BP&R Nov/Dec 2017 by BP&R Magazine

bp&r nov/dec 2017

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HOW METAL REMOVAL CAN ENSURE QUALITY IN RECYCLED PLASTICS ACT BEFORE ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOO LATE: REGISTER FOR CCL TAX RELIEF

KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR INLINE THICKNESS MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS

WHEN TO MOVE FROM SACK TO SILO FOR PLASTICS MATERIALS

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editor’s letter

bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER

www.britishplastics.co.uk EDITORIAL

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

SALES

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

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

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PUBLISHER

duncan wood T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: duncan@rapidnews.com British Plastics & Rubber is available on free subscription to readers qualifying under the publisher’s terms of control. Those outside the criteria may subscribe at the following annual rate: UK, Europe and rest of the world £249 British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (8 times/year) by Rapid Plastics Media Ltd, Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, CH4 9QE T: +44 (0) 1244 680222 F: +44 (0) 1244 671074 © 2017 Rapid Plastics Media Ltd While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained within this publication is accurate the publisher accepts no liability for information published in error, or for views expressed. All rights for British Plastics & Rubber are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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

putting the wheels in motion for a successful future

s it’s our last issue of 2017 it seems fitting to reflect on what has been. In my letter in January this year, I reported an industry setting out with cautious optimism, hoping the momentum seen in Q4 of 2016 would continue into the New Year. And continue it did. Throughout the year there has been ongoing investment to meet growing demand across a range of end sectors, as well as a rise in reshoring of projects. Although Brexit concerns still loom large, the industry is capitalising on the opportunities being presented and continues to innovate and develop, despite the challenges facing it. And speaking of innovation, this issue features some excellent examples of companies that are driving new ideas forward, including LVS Small Plastic Parts, a Telford-based moulder involved in a complete re-design and overhaul of the plastic componentry used in the next generation of cycleshare bicycles taking over from the ‘Boris Bike’ in London. An ingenious combination of part design, materials selection and testing has resulted in a ‘Made in Britain’ transportation method that’s set to benefit city dwellers for years to come. You can read more about this on page 11. In addition, the automotive and transportation industries, systematic drivers of innovation, saw Big Bear, a thermoformer based in Worcestershire, utilise its own high performance material for

the production of a new bumper for British caravan manufacturer, Bailey. The part not only improves installation and aesthetics, but has also resulted in a reduction of damage warranty claims owing to its ability to resist damage from stone chips and minor collisions. It is this expertise, experience and technical ability that helps make the UK plastics industry a strong contender on the world stage. Long may the investment, demand and success continue.

It is this expertise, experience and technical ability that helps make the UK plastics industry a strong contender on the world stage. Long may the investment, demand and success continue.

Enjoy the issue and see you in 2018.

Leanne Taylor, Group Editor

bp&r

THE BIG STORY Separating the facts: How metal removal can ensure quality in recycled plastics An Eddy Current Separator is commonly mounted on the same frame as the Drum Magnet and expels any non-ferrous metals such as aluminium.

STAGE 4 – Stainless Steel Separation

Stainless Steel is not separated on standard magnetic separators and is not influenced by the magnetic field of an Eddy Current Separator. However, when exposed to shredding, stainless steel takes on very weak magnetic properties. This enables the metal to be separated using a high magnetic force separator such as the HISC (High Intensity Separation Conveyor) or SSSC (Stainless Steel Separation Conveyor).

STAGE 5 – Metal Detection

Metal Detectors detect and separate any remaining metal or metal that has been introduced in the process post primary separation at the final stage of the process. Commonly, this Metal Detector is installed at a location where the final granulator plastic beads are freefalling into a bagging receptor on into a screw conveyor for transportation to another stage of the process.

STAGE 2 – Small Ferrous Metal Separation

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After the second stage of shredding, there will be a further liberation of smaller sized metal. This is separated using a strong Rare Earth Drum Magnet.

Proven Metal Separation technology paired with a knowledge of plastics processing ensures that plastics recyclers can successfully remove metal contamination from their process. However, this is a solution to one of the many challenges in the plastics recycling process. Certainly, designers of plastic products, especially packaging, need to be creative and give reuse, recycled content and endof-life options a higher priority during the concept phase. Discussions with plant designers and plastics recycling experts will help those designers produce plastic products that are easier to recycle after their initial use. The pressure on the plastics industry to address the problem of plastics and the environment will only intensify. Solutions need to be proposed from within the industry and before any government involvement.

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After the initial shredding stage, larger tramp metal is removed from the process using an Overband Magnet suspended over a conveyor, or a Magnetic Pulley at the end of a conveyor. Removing as much metal as possible at this stage is important to prevent damage to processing equipment further on in the process, and to limit the amount of metal being reduced in size during the second stage of shredding.

The Future for Plastics Recycling

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STAGE 1 – Large Tramp Ferrous Metal Separation

STAGE 3 – Non-Ferrous Metal Separation

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he process of recycling plastic is complex with stages of liberation, separation and cleaning. Metal is IN 2017, THE FOCUS ON one contaminant RECYCLING, AS WELL AS that is commonly THE CALL TO INCLUDE present in the MORE RECYCLED vast majority of CONTENT IN PRODUCTS secondary plastic. The successful HAS INCREASED. DAVID separation is HILLS, HEAD OF SALES dependent on the AT BUNTING MAGNETICS, nature of the metal EXPLAINS HOW (ferrous, non-ferrous RECYCLERS CAN ENSURE or stainless steel) OPTIMUM QUALITY and how it has been liberated from the AND PRODUCTIVITY plastic. Commonly, BY SUCCESSFULLY successful metal REMOVING METAL separation is CONTAMINANTS FROM achieved in five FEEDSTOCKS. stages.

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contents

PLASTICS &RUBBER

nov/dec 2017

on the cover Separating the facts: How metal removal can ensure quality in recycled plastics As the presence of plastics in the environment has become increasingly under the spotlight in 2017, the focus on recycling, as well as the call to include more recycled content in products has become greater. David Hills, Head of Sales at Bunting Magnetics, explains how recyclers can ensure optimum quality and productivity by successfully removing metal contaminants from feedstocks. SEE PAGE 4

Editor’s Letter Putting the wheels in motion for a successful future

14-15

Feature Plastics companies urged to act now to claim up to 90 percent CCL tax relief on energy bills With each site saving an average of almost £24k per annum, registering for Climate Change Levy tax relief seems obvious — but if companies do not register before 29 June 2018, they may miss out on this opportunity forever. BPF Energy Technical Director, Peter Haslop, explains.

20-21

Feature Well handled: When to move from sack to silo for plastics raw materials Installing a storage silo represents a significant capital investment, so what are the key benefits and when should a plastics company consider moving from sack to silo storage to meet its raw material logistic needs? Mark Barton, Managing Director of Barton explains.

REGULARS

INDUSTRY NEWS 09 MATERIALS HANDLING 17 MASTERBATCH AND ADDITIVES 23 TEMPERATURE CONTROL 29 RECLaMATION AND RECYCLING 33 testing and inspection 36 materials 40 polymerman report 41 machinery 45 BUYERS’ GUIDE 47 SOFTWARE 49 NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE 50

26-27

Interview Innovation: “We have to go for it!”

There’s so much innovation in the pipeline at Dow Performance Silicones that global segment leader, Christophe Paulo, says it’s a challenge to try and slow down. Leanne Taylor caught up with him at the Fakuma trade fair to find out about new launches, the recent merger and why there’s so much potential in plastics.

38-39

Feature Factors to consider when selecting an inline thickness measurement system When selecting an in-process system for measuring the thickness of film, plate or sheet materials, a number of important factors need to be considered, including the effect of combined real world errors, says Chris Jones of Micro-Epsilon.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Temperature Control. Smart. Reliable. www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

INDUSTRY | NEWS HUNTSMANCLARIANT MERGER CALLED OFF Clariant and Huntsman Chemicals have scrapped their merger after a rebellion by Clariant’s shareholders. A group of shareholders opposed to the HuntsmanClariant deal, ‘White Tale’, increased its stock to hold over a fifth of Clariant, preventing a two-thirds consensus required under Swiss company law. Both Peter Huntsman and Clariant CEO, Hariolf Kottmann, said they still thought a tie-up “would be in the long-term best interests” of investors. They said: “However, given the

CHICKEN COOP, CABLE TIDY AND SCRAP PLASTIC FUEL SHOWCASE BEST OF INDUSTRY INNOVATION Innovation, best practice and outstanding achievements in the UK plastics were highlighted at a recent Awards ceremony. The Plastics Industry Awards (PIAs), held at the end of October, bestowed a total of 15 awards to a mixture of individuals, companies and products from across several areas of the industry. Awards highlights included the Consumer Product of the Year, which went to ‘Eglu Cube’, a blow-moulded plastic chicken coop comprising 10 separate parts. The product improved speed of production and is sold across the US, Europe and Australia. The ‘Unigrip’, manufactured by Sheffield-based Gripple, won

continued accumulation of Clariant shares by activist investor White Tale Holdings and its opposition to the transaction, which is now supported by some other shareholders, we believe that there is simply too much uncertainty as to whether Clariant will be able to secure the two-thirds shareholder approval that is required to approve the transaction under Swiss law.” The end of the road for the merger talks lets Clariant walk away without paying a $210million (approx. £158.5million GBP) ‘breakage fee’. Kottmann said: “While White

Industrial Product Design of the Year. The construction-sector product, designed for suspending mechanical and electrical services, replaces two existing products, reduces the number of components needed and reduces cost. Best Recycled Plastic Product of the Year was awarded to ‘Plaxx’ the first hydrocarbon feedstock derived from residual waste plastic using a continuous process that can be based at a waste operator’s site. Chemical recycling achieves full decontamination and therefore unrestricted re-use. Luca Frondella won Young Designer of the Year for his Motus Personal Air Cooler. He received a £1,000 prize donated by Motan Colortronic. Other winners of individual awards included Nigel Baker, Managing Director of BMB WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Tale’s position on the merger has been different from ours, we share a common interest in increasing Clariant’s value. We are committed to achieving this through a continuation of our existing and successful longterm growth strategy. That said, we will continue our dialogue with all our stakeholders.” WWW.CLARIANT.COM WWW.HUNTSMAN.COM

Innovation, best practice and outstanding achievements in the UK plastics were highlighted at a recent Awards ceremony.

Plastics Machinery and committee member of the PMMDA, who was given the Ambassador Award. Erwin Miller of Motan Colortronic won the Unsung Hero category. The Processor of the Year Award went to Plastek UK, which recently invested £2 million in expansion and skills training and has achieved consistent turnover and volume growth. The company plans to grow further in Europe and was praised by the judges for its “state-of-theart work cells for manufacturing packaging and personal care product”. WWW.PLASTICSAWARDS.COM 9

EU ‘NO DEAL’ WOULD HAVE COSTLY IMPLICATIONS FOR PLASTICS INDUSTRY, FINDS BPF The British Plastics Federation (BPF) has calculated that if no trade deal is established with the European Union, and World Trade Organisation tariffs are applied to both imports and exports, it could raise the cost of trade with Britain by £880m. Its figures show that the cost of exports could increase by £340m and the cost of imports by a substantial £540m. The BPF’s report, ‘Understanding Plastics Trade’, analyses trade flow between the UK, the EU and the rest of the world. Each year, the UK imports £13bn of plastic products, material and machinery and exports £8.4bn. This shows plastics to be one of the UK’s top ten imports and exports, with the EU accounting for 69 per cent of all plastics-related trade, followed by Asia (16 percent) and North America (8 percent). However, the data also highlights

VICTREX OPENS £10MILLION POLYMER INNOVATION CENTRE NEAR BLACKPOOL Victrex has opened a £10million ‘Polymer Innovation Centre’ at the site of its Headquarters in Thornton Cleveleys, near Blackpool, for the development of new thermoplastic solutions.

BPF figures show that the cost of exports could increase by £340m and the cost of imports by a substantial £540m if no trade deal is established with the EU.

that the UK remains heavily reliant on imports, with an overall plastics trade deficit of £4.6bn. Out of the top 15 countries with which we trade plastics, the UK has a trade deficit with 13 of them. Breaking the numbers down into plastics materials, plastic products and plastics and rubber equipment confirms this trend: the UK generally imports substantially more than it exports to trading partners. Mike Boswell, Chairman of the BPF’s Brexit Committee, said: “It is clear that the EU is a vital market for the UK plastics industry and plastics are absolutely crucial to the

success of the UK economy. The UK is a successful exporter of plastic materials, products and machinery but also remains highly reliant upon imports, making it essential that a favourable trade deal is struck with the EU. “It is important to note that it is not just the tariffs that will affect trade; the impact of non-tariff barriers could be just as severe and there is an absolute need for streamlined customs clearance procedures to be put in place.”

Fully operational, the new plant will allow Victrex to focus its development of PEEK polymer, as well as other differentiated grades within the PAEK family of highperformance thermoplastics.

The Centre will also function as an enabler for rapid prototyping of parts and components using PAEK materials. Jakob Sigurdsson, CEO at Victrex, said: “We continue to expand our PAEK-based portfolio, services and technologies into new markets and new applications. “This new facility is another important step for us, particularly as we anticipate around 10-20 percent of our overall sales will come from new differentiated PAEK polymer grades and our mega-programmes in the medium term. It will further enhance our capacity for R&D, where we will continue to work in close and continuous cooperation with our customers and partners in driving new and differentiated polymer solutions.” The centre is expected to create approximately 60 new jobs in the region over the next decade. It delivers 30-70 kg batch manufacture of novel polyaryletherketones, and can support the continual improvement in quality and performance of existing products. The centre received £1.3 million from the UK’s Regional Growth Fund.

