British Plastics
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bp&r may/junE 2019
HOW COLOUR CONSISTENCY IN PLASTICS IS KEY TO ENSURE A BRAND CAN BOTH CONVEY VALUE AND ON-SHELF DIFFERENTIATION — SEE PAGE 4 ALL TIME HIGH Vinyl Plus reveals a sizeable increase in PVC recycling figures at its annual Sustainability Forum
OH BUOY! A 99 per cent recycled plastic boat embarks on UK tour to raise the importance of keeping waste out of waterways
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editor’s letter
A Sporting Challenge www.britishplastics.co.uk head of content: Leanne Taylor
T: +44 (0) 1244 952 371 E: leanne.taylor@rapidnews.com Assistant Editor: GRACE NOLAN
T: +44 (0) 1244 952 375 E: grace.nolan@rapidnews.com
Assistant Editor: Tom Walker
T: +44 (0) 1244 952 370 E: thomas.walker@rapidnews.com head of media SALES: Lisa Montgomery
T: +44 (0) 1244 952 372 E: lisa.montgomery@rapidnews.com Senior Sales Executive: MANDY O’BRIEN
T: +44 (0) 01244 952 519 E: mandy.obrien@rapidnews.com ART: SAM HAMLYN
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T: +44 (0) 1244 680222 E: subscriptions@rapidnews.com PUBLISHER: duncan wood
T: +44 (0) 1244 680222 E: duncan.wood@rapidnews.com PRINT SUBSCRIPTION Qualifying Criteria UK – Free Europe – £249 ROW – £249 FREE digital issues available to view and download online British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (8 times/year) by Rapid Plastics Media Ltd, Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, CH4 9QE T: +44 (0) 1244 680222 F: +44 (0) 1244 671074 © 2019 Rapid Plastics Media Ltd While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained within this publication is accurate the publisher accepts no liability for information published in error, or for views expressed. All rights for British Plastics & Rubber are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. ISSN 0307-6164 Incorporating Polymer Age and Rubber and Plastics Age.
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As the need to protect the natural world becomes ever more important in the public conscience, spectators and participants will want to know that attending such events will not have a detrimental impact on either people or planet. But how do you address the challenge of making such large events sustainable?
W
hen I took part in the Great Manchester Run a couple of weeks back, the volume of plastic bottles discarded at the side of the route – many still virtually full – provided an uncomfortable and highly visual reminder of the ways in which mass-participation events can generate huge volumes of waste. Like concerts, festivals, and other major activities that generate large crowds, there is an urgent need to reduce their impact on the environment. As the need to protect the natural world becomes ever more important in the public conscience, spectators and participants will want to know that attending such events will not have a detrimental impact on either people or planet. But how do you address the challenge of making such large events sustainable? Ahead of this year’s London Marathon in April, organisers committed to ensuring zero waste to landfill from its events by December 2020, something they say will be achieved through improved procurement, maximising reuse and recycling across all aspects of the race. For the 2019 event, organisers trialled several new initiatives to help it realise this status. These included a unique, closed-loop recycling system across three London boroughs, where plastic water bottles discarded on the route were collected, recycled and made back into new bottles; innovative ‘bottle belts’ made from recycled materials for runners to carry smaller amounts of water on their person to negate the need for as many drinks stations; and a large trial of edible seaweed sachets including just enough water to hydrate runners in a biodegradable membrane. Elsewhere, this year’s Glastonbury music festival is piloting a ground-
breaking project to create one of its stages from plastic collected from beach cleans in Devon and Cornwall. Those behind the scheme say it is “showing the world that the plastic we no longer want or need can be recycled and turned into something that is both exciting and useful.” Although organisers admit that addressing the challenges around making such large events sustainable are vast – they must be overcome. We simply cannot maintain the status quo. When done right, high-profile events have the ability to showcase what is possible through reduction, recycling and reuse, communicate information to a mass audience and also highlight best practice for other event organisers to follow, not only in the UK, but globally. Enjoy the issue. Leanne Taylor, head of content
the big story Life in FULL
IN
A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE, COLOUR CONSISTENCY IS KEY TO ENSURE A BRAND CAN BOTH CONVEY VALUE AND ENSURE ON-SHELF DIFFERENTIATION. BRITISH PLASTICS AND RUBBER SPOKE TO JAMES STANTON, COMMERCIAL MANAGER AT DISTRUPOL, TO FIND OUT HOW SUCH CONSISTENCY CAN BE ACHIEVED ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF THERMOPLASTIC PRODUCTS.
J
ames Stanton believes that in order to understand the importance of ensuring coloured thermoplastics are at the highest possible standard, you must first recognise that colour is imperative in the modern world, responsible for attracting us to thousands of objects in our everyday lives.
From the whites, blacks and greys of consumer electronics and business machines to the bright reds, greens and blues that attract the eye and make products more appealing to prospective customers, the key to success here is consistency”
“From the whites, blacks and greys of consumer electronics and business machines to the bright reds, greens and blues that attract the eye and make products more appealing to prospective customers, the key to success here is consistency,” he explained. Distrupol has gone to great lengths to ensure that it is in a position to supply consistently high quality and tight colour tolerance thermoplastic materials, using the latest computerised matching technology and colour laboratory facilities. “Once colour matching has taken place, a unique reference is generated for each individual customer’s material and colour combination – their unique formulation,” Stanton continued. “This gives our customers absolute consistency of colour every time, as well as saving time and material on machine start-up. This also improves our customers’ productivity and component yield by reducing scrap.” OFFERING THE FULL SPECTRUM Along with its dedication to colour consistency, flexibility is also a hallmark of Distrupol Colour’s offering. “We offer flexibility in terms of the different quantities of materials we produce, as well as the materials themselves and any special effects or additives required,” he explained. Colour matches can be produced in as little as 24 hours, and production quantities can vary from a single 25kg bag to a truckload. Colour compounds
are produced from a range of thermoplastic materials, including the full range of commodity and engineering thermoplastics. Bespoke colour compound solutions in more specialised products, such as special effect colours, including metallic and talc-filled materials, flame retardant grades and compounds with antistatic or UV-stabiliser additives, are also available, and the firm’s staff are equipped with specialist knowledge to ensure that the highest level of technical expertise and solutions are provided to interested customers. DESIGN, DEVELOP, DELIVER Stanton says ensuring colour accuracy and having a flexible approach feed into Distrupol’s strategy of ‘Design, Develop, Deliver.’ This, he explained is aimed at helping customers through their entire process, from concept to manufacture. “With this integrated approach, we assist customers from the earliest stages of product development, really helping them to optimise innovation,” he explained. “With over 4,000 polymer grades to offer, we are able to work with customers on all aspects of product, part and tool design.” www.distrupol.com
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MAY/JUNE 2019
on the cover
LIFE IN FULL COLOUR In a competitive marketplace, colour consistency is key to ensure a brand can both convey value and ensure on-shelf differentiation. British Plastics and Rubber spoke to James Stanton, Commercial Manager at Distrupol, to find out how such consistency can be achieved across a wide range of thermoplastic products. SEE PAGE 4
3
Editor’s Letter
A SPORTING CHALLENGE
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Feature
HITTING THE RIGHT NOTES After it recently achieved a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the Chief Executive of UK-based Warwick Music Group spoke to BP&R’s Grace Nolan to explain how its all-plastic trombone is highlighting a plastics innovation that is taking the worldwide music industry by storm.
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IN THIS ISSUE
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS Scottish company, MacRebur, is paving the way for the use of recycled materials in roads with its waste plastic asphalt mix. BP&R’s Tom Walker talked to CEO, Toby McCartney, about the origins of the company, the science behind the business, and MacRebur’s plans for the future.
08 INDUSTRY NEWS
Feature
31
REVIEW
ALL TIME HIGH During the 2019 edition of its annual Sustainability Forum, Vinyl Plus revealed a sizeable increase in PVC recycling figures and shared further progress towards increasing the material’s sustainability performance. BP&R reviews the conference highlights.
19 BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION 23 Colour, INSPECTION AND FINISH 27 PVC AND VINYLS 33 AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS 41 POLYMERMAN
43
43 RECLAMATION AND RECYCLING
OH BUOY! As a boat made from 99 per cent recycled plastic embarks on a tour around the UK to raise the importance keeping waste out of waterways, BP&R’s Grace Nolan found out more about the project at its launch event in Manchester.
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INDUSTRY | NEWS
Plastic straws, drinks stirrers, and plastic stemmed cotton buds will be banned in England from April 2020
Government to ban plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds by 2020 The Environment Secretary has confirmed a ban on plastic straws, drinks stirrers and plastic stemmed cotton buds in England from April 2020, following “overwhelming public support” for the move. Following an open consultation, over 80 per cent of respondents backed a ban on the distribution and sale of plastic straws, 90 per cent backed a ban on drinks stirrers, and 89 per cent a ban on cotton buds. The ban will include exemptions to ensure that those with medical needs or a disability are able to continue to access plastic straws. An exemption will also be in place to allow the use of plastic-stemmed cotton buds for medical and scientific purposes, where these are often the only practical option. Maddy Haughton-Boakes, Litter Campaigner at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said: 8
“While it is fantastic news that the Government has taken such decisive action over plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds, we are deeply disappointed that Michael Gove hasn’t taken this opportunity to ban these unnecessary items altogether, whatever the material. It’s simply not good enough to switch to so-called alternatives, when single-use items should be phased out altogether.” A statement from the British Plastics Federation said: “The BPF strongly supports reduction measures that ensure that straws, cotton buds and stirrers are only used when strictly necessary and to allow those who really benefit from particular items to retain access to them. “Regardless of the material straws, cotton buds or stirrers are made from, they have an environmental cost and need to be disposed of responsibly.”
“Our innovative industry will demonstrate a critical role in helping to protect the environment,” says new BPF President The newly-elected President of the British Plastics Federation says that he is confident that through collaboration and innovation the industry will reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste. Martin Althorpe, Technical Director at Epwin Fenestraion Divison, was elected as the President of the BPF in succession to Bruce Margetts at the association’s AGM on May 15. Althorpe starts his two-year term at what he says is “a very interesting time”, as the industry continues its efforts to help solve environmental issues. “I am honoured to have been elected the President of the BPF. The industry has an impressive track record of producing innovations that have changed people’s lives for the better,” he commented. “It is crucial now that as an industry we work together to ensure we reduce the environmental impact of plastic, adopting sustainable practices widely and effectively. “By embracing this principle, our innovative industry will be able to demonstrate its critical role in helping to protect the environment we are all part of.” Althorpe has been actively involved in the British Plastics Federation Windows Group since its formation in 1981 and has been the Windows Group Chairman since 2007.
