BP&R Oct 2015 by BP&R Magazine

British Plastics

and Rubber

bp&r OCTOBER 2015

LET THERE BE LIGHT

THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT — THE FUTURE’S ROTOMOULDING

A GIANT LEAP FORWARD IN THE RECYCLING OF PLASTIC REGRIND

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bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER

www.britishplastics.co.uk EDITORIAL

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

SALES

Group Advertising Manager: Lisa Montgomery T: +44(0)1244 680222 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 rates: UK: £80 Europe and rest of the world: £115 British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (8 times/year) by Rapid Plastics Media Ltd, Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, CH4 9QE T: +44 (0) 1244 680222 F: +44 (01244) 671074 © 2015 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.

“GREAT GUNS! I’M STRECHIN’ LIKE A RUBBER-BAND!”

ou might not recognise the above words, but they belong to ‘Plastics Man’, a comic book hero created in 1941 by cartoonist Jack Cole. The creation of Plastics Man, who can stretch to any shape or size as a result of an accident at a chemical works, came about following the consumer’s new fixation with plastics at the time. Advertisers had just termed plastics the “miracle material” and it was quickly making its way into dozens of household products. But why is this significant now? Well, because ‘Plastics Man’ was brought to my attention by the somewhat-inspired seven-year-old son of one of my closest friends. “Did you know plastics has its own superhero,” he asked me enthusiastically, knowing that my job involves the writing about the stuff. It was apparent that this newfound knowledge that the material had its own fictional representative made it infinitely cooler in his eyes. On a similar subject, there was also news this week of a new range of dolls that are “STEM-themed”. The line-up offers four female dolls, whose characters are inspired by a television series depicting their adventures in science, maths, engineering and technical challenges. The idea behind the toys, says their creator, is to “inspire girls to get interested in STEM subjects” and “create a new image” of women

in science. To this end, LEGO has also recently agreed to create more female scientist figures in its range. So, given this, in addition to the good work being done to encourage the uptake of science and plastics-related careers as a viable choice through education and teaching, it struck me that a backto-basics approach, using toys and inspirational characters, could be exactly what is needed to help spread the message.

It struck me that a backto-basics approach, using toys and inspirational characters, could be exactly what is needed to help spread the message.

Enjoy the issue. Leanne Taylor, Editor

bp&r

THE BIG STORY ALCOM LG is used as the diffuser for this LED spotlight

Let there be light T

he LpS show is a European LED and OLED lighting and technology event aimed primarily at researchers, designers and engineers for future LED lighting systems, be they general, industrial or architectural. Recognising the significance of the use of plastics in the development of future lighting technologies, ALBIS PLASTIC RECENTLY ALBIS PLASTIC exhibited at EXHIBITED FOR THE FIRST TIME the show for the first time last AT THE LED PROFESSIONAL month with its range of own SYMPOSIUM EXPO IN BREGENZ, brand materials designed specifically for applications in AUSTRIA. THE REASON, this industry. SAYS THE COMPANY, IS THE ALBIS describes its ‘ALCOM’ GROWING IMPORTANCE OF lighting product portfolio PLASTICS IN THE LIGHTING as “the result of years of INDUSTRY. IN THE FOLLOWING development combined with the highest applications ARTICLE, BRITISH PLASTICS expertise.” The company’s AND RUBBER PROFILES THE accrued knowledge has BENEFITS IN MORE DETAIL. resulted in a broad range of thermoplastic materials in the fields of ‘light diffusion’, ‘light guiding’ and ‘light blocking’ technologies, with properties like homogeneous diffusion, excellent reflection or thermal conductivity, with a simultaneously high degree of design freedom and mechanical strength. “Plastics play an important role in the development of LED-based light systems and lamps,” explained Joachim Bernhard, Director of Marketing for Electrical and Electronics at ALBIS PLASTIC. “We want to intensively exploit the chances arising from this and clearly emphasise the benefits of our distribution and own brand portfolio for users. For example, the use of our thermally conductive ALCOM T-Conductive can increase the efficiency of LEDs and significantly extend their service life.” 4

Thies Wrobel, Product Specialist and Klaus Gebhardt, Product Development Specialist at ALBIS explained that this is due to the fact that LED and electronic components frequently suffer significant power losses in the form of converted heat. “It is necessary to dissipate this heat to increase the service life of components and prevent premature failure,” said Wrobel. “Thermally conductive plastics are being used more and more frequently for temperature management. This is possible by modifying the thermal conductivity of plastics, which are normally thermally insulating.” Primary areas of use for thermally conducive plastics are applications such as heat sinks and housings for electronic parts and components as well as LED reflector housings, often in combination with lightweight design as well as metal substitution. Wrobel further explained the benefits of ALCOM thermally conductive plastics, adding: “Prevention of thermal hot spots, as well as protection of sensitive components and an increase in service life are just some of the reasons why these plastics are being specified for components with increasing levels of complexity and performance requirements. In addition, other benefits include mass production through injection moulding, as well as design freedom, including new possibilities when it comes to metal replacement, which, of course, brings the advantage of weight reduction.” Depending upon application requirements, ALBIS offers thermally conductive plastics in two series, ALCOM TCE thermally and electrically conductive in black, as well as ALCOM TCD thermally conductive and electrically insulating plastic. Further information on the full ALCOM range of thermoplastic solutions for LED or E&E applications can be found by visiting: WWW.ALBIS.COM

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contents

PLASTICS &RUBBER

october 2015

on the cover LET THERE BE LIGHT ALBIS PLASTIC GmbH recently exhibited for the first time at the LED Professional Symposium + Expo in Bregenz, Austria. The reason, says the company, is the growing importance of plastics in the lighting industry. SEE PAGE 4

EDITOR’S LETTER

“Great guns! I’m stretchin’ like a rubber-band!”

15 FEATURE

EUROMAP: Gondolas, growth and gaining momentum At the recently held EUROMAP General Assembly in Venice, the member associations gave a positive outlook for Europe’s plastic and rubber machinery manufacturers; despite disappointing results from the BRIC countries.

18 FEATURE

IML: No longer the new kid on the block

22 REGULARS INDUSTRY NEWS FEATURE

Lightweight LED lighting module for Audi Q7 headlight

DSM has collaborated with ZKW Group, a provider of light systems for motor vehicles, to produce a new lightweight LED lighting module for the Audi Q7.

26 exclusive

Reclamation and Recycling 38

MACHINERY

MATERIALS

BUYERS’ GUIDE

SOFTWARE

NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

A giant leap forward in the recycling of plastic regrind Clemens Kitzberger, Business Development Manager for Post Consumer Recycling at EREMA, shares the background on the company’s latest technology exclusively with BP&R.

33 FEATURE

The future’s bright - the future’s rotomoulding At the ARMO rotomoulding conference held in Nottingham recently, speakers spoke of their visions for the future of the rotomoulding process - making it faster, more flexible and safer.

In-mould labelling (IML) may be well known in injection moulding. However, the reasons for investing in it have evolved and are not always so familiar, says Nigel Flowers, Managing Director of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK.

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INDUSTRY | NEWS

ANTI-PIRACY BARRIERS FOR MARITIME INDUSTRY WIN THE HORNERS AWARD 2015 An anti-piracy barrier for use in the maritime industry has been revealed as the winner of the 2015 Horners Award for Plastics Design and Innovation. The ‘GUARDIAN Anti-Piracy Barrier’, developed by Guardian Maritime Limited, is made from a UV stabilised grade of Total 4041, a new generation Metallocene polymer, suitable for large rotational mouldings. The judges were impressed by the relatively simple design, which acts both as a visual and physical deterrent and can be tailored to fit any vessel and oil rigs. The product is an industry compliant system and provides 24/7 protection against stowaways, robbery and piracy. It is believed to be the only “undefeated” passive anti-piracy deterrent. Teresa Stevens of Guardian Maritime Limited, said: “I am very proud to have been chosen for this award from the Guild of Horners, being recognised by such an

BOTTLEMAKERS AWARD 2015 IS A BERRY NICE WIN FOR LOGOPLASTE UK A PET bottle for a well known soft drinks brand has won the 2015 Horners’ Bottlemakers Award. The 1.5 litre PET Ribena bottle, manufactured by Logoplaste UK, was designed to deliver optimum performance, while providing a clear sustainable advantage over existing glass products. The product has numerous design features, which allow it to run on the existing glass bottle filling lines, as well as overcoming challenging internal pressures during the filling process. The new 1.5L Ribena bottle now includes ribs to support the vacuum and a honeycomb base for strength and support. A Logoplaste UK spokesman said:

The GUARDIAN anti-piracy barrier has been revealed as the winner of the 2015 Horners Award

esteemed guild is a great honour. I would like to thank all those who have helped with the development of GUARDIAN.” The judges also nominated the ‘Expanding Horizons in Reconstructive Surgery’ developed by Oxtex as the award runner up. Two surgeons, who continuously found a need for extra soft tissue, collaborated with the Department of materials at Oxford University to develop a hydrogel polymer technology. The self-inflating Oxtex device combats all the limitations of

The 1.5L le Ribena bott

“We are delighted to have been chosen as the winner of the 2015 Horner’s Bottlemakers Award and recognised for our contribution to innovation.” The judges also named the two entries for the highly commended certificate – the SprayPET Aerosol WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

the current commercial devices. Additionally, the Oxtex device can be produced in a range of different shapes and sizes for different anatomical locations. The Horners Award is jointly run by the Worshipful Company of Horners (an ancient guild and livery company of the City of London) and the British Plastics Federation. It is awarded annually for entries demonstrating innovation in plastics design and manufacture or in the processing of plastics. WWW.HORNERS.ORG.UK

Container and the Millers Oils Flowcontrol Bottle. The SprayPET Aerosol Container, developed by Plastipak Packaging (formerly APPE), is a plastic aerosol container that has been designed to replace tinplate or aluminium cans. As a one-piece container, it can be used in gel, cream or mist applications in home, personal care products and food. The Millers Oils Flowcontrol Bottle, manufactured by RPC Promens, features a unique dispensing closure that allows oil to be fully controllable and to flow freely and easily. The container creates a distinctive presence on-shelf to highlight the innovative closure while still remaining in keeping with other plastic oil containers. WWW.HORNERS.ORG.UK 9

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3D MOULDED BARCODE HELPS PROTECT PLASTIC PRODUCTS FROM FAKES Engineers from the University of Bradford have revealed the first 3D barcode for plastic products that can be integrated into a part during manufacture. The anti-counterfeit marker is designed for use on moulded plastic parts, where a virtually invisible imprint is incorporated onto a product. The marker can then be read using a laser scanner, which the engineers say allow anything from phones to pills to be tracked and verified as authentic. Made public at the British Science Festival in Bradford recently, the technology was devised by the UK SME, Sofmat Ltd, and has been developed in collaboration with engineers from the University of Bradford. The 3D barcode is made up of tiny indentations in the surface of the product, created by pins that

are integrated into its mould. Using micro actuators, the pins can be set at different heights, each step corresponding to either a letter (A-Z) or a number (0-9). The prototype – developed with funding from Innovate UK – works with a four-pin array, enabling over 1.7 million different configurations. “The system enables very small displacements to be made in each pin – each step being just 0.4microns, 100th of the width of a human hair,” explained Dr. Ben Whiteside from the University of Bradford. “These have to be set with a very high accuracy and with sufficient force so their position is maintained during the manufacturing process. While our system has been developed initially for products made from plastics or composites through injection moulding, it could also be used to stamp or emboss the code onto a product.” Most anti-counterfeit devices are stuck onto the product or its packaging after manufacture, making

The marker can be used in a number of products and industries

them easy to copy. Because the 3D barcode is an integral part of the product itself it is very difficult to reproduce. “A 3D barcode allows much more complexity than existing anti-counterfeit systems,” explained Sofmat Director, Dr Phil Harrison. “You can have multiple configurations, different codes on each individual product and additional details such as patterns on the heads of the pins themselves, making copying the code extremely difficult. For the first time the same technology and coding can be used on bulk packaging, individual packaging and on the actual product, making it much harder to create and ship fake products.” The system has been verified in the laboratory using high-tech scanning devices including a white light interferometer and a laserscanning confocal microscope to characterise the surface of the coded ‘product’ to ensure the code is accurately reproduced. A laser scanner is currently in development that will be able to read the code and wirelessly transmit the result via an app to either a phone or tablet. “The technology behind the moulding of the 3D barcode can be used for several different industries, for example the electronics industry, the automotive industry, medical and pharmaceutuical,” explained Dr Elaine Brown, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical and Process Engineering at the University of Bradford. “Anything that uses moulded plastics and composites could actually integrate this type of barcode technology into their products.” WWW.BRADFORD.AC.UK

FREE WEBINAR DESIGNED TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY One of the leaders in 3D printing, Stratasys, is going to reveal how plastics processors can benefit from the technology to increase productivity next month. Delivered through a free webinar hosted by BP&R, viewers can tune in to learn how to design, build and install high performance, ultra-light assembly aids in a matter of hours, reduce tooling costs by up to 95 percent, integrate components such as magnets, vacuum cups

and actuators, as well as produce production-ready parts from 3D-printed injection moulds. The webinar will feature Stratasys’ Alan Spence, as well as Jim Sargent from Whale Pumps, who has already seen his company benefit from 3D printing through the utilisation of the process for mouldings, jigs and fixtures. For more information and to register, please visit:

Where: Online at britishplastics.co.uk/industry-events/webinars When: 3rd November 2015 What time: 14:00 GMT Cost: Free

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK/ INDUSTRY-EVENTS/WEBINARS

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MESSE DÜSSELDORF ADDS IRAN PLAST TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHOW PORTFOLIO Messe Düsseldorf has announced a new partnership with IRAN PLAST, an expansion of the trade show organiser’s portfolio in anticipation of growing opportunities in the country. Ahead of the lifting of trade sanctions in the Middle East, the cooperation between Messe Düsseldorf and IRAN PLAST’s organisers, Iranian National Petrochemical Company (NPC), is an indication of the high expectations for wealth generation in the region. Messe Düsseldorf already successfully manages a number of international plastics and rubber trade fairs, most notably the K Show, the industry’s biggest event, as well as Arabplast, Chinaplas and PlastIndia. The organisation will now jointly manage the trade show with Iran NPC, with the partnership taking effect from the coming edition. This will be held from 13 - 17 April 2016 in Tehran and Messe Düsseldorf will be responsible for organising and implementing international exhibitor participations. IRAN PLAST is a biannual trade fair. The 2016 edition will be its 10th outing, with the show firmly established as the most important platform for the plastics and rubber industry in Iran. In 2014, about 800 exhibitors attended the fair, 250 of which were non-domestic exhibitors,

Messe Düsseldorf’s partnership with IRAN PLAST indicates the signiﬁcance if the plastics industry in the region

and the organiser recorded 68,000 visitors. A country with a population of 75 million people, Iran has a powerful oil and gas industry, which generates more than 50 percent of the country’s export revenues. It also has a substantial backlog demand for investment goods, modern machinery, components, processing methods and expertise. The lifting of economic sanctions is expected to create a significant boost to international trade relations

with Iran. Opportunities that this could bring were noted by EUROMAP, the association for Europe’s plastic machinery manufacturers, at its general assembly this month, where it highlighted the expected rising demand for machines, and equipment, particularly from the plastics and rubber segment.

including Architen Landrell, BRE, Axion Recycling and AGPU will be giving presentations over the course of the day, covering topics such as the ‘energy efficient renovation of buildings’, a case study demonstrating ‘energy, resource and cost savings using PVC products’ and an exclusive presentation on the London Aquatics Centre. The BPF says the goal of the

event is “to facilitate collaboration between like-minded individuals who are committed to the efficient use of materials.” To find out more about the event and how to register, contact Paul Baxter, BPF Events and Projects Executive, by calling 0207 457 5047.

