkey and Northern Europe. WWW.DAVIS-STANDARD.COM

within a range of between 0°C and 120°C. There are two models in the ZG range. The ZG200 has a 9kw Heater and a 2HP Pump which is rated at up to 189 litres/min and the ZG300 which has a 12kw Heater and a 3HP Pump which is rated at up to 227 litres/min. “When you have a product which is so widely accepted as being the best available across the industry, you wonder why you would want to make changes to it,” said Kevin Horne, Managing Director at Renmar Plastics Machinery. “However, in this instance the changes to the range are only for the better.” WWW.RENMAR.CO.UK

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WITTMANN LAUNCHES THE LATEST IN ITS G-MAX GRANULATOR SERIES The Wittmann Group has launched its third model of the G-Max series of conventional blade granulators, the G-Max 23. This latest model completes the G-Max granulator series, which now consists of G-Max 12, G-Max 23 as the latest development, and G-Max 33. The latest model in a series of flexible, custom-made and belt-driven compact granulators, Wittmann says the G-Max 23 is specifically designed for the closed-loop recycling of sprues/runners from injection moulding machines with up to 240 tons of clamping force. It is a portable piece of equipment, which allows for great versatility, and can be moved easily from one moulding machine to another. The granulator operates with low energy consumption and is equipped with sound insulation for the cutting chamber, greatly reducing the overall noise level. It is powered by an IE2 motor for high energy efficiency. With the G-Max 23, Wittmann says a granulating throughput of 80 kg/h is made possible. Like other models in the G-Max series, the G-Max 23 features a remote control, which replaces the fixed electrical control panel usually x 23 The new G-Ma

used on granulators. This new functionality allows for standard functions that are not available with traditional granulator design, says Wittmann, for example, the control device has an hour counter with a digital display, helping to fix the appropriate maintenance date. The granulator has an interface that enables full communication with the injection moulding machine. This comes with additional energy-saving options, such as a special shut down feature that stops the granulator automatically when the injection moulding machine is ‘off’. Other user-friendly benefits of the new G-Max 23 include two different positions of the control on the granulator, making it much easier for the operator to supervise the grinding process. The control’s connecting cable to the granulator has a length of three meters, and this feature allows the control of the granulator from outside a protective housing. In contrast to competitor products, Wittmann says it offers this feature as a standard part of the granulator package. For added efficiency, the G-Max 23 is equipped with a hybrid rotor (open and staggered) consisting of 3 × 2 knives with open spaces between the rotating knives and the centre of the shaft. This provides unrestricted air-flow through the large 310 × 235 mm cutting chamber – thus cooling hot materials. Consequently the G-Max is ideal for granulating heat-sensitive resins or feedstock that is still warm from processing. In addition, the slanted knives improve the cutting process of thick parts, biting into them from different angles. The rotating knives can be sharpened with ease, and are also individually adjustable. This leads to optimal knife gaps that minimise dust and achieve a great overall regrind quality. WWW.WITTMANN-GROUP. COM

VISIT OUR STAND, HALL 4, STAND E12 | L10

The modern PVC industry: “United we stand”

n working towards its sustainability goals and contributing to the circular economy, the global PVC industry is unique in that it is united. United in its message, united in its ambitions and united as a multistakeholder community that BP&R REPORTS FROM THE wants to continue to achieve FIFTH ANNUAL VINYLPLUS positive change. This, according to Philip Law, SUSTAINABILITY FORUM Director General of the British IN BERLIN EARLIER THIS Plastics Federation and one YEAR AND REFLECTS ON of the conference Chairs, is TWO DAYS OF HIGH LEVEL down to communication. By DEBATE AND DISCUSSION setting out, and subsequently AROUND THE PVC achieving, clearly defined goals, VinylPlus has given the industry INDUSTRY’S AMBITIONS TO the means to communicate the CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY same positive message. This, TO THE EU’S CIRCULAR he believes, has made a huge ECONOMY GOALS. difference to the image of PVC in the last 15 years. “Personally, I think that the ramping up of PVC recycling in a systematic way across Europe under the aegis of Vinyl 2010 and VinylPlus has had a lot to do with it, because this gave us the substance for positive communications. It was actually doing what we said, across Europe, that made the difference. When challenged ‘What is the industry doing about the

VinylPlus Chairman, Josef Ertl

PVC issue?’ the answers suddenly became very easy to construct and enabled the industry to speak with absolute confidence and conviction,” he told delegates.