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Bruce Margetts (left) welcomes Martin Althorpe into his new role
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Major investment confirmed for bpi stretchfilms’ Bridgewater site bpi. stretchfilms, a producer of pallet stretchwrap, has announced a multi-million-pound investment in its manufacturing facility at Bridgewater, Somerset. This investment in a fully automated conversion centre includes the installation of seven new conversion machines for conventional and pre-stretched hand film. Once commissioned, the new machinery will increase
This project gives us an excellent platform for further product innovation and future capacity expansion.
bpi stretch f ilms invests in Bridgewater pallet f ilm conversion centre
capacity at the site to 15,000 tonnes of cast machine film and 8,000 tonnes of hand film and this in turn, will create around 20 new full-time positions at the site. The new conversion centre will benefit from the latest production technologies and will become the business’s ‘Conversion Centre of Excellence’ for both its blown and cast extrusion hand films and its range of pre-stretched hand and machine film. As such, it will enable bpi stretchfilms to supply a
complete range of pallet stability solutions from one manufacturing point. Commenting on the investment, Kurt Grazier, Commercial Director at bpi stretchfllms said: “bpi stretchfilms is committed to investing back into its facilities to ensure its product portfolio remains at the cutting edge. This project gives us an excellent platform for further product innovation and future capacity expansion.”
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Scotland’s “game-changer” bottle deposit return scheme announced
The Scottish government has outlined its plans for a deposit return scheme (DRS) .
Scotland is set to become the first country in the UK to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks cans and bottles. The proposed DRS includes aluminium and steel cans and drinks containers made of glass and PET plastic. Plastic bottles made from HDPE will not be inlcuded. The scheme aims to be widely accessible, with all shops that sell drinks offering a 20p deposit refund to customers. As part of the Scottish Government’s climate action plan, the ‘Deposit Return Scheme Implementation Advisory Group’ is providing industry input and guidance on the scheme’s interaction with consumers, producers, retailers and the hospitality industry, which will be key to its success, it believes. Roseanna Cunningham, Environment Secretary, said: “Scotland was the first part of the
UK to commit to a deposit return scheme as part of our wider efforts to prevent discarded drinks containers from ending up in our streets and seas, and is now the first to outline its design - one that is ambitious in scale and scope, and which gives the people of Scotland a clear and straightforward way to do their bit for the environment. “Supported by international evidence our plans for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme are gathering pace with widespread consensus demonstrating that a well-run, appropriately-targeted scheme could improve the environment, change attitudes to recycling and litter, and support a more circular economy.” Jill Farrell, Chief Operating Officer, Zero Waste Scotland, added: “This will be a game-changer for recycling and the circular economy in Scotland. With a huge network of places to return your bottles and
Milacron to sell Uniloy blow moulding business
equipment, Mold-Masters hot runner and control systems, DME mould components, and our CIMCOOL fluid technologies.” The new Uniloy organisation will be led by Brian Marston, currently President of Blow Moulding and Extrusion at Milacron, and he will serve as President and CEO. He said: “The Uniloy brand will continue to be recognised as a global leader in the blow moulding industry. We will be working hand-in-hand with Milacron to make this a seamless transition for our customers.”
Milacron has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Osgood Capital Group and Cyprium Investment Partners to sell its Uniloy Blow Moulding business. Tom Goeke, Milacron President and CEO said the sale of the Uniloy business is in the “best interests” of Milacron, its customers and its stakeholders. He explained: “This divestiture is consistent with our decision to concentrate on our core industryleading technologies including Milacron injection moulding machines, Milacron extrusion 10
cans, it will be just as easy to return a drink as it is to buy one in the first place.” Reverse vending company, TOMRA Collection Solutions, hailed the introduction of a DRS in Scotland as “ground-breaking”, adding that it fully supports the scheme based on its experience of similar initiatives globally. The British Plastics Federation (BPF) said a comprehensive DRS that includes all materials is to be welcomed if it boosts recycling rates and encourages a culture where everybody recycles as much as possible and creates less waste. However, it advised the need for careful introduction of any such scheme in order to avoid significantly raising the price of products, disadvantaging smaller retailers or causing major disruption to existing recycling schemes. It said that established kerbside collection schemes would need “time to adapt” if a DRS significantly alters the quantities of key materials collected from the home, however, believes “it makes sense” to aim to implement a UK-wide, multi-material DRS once extended producer responsibilities have been clarified and any complications that arise in Scotland have been resolved. “We hope implementing this multimaterial scheme in Scotland goes smoothly, increases investment in its recycling and waste management infrastructure, and sets a fine example for what can be achieved across the UK,” the BPF concluded.
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“Five interesting new concepts” in the running to win student plastics award A selection of five inspiring and novel new products to enhance health and wellbeing have been selected by the judging panel to contest the final of the Design Innovation in Plastics competition, 2019. The finalists in the longest running student plastics design award in Europe are competing for the top prize of a trip to Germany to visit Covestro, along with a cash sum. Organisers, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the Worshipful Company of Horners, this year set the challenging brief of improving health, wellbeing or encouraging exercise, with a product which has the qualities of longevity and sustainability. The products in the running include a smart breathing aide for asthma sufferers; a new way to raise breast cancer awareness; a
re-usable syringe system; a walking assistant product; and a combined cooking and storage device to avoid food waste. Chairman of judges, Richard Brown of RJG Technologies, commented: “The brief this year was quite wide-ranging and was clearly open to different interpretations – but also provided the opportunity for more original thought.” The panel of industry judges carefully examined 149 entries at the preliminary judging stage before
selecting five finalists, whose entries most closely matched the brief and satisfied the competition criteria. Students in the final come from a range of UK universities, namely De Montfort University, Technological University Dublin and Brunel University. The overall results will be announced at a ceremony in London on July 5 and an interview with the winner will be published in the next edition of BP&R.
The judges whittle down the many entries of the award
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New PMMDA Chairman: “Closing the skills gap is one of our biggest challenges”
The diverse group of winners, from marine scientists to pioneering charities, all demonstrated innovation in tackling plastic pollution.
Waitrose & Partners reveals winners of £1 million fund to fight plastic pollution Waitrose & Partners has revealed the projects it will be supporting with its unique £1 million grant fund designed to tackle plastic pollution. ‘Plan Plastic – The Million Pound Challenge’ will award money, over one year, to projects that can demonstrate an impact to reduce plastic. Working with environmental charity Hubbub, the fund attracted 150 applications, and five organisations have now been selected to receive a share of the £1 million fund. The diverse group of winners, from marine scientists to pioneering charities, all demonstrated innovation in tackling plastic pollution. The first company to win the grant was Blue Marine Foundation, which has developed a pioneering initiative called SAFEGEAR that aims to stop ghost fishing gear at source by attaching beacons to buoys to make fishing gear visible. Onion Collective and Biohm are also winners, working together to create a new plastic biorecycling facility in Somerset that will use mycelium to break down synthetic plastic waste and turn it into new products. 12
The final three winners are the Women’s Environmental Network, a campaign which aims to start a UK-wide revolution around eco-friendly menstrual products, Plymouth Marina Laboratory, with a project whereby beds or rafts of mussels are deployed in estuaries and coastal sites to filter out microplastics from the water, and YHA, a charity that will see water bottle refill stations installed in 60 major youth hostels across England and Wales, eradicating the use of single-use plastic bottles. The £1 million fund has been raised from the sale of 5p carrier bags, prior to the retailer recently removing them from its shops. Tor Harris, Head of CSR, Health and Agriculture at Waitrose & Partners, said: “It’s important for us to tackle unnecessary plastic both in our shops but also in the wider world. “All these inspirational projects have the ability to create real impact in tackling environmental issues and encouraging behaviour change so we can collectively achieve our goal of reducing plastic pollution.”
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The recently-appointed Chairman of the Polymer Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMMDA) says that the skills gap is one of the largest challenges facing the plastics industry in 2019. Speaking to BP&R, Richard Hird, who was announced as the PMMDA’s new Chair following the resignation of Kevin Horne in February, said that the Association is working closely with members and other industry bodies to ensure that education and training is a top priority. “Education for the future is a topic that has been at the centre of the PMMDA throughout its 53-year history, with its popular ‘Guides to…’ documents and continuous support of the annual Plastics Industry Awards ‘Apprentice of Year’ award,” Hird explained. “However, the PMMDA recognises that one of the largest challenges we still face is the growing skills gap within the industry as a whole.” In order to address the issue, Hird revealed that the PMMDA is aiming to form a ‘Learning and Skills’ group, as well as looking at initiatives to share and provide useful information across a wide range of subjects, including more guidance documents and ways of signposting specific training courses and apprenticeships. “We believe this would be a benefit to our members and to their customers,” Hird added.
Richard Hird
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Medical technology show receives high praise from plastics industry The newly relocated Med-Tech Innovation Expo, which took place for the first time at Birmingham’s NEC on 15th and 16th June, received high praise from visitors and exhibitors from the plastics industry thanks to its expanded size and features. The show saw a record 300 exhibitors from 14 countries in attendance, from across medical technology, design and manufacture. Initial data suggests visitor numbers were almost 3,000 across the two days. Exhibitor, Boddington’s Plastics, said Med-Tech gives the company the opportunity to show and discuss the types of services that the company can offer to its customers. Boddington’s Business Development Manager, Chris Philpot, explained: “We’ve seen really good footfall and had several new leads for new devices. The
Med-Tech Innovation Expo was a success for plastics industry visitors and exhibitors
show has been a great success for us and in fact we’ve booked for next year already.” Also enjoying a successful show as an exhibitor was Pentagon Plastics, who chose the event to launch its company rebrand. Commenting, Pentagon’s Communications Manager, Gabby Day, said: “Med-tech was a lovely platform for launching the company re-brand, we had very positive feedback about the new look which was great.” Visiting, Robert Johnston, an Injection Mould Tooling Expert at GSK said: “It’s a good mix of
exhibitors, we came to speak to a couple of clients and the conversations turned out very fruitful.” The ‘Women in Plastics’ industry group held a successful medicalfocused panel session, in which three speakers discussed the different routes into their careers, as well as how to benefit from the opportunities and overcome some of the challenges around diversity and equality in the STEM industries. Med-Tech Innovation Expo will return to the NEC on 1st - 2nd April 2020.
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Hitting the right notes:
Plastic trombone manufacturer wins Queen’s Award WORDS | Grace Nolan
A AFTER IT RECENTLY ACHIEVED A QUEEN’S AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF UK-BASED WARWICK MUSIC GROUP SPOKE TO BP&R’S GRACE NOLAN TO EXPLAIN HOW ITS ALL-PLASTIC TROMBONE IS HIGHLIGHTING A PLASTICS INNOVATION THAT IS TAKING THE WORLDWIDE MUSIC INDUSTRY BY STORM.
By thinking differently, we have made a real difference in the world making quality instruments that make the joy of music accessible and fun!
