BP&R June/July 2012

British Plastics

and Rubber

bp&r

THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR BRITAIN’S POLYMER PROCESSORS

JULY 2012

Magnetic separation in the plastics industry Static solutions to Plastics on Olympic improve production form for London 2012 and profitability

Flying the flag for the ‘Best of British’

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bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER www.britishplastics.co.uk EDITORIAL Editor: Leanne Taylor T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: leanne@rapidnews.com

SALES Advertising Sales Manager: Lisa Montgomery T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: lisa@rapidnews.com

ART

Plastics on Olympic form for London 2012

W

here would sport be without plastic? A long way behind, no doubt. This summer’s sporting events are giving plastics and rubber a worldwide platform to showcase innovation, ingenuity, design capability and sustainability.

Sport demands the latest in technology and equipment in order for athletes to compete at the best of their ability and the top of their game. From sustainable stadia design and construction, to performance-enhancing sports apparel and equipment, it is testament to the versatility and functionality of plastics that they are the material of choice for such forwardthinking concepts.

The London 2012 Olympics are set to be the most sustainable in the history of the Games and plastics are heavily involved in making it so. A far cry from the environmental protests seen at Sydney 2000, plastics, specifically PVC, are now hailed as one of the most suitable materials for the construction of temporary venues at major sporting events. Read my interview with Sam Wright of Wilkinson Eyre Architects, designers of the London 2012 basketball arena, to find out exactly why PVC was the material of choice for its innovative design.

Sticking with sustainability, earlier this year I visited the new Continuum recycling facility in Lincolnshire, the ground-breaking joint venture between EcoPlastics and Coca-Cola Enterprises, and saw first hand the colossal amount of machinery ready to tackle the waste from the Olympic and Paralympic venues.

With an estimated 20 million bottles of Coca-Cola products expected to be served throughout the course of the Games, the entire clear PET waste will be processed at Continuum and turned into food-grade, recycled PET flake, before being transported to CCE’s factory to be turned back into new bottles and onto shelves within six weeks. An impressive concept, and one that puts plastics at the forefront of the green ambitions of the Games. To read the full report, turn to page 35.

Finally, amongst all the innovation, design feats and outstanding technology featuring in the sporting events of this year, I fail to mention that as a spectator I might also need my (plastic) rain mac and (rubber) wellingtons to see me through the not-so-celebratory aspects of the British summer.

Enjoy the issue.

Leanne Taylor - Editor

Production & Design Manager: Samantha Hamlyn T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: sam@rapidnews.com Production: adrian price T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: adrian@rapidnews.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions Manager: Tracey Nicholls T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: tracey@rapidnews.com

PUBLISHER Mark Blezard T: +44(0)1829 770037 E: mark@rapidnews.com British Plastics & Rubber is available on free subscription to readers qualifying under the publisher’s terms of control. Those outside the criteria may subscribe at the following annual rates: UK: £80 Europe and rest of the world: £115 British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (10 times/year) by Plastics Multimedia Communications Ltd, Unit 2, Chowley Court, Chowley Oak Lane, Tattenhall, CH3 9GA T: +44(0)1829 770037 F: +44(0)1829 770047 © 2012 Plastics Multimedia Communications Ltd While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained within this publication is accurate the publisher accepts no liability for information published in error, or for views expressed. All rights for British Plastics & Rubber are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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

Associated organisations

THE BIG STORY Are your plastics metal-free?

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Magnetic separation technology in the plastics industry Bunting Magnetics Co. is one of the most respected names in the world for magnetic separation technology in the plastics industry. Bunting designs and manufacturers cutting-edge magnetic separation and metal detection both in the United States and the United Kingdom. Bunting’s products help ensure that its customers’ products are pure of any contaminants and keep their processing equipment safe from damage.

The Bunting NEO FF Drawer Magnet is the industry standard when it comes to protecting injection moulding machines. Bunting’s NEO Drawer Magnet features high-strength, hightemperature neodymium magnets that can capture and hold ferrous metal particles so small that equipment operators may not be able to see them with the naked eye. This exceptional level of magnetic metal separation means less downtime as well as reduced screw wear and fewer plugged hot runner nozzles.

MMS Application

M

etal contamination is a widespread problem. Virgin resins can pick up metal debris at any stage in the process. Normal equipment operation can produce metal fines from machine wear caused by abrasion. Loose fasteners, metal scrap and personal items may accidently be dropped into the resin mixture causing product contamination.

Recycled materials add an even larger problem when it comes to contamination.

Whether you have metal fines, nuts and bolts or bottle caps to deal with, the removal of metal contaminants from the plastic materials you process and from the products you produce is an important economic and quality issue. As processing equipment has become more sensitive and the injection nozzles smaller, even the smallest particle of tramp metal can cause lots of problems, which affect your bottom line. The proper use of magnetic separation and metal detection equipment is essential to protect your overall investment.

The NEO Drawer Magnet is built with a rugged stainless steel housing for durability. It comes in a variety of sizes and can be mounted at the injector throat. A single stainless steel centre drawer guide makes removal and reinstallation of the magnet drawer quick and easy, so maintenance and cleaning can be fast and trouble free.

Recently at NPE, Bunting released their latest model of the FF Drawer Magnet. Bunting has taken the prominent tested features of the FF series and HF series magnetic drawer filters, as well as four decades of experience in the plastics industry and combined them into a single design, which it believes will revolutionise the industry.

Bunting’s NEO Self-Cleaning FF Drawer Magnet features easy cleaning with one smooth motion, requiring no need to remove any components for cleaning. This results in reduced good product loss. A feature of the SelfCleaning model is that is can be modified with pneumatic cylinders to make cleaning even easier even from a remote location.

The original Bunting FF Series Drawer Magnet was designed to set a new standard in equipment protection and product purity for plastic moulding equipment. Once again, Bunting is setting a new, higher separation standard for the plastics processing industry.

Contaminant clearing MachineMounted Separator Bunting features a MachineMounted Separator (MMS), which is an

electronic metal detector designed for the plastics industry. These MachineMounted Separators are engineered to detect and reject all types of metal contaminants and can be installed directly at the in-feed of extrusion, injection and blow moulding machines.

Compact, cube-shaped MMS units fit where headroom is limited and work with both gravity and pneumatic systems. Their sturdy construction is designed to support the weight of hoppers, conveying components, mixers and other equipment.

Bunting’s Machine-Mounted AllMetal Separators are highly sensitive triple-coil metal detectors engineered to sense and remove both ferrous and non-ferrous metals – including iron, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass, lead and tin – from moving virgin and regrind material. Units react to all conductive metals and reject contaminants as small as 0.5 mm.

Unlike some competitive units that have a blind-spot during their rejection phase that allows contaminants to slip past, the Bunting Machine-Mounted All-Metal Separator features a fast, pneumatically driven slide gate combined with a venturi-driven vacuum rejection mechanism. This unique design results in highly accurate detection and rejection. By helping to prevent metal scrap from entering processing machines and contaminating final product, these separators reduce costly machine damage and downtime and increase overall production efficiency. further information: www.buntingmagnetics.com

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on the cover

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23

bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER

contents JULY 2012

on the cover Are your plastics metal-free?

Metal contamination is a widespread problem. Virgin resins can pick up metal debris at any stage in the process. Normal equipment operation can produce metal fines from machine wear caused by abrasion. Recycled materials add an even larger problem when it comes to contamination.

See page 4

3 EDITOR’S LETTER

23-27 REGULARS ]FEATURE RUBBER Best of British ‘Little piece of plastic’ wins highest accolade at British Invention Show

29-30 FEATURE DESIGN

31

RECLAMATION & RECYCLING

34

INJECTION MOULDING

38

ENGINEERING MATERIALS

40

CURRENCY CORNER

43

SOFTWARE

43

BUYERS’ GUIDE

44

Student proves his creative mind with an innovative hanger

Plastics on Olympic form for London 2012

33 FEATURE

8-10 FEATURE

Flame-resistant thermoplastic chosen for direct digital manufacturing and prototyping

Flame Retardants

ANTI-STATIC Static solutions to improve production and profitability

12-17 FEATURE Olympics Special PVC gets a sporting chance for a slam-dunk at London 2012

36-37 FEATURE Blow Moulding New Granic grade for blow moulding and film applications

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19-21 FEATURE Plastics in Sport In sport the (artificial) grass is always greener – except when it is bluer or redder

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news Fraser launches two new products for static control In the past three months Devonbased Fraser Anti-Static Techniques has launched two new products for the plastics and converting industries.

The first, the 3024 Static Eliminator Bar, is powered by 24V DC and has built-in electrics, eliminating the need for an external power unit. Fraser states it is unique in having the effective length the same as the overall length, making it ideal for compact applications.

The 3024 is available in two versions: the 3024F, which can reportedly neutralise at speeds in excess of 1000m/min and is the most powerful static eliminator Fraser has ever tested, and the 3024L, which has been designed to neutralise over a 500mm range, so it is ideal for winders and longer range applications. Both models are said to use

The 3024 Static Eliminator

static control

Arrowquint are specialists in static elimination for the food, print, packaging & plastics industries

7333 Static Generators specially designed for IML applications

specially designed tungsten emitters, which will ensure a very long life of continuous use.

The second new product from Fraser is the new 7000 range of Static Generators, which are said to offer the customer new levels of price and performance specifications. There are eight different models available in negative or positive polarities, with voltages up to 50kV with 150 watts of power.

The 7333 Static Generator has been specially designed for automated IML customers. By having all the controls on the customer’s injection moulder, the 7333 can reportedly offer market leading performance at a low cost. The 7333 is available in 24V DC or 90-260V AC power versions. further information: www.fraser-antistatic.co.uk

0845 0655455 www.arrowquint.co.uk

STATIC SOLUTIONS to improve production and profitability Static c ontrol

IonRinse system

bar

Problems with static electricity in the plastics industries are numerous.

Processes where static charge can be an issue include moulding, thermoforming, parts conveying and collection and assembly processes.

Leanne Taylor visited Meech UK, to find out about how its technology can benefit plastic processors, as well as how it feels to be twicewinners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: international trade.

Oxfordshirebased Meech International is celebrating after winning its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise. The company, which specialises in the area of static control, cleaning systems and energy efficient compressed air equipment, won the award for its continued export growth in the last few years. Iain Cameron, International Product Manager, described winning the award as a great accolade and testament to the hard work of the whole Meech team. “The first time we won the award, which was in 2009, it was a real pat on the back for everything that we’ve done. For a British company that is exporting over 60 percent of its business to do it again, especially in the economic climate that we are in, shows we are going in the right direction,” Mr Cameron said.

“To get the award, you have to have sustained growth, which is what I think is the most important part of it. We haven’t faltered; we’ve grown steadily over the last few years. The benefit we have working abroad is having experts in those markets, who can give local support to manufacturers.”

Along with its export growth, the company's next move towards further success is through its product ranges. According to Mr Cameron, many plastic processors are unaware of the benefits that using static control equipment, cleaning systems and energy efficient compressed air systems, can have on reducing energy consumption, and ultimately, increasing profits.

“We need to educate people about what these products can do for them. None of the products in the air technology range are necessities in the case that if they are not there then production is not going to work, however, if they do have the products then the amount of spending is going to be reduced. This, to a certain degree, is the same with the static range of products. Production can continue without having static protection, but it’s the education of telling people you can be more efficient, you can run better and you can be safer if you do have them,” he continued.