Victrex’ new polymer innovation centre

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LONDON CYCLESHARE OVERHAUL USES LVS PLASTIC PARTS FOR ‘MADE IN BRITAIN’ BIKES London’s fleet of cycleshare ‘Boris bikes’ has been overhauled with 18,000 new Santander-cycles, with a ‘Made in Britain’ focus. Pashley Cycles, based in StratfordUpon-Avon, led the design, with Telford-based LVS Small Plastic Parts producing the plastic components. LVS looked to improve on lessons learnt from the first generation cycleshare bikes, which suffered from damage including breakage of the rear mudguard through riders carrying additional passengers and common theft of reflectors and lights. The company therefore designed a new plastic rear mudguard that deflects under the weight of a passenger ‘hitching a ride’ and acts as a brake on the rear wheel. The mudguard also incorporates an internal channel to house electric cables, as well as tamper-proof recesses for the mounting of a dynamo-powered rear light and separate reflector. Other plastic components designed by LVS for the bikes include a new, lightweight handle bar cover. As well as being tamper proof, the unit protects the braking mechanism and is designed to not shatter in the case of a heavy impact. Its front mudguard is made to be durable and to allow the tamperproof mounting of a new front lighting system that incorporates a laser projector of a cycle image five metres ahead on the road, to pre-warn pedestrians of the oncoming cyclist. www.small-plastic-parts. co.uk der antan tic ew S s The n eature pla ed n f ig s s e e d ik b nents ured o p m co ct anufa and m S by LV

FIRST KLEAR CAN HITS STORES The first canned food to be packaged in Milacron’s ‘Klear Can’ technology is now on sale at supermarkets in South Korea and China. The manufacturer of the plastic cans is S&W foods, part of the Del Monte group. The company is the first in the world to offer tropical fruit in a clear can. Milacron says the “outstanding clarity” of its Klear Can is what makes it a “truly transformational innovation” in the canned food preservation industry. WWW.KLEARCAN.COM

For the new Unicorn, Big Bear developed a brand new bumper system in close collaboration with Bailey

BIG BEAR BRINGS OUT BUMPERS FOR BAILEY UNICORN CARAVAN Big Bear has moulded bumpers for leading British caravan builder, Baileys, producing large, high gloss products at its factory in Worcestershire using thermoforming technology. The parts are moulded with Big Bear’s high performance material, BEAR-EX, a UV stable, high gloss, mouldable olefin sheet, which is shatter proof and crack-proof to very low temperatures. Big Bear developed BEAR-EX in partnership with Primex Plastics, based in Newton Aycliffe, specifically

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

to address the damage to exterior vehicle panels caused by stone chips and minor collisions, and to improve the ease of installation. The BEAR-EX panels have been successfully fitted across the majority of Bailey caravan and motorhome ranges, reducing Bailey’s warranty claims for stone chip and body panel damage. For the new Unicorn model, Big Bear developed a brand new bumper system in close collaboration with Bailey, designed to enhance the performance of Bailey’s groundbreaking Alu-Tech bodyshell, as well as modernise the aesthetic of the new range. WWW.BIGBEARPLASTICS.COM

PURE PERFORMANCE POLYMERS

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POLYMER DESIGN AND CAPABILITIES HERALD A NEW ERA OF MEDICAL PRODUCTS The design and capabilities of polymers will be central to the future of medicine, according to the Head of Drug Delivery at GlaxoSmithKline(GSK). Dr. Matthew Burke, who works in the Platform Technologies and Science Department, told the audience at the annual Horners Ralph Anderson Lecture that polymers are crucial in not only how medical products are produced, but how effective they are. “We can really use polymers not only in the way products are packaged but how patients interact with medication and also in their future development,” he explained. “For example, a simplistic looking device to help with respiratory issues is designed to look just that – simple. However, when you look at the way the product is produced it’s a highly technical piece of design engineering with over 20 individual components – all made out of polymers.” Dr. Burke explained that in addition to packaging, the use of polymers is crucial in the way that drug release is controlled in the body. Explaining the complex science behind the way that the body and specifically the stomach and digestion system processes medicines, he said using polymers

Gill Rice of Tyne Valley Plastics was crowned ‘North East Businesswoman of the Year’

Polymers play a key role in the future of medicine, says Dr. Matthew Burke

to coat or encapsulate medicines it ensures that the dosage is consistent so a patient feels the benefits and not any side effects. “Polymers control the way that medicine is released into the body, so you get a controlled release rather than a spike in dosage that can cause unwanted effects such as drowsiness,” he explained.

PLASTICS MD AWARDED TOP SPOT IN STEM AWARDS The Managing Director of a North East-based plastics injection moulding firm has been awarded first place in an awards ceremony designed to recognise exceptional women in the STEM sectors. Gill Rice of Tyne Valley Plastics (TVP) based in Prudhoe, Northumberland, was crowned ‘North East Businesswoman of the Year’ in the NE Woman in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Awards. Rice, a Licentiate of the London School of Polymer Technology who has led the business to a 100 percent increase in turnover in the past year, said she was “astonished”, “delighted” and “thrilled” at being recognised.

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3D Printing technologies are likely to play a bigger role in specific areas of medicine, according to Dr. Burke, most likely in the form of implantable polymer devices. He explained that monthly implants, particularly in terms of contraception or cancer treatment drugs, were where the technology could have “an exciting future”. However, scientists are looking at how implants could go beyond just drug delivery and have a more futuristic role. “There are companies working on combining implantable medical devices with AI and bioelectronics to predict things such as when a patient is due medicine,” explained Dr Burke. “For someone with diabetes, an implant that monitors your glucose levels could be life changing. It gives us diversity that we’ve not had before.” He also explained how polymer implants could be used in the brain to control certain behaviours in patients. “It sounds a long way off but these products are being developed.” In conclusion, Dr. Burke said: “The evolution of human abilities may not be complete, and amazing advances will continually happen – but central to these advances are the design and capabilities of polymer materials.” WWW.HORNERS.ORG.UK

Specialists in plastic mouldings, TVP, founded in 2003, is currently producing 1.5 million components per month for various multi-national companies in a multitude of sectors such as the oil and gas industry, agriculture, the Ministry of Defence, manufacturing and DIY. The company was almost destroyed by Storm Desmond two years ago after high winds and heavy rain caused mass flooding and damage. However, Rice said the “only way was up” after the cleanup operation had taken place and that it “hasn’t stopped since.” She also added that the rapid growth the business is experiencing will mean expansion and relocation. WWW.TYNEVALLEYPLASTICS. CO.UK

the clock is ticking:

Plastics companies urged to act now to claim up to 90 percent CCL tax relief on energy bills

urrently, over 400 UK plastics companies are not claiming up to 90 percent Climate Change Levy (CCL) tax relief on their energy bills, which is done by entering into a Climate Change Agreement (CCA). This is despite CCAs being around for 16 years, following the introduction of a CCL (Energy Tax) in the Finance Act 2000. At that time, the plastics industry was not included in the initial list of sectors considered for an umbrella agreement due to the restrictive emissions WITH EACH rules governing entry. After three years of intensive SITE SAVING AN discussions at both a UK AVERAGE OF and EU level, and a change ALMOST £24K in legislation in 2006, the PER ANNUM, plastics sector achieved REGISTERING an umbrella agreement FOR CLIMATE in October 2009, which allowed plastics companies CHANGE LEVY to enter into a CCA. This TAX RELIEF late start for the plastics SEEMS OBVIOUS sector unfortunately meant — BUT IF that many companies were COMPANIES DO left in the dark about the undeniable benefits after the NOT REGISTER initial campaign.

BEFORE 29 JUNE 2018, THEY MAY MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY FOREVER. BPF ENERGY TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, PETER HASLOP, EXPLAINS.

Save energy, save tax

Before October 2009, there were only two ways that plastics companies could potentially decrease their energy costs: via the Packaging and Industrial Film Association (PIFA) or via the Non Ferrous Alliance (NFA) for processes still using lead. But since the launch of the plastics sector umbrella agreement, things have gone from strength to strength. We can now boast that we have over 425 agreements in place, including those for both the plastics sector and PIFA. This is a significant achievement in such a short space of time, but there are still hundreds of plastics companies that could benefit from entering into a CCA. Plastic sector CCA schemes have been responsible for saving thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions and millions of pounds on energy bills. To date, the sector as a whole has saved over £10m — and the CCL savings are set to increase further. A recent review of energy taxes operational

in the UK revealed a complex web of obligations, desperately in need of rationalisation. Part of this rationalisation saw the official disbandment of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) scheme from the end of the 20182019 compliance year. To compensate for the loss of this revenue, the government intends to increase the rates of the CCL from 1 April 2019 to a proposed 0.847p/ kWh for electricity and 0.339p/ kWh for Gas. The government has also committed to increase the discounts available to members of the CCAs, so that the cost to industry will be neutral. The CCL discount for electricity will increase from 90 percent to 93 percent and the discount for gas will increase from 65 percent to 78 percent. Additionally, the government will retain the existing eligibility criteria for participation in CCA schemes until at least 2023.

Achieving efficiency

Considering these important changes, coupled with the fast approaching deadline for new entrants, effectively CCL-paying businesses have just seven months left to join the scheme to avoid paying CCL tax at the new higher rate for four years, with no chance of avoidance. Sectors subject to agreements have made — and are still making — energy efficiencies and emissions reductions based on sector targets. The negotiation of agreements and the development of monitoring regimes to measure progress against the agreement reduction targets have raised the awareness of the potential for energy efficiencies. In many cases, these efficiencies have been put into place. Initially, during phase one, not all agreement targets were stringent and the scheme received some criticism as to its viability — but early overachievement against the reduction targets was the result of genuinely significant improvements in efficiency as much as weak targets. The continuation of CCAs into phase two, which started 1 April 2013, saw the introduction of a target reduction ‘stringency test’, which has had the effect of levelling the playing field across all the sectors for new entrants.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

FUEL

April 2016 to March 2017

April 2017 to March 2018

April 2018 to March 2019

April 2019 to March 2020

Electricity

0.559p/kWh

0.568p/kWh

0.583p/kWh

0.847p/kWh

Natural Gas

0.195p/kWh

0.198p/kWh

0.203p/kWh

0.339p/kWh

LPG

1.251p/kg

1.272p/kg

1.304p/kg

2.175p/kg

Coal + other

1.526p/kg

1.551p/kg

1.591p/kg

2.653p/kg

Is your company eligible?

If you are wondering whether your company is eligible to enter into a CCA, the answer is almost certainly ‘yes’. Generally speaking, if a company is spending £100,000 or more per annum on energy, it is highly likely to reduce its costs under a CCA — and if your company processes polymers using heat and pressure or through a chemical reaction, the scheme is applicable. When CCAs were first established, eligibility depended upon whether a business was operating processes already covered by the EU Integrated Pollution, Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive. From January 2006 (following state aid approval from the European Commission), the eligibility criteria was expanded to include a definition based on Energy Intensity (EI), as defined in the EU Energy Products Directive. This effectively opened the door for the plastics sector to negotiate an umbrella agreement to run alongside the existing Packaging and Industrial Film Association (PIFA) agreement, with very little restrictions about what companies within the plastics sector were eligible to enter into a CCA. To earn a reduced levy rate, emissions targets are calculated from a base year ‘Specific Energy Consumption’, usually measured in kWh/kg. At the end of each target period, of which there are four in phase two spread over an eight-year period, performance is measured and any shortfall is calculated in tonnes of CO2. If there is a shortfall, it has to be bought and paid to the government at £14 per tonne to enable a company to stay in the scheme and continue to receive a reduced levy rate.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

What should you do?

The overall aim of the scheme is to raise awareness amongst industry while helping to reduce emissions by setting achievable reduction targets that can easily be incorporated into a company’s energy reduction plan. Check your monthly energy invoices and, if the total levy charge for all fuels is greater than or close to £500 per month, then you should consider entering into a CCA. It is worth noting that the CCL increases every year with the announcement of the chancellor’s budget. The above table indicates how the levy will increase over the next three years, with a sharp increase in April 2019 to compensate for the loss of income from the closure of the CRC. If you are interested in benefiting form a CCA, the clock is ticking. The closing date for new entrants is 29 June 2018. If you miss this deadline you will have to wait until 2023 for the start of a new scheme or phase three of the CCA scheme. For the plastics sector — from now until the end of the current scheme in 2023 — the average total levy paid on energy bills without a CCA in place is around £290,000. When so much can be saved through a combination of energy efficiencies and a CCL reduction, can you really afford not to act? For further information visit: WWW.BPF.CO.UK/BPF-ENERGY/ HOME

About the author:

Peter Haslop is the Director of BPF Energy. He has vast experience of the energy efficiency and environmental technologies industries.

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MATERIALS HANDLING | NEWS Coperion K-Tron’s modular liquid loss-in-weight feeders are available with a variety of options, including the insulation and heating system shown here to maintain the temperature of the liquid

COPERION K-TRON PRESENTS LOSS-IN-WEIGHT FEEDER FOR LIQUIDS IN NEW MODULAR DESIGN Coperion K-Tron has showcased its latest high-accuracy feeding solutions for plastics processing as it looks to offer improved reliability and accuracy. Displaying its new Loss-in-Weight Liquid Feeder at the Fakuma tradeshow in October, the company says the feeder’s new modular design allows for the combination of a broad range of pumps and tanks to make a reliable liquid feeding system. Although each liquid feeder is custom-designed to meet the desired feed rate, the process demands, and the characteristics of the liquid, Coperion K-Tron says the new modular concept streamlines the layout and engineering process of a feeder, therefore reducing its lead time and initial cost. The new modularity also provides benefits in terms of a uniform

FOUR KRAUSE SILOS BOOST PRODUCTION AT SLACKS MILLOM Slacks Millom, a UK-based producer of polypropylene brush filament, has invested in four new eight-tonne flexible silos as part of the company’s expansion.

The new Krause flexible silos installed at Slacks Millom

mechanical construction, as well as identical operation and maintenance, for multiple differently-sized units. This simplifies feeder operation, maintenance and spares inventory which in turn saves effort and cost. The same applies for retrofits. Some of the key features include gear,

membrane or other pump (depending on the liquid); highly accurate SFT weighing technology; liquid tanks starting from 7.5 litres, optional heating to maintain the process temperature and ATEX configurations.