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The team from Warwick Music Group
When British musicians Hugh Rashleigh, Chris Fower and Steven Greenall of Warwick Music Group got together in 2007 intent on developing a trombone in recyclable ABS plastic, a world first, they didn’t realise how their creation would radically change a sector of the music market that had experienced little innovation for two centuries. Fast-forward to 2019 and the ‘pBone’ plastic trombone has won numerous accolades, the most recent being a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its innovation. This is something Steven Greenall, Chief Executive of Warwick Music Group, the company behind the product, says is “the ultimate vindication” for the efforts put in by the trio and their team over the course of the instrument’s development, as well as overcoming the setbacks and challenges along the way. REDESIGNING TRADITION Greenall explained that in the beginning, successfully designing and consistently manufacturing a traditional brass instrument in plastic, to tight tolerances, posed significant challenges. None of the materials utilised in pBone had previously been used in a trombone. The carbon fibre slide, for instance, was inspired by a fishing rod. Where design is concerned, externally, the pBone retains the essential attributes of a traditional instrument. Internally, however, it differs to reproduce the sound of a trombone even though it is produced in a different material. “Brass instruments like trumpets and trombones make their different sounds from the length and shape of the tubing. Plastic instruments work in the same way, but there are some key differences,” explained Greenall. “Plastic is much less dense than metal, so the air vibrates differently and creates a different sound.” To address this issue, the team experimented with changes to the design of the trombone. The tubes of a traditional metal trombone are rounded; however, this was challenging to produce in plastic and did not produce the same sound as a metal instrument. It was discovered that a square-shaped tube enabled the air to
resonate to produce a sound identical to that of a traditional metal instrument. The company says finding a suitable manufacturer was also not easy, owing to specific requirements of production in order to ensure the sound of the instrument was consistent with its brass equivalent. For example, most injection moulded plastics require only one ultra-smooth A-surface, however pBone requires both A and B surfaces to be smooth (e.g. both the interior and exterior surfaces of the trombone bell.) Those with experience in automotive manufacturing provided the closest match in terms of quality output and expertise and, although Warwick Music Group would have preferred to manufacture in the UK, it says finding the right expertise at the right price to make it viable proved difficult. Instead, pBone is manufactured in Guangzhou, China, although mouthpieces are manufactured in the UK. MUSIC FOR ALL Greenall says the benefits of the instrument for the musician are numerous, from making playing easier to making buying more affordable. “Children find traditional brass instruments to be heavy, and they’re costly and easily damaged. We placed great emphasis on pBone’s ergonomics, so it is easy and comfortable to hold,” he explained. “We believe in the transformational power of music and that everyone should have the opportunity to make music. By thinking differently, we have made a real difference in the world making quality instruments that make the joy of music accessible and fun!” The company believes pBone has been just the start. Without its success, that includes not only the recent Queen’s Award, but also winning the Worshipful Company of Horners and the British Plastics Federation’s Horners Award for Plastics Innovation and Design in 2016, other instruments such as pTrumpet, pCornet and pBuzz, would not have been developed. Since its launch in 2010, Warwick Music Group has notched up sales of more than a quarter of a million. UK retailers report that today 80 per cent of trombones sold are now manufactured in plastic, all supplied by the company.
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Renmar 8pp SIZE RED A4 JAN 2019_Renmar A4 29/01/2019 10:32 Page 2
SIZE SIZE REDUCTION REDUCTION SPECIALISTS SPECIALISTS Renmar Plastics Machinery are the UK distributor of Italian manufactured plastic granulators from Engin Plast.
Teaming up with Italian plastic material shredder manufacturer ISVE, Renmar Plastics Machinery provide single, twin and four shaft plastic shredders as well as the unique combi-series.
Enginthe PlastUK granulators are manufactured to a high Renmar Plastics are Distributor of Italian standard in Italy have standard features Renmar Plastics plastic Machinery areand the UKimpressive distributor of Plast. Italian manufactured granulators from Engin such as compressed air self-clean cutting chamber
Teaming up with Italian plastic shredder Teaming up ISVE, with Italian plastic material shredder manufacturer Renmar Plastics Machinery Renmar have an industrial shredder model manufacturer ISVE, Renmar Plastics Machinery available for virtually any application. provide single, twin and four shaft plastic provide single, twin and four shaft plastic shredders as well shredders asas well as the unique combi-series. the unique combi-series. Renmar have an industrial shredder model Renmar have an industrial shredder model available for virtually any application.
manufactured plastic granulators from Engin Plast. and a quick-change knife system.
Engin Plast granulators are manufactured to a high Engin Plast granulators are manufactured to a high standard in Italy and have impressive standard standard in Italy and have impressive standard features features such as compressed air self-clean cutting such as compressed air self-clean cutting chamber chamber and a quick-change knife system. and a quick-change knife system. BESIDE-THE-PRESS GRANULATORS
available for virtually any application.
SINGLE SHAFT SHREDDERS
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TWIN SHAFT
FOUR SHAFT COMBI-SERIES SHREDDERSSHREDDERS SHREDDERS SHREDDERS
Working with a small number of carefully selected international manufacturers with quality products, we have an impressive range of ancillary equipment and machinery suitable for many different industries such as plastics, print, packaging, medical, automotive and food.
CENTRAL GRANULATORS
Discover how our market leading solutions can improve your process THERMOFORMING GRANULATORS
+44 (0) 844 6933225
FOUR SHAFT SHREDDERS
info@renmar.co.uk
COMBI-SERIES SHREDDERS
Working with a small number of carefully selected international manufacturers with quality products, www.renmar.co.uk Working with a small number carefully selected international manufacturers with quality we have an impressive range ofof ancillary equipment and machinery suitable for many different products, we have an impressive range of ancillary equipment and machinery suitable for industries such as plastics, print, packaging, medical, automotive and food. icon +44 (0) 844 6933225 many different industries such asPhone plastics, print, packaging, medical, automotive and food. Email icon info@renmar.co.uk Website icon
www.renmar.co.uk
Discover howhow ourour market leading Discover market leadingsolutions solutions can improve your process can improve your process +44 (0) 844 6933225 info@renmar.co.uk +44 (0) 844 6933225
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ANCILLARY SPECIALISTS
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Haitian Mars IIs Servo Hydraulic Machines 60t - 1000t
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Zhafir Zeres Electric machine with built in Hydraulics 40t - 1300t
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BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION | NEWS Mike Boswell
Campaign to minimise plastics and packaging waste in construction launched
As construction is the second largest consumer of plastic in the UK, our industry has one of the greatest responsibilities to society, and to the environment, to ensure that we are working tirelessly to improve our standards in minimising waste from plastics.
The Considerate Constructors Scheme has launched an industrywide campaign to raise awareness and showcase best practice in how the construction industry can reduce, reuse and recycle plastics and packaging. The launch of the campaign, ‘Spotlight on Plastics and Packaging’, comes in response to findings from a Scheme survey of over 900 people working within the UK and Irish construction industries where over 95 per cent of respondents said the industry needs to be doing something to reduce its consumption of plastics and packaging. The survey also found that over half of respondents have little understanding of the rules and regulations surrounding plastics and packaging, and only 44 per cent know how to recycle different plastic and packaging materials.
EPS sees growth in construction industry thanks to pre-fab housing DS Smith says there is a rise in the use of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) in the construction industry as a result of an increase in pre-fabricated housing. The growing trend of using prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS), where sections of buildings can be made offsite and then
The Scheme is calling on all construction sites, companies, suppliers and clients of construction projects to drastically reduce their consumption of plastics and packaging. It says not only does this offer significant improvements for the environment and society as a whole, it also makes commercial business sense, with many organisations reporting significant cost savings achieved. ‘Spotlight on Plastics and Packaging’ provides a suite of
resources to help the industry to address this issue, as it includes a range of practical case studies and guidance from contractors, clients and service suppliers. Edward Hardy, Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive, said: “As construction is the second largest consumer of plastic in the UK, our industry has one of the greatest responsibilities to society, and to the environment, to ensure that we are working tirelessly to improve our standards in minimising waste from plastics.”
shipped directly to the building site to be quickly craned into position and bolted together, is driving the increased use of EPS. Using pre-fabricated SIPS in this way significantly cuts down on construction times when compared to traditional brick and mortar methods and therefore reduces costs of manpower required during building phases. Pre-fabricated systems typically comprise of a range of interlocking panels, each of which is effectively a
sandwich of grey EPS glued between an outer and inner board specified according to the building needs. Panels can also integrate both window and door cassettes and electrics and plumbing to speed construction further, once the walls are locked together roof and ceiling panels can be added. DS Smith says pre-fabricated systems that use EPS benefit from excellent insulation properties; U-values of 0.1 or better; easy cutting, shaping and handling; and a long life. In addition, the firm says by using EPS as part of a pre-fabricated system lowers CO2 emissions when transporting building components to construction sites owing to its extremely light weight. EPS can also be produced using recycled material that doesn’t affect its performance. There is a rise in the use of EPS in the construction industry as a result of an increase in pre-fabricated housing.
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The road to
success
S SCOTTISH COMPANY, MACREBUR, IS PAVING THE WAY FOR THE USE OF RECYCLED MATERIALS IN ROADS WITH ITS WASTE PLASTIC ASPHALT MIX. BP&R’S TOM WALKER TALKED TO CEO, TOBY MCCARTNEY, ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THE COMPANY, THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE BUSINESS, AND MACREBUR’S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
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WORDS | TOM WALKER
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After seeing waste plastic being used as a makeshift plastic pothole filler whilst working in India several years ago, Toby McCartney enlisted the help of two friends with the idea of taking a mix of waste plastics and adding them into the making of an enhanced asphalt road suitable for the UK. “MacRebur was started to tackle what we see as two world problems; on one side the waste plastic epidemic, and on the other side, the problems that we see with the poor quality of roads,” explained McCartney. “It all started in my garage, by me cutting up waste plastic and seeing if I could use it to replicate the job bitumen does in the production of asphalt. Plastic and bitumen both come from oil, so I was trying to work out if I could use the plastic rubbish to extend the bitumen in the mix.” TRIED AND TESTED McCartney’s experiments were tested at a lab and, on the 501st attempt, he was able to show that plastic had the right polymers and characteristics to be able to replace or enhance bitumen in asphalt. The company now offers three products for asphalt production, two of which enhance the bitumen to the same level a polymer modifier – which creates elasticity to improve road performance – would. McCartney said: “We’re about 50 per cent cheaper than a polymer-modified bitumen, and we’re about £50 per tonne cheaper than bitumen, so our products make asphalt cheaper to manufacture.”
Not only are the MacRebur products cheaper, McCartney says they can avoid the infrastructure roadblock that can stunt new innovations. He explained: “When you use our plastics to replace part of the bitumen, there is absolutely zero infrastructure changes needed in asphalt plants, and most of the time they don’t even know the asphalt they’re laying is any different. “It’s a big thing for us, because the big challenge we originally had with the business was how to incorporate the plastic. “Bitumen starts to melt at around 60°C, so we had to choose polymers that would melt in and fully homogenise into the mix at temperatures between 60°C and 180°C. “There are certain plastics we can’t use because they have a higher melting point, which would have meant the plants would have to change, which wouldn’t work as a business model either for them or for us.” A PROVEN FORMULA The first road MacRebur put down was in Cumbria and was initially a trial road. Nearly three years later, there is a total of 17 local authorities with plastic roads laid. “That road has a special little place within our business,” said McCartney. “It’s actually right outside a Tarmac plant, and at the bottom of the road is a water bottle recycling plant, so that’s a funny coincidence.”
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Throughout its lifetime, the road has proved the worth of MacRebur’s mix.
Throughout its lifetime, the road has proved the worth of MacRebur’s mix. “Before we laid that road, the council were replacing it every four to six months and having to resurface it because of the problems they were having,” he continued. “Ours has been there for three years with no problems, meaning it’s already lasted four times longer than the previous road.”
“We’re laying down our biggest one in a couple of weeks in Romford, at a flagship store. All of their directors are going to see that open, so it’s a really big event for us.”