Adam Battrick, Business Unit Director for Cleaning Systems, explained that many companies in the plastics industry could benefit from static control products, with one of the latest, IonRinse, ideal for industrial preform and container rinsing and cleaning. “We designed this as a result of a major company wanting to cut down on its water consumption, who asked us whether we could provide an alternative to water and compressed air. We designed IonRinse, which takes ionisation and combines it with an energy efficient fan-driven system, to both loosen contamination and vacuum any contaminants that are dislodged. It’s as energy efficient as it can be, with the system set up very carefully to control airflow and electricity consumption.”

Plastic processors can also benefit from web cleaning systems, which utilise static bars, for use in film production. “We have a range of web cleaning systems – noncontact and contact systems, so we can pick the right one to suit the application. Converting for food packing applications can also benefit from the web cleaning and using it in IML label printing is becoming more common.”

Static is also becoming increasingly used in pinning for IML processes, and Meech has invested research into the market over the last few years. David Rogers, Business Unit Director, Static Control, explained: “The IML market is something we’ve got into over the last three to four years but we realised we needed specific equipment. The first part of the system we designed were the Hydra pinning heads, which provide very strong pinning and are all individually resistively coupled. This is a very different method to the traditional way of using conductive foam, which carries the risk of part wear, resulting in a flawed product.”

“The pinning we get is incredibly accurate. With IML, if the pinning isn’t strong enough then you get molten plastic over the top of the label and this ruins the product and can lead to lack of integrity. The pinning force is extremely strong and this avoids production issues,” Mr Rogers continued. Other benefits of static pinning include spark-free operation and long service life.

Another area that the company supplies products in is compressed air technology. It is estimated that almost 90 percent of the UK manufacturing industry uses compressed air in some part of its production process. There are products available that can considerably control and reduce the amount of compressed air used and as well as reducing noise levels.

Meech doesn't plan to stop at its current ranges, with new product launches being borne from market recovery, customer feedback and increasing demand. Iain Cameron explained: “We’ve got five new products being launched in the next six months across the different ranges, so it’s a two pronged attack of building on what we’ve got, but not forgetting the areas that have historically been important to us. Our static range counts for 60 percent of our business, so we want to maintain our expertise in that area, but also use our knowledge of the web cleaning markets, or Hydro pinning the air technology heads for IML markets, to also grow those areas and make them a success. To do that, we have to be reactive to what’s going on.” further information: www.meech.com

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Arrowquint are specialists in static elimination for the food, print, packaging & plastics industries 0845 0655455 www.arrowquint.co.uk

static control feature

Contact web-cleaning application

Guide to static control in the plastics industry What is static?

Essentially, a static charge arises when an external force causes electrons to be stripped from an atom leaving it with an excess of protons and a net positive charge. The electrons ‘attach’ themselves to a recipient atom, which will consequently have an excess of electrons and will be negatively charged.

What causes static?

The most common causes are friction, pressure and separation. Examples range from the unwinding of plastic films to everyday occurrences of shocks from cars and doorknobs. Other causes include induction, whereby an insulator material can become charged if it is brought into an electrical field. Temperature change can also generate a static charge; a good example is the generation of charges on injection mouldings as they cool.

Static control problems in the plastics industry Problems with static electricity in the plastics industries are numerous. Processes where static charge can be an issue include injection moulding, blow moulding, thermoforming, rotational moulding, parts conveying and collection and assembly processes. The primary problems resulting from high levels of

Inset: Static charge

static charge are dust attraction and contamination, process control and quality problems and operator shocks.

Dust attraction and contamination The attraction of airborne contaminates as a result of static charge on a substrate is becoming more and more of an issue as the quality standards of companies continue to be raised. Dust and particulates attracted by the static charge on the part can result in high and expensive scrap rates. This is especially the case if the material is to be used in the medical or food packaging industries, or in the painting of automotive or white goods. A recent stipulation of food packaging companies is also that static control equipment cannot use air to assist long rage ionisation, for fear of blowing additional contaminants onto the products to be neutralised.

Process control and quality problems The cost penalties associated with uncontrolled static charge in manufacturing processes are many and varied. Static can force companies to run their machines at much slower speeds than might otherwise be the case. This is because static charge can be a direct cause of production problems such as parts sticking to each other in the conveying process, resulting in jams or product misbehaviour.

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Operator Shocks This is becoming increasingly significant as companies strive to improve health and safety standards. While static-related shocks can be painful, the effects are usually safe and short-lived.

However, the cost implications lie in the ‘recoil’ reaction that is associated with the initial shock. When an operator receives a shock, there can be a moment of disorientation, bringing with it the subsequent hazards such as collision with other operators and/or machinery. Operator shocks are typically the result of an accumulated charge or ‘battery effect’ occurring during the collection of parts in a bin or assembly area.

“Guide to static control courtesy of meech uk”

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Turf for London 2012 hockey field is ‘pitch perfect’ Every four years the Olympic games gathers the world’s finest athletes to participate in one of the most viewed sporting events. The field hockey tournament at the London 2012 Olympic Games will feature over 76 matches, with 380 competitors vying for the gold.

To help players safely slide, tackle and fall without abrasions and enhance the playing quality, a high performance artificial turf system has been specially developed for the Olympic Hockey Centre in London’s Olympic Park. One of the most visible features of the system will be the artificial grass, coloured blue and pink to match the London 2012 Olympic logo.

The two pitches for the London 2012 Olympic Hockey Centre – along with four nearby training fields – feature 60,000 m2 of a high performance artificial turf system specifically designed to meet International Hockey Federation (FIH) standards.

Resulting from a multi-party technical collaboration, the grass yarn is produced by yarn manufacturer, Tapex, based on high performance linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) Dowlex Polyethylene Resins from The Dow Chemical Company.

In combination with other components for improved impact response and durability, the Tapex yarn is converted into rolls of ‘Poligras’ Olympia hockey turf by Advanced Polymer Technology, Australasia, and installed by Sports Technology International.

The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games was a turning point in the development of artificial turf for high-level hockey– the technology improvements achieved then have since paved the way for future sporting events. Today, modern hockey fields need the right combination of stiffness resiliency and softness to perform perfectly, determined by the density of the polyethylene used in the artificial yarn.

Dow states its octene-based Dowlex LLDPE resins provide this combination of properties, reportedly offering exceptional levels of durability to help meet today’s exigent requirements on softness, durability and play performance.

When considering the right material for the Olympic-standard turf, resilience and mechanical toughness were also important. Players constantly driving studded boots into artificial turf surfaces

The turf used for the Olympic hockey park must be soft yet durable

olympics special

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news

An artist’s impression of a London 2012 hockey game

impose multi-dimensional mechanical stresses on the surface yarn, which must be withstood for optimum playing conditions.

One of the most trusted industrial tests for measuring artificial turf durability and resilience is the Lisport test, in which heavy rolls equipped with numerous studs are rolled back and forth over turf samples to offer a visual indication of how they might age over time as a result of typical usage.

“With competition hockey pitches being non-infilled, hockey players impose multi-dimensional mechanical stresses on the surface,” said Dow’s Application Specialist, Peter Sandkuehler. “Dow simulated these stresses by studded rollers passing over turf samples made with Dowlex LLDPE resins for thousands of cycles, with virtually no visible trace of aging.”

The technology behind Dow Chemical’s Dowlex Polyethylene Resins will see London 2012 Olympians benefit from advances first developed for the

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and subsequently enjoyed by Beijing’s competitors: it’s now up to the hockey teams to put in a performance that can match the quality of the pitch. further information: www.dow.com Dowlex is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow)

The yarn consists of different layers

DSM used its knowledge of materials to help make the ‘Olympic eight’

Fabric used in the boat

rowing boat, ‘Olympic eight’.

As one of the key elements of any rowing race is having the best boat, it is a vital component for any crew with ambitions. Building on their experience from previous Olympic innovations such as the 470-class sailing boat for Beijing 2008, DSM partnered with German boat builder Empacher. By using each other's strengths together with the unique mechanical properties of TeXtreme, the companies state they have developed the best boat possible.

Using DSM’s Turane resins, one important goal was to improve the stiffness of the boat, making it better equipped to handle the rigors of a race.

By combining it with TeXtreme Spread Tow carbon fibre fabrics the stiffness of the hull has reportedly been increased up to 25 percent, reducing the energy loss of

The TeXtreme Spread Tow

Carbon fabric with turane resins used in Olympic rowing boat Engineering plastics specialist, DSM, has been working with the Dutch Olympic team ahead of the London 2012 Games in order to apply its material expertise to help make the best rowing boat possible for the competition.

To achieve this they turned to Oxeon's TeXtreme Spread Tow Fabrics as the choice of carbon reinforcement. The result is said to be a faster boat as a direct consequence of reduced weight and increased stiffness.

Edwin Hendriks, Project Manager for Building, Infrastructure and Sport at DSM, commented: “To improve the performance of the Dutch Olympic rowing boat, we used TeXtreme carbon fabric in combination with DSM's styrene-free Turane resins. The interaction between these two is exceptionally strong. This resulted in an increased rigidity (25 percent more stiffness) and a lower weight of the boat, allowing for a different construction that increased the stiffness even more. The new boat deforms less in the water at every powerful stroke of the rowers, and as such can better maintain its speed.”

In the months leading up to London 2012, DSM cooperated with the Dutch Rowing Federation and the Netherlands Olympic Team in developing the eight-man

each stroke and thus increasing the speed.

The increased stiffness reduces the amount of energy that gets lost due to deformation of the hull, a common issue in the sport, as the boats are not fully capable of withstanding the enormous amount of force unleashed by the crew during every single stroke. Reducing the deformation of the hull means that the crew can better build up and maintain speed. further information: www.dsm.com

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Renfrew created the polyurethane balls for the country’s biggest game of catch

news Plastics get the ball rolling for Cadbury In November 2010, Cadbury announced a massive campaign entitled ‘Spots v Stripes’, to get the nation involved in sport in the run up to London 2012.

As part of its game-centric promotions, Cadbury launched a play experiment to create the nation’s biggest ever game of catch, distributing 100 polyurethane balls housing a GPS tracking device to follow how many people were throwing and catching the balls around the country.

Leicester-based Renfrew Group International were asked to create the soft but durable balls, which were designed, tooled and manufactured in less than six weeks.

Dubbed ‘Spots v Stripes’ - as 50 of the balls are spotty and 50 stripy - the new experiment was to see how far around the country each ball could go in a set period, with participants urged to look out for one, send in a photo of themselves holding it, and then pass it on to somebody else to take further away. The GPS-enabled balls could be automatically tracked to avoid the possibility of cheating.

Renfrew Group’s in-house expertise covers plastics and metals mechanism design, mouldings development from rapid prototypes to low volume and high volume and special tooling design. Polymer expertise and innovation is core to the company’s activities.

further information: www.renfrewgroup.com

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Styrofoam-A insulation boards have been used across many of the Olympic venues. Credit London 2012

Styrofoam to share in the glory of the London 2012 Games With just days to go before this summer’s London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Dow Building Solutions has revealed that its Styrofoam products will have a part to play.

Thousands of Styrofoam-A insulation boards made at Dow’s manufacturing site in King’s Lynn have been installed on several structures within the London 2012 Olympic Park, which will be seen by billions of people around the globe, as well as the neighbouring Westfield Stratford City shopping centre.

The insulation is designed to help make the buildings on the Olympic Park more energy efficient and the roofs more durable; which will be particularly important as they transform from temporary to permanent use.

Structures insulated with Styrofoam materials include the Olympic Stadium, the International Media Centre, the Copper Box (Handball Arena) and more than half of the roofs on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Villages.

“It was a case of pulling out all the stops to make sure enough Styrofoam would be available at the right time and in the right place – no mean feat when you

Oscar Pistorius and the Flex-Foot Cheetah running feet in action. ©Össur

are dealing with such a large, busy and very security conscious construction site,” said Jayne Law MBE, Sales and Marketing Manager for Dow Building Solutions in the UK and Ireland.