Fuelled by a projection of increased business for 2017, Slacks Millom’s Director, Adam Slack, needed to increase on-site storage for the extra raw materials needed to feed a new production line. In March 2017, Slack issued an order with supplier, Genesis Process Solutions, for four eighttonne Krause flexible silos complete with galvanised steel frames and aluminium vacuum take-off boxes. The silos measure 2.4metres square and 4.2metres high in order to fit within the factory’s ceiling height. Slack said the decision to purchase the silos for bulk storage solution was driven by the desire to avoid expensive installation of external silos and the issue of obtaining local authority planning consent, as well as to avoid the considerable space taken up by FIBC’s and Octabins. The silos were delivered and installed to Slacks Millom in June, where they provide 32 tonnes of storage. Slack says the silos have started to pay for themselves by

providing a reduction in the cost of bulk polypropylene granules and helping to increase production. “Slacks Millom is one of the biggest manufacturing facilities in Europe for polypropylene brush filament,” explained Slack. “As price is important to us we were pleased with the solution Genesis came up with to help streamline our raw material delivery to our extruders. Soon after they were installed we had assembled them and put them to use”. Tom Weston, Sales Engineer at Genesis Process Solutions, said: “Projects such as this showcase the huge advantages of internal flexible silos. Adam was looking for a way of increasing internal storage and thankfully we were able to provide the solution for the company. The silos form an integral part of a system that has enabled Slacks Millom to successfully increase their production capabilities.”

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RENMAR PARTNERS MAXI MELT TO PROVIDE REPLACEMENT SCREW TECHNOLOGY

Q: WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR MATERIAL FLOW IN PLASTICS PROCESSING? IN THIS EDITION OF MO’S CORNER – OUR REGULAR FEATURE THAT AIMS TO ANSWER COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MANUFACTURE AND PROCESSING OF PLASTICS – WE TURN OUR ATTENTION TO CONVEYING.

Image: Although simple on the surface, conveying material needs to be carefully considered.

ow that mo’s corner has dealt with the dosing and drying of plastics extensively, this issue will turn to the third chapter of material handling in plastics processing with a focus on conveying. To transport material from A to B – to be more precise from storage location to processing machine – may at first seem relatively uncomplicated. This was certainly the case at the start of plastics processing when sacks and buckets were sufficient. But the rise of automation, shorter cycle times, more demanding plastics, today’s partially very high throughputs, and many other factors have made manual supply no longer practical. After all, the goal is an increasingly economic, safe and flexible (small production batches) production. Therefore, plastics processing machines today are predominantly fitted with suction material loaders. Whilst we’re at it: In this context, there is often talk of so-called ‘separators’, which refer to nothing other than material loaders. In the simplest cases, a stand-alone loader on the unit may suffice. Here it is important to consider that a container with the raw material must be next to the unit. It becomes more complicated when material will be conveyed to the unit from a greater

distance, perhaps from a central supply station, from silos, or a drying system. Many questions need to be clarified for the design of a practical, operationally reliable and economic material supply. Some of the terms relevant for the selection of the required and suitable components are: Storage, material charge and material distribution, conveying type, conveying speed, stand-alone conveying or central conveying system, vacuum conveying, production environment (clean room), system controls and plant layout. In this context, the conveying physics in consideration of the material to be conveyed should not be underestimated, as the material should reach processing as gently as possible. This is illustrated by a quick glance at the variety of plastic types which are available in diverse material types (granulate, pellets, regrind, flakes, fibre or powder), each with specific flow characteristics. mo’s corner will present the options that are available for raw material supply in plastics processing and the aspects that need to be considered in detail concisely and comprehensibly in the upcoming issues of BP&R.

Machinery and ancillariers provider, Renmar, has partnered with Maxi Melt, a designer and manufacturer of plasticising components for the extrusion and injection moulding sectors. This partnership will enable Renmar to provide bimetallic and nitrided barrels; screws in various steels, with hard facing or surface treatments; new Maxi Melt profile designs to optimise the plasticising process; components including cylinder heads, adaptors and nozzles, in various types of steels and treatments; and refurbishment services for screws and barrels, and technical assistance to evaluate efficiencies. Over the last 30 years Netherlands-based Maxi Melt has developed solutions to improve process quality and reduce cycle times and manufacturing costs for both the extrusion and injection process. These solutions are now available directly to the UK market, with local technical and service support from the team at Renmar. Solutions to improve the injection moulding process include Maxi Melt custom screw designs for technical moulding, thin wall packaging, high viscosity polymers and specialist materials such as ceramics; threephase screw profiles – including a barrier and pineapple mixer; double flighted barrier screws to improve plasticising rates and reduce masterbatch usage; and thermoset screws available with internal cooling channels. Where extrusion is concerned, the screw geometry offered by Maxi Melt has a lower compression ratio, therefore is less affected by abrasion caused by shear during screw rotation. Depending on the customer’s specific needs, single screws can be manufactured in nitrided steel, stainless steel, tool steel or sintered steels (CPM). In the case of twin screws, nitrided steel can be proposed with hard facing and plasma on the flights. WWW.RENMAR.CO.UK imel

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well handled:

When to move from sack to silo for plastics raw materials

I INSTALLING A STORAGE SILO REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL INVESTMENT, SO WHAT ARE THE KEY BENEFITS AND WHEN SHOULD A PLASTICS COMPANY CONSIDER MOVING FROM SACK TO SILO STORAGE TO MEET ITS RAW MATERIAL LOGISTICS NEEDS? IN THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE, MARK BARTON, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BARTON FABRICATIONS LTD, EXPLAINS.

Barton static blender unit ready for dispatch

A UK automotive components supplier who recently inst percent saving on its raw material purchase costs. This delivery cost and expense incurred in moving and dispos significant cost reduction of Â£230k per annum.

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storage Multi-silo n installatio s k’ pa ti s at Pla site Wrexham

here are four main occasions when users of powdered or granular plastic feedstock typically re-assess their supply logistics. These are when there is a significant increase in product demand, when raw material supply costs are being reviewed, when a company is running out of space on its site or when a new production facility/site is being planned. There are numerous benefits of moving from feedstock supplied in sacks to silos, but these can be broadly split into four areas: cost reduction (both direct and indirect); safety improvements; environmental benefits; and plastic industry considerations. Over the course of this article we will look at each area individually.

Cost Reduction – Signiﬁcantly lower raw material costs

The most obvious benefit of installing a silo is a reduction in the cost per tonne of the plastic raw material when compared to ‘sack’ supply. Whether buying from a regular supplier or spot buying, volume discounts are achievable. In addition, there are savings since bags/containers/pallets are no longer required including their disposal or removal costs. Delivery charges can also be lower, as more efficient bulk transport reduces delivery frequency. As an example of how significant these savings can be, a UK automotive components supplier who recently installed three silos has seen a 30 percent saving on its raw material purchase costs. This saving includes the polymer cost, delivery cost and expense incurred in moving and disposing of packaging. This represents a significant cost reduction of £230k per annum.

Reduced Indirect Costs

There are numerous other cost savings, including reduced material handling costs associated with unloading delivery vehicles and emptying sacks into feedstock hoppers. Order processing, inventory

management and line stoppage costs associated with raw material shortages can also be reduced, as load cells can be fitted to monitor silo contents. These, combined with telemetry, give real-time, accurate stock measurement, which can be used by the raw material supplier to ensure the silo is refilled when necessary without end user intervention. Warehousing costs are reduced as there is no requirement for inside storage of the raw material and the overall storage space required on-site is reduced compared to sack storage as silos offer a smaller footprint for a given storage capacity. In addition, there are no losses or scrappage costs associated with material spillage and, as silos offer a closed system, there is little dust released which results in lower cleaning costs.

Safety improvements from reduced handling

One important non-financial benefit of using silos is the fact that containers don’t need to be moved and fork lift trucks (FLTs) therefore aren’t required to relocate pallets of storage sacks: the result is improved site safety. According to Health and Safety Matters* based upon the findings of the Fork Lift Truck Association, 43 people are likely to be injured in the UK by fork lift trucks each week. The reduction of FLT movements after installing a silo is therefore a major site safety benefit. In addition, the potential to cause injury to operatives from manual handling of emptying sacks into hoppers is eradicated.

Environment beneﬁts

Some of the silo supply benefits previously outlined could be categorised as environmental improvements, however there are some benefits which are very much categorised as environmental. One of these is a reduction in pollution/noise arising from reduced delivery vehicle movements. In addition tanker supply negates the need for raw material packaging usage or disposal thus

improving a company’s environment credentials.

Plastic industry considerations

Within the plastics industry there is a general move to increase the amount of recycled material into the feedstock supply chain, however whilst virgin material is very homogeneous the same is not always true for regrind recycled material. To mould consistent plastic products recycled raw material feedstock must be well mixed both between batches and with virgin material. In order to achieve this, Barton has developed and exported worldwide an in-silo static mixing system. The blender design, which can also be retrofitted to existing silos, ensures that material is taken from different parts of the silo during the discharge process providing much greater mixing without using power or introducing a maintenance requirement.

When to move to silo storage?

Having outlined the various benefits in this article, the key question is when is the correct time to move from sack to silo storage? In addition to the direct materials cost savings there are some very site specific benefits, for example, will the reduction in FLT movements mean a reduction in the number of FLT drivers to reduce labour costs? Working through the benefits outlined above, and assessing a cost saving against each item, allows the calculation of the total financial cost saving and installation payback period. Clearly, the less tangible issues such as improved site safety must also be included and, again, a financial cost impact may be included. Once the financial assessment has been made and shown to deliver cost savings, then further details about silo location and sizing needs to be considered. To simplify this process Barton has produced a simple silo sizing tool on its website to enable plastics processors to estimate the size of silo best suited to their operation. WWW.BARTONFABS.CO.UK

1. Health & Safety Matters: FLTA highlights forklift injury stats http://www.hsmsearch.com/page_253410.asp

About the Author:

ntly installed three silos has seen a 30 sts. This saving includes the polymer cost, nd disposing of packaging. This represents a

Mark Barton is the owner and Managing Director of Barton Fabrications Ltd. based in Portishead near Bristol. Mark is a qualified Electrical Engineer and worked at ISC Chemicals before joining the family business in 1986. Since then he has grown the company to become the UK’s largest manufacturer of aluminium silos with exports across the globe and as far away as Australia.

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Serving the Great British Plastics Industry plastiserve.com

MASTERBATCH AND ADDITIVES | NEWS AMPACET LAUNCHES NEW MASTERBATCH TECHNOLOGIES FOR FILM AND MOULDING APPLICATIONS Ampacet has introduces three new masterbatch technology lines suited to enhancing aesthetics, improving sustainability and increasing hygiene in plastic films and mouldings. The first product, Surfprotec, is a range of colour masterbatches for protective film applications for use in various industries including household appliances, automotive and electronics. The masterbatches show low defect counts and

even pigment dispersion, with no agglomerates. The Surfprotec range, in addition to providing consistent colour, is also said to give excellent protection to the product surface against external shocks and scratches that can occur during production, transport and handling. The second product in the new range is FauxFoil, a masterbatch specifically designed to offer a sustainable alternative solution to conventional aluminium foil and metallised films used in flexible structures. The FauxFoil range provides a highly reflective silver

Surfprotec is a range of protective film applications, suitable for electronics

surface, with high gloss and shine, to mimic the aesthetics of traditional foils. It has similar light blockage as foil or metallised film, says Ampacet, and is compatible with barrier polymers; offering no loss of barrier properties as the film is free of pin holes. This masterbatch eliminates the need to flood print, metallise or laminate with aluminum foil. FauxFoil has a low carbon footprint and high and easy recyclability in comparison with conventional aluminum foil. Finally, the third new product launch is an antimicrobial additive masterbatch solution for plastic articles, called Germsclean 684. Designed for both film and moulding applications, this is a silver-based additive technology that offers an “outstanding long-lasting protection” against proliferation of a wide variety of harmful microorganisms. It does this by blocking growth of bacteria and slowing down fungi multiplication, preventing the formation of harmful biological layers. This additive is highly efficient even at low let down ratio, says Ampacet and it doesn’t affect the appearance or physical properties of the end product thanks to the low concentration of silver. WWW.AMPACET.COM

PLASTICOLOUR EXPANDS, RE-BRANDS AND SETS SIGHT ON FURTHER GROWTH Leeds-based supplier, Plasticolour, has reported a “very positive” 2017 following expansion of its services and the need to relocate to bigger premises after just 18 months of trading. The company says its thriving masterbatch and polymer supplies business, coupled with an increasing demand for sourcing solutions from its customers, resulted in the need to double its warehouse space in August this year. “We started out aiming to be a masterbatch supplier, catering to the small lots market with some polymer supplies on the side,” explained Technical Director, Steve Cooper. “Whilst we have a thriving masterbatch business and offer probably the biggest range

of universal and polymer-specific colours from some of the UK and Europe’s top manufacturers, our main growth area has been in sourcing solutions. “A lot of customers come to us to help save them money on ongoing masterbatch needs. Our overheads are low and our suppliers work with us to keep costs down, so we’ve not had to increase masterbatch prices this year, despite rises in raw materials.” The company says that the time-saving nature of its service offering is what most appeals to its customer base. “We’re finding that many customers would rather spend their time running their business than chasing down prices or finding the right polymer or colour for a particular job,” Cooper continued. “We have a huge contacts list for both prime and industrial polymers. WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

We’ll do the legwork and find the right material at the right price. If it’s an ongoing requirement, we keep it in stock, so it’s available for next-day delivery.” As a result of the demand for its sourcing and supply services, the business decided to re-brand at the same time it re-located to its new premises. “Plasticolour seemed right when we were focusing on masterbatch but it doesn’t entirely reflect what we do. So now we’re Plastiserve – serving the British plastics industry. It’s all about providing great service, not just products,” Cooper explained. “Customer recommendations account for a large part of our growth. We’re looking forward to continuing that as Plastiserve.” WWW.PLASTISERVE.COM