McCartney said: “It pains me to say this, but we’ve got more work abroad than we’ve got in the UK. “Our future looks very bright abroad, but it can be slow-going and cumbersome in the UK and for that reason our energies and focus are ever so slightly starting to move away to the abroad market.”
He continued: “Our argument would be to say, well look at the roads that we drive on today.
BAGGING A NEW MARKET As well as road surfaces, MacRebur has expanded into laying supermarket car-parks, with the plastic part of its mix being made from waste carrier bags from the very same supermarkets. McCartney said: “We’ve done car parks for Tesco, Morrisons and Asda, but Tesco were the first on board with using their own waste in their own car parks.
Even with the proven performance benefits shown by the trial road in Cumbria, MacRebur products have sometimes struggled to gain traction with traditional UK asphalt manufacturers.
“Local authorities are in favour of our roads, because we deal with two of their problems – waste and potholes – at once, but some manufacturers in the UK asphalt industry say they don’t want to take on our product. We have had people say that our roads have to be down for ten years, so they can have definitive evidence that they won’t be liable if something goes wrong with the roads.”
They are far from perfect, and we know our roads can outperform and outlast them, but that’s what we’re up against.”
ECO-ENTREPRENEUR The success of MacRebur has also led to McCartney being recognised as one of the top 20 eco-entrepreneurs of 2019 in the ‘Great British Entrepreneur Awards’. “Awards like that are fantastic for our company, because we’re not a road company, we don’t make roads and we don’t lay roads, we’re an environmental company that takes waste and recycles it,” McCartney explained. “We’re looking to find more solutions for the problems we’ve got with waste plastics, it just so happens these waste plastics work perfectly in roads and even enhance them. It’s one benefit but using up those waste plastics is really why we do what we do.”
FAST FACTS MacRebur takes plastic waste collected from commercial and household use – the split is about 60 per cent commercial and 40 percent household. The company can use most types of plastic but it must be classed as waste – it doesn’t use recycled or new plastic. At the end of their life, the roads can be recycled so the plastic waste is used over and over again
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COLOUR, INSPECTION AND FINISH | NEWS Eurocolour takes new direction in 2019 Eurocolour, the European umbrella organisation of the pigments, fillers and dyes industry, has newly formed as its own legal entity in 2019. Originally established in 2002, the 2019 organisation was founded by 27 companies and six associations from across Europe, including BASF, Clariant, Lanxess and Evonik. The umbrella organisation is based in Frankfurt in the building of Germany’s association for the mineral pigments and colours industry. Its President is Stefan Sütterlin, from BASF Colours and Effects, and Evonik Resource Efficiency’s Heinz Zoch is Vice President. “With this step, we are strengthening the interest representation at the European level. This is of central importance in view of the rules and regulations in Europe and given the international activities of our industry,” said Sütterlin.
The organisation’s main objectives are the implementation of REACH, Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP), regulation for titanium dioxide as well as food contact legislation for plastics, colours and coatings. Eurocolour says it will be in contact with legislators and support its members in implementing the legal requirements for these areas. Membership of Eurocolour is open to manufacturing companies in Europe and national and international associations.
Gabriel-Chemie and BASF collaborate to develop jewelinspired colour creations Gabriel-Chemie has collaborated with BASF to develop a new series of polymer colours. The ‘Plastic Jewels’ range consists of 18 colour creations styled with Colours & Effects
surfaceCONTROL enables the smallest of surface defects to be recognised.
Micro-Epsilon introduces new 3D surface defect inspection system Precision sensor manufacturer, Micro-Epsilon UK, has introduced a new 3D non-contact surface inspection system for defect detection and for inspecting the aesthetic appearance of nonreflecting (matt, unpainted, plastic and bare metal) surfaces. The perceived quality of smooth, defect-free surfaces is determined by the look and feel, colour and shape consistency of the surface. High quality finished surfaces are therefore a challenge for many industries. The new surfaceCONTROL system is a turnkey system that enables fast, reliable 100 per cent surface inspection and can be integrated directly into processing or assembly lines, or on robots. The system is based on the principles of deflectometry and fringe projection, which enables
even the smallest of surface defects (e.g. scratches, dents and bumps) to be recognised reliably, as well as the inspection of surface aesthetics such as form, shape and waviness. Usually, the defects to be detected are smaller than the manufacturing tolerance of the part, making it a challenge for conventional CAD-based comparison measurement systems to detect them. surfaceCONTROL is based on patented artificial intelligent, AI algorithms, developed to detect and quantify the dimensions of surface defects, even to single microns in an inline industrial environment. MicroEpsilon says its measurement capability and ease of integration for both offline and inline environments has opened up new opportunities for automated visual inspection, which is not possible with current industrial 3D vision technology. Applications are being solved in the aerospace and automotive industries, medical parts production, domestic appliances, consumer electronics and hand-held devices.
Pigments from BASF and are demonstrated in a total of 36 glossy and matt flip-top closures. The range of colours includes velvety Bordeaux red, seductive purple, rich deep green, brilliant aquamarine and royal midnightblue. BASF says in today’s competitive marketplace colours and effects should be used in order to help a product’s differentiation as well as making it stand out.
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Isra launches all-inone inspection system for plastics defects Isra has released a new inspection system that improves the reliable detection of colour and surface defects in plastics. The new all-in-one solution for plastics, packaging and film production utilises intelligent automated inspection and embedded camera to detect small, poor-contrast errors and scratches, as well as inhomogeneities in the material with maximum speed and reliability. The high quality of the surface inspection is said to avoid the detection of false positive defects and enables quality decisions to be made based on reliable facts. For film coatings, Isra’s patented COP (Control of Optical Properties) procedure can be successfully applied to monitor different material properties, such as gloss, cloudiness, or evenness of the coating, throughout the production process and across the entire width of the web.
Isra’s new camera sensor technology now also improves the reliable detection of colour defects
In addition to detecting and classifying defects, the new inspection system also offers numerous new ‘Beyond Inspection’ modules that help maximise performance. A particular benefit, says Isra, is the new offline recipe optimisation, which enables process optimisation alongside ongoing inspection. The recipes are edited, optimised, and tested offline by the operator before being applied to the production process, saving materials and reducing downtime. In addition, all systems across multiple sites can be managed from a central location, so that performance and quality decisions can be made consistently across all production lines and sites. Isra’s new ‘Real Time Video Analyser’ inspects the material produced at an early stage, and is said to shorten the commissioning time and reduce the amount of rejects. With the all-in-one system, Isra says manufacturers can increase the quality of their products “with maximum efficiency”. It says 100 per cent inline error detection and monitoring of the optical properties also reduce the reject rate.
In addition to detecting and classifying defects, the new inspection system also offers numerous new ‘Beyond Inspection’ modules that help maximise performance.
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New software speeds up colour development for coatings, plastics and textiles X-Rite and Pantone have launched a new release of its Colour iMatch formulation software designed to help compounders and masterbatchers accelerate colour development through better initial matches and fewer corrections. The new version features a smarter multi-flux matching engine with a revolutionary new search and correct algorithm that enables better utilisation of legacy data. With Colour iMatch, lab managers and formulation professionals can streamline complicated workflows and deliver better colour matches in fewer steps for faster formulation times, cost savings and reduced waste. “In today’s just-in-time manufacturing environment, the first plastic, coating or textile supplier to deliver the best colour match to a customer’s bid often secures the business,” explained Richard Knapp, Product Manager, X-Rite and Pantone. “Speed and accuracy are essential – even as larger colour palettes, complex materials and effect finishes add time to the formulation process. We have redesigned the formulation engine in Colour iMatch to significantly improve initial match and correction performance, which can cut the number of steps in half to get an approved colour match. This provides a significant competitive advantage to resin, colourant, pigment and dye suppliers helping them to submit bids quickly and win new business.” The new Colour iMatch is compatible with current and future Microsoft Operating Systems and offers support for X-Rite and non-XRite instruments. It is PantoneLIVEenabled for easy access to the most up-to-date spectral values for Pantone standards. 25
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PVC AND VINYLS | NEWS Beware the consequences of restricting PVC packaging, says VFSE President The President of Vinyl Films and Sheets Europe (VFSE) has warned of the consequences of overlooking the benefits of PVC as a material for packaging. In a position paper on behalf of the association, Roberto Bozzi said that ignoring the “important contribution” of PVC packaging in the European medical and food sectors would result in an increase
in food waste, costs and use of resources, amongst others. The statement comes as a number of high-profile reports on plastic packaging have identified PVC as a “problematic material”, owing to issues linked to its currently limited collection and recycling. “There is no doubt about the good performance that makes PVC the preferred polymer in some specific product applications where hygiene, safety or extended shelf life are essential requirements,” explained Bozzi. “Despite all the advantages offered by the high performance of PVC, its use in packaging is
Preparations for “simply the best international conference for the vinyl industry” underway
Preparations for the PVC 2020 conference are well underway as organisers prepare for its first outing in its new Edinburgh venue. The renowned event for the PVC industry moves from its historic Brighton base to Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre (EICC) for its 14th edition next year, heralding a new chapter for the series. In 2017, the PVC conference attracted over 530 delegates spanning 42 countries across six continents and organisers say the 2020 edition, to be held on 20-23 April, is expected to be “bigger and better” than before. As part of this growth, the organising committee will deliver a comprehensive and varied programme of international speakers, high-quality papers and networking opportunities
Historic Edinburgh will provide the backdrop for PVC2020
and is welcoming submissions on subjects including strategy and global markets; the circular economy, sustainability and recycling; machinery and processing technology; additives; plastisols and flexible PVC to name but a few. “PVC 2020 is simply the best international conference for the vinyl industry. It is the ideal event to showcase innovation with vinyl,” said Roger Mottram, CoChair of PVC 2020 and Head of Communications and Advocacy at Inovyn. Keynote speakers are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, with early bird registration due to open in October.
proposed to be restricted in favour of other plastics, for which some collection and sorting systems are in place, and which therefore are considered recyclable.” The VFSE says the mechanical recycling of PVC cling film is feasible with existing waste management systems, although admits “much remains to be done” in the treatment of post-consumer waste to increase the collection and sorting. While this is tackled by municipalities and local authorities, the association says its own members, along with VinylPlus, are developing additional chemical recycling solutions that can treat PVC packaging, including cling film in household waste. The position paper says that in light of the estimated 88 million tonnes of food wasted in the EU-28 each year, sustainable consumption must go hand-in-hand with the appropriate use of packaging to ensure safety and to reduce food waste. PVC containers, it says, meet these two conditions and it therefore is calling for support in the development of adequate collection systems that allow the recycling of such PVC packaging. The statement reads: “Recommendation to restrict the use of PVC packaging while ignoring its high performance is unjustified and fraught with consequences. In the short term, it can have a major impact on the choices made by brand owners and retailers who will take decisions without any appropriate analysis of the complete life cycle of the packed product they sell.” The association is inviting interested stakeholders to engage in conversations about the benefits of PVC packaging.
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FEATURE
The potential of
W WEST-YORKSHIRE BASED INDEPENDENT COMPOUNDER, DUGDALE, SAYS THAT A SOLE FOCUS ON THE VERSATILITY, COST PERFORMANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF PVC HAVE LED TO A HEALTHY BUSINESS OUTLOOK FOR THE COMPANY. MANAGING DIRECTOR, DAVID OUTEN, SPEAKS TO BP&R ABOUT GROWTH, OUTLOOK AND BREXIT.