“Now the hard work is over it will be great for our employees to sit back and watch the opening ceremony knowing that they had a part to play in bringing the Games to fruition,” she continued. “In fact, we’re confident in the ability of our products to put in just as strong a performance as the athletes, and not only for this year’s Olympic Games, but beyond.” further information: www.styrofoam.co.uk

Run carbon fibre blade for secure lock down and easy on-off. A stretch rubber leash with tactile grip tab for easy placement over medallion fastener provides additional security.

“The Össur Flex-Run enables amputees of all abilities to achieve their athletic goals,” said Jon Sigurdsson, Össur’s president and CEO. “This exciting collaboration has leveraged Össur’s unmatched research and development in running prosthetics with Nike’s first-class technologies, resulting in a product unlike any other.”

The first Nike prototype sole used by Reinertsen was made from a Nike Free

Plastic and rubber blades put the ‘sole’ into running This summer London 2012 will see the first athlete to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games with the help of carbon composites.

Double-amputee sprinter, Oscar Pistorius, will compete using prosthetic legs from medical device innovator, Össur.

Often referred to as ‘blades’, Pistorius wears Össur’s Flex-Foot Cheetah running feet, which are J-shaped, highperformance carbon composite prostheses that have led to his nickname as ‘The Blade Runner’.

Considered the ‘gold standard’ for elite amputee athletes, Össur states the Cheetah is a prosthetic foot with a unique design intended to mimic the reaction and functionality of an anatomical foot and ankle joint.

The prosthesis can be used by unilateral or bilateral (single or double) transtibial and transfemoral (above-knee and below-knee) amputees who wish to sprint on competitive or recreational levels.

Earlier this year, Össur collaborated with Nike to create a lightweight, durable composite sole that can be used with another of its prosthetic blade for amputee athletes, the Flex-Run. The removable sole, which utilises state of the art design methods and technologies, was designed in collaboration with amputee triathlete, Sarah Reinertsen.

The Nike Sole features an integrated layered sole including an outsole, midsole and thermal plastic urethane called Aeroply, made of recycled Nike Air Bag units, serving as moderator between Nike Sole and the Össur Flex-Run’s carbon fibre blade. Nine nylon plastic tabs serve as fingers that wrap snugly around the Flex-

5.0 Trail outsole, which was adhered to a plastic-based sleeve that would slide onto the blade. Tobie Hatfield, Nike’s Innovation Director, worked closely with Reinertsen to tweak the next round of prototypes based on her feedback. further information: www.ossur.com

olympics special

will istorius Oscar P London 2012 at compete sthetic legs o r p using ssur sur. ©Ö s Ö m o fr

The Nike Sole made for Össur’s Flex-Run blades. ©Össur

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The London 2012

basketball arena. Credit: ODA

PVC gets a sporting chance

for a slam-dunk at London 2012

What was the brief for the design of the basketball arena?

The brief was very clear: it was a temporary venue for a basketball arena for the Olympics, which had to have 12,000 seats, but was also The use of PVC in sport is to be used for the handball finals and becoming more accepted, as its then afterwards for sustainability benefits are events in the becoming more apparent. Leanne Paralympic Games, Taylor spoke to Sam Wright, of including wheelchair rugby and Wilkinson Eyre Architects, basketball.

designers of the London 2012 basketball arena, which uses over 20,000 sq. metres of PVC in its design, to find out why it was the material of choice for such an important sporting event.

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What were the re-use criteria for the building?

The brief was very aspirational, not just in terms of a showcase of British engineering but also to develop a temporary building that could be reused and that had a legacy after the Games. What we arrived at, which the PVC is a part of, is a building that is almost like a kit of parts. It's got the structural envelope which includes PVC, which is a standalone piece of kit, the temporary seating in the seating bowl-that’s a temporary structure, separate accommodation for the athletes and also the lighting and cooling etc., which is hired in and has a re-use after

the games. So it was really about identifying either re-use, in terms of materials, that we could also look to recycle if no reasonable re-use found, and also to see what components we could hire in for the duration of the Games.

How much PVC has been used for the construction of the arena?

The basketball arena is the biggest building on the Olympic Park using PVC (it is also the largest temporary venue ever built for a Games), with about 20,000 sq. metres being used. The fact that there was so much plastic meant it had to conform to the ODA’s sustainability agenda. In total there is around 70 percent materials re-use potential in this building.

Were there specific requirements for the structure of the arena?

The key issue with the structure is it had to be very lightweight. Because the site will be redeveloped after the Games, we didn’t want to put any foundations in the ground that would then have to be dug out. So that meant where the structure had to be light, whatever we used for the cladding had to be light. The advantage we had was that it’s a temporary venue, so with it only being there for the summer we had no requirements to heat the building, only to cool it. Therefore, the envelope of the building didn’t have to have any mass – we didn’t need any insulative panels, so that allowed us to look at PVC. Secondly, we knew that speed of erection was going to be important, the actual primary structure and PVC cladding went up in six weeks; we knew we needed a system that could be

Do you think the use of PVC will be embraced in future Games?

Throughout the process we worked very closely with the ODA and its sustainability group. I think there has been a big swing in the way that PVC is thought of now. It had a bad reputation with the Olympic family generally after Greenpeace campaigners took action against its use at the Sydney 2000 Games. But obviously the plastics industry has moved on from 2000 and the use of chlorine in the production of PVC has been eliminated. In terms of venue design, I think PVC is obviously important in that you need a lightweight, malleable fabric that lends itself to these kinds of temporary arrangements, very simple pattern making and the

ability to feed the PVC panels into the cladding components. The translucency of the PVC also allowed us to develop a stunning night-time lighting installation.

For the basketball arena we chose a PVC product from Verseidag, which complied with the sustainability criteria for the Games. In terms of how the manufacturing is managed I think the ODA are a lot more accepting of the use and benefits of PVC in these types of structures. There is a lot of PVC being used across the venues for the Games, the hockey stadiums have PVC wraps and the shooting gallery is all PVC-clad. The true legacy of the London 2012 Games is in delivering three times the number of temporary venues to Beijing, Athens and Sydney, we have ensured this will be a ‘light touch’ Games and we have left no ‘white elephants’ to burden future generations. further information: www.wilkinsoneyre.com

olympics special feature

e e exterior of th A close up of th G CO LO Credit: basketball arena.

manufactured entirely off site and just simply bolted together on site. The PVC installation was very simple; the PVC was fabricated into 6 metre wide strips that we could just feed in one end, over the roof and down the other side.

Inside the basketball arena.

Credit: ODA 2008

Polyurethanes give Euro 2012 football a real kick The players in the recent European 2012 Championships were the first to experience ‘Tango 12’, a new synthetic ball produced by adidas using materials from Bayer MaterialScience.

The ball sports a new design and is said to be fast, robust and precise, with a surface texture that feels like denim, reportedly allowing for better control.

“I really like the new structure because it provides good grip,” said Johan Elmander, a player on the Swedish national team. “The ball’s weight is also optimal, making it easy to control.”

The properties of footballs have improved continuously since synthetic materials were first used in ball technology. "The outer shell of the Tango 12 consists of a total of five polyurethane layers based on raw materials from our Impranil product line," explained Thomas Michaelis, Project Manager for Ball Development at Bayer MaterialScience.

“These layers provide for optimal contact with the player’s foot and for very good control in all weather conditions." The innermost layer is an adhesion coating that connects the textile substrate to the layers above.

On top of this is a syntactic foam layer, roughly one millimeter thick, made up of millions of gas-filled cells. The ball therefore quickly regains its spherical shape after being kicked, ensuring optimal flight.

The ball is finished off with three compact polyurethane layers of various thicknesses. They make the surface highly resistant to external factors and abrasion, but also highly elastic, ensuring the ball retains its unique appearance over the long term.

The individual panels of the ball shell are bonded together using patented Thermal Bonding Technology and thus absorb essentially no moisture. As a result, the ball is said to be no more than 0.1 percent heavier, even in heavy rain, and is almost completely waterproof. A raw material development from Bayer MaterialScience is used here too - the thermoactivated adhesive is based on a waterborne polyurethane dispersion from the Dispercoll U product line.

"No adidas ball had ever undergone such an intensive test phase as the Tango 12," said Harald Körger, responsible for ball testing at adidas. The adidas Tango 12 underwent strict testing during its twoyear development phase. Professional and amateur players from various clubs and associations from eight countries tested the ball’s quality in practical use and it was also subjected to comprehensive lab trials.

Bayer MaterialScience’s involvement in sports goes beyond football. Safer, more stable and faster sports equipment, such as skis, snowboards and inline skates also benefit from high-tech plastics. Raw materials from Bayer MaterialScience can be found in goggles, helmets and shoes. further information: www.bayer.com

The new Tango 12 ball.

Credit: Bayer MaterialScience

plastics in sport

tesa acrylic coated tape is used by the British Skeleton team

news

tesa aims for the winning tape at 2014 Winter Olympics As the excitement surrounding the London 2012 Olympic Games mounts, the 2014 Winter Olympics should not be forgotten.

When Amy Williams won the gold medal in the women’s skeleton at the 2010 Vancouver Games – Britain’s first solo Winter Olympics gold medal for 30 years – it was recognised as a triumph of skill, athleticism, dedication and technology.

Many parts of the sleds used by the British Skeleton team use tesa 4651, a premium acrylic coated cloth tape offering high adhesion and excellent tensile strength.

On the handles of the special grade mild steel saddle, the tape provides a reliable grip on various surfaces ranging from powder-coated polymer, zinc or spray paint finishes.

The tape is also used to fasten different types of foam padding on the top of the saddle where the athlete lies. On the bellypan, typically made from carbon fibre sheet or GRP and finished in gelcoat, lacquer or paint, it is used to optimise airflow and speed in general, by covering the holes where the runner fits.

It also assists in the ‘push’ start, which requires a 20 to 30 metre sprint before the competitor dives aboard.

To enhance the aerodynamics further, most of the athletes apply the tape along the edges of the sled where the bellypan meets the padding.

The chassis is made of high-grade steel and the interior is fabricated from carbon fibre, and with the competitor on board will accelerate under gravity up to speeds of 90mph.

Jeremy Smith, UK Marketing Manager for tesa UK, commented: “This gold medal winning team leads through the example of first class sportsmanship and innovation in technical excellence - values that are akin to our tesacohesion programme and the principles involving people, products, processes and performance.” further information: www.tesa.co.uk

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plastics in sport

The new cycling helmets went into production in June. Credit: Crux Product Design.

news New cycling helmet gets to the Crux of the matter With a number of major sporting events in sight, Bristol-based Crux Product Design Ltd has reached the final stages of production for the track and road cycling helmets for the UK Sport Research and Innovation Team.

According to Crux, the new track and road cycling helmets are a revolutionary development to helmet design and safety.

The innovative, lightweight system with accurate fit and bespoke features is said to improve safety, enhance comfort and reduces mass, making them ideal for road, sprint, pursuit and para-cycling events.

Dr. Scott Drawer, Head of Research and innovation at UK Sport, along with Chris Boardman and Dr. Matthew Parker from British Cycling, commissioned the helmets back in 2009.

They appointed design and engineering company, Crux Product Design Ltd, with a brief to develop an ergonomic and futuristic helmet through the use of novel materials and rapid manufacturing to allow bespoke fits for individual athletes.

With the support of the athletes, Crux began working on a new, ergonomic helmet design, utilising new CAD methods and taking 3D laser scans of each individual, to ensure an accurate fit.