Serving the Great British Plastics Industry

CASE STUDY: UK PLASTICS COMPANIES HELP PUT THE TONE IN TURNTABLES

The

Three British companies have joined forces to produce a groundbreaking new record turntable designed to optimise the sound of vinyl as accurately as possible. Silvergate Plastics, based in North Wales, and Rutland Plastics, based in Leceistershire, were approached by Essex-based audio

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equipment manufacturer, Rega, to collaborate on the design and production of the Plenar 6, a turntable engineered to extract as much detail as possible from the surface of a vinyl for optimum sound quality. Rega asked Rutland Plastics, a custom moulder, to design and manufacture the dust cover of the Plenar 6. A component that has historically been challenging to produce, Rutland Plastics successfully modified the part and the tool to provide a solution in keeping with Rega’s design vision and philosophy. Silvergate Plastics was invited to partner with Rutland to develop and supply the cover’s smoky grey tint. The masterbatch manufacturer produced a bespoke polymerspecific masterbatch that optimises distribution during the production process to provide the best possible clarity and consistency. “To be part of a collaboration of British manufacturers is a great result for Silvergate Plastics,” said Maryann Wilcox, UK’s Sales Manager at Silvergate Plastics. “We worked closely with Rutland Plastics to colour match the exact tint required for the dust cover of the new Planar 6, which has been comprehensively engineered by Rutland Plastics to meet Rega’s exacting standards. “By creating a completely bespoke solution, we have been able to engineer a polymerspecific masterbatch that offers a completely flawless finish with zero die lines.” The Planar 6 is the first Rega turntable to be constructed with an ultra-lightweight polyurethane foam core plinth, a material developed for the aerospace industry. This material is sandwiched between a new HPL (high pressure laminate). HPL is exceptionally thin whilst extremely rigid. As well as these materials, advanced engineering solutions have been used throughout the design of the Planar 6 to ensure the greatest level of performance. WWW.SILVERGATE.CO.UK WWW.REGA.CO.UK WWW.RUTLANDPLASTICS.CO.UK

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AGRICULTURAL FILM ADDITIVE PRODUCED IN UK COULD “SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE” GLOBAL CROP YIELD

A new anti-drip additive created by University of Warwick spin-out company, Interface Polymers, is set to improve the performance and longevity of agricultural films, transforming their cost-effectiveness in a wide range of applications. The solution uses the company’s unique ‘Polarfin’ block copolymer additive technology to modify the surface chemistry of the film and thereby improve and prolong its antifog and anti-drip properties. Interface Polymers’ Chief Executive, Phil Smith, said: “The market for agricultural film is huge. With the world’s population set to exceed nine billion by 2050, the challenge is to produce more food with fewer resources. Less arable land, a declining agricultural workforce and the need to cut production costs has led governments to encourage farmers to use agricultural films. These can increase yield by up to 60 percent, but there are problems. “Condensation can form on the underside of the film and drop onto the plants, causing both damage and slower growth rates due to interference with the transmission of light. Additives are already used to address the problem but they have limitations. Although effective in the short term, they are washed off over time, which means the film has to be replaced regularly. This is neither economic nor green. Our Polarfin anti-drip additive will make

A new anti-drip additive created by University of Warwick spin-out company, Interface Polymers, is set to improve the performance and longevity of agricultural films

“The development of the technology will also benefit the UK economy by creating high value technical jobs in Loughborough and Coventry and helping to increase exports of film manufactured in the UK.” these products perform better and last much longer, saving money, maximising crop health and improving yield.” Business Development Director, Simon Waddington, recently attended the Agricultural Film Conference in Barcelona, where he met a number of end-users who were urgently looking for a new solution to the problem. “As well as benefitting farmers by preventing damage and disease, reducing the need for pesticides and reducing costs, our Polarfin antidrip additives could help ensure an earlier harvest and a substantially

PolyOne’s concentrates for polymer parts create a metallic surface finish

POLYONE LAUNCHES PREMIUM FINISH MASTERBATCH PolyOne has developed a new range of special effect masterbatches that it says “truly mimics paint while eliminating the painting process” in plastic parts. The new ‘OnColour Brilliant Metallic Colourants’ are designed to eliminate any need for secondary painting or surface finish processes by using coatings-grade pigments and uniquely shaped and sized particles to replicate the look of paint. PolyOne says the new colourants could even help customers to replace metal parts or WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

higher yield,” he explained. “This would increase the sustainability of smart farming, reduce agricultural plastics waste and make recycling of the film easier. The development of the technology will also benefit the UK economy by creating high value technical jobs in Loughborough and Coventry and helping to increase exports of film manufactured in the UK.” Interface Polymers first introduced its Polarfin additive technology to potential customers earlier this year, following a period of intensive research and development work funded largely by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency. Since then, the company has raised £3m of private investment from angel investors and won two further grants from Innovate UK. “Thanks to this mix of funding, we will be able to scale up production of Polarfin anti-drip additives and accelerate development of other new products targeting the construction, automotive and recycling sectors,” Phil Smith concluded. WWW.INTERFACEPOLYMERS.COM

plating for plastic parts. “Our customers across multiple industries have been looking for a paint-free solution with no tradeoffs, which drove us to develop this new masterbatch. It’s a cost-effective option for paint replacement on polymer parts and creates an exceptional metallic colour that continues through the part’s thickness,” said Rob Bindner, Americas VP and General Manager for Colour and Additives at PolyOne. “When moulded into plastic parts, manufacturers can eliminate painting and its associated processing steps for lower cost and longer-lasting, highly reflective surfaces.” WWW.POLYONE.COM 25

Serving the Great British Plastics Industry interview | leanne taylor

INNOVATION:

“we have to go for it!”

T THERE’S SO MUCH INNOVATION IN THE PIPELINE AT DOW PERFORMANCE SILICONES THAT GLOBAL SEGMENT LEADER, CHRISTOPHE PAULO, SAYS IT’S A CHALLENGE TO TRY AND SLOW DOWN. LEANNE TAYLOR CAUGHT UP WITH HIM AT THE FAKUMA TRADE FAIR TO FIND OUT ABOUT NEW LAUNCHES, THE RECENT MERGER AND WHY THERE’S SO MUCH POTENTIAL IN PLASTICS.

Q: SINCE I LAST SAW YOU IN 2015 THERE HAS BEEN A MAJOR CHANGE IN THAT DOW AND DUPONT HAVE MERGED TO BECOME DOWDUPONT. HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED YOUR BUSINESS UNIT AND WHAT WILL IT MEAN FOR THE FUTURE? There are still changes underway following the announcement on 12th September, but, for our part, as a developer of additives for plastics, joining a big plastics company creates a new world of opportunities and it is very positive. For example, in the last two years before the merger we have launched multiple new products, so the new combined company will allow us to build on this.

Q: TELL ME ABOUT THESE NEW INNOVATIONS AND WHETHER YOU WILL FOCUS ON NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT GOING FORWARD. If you look at all the launches we’ve done since 2015, they include flame retardants for PC, a processing aid for POM, a processing aid for PP film, a processing aid for polyamides, a highly effective processing aid for wire and cable, we are launching a flame retardant for polyamides and, finally, at Fakuma we have launched a processing aid for BOPP called HMB-6301 Masterbatch – so that is a lot! It’s safe to say the team has been very active and there are many other innovative products in the pipeline that we’ll be launching. For example,

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

it’s fantastic what we’re working on in terms of slip additives for films. That said, as much as I am driven by this innovation and am constantly saying to my team ‘we have to go for it!’, when it comes to developing these products and bringing them to market, the focus is shifting slightly. Going forward, we’ll work on further developing the products we’ve already launched, rather than focusing solely on developing new products. We are learning from each launch and we listen closely to feedback from customers about their trials. For example, 80 percent of the time we find a product does exactly what it should but 20 percent of the time it doesn’t, so what we’re going back to the labs to try and correct the issues that didn’t work the first time to be able to bring new and improved versions of our products.

Q: IN TERMS OF MARKETS, THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS AN INNOVATION DRIVER – WHAT PRODUCTS ARE YOU FOCUSING ON FOR THIS INDUSTRY? The automotive industry is systematically driving innovation – that’s where people are looking for cost effective materials that will look great for a long time. For example, plastic parts produced using standard anti-scratch additives will start to lose their aesthetic properties and sustain damage after 18-24 months, as standard scratch additives migrate from the part after this time. In 2014 we launched a new, unique anti-scratch

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material, which not only lasts in plastic parts for the lifetime of the car but is also cost-effective. We’re now working on a new additive for dashboards to increase mar resistance which we hope to launch in 2018. Also, with the advent of electric vehicle technology there is a demand for more flame-retardant materials which we’re developing. It’s not just production where there’s opportunity either, as there’s a need for additives for the films used to wrap new cars to protect them during shipment, but then also ensure easy removal from the vehicle.

Q: THE PRODUCT YOU ARE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHING AT FAKUMA IS A SLIP ADDITIVE FOR BOPP FILM USED FOR PACKAGING – ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR KEY MARKETS. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS NEW PRODUCT? Interestingly enough, our new HMB-6301 Masterbatch was actually developed from the findings we observed of a material we produced for the automotive industry! We realised that if we tweaked the properties then we could use it to produce a slip additive for BOPP film, so, three years later that’s

what we’ve ended up with and we have chosen to launch it at Fakuma. Our HMB-6301 Masterbatch is non-migrating across film layers and delivers stable slip performance over time. Processors can add the additive only on the layers they want and they can be confident that it will not pollute the film. Use of the product enables processors to run their lines at higher speeds and temperatures and still obtain higher clarity, improved brightness and no migration in the finished film, providing a surface that is ideal for printing or decorating. Feedback from our partners who trialed the additive extensively before the launch have said that it works fantastically well. They were achieving better metallisation using the slip agent than without – this wasn’t expected at all.

Q: ANOTHER RECENTLYLAUNCHED PRODUCT THAT HAS HAD POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE MARKET IS THE FLAME-RETARDENT SYNERGIST LAUNCHED AT CHINAPLAS IN APRIL. WHAT HAS MADE THIS PRODUCT SUCH A SUCCESS? We launched our 43-821 Additive earlier this year

and the feedback is that it works fantastically – in fact, much better than expected. There is a significant pull from the market for this. The additive is compatible with PA6 and PA66 compounds and enables a reduction in the loadings of organic phosphorous flame retardant additives with the same fire safety performance. Where phosphorousbased flame retardant additives can cause issues of corrosiveness in electronic components our new product can reduce the concentration of the phosphorus-based additive by as much as 40 percent. This means

The automotive industry is systematically driving innovation – that’s where people are looking for cost effective materials that will look great for a long time.

improved processability of the materials, better mechanical properties and less corrosiveness. We also introduced MB25-502 Masterbatch for optimising throughput of highly mineral-filled polyethylene (PE) compounds used in wire and cable insulation and jacketing at Chinaplas. This new material is the first in the wire and cable industry to combine effective processing with affordable cost.

Q: AS YOU CONTINUE WITH PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES DO YOU CONSIDER EUROPE A KEY MARKET? Europe is very important. Most of the specification still occurs in Europe and not only for Europe, but North America and Asia too. You still have most of the biggest plastics companies that have their headquarters in Europe, as well as the very talented people, the R&D and the production centres. The dynamics are changing in terms of world markets. China is important, of course, but it’s not what it used to be. ASEAN is a really interesting market, but the geo-politics are not always stable. Europe still has a lot of production and innovation and so will remain a key area of ours. WWW.DOWCORNING.COM

About the author: Christophe Paulo is the Global Segement Leader for Plastics Solutions at Dow Corning. Within this role he is responsible for the identification and execution of new business opportunities and marketing strategies globally. Christophe has 16 years of experience in the plastics and composites industry and holds a BSc in organic chemistry and a MSc in polymers and physicochemistry from the University of Bordeaux in France. WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

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TEMPERATURE CONTROL | NEWS WITTMANN INTRODUCES NEW SPEEDDRIVE OPTION FOR EFFICIENT MOULD TEMPERATURE CONTROL Wittmann has launched a new SpeedDrive option for its temperature control units that is said to offer injection moulders a more efficient production process at a competitive price point. Launched at the Fakuma trade fair in Southern Germany in October, the SpeedDrive option for Wittmann’s Tempro Plus D temperature controller consists of a motorcontrolled pump, which offers users several additional options to make the injection moulding process more efficient without the need to purchase additional equipment. Available for pressurised appliances up to 180 °C, the SpeedDrive option enables the use of an optional, maintenancefree flow metre (vortex up to 100 °C, ultrasound up to 180 °C) and makes it possible to set the flow quantity, which will then be maintained automatically.

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Tempro plus D temperature controller, now new with SpeedDrive

Wittmann says with each one of these additional parameter settings provided by SpeedDrive, process reliability can be increased and, depending on the application, it also becomes possible to save energy – and consequently

PTA BRINGS GAMMAFLUX TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEMS BACK TO THE UK MARKET

The Gammaflux range has been reintroduced back into the market from Germany and the interest levels have been very strong,”

The re-entry of Gammaflux Temperature Control Systems to the UK market is drawing sales on PTA’s redesigned sales site, says the company’s Director. PTA UK Ltd is a privately-owned business established in 2003. Over the last 10 years it has been the installation project management division for Tool-Temp Ltd and four years ago it purchased Jenco Controls and Export Limited. Gammaflux products are designed for process optimisation, helping plastic part manufacturers achieve

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costs compared to appliances with conventional pumps. The SpeedDrive option can also be used in combination with Wittmann’s Flowcon Plus flow regulator for increased control of the process. This allows for the exact control of up to 48 individual zones via a maintenance-free flow measurement (vortex ± 1.5 percent of the maximum value in l/min). In the event of deviations, the motor speed of the pump is adjusted through a frequency converter, so that it continues to operate within the set tolerances. WWW.WITTMANN-GROUP.COM

higher quality, efficiency and profitability. PTA is boosting the profile of its new role as the UK agents for Gammaflux Temperature Control Systems, with a new e-commerce website designed for simple access to moulding components sales unveiled at Interplas in September. James Bailey, Director of PTA, said: “The Gammaflux range has been reintroduced back into the market from Germany and the interest levels have been very strong, as it is quite high end and sensibly priced. That has been a pull to the new site,” he concluded. WWW.PTAUK.CO.UK

GO GREEN. A new guide has been published highlighting the changes set to come into force in 2018 for users and specifiers of industrial cooling systems.