PVC
So far in 2019, Dugdale PVC Ltd has reported an extremely busy trading year. The company, headquartered on the banks of the River Calder in Sowerby Bridge, has been utilising the majority of its capacity for some months now, something Managing Director, David Outen, says shows little sign of slowing up, with order books healthy. “Naturally we are delighted for this demand and to be servicing such a variety of processors and endusers throughout the sector,” he explained. “It might be assumed that the Brexit factor has triggered a rush to stockpile certain materials, and, there are some small elements of that in the current order book. However, I am happy to say that the lion’s share consists of new grades and new business, particularly
We are PVC experts, pure and simple
Dugdale’s new laboratories are help creating new customerdriven grades of material
in relation to some of our newer PVC alloy materials. In short, the outlook for Dugdale remains extremely healthy for both existing and new opportunities.” A SPEEDY RESOLUTION On the theme of Brexit, and in relation to Dugdale’s business, Outen says that in common with most UK manufacturers, he is keen to see the issues relating to the UK’s exit from the EU speedily resolved. “All commerce aside, there are plenty of other issues involved – such the EU circular economy, the REACH directives – in which we and our customers need clarity and decisiveness, one way or another,” he noted. “Dudgale is doing all that it can to speak up on these matters and to communicate the needs of manufacturing to our legislators and politicians.” The firm recently appeared in the UK’s Parliamentary Review, an opportunity it took to showcase best practice within its operations, as well as how innovation and flexibility has shaped the business’s growth. “The review is actually an apolitical publication and one that seeks to inform and update politicians and other organisations on industrial best practice and how manufacturing has risen to the challenges in today’s trading,” Outen continued. GROWTH GAINS The Parliamentary Review documents the company’s evolution and details not least how the Management Buyout (MBO) of 2014 has borne many fruits for Dugdale –
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not least for investment and business strategy and direction. Outen explained that since the MBO it has backed its compounding business “to the tune of some £3.5 million” with further investment expected this year and next. “Mid last year we announced a doubling of turnover within the last decade – a key metric and measure of how far we have come,” Outen explained, something he attributes to both versatile and skilful manufacturing systems, but also a dedication to customer service and a sole focus on PVC as its area of materials expertise. “We are PVC experts, pure and simple,” he explained. “We don’t dilute our technical resources or focus on a range of different polymers. Instead we concentrate on the versatility, cost performance and environmental benefits of PVC - for the benefit of our customers.” He continued: “We supply our customers from concept to complete material solution; helping their processes and production at their place of manufacture and introduce them to new compounds and new possibilities via our constant product innovation strategy.” BRIGHT FUTURE Along with its planned investment over the coming years, Outen says Dugdale will continue to play a full part in the wider PVC industry, with involvement in a number of relevant exhibitions and conferences, including the triennial PVC event being held in Edinburgh in April 2020.
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FEATURE
D DURING THE 2019 EDITION OF ITS ANNUAL SUSTAINABILITY FORUM, VINYL PLUS REVEALED A SIZEABLE INCREASE IN PVC RECYCLING FIGURES AND SHARED FURTHER PROGRESS TOWARDS INCREASING THE MATERIAL’S SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE. BP&R LOOKS AT THE CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS.
It’s so timely to speak about accelerating innovation because we need to consider the challenges and opportunities of the future. Climate change, sustainability and the environment are important topics dominating the political agenda.”
line with the European Commission’s objective of 10 million tonnes for the plastics industry, underlining VinylPlus’ continuous engagement with regulators and institutions.
VinylPlus, the Voluntary Commitment to sustainable development of the European PVC industry, recycled 739,525 tonnes of PVC within its framework in 2018 – a 15.6 per cent increase on the previous year. The results were unveiled at the 2019 edition of the VinylPlus Sustainability Forum in Prague, Czech Republic, on May 9th and 10th, where this year’s theme ‘Accelerating Innovation’ examined the challenges and opportunities presented by new technologies in shaping the PVC sector’s future in the context of the circular economy. Despite regulatory constraints, VinylPlus General Manager, Brigitte Dero, said that the latest recycling figures represent 92.4 per cent of VinylPlus’ 2020 target. Recovinyl remains the main contributor, registering 734,568 tonnes of recycled PVC. Cumulatively, almost five million tonnes of PVC have been recycled since 2000. “VinylPlus continues to be a frontrunner for the circular economy,” commented Dero. “Through our Voluntary Commitment, we are making continuous progress towards our sustainability goals amid the development of EU policies impacting the plastics sector.” SUSTAINABLE AGENDA The Forum was opened by the Czech Minister of Environment, Richard Brabec, who emphasised the need for the sustainable management of plastics in the context of the circular economy. He called for an uptake of both recycling and the demand for recycled products. Welcoming delegates, VinylPlus’ Chairman, Stefan Sommer, said: “The reason behind VinylPlus’ success is the commitment of the entire value chain, involving the cooperation of resin manufacturers, additive producers and PVC converters. To achieve further success, we will need to intensify cooperation with our partners and may need to identify new ones.” He emphasised that a “balanced and harmonised legislative framework for the recycling of plastics is essential to secure our contribution to the circular economy and to achieve our new recycling target of at least 900,000 tonnes by 2025.” This would be in
ACCELERATING INNOVATION Member of European Parliament, Martina Dlabajová, explored the industry’s role in the evolution of society and education needs. She said: “It’s so timely to speak about accelerating innovation because we need to consider the challenges and opportunities of the future. Climate change, sustainability and the environment are important topics dominating the political agenda.” Following her, Fulvia Raffaelli, Head of Unit at DG GROW, European Commission, highlighted how the construction sector is adapting to digital times. “Construction is often perceived as a conservative sector, but it’s not. It’s very innovative and digitalisation can really help to drive innovation in the direction of sustainability.” Jenny Walther-Thoss, Policy Officer of Sustainable Biomass and Sustainable Certification at World Wide Fund (WWF), delivered a presentation on Environmental Standards and Certifications through an NGO lens. She stressed that products need to fit a more holistic approach to the circular economy through more efficient production methods and a focus on the longevity of the product. When discussing certification systems, she placed the emphasis on the need to deliver impact and value, however recognised that finding that balance is a difficult issue to solve. Closing the forum, Arab Hoballah, Team Leader at EU-SWITCH-Asia Sustainable Consumption and Production Facility (SCP) and Ex-Chief SCP for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), emphasised how ‘eco-innovation’ could help to address the sustainability challenges faced by the PVC industry. He said: “This requires mainstreaming sustainability with a lifecycle approach throughout all business operations and creating novel solutions to meet market demand. We cannot live without plastic, so let us talk about the ‘good’ ones properly.”
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AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS | NEWS Managing Director of FANUC UK warns UK Government about lack of automation in manufacturing The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee has heard evidence from numerous UK manufacturing experts, including the Managing Director of FANUC UK, Tom Bouchier, about the dangers of falling behind other European nations because of a lack of automation. Speaking at Parliament, Bouchier explained how, when compared with other European countries, the UK has been slow to adopt automation in manufacturing processes. Despite demand in automation increasing in the UK, slow adoption has led to lower levels of industrial robots across the manufacturing sector, according to FANUC. Outlining the scale of the disparity, Bouchier commented: “The UK is the only G7 country with a robot density below the world’s
Premier Moulding Machinery supplies ‘Haitian by Sepro’ Robots in the UK Plastics processors in the United Kingdom can now buy Haitian and
Tom Bouchier
average - a figure that stands at just 74 units per 10,000 workers. This positions the UK behind 14 other European countries, whilst Germany has a density of 309, making it the most automated nation on the continent. “It is no longer a question of whether businesses can afford greater automation, but a case of whether they can afford not to automate. If we’re 30 per cent less productive per hour than a German worker, then we are not going to stay competitive. We can’t put the
genie back in the bottle, we have to automate in order to keep pace with our competitors.” Bouchier was referencing a recent report from the International Federation of Robots (IFR), which discusses the extent to the UK’s lack of industrial robots. He added that negative attitudes towards automation could be a contributing factor to the slow adoption in the UK, which is something that needs to be addressed for British manufacturing to increase its capabilities.
Zhafir injection-molding machines pre-packaged with ‘Haitian by Sepro’ robots. Aylesbury-based Premier Moulding Machinery (PMM) is the official sales and service partner for Haitian and Zhafir moulding
machines in the UK and is offering the package solutions, where robot control is integrated into the machine control so that the machine operator has access to all basic settings and robot data directly on the IMM control panel. The new offering follows an agreement between Sepro Group in France and Haitian International Germany, which oversees the company’s business in the United Kingdom. The agreement will enable Haitian to meet increasing demand for robot/IMM packages with 3- and 5-axis robots built by Sepro, along with Haitian and Zhafir moulding machines sold in the UK. PMM’s team will handle robot service after initial training by Sepro. Glen Eves, General Manager, Sepro UK, said: “I am very happy to work closely with our new partner, to enhance our footprint in the UK. We are excited by our common business perspectives.”
Carl Reeve of Premier Moulding Machinery (Haitian UK), left, with Sepro’s Jean-Michel Renaudeau
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SynthoTec installs Kawasaki RS20N robot
The new machine, robot and conveyor at Malton Plastics in Yorkshire
Malton Plastics invests in new IMM and robot for increased operating hours Malton Plastics says investment in a new injection moulding machine along with robot and conveyor is increasing capability and capacity. The Yorkshire-based firm says the investment comes as a result of an increase in demand for plastic mouldings last year and a requirement to scale-up production capacity. The new 350-tonne injection moulding machine from Sumitomo Demag is able to produce plastic mouldings from larger mould tools than its 320-tonne predecessor. The robot and conveyor system, provided by Geiger Handling, works alongside the new Demag, meaning operating hours for the new machine are increased by removing reliance on operator occupancy. The machine is able to run fully automatic with parts being removed and stacked via the robot. Managing Director of Malton Plastics, Graeme Smith, said: “With an increase in demand for some of the larger components we produce and with new customers working with us, the new machine and conveyor will allow us to be more efficient and increase utilisation.” He added: “With the ability to produce more efficiently and run the machine for longer, we can also meet our customers demand for product”.
Manufacturer of precision plastic parts, SynthoTec, has installed a Kawasaki RS20N robot to boost production, cut costs and achieve a significant reduction in waste material. The Kawasaki RS-20N is a mediumduty robot with a 20kg payload, a horizontal reach of 1,725mm and a vertical lifting capability of 3,078mm. Regarded as a highspeed machine, the robot still achieves a repeatable accuracy of +/- 0.05mm at maximum lift/reach. In the SynthoTec application at its manufacturing facility in Malvern, it has proved to be working to a tolerance of 0.02mm over thousands of daily cycles. “Robots are an integral part our business, as is our desire to continue developing in-house automation solutions to exactly meet our own needs. It is just one of many facets that allows us to retain absolute responsibility for the quality of end product for which our business is respected by customers,” explained Graham Ward, Managing Director of SynthoTec. Brushless AC servomotors are used throughout, and the RS20N is suitable for operation in environments where good IP ratings
The Kawasaki system can be easily expanded on, which means that, as we grow, our robot capability also grows for some time to come and we can do it ourselves on demand.”
are needed. The robot’s wrist is certified to IP67, with the arm to IP65, and the unit offers added versatility, with options of either floor or wall mounting as standard. Jon Hart, Synthotec Project Engineer, added: “Working with Kawasaki Robotics on this project hasn’t just allowed us to achieve every one of our objectives: it has also allowed us to ‘future-proof’ our systems, too. The Kawasaki system can be easily expanded on, which means that, as we grow, our robot capability also grows for some time to come and we can do it ourselves on demand.”