Additive manufacturing methods were then used to turn Crux's 3D CAD models into rapid prototypes over night. The rapid prototypes were then physically used as part of the helmet fitting process; giving the athletes confidence that their helmet fit would be flawless.

Crux developed a unique dual-shell design, comprising of an inner shell, (the made-to-measure section), which fits closely to the athlete’s head, and an outer shell that is shaped for optimum performance. In the middle lies an energy absorbing, safety material that is sandwiched between both shells.

Extensive testing found that

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Foam helps footballers stick in the boot An ultra-light football boot has won a prestigious ISPO BrandNew Award for being “the most innovative product of the year,” with a little help from PebaxFoam, the new super lightweight TPE foam from Zotefoams.

The ‘Pelé Sports Trinity 3E’ boot, said to weigh only 170 grams, is among the lightest ever to be produced, yet injury protection and propulsion performance were said to be uppermost in the design team’s objectives.

Studies from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany show that the Trinity 3E allows significantly faster movements when compared to other high performance speed boot products on the market.

further information: www.cruxproductdesign.com

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aluminium honeycomb, often used within the aerospace industry, worked well as a material for the helmet core. The helmet’s visor is made from polycarbonate and the inner and outer helmet skins are made from ABS plastic.

Dr Scott Drawer, Head of Research and Innovation at UK Sport, said: “Our job is to ensure our athletes make it to the start line among the best prepared and most feared in the world. Britain has a wealth of expertise in science, engineering and technology and by working with companies like Crux Product Design Ltd, we can tap into a much wider network of skills and abilities from other industries to ensure we are leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit of sporting excellence.”

T

The design team worked with Formula One engineers to strip away all unnecessary weight and every material was selected for its light weight, functionality and durability. This includes PebaxFoam, thermoformed to produce the high performance sockliner.

PebaxFoam TPE foam from Zotefoams is a high performance, closed-cell, crosslinked foam based on Pebax thermoplastic elastomer from Arkema. It is said to combine the mechanical and

chemical properties of Pebax with the benefits of the unique Zotefoams nitrogen saturation foaming process. PebaxFoam is characterised by its ultra lightweight, good energy return and excellent flex fatigue performance; properties it retains over a wide temperature range and down to -40°C. further information: www.zotefoams.com

- Except when it is Bluer or Redder.

Josephine Bagnall, Sales and Marketing Director at Colloids Limited, the makers of masterbatch, tells BP&R why plastics play such an important role in the world of sport.

Performance and sport. Two words that seem inseparable. For members of the public, watching live or at home, it is the performance of the athletes that is the be-all and end-all.

But when you work in the industry the business - of sport, the word ‘performance’ takes on much broader reach, and carries far greater weight.

Since plastics are so integral to every aspect of life today, from the moment you wake up, to when you go to bed - and even as you sleep - it is no surprise that they have a key role to play in sport performance:

Art i pain ficial g tbr ush rass a (gre nd en)

And that is Only the Beginning.

- athletically: lighter, stronger kit advances standards - commercially: greater durability of facilities increases return on investment - environmentally: better attention to sustainability improves social responsibility.

The plastics expertise developed in quite separate sectors is seemingly being adopted, adapted and improved as it is applied to sport - because the standards are so demanding.

One example is the automotive sector.

Technically advanced plastics solutions - both lighter and better - are key reasons that your car today runs longer between services on less fuel. These solutions are being ported over to sport.

Or take artificial grass essential nowadays in many sporting venues. Expertise in colour film, dispersion and colour matching is vital here.

The artificial grass must be

exactly the right shade of green — or blue or red or whatever — especially if you are building markings, a team crest, or the sponsor’s logo into the surface. But unlike other applications, a pitch has a life expectancy of more than 10 years, and production includes twining into yarn, sewing and latex coating which is very challenging.

Up in the grandstand, stadium seating also demands precision in colours. Right now we are working on a re-fit project for a football club: the seats that were exactly the right shade of blue now need to be exactly the right shade of green - the team has changed sponsor. And colours must be durable.

Normally built to last over five years, you do not want your red seats fading to pink.

So accelerated weathering tests are essential, not forgetting that they need good mechanical properties and especially indoors - to be flame retardant too.

Colloids has also undertaken work on biodegradable golf tees - and that all stemmed from our earlier initiatives for environmentally friendly carrier bags: another example of the transfer of expertise from one sector to another.

All of which leaves me space only for the light-sensitive Frisbees the company has worked on. Activated by UV, they change colour from natural to deep purple when you take them outside - exceptional performance. But before we get into the argument about whether Frisbee is a sport or a game, let’s leave it there.

plastics in sport

In Sport, the (Artificial) Grass is Always Greener

further information: www.colloids.co.uk

Stadium seating demands precision in colours

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news Plastic puzzle is a no-brainer A plastic puzzle that has been designed, manufactured and patented in the UK is proving to be a real brainteaser for those trying to solve it.

‘Dioctipoid’ is a new product, which is designed in the style of a Rubik’s Cube, only in a spherical shape as opposed to a cube. According to the product manufacturers, the Dioctipoid, which will test the user’s mental agility, dexterity and challenge their puzzle solving skills, is much more difficult to complete.

The product is made up of rotating segments, which are free to form random groups that can be rotated around the device by means of various twists and turns. By these actions the user will disorder and then re-order to solve.

Dioctipoid is manufactured in the UK

by Sussex-based Moulding Innovations Ltd, using injection moulding machines from Billion. Piers Catton, Director of Moulding Innovations, said at a recent trade exhibition to promote the product that it is “a unique item that is manufactured to an extremely high standard.”

Peter Kirkham, Managing Director of Billion UK, commented: “It is a pleasure to work with such innovative and entrepreneurial businesses like Moulding Innovations.”

The choice of the Billion Select machines, used to manufacture the Dioctipoid components, has proved to be a real winner.

The process demands a high level of accuracy and reproducibility as even the

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of image erated oid n ip e t g c A CAD branded Dio R a BP&

smallest dimensional variation in the segments or their guides causes a malfunction of the product when assembled.

The Select machine meets this demand perfectly thanks to it's high precision planetary gear based injection drive and unique load cell design, which ensure perfect positional and pressure stability throughout the entire injection process. Needless to say, that the all-electric machines also provide low energy consumption to contribute to an optimum running cost for the Dioctipoid manufacturing process.

Inventor Gary Spencer-Purvis of Designersaurus Rex Ltd, who used CAD files to draw the different components, initially designed Dioctipoid as an experiment. Once produced, the uniqueness of the product and its commercial prospects became apparent.

Dioctipoid has received a positive response, receiving good feedback when it was exhibited as part of the Designasaurus Rex exhibit at Interplas 2011, the number one event for the plastics industry in the UK. To date, there have been two versions of Dioctipoid available at two different difficulty levels. According to Mr Catton, the design of the product is constantly evolving and can be tailored to an individual’s needs through the use of branding. “We have launched a ‘printed’ version for corporate sponsorship, advertising and as a souvenir product,” he commented. further information: www.mouldinginnovations.com

The Select machine fro m Billion used to produce the parts for Dioctipoid

Selfridges London is a shoe in with SLS With a window display famous for its eye-catching designs and technological creativity, Selfridges in London is feeling the benefit of selective laser sintering (SLS).

SLS can be used to make prototypes and durable, fit for purpose production items with quick, reliable turnaround times ideal for use across many different industries. For this reason, it has drawn the interest of display designers looking for the perfect way to realise their designs.

When Daniel Weil from Pentagram, an independent design consultancy, made contact with CRDM, he was intrigued to discover the benefits SLS can provide.

Through collaboration with CRDM, which offers the largest SLS capacity in the UK, Daniel has been able to create an eye catching window display for London’s Selfridges store using 16 intricately detailed, 12-inch-long translucent SLSmade shoe sculptures, placed on lampshade-like plinths, also manufactured using SLS, and lit from within.

Simon Hammond from CRDM explained: “The shoes were double the size of normal shoes, but still needed the same intricate details that are found on fashionable footwear including straps, buckles and delicate looking stitches. The sculptures needed to be sturdy, but still very fine - some of the walls were less than 1mm thick but with SLS we were able to meet the designer’s needs.”

The material chosen for Daniel’s project was a Nylon, which enabled Daniel to create the crisp, elegant look that was needed for such a prestigious location.

More cost effective, less labour intensive and more accurate than working with other materials such as plaster, or cardboard, SLS also offered a higher degree of accuracy and consistency when producing several items, as each finished product is identical to the CAD file used to build it.

The product is built layer-by-layer, not ‘carved’, reportedly making it cost effective with minimal material or energy wastage. further information: www.crdm.co.uk

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news UK moulder to make Raspberry Pi cases A UK-based moulder has been awarded the contract to make cases for a mini-computer aimed to aid school children’s IT skills.

ModMyPi Ltd was founded in February 2012 following the public release of the ‘Raspberry Pi Model B’, a revolutionary new ultra-low cost, credit card sized mini-computer developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a UK based charity. The Raspberry Pi has been developed to encourage children to learn computing and programming by promoting the study of computer science at school.

ModMyPi’s original plan was to use 3D printing to manufacture the cases.

However, the popularity of the cases and sheer numbers of pre-orders soon demonstrated that injection moulding would be an appropriate production method. The South West Manufacturing Advisory Service Ltd (SWMAS) was approached by the founder of ModMyPi -

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an Exeter University Civil Engineering Masters student - who was seeking a manufacturing partner and was recommended Devon-based Hymid for its ‘design for manufacture’ expertise.

Hymid is about to start production of the cases for ModMyPi for use with the Raspberry Pi. At present the computer is produced as a bare and uncased circuit board, leaving it vulnerable to many everyday desk hazards, which can be prevented by encasing the unit.

“The designs have been finalised and a prototype made and we’ve just commissioned the mould tool. Production will take place in our Brixham factory,” commented Vickie Broadbent, Marketing Manager for Hymid.

Vickie added that many of the company’s clients are keen to keep manufacturing in the UK, which is contributing to Hymid’s success.

“Hymid will be celebrating our 15th year in 2012 and we’ve seen much recent success taking on new clients and expanding into new markets. We are now on a recruitment drive and planning on moving to new, larger premises,” Vickie concluded. further information: www.hymid.co.uk

The case for the Raspberry Pi will protect it from everyday hazards

Hair looks fantastic with plastic thanks to new injection moulding machine Oxfordshire-based Data Plastics has recently installed a new Haitian Mars 160 tonne injection-moulding machine, which will be solely dedicated to the production of a Queen’s Award-winning hairbrush.

The ‘Tangle Teezer’, which was originally rejected by the team of entrepreneurs on BBC’s ‘Dragon’s Den’, is now said to be the fastest growing hairbrush in the UK, with global sales over two million since its launch in 2007.

The hairbrush will be moulded using the Mars 160, which is said to offer between 20 percent and 80 percent less energy consumption compared with other conventional hydraulic machines and claims to have the lowest carbon footprint of any other machine on the market.

Data Plastics’ Managing Director, Carl Reeve, said: “Going forward, we will have a state of the art injection moulding machine that will not only give us increased production for the Tangle Teezer brand, but will also offer us substantial savings to run and help lower our carbon footprint – this is the type of manufacturing we should all be working towards.”

The unconventional Tangle Teezer hairbrush incorporates around 400 teeth arranged in a unique configuration with a specific design. The teeth are rigid for a firm grip, yet are flexible for effective detangling of hair.