Towards Circular Economy

Over the course of the two days, under the theme of ‘Towards Circular Economy’, a broad body of speakers took to the stage to explore the many growing opportunities for the PVC sector to contribute to this key objective of EU policy. Against a backdrop of important decisions being taken on the European Commission’s Circular Economy Package, presentations and panel discussions from high-level speakers focussed on how the vinyl industry is tackling key sustainability issues, such as legacy additives in recycled PVC, and contributing to a stronger circular flow of resources. The forum attracted more than 170 stakeholders from 30 countries representing academia, government bodies, the UN, the European Commission, specifiers, designers, architects and all sectors of the PVC industry. VinylPlus Chairman, Josef Ertl, said: “The debate about how Europe can make the transition to a circular economy is placed high on the political agenda. I’m sure, most people will agree, that a sustainable society without a circular economy is difficult to imagine. And the unique characteristics of plastics allow them to make a strong contribution to a more environmentally sustainable and resource efficient Europe. PVC is clearly contributing to this; and certainly VinylPlus with its unique cooperation model, bringing together the whole PVC value chain, is the right platform for sustainability and circularity in the PVC industry.” Acknowledging that a move from a predominantly linear to a largely circular economic system would “dramatically change” how companies and value chains co-operate and the way we produce and consume goods, Ertl said: “In this context, we must ensure that the entire life cycle of a product is considered, not just aspects at the end of the life cycle.” He called on political leaders to work closely with the PVC industry to analyse the potential impacts of any decisions that might affect the PVC sector, adding: “They should ensure that the process is developing smoothly without too many frictions. We in the PVC and plastics industry will support such an approach.”

How to handle ‘End-of-Life’

Michael Kundel, President of the European Plastics Converters (EuPC) stated that a clear way forward on how to handle end of life PVC is “urgently required” if its further potential is to be exploited in the future. He called on the PVC industry and political decision-makers to “cooperate fully and establish a framework that meets the needs of a low carbon economy.”

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He added: “The VinylPlus Voluntary Commitment has set a framework and can serve as a roadmap on how to create a more sustainable future with plastic materials along the value chain. Being the successful pioneer, VinylPlus might well serve as a role model for other plastics too.”

Innovation as a driver Reflecting on the Forum, Chairman Ertl concluded: “The high level of speakers discussing interesting areas and topics has revealed that many of them understand and appreciate the work of the whole PVC supply chain. We know, however, that it is a big challenge to get all these players aligned. Innovation is key. Innovation is the main driver Less is More which creates ways to reduce emissions and In his update on the Agenda 2030 VinylPlus r, consumption of raw materials and resources. and the Circular Economy, Christophe General Manage It improves energy and cost efficiency, it Yvetot, UNIDO Representative to the European Brigitte Dero increases products’ useful lives. It will create Union United Nations Industrial Development a lot of new ways to improve recycling. Through the Organisation, outlined PVC’s contribution to the ‘less VinylPlus Voluntary Commitment, with the entire value is more’ vision through its greater durability, longevity chain, we contribute to overcoming the challenges faced and recyclability in materials used in future urban in a circular economy.” developments. Yvetot also said that the implementation of Industry WWW.VINYLPLUS.EU 4.0 as the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ sees us entering a period of “hyper efficiency”. The different aspects of this can be applied to further enhance sustainability, he told delegates, adding that new technologies can make businesses more sustainable and more competitive.

Latest VinylPlus results

Presenting the 2016 results, VinylPlus General Manager, Brigitte Dero, highlighted the achievements of a “united PVC value chain” within the VinylPlus framework, which included the recycling of 568,696 tonnes of PVC last year. A cumulative total of more than 3.5 million tonnes of PVC has been recycled since 2000 thanks to the efforts of VinylPlus. Progress on additives includes the development of the Additives Sustainability Footprint (ASF), a science-based methodology for assessing the sustainable use of additives in PVC products. The first ASF will be completed for window profiles this year, followed by flexible applications. Dero stated: “Through the VinylPlus Voluntary Commitment, we can provide solutions to issues raised in the EU discussion on Plastics Strategy. In 2016, we made real progress towards our sustainability goals in terms of the safety and quality of recycled PVC, alongside recognition by external stakeholders that VinylPlus is considered by many as a frontrunner for the circular economy. You can find out more in our Progress Report 2017.”