WWW.MESSE-DUESSELDORF.COM WWW.IRANPLAST.IR/

SPECIFYING PVC IS SMART, SAYS BPF AS IT LAUNCHES NEW SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE The British Plastics Federation has announced the launch of a new conference aimed at specifiers and procurement professionals in the construction industry that will promote the benefits of using vinyl products. SmartBuild will take place on 23rd November 2015 at BRE in Hertfordshire. During the event delegates will be able to exchange experiences and to learn about the energy saving and cost efficiency potential of PVC. The event has been formally recognised by the Construction CPD Certification Scheme. Speakers from organisations 12

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

WWW.SMARTBUILD2015.CO.UK

INEOS TO INVEST £20MILLION IN NEW UK PETROCHEMICAL HEADQUARTERS INEOS’ Olefins and Polymers business in the UK has announced it is to invest £20million in a new, state-of-the art headquarters at its Grangemouth site. The company says the investment is just one part of its long-term plan for the chemicals site, which it intends to turn into a manufacturing hub for the whole of the Central Belt of Scotland. “The site is undergoing a radical transformation with significant investment that will herald a new era in petrochemical manufacturing at Grangemouth,” commented John McNally, CEO INEOS Olefins and Polymers (O&P UK). “Investment into the Chemicals business is in the order of £450m, which includes spend on this new office accommodation, restructuring of redundant assets as well as our ethane supply project. This represents the most significant investment into UK and Scottish petrochemical manufacturing of recent times and demonstrates INEOS’ commitment to the Grangemouth site, its employees and the local economy.” INEOS has started to clear the site of old, unused buildings and decommissioned plants, stating that the new building will enable more productivity in its own operations, as well as benefitting the local area through the provision of long-term skilled jobs and investment opportunities. The new business HQ and office accommodation is scheduled for completion in September 2016. “We will make parts of our site available to new companies that will benefit from the services and infrastructure that we have to offer here at Grangemouth. We have a clear strategic view of the future, where Grangemouth is a growing centre of excellence, attracting new investment, creating new jobs and providing Scotland with the raw materials that it needs to support its manufacturing sector,” McNally concluded. WWW.INEOS.COM Architects’ drawing of the new ofﬁce accommodation and business HQ to be built at INEOS Grangemouth

Comment: meeting the needs of a changing world THIS MONTH, RAPRA’S WENDI BEAMSON DISCUSSES THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT INTEGRATED SYSTEMS ENGINEERING.

he knowledge and skills required to maintain and manage today’s manufacturing plants and those of the future are greatly different to that of 10 years ago. So what has changed? Enabling technologies, such as hydraulics and pneumatics, remain at the forefront of power and motion controls associated with manufacturing systems, but are now being heavily interfaced with electronics and control, resulting in the need for maintenance staff to be educated and trained to take up the challenge of ‘Integrated Systems Engineering’. This is not to be confused with the term, ‘multi-skilling’, but refers to the bringing together teams of Technicians, Engineers and Managers to see the total system with a greater synergy than ever before. John Savage, Director of The National Fluid Power centre (UK), commented: “It will be necessary to educate and train staff to thoroughly understand the fundamentals that underpin all of the three key areas be it hydraulics, pneumatics and electronics. Beyond this level, all of these key elements must be brought together to ensure every part of the ‘Integrated System’ is fully understood and the part that each element plays with the overall manufacturing process.” “Today’s maintenance staff have to be more aware of functional safety, health and safety issues, performance and condition monitoring, preventative maintenance techniques and following procedures to carry out effective fault diagnosis on an integrated system”. The National Fluid Power Centre (UK), based at Worksop in Nottinghamshire, is taking a lead, supported by UK industry, to provide an extensive range of short training courses to begin to educate and train our workforce towards ‘Integrated Systems Engineering.’ “With possibly the best practical facilities in Europe and 11 of the UK’s top Training Engineers, we plan to work closely with UK Trade Associations to ensure that our workforce is fully capable and competent to meet this challenge and the UK maintains its competiveness through the provision of its well trained workforce” he explained. Following the recent launch of our comprehensive training programme to meet the needs of industry, RAPRA can confirm that it is working with many training providers, including The National Fluid Power Centre (UK), with the aim of training staff in polymer materials and associated manufacturing processes that cover a very wide range of entry levels and are delivered at locations all over the UK. For more information on the RAPRA training programme please visit: WWW.RAPRA.ORG/CAPABILITIES/TRAINING WWW.NFPC.CO.UK

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EUROMAP: Gondolas, growth and gaining momentum Words | Leanne Taylor

gainst the backdrop of the beautiful city of Venice, the landmark setting of the Hotel Danieli provided the meeting point for the 2015 General Assembly AT THE RECENTLY of EUROMAP – HELD EUROMAP the European GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN Association of VENICE, THE MEMBER Plastics and ASSOCIATIONS GAVE Rubber Machinery A POSITIVE OUTLOOK Manufacturers. The setting FOR EUROPE’S housed a discussion PLASTIC AND as to the current, RUBBER MACHINERY past and future MANUFACTURERS; state of business DESPITE for almost 1,000 DISAPPOINTING manufacturing companies in the RESULTS FROM THE nine EUROMAP BRIC COUNTRIES. member countries of Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. Together, the output of these nine member countries amounted to amounted to €13 billion (£9.6 billion) in 2014, a year-on-year increase of 1.9 percent. In the same period, global exports from EUROMAP countries rose by 1.6 percent to €9.7 billion (£7.2 billion). EUROMAP forecasts a two percent increase for the current year with output rising to €13.3 billion (£9.8 billion). “We are meeting after three years in a very interesting moment, a period in which are sales and turnover are at their highest levels, but at the same time, there is an equally high level of geo-political uncertainties and pitfalls,” commented EUROMAP President, Luciano Anceschi. These high levels, however, were achieved in spite of the fact that the predicted sales growth from the BRIC group of countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India and China, some years previously, had not come to fruition. “The performance of those markets did not meet our, or our manufacturers’ expectations,” said Anceschi. “The shortfall mainly resulted from a slump in demand in Brazil and an even sharper drop in Russia. As for China, the plastics and rubber machinery industry’s development was uneven and needs to be closely monitored. India, on the other hand, is giving cause for optimism after a couple of years of declining exports.”

Firstly, Dr. Peter Neumann, CEO of ENGEL, gave an overview of his company’s own Helmut Heinson, EUROMAP Vice President, attempt to penetrate the Chinese market with commented: “Overall, global output of a presentation entitled ‘China: Opportunities plastics and rubber machinery reached €32.5 for European high-end manufacturers in the billion (£24 billion) in 2014 with EUROMAP middle segment’. accounting for 40 percent of this total. Explaining, Neumann said research “Despite China’s share rising sharply over that started in 2011 revealed the biggest the past few years, EUROMAP managed to opportunities for European machinery hold its own. The same applies to exports, manufacturers in China were to be found in with EUROMAP maintaining a market share of the mid-market segment. By capitalising on around 50 percent over the past five years.” the demand from the country’s burgeoning Expanding, Heinson put this success down middle classes for white goods and to the expertise of the European machinery automotives, the company launched its manufacturers and the development of spin-off ‘WINTEC’ machine in 2014 to provide machines that were highly technical and “a more reliable alternative” to the low-end precise. machines manufactured by local producers. “It takes a certain expertise to build Despite only identifying Haitian as major machinery to the quality and performance competition in this sector in China, Neumann level that we are offering, and it is exactly concluded his presentation by encouraging this expertise that creates our position in EUROMAP companies to consider entering this the marketplace,” he added. “We are not market. “China is certainly even the cheapest, yet we are an important market for selling machines. This is all Europeans,” Neumann because the quality level The discussions at sembly As said. “It is not just ENGEL l ra ne is right, the flexibility Ge e th that can compete in this is correct and our market, there is a great machines can be used opportunity for many for extremely high-level companies here.” technical applications. This is our focus, this is our expertise, and this, to India: Adopting a an extent, is what makes similar approach? us successful in the Asian In the last countries.” presentation of the Heinson acknowledged, Assembly, Rajesh Nath from VDMA India, gave however, that predictions suggest the an overview of how the changing economic technical level of machinery in countries such environment in the country is lending as China, Taiwan and Korea will increase in itself to growing opportunities for overseas the next five to ten years, so that they too manufacturers. are able to provide machines for high-level The current Indian Prime Minister, whose applications. party is the first to hold a majority in the “To that end, maybe what we have to learn country for 30 years, is keen to work on is to provide products for the commodity developing business relationships globally. market, so that both parts become equal. But, “Things are looking brighter for the Indian if that is the case, do we have the production economy,” explained Nath, highlighting the facilities that can accommodate low cost ‘Make in India’ campaign, amongst others, commodity machines and, the other way devised to boost manufacturing in the country. round, does Asia have the facilities to make For plastics machinery manufacturers, technical machines?” he asked. Nath said adopting a similar approach to the Chinese market might be advisable, as many Eastern Promise manufacturers, particularly in the automotive This question provided the theme sector, were looking for the quality of a foreign for further presentations looking at the machine, whilst still being sensitive to price. opportunities for European machinery manufacturers in the Asian market. WWW.EUROMAP.ORG

Holding its own

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

welcome to the yellow world

AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS (IML) | NEWS KRAUSSMAFFEI SAYS PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM “PAYS FOR ITSELF” IN IML PRODUCTION