NEW GUIDE SPELLS OUT CHANGES TO 2018 CHILLER LEGISLATION FOR INDUSTRIAL USERS

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A new guide has been published highlighting the changes set to come into force in 2018 for users and specifiers of industrial cooling systems. The guide, called ‘Demystifying the 2018 Changes to Chiller Legislation’ is free to access and is produced by ICS Cool Energy. It has advice in a number of areas including those relating to the latest phase of amendments to the European Commission’s EcoDesign Directive. These include a breakdown of the new Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for both process and comfort chillers, as well as potential Brexit impact, ‘repair’ vs ‘replace’ arguments, and SME financing options for new equipment. Manufacturers who fail to adhere to the legislative changes when investing in new cooling equipment risk being fined, and having to replace non-compliant equipment installed after 1st January 2018 at their own expense; which is likely to be significant. With the MEPS set to become even stricter in January 2021, fully understanding the implications as early as possible is critical. However, ICS Cool Energy says the changes also present a valuable opportunity for manufacturers to reap the benefits of integrating

high-efficiency temperature control equipment into their manufacturing operations, such as lower running costs and reduced CO2 emissions. Richard Metcalfe, Sales Director at ICS Cool Energy, commented: “There is no escaping the fact that manufacturing is an energyintensive process. While energy consumption may be seen as a necessary evil by some, the fact of the matter is that unless it is controlled, it will have a serious long-term environmental impact. “Process cooling equipment can account for up to 60 per cent of a plant’s total life cycle cost, and this has not gone unnoticed by lawmakers. As such, from 1st Jan 2018 as part of the latest phase of amendments to the European Commission’s EcoDesign Directive, industrial cooling and refrigeration equipment will be required to meet new, stringent minimum levels of energyefficiency. “Our new guide aims to demystify the changes in full for UK manufacturers, covering the most important questions, and providing key action points for ease of compliance and minimum disruption to business. With the legislative spotlight well and truly on industrial cooling equipment, now is the time for manufacturers to get to grips with the facts and start planning ahead.” WWW.ICSCOOLENERGY.COM

summit systems’ new temperature control division

creates “incredible intrigue”

UK UK-BASED ANCILLARIES PROVIDER, SUMMIT SYSTEMS, CHOSE INTERPLAS AS THE PLATFORM TO PUBLICLY INTRODUCE ITS NEW TEMPERATURE CONTROL DIVISION FOR THE FIRST TIME. BP&R SPOKE TO MANAGING DIRECTOR, MIKE JORDAN, TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PRODUCT RANGE AND THE INDUSTRY’S REACTION.

ummit Systems says the launch of its new temperature control division has created “incredible intrigue” within the UK plastics industry. The company announced the formation of ‘Summit Chilled’ shortly before Interplas in September this year, choosing the show to unveil the brand to the public for the first time. Summit Chilled will supply both own-brand temperature control equipment but also process cooling solutions from Italian manufacturer, Frigel.

Finding the right partner

Explaining the decision to partner with Frigel, Mike Jordan, Managing Director of Summit Systems and Summit Chilled, said he’d been monitoring the company and was impressed with its products. “Summit has been working on the fringes of temperature control in the industry for years, mainly working with partners, but the time is now perfect to take the next

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step and invest in the full sales, service and support to compliment our existing market of materials handling equipment,” he explained. “It took two years to find the right partner in temperature control equipment. I have been watching Frigel for a long time, as theirs is a quality product and I believe the most innovative on the market. I didn’t want to start supplying a standard chiller, I wanted something that makes a difference to people’s production.” Jordan said the Frigel Ecodry system is very energy efficient and offers “huge levels of accuracy and precision”. It can improve cycle time and offers an efficient production process. “So far we’ve had a brilliant reaction to the new Summit Chilled division. It’s early days of course, but it helps that the Frigel brand is already established in the UK. The company has a huge international presence and people know of it,” Jordan added. Summit Chilled is based at the site of Summit Systems in Tamworth, Staffordshire. In launching the new division the company has already taken on a couple of additional staff members, however, Jordan says this will increase in order to provide servicing.

A cool selection

The division will be supplying the Ecodry 3DK, Frigel’s patented Adiabatic cooler, which is said to reduce energy usage by as much

as 95 percent compared to an air-cooled central chiller. The Ecodry 3DK provides clean water at an optimised temperature to process machines throughout the year, with closed-loop cooling offering minimalised maintenance. The cooler incorporates variable-speed DC brushless motors and a quiet operating design. For those looking for machine-side, compact water cooled chillers with thermoregulation, Summit Chilled will also supply Microgel machines. These have an operating range of -5°C/+90°C and a cooling capacity of 4-180kW. The Microgel is available with either single or double zone and also water or air-cooled configuration. These coolers are designed to boost productivity by between 10 and 30 percent by reducing the cooling time. The Turbogel and Thermogel machine-side temperature control units and the Heavygel air cooled chiller will also be available to UK plastics processors. The partnership will give Summit the ability to not only supply individual chilled water solutions, but offer companies a full turnkey project when automating a complete mould or extrusion shop. “Interplas was absolutely the right place to introduce the brand for the first time. The intrigue at the show was incredible,” Jordan concluded. WWW.SUMMITSYSTEMS. CO.UK

It took two years to find the right partner in temperature control equipment. I have been watching Frigel for a long time, as theirs is a quality product and I believe the most innovative on the market. I didn’t want to start supplying a standard chiller, I wanted something that makes a difference to people’s production.

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RECLAMATION & RECYCLING | NEWS RECOUP HOUSEHOLD COLLECTION SURVEY: “THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE CLEAR” For the UK to make a significant increase to the amount of plastics packaging that is recycled there must be real investment in kerbside recycling systems and communications, says RECOUP. The call comes following the publication of RECOUP’s annual ‘Household Collections Survey’, which showed less than a one percent increase year-on-year for

plastic bottles and points to new collection schemes slowing down. Even though the survey showed that over half a million tonnes of plastics packaging (512,475 tonnes) had been collected for the first time in 2016, RECOUP says that with a collection rate of 58 percent for all types of plastic bottles and 32 percent for pots, tubs and trays the “opportunities are clear.” The findings highlighted the further cuts to Local Authority budgets in the UK – with 51 percent receiving

RECOUP has said the opportunities for UK household recycling are clear.

less funding for providing waste and recycling collections or delivery of communications to householders about waste and recycling. This represents a significant change to the results when the same question was asked the previous year – with just 13 percent reporting budget cuts. RECOUP says in terms of legislation, the role of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and ambitions for the future, the next two-to-three years provides another window of opportunity for the UK, with the potential for a greater producer fund responsible for the delivery of a national consumerfocused communications strategy prioritising reducing contamination and encouraging recycling rates. “Making kerbside systems as good as they can be will inevitably lead to higher household plastic collection levels. Consumer communication particularly needs financial backing. The question is, over the next two to three years, is there the funding and real desire to carry this forward?” said RECOUP Technical Manager, Steve Morgan. WWW.RECOUP.ORG

WALES STARTS FASTTRACK MICROBEAD BAN CONSULTATION A consultation on the implementation and enforcement of a ban in Wales on the manufacture and sale of cosmetics and personal care products which contain plastic microbeads has started. Following a previous UK-wide consultation, which revealed overwhelming support for a ban, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs agreed to implement such a move in Wales, through Welsh secondary legislation. The twelve-week consultation proposes a commencement date for the ban of 30th June 2018. The Welsh Government will work with the Welsh Local Government Association with a view to using Trading Standards as the relevant enforcement authority.

Lesley Griffiths AM said: “Litter is a major issue for our seas. I am pleased we, along with the rest of the UK, are taking positive action to reduce the amount of plastic which ends up in our oceans. “Although we do not believe the use of microbeads is widespread among manufacturers in Wales, the purpose of this consultation, in addition to raising awareness of the issue, is to ensure the legislation does not disadvantage Welsh businesses in any way. “The proposed commencement date of 30th June is, I believe, sensible as it provides businesses long enough to prepare for a ban and it gives us a realistic timescale to draft and introduce legislation which is fit for purpose and future-proof. “We are extremely proud Wales has the third best recycling rate in the world. We still have some way to WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

go, though, before we achieve our ultimate aim of becoming a zero waste country.” WWW.GOV.WALES

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The limited-edition bottle made with 50 percent ocean plastic

WASHING UP BOTTLE MADE FROM 50 PERCENT BEACH PLASTIC LAUNCHES IN TESCO A washing up liquid bottle which is made with 50 percent plastic recovered from beach and ocean environments has been launched in Tesco supermarkets in the UK. The limited-edition bottle, produced by Belgian-based Ecover, uses recovered plastics from beaches in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as 50 percent recycled plastic.

The firm says it aims to introduce 100 percent recycled plastic across its main washing-up liquid range in 2018, and across all its products by 2020. It is also introducing recycled plastics into its bottle caps for the first time and aiming to start using alternative bio-sourced and biodegradable packaging (which do not rely on plastic) by 2020. “We need to totally re-think plastic. How we make it, use it, re-use it and recycle it. We think industry should take more responsibility because a durable material like plastic for single use is systemically wrong,” explained Tom Domen, Long Term Innovation Manager at Ecover. WWW.ECOVER.COM BNL, based on the banks of the River Nidd, has pledged to help prevent pellet loss into the marine environment

BNL JOINS OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP Yorkshire-based manufacturer of plastic bearing solutions, BNL, has become the latest company to pledge its commitment to pellet prevention loss campaign, Operation Clean Sweep. The company joins the international campaign, led by the British Plastics Federation in the UK, which is designed to prevent resin pellet loss and help keep pellets out of the marine environment. Tony Simm, Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment Engineer at BNL, said: “Our factory is based in a beautiful part of North Yorkshire, on the banks of the river Nidd, so we have always been vigilant in our environmental policies and procedures. “BNL already comply with rigorous BSI environmental standards, practicing effective housekeeping, having accessible cleaning equipment and securely containing materials and recyclables. However, we are always looking to improve, and this scheme gives us the opportunity to ensure the effectiveness of our systems with regard to pellet storage and handling.” WWW.BNL-BEARINGS.COM 34

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closing the loop

on caps and closures

T TONY GAUKROGER, DIRECTOR AT COLOUR TONE MASTERBATCH, DISCUSSES WHY END-OFLIFE CONCERNS FOR CAPS AND CLOSURES HAVE BEEN PUT IN THE ‘SPOTLIGHT’ AS MANUFACTURERS ADOPT THE HOW2RECYCLE LABEL.

n August this year it was announced that the world’s largest bottled water company, Nestle, has started using the How2Recycle label on its half-litre bottles for major brands in the United States. Its aim is to encourage and educate all Americans to recycle plastic bottles – by providing consumers with a clear and consistent message. Nestle is also encouraging other packaged goods makers to adopt the labelling standard created by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition in 2012. This initiative means fewer loose caps will have the potential to get into waterways and oceans. It also helps to ensure that the caps will be recycled, with caps being replaced they can then go through the recycling stream and are therefore, less likely to fall through a recycler’s equipment – so far, so good. It will no doubt lead to the capture of far higher volumes

d of caps an Recycling en be as h closures spotlight put in the y recentl

of bottle caps for the first time, which means more of this valuable resource which can be turned into something else. But this poses yet another challenge, if other bottled water and soft drinks makers adopt this labelling scheme, are they confident that the caps it has been designed to capture can be effectively recycled? Water bottles are moulded predominantly with clear PET, yet the caps are manufactured either in black, or, an increasing myriad of coloured PE material. The separation of this plastics waste stream therefore, remains a problematic issue, since not only black, but some coloured bottle caps, can absorb infrared – which renders them ‘invisible’ to near infrared sorting systems used by recyclers – so they end up in landfill instead.

Near infrared red pigment technology

The problem of recycling black plastics has been well documented recently. As a specialist, additive and masterbatch manufacturer, Colour Tone has spearheaded research into the problem of how to recycle black plastics packaging through the development of novel near infrared (NIR) pigment technology. This pigment enables black plastic to be visible for NIR sorting. It has proved in numerous materials validation

trials with black food trays and tubs that this colourant does not inhibit the sorting of the mixed plastics waste stream when sorting with NIR spectrophotometers. But most importantly, this technology can be applied to coloured plastics too, since they also contain IR absorbing pigments, allowing colours to be specified with the same NIR sorting characteristic. If manufacturers are serious about ‘closing the loop’ on water and soft drinks bottles finally, they must rethink the materials selection for caps and closure design too. While plastic bottles have come a long way when it comes to recycling in recent years, it seems that there is still much room for improvement. Britain alone consumes £3bn litres of bottled water per year and it’s the fastest growing drinks market in the world – that’s a lot of caps. WWW.COLOURTONE-MASTERBATCH.CO.UK

About the author:

Tony Gaukroger is the Director of Colour Tone a Masterbatch manufacturer based in Bedwas, South Wales that was acquired by Luxus in March 2017. He is renowned for his experience and knowledge in the field and has been invited to present papers for organisations such as AMI & PIRA. He has a particular interest in the colouring of PVCu.

Britain alone consumes £3bn litres of bottled water per year and it’s the fastest growing drinks market in the world – that’s a lot of caps.