Kawasaki’s RS-20N robot goes into the demoulding machine to collect more completed bearing cages.
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CASE STUDY
Robots take their pick in plastic moulding application
A MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC ROBOT / PLC / HMI COMBINATION HAS PROVIDED SUFFOLK-BASED PCE AUTOMATION WITH AN IDEAL SOLUTION FOR ITS LATEST TAKEOUT SYSTEM FOR PLASTIC INJECTION STRETCH BLOW MOULDING (ISBM) MACHINERY. BP&R LOOKS AT THE DETAILS.
P
CE Automation Ltd, a supplier of automation solutions based in Beccles in Suffolk, has developed a robot cell to improve productivity for manufacturers of blow-moulded plastic containers, having seen an opportunity for making improvements over existing ISBM take-out technology. The new MK5, which also supports integrated leak testing of plastic containers, is based on a Q-series PLC, a MELFA six-axis articulated arm robot and a GOT Series touch-screen HMI. The resulting machine not only reduces transfer and testing times, but also provides greater flexibility to adapt for different production runs. “Existing take-out solutions tend to use three-axis robotic arms to carry out a simple pick-and-place function. As a result, users often need to redesign a part of the machine each time a new project or type of plastic container needs to be processed,” explained Julian Tarratt, Sales Manager at PCE Automation. “With increased personalisation and shorter runs of products becoming popular we wanted to develop a more versatile, efficient and reliable solution. Our preferred automation partner, Mitsubishi Electric, suggested a MELFA RV-F-Q series robot with a full range of movement through six-axis articulation. Using the more dextrous robot we were able to remove traditional limitations and provide a more adaptable solution.” INTEGRATED AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE PCE Automation says the resulting MK5 is a compact system, fully compatible with existing machinery, where the MELFA six-axis robot picks the newly made plastic containers from ISBM machines and holds them firmly as airflow leak tests are performed. Once the testing is complete, the robotic arm sets the containers down onto a conveyor for onward packing processes.
The MELFA robot is built around f lexible control via Mitsubishi Electric’s MELSEC Q-series PLC, which ensures very accurate high-speed operation. [Source: PCE Automation]
the beauty of mitsubishi electric’s robot package is the straightforward integration of the six-axis robot with the plc and hmi.
“Many products do not have a solid base and therefore cannot stand-up on conveyor belts transporting them to testing or packing stations. Integrating an articulated arm robot to pick them up and move them to and from the test station provides a simple solution to this problem and reduces processing and testing times significantly,” Tarratt added. Adapting to different container shapes is another benefit that was realised with the new solution. Ian Davison, Sales Development Manager at Mitsubishi Electric, explained: “The MELFA robot is built around flexible control via Mitsubishi Electric’s MELSEC Q-series PLC, which ensures very accurate high-speed operation. Once connected to a GOT 2000, GT25 model HMI, operating parameters and settings can easily be modified by the touch of an intuitive user interface. As a result, operators can select, add or modify new instructions from the HMI without any need to reprogram the robot controller.” Tarratt added: “The beauty of Mitsubishi Electric’s robot package is the straightforward integration of the six-axis robot with the PLC and HMI. This not only results in a flexible system, but also allows the MK5 to have a very compact design. In the new format it is even possible to move the unit around the factory floor.” PCE Automation says its solution is also a valuable tool for maintaining a controlled environment thanks to the robot reducing the potential for contamination. In sensitive applications, for example when producing containers for the medical or food and beverage industry, the MK5 machine can be equipped with HEPA filters or fitted-out for use in cleanrooms. Several variations of the MK5 have already been designed for PCE Automation customers in different industries.
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MATERIALS | NEWS ExxonMobil doubles manufacturing capacity of specialIty elastomers at Newport plant ExxonMobil has announced it has completed an expansion of its specialty elastomers manufacturing plant in Newport, Wales, which doubles the plant’s manufacturing capacity and increases global manufacturing capacity of Santoprene thermoplastic elastomers by 25 per cent. The project has created approximately 35 full-time production jobs and supported 130 jobs during construction. Karen McKee, President of ExxonMobil Chemical Company, said: “ExxonMobil’s highperformance plastics help make automotive and consumer products light, resulting in improved fuel efficiency and higher performance, compared with products made with traditional materials. “This Newport investment doubles the site’s manufacturing capacity of higher-value products.” This news follows ExxonMobil’s recently announced plans to expand its Fawley refinery in the United Kingdom to increase production of ultra-low sulphur diesel by almost 45 per cent, equivalent to 38,000 barrels per day.
Crude oil-tochemicals technology could double perbarrel profits, says IHS Markit A revolutionary new chemical process technology, called crude oil-to-chemical (COTC), could more than double the profitability derived from a barrel of crude oil, according to a new assessment from IHS Markit. The findings show that currently, global petrochemical companies typically earn around $8.50 (approx. £6.70 GBP) per barrel of refined crude oil, but by leveraging the new COTC process technology, which is based on a Saudi Aramco Technologies design, in a worldscale refining and chemical facility, owners could increase their plant net margins to approximately $17 (approx. £13.35 GBP) per barrel. Don Bari, Vice President of Chemical Technology at IHS Markit, said: “This innovative new COTC process technology us still in its infancy, but, according to our independent analysis, if commercially proven and built to world-scale, it has the potential to more than double the value refiners can unlock from a barrel of oil. “This process is both transformative in terms of its potential, and timely, as refiners face declining future demand for gasoline and
Don Bari thinks the COTC is a transformative process
fuel production due to carbon emission mandates, greater vehicle fuel efficiency, and an increasing penetration of electric vehicles.” As global chemicals demand is growing at a significantly higher rate than fuel demand, explained Bari, the desire to produce highervalue chemicals from lower-value feedstocks like crude and ethane is driving tremendous interest in these disruptive technologies. One of the most significantly disruptive technologies or categories of technologies being developed, based on their sheer volume, is crude oil-to-chemicals, Bari believes, and thinks these projects fuse a refinery and petrochemical plant together in a fundamentally new way. “The objective is to shift the product slate derived from a barrel of oil to a range of 60 to 80 per cent chemical production and non-fuel products, up from the traditional range of 10 to 15 per cent or so,” he continued. “This transformative COTC technology goes beyond even the most ‘highly’ integrated sites today that are pushing 30 per cent to 40 per cent chemicals production with traditional approaches.”
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What are the implications of the EU placing additional import duties on US-origin polyethylene for European and UK plastic converters?
IN HIS COLUMN THIS MONTH, OUR RESIDENT MATERIALS EXPERT, MIKE BOSWELL, MAPS OUT THE COMPLEX PICTURE OF EXISTING AND POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL TARIFFS ON IMPORTED POLYMER AND WHAT THE RESULTANT EFFECT WOULD BE ON PROCESSORS.
The Donald Trump presidency has become notorious for its aggressive approach to defending US manufacturing from anything that is perceived as unfair competition. Once again, US polymer exports have come to the fore as a potential pawn in this controversial approach being instigated by the US authorities. Currently China has implemented punitive import duties on US-origin LLDPE and HDPE in retaliation for the US imposing additional duties on a range of Chinese-origin products. It now appears that the competitive rivalries of Airbus and Boeing in the market of passenger aircraft may result in the EU applying an additional duty premium of USorigin polyethylene of 10 per cent, which will then take the overall rate of import duty on these products to 16.5 per cent, a threatened retaliation to the US imposing import duties on Airbus products, which the US claim receives unfair subsidies from the EU. At this point it is important to appreciate the impact of the Chinese tariffs on USorigin polyethylene. These have effectively resulted in a global repositioning of polymer exports and those materials that previously were supplied to China from the US have been substituted by materials from other regions, not subject to additional duties, and in particular material from the Middle East. Given that the Middle East has historically been a significant source of polymer imports into Europe, especially LLDPE and HDPE,
the US cargoes that were travelling to China are now being moved to Europe to meet the shortfall of Middle East origin material. So far this ‘game of swaps’ has proceeded smoothly, and European plastic processors have continued to be well supplied albeit with US-origin rather than Middle Eastern product. With the EU to carry out its threat of imposing additional duty there is no obvious substitute for US material whilst so ever the Chinese Government continues to apply import duties on US origin LLDPE and HDPE, and it should be noted that there are threats to also include LDPE in the duty regime. In these circumstances it is hard to envisage any real alternative to that of European polyethylene converters paying more for their polymer, as it is unlikely that either US producers will concede all the tariff or that other more competitive sources would be able to meet demand. In a world of unintended consequences, the EU might do well to consider the potential harm imposing tariffs might do to a major component of the European manufacturing sector. As illustrated in the last edition of @polymerman on prices, or there is the possibility to escape entirely duty free in the event of a ‘hard Brexit’ given the UK Government commitment to zero duty on all plastic raw material apart from bottle-grade PET resin. If, however, the UK remains part of the EU, or subject to EU duty rates, then UK plastic processors will face the same challenges as those in the EU27.
Who is ‘Polymerman’?
Mike Boswell is Managing Director of UK materials distributor, Plastribution, as well as the Chairman of the British Plastic Federation’s Polymer Compounders and Distributors Group and its ‘BREXIT Committee’. ‘Polymerman’ is the title used for announcements made via his Twitter account. This column is compiled using data from PIE (Plastics Information Europe) www.plastribution. co.uk | www.pieweb.com WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
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Oh buoy!
First plastic fishing tour makes waves across the UK
AS O A BOAT MADE FROM 99 PER CENT RECYCLED PLASTIC EMBARKS ON A TOUR AROUND THE UK TO RAISE THE IMPORTANCE KEEPING WASTE OUT OF WATERWAYS, BP&R’S GRACE NOLAN FOUND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT AT ITS LAUNCH EVENT IN MANCHESTER.