Impact on the wider plastics industry

Discussion also centred on Circular Economy policies, both regionally and Europe-wide and their potential impact on the plastics industry as a whole. Dr ir Werner Bosmans, EU Commission, DG Environment, updated delegates on the EU Strategy on Plastics in a Circular Economy. Cees Luttikhuizen, Senior Policy Advisor at The Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, evaluated the impact of REACH policies for waste and the circular economy. Two keynote speeches from Norbert Kurilla, State Secretary at the Slovak Ministry of Environment, and Dr Alexander Janz from the German Federal Ministry for Environment, highlighted best practice and developments towards a circular economy in their respective countries. Dr Janz said: “The many possible uses of plastics have made them an integral part of our daily lives. It is precisely for that reason that, now more than ever, we have to strengthen the sustainable management of plastics along the entire value chain and in doing so reduce negative effects on the environment and human health.”

“The VinylPlus Voluntary Commitment has set a framework and can serve as a roadmap on how to create a more sustainable future with plastic materials along the value chain. Being the successful pioneer, VinylPlus might well serve as a role model for other plastics too”

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RECLAMATION & RECYCLING | NEWS PVC GIFT CARDS GIVEN NEW LIFE AS PIPE IN RECYCLING TRIAL One million old PVC store gift cards have been successfully recycled in a pioneering trial, providing material for use in new products, such as pipes, and saving 10 tonnes of plastic from being landfilled. Managed by resource recovery specialist, Axion Consulting, the ‘RecoCard’ project involved retailer B&Q; Jellyfish Livewire, a Hampshirebased digital marketing agency and gift card producer; and RPCS (Rubber Plastic Collection Service), a specialist recycler. Already worth £5.6 billion a year, the UK market for PVC gift and store cards continues to grow. Around two billion are produced each year - equivalent to 2,500 tonnes. Most cards are redeemed in store and thrown away, where they end up in landfill and don’t biodegrade. Recognising the disposal challenge, Jellyfish Livewire decided to explore a take-back scheme and specialist recycling system as part of its ‘Green Gift Card’ initiative. Early research led to the agency partnering with the British Plastics Federation (BPF) to test the recycling concept with a low-volume trial using mobile phone sim card bodies. This material was reprocessed by a specialist recycler. Having proved successful, a larger PVC gift card trial was set up with B&Q to research an environmentally-friendly disposal solution.

EXCELLENT PRODUCTION RESULTS FROM STARLINGER PET BOTTLE-TO-BOTTLE LINE The Starlinger recoSTAR PET bottle-to-bottle recycling line at the facility of Canadian water bottler, Ice River Springs, in Ontario, USA, has reported excellent production results, with a high production output. The line has been fitted with Nordson’s BKG Flex Disc filter cartridge, which has been included for melt filtration, and output is now even higher than the values guaranteed in the acceptance protocol. 58

PVC gift cards have successfully passed a recycling trial

The retailer had been left with approximately one million old and out-of-date cards, having recalled all their plastic store cards to replace them with cardboard ones for environmental reasons. At Jellyfish Livewire’s premises, 25 pallets holding the PVC and PETG cards were manually separated from the cardboard carriers and sorted into material types. The PVC cards were reprocessed by Berkshire-based RPCS, an accredited Recovinyl recycler, into granules to make irrigation pipes. As well as providing employment for low-skilled workers, the scheme proved that PVC store cards can be recycled successfully and prevented 10 tonnes of plastic being landfilled. Although alternative plastic and cardboard options exist, the majority of cards are made from PVC, a readily-recyclable material. The lifecycle of a typical gift or store card tends to be short and some don’t even reach stores as branding or