Tangle Teezer designer, Shaun Pulfrey, said: “This is an exciting time for the Tangle Teezer brand – we are always looking at ways we can make improvements to the design of our brand and we are pleased that Data Plastics is investing in this type of energy efficient machinery – it reflects well on the brand that not only do we have a good design but the manufacturing process used to produce it is one that has a lower carbon footprint.” further information: www.dataplastics.co.uk

www.billion.fr

IsoCool celebrates 10 years of energy-saving success One of the first companies to champion the green agenda, IsoCool was set up in May 2002 to provide energy, carbon and cost saving process cooling solutions to manufacturers. To achieve this the company pioneered a ‘refurb before your replace’ approach to cooling preferring to repair, upgrade and retro-fit energy saving equipment to existing systems before considering large scale replacement. It worked - within just three weeks IsoCool secured a major contract with Sharpak (then Sharp Interpak), the UK’s foremost rigid plastic packaging manufacturer.

A decade on and IsoCool is now one of the leading process cooling specialists in the UK. The company has completed more than £2m worth of business with its

01908 223344

first client, Sharpak, and counts top manufacturers such as Logoplaste, Magna International and Carclo as longstanding customers.

In fact, IsoCool’s reputation for intelligent energy saving solutions and excellent workmanship has led to demand from manufacturers across the globe.

IsoCool’s latest international win involves a major contract with one of the biggest construction group of companies in the Middle East.

Turnover for the company has increased year on year, and IsoCool is celebrating its 10th birthday with recordbreaking sales figures. Nigel Hallett, Managing Director of IsoCool is delighted.

He said: “Ten years is a big milestone for the company. When I set up IsoCool most process cooling companies were focused on selling entirely new systems, but I knew

for their engineering polymers, overseeing the process from the raw chemistry through to finished components ready for shipping.

With extensive experience in projects from the Asia-Pacific through to the North Sea, as a UK manufacturing company, over 75 percent of Nylacast’s business is export, supplying over 38 different countries (L-R) Lord Green and Mussa Mahomed with engineering inspect a finished component solutions in a range of sectors, including automotive, construction and oil and gas on a global platform.

Lord Green commented on his visit to Engineering plastics company Leicester by saying: "Turning the UK’s showcases export success to trade deficit around is not going to happen Minister overnight, it’s going to take years - it’s a Leicester-based Nylacast recently marathon, not a sprint - but it’s a hosted the UK Minister of State for Trade marathon we can complete. I am very and Investment, Lord Green, who visited encouraged with what I’ve seen and heard the company to see its UK manufactured at the companies I have visited today. engineering plastic solutions, as well as to They are leading the way when it comes to learn about its drive to help promote a young audience awareness in engineering. overseas success, helping put this county firmly on the export map.”

Lord Green was welcomed by Mussa Nylacast, which holds a commitment Mahomed, CEO of Nylacast, and given a to continuous investment in people, also guided tour by the management team, showcased to Lord Green various areas showing him the manufacturing facilities

IsoCool main office

that there was a more cost-effective way for companies to save energy – I just didn’t know that the idea would take off so well. It’s a real testament to the hard work of the team, and we’re overjoyed to celebrate 10 years with a record turnover”. further information: www.isocool.ltd.uk

and departments of the business with a strong focus on the development of skills, training and education both internally and externally. Through close links with educational institutions including Bradford University, Loughborough University, Leicester College and South Leicestershire College, Nylacast participates on various programmes including Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.

With an increasing worry of skills shortages in the UK, this is a positive fact for both Nylacast and UK manufacturing, Nylacast CEO, Mussa Mahomed commented. “As a way of combating a skills shortage and investing in people, its great to see staff members improving their skills through in-house training courses as well as enthusiastic young students wanting to gain experience and education through placements and apprenticeships.

The apprentices currently at Nylacast have made great strides and will make successful engineers of the future; they get to work through the whole business from maintenance right through to quality control coupled with the benefit of gaining qualifications at the same time. It continues to be a mark of commitment for Nylacast to be able to have an input in the early stages of their careers,” Mr Mahomed concluded. further information: www.nylacast.com

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“Little piece of plastic”

wins highest accolade

Smith Headshot: Gary

at British invention show Amidst all the technology that has become iconic in the 21st century for revolutionising the way we live, sometimes it is the simplest of products that make the real difference.

This is certainly the case for novice inventor, Gary Smith from Essex, whose plastic ‘CD Slot Mount’ won him the highest accolade at the most recent British Invention show in London. Leanne Taylor spoke to Gary about his “little piece of plastic” and how he found the manufacturing process.

Gary Smith won the award for ‘Most Innovative Design’ at the British Invention show in London with his plastic ‘CD slot mount’, designed as an alternative to traditional satnav holders, after his car was broken into and thieves stole the device. “I use a satnav quite a lot and I wondered if there was anywhere else I could put it when I had this ‘eureka’ moment of using the slot for the CD to support something,” Mr Smith explained.

The product works by gripping into a CD slot to provide a platform for a satnav, or other electrical devices such as iPods or mobile phones. The platform is used with, or without, a specially designed sticking pad which is able to firmly hold the items.

“Winning the award was a fantastic experience and no-one was more surprised than me when my name was announced. To be perfectly honest some of the inventions there were pretty impressive. The judges said that inventions don’t have to be state of the art, they can just be something very simple that fulfils a purpose,” said Mr Smith, who added that he wanted his invention to be something that people found useful.

Mr Smith explained that at the beginning of the process he knew very little about materials selection and the manufacturing process, but was impressed with the diversity of plastics available. “I tried a few different materials before coming up with one that had the right balance of flexibility and stiffness.

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01908 223344

The C D Slo t Mou nt was design ed

for us e with a satn av

The device can also be used to hold mobile phones, mp3 players and coins

I didn’t have any comprehension of the different amount of plastic materials that there are and the different combinations of materials you can put together to absolutely transform any product that you want to make,” Mr Smith said.

The injection-moulded part is being sold through the product website as well on eBay, with Mr Smith estimating sales of around 200 per week, with total sales since the product was launched being into the thousands.

Mr Smith has spent around two years developing his product, stating the prototyping and design stages were the most difficult. “We had several prototypes made and we were constantly changing aspects of the design. The most difficult part was committing to ordering the tool –

as you’ll never know until you’re holding the product in your hand whether it’s 100 percent perfect.”

Mr Smith is being realistic about the potential growth of his product but said: “With approximately 800 million vehicles in the world there is quite a large marketplace.”

The product is being marketed as a ‘British’ invention, which Mr Smith believes is an asset to the selling power of the product. “I like to think that ‘Made in Britain’ has still got some creditability and I think we should shout about it,” he said.

“I want to advertise that it is a British made product, that it was thought up in the UK and it’s made in the UK. I make no excuse for being pleased about it being

made in Britain and although I could probably make it about a third cheaper than I do by taking it to the far East – but I don’t want to. It’s not all about the money for me at all. Although it’s just a ‘piece of plastic’ it’s about being a very well made piece of plastic.”

Asked whether he would encourage others to design in plastic, Mr Smith said he would “without question”, and that the best route initially is to put a patent application in and register the design. “I would say if you’ve got an idea that you have had for some time and you believe in it then yes, you should do it.” further information: www.cdslotmount.com

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(L-R) Andrew Robathan MP with Agentdraw’s Darren Parsons

Agentdraw calls on local MP to support the plastics industry MP for South Leicestershire, Andrew Robathan, recently visited Leicestershire – based plastics design and manufacturer, Agentdraw, as part of the BPF’s (British Plastics Federation) campaign to highlight the UK plastics industry as a strategic manufacturing sector.

Mr Robathan MP met with Agentdraw’s Managing Director, Darren Parsons, Director Kevin Sheppard and Jonathan Bloom of the BPF. The purpose of the meeting was to highlight the strategic importance of the plastics industry to Mr Robathan’s constituency and in national policy making.

Fundamental to the meeting was the importance of investment in the industry, with Mr Parsons calling for an improvement in access to funds from banks and Government, stating: “it is not visible where investment is coming from we call on Government to put pressure on banks to release funds.”

Mr Parsons also said that “capital allowance legislation needs to be reviewed (as) the current policy punishes a company looking to invest in new equipment instead of supporting growth.”

It was also highlighted at the meeting that apprenticeship schemes need to be expanded to adults older than 16-18 in order to offer apprenticeships to anyone that is interested in working within the industry and gaining a career.

Mr Robathan said: “The British Plastics industry has an important role to play in the growth and future development of our British manufacturing base. Not only do plastics play an essential role in so many business sectors, but they also play a crucial part in our transition towards a greener economy and lifestyle.” further information: www.agentdraw.co.uk

Plastics solutions firm enhances design capabilities North East-based Sone Products, suppliers of solutions in plastic for technically demanding markets, has announced the completion of a strategic acquisition as part of its plans for growth.

Sone has acquired Product Revolution, an award-winning product design and packaging development consultancy, originally based in Sunderland, which will now operate as Sone Design.

Sone states this latest development will further enhance the company’s existing design capabilities and will allow it to broaden its multi-service offering, with a proven track record of servicing international brands and market leading companies such as Boots, Procter & Gamble, Chanel, Hammerite and Coty.

Speaking about this latest investment in Sone’s future, Chairman and CEO, Raymond Oliver, said: “For many years Sone’s clients have benefitted from a range of services including design, prototyping and high quality manufacturing. In addition to offering a complete solution, the arrival of Sone Design will allow us to deliver a standalone design service to our growing client base. The new design team has gathered a significant amount of experience, product design knowledge and technical

Objet states art and design is next frontier in 3D printing At a recent media event held in Paris celebrating the work of artist Neri Oxman, 3D printing specialists, Objet, announced that using additive manufacturing technology creatively was a key focus for future developments.

Held at the Centre Pompidou, it was the first time that Objet has shown its capabilities to print a full colour spectrumdisplayed in a vivid and striking collection.

Objet GM for Europe, Andy Middleton, stated in an interview with BP&R that the event was a "premier for the next stage in 3D printing."

"Using our Connex inkjet technology we control every pixel that is printed-this includes material type and also colour.

Practically and theoretically Connex technology can print any colour in the visible spectrum," Mr Middleton stated.

Objet stated the Pompidou event was a special R&D technology demonstration, presenting its capabilities in colour digital materials and following the event there is no change in Objet’s offering and portfolio.

However, Mr Middleton did reveal that the

expertise which, when coupled with Sone’s existing resources, elevates the company to the next level of growth and advancement.”

Sone Design will operate proactively by developing concepts and carrying out much of the R&D work in-house, eliminating the need for a high level of investment from the client.

Speaking about the transition to Sone Design, founder of Product Revolution, Ian Jobling, added: “Under the Sone brand I believe we have a great opportunity to demonstrate how innovative and creative we can be in areas such as idea generation, product design and packaging development.” further information: www.sone-products.co.uk

A model from the collection 3D printed

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Image: L-R Ian Jobling, (Design Manager) and Raymond Oliver, chairman and CEO

on the Objet Connex500

technology would be a fundamental part of future art and design projects.

When asked whether Stratasys, the company with whom Objet announced a merger earlier this year, shared this vision for the creative use of the technology, Mr Middleton stated that they did. “They do share the vision - we see the new, combined company to be able to cater for such a wide variation of applications and customer sections.” further information: www.objet.com

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DESIGN

news Student proves his creative design mind with an innovative hanger An ingenious and original solution to an everyday, practical problem has not only won a prestigious award for a university student, but is also now the subject of a patent application.

Jamie Mansfield, a second year student of furniture and product design at Nottingham Trent University, has won a £1,000 prize for his collapsible flat-pack clothes hanger as well as a placement at Bayer MaterialScience at its headquarters in Leverkusen, Germany.

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Jamie was one of 274 students who registered to enter the 2012 Design Innovation in Plastics Award. The brief was to design a product to help those with physical or cognitive impairments that is also appealing to the mass market. By developing a unique, integral mechanism, Jamie designed a plastic coat hanger with flexible arms that collapse and spring back, allowing the user to attach clothing via the neck without having to take the hanger from the rail or undo buttons.