WORDS: GRACE NOLAN
n a grey and windy morning in late April, representatives from environmental charity, Hubbub, gathered in Manchester in preparation for the launch of a nationwide ‘fishing tour’ dedicated to keeping plastics out of the UK’s waterways. The tour is taking place on the ‘Poly Roger’, a boat made from 99 per cent recycled plastic. The new 12-seater punt is only the third of its kind in the world and the first to launch outside of London. The design is based on a traditional punt, but made from modern materials, including plaswood, a hardwearing alternative to wood made entirely from recycled single-use plastics, and powered by a rechargeable electric motor. Visiting four iconic waterways around the UK, including Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Central Scotland, Hubbub is partnering with local organisations and volunteers, who nominated their area to take part. The boat will be taking people out on ‘plastic fishing’ trips to raise awareness of plastic pollution and encourage more people to recycle. At the end of the tour, one of these locations will win the punt, enabling them to continue plastic fishing after the tour has finished. “PLASTIC HAS A CLEAR VALUE” I was invited to the tour launch event by Hubbub and Mersey Rivers Trust, in Manchester’s Salford Quays, to watch the boat depart on her maiden voyage and experience her first plastic fishing trip. I saw the hands-on approach being used to clear our waterways of litter through this project and learned more about local marine pollution. Jack Hodgkiss, Project Co-ordinator at Hubbub, told me: “Plastic has a clear value; we have built an entire boat made from recycled plastic bottles. But you wouldn’t think that with how many you find in the water. We are trying to raise awareness about how important it is that we value our materials more and keep them in the circular economy.” According to Hubbub, a recent University of Manchester report highlighted that the rivers of
The Poly Roger
Greater Manchester and the Mersey have the highest level of microplastics of any river system in the world. Mersey Rivers Trust is trying to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the waterways from pollution. Mike Duddy, Senior Project Manager for Mersey Rivers Trust, explained: “We do lots of work around community engagement so people will help protect our local rivers. Here (Salford Quays) there is a massive eco system living under the water, that people do not value because all they see is the rubbish, which is a shame.” INSPIRATION TRAVELS Plastic Fishing was originally inspired by pupils, teachers and parents at Canary Wharf College in 2017, who had heard about the approach from a project in Amsterdam called ‘Plastic Whale’, which combines sightseeing with cleaning the city’s canals. In 12 months Hubbub’s first boat, called Poly-Mer, has taken over 1,000 people plastic fishing around London’s Docklands, collecting over 1,250 plastic bottles and generating nearly £10,000 in donations for the College. Plastics recovered have been used to produce all three of the boats used for the fishing trips. The Poly Roger punt used for the latest, nationwide tour has been built - and the tour arranged - using funds collected from Starbucks’ 5p charge on drinks purchased in a paper cup across its stores nationwide. If you have recently purchased a drink from Starbucks, then you have probably contributed to this project. The plastic fishing tour is now en route to Birmingham, where it will offer trips from 3rd-10th June. Visit our website, www.britishplastics.co.uk, to watch the exclusive footage and interviews Grace captured of the day and find out how you can get involved.
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MACHINERY | NEWS Trexel introduces new MuCell Screw Tip Dosing Module for application-specific demands Trexel has introduced a new product that provides an additional option for users to implement applicationspecific microcellular foam (MuCell) moulding technology. The new Screw Tip Dosing Module (TDM) allows for optimised process adaption and increased performance at a low implementation cost. The new TDM technology is an important development in physical foaming, which will enable more users to implement MuCell. Brian Bechard, President of Trexel, said: “This new technology is a real breakthrough for us and
UK and Irish customers invest in new Arburg technologies after open days Customers from the UK and Ireland have decided to invest in new machinery from Arburg following a visit to the firm’s headquarters. As part of its annual Technology Days held in March, representatives from Telford-based Protolabs and Galway-based Irish Micro Mouldings (IMM) saw the latest machinery, equipment and processes first
The new Tip Dosing Module compared with the traditional tip
hand at Arburg’s base in Lossburg, Germany. Protolabs, which offers fast turnaround prototypes, low volume orders and on-demand production work for a range of industry sectors, ordered an Arburg Allrounder 920 S 5500-4600 with a clamp force of 550 tonnes, one of the largest machines in the Allrounder range. The new machine will add more capacity to Protolabs’ similar sized machine for moulding larger components for automotive, aerospace and electrical applications and will replace an
our customers. It offers a flexible, modular solution and makes it easier and less expensive for customers to implement and realise the benefits of MuCell moulding and will work for both retrofits and new implementation.” The TDM can be easily screwed onto a standard screw to replace the traditional screw tip. In combination with Trexel’s new high-pressure MuCell SCF injector it provides significant benefits especially for high performance moulding applications, including higher output and less wear. Bechard said: “This is important due to changing market requirements as foam moulding becomes a more standard process globally. The trend is moving towards more high performance, application specific solutions.”
older machine coming to the end of its life, while offering larger mould weights than the redundant machine. “This new machine is for a bespoke production mould shop which will allow growth for three to five years,” said Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Jon Worrall. Typical products for the machine will include car battery packs/casing and cable trunking. Separately, Irish Micro Mouldings is benefitting from strong growth in western Ireland’s booming medical device industry and has ordered a new Arburg Allrounder 375 V 500100 to increase capacity. The Galway-based manufacturer, which specialises in the design and manufacture of minimal invasive devices, including cardiovascular delivery devices for balloon catheters, stents and bioabsorbable implants, has ordered its third vertical Allrounder. Vertical, small footprint machines are perfect for the precise nature of this work, where IMM excels at developing solutions for difficult applications in the medical device area. The 375 V 500-100 is perfectly suited for over moulding applications and is exactly the same specification as the company’s other vertical Allrounders.
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Extruders
Pelletising
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. Easy to use systems from a €600m company with over 30 years experience.
intouch T: 01604 537100 E: enquiries@ intouchmonitoring. com Website: www.intouchmonitoring.com Real-time production monitoring systems. Designed to be easy to use and providing affordable solutions to all sizes of businesses. Production monitoring, scheduling, reporting, data import/export, databases for parts, tools and operators, integration with other software packages.
GRANULATORS
63mm (2.5”) Welex Extruder with Vented Water Cooled Barrel
EXTRUDERS
l
ia Be Soc
120mm Battenfeld Single Screw Pelletising Line
0 Over 3o0view t s o e Vid
TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN 01244 952519
MORE MACHINERY, MORE PHOTOS ON THE WEB WWW.TRANSXL.CO.UK
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WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
PROCESS OPTIMISATION SOFTWARE RJG Technologies Ltd Moulding Technology T: +44 (0)1733 232211 E info@rjginc.co.uk Zero Defect Moulding – What’s your target?
• Cycle time reduction • Reduced scrap rates • Improved process capability • Higher yield and OEE PRO-OP™ software provides a stepby-step procedure for optimising the injection moulding process to deliver optimum quality products at the most favourable cycle time. PRO-OP™ is a server based application which, by setting an optimum moulding process, highlights weaknesses and problems in relation to part design, mould design, mould construction, moulding equipment efficiency, moulding equipment specification and material selection. The moulding process is documented with explanations for each key process parameter setting demonstrating the processing conditions and equipment contributions to the final result. PRO-OP™ is aimed at companies whose focus is quality and consistent part manufacture. PRO-OP™ supports companies by providing a documented and structured validation protocol which is recognised in the in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors.
BP&R BUYER’S GUIDE MATERIALS MASTERBATCH
ASSEMBLY
Eclipse Buyers Guide_Layout 1 07
hot plate welding
Branson Ultrasonics
colour masterbatch
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
When it comes to matching colour, no one gets closer.
ultrasonic welding
InControl Ultrasonics Ltd (FFR Ultrasonics Ltd)
50mm high and 35mm
PO Box 10380, Sileby, LE12 7ZX T: 01509 621992 E: enquiries@ffr-ultrasonics. co.uk W: www.ffr-ultrasonics.co.uk W: www.incontrolultrasonics.co.uk
• We want to bring your colour inspiration to life.
www.abbeymb.com Tel: +44 (0)161 308 2550 Email: aml@abbeymb.com
black masterbatch
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
• We develop amazing new colours and special effects for some of the worlds leading brands. • Performance is built-in, and cost designed out. • Any colour, Anywhere, Anytime.
Telsonic UK Ltd
Performance Masterbatches Telephone: +44 (0)1495 310583 Email: customer.service@pmb.co.uk
www.pmb.co.uk
cleaning materials
Immediate Payment. Call: 07803 759680 01625 531434
MATERIALS
Unit 3 Vitrage Technical Park 27 Witney Road , Nuffield Industrial Estate, Poole, Dorset BH17 0GL T: 01202 697340 F: 01202 693674 W: www.telsonic.com Blog: telsoniccuk.wordpress.com
vibration welding
Turn your redundant materials into cash. We buy HI, ABS, PCarb, Apet, PP, HD & LD.
158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.bransoneurope.eu
Branson Ultrasonics
158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.bransoneurope.eu
COMPOUNDS
Purging Compounds Release Agents Mould Maintenance
QUALITY PVC PELLETS FOR EXTRUSION
www.ChemTrend.com www.UltraPurge.com
vekacompounds.com +44(0)1933 427 750
Motan Colortronic Ltd
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT
MOULD RELEASE
ASSEMBLY
infrared welding
UK Manufacturers est. over 60 years
Shredders Plastic separation Conveyors | Bailers Full recycling systems
01943 875104 sales@wrightsltd.co.uk
www.wrightsltd.co.uk
Infrared Welding Ultrasonic Welding Hot Plate Welding Heat Staking
JOINING
HIGH TECH AND HIGH PASSION.
Make the WRIGHT choice
CHILLERS/ TEMPERATURE CONTROLLERS
Find your perfect joining method.
www.frimo.com
pulse staking
CONTROL SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT quality monitoring control Kistler Instruments Ltd
T: 01256 741550 F: 01256 741551 E: sales.uk@kistler.com W: www.kistler.com Pressure transducers and associated monitoring/control equipment for new and existing injection moulding applications.
DRYERS
Motan Colortronic Ltd
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
DEHUMIDIFIERS Motan Colortronic Ltd Cavity pressure measurement systems and sensors for control of the injection moulding process and automatic hot-runner balancing, provides zero-defect production with 100% quality control. T: F: E: W:
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN 01244 952519
01256 741550 01256 741551 sales.uk@kistler.com www.kistler.com
TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN: 01244 952519 WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
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BP&R BUYER’S GUIDE HEATING EQUIPMENT
MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT DRYERS
HEATING EQUIPMENT
induction heating for platens and tools
HOT RUNNER SYSTEMS
MF Induction Heating
hot runner controllers
Unit 5, Martindale, Hawks Green, Cannock, Staffs, WS11 7XN Replacement Coils New platens T: 01543 570642 E: sales@mfinduction.com W: www.mfinduction.com
MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE gravimetric/ volumetric blending
Motan Colortronic Ltd
MATERIALS HANDLING
INJECTION MOULDING
hopper loaders
METAL DETECTION and dosing
imm projects
• • • •
Injection Moulding Rubber Compression Ancillary Equipment Machine Servicing Your Complete Solution Provider Tel: +44 (0)1978 421761 www.panstone.eu
MIXING, FEEDING AND DOSING Magnetics Separators Metal Detectors Eddy Current Separators
Servicing & Maintenance Commission/Decommission Robotics Projects Planning Servo Kit Installations Component Supply Training - Any Level Beston Sales
Bunting Magnetics Europe Ltd European Design & Manufacturing Facility
Northbridge Road Berkhamsted Hertfordshire HP4 1EH, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1442 875081 Email: sales@buntingeurope.com www.buntingeurope.com www.magneticseparation.co
14 Years’ Engel Experience
/magnetic_separation_and_metal_detection/
Contact: Carlton Hicks
info@immprojectsuk.com 07432 275730 www.immprojectsuk.com
• Screw design • New manufactured Screws, Barrels, Feed Sections & Liners • Proven wear resistant specifications for screws • Nitrided and Bimetallic barrels • Refurbishment and repairs • Condition monitoring and wear checks Contact us to find out how we can help you Magog Industries Ltd, 10 Crane Mead, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9PY T: +44(0)1920 465201 E: enquiries@magog.co.uk
POLYMERS
Screw & Barrel Manufacture Screw & Barrel Refurbishment Tie Bar Repair & Manufacture Screw Tip Assemblies Feed Liners, Plain & Grooved 100 Tonne Screw & Barrel Press Bimetallic Barrel Blanks up to 50 mm In Stock Please e-mail or phone Karl for more info. E. info@tws-mail.co.uk T. 01706 655402 W. www.tws-ltd.com Technical Welding Services (Rochdale) Ltd
FILTRATION ALUMINIUM MATERIAL STORAGE BINS
Standard sizes available: 80l, 200l, 420l, 830l. Contact us today on 01827 265800 or visit www.summitsystems.co.uk Prices start from £428 10% reduction with offer code:
BPR18
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
SECONDHAND AND RECONDITIONED Cooper Plastics Machinery
8 Lyall Court, Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 1UX T: 01525 719850 E: Cooperplastics@gmail.com W: www.cooperplastics.co.uk Extruders, water baths, haul-offs, fly knife cutters, conveyors/tip tables, in-line punches, coilers etc. New and used. Repairs, servicing or rebuilds. UK agent for Lyons Electronics.