The purge rate has also been reduced by 40 per cent, and the melt loss due to backflushing is below the minimum values. A spokesperson for Ice River Springs said: “Our Starlinger system with Flex Disc filters was a positive investment for Ice River Springs. The new filtration system has improved our purification process, reduced waste and improved performance to a level at, or beyond, the commitment made by Starlinger.” Paul Niedl, Head of Sales at Starlinger, said: “With the Nordson Flex Disc filter integrated into our WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

marketing offers change. This redundant or out-of-date stock is invariably left sitting in warehouses. Jellyfish Livewire Managing Director, Graham Lycett, commented: “There’ll always be a need for both cardboard and plastic cards. As long as we can close the loop for the plastic ones by offering a proper recycling scheme for PVC cards, I think we tick every box and provide retailers with a choice.” Calling for retail industry support and greater consumer awareness to develop the scheme, Lycett added: “The UK gift card market is such a big part of our economy - all powered by a small plastic card.” Having proved the concept, investment in infrastructure is the next step. This includes a collection hub for PVC cards, including those redeemed in store, near to the recycler so that material can be transferred in bulk loads to minimise transport costs. The scheme could be extended to other types of cards, such as loyalty cards and hotel key cards. Jane Gardner, Principal Consultant, Axion Consulting, said: “This is an excellent example of how a ‘short-life’ PVC product like a gift card can be recycled into a ‘long-life’ one such as pipes. As the first trial of its type, we have shown that gift cards can be recycled successfully and our aim is to eventually extend the scheme to more companies.” WWW.AXIONCONSULTING.CO.UK

PET recycling system, the melt loss that accumulates during the backflushing process in the course of the filter cleaning is down to 1.4 to 1.7 per cent, a figure that is a lot lower than normal in PET bottleto-bottle recycling processes. The filter works extremely efficiently, as even when processing materials with high contamination that cannot be recycled on other lines, the backflushing melt loss increases to no more than two per cent.” WWW.STARLINGER.COM

SOUTH AMERICAN RECYCLER INVESTS IN EREMA TECHNOLOGY FOR PET STRAPPING A recycler based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has successfully advanced from a PET flake producer to a manufacturer of high-end strapping following investment in technology from Erema. Since it was established in 1994, Reciclar has specialised in the production of washed polyolefin and PET flakes. In 2010, however, the company’s Director, Sergio Martin, decided to expand the portfolio by adding the production of meltfiltrated recycled PET pellets. The company invested in a Vacurema Basic 1714-T from Erema, with a plan for 7,500 tonnes of rPET pellets for the thermoforming, packaging and fibre industry. However, the system “surpassed” the expected performance by ten percent for six years in succession, as well as delivering a stable IV value of the pellets in the process. Following this success, at the beginning of 2017 the company added the production of PET strapping to its portfolio, featuring

VANDEN OPENS “MILESTONE” PLASTICS PROCESSING FACILITY IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Vanden’s new facility in Whittlesey is part of a planned expansion to boost UK recycling

Vanden Recycling has opened a new plastic processing facility in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, in what it says is a “key milestone” in the company’s UK expansion plans. Vanden recycles scrap plastic from manufacturing, distribution and retail industries, which it sells back to the manufacturing sector, both in the UK, Europe and export markets, as a valuable and sustainable material feedstock.

the production of PET flakes and recyclates. Earlier this year, Reciclar invested in a Vacurema 1510-T inline strapping system in combination with a Tight Strap 550 from Italian manufacturer, SIMA (Dietze + Schell Group). The company has since achieved direct processing of washed PET flakes to high-strength PET strapping with an annual capacity of around 4,000 tonnes. The downstream strapping system from SIMA receives the IV-stable melt in a consistent process directly from the Vacurema systems. The homogeneous melt is routed to the extrusion head double spin pumps, scaled as required and wound into high-performance PET strapping. The Vacurema is able to handle a variety of input materials at Reciclar, including washed PET flakes, plus PET recyclates and ground production waste from thermoforming plants, for example. The materials processed are also in a mixed state, such as in crystalline or amorphous form, and have large, real density differences (down to 150kg/m³), input moisture (up to one percent) and PET fines. The vacuum reactor/extruder series is able to handle the difficult

input spectrum with considerably reduced energy consumption compared to conventional PET processing systems, says Erema. This pre-treatment enables the use of a degassing-free and highly robust 3S bimetal single screw extruder in L/D 26.5. Martin says the investment in the technology will allow it to supply high-grade PET flakes and PE and PP recyclates to customers, regardless of the quality of the input materials, allowing it to adapt to the changing PET post-consumer bottle market.