One of the seven judges, Robin Kent, Managing Director of Tangram Technology, said: “I have never seen this mechanism before in any form - let alone a coat hanger. It works well because it offers a strong initial resistance to movement, but once the

'break' has been made, it is then quite flexible. It’s a good mechanism with other potential uses, particularly in safety applications where you need something to resist movement but also be very flexible.”

Described as “elegant” by another judge, James Steiner, a Senior Design Researcher at PDD, the hanger has been praised for its robustness and the fact that minimal energy was used for its manufacture and transport. It is also ideal for travelling as it packs flat. The product, which is produced in polypropylene sheet, also satisfies the key sustainability criteria contained in the brief for reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering plastics.

further information: www.designinnovationplastics.org

rubber

news

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Dunlop to benefit from Saudi Arabia Hawk deal Dunlop Aircraft Tyres is to benefit from BAE Systems’ £1.9bn deal to build and sell Hawk training jets to Saudi Arabia.

Twenty-two Hawks will be built in Lancashire and supplied with tyres made

by Dunlop Aircraft Tyres in Birmingham.

The company, the world’s only specialist aircraft tyre manufacturer and retreader, already provides tyres for the 45 Hawks already in service with the Royal Saudi Air Force.

Each aircraft uses three tyres – two on the main gear and one on the nose gear – and once the Saudis take delivery of the new aircraft the country will be the world’s second largest operator of the type after the UK. “Much has been said about the benefit of this deal with Saudi Arabia to the workers at BAE Systems,” said Ian Edmondson, Chairman, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres. “But the good news extends into the supply chain.

“Not only will we provide three tyres to each aeroplane as it leaves the factory but we look forward to supporting them for many years to come during their service in Saudi Arabia.” further information: www.dunlopaircrafttyres.com

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rubber

news Elasto TPE makes for a cool lunch Elasto is helping to keep lunchboxes cool by developing a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) for use in the lid seal of a new product.

Frozzypack, invented by Carolina Sundberg, is a unique lunchbox with integrated cooling that is said to help keep food cool and fresh until lunch.

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pack

The inspiration behind Frozzypack came from Sundberg’s frustration with sending away her children to school with lunches that she knew wouldn’t be fresh when it was time to eat them.

Frozzypack is said to keep food fridgecold for up to seven hours at room temperature. The lunchbox lid contains a non-toxic, cool-keeping gel that after 10 hours in the freezer guarantees fresh food until lunch and later.

Elasto developed a TPE that had to form a tight seal for the lid. The Dryflex TPE is food approved, with a Normpack certificate verifying food contact status according to the Normpack norm, which includes the EU Commission regulation 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.

The material is BPA-free as well as being dishwasher and freezer friendly.

Frozzypacks are available in a range of vibrant colours, so it was important that the material was easy to colour. Elasto worked with moulder, Bonaj, to ensure the material was easy to process and that it gives an excellent bond to polypropylene in the overmoulding process. further information: www.elastotpe.com

Silicone moulding extends clean room facilities for Arrow Medical Ltd Arrow Medical has introduced silicone moulding as part of the clean room facilities at its Kington manufacturing site in Herefordshire.

This latest investment serves an integrated assembly unit within the clean room, one of three totalling 344 sq. m.

The assembly unit is housed in within a 56 sq. m. soft wall, ISO 14644 Class 7 clean

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room, accredited to FDA GMP and ISO 13485.

The new facilities can supply components for complete medical device assembly services within all three clean rooms. Arrow Medical manufactures a variety of devices used in anaesthetic, emergency surgery, vascular, anaesthetic and cardiac sectors.

The unit assembles 'life critical products' with 100 percent testing and complete lifetime traceability. Other

Silicone swim accessories can offer performance advantage

Silicones make a splash in the pool When milliseconds can mean the difference between a gold or silver medal, competitive swimmers can rely on their accessories to give them the edge.

“Races are often won or lost by swimmers’ ability to concentrate on their technique,” said Ivan Mini, Rubber Global Market Manager for the Xiameter brand from Dow Corning. “Silicone swim caps and goggles, among other applications, provide the performance and comfortable fit that allow them to do just that.”

Silicone swim caps offer a number of performance and aesthetic advantages.

They can be water repellant, soft, pliant, and put on and taken off easily. Also, silicone rubber provides the strength, comfort and durability for easy-to-adjust straps on goggles that protect eyes and help swimmers see clearly underwater. further information: www.dowcorning.com

assembly processes for medical manufacturing in addition to silicone rubber moulding include UV curing, solvent-based assembly and other bonding techniques depending on product design.

The silicone rubber moulded components go direct to the assembly line without leaving the clean room and all inspection, assembly and handling is self-contained. further information: www.arrowmedical.co.uk

Flame-resistant thermoplastic chosen for direct digital manufacturing and prototyping 3D printing specialist, Stratasys, is now offering Sabic’s Ultem 9085, a high performance, fire resistant thermoplastic for direct digital manufacturing and rapid prototyping.

Ultem 9085 is a strong, lightweight, flame-retardant thermoplastic, widely used in aircraft interiors. The material has a V-Ø rating for flame, smoke and toxicity (FST). Its availability for the FDM additive fabrication process will allow direct digital manufacturing (DDM) and rapid prototyping with this material for the first time.

Because Ultem 9085 is certified for use on commercial aircrafts,

Tough PC/PET blend offers high flame resistance for electric vehicles Curtis Instruments' motor speed controllers are used worldwide in many types of zeroemission electric vehicles, to provide operators wiith smooth handling, power, performance and functionality.

In order to protect its technology, Curtis Instruments needed a plastic motor cover that provided flame resistance along with safety and compliance with the latest regulations. Bayer MaterialScience Bayer’s Tough LLC's Makroblend EL 703 PC/PET was PET Blend Offers PC/ chosen as it offered exceptional flame High Flame Resistance resistance for this critical electric application. Bayer states it also provided maximum safety and regulatory compliance, replacing a previous material that — unlike Makroblend EL 703 PC/PET — was not UL 94 5VA-rated.

"This plastic offers a combination of properties Curtis Instruments sought for this application, including impact resistance, ultraviolet stability, flame retardance and chemical resistance," said Ignacio Osio, Demand Creation Manager, Bayer MaterialScience LLC. "Bayer's flame-resistant material helps keep our technology covered with a tough shell that meets the highest standards,” said Frank Matheis, Corporate Communications Director, Curtis Instruments.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.bayer.com

parts that couldn’t otherwise be manufactured with tradition methods. This can improve the assembly design and performance.”

Ultem 9085 is heat resistant up to 320°F (160°C) and is inherently flame retardant. Besides the aerospace industry, Stratasys anticipates that the availability of Ultem 9085 for FDM prototyping and production can benefit various industries, including the marine product and automotive industries.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.stratasys.com

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manufacturers can bypass a lengthy certification process. The material will be available for Stratasys’ top two additive fabrication machines – the FDM 900mc and FDM 400mc. Until recently, Ultem 9085 was available only for conventional manufacturing methods. The material was originally developed to help the aerospace industry boost fuel efficiency and safety. It offers strength and flexibility while producing five to 15 percent lighter interior parts than other aerospace plastics.

“More and more manufacturers are discovering DDM,” said Jeff DeGrange, Stratasys Vice President of direct digital manufacturing. DDM is the process of manufacturing parts directly from CAD data using additive fabrication and brings great efficiencies for low volume manufacturing and the ability to build spare parts on demand.

“DDM allows manufacturers to integrate part designs, which can significantly reduce part lead times,” said Mr DeGrange. “And it can even allow the production of

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reclamation & recycling - sports special

100% Recycled Nylon 100% Prime Properties

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news Recycled bottles help Nike create top-flight clothing As part of its global sustainability strategy, Nike, is undertaking several ventures using recycled plastics in order to lower the environmental impact of its products.

Utilising recycled plastic bottles, Nike’s range of national team football kits for the 2012 season are said to be the most environmentally friendly ever.

Made with at least 96 percent recycled polyester, each jersey is made using an average of seven plastic bottles, and each short is made using an average of six recycled plastic bottles—adding up to 13 plastic bottles per kit.

Reclaimed plastic bottles are sorted, crushed and melted, refined into yarn, and converted to fabric, which is cut, dyed and stitched to make the sportswear.

Nike states the recycling process saves raw materials and reduces energy consumption by an estimated 30 percent compared to manufacturing virgin polyester.

The company

London 2012 promises to be Olympic gold for recycling London 2012 will create a lasting legacy for the UK that stimulates consumers to recycle more and helps create many green jobs for the packaging and recycling industries, according to Closed Loop Recycling’s CEO Chris Dow, whose East London-based food-grade plastic recycling facility just five miles from the Olympic site is already celebrating gold medal success of its own.

The pioneering Dagenham recycling company which was born out of one of the greenest Olympics in history, Sydney 2000, has announced that since production started back in 2008 - it has recycled more than 100,000 tonnes of plastic bottles at its recycling facility, creating 150,000 tonnes of carbon savings in the process.

states that since 2010, Nike Football has used an estimated 115 million recycled plastic bottles to create its high performance kits.

Additionally, Nike has revealed that this summer, US track and field athletes will be wearing what it claims is the most sustainable track apparel to date.

Nike Global Olympic Creative Director, Martin Lotti, commented: “Our overriding

design principle is superior lightweight performance, and we’ve created innovations that can help make the athlete faster. Combined with the fact that every piece of apparel is made from recycled plastic bottles, it adds up to true innovation.”

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.nikeinc.com

US track and field athletes will wear apparel made from plastic bottles

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And with one million visitors expected to visit London throughout the Games, Closed Loop Recycling, as well as the recycling industry as a whole, looks set to gain maximum benefit from the expected increase in plastic bottles collected for recycling, particularly in the capital city.

Chris Dow explained: “Closed Loop Recycling is a javelin-throw from the Games and due to our own supply relationship with Transport for London to collect plastic bottles from the Tube and our other contracts with several London boroughs, we’re preparing to receive additional volumes of plastic bottles throughout the period as a result of the increased numbers of people expected to visit London.

“It is my hope that London 2012 will create a lasting legacy for the UK that stimulates consumers to recycle more and

Chris Dow of Closed Loop Recycling

helps create hundreds of green jobs for the packaging and recycling industries,” Mr Dow concluded.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.closedlooprecycling.co.uk

www.ultrapolymers.co.uk

01925 750320

a Spirit of Partnership

Sporting chance for UK recycling at London 2012 The organising committee of the London 2012 Games, LOCOG, plans to deliver a zero-waste Games, with 70 percent of all the waste collected at the Olympic venues to be recycled or composted.

With the eyes of four billion people expected to be on the UK this summer, companies are using the platform to deliver breakthroughs in sustainability.

One such company, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), is using the inspiration of this year’s Games to make its business more sustainable through measures that will see it involved in a closed-loop recycling process that will be wholly delivered within the UK. “Our vision at Coca-Cola is to use the inspiration and excitement of the London 2012 Games to make our own business more sustainable and to make a contribution to a positive difference to the planet, our consumers, our suppliers and the community we serve that will last long after the Games have finished. We also see it as an opportunity to set an inspirational sustainability blueprint for future Olympic and Paralympic games, and indeed any major sporting event,” said Katherine Symonds, Head of Sustainable Olympic Games at CCE. CCE estimates that somewhere in the region of 20 million bottles of CocaCola products will be served throughout the course of the Games, which naturally raises the question of sustainability and recycling. According to CCE, all its plastic bottles are 100 percent recyclable and contain 25 percent recycled material.