DTL Machinery UK
Off the shelf or made to order with very competitive pricing!
Continuous filtration Systems in use for more than 50 years. Models available from Ø 45 – 200 mm For more information and quotations please contact us: UNIT 614, HOPE STREET XCHANGE, HIND ST. SUNDERLAND, UK. Tel: +44 7733 111 999 E-mail: trish.siloteq@gmail.com
TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN: 01244 952519 48
METAL DETECTION AND SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
HOPPER LOADERS Engineers to the Plastics & Rubber industries, specialising in the following:
www.magog.co.uk
www.quick-mould-change.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
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
SCREWS & BARRELS
Design, Manufacture, and Refurbishment of Screws & Barrels for the Plastics and Rubber Industries.
Tel: 01952 671918 Fax: 01952 608579 Email: connectors.uk@staubli.com
Motan Colortronic Ltd
Motan Colortronic Ltd
TO ADVERTISE HERE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN ON 01244 952519 MOULD CHANGE
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
- We buy / sell all makes / age / sizes of Plastic Injection Moulding Machinery & Ancillaries equipment. - We also buy redundant, nonrunners & faulty machinery. - Machinery repair and maintenance services available. T: 01925 596170 M: 07838138342 E: info@dtlmachinery.co.uk E: douglastrading@gmail.com
BP&R BUYER’S GUIDE SECONDHAND AND RECONDITIONED
MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT SECOND HAND & RE-CONDITIONED
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Designer/ manufacturer injection moulding tools Ref: KP/642
Southern England Good reputation, solid customer base, low debt Excellent opportunity to bring service in house or as a bolt-on Contact Paul Holohan in complete confidence on 07798 530684 or info@kingswood.co.uk
kingswoodbusinesssales.com
For Sale Rubber and Plastic Moulding Company Established for over 20 years Existing Customer Base Turnover of £3.5 million 30 Experienced Employees Further Financials on request For further information email us on rubbermouldings1@gmail.com • Rubber • Plastic • Silicone Mouldings • Injection Mouldings
Refurbished machines with fault and leak free guarantee. We buy & sell all manner of plasscs equipment. Visit our workshop in Wellingborough, Northants. 01933 272747
sales@stvmachinery.co.uk www.stvmachinery.co.uk
FOR SALE
Plastics Processing Machinery Bought & Sold, Thornhill, South Marston, Wiltshire SN3 4TA T: 01793 827666 F: 01793 823826 E: sales@transxl.co.uk W: www.transxl.co.uk
‘USED INJECTION MOULDING MACHINERY DEALERS’
Single Machines to whole plants purchased Tel: David 07540 633552 info@plasticinvestments.co.uk www.plasticinvestments.co.uk
THERMOCOUPLES
Ultrasonic Plastic Welders New & Used
For Sale &
TransXL International Ltd
Wanted
Branson - Mecasonic - Telsonic Sonotrodes (Horns) all Frequencies Fixtures, Repairs, Service, Parts Sub-Contract Welding, Hire & Consultancy
TESTING EQUIPMENT 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
hardness - IRHD and shore
MAPRA Technik Co — BAREISS For Bareiss of Germany IRHD & SHORE hardness testers, Abrasion & Rebound testers. T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk
Tel; 01258 459257 Tel; 07730 413197
als.ultrasonics@gmail.com www.als-ultrasonics.co.uk
SERVICES TRAINING
TESTING/CONSULTANCY
inspection & measurement
MAPRA Technik Co – DOSS MARCEL AUBERT – KAFER
For DOSS visual solution of Italy – Inspection & sorting machines for O’rings, Seals, Gaskets. T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk
PRINTERS
3D Printing
printers of plastic mouldings
in Plastic & Rubber
Total Print Ltd
Specialist Pad Printers Station Road, Gedney Hill, Lincolnshire PE12 0NP T: 01406 330122 F: 01406 330123 E: info@totalprintltd.com W: www.totalprintltd.com Sub-Contract Pad Printers to the Plastics Industry
COMPONENT PRINTERS
Tel: 01420 88645 www.cdg.uk.com
TAMPO.SCREEN.FOIL
CONSULTANCY
CONSULTANCY TROUBLESHOOTING
MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS SOFTWARE
Mould Tool Design CAD CAM software
MOLDFLOW ANALYSIS PRECISION PROTOTYPE PLASTIC PARTS TRAINING
TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN 01244 952519
INJECTION MOULDING 3D LASER SCANNING
01743 213 007 sales@plastic-it.co.uk
plastic-it.co.uk
Contour Marking Co Ltd Albert house, Gledrid Industrial Park, Chirk ,Wrexham, LL14 5DG T: 01691 770093 F: 01691 770023 Sub Contract Tampo, Screen & Foil Printing to the plastic moulding industry E: sales@contourmarking.com W: www.contourmarking.com
Tel: 01420 88645 www.cdg.uk.com
TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN: 01244 952519 WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
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NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE
IN THE LATEST INSTALMENT OF HIS EXCLUSIVE COLUMN FOR BP&R, DIRECTORGENERAL OF THE BPF, PHILIP LAW, LOOKS AT HOW IT’S ‘ALL CHANGE’ FOR THE FEDERATION’S PRESIDENT, OUTLINES ITS POSITION ON THE GOVERNMENT’S ENVIRONMENT CONSULTATIONS AND LOOKS AT THE WIDER PICTURE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS OVERSEAS.
T
here has been a changing of the guard at the BPF with the election of a new President. Bruce Margetts has now completed two very distinguished years and has been succeeded by Martin Althorpe, Technical Director of Epwin’s Fenestration Division. Bruce, Managing Director of Bericap in the UK, has spent all his career in packaging with Autobar, RPC and, latterly, Bericap. In his spare time, he is a rowing enthusiast and Chairman of Lincoln Rowing Club. Despite this heavily committed programme he was always readily available to offer advice and was a really great fund of innovative approaches to the issues of the day. Martin is the first windows industry representative to be President of the BPF and he brings with him very many years’ experience as Chairman of the BPF Windows Group. When the PVC issue was at its height, Martin was very much involved with the BPF helping to resolve issues arising from intense inter-material competition. We are very much looking forward to working with Martin. Much of the last month has been spent in responding to the suite of UK government consultations relating to plastics packaging waste, which has implications for the whole plastics industry, not just in the UK, but also elsewhere. These cover a proposed plastics packaging tax; extended producer responsibility; standardised household collections; and deposit return schemes. We have listened very hard to public comments on plastics waste over the last 18 months and we are very much on the same page in wanting to reduce environmental impacts. We have had detailed consultations with plastic packaging manufacturers, raw material suppliers and recyclers, to arrive at our single positions and we have also borne in mind the positions taken by wider business sectors who are essential to the supply chain. We have also taken advice from independent authorities. Our general position is that we are certainly prepared to play our part in increasing recycling, move towards greater circularity in the ‘plastics economy’ and take on a fair share of costs in doing so. But we want the best possible environmental outcomes for all the measures proposed and little in
In another area of the plastics sustainability story it was reported this month that PVC recycling in Europe, under the aegis of VinylPlus, has registered a 15.6 per cent increase in 2018 taking it to 739,532 tonnes. the way of unintended consequences. Our comments were made in that spirit. In fact, the consultation on the standardisation of household waste collections had its origins in discussions the BPF had several years ago with Rory Stewart, then a Defra Minister. We have welcomed the DRS proposals emerging in Scotland and want to see a unified approach to this and measures across all constituents of the UK. In another area of the plastics sustainability story it was reported this month that PVC recycling in Europe, under the aegis of VinylPlus, has registered a 15.6 per cent increase in 2018 taking it to 739,532 tonnes. This is 92 per cent of Vinyl Plus’s 2020 target. Cumulatively over 5million tonnes of PVC have been recycled in Europe since 2000. In the frame of a voluntary commitment and given the long-life nature of PVC products I would hail this as a heroic achievement! Finally, with all the major geopolitical issues crowding our screens and newspapers a potentially significant development has been brewing in the eastern Mediterranean region which could have major consequences for patterns of development in Europe. This has been pointed out to me by a Greek friend and it is the enormous reserve of gas recently found around Cyprus. It will be long in development and will probably heighten tensions between Greece and Turkey but is something in the long term which could affect the economics of manufacturing within its striking distance. www.bpf.co.uk
www.kraussmaffei.com
ColorForm – paint and injection molding combined The revolution for parts with high-gloss finish The ColorForm process from KraussMaffei gives you benefits such as: – High-gloss finish with excellent scratch resistance – Brilliant depth effects by flow-coating with clear coat – Components from clear to piano black – High-gloss, matte and structured areas immediately side-by-side
Engineering Passion
INTRODUCING... The Most Energy Efficient Polymer Dryer
DRYING COST SO LOW, IT’S ALMOST FREE! Energy Usage to Dry Material 100
THE FIRST
80
Drying energy
60
UCT
50
ION
watts/kg Watts/Kg
70
RED
ULTRA LOW ENERGY DRYER
100
90
40 30 20
*Based on 100 kilos per hour, 6000 hours per year, kW cost at UK average of £0.12 per kW. This chart shows the EXCESS ENERGY required to DRY the material.
Drying energy
10
8
0
Energy used to heat material to required temperature
ULTRA ULTRA
DESICCANT DESICCANT
£7,128*
£570*
TYPICAL ANNUAL COST TO RUN ULTRA uses Vacuum to lower the boiling point of water to 56°C. Moisture vapourises off quickly with NO ADDITIONAL ENERGY. DESICCANT dryers recirculate hot air for hours, energy intensive and slow. Regeneration then wastes even more energy. Unlike desiccant dryers, ULTRA dryers remain energy efficient at reduced throughputs.
Get in touch to modernise your drying process today!
Visit Summit at the Maguire stand at K-Show @SummitSystems 16-23rd October 2019 Summit Systems Ltd DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY info@summitsystems.co.uk Hall 10, Stand A26 www.summitsystems.co.uk 01827 265800