The new facility in Whittlesey will give Vanden a centrally located processing capability in the UK with quick access to Peterborough and the A1. The new facility is equipped with technologically-advanced shredding, granulation and baling plant and has a front-end material inspection and preparation area. Combined, these will ensure that the plastics collected are treated to meet the highest standards required by manufacturers worldwide. The site has three fully soundproofed granulation lines which have a combined throughput of up to 30 tonnes of plastic a day when operating on a single shift. The plant has the flexibility to handle multiple plastic streams such as ABS, HDPE, LDPE, PC, PET, PMMA, PP PS and PVC and to quickly alternate plant set up between different customer requirements. Currently, the site has created 12 jobs, but when fully operational Vanden says this is likely to increase to 20. As material deliveries increase, further employment opportunities will become available.

David Wilson, Managing Director of Vanden Recycling in the UK, said the new facility is part of the company’s planned strategic expansion. “Our parent company Vanden Global sees opportunities in the UK plastic recycling sector, and this investment in this facility marks a vote of confidence in the UK,” Wilson explained. “There are many opportunities to expand plastics recycling in the UK, but the volatility of the markets means that doing so requires a high degree of expertise and understanding. Our intention is to expand this site and increase the quantity and quality of plastics recycled here in the UK. Demand for material is high – but only if it meets the right standards.” Material being processed at the facility is focused primarily on post-industrial plastic waste from the vacuum forming, blow moulding, injection moulding, printing, retail and logistics sectors.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

WWW.EREMA.COM

Reciclar produces high quality end products such as strapping bands from post-consumer PET bottles

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MOULD MAKING | NEWS MOULD MAKER INSTALLS NEW MACHINING CENTRE AS PART OF ONGOING INVESTMENT

The 1,300 mm long table of the Genos M560-V allows multiple jobs to be set up instead of one large component.

Whitchurch-based mould maker, BM Injection, has invested in a bridge-type machining centre as part of ongoing investment into its toolroom facilities. The company purchased the Okuma Genos M560-V from the Japanese manufacturer’s UK agent, NCMT, as it needed to replace an ageing, 3-axis, vertical-spindle machining centre of C-frame design. BM Injection, which was established in 1984, manufactures mould tools weighing up to three tonnes and produces injection moulded parts up to 800 grams. The company has invested £400,000 in the toolroom alone in the last two years and a similar sum on the injection moulding side. Mark Coombes, Technical Director at BM Injection, said the Genos M560-V suited the company’s requirements in terms of size, as the machine has a small footprint of less than eight square metres for the 1,050 x 560 x 460 mm work envelope. The Genos M560-V is equipped with Okuma’s Thermo Friendly Concept, whereby the cutting performance of the machine has been mapped across a wide temperature range in the R&D centre at the Japanese factory. Temperature sensors incorporated into both the thermo-symmetrical structure and oil-cooled spindle of

Ian Mancey inspecting an intricate aluminium core for an injection mould tool.

the machine allow the predictable, uniform thermal expansions and contractions to be maintained within 10 microns by compensation software built into the control, despite ambient temperature variation of up to 8°C. This is achieved with the help of Okuma’s own 0.1-micron resolution linear scales fitted in the orthogonal axes. “We don’t have air-conditioning on the shop floor, but nevertheless need to hold tolerances of 8 µm on some mould features,” explained Coombes. “The Okuma allows us to do that and also produces an excellent surface finish, minimising the need for hand polishing. The machine it replaced could not meet the same standards of accuracy, even when new.” Coombes added that the 22 kW / 200 Nm / 15,000 rpm BIGPlus spindle with face and taper contact has the power to deal with the heavier side of toolmaking, in particular accurate bolster work, precision boring and heavy roughing of tool steels. The magazine can hold 32 tools and cutting feed rate is up to 32 m/min, allowing fine finish machining as well as tough metalcutting. Toolroom supervisor, Ian Mancey, said benefits of the machine include the Y-axis movement of the table that allows jobs to be loaded and unloaded conveniently at the front of the working area, avoiding having to reach in very far. He also cites the generous 1,300 mm length of the table, 250 mm longer than the X-axis travel, which allows clamps to WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

be mounted at either end without compromising spindle traverse. The Genos M560-V has the added benefit of the manufacturer’s proprietary OSP-P300M-R control, which uses an industrially hardened PC to run both the Okuma operating system and Windows. A feature of the CNC system is comprehensive collision prediction and avoidance. The entire machining area right out to the spindle head, slideways and guarding is monitored in real time during an automatic machining cycle or, unusually, in manual mode as well, preventing the axes from being wound by hand into a collision situation. “NCMT has given us a high level of support. Two of its engineers installed and commissioned the machine efficiently, clamping it to the floor and calibrating it carefully so that we are able to exploit its full accuracy potential,” Coombes continued. “The supplier also provided comprehensive training, including two days at its Coventry centre prior to installation followed by five days here in Whitchurch.” BM Injection’s customers include firms in the aerospace supply chain, the company being a Boeing approved supplier. It is also active in the automotive, white goods, electronics, transport and leisure sectors, delivering moulds as well as thermoplastic and thermoset moulded parts and assemblies. WWW.BMINJECTION.CO.UK WWW.NCMT.CO.UK 61