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TESTING & INSPECTION | NEWS LEISTRITZ LAUNCHES NEW ELONGATIONAL RHEOMETER FOR ACCURATE PROCESS CONTROL Manufacturer of extrusion technology, Leistritz, has launched a new elongational rheometer that it says provides solid data to prove even the slightest variations in the compounding process. Unveiled to the plastics industry for the first time at the Fakuma trade fair in Southern Germany in October, the new state-of-the-art measuring system is designed to provide optimum control over the extrusion process. “As part of the continuous development of process technology and our Industry 4.0 activities, we paid close attention to the important issue of an intelligent process control,” explained Thomas Unger, Head of the Leistritz lab in Nuremberg. “In cooperation with the Austrian Johannes Kepler University in Linz we developed an online elongational rheometer with patented die geometry.” The range of applications for the new rheometer extends to all plastics and is reliable in processes from highly viscous pipe compounds to low viscous products for fibre and injection moulding. During the extrusion process, a small amount of the melt flow is channeled off via a bypass system and pushed through the rheometer’s slot die. This die is based on a new,

UK visitors were shown a new instrument for the determination of moisture content in plastic granules at Interplas

ENGELMANN & BUCKHAM REPORTS SUCCESSFUL SHOWING OF NEW EQUIPMENT AT INTERPLAS A “revolutionary” new instrument for the determination of moisture content in plastic granules was just one of the innovations displayed by Engelmann & Buckham (E&B) at Interplas earlier this year.

patented design with a hyperbolic narrowing. After the measurement, the material is transferred back into the process without any loss. The rheometer allows online measuring of the shear viscosity with shear rates in the range of 10 to 10,000 s-1 and the elongational viscosity with elongation rates in the range of 5 to 75 s-1. The die generates a constant elongational flow, something Leistriz says was previously not possible with existing online measurement devices. During a continuous measuring process, the operator can query two measured values of shear viscosity and one value of extensional viscosity at the same time. “An intelligent automation in the online rheometer’s control unit allows the customer to obtain viscosity curves of the material being currently processed within a very short time. This is accomplished through targeted variation of the shear and elongational rates,” continued Unger. Additionally, the elongational rheometer can also indicate the melt flow index as well as the IV value. The wide range of online analysis options is complemented by the determination of the melt density, Leistriz says. The online rheometer can be mechanically integrated onto any given extrusion process, without having to undergo major retrofits. The software and visualisation of the measured results is either part of

the Leistritz extruder control unit or a separate stand-alone version. “The online process and quality control has increasingly become an indispensable asset in the extrusion process, because it provides quick and efficient monitoring, which past installations of this measuring system have shown,” Unger concluded.

The company, which supplies manufacturing machinery, showcased the new Aquatrac Station on behalf of Brabender Messtechnik, one of the principle companies it represents in the UK. The Aquatrac Station measures very low levels of moisture, down to 1ppm, in thermoplastics, resins and elastomers, without requiring chemicals, reagents or carrier gases. Suitable for shop floor and laboratory environments, the device uses a high-end capacitive dew point sensor to measure the water vapour content circulating within a vacuum. The precise measurement of the gas temperature

enables an automatic calculation of the percentage residual moisture present in each sample. E&B also used Interplas to demonstrate a working demonstration of Xplore Instruments’ MC15 vertical conical twin screw micro-compounder. E&B said in total it had a successful three days representing 12 of its principals across both Interplas and neighbouring show, PPMA, covering both the packaging and plastic industries. “It was great to see so many of our contacts, both new and old,” the company said.

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WWW.EXTRUDERS.LEISTRITZ.COM The Leistritz Elongational Rheometer with patented die geometry © Leistritz

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precision decision:

factors to consider when selecting an inline thickness measurement system

W WHEN SELECTING AN IN-PROCESS SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE THICKNESS OF FILM, PLATE OR SHEET MATERIALS, A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT FACTORS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED, INCLUDING THE EFFECT OF COMBINED REAL WORLD ERRORS, SAYS CHRIS JONES OF MICROEPSILON.

n metals, plastics and rubber production, thickness (and width) measurement of strip, plate, film and sheet is a key quality control parameter that needs to be carried out accurately and as the material is being processed. All manufacturers will have a process specification that they will need to meet in order to satisfy their customers. But in reality how can a manufacturer be sure that they are meeting these specifications at all times? A number of different measurement systems can be used to measure the thickness of a material. Some of these are used offline, i.e. random samples of the material are removed from production and measured to verify that they meet the specification. A more effective approach is to install an in-process or fixed, inline non-contact measurement system that continuously measures the thickness of the material as it is processed. If measurements from these systems move towards the outer limits of the specification, machine and process control parameters can be altered to bring the thickness back into acceptable limits.

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BUILD IN-HOUSE OR PURCHASE A TURNKEY SYSTEM?

The first factor to consider is whether to design and build the measurement system in-house rather than purchase a turnkey system from a supplier. While there are many suppliers of sensors that can be mounted inline with simple framework and signals output to a local display or HMI for thickness calculation, verifying the actual measurement accuracy of this type of solution can be difficult. It is considered best practice to use a measurement system that is 10 times more accurate than the production tolerance. With many production tolerances reducing to below, for example <100 microns, it is therefore necessary to produce a measurement system with a capability of <10 microns, which is very difficult to achieve, particularly if the user has never done this before. Therefore going to a supplier of a turnkey system is often a more efficient solution. What is important when selecting a suitable system from a supplier is to understand the combined real-world errors that can occur when using a non-contact thickness measurement system and how these errors can be eliminated or compensated for. While many suppliers state on their datasheet that the measurement system meets a certain resolution and linearity, in the real world, this performance is affected by a number of environmental influences. Errors associated with real world thickness measurement are not always so obvious, but can combine to create significantly large errors. It is therefore critical to select a system based on system accuracy, not just sensor accuracy.

VERIFICATION OF SYSTEM CAPABILITY

Look for a measurement system that provides fully automatic process capability (CPc, CPk, etc.) features with in-built statistical functions that are available to the operator at the touch of a button. This should also include a store-and-print-out feature that allows the operator to verify the material thickness at any time, with no supplier involvement required.

MECHANICALLY AND THERMALLY STABLE

It is extremely important to design a mechanically and thermally stable sensor mounting frame. The mounting mechanism should be isolated from process or machine vibration as best as possible. Mounting with an O-frame is more stable than using a C-frame. Thermal expansion of mounting materials is often overlooked as a source of large errors in precise thickness measurement. Therefore, selecting materials with as low a thermal expansion coefficient as possible is very important. For example, mounting sensors on a typical aluminium or stainless steel extruded profile, with a thermal expansion coefficient of ~16ppm/K, experimental testing has shown that just a 5°C change in ambient temperature can move the sensors by >80µm! In contrast, using a standard grade Invar mounting frame with a thermal expansion coefficient of typically 1.2ppm/K reduces this to 6µm. Specialist Invar grades can reduce this error by half again. Of course, some suppliers of inline thickness measurement systems provide automatic calibration

features built into their system as standard, which can continuously compensate for thermal expansion errors. This feature also means the operator does not have to spend time calibrating and checking the system.

ERRORS DUE TO NON-ALIGNMENT OF THE SENSORS

Special attention must be paid to the alignment of the sensors, which are typically installed opposite one another. No misalignment, tilting or inclination of the sensors relative to the target object is permissible in order to ensure the sensor spots are measuring at the same point all the way through the measurement range. For example, for a misalignment of 1mm and an inclination of 2°, there will be a thickness measurement error of 35µm. In the case of a 10mm target thickness, this error increases to 41µm. Combined linearity errors of up to 8µm, for example, can be seen with a vertical target movement of just 200µm of the target in the measurement field even if the target has the same thickness. The combined error of non-linearity from both sensors must therefore be compensated for.

ERRORS DUE TO NON-SYNCHRONISED DATA

In order to avoid thickness calculation error due to movement of the target, both sensors must be perfectly synchronised so that they perform the measurement at the same time, at the exact opposite point of the target. If synchronisation does not occur, inaccurate measurement data is produced. For example, if measurements are taken at different time intervals, micro-vibrations of the target or of the sensor mechanics will result in a thickness measurement error. For example, for a time-delayed measurement of 1ms, a deviation of 125µm is produced (assuming 1mm vibration at 20Hz).

POSITIONING OF THE SENSORS/MEASURING RANGE

Position, measuring range, thickness deviation and vibrations must be taken into account when the sensors are installed. For correct thickness measurements, the target must always be located within the ‘measuring range’ of the sensors. If the target moves outside the measuring range at any time, this can lead to inaccurate measurements. In particular, any special operating conditions such as start, stop or speed changes must be carefully considered when positioning the sensors.

MEASURING RATES OF THE SENSORS

Most thickness measurement applications are either in a process/quality control environment where the object to be measured is fast moving, or in a ‘part inspection’ machine where the object is static and the laser sensors are scanning the part in as short a cycle time as possible. In both cases, it is important to match the laser measurement speed to the spatial resolution or cycle time required. Faster measuring rates are not always best as the laser sensor accuracy can suffer on difficult-to-measure surfaces when using high speed measurement rates.

WWW.MICRO-EPSILON.CO.UK About the author:

Chris Jones is Managing Director of Micro-Epsilon UK, a division of the parent group headquartered in Germamy. The company is a a major global manufacturer of sensors, to measure a range of factors including distance, position, vibration, dimensions and thickness, using both contact and non-contact measurement techniques, as well as non-contact infrared temperature sensors. 39

MATERIALS | NEWS ALBIS TO DISTRIBUTE INEOS STYROLUTION’S K-RESIN IN EUROPE Albis Plastic has acquired the rights to distribute K-Resin, a styrene butadiene copolymer (SBC) in Europe. The distribution agreement is tied to the acquisition of the global K-Resin SBC business, by INEOS Styrolution – a long-term distribution partner of Albis Plastic – from Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC and Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd. “The addition of K-Resin to our range is the ideal complement to our existing product portfolio of SBS specialties of INEOS Styrolution, which also includes the Styrolux and Styroflex product lines,” explained Boris Elfert, Director Business Line Distribution Technical Polymers at Albis Plastic. “In particular, these brands provide customers from the packaging and healthcare industries

PURGING COMPOUND DEMONSTRATES COLOUR AND CARBON REMOVAL IN TRIAL A purging compound has demonstrated an ability not just to facilitate colour change, but also remove carbon contamination from hot runner systems for injection moulds. Ultra Purge PO, manufactured by Chem-Trend, was recently used in a trial by a manufacturer of plastic buckets that was experiencing hangups after colour changes. Use of Ultra Purge PO resulted in less production downtime and scrap reduced by half compare to

Albis Plastic has acquired the rights to distribute K-Resin, a styrene butadiene copolymer (SBC) in Europe.

with an excellent selection of plastics for applications with demanding technical property profiles.” K-Resin, which is suitable for injection moulding as well as extrusion processing, is primarily characterised by its outstanding transparency, good stiffness and toughness, as well as its excellent

surface appearance. “The distribution agreement not only intensifies our business activities to date, it is also an expression of both partners’ deep trust in a successful joint cooperation,” Elfert continued.

the company’s previous purging compound, as well as pulling chunks of carbon from the hot runners. Commneting on the trial, Graziano Pestarino, Chem-Trend’s European Sales Manager for Ultra Purge, said: “Ultra Purge PO was not only pulling out the red from the previous production run but also an old colour that had been used two weeks prior. “While the screw and barrel cleaning provided by the bucket manufacturer’s previous purge compound had been adequate, it was failing to purge the hot runner systems. That lingering contamination is what led to

excessive downtime and scrappage.” It was noted that the bucket manufacturer had also been using double the purge compound dosage needed, so switching to Ultra Purge PO, which also cleans the screw and barrel, was more economical. Chem-Trend has invested extensively in R&D to develop grades of Ultra Purge that are compatible with a wide range of hot runner technologies supplied by leading hot runner systems manufacturers.

g rge purgin Ultra Pu ws lo al d n u compo color for fast l d remova an s ge chan t o h in n o of carb ystems. runner s

WWW.ALBIS.COM

WWW.CHEMTREND.COM

Chem-Trend has invested extensively in R&D to develop grades of Ultra Purge that are compatible with a wide range of hot runner technologies supplied by leading hot runner systems manufacturers. WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

@POLYMERMAN ON PRICES Will a recent surge in crude oil prices reverse the downward price trend for standard polymers and will key engineering polymer prices continue to increase? AS AN UNEXPECTED RISE IN CRUDE OIL PRICES TAKE HOLD, THE POLYMER MATERIALS PRICING MARKET TAKES A NEW TURN AT THE END OF 2017, WRITES MIKE BOSWELL.

he upswing in the price of standard polymers met strong resistance from plastic converters in October and this was particularly pronounced in mainland Europe. In most cases buyers simply chose to consume existing inventories in the expectation that this would force polymer producers to concede margin in order to tempt some sales. Furthermore, converters were already looking forward to the pre-Christmas special deals as producers streamline inventories in anticipation of the lull in demand at the end of December when processors typically shutdown for seasonal holidays. In fact, for the buyers of polystyrene this approach was already proving to be effective with the price of the (poly)styrene basket starting to fall away following the hiatus caused by the recently passed hurricane season in the US Gulf Coast area. What was not anticipated was the recent upswing in crude oil prices with Brent Crude jumping up more than 10 USD (20 percent) per barrel in just under three months. As a consequence, Naphtha the key raw material for the production of ethylene (C2) and propylene (C3) and other important polymer feedstocks has also jumped up in price over recent weeks. Given the high dependence of Western European polyolefin producers on Naphtha thoughts are now turning to the impact of feedstock price inflation on margins, and, given that much of the material that converters are hoping to ‘do deals on’ was produced using lower cost raw materials, some producers may accelerate plans to reduce output rates and consequently achieve a supply/demand correction in their favour.