The APC function provides valuable support for the mould setter

A German manufacturer of automotive parts is using KraussMaffei’s adaptive process control (APC) function in conjunction with in-mould labelling to produce high quality parts with reduced scrap rates. KH Foliotec GmbH has retrofitted all its existing KraussMaffei injection moulding machines suitable for APC with the technology, which is designed to achieve uniform quality and minimal scrap by adapting and continuously modifying the changeover point between pressing and holding pressure for each individual shot by utilising online measurement of the melt viscosity. For the production of a high-gloss, two-component radio dial panel in a 1+1 injection mould, a KraussMaffei CXZ 500-2000/750 is being used. Firstly, a transparent grey PC component for the display is injected before the mould rotates and black PC-ABS for the case body follows in the same cavity in a second step. Simultaneously, the other cavity is already being filled for the next display. This takes place on the back of a PC film with scratchresistant coating that is inserted into the mould. Its glass-like surface makes it necessary to clean the mould several times per shift in order to remove particulates. These interruptions in the production process, and the accompanying need to compensate for fluctuations, provide an ideal application space for APC to achieve optimum product quality again immediately after restarting the process. Compared to operation using a fixed changeover point, standard deviations in moulded part masses (over a 24 hour run time) have been reduced from 0.16 grams to 0.03 grams with APC enabled, according to Daniel Müller, Divisional Manager for the Moulding Department at KH Foliotec, who said that it also “significantly reduces” the rejection rate in series production. Müller also pointed out another aspect of IML production that the process temperature control system has brought to light, namely APC’s ability to control the part’s tendency to warp without having to increase the mould temperature.

KraussMaffei says investing in APC “truly pays for itself” in IML production due to the complexity of the value-adding chain from each of the individual steps. Screen-printing, as well as forming and punching each constitute approximately 25 percent of the valueadding portion of IML parts. The typical scrap rates for both production steps are in the low single-digits. The subsequent injection moulding process provides the other 50 percent of added value, but also entails the highest risks for the complete part. The scrap rate for black, high-gloss visual parts can reach up to 30 percent. For every defective IML component this means the value added from imprinting and forming in earlier steps is also ruined. As a result, KraussMaffei says manufacturers of premium quality IML components have a keen interest in maintaining the stability of their injection moulding process.

Two-component mould on a rotary table

The company also pointed out that APC does not replace the mould setter on a machine; instead it provides the setter with valuable support. Sebastian Huss, Process Optimisation Officer at KH Foliotec said, “APC helps to reduce the sources of errors and to achieve better part quality as a result.” WWW.KRAUSSMAFFEI.COM

The Radio/ CD cover with IML decoration produced by KH Foliotec on a CXZ 5002000/750 from KraussMaffei

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highly reliable • high repeatability • low operating costs

The new technology is redeﬁng stack mould IML, says Waldorf Technik

WALDORF TECHNIK LAUNCHES NEW AUTOMATION SYSTEM TO SIMPLIFY STACK MOULD IML Waldorf Technik has developed a new process for inserting in mould lablleing (IML) labels quickly and safely in the middle plates of stack moulds, which it says will remove the previous restrictions of using such moulds for IML decoration. The company says for single face moulds, the IML procedure has offered a wide range of options for inside and outside gated packaging geometries for many years. For stack moulds, however, insertion of IML labels has always been restricted to the outer platen of the tool. The result, it says, was that containers, for example, always had to be injected from the inside. Inside gating for containers, however, brings a danger of plastic threads in the material due to unavoidable wear on the tools, and often a reduction in productivity due to lower cooling of tool cores. Alternatively, Waldorf Technik says some mould makers used complicated sprue bar systems in an attempt to distribute the hot plastic to the outer plates in order to avoid these problems. However, this technique is expensive and susceptible to wear. The company says that, as a result of its new development to simplify the stack IML process, these restrictions “now belong to the past.” Building on IML technologies it says have been tried and tested in the company for many years, it has now succeeded in bringing a further standard automation for IML stack moulds on stream. This reportedly allows up to 8+8 labels to be inserted into the inner plates of stack moulds as efficiently, precisely and safely as for single face tools. The development could be especially important for

toolmakers as well as injection moulders and food manufacturers, as stack moulds are normally used when large quantities are needed. In other words, for products which are already well established in the consumer market. Criteria such as customer satisfaction and low manufacturing costs are particularly crucial for such successful products. The new technique, says Waldorf Technik, permits both criteria to be more effectively combined than was previously the case. “The danger of threads forming when using efficient stack moulds is lessened by injecting containers from the outside,” explained Holger Kast, Sales Manager at Waldorf Technik. “Manufacturers who have hitherto been producing on single face tools for reasons of quality can in future achieve almost double the output in the same space and with the same injection moulding machine. By comparison, with IML containers already made with stack moulds, the outside gating to be used in future can be expected to result in shorter cooling times for many products and therefore to higher output.” Injection moulders who are already using a normal stack mould to produce outside gated containers and who wish to convert from offset printing or labelling to IML decoration, will experience a further side effect, added Kast. He explained that with the new automated option to insert the labels in the middle plates, existing tools can normally be used for the IML process after a simple adjustment at no great cost, whereas up until now it was usually necessary to buy a new stack mould. This makes the conversion to the IML technique even more attractive for injection moulders, he concluded. WWW.WALDORF-TECHNIK.DE

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IML: No longer the new kid on the block

o one could describe in-mould labelling (IML) as the new kid on the block and perhaps having been around for so long makes it easier for brand-owners and packaging converters to IN-MOULD LABELLING (IML) overlook it. This is despite the MAY BE WELL KNOWN IN fact that the balance between INJECTION MOULDING. costs and benefits has actually undergone a considerable shift HOWEVER, THE REASONS in recent years. For those who FOR INVESTING IN IT HAVE have not revisited IML in the light EVOLVED AND ARE NOT of these developments, it may ALWAYS SO FAMILIAR, be time to give it another long, SAYS NIGEL FLOWERS, hard look. Many are aware of IML as MANAGING DIRECTOR OF an option without knowing SUMITOMO (SHI) DEMAG precisely how labels are applied. UK. HERE, HE WRITES Techniques vary, although the FOR BP&R ON HOW THE most common approach in TECHNOLOGY IS ENTERING injection moulding is to index A NEW GROWTH PHASE. pre-cut labels into the mould using a dedicated robotic arm, and immobilise them using vacuum or static electricity. The product is then rear-injected with polymer, while heat and pressure are carefully adjusted to deliver the required degree of melt in the film. Industry analysts signal that while Europe commands the IML market with 58 percent of overall demand, its growth is barely on the radar compared to emerging markets including South America and Asia Pacific – which have enjoyed an annual growth pattern of 17.5 percent and 7.5 percent respectively. Based on global IML volume, the injection moulding format (IML-IM) dominates at 68 percent* in comparison to 31 percent for IML extrusion blow moulding and a mere one percent for thermoforming. This reflects the much deeper penetration of the technology in Europe, where, currently 95 percent is IML-IM compared to the other IML alternatives. Looking ahead, global IML volume is expected to reach 1.01 billion sq. meters in 2017– up by almost 18 percent on 2012 figures.** Converters and brand-owners in the UK and Europe may express concern about entering a whole new market with a different set of suppliers. However, because the networks and reputations have had plenty of time to bed in, new entrants stand a much better chance of latching onto established supplier relationships, rather than encountering a fly-by-night sector on the crest of its first wave. That may reassure those new to the market, but what about the costs? Here too the news is encouraging. At Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, we have seen the capital cost of a system decline significantly in recent years at an estimated 12-15 percent. One prime reason for this is robots have become simpler to integrate. In the last half decade this has stripped out some significant expenditure in IML installations. Meanwhile, IML cycle times have got faster, varying from four seconds upwards.

Material World

Specifically in IML, many benefits relate to materials use. At a time when the weight of packaging is more closely scrutinised than ever before, both for cost and sustainability reasons, IML-IM offers a cost effective method of forming robust thin-wall containers with lots of visual shelf appeal. Most filmic IML labels are in the 1540 micron range. Enhancements in pre-mould handling technology give converters the option of using label materials at the thinner end of the spectrum.

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

While label substrates have become thinner, they have also migrated from decorating a small portion or strip of any given pack to covering the entire container. This is the result of years of development. It means that, in the case of food, labels can incorporate multilayer barriers and even provide full coverage to minimising oxygen penetrating the pack, which in turn extends shelf life and reduces product waste.