NEW-LOOK PHOENIX ENGINEERING TAKES FLIGHT Nine months on from its acquisition by Pentagon Plastics, the newly-styled Phoenix Engineering is positioning itself as “one to watch” following investment in infrastructure and working practices. Phoenix, which specialises in mould tool servicing, repair, modification, preproduction development, production tools and sub-contract services, has had an overhaul of its internal procedures, with the implementation of a fully integrated Supply Chain Management system. This, it says, allows better management and monitoring of the workflow, provides

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improved visibility of work in progress, will provide a detailed work history on mould tools and allows the business to operate tighter control over the company finances. Phoenix says it is now “far better equipped” to continually monitor KPIs and ensure that customer service levels are maintained at every stage. In addition, the company’s engineering team has been through a process of analysis and re-organisation, with skilled staff realigned to better serve customers in their areas of expertise. The company’s Workshop Manager, John Horspool, says Phoenix intends to expand its current workforce, to ensure the level of expertise is maintained. “Training is the key to delivering the toolmakers that it will need to support the business going forward and maintain high levels of service,” he explained. In addition to these IT and structural improvements, Phoenix has also gone through a rebranding process, as well as participating in trade events. Phoenix’ new Owner and Managing Director, Paul Edwards, who is also Managing Director of Pentagon Plastics, says the company has begun to see “a steady increase in turnover” as the new changes have been implemented. “I have been questioned as to why I invested in a toolmaking firm when there is so much uncertainty around the economy and manufacturing, but it has proved a shrewd move in my opinion. Experience has shown us that last year was a slow one for tooling so to me it seemed the perfect time to acquire the business next door,” he explained. “Time has allowed us time to review the workings of the business and implement subtle changes that will have far reaching effects in improving our efficiency and allow us to support our customers in a more systematic way. The initiatives are proven and therefore we have the confidence that they will make a true difference.” Edwards says Phoenix will be “one to watch” as the company looks to build upon the growth it has seen. WWW.PHOENIX-ENGINEERING.CO.UK

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gravimetric/volumetric blending

DEHUMIDIFIERS Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

HEATING EQUIPMENT

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

Turn your redundant stock into cash

Telsonic UK Ltd

MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE

Branson Ultrasonics

Infrared Welding

Specialists in supplying Plastic Joining, Bonding and Assembly Solutions

Technologies:

-Pulse Staking -Pulse Fusion -Ultrasonic Welding and Metal Insertion -High Frequency Induction Heating -Hot Air Staking

Tel UK: +44 7467 959240 Tel IRL: +353 1 8013261

• Reliable and robust machinery with installation worldwide • High performance de-mould automation for injection moulding • High speed axis for reduced cycle times • Dependable after sales support if required

01455 289842 enquiries@db-automation.co.uk www.db-automation.co.uk

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

AM&LT PUGH KONGSKILDE MAIN DEALER

Suction Blowers pipework cyclones New and Used recycling Equipment Kongskilde Spares, Parts and Pipework Suppliers industrial BLOWERS FLAKE/REGRIND Friendly Expert advice Les 01568 611338 Hereford W: WWW.GRAINBLOWERS.CO.UK

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222

automation

DB-Automation specialises in designing and building bespoke high speed injection moulding automation

pulse staking

Alderley Polymers

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

vibration welding

Welding machines Innovative tooling concepts Emitter systems Control technology

wanted

InControl Ultrasonics Ltd (FFR Ultrasonics Ltd)

induction heating for platens and tools

MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE hopper loaders

MF Induction Heating

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

Motan Colortronic Ltd

Email: info@hte.ie

www.hte.ie

TO ADVERTISE in this space CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222

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

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222 63

BUYER’S GUIDE

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

PRINTING MACHINES

SCREWS & BARRELS

pad

MIXING, FEEDING & DOSING

www.magog.co.uk Design, Manufacture, and Refurbishment of Screws & Barrels for the Plastics and Rubber Industries.