Further evidence of this inflationary pressure comes from the November feedstock price adjustment whereby C2 and C3 avoided an anticipated reduction and instead prices rolled-over. It is also notable that in contrast to Styrene Monomer, Benzene costs are back on the increase, with both likely consequences for Styrene Monomer costs in December and it is already evident that the price of styrene based polymers in Asia are increasing. There are also inflation pressures for certain engineering polymers, including Nylon 66, where Benzene is a key feedstock. The supply situation for other engineering polymers including PC, POM, PMMA, PBT and PA6 continues to look very tight and this, combined with feedstock cost inflation, is causing further significant price inflation as buyers scrabble to secure supplies. In all cases this challenging supply situation is expected to carry-on well into 2018. Whilst this will be the last @ polymerman on prices for 2017, please don’t forget to look out for the annual review and outlook on the UK polymer market which will be published in the first edition of BP&R in 2018.

Who is @polymerman

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

ELECTRONIC PLASTICS | NEWS FLAME-RETARDANT TPES CHOSEN FOR CONTA-CLIP’S E&E APPLICATIONS A European manufacturer of electrical connecting terminals has created a new flexible cable entry system using halogen-free flame retardant thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) from Kraiburg TPE. The KDSClick entry system, manufactured by Conta-Clip, comprises inlays and various seal elements suitable for new installations and retrofitting of cables and hoses, as well as pneumatic and hydraulic lines in enclosures and control cabinets. The system uses five different TPEs, including a PA adhesionoptimised Thermolast K compound for the system inlay seal, in addition to flame retardant and customengineered TPE materials for sealing elements. “The KDSClick cable entry system was our first TPE project, so we needed a competent partner who would provide us with optimal support, from the choice of a suitable material for the application, mould design, colour matching all the way to series production,” explained Jörg Nowastowski-Stock, Head of Product Management at Conta-Clip.

ASCEND INTRODUCES NEW PA66 FOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN UNATTENDED APPLIANCES Ascend Performance Materials has launched Vydyne FR350J, a new high performance compound based Ascend says the new grade will bring extra safety to electrical connectors used in unattended home appliances

The KDSClick system (Photo: Conta-Clip)

The KDSClick system also includes seal elements of different sizes, which enclose the cables, hoses and lines. Conta-Clip and Kraiburg TPE optimised the design of the seal elements to achieve IP 66 protection. The slotted elements are designed for easy installation and exact enclosure of the cables without deformation. The flame retardant Thermolast K materials used for the KDSClick system are self-extinguishing in accordance with UL94 and are rated as non-dripping (Category V0). In addition, the TPE compounds developed for the electric and

electronic market are halogen-free in accordance with IEC 61249-2-21. “The modular cable entry system from Conta-Clip is an outstanding example of the innovative commitment of our advanced Thermoplastic Elastomers,” commented Dr Thomas Wagner, Product Management EMEA at Kraiburg TPE. “This project also emphasises our extensive development competence and our consistent customer orientation in support of high-end applications.”

on polyamide 66 (PA66) that it says will bring extra safety to electrical connectors used in unattended home appliances. The company says the grade exhibits excellent electrical and flammability properties, as well as high ductility and elongation at break (15 percent), providing engineers with greater freedom when designing parts such as living hinges and snap fits. The new unreinforced, flameretardant compound is also said to have superior melt flow and requires lower pressure to fill moulds; reducing cycle times and production costs. It also has a wide processing window and is colour stable for natural and colourable applications. “Home appliances are getting smarter and demand for these socalled ‘smart’ products continues to grow. That means they will incorporate more electronics and more connectors,” said Vikram Gopal, Ascend’s Vice President of

Technology. “Vydyne FR350J will make sure that appliances are safe as well as smart.” Additional features of Vydyne FR350J include an RTI electrical rating of 130°C and a UL94 V-0 flammability rating at thicknesses down to 0.4 mm. The flame retardant additive package is REACH and RoHS compliant and exhibits low corrosion for improved electrical contact performance. Vydyne FR350J exhibits a best-inclass glow wire ignition temperature (GWIT) of 960°C at all thicknesses (up to 3.0 mm) according to the test method IEC 60695-1-13. Finished moulded parts tested according to IEC 60335-1 achieved glow-wire end product test values of 750°C at all thicknesses. Vydyne FR350J also achieves PLC 0 ratings in hot wire ignition (HWI) and high amp arc ignition (HAI) tests carried out according to UL 746A.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

WWW.KRAIBURG-TPE.COM

WWW.ASCENDMATERIALS.COM

LANXESS LAUNCHES NEW HALOGEN-FREE FLAMERETARDANT POLYESTERS AND POLYAMIDES LANXESS is expanding its portfolio of halogen-free, flame-retardant compounds based on polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polyamide (PA 6, PA 66). The company says in terms of properties and processing, the new materials are “on par with, or even superior to”, their counterparts containing halogen-based flame retardance packages. “We believe that sales of these products will benefit in the future from global trends, such as Industry 4.0, electromobility and digitally networked building systems, household devices and consumer electronics,” explained Alexander Radeck, Applications Developer in the Lanxess High Performance Materials (HPM) business unit. New additions to the Pocan BFN PBT product line, which previously encompassed materials with 13, 25 and 30 percent glass fibre reinforcement, include Pocan BFN2502, BFN4221 and BFN6410. Pocan BFN2502 is a non-reinforced material that displays a high elongation at break of over seven percent despite its halogen-free flame retardance package. It passes the UL 94 standard fire tests, achieving the best classification of V-0 (0.4 millimeters). Next, new Pocan BFN4221 has a glass fibre content of 20 percent. Like its ‘sister products’, this compound is said to display not only high flame retardance attributable to a low tendency toward corrosion in contact with metals, but also good thermal aging resistance and colour stability at elevated temperatures,

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC CHOOSES DUPONT ZYTEL FOR INTELLIGENT HOUSING IN NEW CIRCUIT BREAKER Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management and automation, has selected DuPont’s Zytel resin to produce intelligent housing componentry for use in its new circuit breaker. Zytel FR95G25V0NH is a halogen-free and UL certified selfextinguishable grade chosen for the creation of a high dielectric strength housing for the high precision current (A) sensor in Schneider Electric’s

At LANXESS, a halogen-free flame-retardant PBT compound is currently under development that shows outstanding results in glow-wire testing to IEC 60695-2-10. Photo: LANXESS AG

a wide processing window and good suitability for high-contrast laser marking. Thirdly, Pocan BFN6410 targets applications in lighting and LED technology. “Its light reflection of more than 94 percent at 450 nanometers is unusually high, meaning that when used as a housing material, it reflects LED light almost entirely,” said Radeck. It also offers high blue light resistance and high lightproofness even at thin wall thicknesses. The material further displays good mechanical behaviour and a low tendency to warp. It achieves the best classification in UL 94 fire testing of V-0 (0.75 millimeters). Furthermore, Lanxess says a PBT compound is currently under development that shows “outstanding results” in glow-wire testing to IEC 60695-2-10. These tests assess the ignition properties and afterburn behaviour of plastics that come into contact with overheated or incandescent metal parts. “Our material proves that not only halogen-based, but also halogenfree flame retardance packages can support good glow-wire resistance

new connected Masterpact MTZ circuit breaker. The material is said to meet all key requirements, including outstanding performance over a long period of time. In addition, the use of Zytel has reportedly resulted in a “step change” performance improvement of the high precision current sensor in Schneider Electric’s air circuit breaker. The Class II or Double Insulated current sensor secures Class II circuit breaker as per International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) standards, made WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

levels in PBT compounds,” added Radeck. The new material also achieves very good results in the glowwire testing of end products (GWEPT, Glow-Wire Flammability Test Method for End Products, IEC 60695-2-11). “This test is very demanding because end products, which can have complex geometries and metal inserts, frequently display less favourable behaviour than simple test specimens,” Radeck continued. The new material under development also has the potential to pass the stricter glow-wire tests required under IEC 60335-1 for unattended household appliances (“no flame”). A new product among the halogen-free flame-retardant polyamide 66 grades is Durethan AKV30FN04LT. This is optimised for laser transmission welding, a process increasingly used for joining electrical and electronic assemblies because it is associated with only limited thermal loading and is dust-free. The compound contains the XTS3 heat stabilisation system and therefore can be used at higher continuous service temperatures. It passes UL 94 standard fire testing with the best classification of V-0 (0.4 millimeters) and achieves high tracking resistance of 600 volts in tests to IEC 60112. One of its potential applications is safety switches.

WWW.LANXESS.COM

possible with Zytel. DuPont and Schneider Electric worked together on developing this solution, which combines laser-weldability with long term aging performance (over 20 years). Antonio Nerone, Development Programme Manager at DuPont, said: “DuPont is constantly contributing to these technically exciting challenges and is eager to respond to the increasing demand for intelligent housing.” WWW.PLASTICS.DUPONT.COM

Grolman

We’ve changed our name. Free explanation with every order.

International Distribution

Pigments & Additives for Masterbatch Light Stabilisers Compatibilisers Organic Pigments Plasticolour is now Plastiserve. But it’s not what we’re called that matters. It’s why we’re called. Our customers get in touch because they value our service. They know that when it comes to masterbatch, polymers, effects and additives, they can trust us to do the legwork and find them the right products, at the right price, at the right time. Make Plastiserve your first call. Talk to Steve Cooper on 0330 043 2759 or email sales@plastiserve.com plastiserve.com

Carbon Black Inorganic Pigments Boron Nitride www.grolman-group.com +44 (1291) 62 52 36

Serving the Great British Plastics Industry

Biesterfeld Petroplas Ltd 6F Park Square, Milton Park Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4RR T: 01235 822 040 F: 01235 833 155 E: sales@biesterfeld-petroplas.com W: www.biesterfeld.com

Biesterfeld AG

Biesterfeld Plastic GmbH

Biesterfeld Petroplas Ltd

Established in 1906 Family owned business Headquarted in Hamburg

Europe’s leading distributor for plastics & rubber

Supplying the UK and Ireland since 1986

Sales of €670 million

Long standing relationships with producers

Group sales of €1.1 billion

260 employees

740 employees 4 Core business divisions: Biesterfeld Plastic Biesterfeld Spezialchemie Biesterfeld International Biesterfeld Performance Rubber

Centralised European product management

Comprehensive portfolio of polymers & rubbers

Homogenous supply program in 42 countries across Europe and North Africa

www.biesterfeld.com 44

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK Biesterfeld 124x86.indd 1

23/08/2017 16:31

Engineering Passion

www.kraussmaffei.com words | leanne taylor

fakuma review:

All signs point to a successful 2017 for machinery manufacturers There was positivity abound at the Fakuma trade fair, held Friedrichshafen, Germany, at the end of October, with Europe’s major injection machinery manufacturers reporting full order books and positive predictions for the year ahead. As expected in the year following a K Show, big new machinery launches were not at the top of the agenda, however, there were significant updates, additions and announcements, as BP&R reports.

ARBURG PREMIERES SECOND LARGE MACHINE IN NEW DESIGN After it launched a large injection moulding machine with a new design and control system at K in 2016, Arburg has followed with the premiere of the next size in the series at Fakuma. The hybrid Allrounder 920H presented at the event, with a clamping force of 5,000 kN, follows the Allrounder 1120H unveiled at the end of 2016. Both machines feature Arburg’s new machine design, which includes improved aesthetics and functionality, and ‘Gestica’, the smart-phone-like control system. The hybrid Allrounder 1120 H has enabled Arburg to extend its clamping force range by 30 percent, to 6,500 kN. Having been tested by pilot customers since it was unveiled, it is now available to buy. The 920H will be available to buy from the company’s ‘Technology Days’ in March 2018. Michael Hehl, Managing Partner at Arburg, said that sales so far in 2017 had pointed to “continued growth” for the company, adding that the Group expects its consolidated turnover in 2017 to exceed the €636 million Euros set in 2016, breaking the record for the fourth year in succession.

ENGEL GROWS FOR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR ENGEL reported a fourth consecutive year of growth with revenues of €1.5 billion Euros expected for the current financial year. This is an increase from the €1.36 billion Euros it achieved the previous year and the company says that it is “very optimistic” about the coming months. “We are very happy with the development of the business,” commented Dr Stefan Engleder, CEO of the Engel Group, at Fakuma. “We have continued to achieve growth in all regions and all relevant industries.” The regional split in terms of revenues remains unchanged, with Europe responsible for 55 percent and the Americas holding a strong position at 24 percent. Engleder said that the company’s focus will increasingly be on ‘Industry 4.0’ as “one of the strongest growth drivers worldwide”, adding that “the future is in these systems and connected technologies”.

SUCCESS IN ALL-ELECTRIC AND AUTOMATION AS WITTMANN LOOKS TO END 2017 ON A HIGH Wittmann Group has credited sales of all-electric injection moulding machinery and automation equipment as two of the drivers behind an eight percent growth in revenue for the firm in 2017. Speaking at Fakuma, Michael Wittmann said the expected sales revenues of €405 million Euros was “a really nice development” for the company, adding it anticipates this growth to continue in 2018. In terms of success by region, Wittmann said that European markets, such as Poland, Spain and France remained “very good”, with Mexico and India also performing well. Wittmann said sales of its automation equipment was “a key driver” for increasing sales and that the Group would continue to invest to keep up with demand. At Fakuma it showed its new control system for robots, known as ‘R9’, for the first time. It also showed the first model of its new ‘WX’ robot series, designed as a result of the increasing importance of automation in the automotive and white goods industries. The new WX163, in its basic configuration, can handle a load of 45 kg.

WWW.ARBURG.COM

WWW.ENGEL.AT

WWW.WITTMANN-GROUP.COM

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Engineering Passion KRAUSSMAFFEI LAUNCHES NEW MES SYSTEM AND MACHINE LEASING PROGRAMME

KraussMaffei Group has launched new products and systems in the areas of digitalisation, advanced technologies and machine leasing. The company unveiled MaXecution, a manufacturing execution system (MES) specially tailored to the needs of smaller injection moulding companies. The system has been designed with MPDV Mikrolab as a partner and offers plug-and-play usability. The Group also introduced a new leasing model for injection moulding machines. Being premiered in Germany, the leasing system is designed to address the desire for more flexibility within the machinery pool. The model is offered for standard machines up to 3,000 kN. Therefore, customers will be able to rent production capacities for a defined period of time. At the end of the term the customer can either give back the machine or buy it. Where its existing machinery is concerned, KraussMaffei said that it had experienced “significantly high interest” in its ‘PX’ all electric injection moulding machine since its launch in Q4 2016, particularly in Germany, the U.S. and China. The success of the PX has contributed to an overall successful year, with orders and sales for 2017 (YTD, as of the end of August) exceeding the record set in 2016 by up to 10 percent.