Hooking customers through shelf appeal

In today’s overcrowded consumer market, it’s the tactile and visual finishes of a container that gives it a unique standout on-shelf and in the consumer’s hand. And that’s where brand owners continue to focus much of their efforts. Previous challenges, such as label distortion on deeper containers (for instance ice cream tubs and yellow fats) have been solved. It is now possible to apply labels to containers 80mm deep, while staying consistent and true. What’s more, the modular flexibility of IMLIM systems today means you can run a wide range of packing shapes and label types through one system. This means much smaller production runs are now feasible. In addition, higher-quality results are largely the result of dependable supplier relationships on the equipment side to match specialisation in label converting. IML is gaining traction in the UK and Europe and generating interest beyond the automotive sector and yellow fats food categories. Now, other packaging categories such as DIY and a much wider range of foods are reaping the benefits. No sector is immune from today’s much fiercer competition for the consumer’s attention, and IML has proven benefits in terms of image quality, consistency and overall visual impact. There remains, of course, several challenging aspects to IML that need to be considered, notably the wider machine footprint. Effectively, a label insertion system requires the same amount of space again as the IM machine itself. However, converters that have the physical capacity to expand, and the imaginative capacity to spot the opportunities, will offset these drawbacks against the huge – and growing – advantages offered by this technology. UK.SUMITOMO-SHI-DEMAG.EU *http://www.convertingquarterly.com/blogs/converting-curmudgeon/id/6488/ where-the-in-mold-label-market-will-be-in-2017.aspx ** http://convertingcurmudgeon.com/2012/10/08/where-the-in-mold-labelingmarket-will-be-in-2016/

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PLASTIC ELECTRONICS | NEWS ILLUMINATING POSSIBILITIES WITH PLASTIC Independent compounder, LATI, says the growing use of high-tech thermoplastics in the lighting industry is providing aesthetic, as well as functional benefits. The company’s thermally conductive LATICONTHER 62 GR/50 compound has been used in an ultra light and technical task lamp, known as the ‘Tivedo’, designed by Italian manufacturer, Luceplan. The ‘Tivedo’ has a swivelling head containing a new-generation LED that combines high output with low energy consumption and a life span approaching 50,000 hours. To ensure proper cooling of the LED module, a heat sink has been used that has a unique role. Rather than being purely a technical component, the part, made from LATICONTHER 62 GR/50 compound instead of aluminium, is moulded with a fabric-like pattern to create an unusual aesthetic feature. This PA6-based thermally conductive grade allows effective cooling of electronic components and LEDs thanks to special graphite added to the compound in a quantity

DOW CORNING UNVEILS TWO ADVANCED SILICONE TECHNOLOGIES FOR LED LIGHTING Dow Corning has introduced two new silicon-based products for the LED lighting market that it says will help “push the limits” of the sector. Launched at the LED Professional Symposium (LpS 2015) in Bregenz, Austria, last month, Dow said the new products enhance its portfolio of silicone solutions for optimising the manufacture, performance and reliability of LED lighting modules and fixtures. “The global general lighting market is poised for transformation as LEDs compete more aggressively with conventional light sources,” said Hugo Da Silva, Global Industry Director, LED Lighting, Dow Corning. “Optical-grade silicones are a 20

of 50 percent by weight, as well as featuring a structure that allows preferential heat transfer paths. Other benefits of the LATICONTHER compounds include their low density, even when compared to extremely light metals such as aluminium, as well as their compatibility with injection moulding. “The use of injection moulded thermoconductive resins allows even very complex shapes and high dimensional accuracy, thus making the assembly process of finished product more efficient,” explained Andrew Donkin, LATI Sales Manager for UK and Ireland. “Injection moulding also avoids the expensive and laborious processing stages typical of metalworking, from flash removal to waste management, from washing to painting. “These factors provide interesting solution not only from a technical point of view, but also in terms of economy and marketing.” LATICONTHER thermally conductive compounds are available in the electrically insulating or

conductive versions starting from any thermoplastic base, from PP to PEEK.

driving force in that transformation, as they are uniquely able to introduce more efficient, reliable and costeffective lighting concepts. As a long-time collaborative innovator with industry leaders, Dow Corning is helping to push the limits of LED lighting and introduce a new generation of solid-state lighting.” The first of the new products, Dow Corning CI-2001 White Reflecting Coating, is a bright white reflective coating designed to enhance the optical output and efficiency of LED lighting fixtures and to offer good resistance to environmental aging. Secondly, the new Dow Corning EI-1184 Optical Encapsulant, is said to deliver high transparency and weatherability to enable reliable, long-lasting protection of sensitive LED electronics against moisture, ultraviolet light, thermal cycling and

extreme temperatures. It targets demanding outdoor LED lighting applications. Also at the Symposium, Dow highlighted its ‘Moldable Silicones’ technology. These versatile materials, it says, are helping to redefine LED lamp and luminaire designs by enabling more complex shapes, micro-scale optical structures, multifunctional parts and undercuts difficult to achieve with organic polymers or glass. Available as optically clear or highly white reflective solutions, they resist against yellowing and physical degradation from high lumen density and temperatures up to 150°C+ to ensure reliable performance over the lifetime of the device.

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COVESTRO LAUNCHES THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE POLYMER FOR LED LIGHTING Covestro has introduced a new, thermally conductive polycarbonate into its portfolio of thermoplastic products for the lighting industry designed for efficient heat management in LED lamps. The company, formally known as Bayer MaterialScience, introduced Makrolon TC8030 (TC thermally conductive) polycarbonate at the International LED professional Lighting Symposium + Expo in Bregenz, Austria, last month. Covestro says despite some improvement with respect to the efficiency of LEDs, the lamps have still not yet reached the level of efficiency theoretically possible because a portion of the energy is given off in the form of heat. This heat must be dissipated via cooling elements in order to ensure a high light yield and long service life of the lamps. “Compared with the aluminum typically used, the plastic stands out for its combination of good thermal conductivity and greater design freedom,” explained Dr. Klaus Reinartz, Covestro Marketing Manager for LED Lighting in the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America region, during a presentation at the LpS symposium. “The easy and efficient production via injection moulding enables a whole new generation of cooling elements.” Reinartz explained the plastic has good thermal conductivity behaviour similar to that of aluminum, but weighs less and is therefore well suited for lighter weight LED lighting solutions. Covestro says additional thermally conductive Makrolon grades will be launched soon, as the company continues to develop “innovative and sustainable solutions for global challenges” now that it is an independent company. Statistics indicate lighting presently accounts for around 15 percent of the world’s energy consumption and five percent of greenhouse gas emissions. According

NEW TOTAL ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE COMPOUNDS OFFER “OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE” Total has announced the market availability of a new electrostatic discharge (ESD) product range. The company says this new technology offers solutions to avoid damages associated with static electricity and hence enhances ESD, a key issue that concerns all aspects of electronics manufacturing. By the use of high performance carbon nanotubes (CNT), polystyrene and polyolefin compounds have been developed for sheet extrusion, thermoforming, rotational moulding and injection. More specifically, Total says the CNT compounds exhibit a unique balance of cleanliness, processability and electrical performance. “Developing such an innovative solution required several years of research, testing and product development, leading finally to the first successful

Covestro says thermally conductive polycarbonate Makrolon TC8030 has good thermal management, but offers signiﬁcantly more freedom of design than aluminum, which is commonly used for this purpose.

to estimates by the UNEP Global Efficient Lighting Forum, switching to energy efficient lighting could reduce this worldwide energy requirement by more than one thousand terawatt hours (TWh) each year, and in doing so reduce the associated CO2 emissions by roughly 530 million metric tonnes. Covestro says given this, it is therefore “committed to modern and energy-efficient lighting technologies such as LED” and has established a “wide and diverse range of products for this field.” WWW.COVESTRO.COM

commercial orders last quarter,” said Xavier Bontemps, Senior VP of Total’s Polymers Business Unit. Total says this new product range provides “an innovative balance of properties to packaging materials producers and end users.” They are now available worldwide. WWW.TOTALREFININGCHEMICALS.COM Total says its new, electrically conductive compounds offer outstanding performance for electrostatic discharge (ESD) applications. Credit: Total