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

• Screw design • New manufactured Screws, Barrels, Feed Sections & Liners • Proven wear resistant specifications for screws • Nitrided and Bimetallic barrels • Refurbishment and repairs • Condition monitoring and wear checks Contact us to find out how we can help you Magog Industries Ltd, 10 Crane Mead, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9PY T: +44(0)1920 465201 E: enquiries@magog.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

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222 Magnetics Separators Metal Detectors Eddy Current Separators

Bunting Magnetics Europe Ltd European Design & Manufacturing Facility

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/

DTL Machinery UK

- We buy / sell all makes / age / sizes of Plastic Injection Moulding Machinery & Ancillaries equipment. - We also buy redundant, nonrunners & faulty machinery. - Machinery repair and maintenance services available. T: 01925 596170 M: 07838138342 E: info@dtlmachinery.co.uk E: douglastrading@gmail.com

TESTING EQUIPMENT 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

TransXL International Ltd

Plastics Processing Machinery Bought & Sold, Thornhill, South Marston, Wiltshire SN3 4TA T: 01793 827666 F: 01793 823826 E: sales@transxl.co.uk W: www.transxl.co.uk

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

Refurbished machines with fault and leak free guarantee.

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

We buy & sell all manner of plasscs equipment. Visit our workshop in Wellingborough, Northants. 01933 272747

CHOOSE THE NUMBER ONE.

I’VE GOT A BUMPER LOAD OF RECYCLED PLASTIC IN ME, THANKS TO VANDEN

Contact: Carlton Hicks

50mm high and 35mm

Mould change

We buy and sell high quality plastics

028 9266 8009

sales@stvmachinery.co.uk www.stvmachinery.co.uk

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

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Buying, Selling, Merging? Whatever your business needs, Richmond Capital Partners are the industry experts with a proven track record of guiding acquirers or sellers through the process of buying, selling and merging. Contact Paul Holohan in complete confidence on 07798 530684

SECONDHAND AND RECONDITIONED

www.vandenrecycling.com supply@vandenrecycling.com

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

thermocouples

richmondcapitalpartners.com

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

Tel: 01952 671918 Fax: 01952 608579 Email: connectors.uk@staubli.com

www.quick-mould-change.com COMPOUNDS

NOZZLES & NOZZLE TIPS

Cooper Plastics Machinery

QUALITY PVC PELLETS FOR EXTRUSION vekacompounds.com +44(0)1322 387 219

SCREEN CHANGERS Industrial Plastics Ltd

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

8 Lyall Court, Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 1UX T: 01525 719850 E: Cooperplastics@gmail.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.

DM Machinery Ltd

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

FOR SALE 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

TRAINING

We buy/sell

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

Please send us your enquiries / offers We can offer prime and reprocessed flexible PVC compounding facilities to cover your specific requirements, bespoke compounds, breakdowns, holiday cover etc.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Vinyl Ltd

Tel: 01625 500912 Mobile: 07860 371294 Web: www.vinyl-ltd.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222

BUYER’S GUIDE TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222

3D PRINTING

3D Printing

in Plastic & Rubber

PRINTERS 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

Component PRINTERS TAMPO.SCREEN.FOIL

Tel: 01420 88645 www.cdg.uk.com

TESTINg/CONSULTANCY

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

Gammadot Rheology Testing & Consultancy Services

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

SOFTWARE

Cimatron 3D

Mold Tool Design CAD CAM software

SERVICES MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS Tel: 01420 88645 www.cdg.uk.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, Standalone “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. Realtime 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.

MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222

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’

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

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).

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 Realtime MES to provide a single system that offers a complete quote-to-cash solution for the plastics’/rubber industries.