The plastic used in Coke bottles, which includes original Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero, will be sold in ‘PlantBottle’ packaging, a bottle

The Recycle Beat van

words | Leanne Taylor

made partially from plants.

The recycling bins at the Olympic venues, manufactured by Glasdon UK, will come in three sizes and will be sorted by LOCOG’s waste partner, Sita. Once the bins have been sorted, every single plastic bottle disposed of at the Olympic venues in London will head north to Continuum, the groundbreaking new recycling facility based in Lincolnshire, a joint venture project between CCE and EcoPlastics.

It is estimated that the EcoPlastics facility, officially opened in May this year, will receive as much as one fifth of all consumer waste produced in the Olympic venues, taking LOCOG a considerable way to meeting its zero-waste target and which will bring recycling in the UK full circle.

The entire clear PET waste will be processed at Continuum and turned into food-grade, recycled PET flake before being transported to CCE’s factory to be turned back into new bottles. CCE states this process will happen within six weeks – so a bottle used at the Olympic opening ceremony could be back on shelves before the Paralympic Games are over.

“We’ve made this the centrepiece of our games time communication, because we know it’s a powerful message. Some people have lost confidence in recycling in this country, they don’t know what happens to our waste, and they’ve heard lots of it is shipped overseas where it may not be recycled — and they don’t like that.

The building of this factory provides people with the reassurance that British

The Coca-Cola ‘PlantBottle’

at The recycling bins to feature es venu 2012 the London

waste can be recycled on British soil and returned in new packing to British shops. I hope this joint venture, between CCE and Ecoplastics, will inspire many imitators,” continued Ms Symonds.

CCE is presenting a number of additional inititatives to encourage consumer recycling locally, such as it’s ‘Recycle Beat’ vehicle, part of the fleet accompanying the Olympic torch relay as it makes its 70-day journey around the UK. The vehicle will hand out sample bottles of Coca-Cola products and those who deposit empty bottles in the specially designed holes on the unit will get a musical reward. The van will be consistently emptied for the duration of the torch relay, with all bottles going to Continuum for recycling.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.coca-cola.co.uk www.ecoplasticsltd.com

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blow moulding

news

The Elight container

New pack joins the sustainable ‘elight’ RPC Gent has launched a five-litre blow-moulded HDPE container that it states combines an enhanced environmental profile with maximum functionality and branding opportunities.

The new Elight container offers an overall weight of 120g compared to 140g for a standard 5-litre pack, enabling companies to reduce their carbon footprints.

An accurate spread of material throughout the container, combined with optimising the compression of the shoulder and base, ensure that the container maintains its overall strength and stability to deliver a robust and reliable performance.

A unique design feature of the Elight is said to be the vertical ribs on each corner of the container. These help to avoid damage to the packs during stretch wrapping of pallets or in transportation by allowing the container to regain its original shape. RPC Gent states user-friendliness is further enhanced by the large handle and there is an extensive decoration area to enable brands to create their own identity and on-shelf appeal.

The Elight is currently available with a neck insert for 40/42mm closures, including UN approved caps. A 38mm neck will be added to the range later in the year.

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further information: www.rpc-gent.be

New Granic grade for blow moulding and film applications Gestora Catalana de Residuos, producers of the Granic range of calcium carbonate and talc filled plastic masterbatches, has introduced a new grade recommended for blow moulding applications using high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

In contrast to the previously recommend grade, new Granic 762 uses a very low melt flow special copolymer HDPE base carrier resin with a calcium carbonate content of 80 percent, as Chris Green, Business Development Manager at Plastribution, explained: "The use of the previous linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) based grades at higher addition rates was found to reduce modulus and tensile properties in some cases and to cause some issues in processing, particularly with very large blow mouldings. The new grade addresses these issues by utilising a low melt flow HDPE carrier that will have no adverse effect at higher loadings over 15 percent or more."

The base carrier resin used in Granic 762 is a high molecular weight HDPE copolymer that provides the finished article with a higher e-modulus than was previously achievable with a LLDPE carrier.

At the same time, the use of the ultrafine calcium carbonate granules in the polymer matrix permits the down gauging of wall thickness in blow moulded articles such as bottles and containers without sacrificing mechanical, flexural and drop impact properties.

Further benefits of the new grade include the use of a particularly white form of calcium carbonate that facilitates a reduction in the amount of titanium dioxide required to produce blowmoulded white bottles and white films. Moreover, as calcium carbonate is not a pigment Granic 762 is also suitable for use in the production of coloured bottles. Finally, as HDPE is not transparent, a loading of Granic 762 of up to 10 percent is possible (depending on wall thickness) in natural HDPE bottles

and films without any discernible change in visual appearance.

"Our full commercial introduction of Granic 762 was in April this year, and already several big customers are placing regular orders that can be measured in truck loads," reported Victor Oliva, Commercial Director at Gestora Catalana de Residuos. "We see a huge potential in this material, with a major producer of 'probiotic' yogurt-type drinks already trialling its use in Europe and LatinAmerica."

The Granic range is characterised by the high purity, preparation and treatment of the calcium carbonate used in the masterbatch. The additive can be added to almost all types of polymers, including polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene derivatives, at dosages of up to 60 percent depending on application.

Benefits of Granic in moulded parts include significant efficiencies in terms of output and energy costs, in film applications the use of Granic can lead to improvements in mechanical performance and production efficiency. Plastribution has been the sole distributor in the United Kingdom of the Granic range of highly filled calcium carbonate compounds since 2011. further information: www.granic.es www.plastribution.co.uk

The new Granic grade

blow moulding Multi-layer UHT milk bottle made from Sabic HDPE B5260ULS

New HDPE blow moulding grade for high temperature applications Sabic has introduced HDPE B5260ULS, a new blow moulding grade developed for the production of bottles, such as milk, as well as other dairy products and juices.

The principal target of the grade is bottles for UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) and sterilised milk that are produced on high-speed extrusion blow moulding lines.

Using proprietary polymerisation technology, Sabic HDPE B5260ULS is one of the very few materials said to have the necessary processing properties required by converters to run on the equipment typically used for the UHT and sterilised milk market. It has a melt flow rate (MFR at 2,16 kg) of 2g/10 min, and its broad molecular weight distribution reportedly ensures very good behaviour during extrusion and blowing. It is said to be suitable for multi- and monolayer constructions.

Gerrit-Jan Bekink, Technical Marketing Engineer, HDPE, at Sabic said: “Sabic HDPE B5260ULS – ULS stands for Ultra Long Shelf-life - is a high-purity grade that features good organoleptic properties that are especially important when using in-bottle sterilisation, where the packaging as well as the product are subjected to tough thermal and mechanical conditions. Furthermore, the new grade’s well-balanced set of mechanical properties, with a good combination of stiffness, impact resistance and environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR) is well suited for this high-demanding segment.”

“Sabic HDPE B5260ULS is available as a neutral product that can be coloured on the blow moulding machine or on suitable compounding equipment, using colour masterbatch,” said Gilles Mignard, Product Sales Manager, HDPE, at Sabic. §further information: §§www.sabic.com

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injection moulding

Engineering Passion

news Injection moulding group Rosti buys McKechnie for £30.7m The Rosti Group has completed the purchase of McKechnie Engineered Plastics Limited from previous owner, Melrose Plc, for £30.7million.

McKechnie is one of the leading UK injection moulders, operating 110 machines from three facilities, with a combined manufacturing space of 30,000 sq.m. McKechnie’s revenue is £75 million and employs over 650 people.

The new Rosti subsidiary, Rosti McKechnie Ltd, is supplying into most of Rosti’s current markets, with a leading reputation in the power tool, food and drink packaging and automotive sectors.

"The strategic fit between Rosti and McKechnie in terms of technical competences, culture and customers is impressive. The two companies share a common approach through developing value add solutions and providing high levels of customer service,” explained

Rosti Group CEO, Borje Vernet.

The injection moulding facilities at Stamford Bridge and Pickering in North Yorkshire, where McKechnie has a particular expertise in multi shot moulding, processing of PMMA materials and drinks can widget manufacture, along with Canning Brett, specialising in metal fabrications and fixings in South Wales, will be incorporated into the European division of the Rosti Group, headed by COO Barry Coughlan.

Barry Coughlan stated: "Combining our resources will provide a platform for both UK and international growth with many of our global OEM partners."

Rosti McKechnie Ltd Sales and Marketing Director, Mike Murphy, stated: "in partnership with our key strategic customers, McKechnie has enjoyed significant growth over the last four years.

With our new owners Rosti we can continue on this journey and fulfil our future potential.”

The Rosti Group has completed the purchase of McKechnie Engineered Plastics

further information: www.rosti.com

Visit our new

www.arburg.com

Distance counts! ARBURG robotic systems currently cover 36 million kilometres annually for our customers. We are the specialists for complex turnkey systems for plastics injection moulding. We can

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www.kraussmaffei.co.uk KraussMaffei launches all-new range to the UK market The passionate engineering of the developers is manifested in a firstclass machine concept featuring intelligent product innovations such as the GearX locking device and the GuideX guide shoe. The GX series sets new standards in terms of performance, usability and value retention.

With the GuideX guide shoe, forces are ideally absorbed and the service life of the moulds is increased. Richard Mumford, Director of Sales for injection moulding at KraussMaffei UK, said of the system: “It’s a two-platen technology machine, which means that the footprint is extremely compact. In comparison to our competition, we have been very, very competitive here. The new GuideX system now means we no longer need the support of the tiebars thanks to our unique patented GuideX system.

What we’ve done here is created very stiff, highly engineered platens. This means we should have customers with little or no tool-wear, and no tilting on the tool whatsoever. The design means that we can use very large tools and the machine can still open and close very fast.”

The innovative GearX locking system is activated in the shortest possible time, resulting in extremely fast machine movement. Mr Mumford explained that a key focus has been developing the accessibility to the clamping, ejection and nozzle area, as well the switching cabinets and pump area. This has been designed with the intention of creating short set-up times and simple maintenance.

The KraussMaffei screw system, which works with a

During a recent customer event, KraussMaffei UK launched a 650 tonne model of the all-new GX series — a completely new range for the brand. On display for the first time in the UK, the GX series is the latest collection of hydro-mechanical dual platen machines in the medium clamping force range from KraussMaffei.

The GX series machine

wide range of applications, has been kept on-board for the GX series — Mr Mumford explained that this design would be hard to improve upon, and so there was little need for modification.

The efficiency of the process is supported by the in-line injection unit, which The GX clamp unit has a rotary piston design and transmits force centrally via the injection piston to the screw. This offers precision and reproducibility.

The machine is the first to feature the latest generation of control systems from KraussMaffei: the MC6. Mr Mumford explained: “The new generation MC6 control system has a 19” touch-screen, allowing you to scroll, split the screens and allowing far greater integration with automation systems.” The MC6 control system has also been equipped with an ‘Eco button’ for the first time. This means that the most energy-efficient set-up can be made at the push of a button. The concept behind the system is that the user should be able to access any screen in just two clicks — making it a far more straightforward design than previous models.

Mr Mumford stressed that the system is simple enough even for technicians with relatively little experience in using machine control systems. In addition, individual setups can be saved from one machine, and transferred to another machine, eliminating the need to re-programme the whole process when moving between machines or changing production runs.

Due to the fact that the machine centre always remains at the same height, the system is compatible with all clamping and injection unit combinations. In the modular drive system of the GX series, the latest generation of the variable delivery pumps is a standard feature. Their use is said to improve efficiency and offer processors maximum cost-effectiveness. further information: www.kraussmaffei.com

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Excellence in Nylon Distribution a Spirit of Partnership

engineering materials

www.ultrapolymers.co.uk 01925 750320

news The plastic that emits light when pulled. Credit: Bart van Overbeeke

Scientists create plastic that ‘lights up’ Scientists at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands have succeeded for the first time in creating a plastic that emits light when pulled. The researchers can make the plastic emit red, yellow, blue and green light.