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NEW LIGHTWEIGHT LED LIGHTING MODULE FOR AUDI Q7 HEADLIGHT DEVELOPED DSM has collaborated with ZKW Group, a provider of light systems for motor vehicles, to produce a new lightweight LED lighting module for the Audi Q7. The headlight uses DSM’s Arnite XL-T material, chosen for its technical and aesthetic properties, as well as conforming to strict fuel, safety and emissions policies. Currently LED lighting, with its excellent performance characteristics, is the cutting edge of automotive headlamp design. Headlights are also a safety critical item and must perform to highest international standards. LED, HID and Halogen lighting systems, often combined in one headlight assembly, offer excellent performance but also place more restrictions on the use of materials and design. Sunlight radiated into the multiple LED/HID lenses creates localised increases in thermal loadings in excess of 235°C. Such high sun loadings, can cause heat distortion and outgassing of both functional and aesthetic components. Components in the headlamp assembly, such as the bezel, lensholders or frames can suffer from outgassing, become distorted, damaged or can even melt under such severe conditions. Aesthetic trim components extend the performance challenge in being able to meet the designer’s requirement for exacting surface appearance in black or dark grey colours that increase the issue of sun load. DSM says that its Arnite XL-T, with a heat deflection temperature (HDT) of 250°C, low outgassing and excellent textured surface finish in dark colours, offers both the designer and engineer extended freedom in headlight LED/HID module construction. Arnite has been used successfully for many years in lighting and other automotive electrical and electronic applications that demand high heat performance and low outgassing characteristics. Following research and testing, DSM says it has developed proprietary technology that has extended the thermal conductivity of Arnite XL-T to outperform high 22

Audi Q7 with headlight LED/HID module construction in Arnite XL-T. (Photo: DSM Engineering Plastics)

heat resistance thermoplastics such as polyether sulfon (PES), polyetherimides (PEI) and polyphthalamides (PPA) without high costs or issues such as critical processing and water absorption. A key benefit of Arnite XL-T, DSM added, is its outstanding surface finish when textured, even in glass fibre reinforced grades/variations/options. “Innovation is our foundation and we stake our reputation on the pioneering advances we continue to make in headlight systems,” explained Sylvana Wetscher of the ZKW Group. “Arnite XL-T enables us to design LED lighting modules that meet all the design criteria set by our OEM customers who have recognised the advantages it offers for sunload issues. “Together with our partner DSM, we have achieved the ultimate goal of meeting the functional requirements of the headlamp module as well as conquering the issues of heat distortion and outgassing, without complex and costly redesigns for metal inserts or additional heat shields. This has kept the overall weight to a minimum that contributes to improved fuel economy and reduces the vehicles carbon footprint.” WWW.DSM.COM Textured plates of Arnite XL-T based on the VDI norm 3400 (Photo: DSM Engineering Plastics)

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BASF’S FLAME RETARDANT PBT CHOSEN FOR MAJOR POWER ELECTRONICS APPLICATION A flame retardant polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) from BASF has been selected for use in the mass production of a range of semiconductor modules. Ultradur B4450 G5 is now being used for the production of MiniSKiiP Dual power semiconductor modules from Semikron, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of power modules and systems, mainly in the medium output range of approx. 2 kW up to 10 MW. BASF says the flame retardant system used in the PBT contains no halogen and complies with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS). Application examples of power semiconductor modules (or DC/ AC converters) are in industrial drive technology, solar inverters, or in the powertrain of electric vehicles. Developing heat is dissipated from the modules by metallic heat sinks. This prevents any rise in temperature and helps to ensure an optimum operating temperature. The power semiconductors are protected from external influences such as moisture, dirt, and fluctuations in temperature by a housing made from Ultradur thermoplastic. The material is classified as V-0 under UL 94 from a wall thickness of 1.5 millimetres and, BASF says that, in combination with an excellent temperature performance (RTI = 140 °C), makes it particularly well suited to applications in electric power modules that are subject to a high amount of heat generation. The thermoplastic also reportedly has good mechanical properties and can be light-coloured. With a CTI value of 600, the material has good electrical insulation capacity, which BASF says offers great freedom of design even for small and detailed components, such as the MiniSKiiP Dual. Ultradur B4450 G5 is reinforced with 25 percent

ELECTROACTIVE POLYMERS MARKET WORTH 4.4 BILLION USD BY 2020 The global electroactive polymers market is projected to reach USD 4.4 billion (approx. £2.9bn GBP) by 2020, signifying firm annualised growth of seven percent between 2015 and 2020, according to recently published research.

Power semiconductor modules by SEMIKRON, made from BASF’s Ultradur

glass fibres, which gives the components additional stability. “Thanks to the positive cooperation and the professional support we have received from BASF in respect of application development and simulation, we have managed to manufacture components which are not just extremely stable, but also display a very low level of wear for a material that is reinforced with glass fibres,” commented Dr.-Ing. Jörn Grossmann, New Technologies Material Expert at Semikron, in explaining the approach adopted in the trial phase. The company is now examining other possible uses for Ultradur B4450 G5. WWW.ULTRADUR.DE

The findings, from industry analysts, MarketsandMarkets, take into account conductive plastics, inherently conductive polymers and inherently dissipative polymers, as well as applications such as actuators, antistatic packaging, capacitors and sensors. North America is the global leader in the consumption of electroactive polymers and the report suggests this dominance will continue to 2020. The US is followed by Canada and Mexico, where consumption is growing steadily. Increase in the consumption of electroactive polymers has been observed in the Asia-Pacific region due to rapid industrialisation and subsequent growth of the electronics, medical and automotives sector. Conductive plastics are the major type of electroactive polymers, with high strength and improved electrical properties. These properties are achieved mainly through the use of fillers and additive compounds. Conductive plastics are the most preferred electroactive polymers that are used in major applications, namely, protection against electrostatic discharge, LED lamps, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, amongst others. WWW.MARKETSANDMARKETS.COM

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RECYCLING MACHINERY | NEWS US TEXTILE MANUFACTURER USES RECYCLING TECH FOR PET BOTTLES A US-based textile manufacturer has invested $25 million (approx. £16.5 million) in new plastics recycling technology in order to increase its capacity to turn PET bottles into recycled fibres for clothing and automotive products. Unifi Inc., a producer and processor of multi-filament polyester and nylon textured yarn based in Reidsville, North Carolina, is making the investment in a new PET washing plant that will be designed, built and assembled by AMUT SpA and Bulk Handling Systems (BHS). Unifi will use AMUT’s patented dry de-labelling system to remove the shrink sleeve wraps from postconsumer bottles, alongside a frontend PET purification system with nine optical sorters that will be designed, manufactured and installed by BHS

LINDNER EXTENDS RANGE OF PLASTIC SHREDDERS FOR HIGHER THROUGHPUT RATES Lindner ReSource, a manufacturer of shredding technology for the plastics industry, has added a

and sister company, National Recovery Technologies. The system also will feature the latest in screens and airsorting technology. BHS says the system will process 22,000 pounds of baled materials per hour by removing the non-PET content and preparing the PET for the conversion from bottles to flake. The flake is used to make Unifi’s ‘Repreve’ line of polyester yarns and fibres, which go into product brands like Haggar, Ford and Quicksilver. Since 2009, Unifi has recycled more than four billion plastic bottles into Repreve-based products. The new bottle processing plant will produce about 75 million pounds of recycled PET materials when it begins operation in June 2016. “This state-of-the-art facility will raise the bar for Unifi, allowing us to internalise the majority of our flake requirements as we continue to expand our Repreve filament and polymer chip

business,” Mark McNeill, Unifi’s Vice President of Technology and Business Development, said in a statement.

new, high-capacity addition to its Apollo range of single shaft shredders for recycling. The company says thanks to its extended rotor length of 1900mm, the new Apollo 1900 system is specifically suitable for users who are handling high material volumes or for shredding large-sized pieces or baled materials. Its hopper can be moved backwards, as on the smaller models in the Apollo range, providing convenient access to the cutting chamber over its full length and width for safer blade change. Further advantages, says Lidner, include the segmented bottom of

the cutting chamber, which helps to prevent jams, and the modular screen system that supports quick and easy screen changes. “For our customers, the Apollo plastic shredders prove an economically and ecologically attractive investment,” commented Harald Hoffmann, Managing Director of Lindner resource. “These machines have a relatively short payback period, as our consistent use of high-grade materials and components results in a high reliability and availability rate in addition to low maintenance needs. And what’s more, their low energy demand helps to protect the environment and to save operating costs. It was therefore an easy decision for us to launch the new 1900 model with a view to meeting the market’s brisk demand for even higher shredder throughput rates.” Launched in the market in 2014, the Apollo line of plastic shredders has evolved into the most sought-after product in Lindner reSource’s portfolio.

Expanding Lindner reSource’s range of Apollo plastic shredders, the new 1900 model now answers the demand for even higher throughput rates.