SUMITOMO DEMAG REPORTS HIGHEST EVER SALES VOLUMES AND LAUNCHES AUTOMATION SPIN-OFF

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag reported it expects to achieve its highestever sales volume in the 2017 financial year, with revenues set to increase by 17 percent to 273 million euros. The company says the trend is being driven by the success of its El-Exis high-speed machine to produce plastic packaging materials; high demand for InElect all-electric machines from manufacturers of technical precision parts for the electronics and automotive industries; and a stronger focus on regional markets. It said the outlook for 2018 was also “very positive.” In addition to its record injection machinery sales, Demag reported that a strong demand for automated production processes has led it to create an independent business unit focusing solely on expanding capacity and expertise in this area. This, it said, includes a wide range of standard automation options, as well as tailored variants. The company said that going forward it will “step up its collaboration” with partner companies to develop very specific and complex automated processes for injection moulding production. WWW.SUMITOMO-SHI-DEMAG.EU

WWW.KRAUSSMAFFEI.COM

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

www.kraussmaffei.com HAITIAN AND SEPRO ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

Sepro Group announced it has signed a new partnership agreement with Haitian for the supply of three- and five-axis robots with plastic injection moulding machines throughout Europe. Sepro’s control will be integrated into the injection moulding machine operator interface and the robots will be branded ‘Haitian by Sepro’. The agreement allows Haitian to meet increasing demand for robot/ IMM packages. “Through our agreement with Haitian International Germany, Sepro is proud to expand the range of robot choices available to moulders that use Haitian injection moulding equipment throughout Europe,” says Jean-Michel Renaudeau, CEO of Sepro Group. “We are very proud of this new collaboration, it is a well-respected company and we do believe this will have a significant impact on our success in 2018.” The news comes as Sepro revealed it is celebrating its fifth consecutive year of record sales, with an expected €125million Euros and around 20 percent year on year growth for 2017. The company will deliver 3,000 robots this year and says the growth is a result of its collaboration with new partners, as well as global expansion. WWW.HAITIAN.COM WWW.SEPRO-GROUP.COM

BUYER’S GUIDE

MATERIALS

ultrasonic welding

MOULD RELEASE

CONTROL SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT

HOT RUNNER SYSTEMS hot runner controllers

quality monitoring control

MASTERBATCH

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.

BLACK & WHITE MASTERBATCH Compounding

Recycling

Moulding

Film

Pipe

Conduit

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

DRYERS Motan Colortronic Ltd

1 07

Ultrasonic Plastic Welders

colour masterbatch

New & Used

For Sale &

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

Wanted

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

Branson - Mecasonic - Telsonic

Polymer Specific and Universal Colour and Additive Masterbatches. Fastmatch colour matching service. 1 mm Easysperse MicroPellets to 4 mm MaxiPellets. Standards second to none.

als.ultrasonics@gmail.com www.als-ultrasonics.co.uk

Sonotrodes (Horns) all Frequencies Fixtures, Repairs, Service, Parts Sub-Contract Welding, Hire & Consultancy

Tel; 01258 459257 Tel; 07730 413197

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT ASSEMBLY hot plate welding Branson Ultrasonics

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

infrared welding HIGH TECH AND HIGH PASSION.

InControl Ultrasonics Ltd (FFR Ultrasonics Ltd)

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

Telsonic UK Ltd

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

MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE gravimetric/volumetric blending

DEHUMIDIFIERS Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

HEATING EQUIPMENT

Branson Ultrasonics

cleaning materials

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

Infrared Welding

Purging Compounds Release Agents Mould Maintenance www.ChemTrend.com www.UltraPurge.com for sale

www.frimo.com

Welding machines Innovative tooling concepts Emitter systems Control technology

Specialists in supplying Plastic Joining, Bonding and Assembly Solutions

Technologies:

We buy/sell Prime, reprocessed, regranulated flexible PVC compounds, dry blends, pulverised PVC, scrap PVC, PVC resin and associated raw materials. We can offer prime and reprocessed flexible PVC compounding facilities to cover your specific requirements, bespoke compounds, breakdowns, holiday cover etc.

Please send us your enquiries/oﬀers T: M: E: W:

01625 500912 07860 371294 vinyl_ltd@mail.com www.vinyl-ltd.com

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

Tel UK: +44 7467 959240 Tel IRL: +353 1 8013261 Email: info@hte.ie

www.hte.ie

TO ADVERTISE in this space CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222

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

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

CHILLERS/TEMPERATURE CONTROLLERS

induction heating for platens and tools MF Induction Heating

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

Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

AM&LT PUGH KONGSKILDE MAIN DEALER

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

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222

automation

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

pulse staking

Motan Colortronic Ltd

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222

MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE hopper loaders

BUYER’S GUIDE

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

PRINTING MACHINES

SCREWS & BARRELS

pad

MIXING, FEEDING & DOSING

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

Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

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

METAL DETECTION & SEPARATION EQUIPMENT Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

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

Bunting Magnetics Europe Ltd European Design & Manufacturing Facility

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

/magnetic_separation_and_metal_detection/

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

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

inspection & measurement

TransXL International Ltd

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

Refurbished machines with fault and leak free guarantee.

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

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

CHOOSE THE NUMBER ONE.

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

50mm high and 35mm

Mould change

We buy and sell high quality plastics

028 9266 8009

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

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

SECONDHAND AND RECONDITIONED

www.vandenrecycling.com supply@vandenrecycling.com

ANGLO PLASTICS LTD

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

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

www.quick-mould-change.com

hopper loaders 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

MAPRA Technik Co – DOSS – MARCEL AUBERT – KAFER

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

thermocouples

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Selling the Business? Kingswood Business Sales are your industry experts with a proven track record of successfully selling companies like yours. Avoid the pitfalls - contact Paul Holohan in complete confidence on 07798 530684

TRAINING

kingswoodbusinesssales.com

COMPOUNDS

Cooper Plastics Machinery

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

SCREEN CHANGERS Industrial Plastics Ltd

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

- 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

RECYCLING SYSTEMS

Contact: Carlton Hicks

NOZZLES & NOZZLE TIPS

DTL Machinery UK

8 Lyall Court, Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 1UX T: 01525 719850 E: Cooperplastics@gmail.com W: www.cooperplastics.co.uk Extruders, water baths, haul-offs, fly knife cutters, conveyors/tip tables, in-line punches, coilers etc. New and used. Repairs, servicing or rebuilds. UK agent for Lyons Electronics.

DM Machinery Ltd

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

for sale

• We buy/sell all makes/age/sizes of Plastic Injection Moulding Machinery & related ancillaries equipment. • We also buy redundant, non-runners & faulty machines for refurbishment. T: 01925 596170 M: 07838138342 E: info@dtlmachinery.co.uk E: douglastrading@gmail.com

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222

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

3D PRINTING

3D Printing

in Plastic & Rubber

PRINTERS printers of plastic mouldings Total Print Ltd

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

Component PRINTERS TAMPO.SCREEN.FOIL

Tel: 01420 88645 www.cdg.uk.com

TESTINg/CONSULTANCY

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

Gammadot Rheology Testing & Consultancy Services

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

SOFTWARE

Cimatron 3D

Mold Tool Design CAD CAM software

SERVICES MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS Tel: 01420 88645 www.cdg.uk.com

SOFTWARE DIRECTORY A listing in the Software Directory costs £160 per programme per year. Call Lisa on 01244 680222 for details. real time production monitoring, scheduling and process monitoring Epicor Mattec Real-time MES (Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers & “Web Based”) Epicor Software (UK) Ltd T: +44 (0)1344 468 468 E: info.uk@epicor.com Modules: Production Monitoring, Process Monitoring, “Drag and Drop” Scheduling/Planning, “Family Moulding”, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts’ Trace-ability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, E-mail/ Public Address System Alerts, Standalone “Drag and Drop” Scheduler, Stand-alone SPC “Machine Analyzer”, Machine Energy Monitoring, KPI Dashboards, Visual Manufacturing (Large LED Displays), Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (For Integration with Epicor ERP & Other Manufacturing Systems/Software Packages). PlantMaster BMS Vision Ltd T: 01254 662244, E: sales.bla@visionbms.com Website: www.visionbms.com/ plastics. Affordable and flexible MES system for the plastics/rubber industry. Realtime production monitoring features wireless data units and OPC Ethernet machine connections. “Drag & drop” job scheduling supports frame/insert level family tooling plus KAN BAN. ERP system integration, SPC/SQC, Touch Screen Data Units, Machine Maintenance, Operator Tracking, Traceability, DNC, Energy Monitoring, Bar Coding, Pager Alerts. Easy to use systems from a €600m company with over 30 years experience. intouch T: 01604 646144 E: enquiries@ intouchmonitoring.com Website: www.intouchmonitoring.com Real-time production monitoring systems. Designed to be easy to use and providing affordable solutions to all sizes of businesses. Production monitoring, scheduling, reporting, data import/export, databases for parts, tools and operators, integration with other software packages.

MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222

ProHelp EPM (for Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers) Mattec Ltd T: 01909 561544 F: 01909 560675 E: a.jewell@mattec.com Real-time Modules: Production Monitoring, ‘Drag and Drop’

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Scheduling/Planning, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts Traceability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, Pager/ Tannoy Alerts, Stand-alone ‘Drag and Drop’ Scheduler, Stand-alone SPC Machine Analyzer, Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (for integration to Manufacturing Systems and other software packages).

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

Process Optimisation Software RJG Technologies Ltd Moulding Technology T: +44 (0)1733 232211 E info@rjginc.co.uk Zero Defect Moulding – What’s your target? • Cycle time reduction • Reduced scrap rates • Improved process capability • Higher yield and OEE PRO-OP™ software provides a stepby-step procedure for optimising the injection moulding process to deliver optimum quality products at the most favourable cycle time. PRO-OP™ is a server based application which, by setting an optimum moulding process, highlights weaknesses and problems in relation to part design, mould design, mould construction, moulding equipment efficiency, moulding equipment specification and material selection. The moulding process is documented with explanations for each key process parameter setting demonstrating the processing conditions and equipment contributions to the final result. PRO-OP™ is aimed at companies whose focus is quality and consistent part manufacture. PRO-OP™ supports companies by providing a documented and structured validation protocol which is recognised in the in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. 49

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NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

IN HIS EXCLUSIVE COLUMN, PHILIP LAW, DIRECTORGENERAL OF THE BRITISH PLASTICS FEDERATION, HIGHLIGHTS THE STRIDES MADE BY ITS BUSINESS GROUPS, LOOKS AT THE FUTURE OF PLASTICS IN AUTOMOTIVE AND POINTS TO OPPORTUNITY IN INDIA.

was recently reminded that the heart of the BPF is in its membership groups. All corporate members of the BPF must belong to one of the Federation’s Business Groups that relates to their primary business interest, whether its pipes, windows, packaging, moulders, etc. We have some 20 Groups all actively attacking the business opportunities and threats within their sectors. Each year we hold a meeting of all the Chairmen of the Groups to exchange best practice and to review programmes for the coming year. It was a tremendously vibrant meeting that we had on 2nd November with broad areas of agreement covering such issues as Brexit, skills and the public reputation of plastics. One great initiative highlighted was our pipes group’s engagement in a major multi-national awareness campaign championing the suitability of plastic pipe systems for subterranean sewer applications aiming to inspire the civil engineering and utilities sectors. The BPF pipes group is working in conjunction with TEPPFA, The European Plastics and Pipes and Fittings Association, and four other national plastic pipe organisations. It is based around a dedicated knowledge hub accessible through www.discoverplasticpipes.com/uk This features studies including the ‘100-Year Service Life of Gravity Sewer Pipe Report’, which investigated the effects of traffic loading and strain, corrosion, and other factors on plastic pipes in both actual field conditions and in laboratory situations. It’s incredibly useful to the industry, as it’s been independently reviewed by a top academic and it proves that a 100-year in-service lifetime can be confidently predicted for EN-compliant plastic pipes. This campaign is the culmination of decades of research undertaken by the pipes industry and independent bodies and deserves to be taken very seriously by civil engineers.

Similarly, our moulders group has embarked on a programme to facilitate sharing of best practice through a series of factory tours. On 11th October a group of BPF moulders were able to visit Pentagon Plastics where MD, Paul Edwards, was the guide. Pentagon goes back 45 years and has a rich history. It has invested extensively – and – in 2016 acquired Phoenix, a tooling company. BPF’s Dr Sara Cammarano updated visitors on the latest developments in the SIMPL Health and Safety programme and RJG’s Richard Brown discussed the training of apprenticeships. A recent BPF seminar highlighted the contribution made by the plastics industry to the automotive sector, when Jaguar Land Rover hosted the session at their brilliantly equipped Jaguar Experience Centre. Speakers had hard hitting messages. Martin Rees of Prime Advantage Advisory said that the automotive industry is in upheaval and nothing established can be taken for granted. Mark Ellis of Nissan said that his company is no longer a car manufacturer but “a supplier of personal mobility solutions.” For him, the future will see polymers replacing metals even more widely. Ortwin Meuss of Sabic and PlasticsEurope emphasised the importance of lobbying Government to secure recognition that light weighting equals lower emissions. Professor David Bailey of Aston University said trade doesn’t work the way the Government thinks it does. There are dozens of channels through which parts and equipment are made at different stages and transported across borders. Finally, we are running a trade mission to Plastindia, Gujarat, 7-12th February 2018. This is being run in conjunction with The Department for International Trade (DIT). If you are interested in attending please email jelliott@bpf.co.uk

bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER 50

ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS

WWW.BPF.CO.UK

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

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