The researchers incorporated an additional element in the plastic molecules, a molecular ring called dioxetane. When the plastic is pulled hard enough, the ring breaks open and emits light.

The plastic only gives light as long as it is pulled. When the plastic is completely torn apart, a flash of light is seen because a lot of the molecular rings break at the same time.

The research has mainly been driven by fundamental scientific questions. The researchers were looking for possibilities of mechanical forces to unlock new types of chemistry, said Professor of Supramolecular Polymer Chemistry, Rint Sijbesma.

However, Professor Sijbesma does see a suitable application of the invention.

The transmitted light makes it possible to

The Rip Shears Ripper with glow-in-the-dark masterbatch from RTP

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very accurately see where, when and how polymers break. In this way the collapse behaviour of polymers can be studied in detail.

The principle is said to be quite different from that of the luminous rods that are used at concerts, etc. When these rods are bent and broken inside, two

RTP Company's glow-in-the-dark masterbatch helps medics save lives A company that invented a medical device that allows paramedics to quickly cut through clothing to address the site of a wound is using a glow-in-the-dark masterbatch from RTP Company to make the product more effective at night or in low light conditions.

Attached to standard trauma shears, the ‘Rip Shears Ripper’ allows emergency medical personnel to quickly slice through multiple layers of clothing, equipment and body armour to access and treat wound sites. While medics liked the ‘snip and rip’ performance of the product, a glow-in-thedark version would allow even faster usage.

The Rip Shears Ripper uses an RTP 200 Series glass fibre reinforced nylon

liquids mix, creating a new chemical substance. This material starts to fall apart spontaneously, at the same time emitting light. further information: www.tue.nl

6/6 compound. It provides the stiffness needed to allow the blade to stay on track and flow through fabric cleanly. If the plastic were to flex, even slightly, bunching of the fabric could slow down the ripping process.

For the glow-in-the-dark version, called the ‘Rip Shears Firefly’, RTP Company supplied a phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark colour masterbatch that combines with the reinforced nylon compound during moulding. Advanced glow-in-the-dark technology imbues the material with an ‘afterglow’ effect that lasts for up to eight hours, which is about 10 times longer than traditional GITD technologies. further information: www.rtpcompany.com

FROM THE FRONT LINE Best of British Its great to hear of firms, particularly small and medium sized operations, winning awards. Its a sign of real achievement in the economy and it also sets the competitive bar that much higher This month, Philip Law, and helps raise overall Director of Public and standards. There have Industrial Affairs at the been two great examples of this BPF, commends award- happening recently. winning plastic companies, Firstly, Data looks at the role of Plastics, a custom plastics in sport and injection moulder based explains how the industry in Witney, Oxfordshire, in David Cameron's very is promoting the own back yard, won the importance of Sustainability Award in safeguarding its future to the Oxfordshire both political and Business Awards this year. They were also financial stakeholders. finalists in the Natwest Large Business Award.The 'Tangle Teezer' hair brush is one of their products and the company is well represented on the BPF's Council.

Secondly, news has recently been released that Hi Tech Mouldings is to represent the UK as a national Finalist in the European Business Awards 2012/2013. Hi Tech is a precision moulding company with considerable design expertise based in Waterlooville, Hampshire. It has operated in the industry for 30 years and has a plant in Slovakia.

May both companies go from strength to strength and inspire their peers in the industry.

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plastics in sport Plastics products feature strongly in the forthcoming Olympics not just in the sports equipment – safety mats and rowing boats for example – but also in the infrastructure and stadia construction such as pipes, flooring and roofing. The BPF has recently published a brochure, PVC in Sport, which is downloadable from www.bpf.co.uk with an associated animation, illustrating the scale of PVC’s contribution not only on the East London site but also at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and other sporting sites around Europe.

The strategic future of the industry The BPF has also been busy promoting its discussion document on the ‘Strategic Future of the Industry’ to political and financial stakeholders and we are meeting with a very positive response, largely on the back of our members using it as an opportunity to invite their local MPs into their plants. The BPF has been involved in meetings with Jim Dobbin MP, Andrew Robathan MP, Damian Collin MP and, most recently, Jo Swinson MP, with more to come. The Federation has also been in detailed dialogue with Barclays and RBS Banks at Manufacturing Director level.

The meeting with Jo Swinson was particularly useful as she is the Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to Nick Clegg and was until recently PPS to Vince Cable. She has been a critic of over-packaging and it gave us the opportunity to demonstrate the futility of bag taxes and the media’s tendency to focus on single, untypical issues, promote a one- sided view and discolour the image of all plastics applications unfairly. further information: www.bpf.co.uk

Sporting chance for Sterling as Eurozone continues to look uncertain This month’s view from Smart Currency Spain’s football team has been crowned one of the most successful national sides of all time, following its consecutive Euro Championship victories.

Meanwhile, off the pitch it is its banks – along with those of neighbouring southern European states – that are struggling through a perilous and relentless ‘losing streak’, putting pressure on the Euro.

The recent EU Summit should bring some short-term relief to Europe’s struggling banks. European leaders have finally agreed on the creation of a joint bank supervision scheme – to be effective by the end of the year - and the ability of bailout funds to bypass national governments and go direct to struggling European banks. These developments are no silver bullet to the underlying Eurozone debt crisis, more the first step to creating an environment that could support efforts of the worst hit countries to begin the fragile process of reigniting economic growth.

The next EU Summit is in October, when the next step in implementation of measures to aid euro nations will be confirmed - as we all know, the Eurozone needs surgery, not a constant stream of band aids.

Until then, it is expected that Sterling will retain its three-year high against the euro. We’re hosting the Olympics this month too – the feel good factor from this, combined with the shortterm boost to local UK businesses could be a shot in the arm for Sterling. Worth bearing in mind when timing any international payments.

Plastics manufacturers with profit margins affected by market fluctuations can eliminate the risk of buying currency by calling Smart Currency Business on 020 7898 0500 for more information. further information: www.smartcurrency business.com/bpr

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Affordable systems available for all size of processor.

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

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

Call Lisa on 01829 770037 for details.

43 bp&r

BP&R buyer’s guide services

plasma surface treatment

mouldmaking

masterbatch

mould release

acquisition

WANTED

Injection Moulding businesses Are you looking to retire and/or sell out of your injection moulding business? We may well be interested, if you are not tied in to a long lease. If you're located in the West Midlands, we may well want to take on your key employees as part of the deal.

If interested, please contact, in confidence: Greg McDonald Goodfish Limited greg@goodfishltd.com (01543) 505 323

injection moulding

additive masterbatch

printers Contract cleaning Injection Moulding Extrusion • • • • • •

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

extrusion flow analysis Fleming Polymer Testing & Consultancy Unit 326, Hartlebury Trading Estate, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 4JB T: 01299 253300 E: enquiries@flemingptc.co.uk W: www.flemingptc.co.uk Compuplast bureau service & distributor

mouldflow analysis

printers of plastic mouldings

TAMPO.SCREEN.FOIL Contour Marking Co Ltd Albert House, Gledrid Industrial Park, Gledrid, Chirk, Wrexham LL14 5DG T: 01691 770093 F: 01691 770023 E: sales@contourmarking.com W: www.contourmarking.com

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

colour masterbatch

materials

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

Eclipse Colours Ltd

conductive plastics and coatings TBA Electro Conductive Products Ltd

tool making design and manufacture of blow moulds

bp&r

ancillary

polymer distributors

testing/ consultancy

Fleming Polymer Testing & Consultancy Unit 326, Hartlebury Trading Estate, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 4JB T: 01299 253300 E: enquiries@flemingptc.co.uk W: www.flemingptc.co.uk Rheometry,TGA,DSC,MFI/MVR Impact

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equipment

Beaubury Precision Moulds Ltd 4 Telford Close, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP19 8DS T: 01296 434311 F: 01296 433276 E: blowmoulds@ beaubury.co.uk W: www.beaubury.co.uk

Unit 3 Transpennine Trading Estate Gorrells Way, Rochdale, OL11 2PX

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

fastenings and fixings

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

1 mm Easysperse MicroPellets to 4 mm MaxiPellets.

Standards second to none.

materials for sale and wanted

assembly hot plate welding Branson Ultrasonics 158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.bransonplasticsjoin.com Machine Techniques Ltd Units 3-5, Sutton Court, Bath Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 9EW T: 01858 434059 F: 01858 433638 E: davidchatterton@ymail.com W: www.mactec.co.uk

pulse staking H.T.E. Engineering Services Ltd 75, Dunboyne Business Park, Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland T: +353 (0) 1 8013261 F: +353 (0) 1 8013262 M: +44 (0) 7435 967632 E: patrick@hte.ie W: www.hte.ie

extrusion systems

spin welding

heating equipment

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

ultrasonic plastics assembly systems Branson Ultrasonics 158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.bransonplasticsjoin.com

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

CNC ASSEMBLY MACHINES Cannon ShelleyUK agents for Belotti CNC Machining Centres 32 Roman Way Business Park, Godmanchester, Huntindon, Cambridgeshire PE29 2LN T: 01480 453651 F: 01480 52113 E: sales@cannon-shelley.co.uk W: www.cannonforma.com

control systems and equipment quality monitoring control

injection moulding extruders and downstream equipment In Partnership with PC Moulding & Automation

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

Repairs, servicing or rebuilds.

UK agent for Lyons Electronics

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

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

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

BS EN ISO9001:2008

thermocouples

hot runner systems hot runner controllers

chillers/ temperature controllers

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

dryers/ dehumidifiers

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

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

granulators Motan Colortronic Ltd

Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

Ridgeway Co-Extrusion Technology Ltd

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

gravimetric/volumetric blending

co-extrusion die heads and systems

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

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

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

materials handling and storage

infra red systems

PLASTICOLOR B A Thorne (Machinery) Ltd19A Imex Business Centre, Oxleasow Road, East Moons Moat, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 0RE T: 01527 584714 F: 01527 584784 E: bat@bathorne.co.uk W: www.bathorne .co.uk

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

45 bp&r

BP&R buyer’s guide printing machines silk screen and pad

secondhand and reconditioned

static control Arrowquint Ltd

Mascoprint Developments Ltd Stags End Cottage Barn, Gaddesden Row, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 6HN T: 01582 791190 F: 01582 791199 E: info@mascoprint.co.uk W: www.mascoprint.co.uk

pad

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

hopper dryers

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

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

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

nozzles & nozzle tips

To advertise in this space

bp&r

Buy/Sell Used Plastics Machinery Rutland Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 1HX T: +44 (0) 1276 470910 T: +44 (0) 7740 632907 E: information@ angloplastics.com W: www.angloplastics.com 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 Plasplant Ltd Unit 4, Oakhanger Farm, Oakhanger, Bordon, Hants GU35 9JA T: 01420 473013 F: 01420 475152 E: plasplant@aol.com W: www.plasplant.com

screws and barrels

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ANGLO PLASTICS LTD

contact lisa montgomery 01829 770037

Rawmec (EEC) Ltd Rawmec Industrial Park, Plumpton Road, Hoddesdon, Herts EN11 0EE T: 01992 471796 F: 01992 471797 E: rawmec@btconnect.com W: www.rawmec.com TransXL International Ltd Thornhill, South Marston, Wiltshire SN3 4TA T: 01793 827666 F: 01793 823826 E: sales@transxl.co.uk W: www.transxl.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

thermoforming equipment