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WWW.AMUT.IT WWW.BULKHANDLINGSYSTEMS.COM the new Uniﬁ is investing in logy to hno tec ing ycl PET rec o fabrics turn old bottles int

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NEW ROTARY FILTRATION SYSTEM CUTS WASTE AND INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY A new filtration system designed for highly contaminated materials is now running successfully in plastic recycling applications across Europe and South America. The new RSFgenius M model from Gneuss is the follow-on model from the company’s fully automatic and backflushing model, RSFgenius, and is said to cope with higher contamination rates thanks to the synchronisation of the drive and backflushing mechanism. This further optimises the unique selfcleaning technology, says Gneuss, resulting in a significant increase of screen capacity as well as a reduction of the quantity of material lost through backflushing. RSFgenius M filtration systems are now running successfully in several recycling applications across Europe, as well as two in in South America. At the company Brandt in Brazil an RSFgenius M 150 replaced a slide plate screen changer on a 380 kg/h repelletising line. This extruder processes 100 percent PP and PE reclaim into pellets for injection moulding. Gneuss says before the RSFgenius M was installed, the line couldn’t handle all available materials in order to ‘minimise’ the disruptions caused by frequent screen changes. With the fully automatic RSFgenius M, all incoming materials are now reportedly being processed, and, with no disruptions for screen changes, the overall line output has been increased by approx. 1000 kg/ day. At the same time, Gneuss says the end product quality has been increased thanks to finer screens. Secondly, at Reteplast, a plastics recycler based in Argentina, an RSFgenius M 150 replaced a slide plate screen changer on a 400 kg/h repelletising extruder. Here, 100 percent reclaim, mainly PP, ABS and PE, is processed into pellets, also for injection moulding applications. Gnuess says that previously, the material had to be washed before the extrusion process in order to separate paper contamination. With the RSFgenius M this extra step is no longer necessary. The melt is now automatically filtered to 250 microns, without any disruptions or disturbances. The RSFgenius M automatically backflushes the screens 350-500 times, depending on the specific material. Gneuss says the material losses through backflushing are considerably lower than the material losses previously caused by more than 200 screen changes per day. The replacement of Reteplast’s old slide plate screen changer has not only increased the daily output by 30 percent, but also improved the end product quality. Orlando Meza, General Manager of Reteplast, commented: “When we chose

the Gneuss RSFgenius M 150 Filtration System, we knew we were investing in the growth of our products and services both in quantity and in quality. But we did not realise then how much growth and improvement we would get. The new filtration system reduces the number of steps our material has to go through, and among other benefits, it provides huge waste savings, increased productivity and better filtration quality.” WWW.GNEUSS.DE Gneuss Rotary Melt Filtration System RSFgenius M

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EXCLUSIVE: A giant leap forward in the recycling of plastic regrind

To enable recyclates to be used 1:1 as a substitute for virgin material there are two crucial factors. On the one hand, sufficient raw recycling material has to be available and, on the other hand, it has to be possible to process this material economically to make recycled pellets with customised property profiles. Thick-walled regrind has enormous potential in this respect as the input material for recycling – sufficient quantities are available and, above all, they are clean sorted. Reprocessing the recycled pellets from regrind without any problems and ensuring the functional properties of the end products which are made from them, however, requires a specific recycling process – one which conventional systems on the market have so far not been able to accomplish with due thoroughness. Manufacturer of recycling machinery, EREMA, says it now has the the solution for this: its new ‘INTAREMA RegrindPro’ plant system, which it says is geared exactly to all types of thick-walled regrind material and, thanks to what it says is gentle process and highly efficient filtration, can make application-optimised recycled pellets from regrind. Here, Clemens Kitzberger, Business Development Manager for Post Consumer Recycling at EREMA, shares the background on this latest technology exclusively with BP&R.

The new RegrindPro

ecycled pellets based on regrind material are an excellent alternative to virgin material for plastics processors. Most of all because of the fact that regrind is easy to sort and separate and is thus available as a clean sorted input stream for the upstream recycling process. Raw material sources include thick-walled packaging such as HDPE blow-moulded bottles from the hygiene and cosmetic sectors and also thermoformed and injection-moulded articles made of polypropylene and polystyrene such as closure caps, cups, fruit containers and butter tubs. Plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and products from the automotive sector such as bumpers, battery packs, engine piping, etc. also have great potential in terms of reutilisation. The material streams are, therefore, available in sufficient quantities for the use of recycled regrind as a substitute for virgin material and, compared to film, they are also available in a more clean-sorted form. Processors are, however, also interested in the rheological properties of these recyclates allowing trouble-free subsequent processing and the assurance of the functional characteristics of their end products. Besides the mechanical aspects, above all surface quality, dyeability and smell are decisive quality factors. This places particularly high requirements on the recycling process which commercially available systems have not always been able to meet so far.

Challenge: regrind recycling

Due to its high bulk density (200-600 kg/m³) and the fact that it is free-flowing, regrind is, as a rule, easy to dose in an extrusion system and requires no additional compacting and size reduction. The challenge, however, lies particularly in melting the thick-walled regrind particles in a gentle way, as they require more time to heat through and melt compared to thin films. With conventional treatment systems the regrind is dosed into the single or twin-screw extruder via a hopper system. A longer processing unit is thus required to melt the cold regrind particles. This increases the residence time in the extruder and the melting process takes place under high shear stress. The polymer structure is destroyed in parts because of this, which has a negative impact on the mechanical properties of the end products. Additionally, the impurities appearing in the regrind material are also reduced in size through the impacting shear forces and filtration efficiency is decreased drastically as a result. Compared to the single screw systems, this effect is increased with the co-rotating twin-screw extruder to as much as three times poorer filtration fineness due to the low-pressure build-up. The cold-fed single screw systems lack the flexibility to handle the various regrind types such as HDPE and PP with the same quality requirements economically on one system. Additionally, moisture contents of up to eight percent mean that energy-consuming pre-drying is necessary on both systems. The specific treatment process in the recycling of thickwalled input material thus has to be designed to be able to work with different types of regrind (PP, PE, PS, ABS, etc.), with a wide variety of bulk densities and moisture contents, plus strongly varying contaminants such as impurities

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www.motan-colortronic.co.uk like rubber and silicone, soft contaminants like wood and paper, plus foreign polymers like PET and PA. These contaminants have to be removed effectively because more and more material is being saved in wall thicknesses also in the production of, for example, bottles and pipes, and the end products are thus more sensitive to defects through contaminants. Processors who use recycled pellets from regrind have to be able to rely on their end products having premium surface quality and that likewise, mechanical properties stay top class. In order to be able to recycle in line with these criteria, the recycling extruder has to be filled with thoroughly warmed regrind particles to ensure first of all exceptionally gentle processing and, secondly, highperformance filtration. And these are precisely the two key functions of the new RegrindPro technology. Fig. 1: Comparison of regrind recycling systems

RegrindPro technology

What makes RegrindPro special is that, unlike other systems, the regrind material is heated through already prior to extrusion, which increases both flexibility in material selection and filtration efficiency as a result. This is handled by the preconditioning unit, which is optimised for the regrind and in which the material is processed in an extremely gentle way by means of a rotor disc with a special tool setup. Thanks to the slow turning of this rotor disc the thick-walled, moist particles are efficiently dried and degassed with a high filling level and thus longer residence time. Long residence times in the preconditioning unit are important so the regrind is not only dried but also so it has enough time to be warmed thoroughly and homogeneously. An additional benefit of the longer residence time is that powder additives such as CaCO3 can be admixed in amounts up to 20 percent and, above all, be distributed well. After the preconditioning unit the dried, degassed and warmed material is dosed into the directly connected extruder and melted in the short universal screw with minimum shear stress. EREMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Counter Current technology offers a further benefit here, which is crucial especially in terms of free-flowing materials such as regrind. This is made possible by the screw being filled virtually pressure-free and the fact that it only takes as much as is required at any one time. Furthermore, the melting process with minimum shear stress increases the cleaning efficiency of the melt filter, as the size of organic or mineral solid matter is not reduced. This means that even contaminants such as wood and paper can be optimally filtered because, thanks to the gentle process, the fibres do not separate and they remain large enough to be discharged at the filter. Once the material has been melted the melt passes through the EREMA Laserfilter. This technology has recently been enhanced, with a redesign of the scraper geometry and discharge system meaning contaminants are removed even more quickly, reducing fine particles and resulting in even better filtration performance.