Process Optimisation Software RJG Technologies Ltd Moulding Technology T: +44 (0)1733 232211 E info@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. 65

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NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER 66

the programme began. If you would like to sign up to SIMPL or require further information, please contact Dr Sara Cammarano at the BPF. With the onset of the Brexit negotiations we carried out a survey of the industry’s workforce to explore the industry’s use of non -UK EU citizens. Some very interesting facts emerged. The UK plastics industry is the third largest manufacturing sector in terms of employment with 166,000 people, of which, roughly 18,000 are non-UK EU citizens and 4,000 come from the rest of the world. EU workers account for roughly 11 percent of the entire workforce in the industry and one in five of all factory floor workers. It is clear that the industry has a significant reliance on EU workers — especially temporary workers — and that the uncertainty of Brexit is encouraging many companies to consider automating some roles. The survey showed that more than half of UK plastics companies rely on employing temporary workers during busy periods — and here EU citizens play a very prominent role, making up 48 percent of temporary workers. A quarter of the companies surveyed stated that they would like any new immigration policy to help them meet short-term, temporary needs. Before the referendum, roughly half of UK plastics companies were having trouble recruiting. January’s BPF Business Conditions Survey showed that this had increased, with just under two-thirds of plastics companies reporting difficulty filling key roles. The more recent survey, specifically about EU workers, shows that 10 percent of companies feel they are having trouble filling vacancies as a direct result of the EU referendum, whereas 58 percent do not feel the result has affected their overall workforce. The survey shows that factory floor staff and engineers are the toughest roles to fill and in order to plug the potential gap left by EU workers, 61 percent of companies say they may employ UK workers, 39 percent may train existing staff, while almost a third (29 percent) are also looking into the possibility of automating the roles. There is some evidence of some non-EU citizens having returned home since the Brexit referendum vote. The weakness of sterling and wider job opportunities created on the back of economic recovery on the continent will, in all likelihood, give this issue a higher profile. WWW.BPF.CO.UK

ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS

he BPF carries out many surveys. Members might get fed up with their frequency, but usually we are able to keep them short and sharp and recipients of the questionnaire can normally fill them in rapidly, either with easily accessible data or even off the top of their heads. The surveys are crucial, as they IN THIS MONTH’S EDITION keep the BPF on top of industry OF HIS EXCLUSIVE COLUMN, trends and it can use the PHILIP LAW, DIRECTOR- conclusions in its advocacy work on the economics of the GENERAL OF THE BRITISH industry and on regulatory PLASTICS FEDERATION, TALKS issues. We say “it helps us to NUMBERS AS HE IDENTIFIES help you.” The response rate SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS is usually good and makes for OF THE ASSOCIATION’S credible results. The results of RECENT MEMBERS SURVEYS one of our key surveys has just been published; this was on AND WHAT THEY TELL US accidents in the workplace. It is ABOUT THE INDUSTRY. vital to have information on the pattern of accidents so that we can pinpoint the areas where the members most need help. We had 110 firms responding and the most common accident identified was in the area of “handling, lifting or carrying”, accounting for 18 percent of accidents. This has increased from the previous year and reconfirms it as the most common type of accident in our industry. The survey also showed that “other cuts” (not knife-related injuries) and a “hit against a stationary object” were other major causes of accidents, with both accounting for 14 percent. Sharp edges, contact with machine blades, trimming tools and cardboard packaging were among the major causes of non-knife-related cuts. If figures for knife-related injuries are added to those for non-knife-related accidents, cuts account for almost a quarter of all accidents in the plastics industry. The next most common types of accident identified were “slips, trips or falls from the same level” (13 percent) and “hit by moving, including flying or falling objects” (11 percent). Back in 2010, the BPF, together with the Health and Safety Executive and other related trade associations and trade unions, launched SIMPL (Safety In Manufacturing Plastics). This is a health and safety strategy for the plastics industry that aims for accident reductions. So far, more than 100 companies have signed the SIMPL pledge at CEO level. The results show that the number of accidents for those that have signed up to SIMPL was the lowest since

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

www.kraussmaffei.com/cx

Fully integrated automation Unparalleled: APC plus for perfect part quality

Compact two-platen clamping unit

High-performance plasticizing unit

User-friendly MC6 control

Screwless cover

Highly efficient drives of the latest design

Compact. Efﬁcient. Flexible. Machines in the CX series KraussMaffei’s newly upgraded fully hydraulic CX series offers the right solution for every customer wish. Different modules allow individual configurations for every machine – whether for contract injection molding or a technology corporation.

Engineering Passion

on us e 0 se E6 e m nd Co sta

Your European polymer supermarket. You can buy all of your polymers, masterbatch and additives from us!

www.polydistuk.com

sales@polydistuk.com

+44 (0) 1283 517517

T K Y

F R A N C E

Part of the new Pan-European polymer distribution company