Comparison tests

nonconformities caused by impurities in the test film also has a negative impact on the subsequent processing of these recycled pellets and leads to mechanical and optical defects in the end products. The comparison in Fig. 1 documents the respective defect analysis for the test films produced from the different recycled pellets and shows the cumulative defect area share as a function of the defect size. In contrast to the other technologies the curve for RegrindPro already begins to flatten at nonconforming sizes of 400-450 Âľm and stays at a constant nonconforming area share of approx. 300 ppm. With the cold-input single and twin-screw systems tested, however, the curve rises and with it the nonconforming area of the film increases throughout the entire area measured significantly to over 1000 ppm. The comparison shows that the recycled pellets produced with RegrindPro are filtered much better and contain significantly fewer and, above all, fewer large impurities. This difference in quality is already visible to the naked eye when you see the film sample. And it is precisely this difference in quality, which has an effect on surface quality in subsequent processing of the recycled pellets to make e.g. piping, bottles, automotive parts etc.

Summary

To take full advantage of the potential of recycled regrind as an alternative to virgin material a specific treatment process is required. With the new INTAREMA RegrindPro, we believe EREMA has succeeded in developing a plant system, which is designed exactly for these thick-walled materials. In short, the tehnology offers a number of benefits, which enables the processing of regrind to make applicationoptimised recycled pellets and make end products with a recycling rate of up to 100 percent. WWW.EREMA.AT

About the Author:

Fig. 1 compares the filtration efficiency of conventional single and twin-screw systems with the new RegrindPro system. Natural PP regrind from the same batch was used as input material on all systems and the respective recycled pellets were then processed to make sample films on an OCS film plant in the analysis laboratory at EREMA. The defects in the films are detected automatically in the process and then categorised according to size and the area of nonconformity is shown in cumulative form. With this sensitive testing method any impurities remaining in the recycled pellets are made visible and can thus be evaluated in terms of both quality and quantity. A large number of

Clemens Kitzberger, EREMA Business Development Manager for Post Consumer Recycling. Thanks to his years working as a commissioning and R&D process engineer Clemens Kitzberger has a wealth of technical knowledge about recycling. In his position as head of process engineering for postconsumer applications he also acquired considerable expertise in the field of filtration technologies in recent years. In his new capacity as Business Development Manager, Kitzberger acts as an intermediary and interface between the marketplace and technology, identifying trends and market opportunities in post-consumer recycling.

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Moulding the future of plastics automation www.staubli.com/robotics

Flexible. Fast. Consistent. Suitable for all industries including Electronics, Optical, Medical device and consumer goods: The clean consistent performance of Stäubli robots make them the ideal solution for all types of robotic applications from complete process automation through In mould labelling to high speed parts handling. The future is Man and Machine.

Staubli (UK) Limited, Tel + 44 1952 671917 Staubli is a trademark of Stäubli International AG, registered in Switzerland and other countries. © Stäubli, 2015

COMPOSITES | NEWS Prof. Ken Kendall, Professorial Fellow at WMG’s Automotive Composite Research Centre.

FIRST ENGEL V-DUO PRESS ARRIVES IN UK TO ACCELERATE LIGHTWEIGHT COMPONENT DEVELOPMENT The first ENGEL v-duo machine specifically designed for fibre composite applications has been installed in the UK. The v-duo press has been housed at WMG’s Automotive Composite Research Centre at the University of Warwick. The Centre’s aim is to help the automotive sector tap into innovative technologies, using the industrial-scale machine to develop mass-production processes for the manufacture of fibre reinforced

composite components. ENGEL supplied the 1,700-tonne press with a mould and integrated HP-RTM equipment. With a mould mounting surface of 2.2 by 1.8 metres, ENGEL says the machine offers WMG the opportunity to produce a multitude of components and use different materials and manufacturing processes. “As a development partner with the automotive industry, flexibility is very important to us,” explained Prof. Ken Kendall, Professorial Fellow at WMG’s Automotive Composite Research Centre. “The ENGEL v-duo enables us to research thermoset composites prepreg compression moulding (PCM), sheet moulding compound (SMC) compression

Great Britain’s ﬁrst ENGEL v-duo press has been housed at WMG’s Automotive Composite Research Centre at the University of Warwick.

moulding, HP-RTM and stamp forming of thermoplastic composites. The precise control provided by this equipment is an essential feature for us when researching these processes”. The ENGEL v-duo machine was designed specifically for fibre composite applications. Compared to conventional presses, the ENGEL v-duo is said to be 50 percent shorter in terms of height and around 60 percent lighter. ENGEL says the large vertical machine, which is available with clamping forces from 4,000 to 36,000 kN, therefore makes it possible to create compact production cells at low investment costs. The v-duo has a high degree of rigidity and excellent platen parallelism, says ENGEL. Platenparallelism control for injection compression moulding is included in the standard version of the machine. In addition, handling devices that move straight into the mould area can be integrated to save space. Using the sliding tables, insertion tasks and set-ups can be carried out easily. The hydraulic accumulator has been removed, and, says ENGEL, with the ecodrive servo-hydraulic system fitted on the standard version of the machine, the ENGEL v-duo is setting new standards in energy efficiency. WWW.ENGELGLOBAL.COM

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CASE STUDY: TAKING FLIGHT: AIRBUS REDUCES WEIGHT AND PRODUCTION COSTS BY 40 PERCENT WITH NEW CRFP COMPONENT A carbon fibre-reinforced highperformance polymer (CFRP) has been selected by Airbus Helicopters to replace aluminium in an aircraft door fitting of the Airbus A350-900. The decision is said to both improve component quality and reduce weight and costs by 40 percent. The A350-900 is one of the three models in the family of Airbus’ new, wide-body passenger aircraft, known as A350-XWB. The new generation jetliners, are said by the aircraft manufacturer to be “setting a new standard of efficiency” with 25 percent lower fuel consumption compared to competitor models, more passenger comfort and more room. The fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) structure of the A350-XWB’s aircraft door uses an outer skin coupled with a bracing structure on the inside. A fitting, manufactured from Victrex’s

PEEK 90HMF40 thermoplastic, connects the outer skin to points on the internal bracing structure. The two components form a box-type structure to exploit the maximum geometrical moment of inertia. Christian Wolf, Head of Aeroplane Doors Research and Technology, Airbus Helicopters, explained the operation and significance of the PEEK component: “In terms of the standard load case, i.e. the internal cabin pressure, this point-type joint reduces the deformation on the outer skin, thereby maintaining the aerodynamic quality of the aircraft door. All components in the aircraft door are of a singly redundant design. If a component near the bracket fails, the bracket will provide an alternative path for transferring structural loads and is therefore part of the aircraft’s primary structure.” Metal replacement: New bracket reduces costs and improves quality By using the carbon fibrereinforced high-performance Victrex

Aerospace bracket/ ﬁtting: First primary structural component made from Victrex PEEK polymer Copyright: Airbus Helicopters

PEEK 90HMF40 polymer instead of the aluminium previously used, Airbus Helicopters has successfully manufactured an equivalent component that provides a range of benefits, in addition to reducing weight and production costs by 40 percent. These include joining the PEEK component, instead of an aluminium component, to a thermoset, resulting in making drilling much easier, as well as optimised carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) drills that have improved the quality of the holes compared with the previous solution. Victrex PEEK 90HMF40 is a material specified by Airbus. The thermoplastic is said to easily withstand the moisture that continuously accumulates inside aircraft doors, whereas aluminium, which is prone to corrosion, needed a special surface coating to prevent corrosion. “The suitable material, supplied by Victrex, as well as their expertise and collaboration with their

COOLING FLUIDS for Extrusion & Moulding Processes Expert technical advice and factory direct pricing, since 1998 www.hydratech.co.uk info@hydratech.co.uk tel: 01792 586800

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materials experts have contributed to the successful development and component qualification. The expertise gained from the initial use of fibre-reinforced PEEK can be transferred to other components and to other areas of application with similar requirements”, added Wolf. New developments and investments help maintain the lead In the aerospace business the ‘design and build’ process, e.g. development in accordance with a given specification, is a possible option for producing structural components. In this process, the developer has additional freedom in matters such as the selection of materials. “90HMF40 is a special high-performance thermoplastic which is also suitable for load-bearing structural components, as now used for the first time in the Airbus A350900 and therefore in regular airline operations. This first application is certain to be quickly followed by others”, explained Uwe Marburger, Aerospace Business Development Manager at Victrex. Victrex PEEK 90HMF40 is a high-performance polymer with high-modulus fibres (HMF). It is based on the Victrex 90-Series polyaryletherketone, which is primarily used in very thin-walled injection-moulded components. High-strength components can be manufactured from the material, whose properties include up to 100 times longer fatigue life and up to 20 percent greater specific strength and stiffness than aluminium 7075-T6, when performing under the same conditions.

COVESTRO DEVELOPS NEW PUR SYSTEM FOR COMPOSITES IN HP-RTM PROCESS Covestro, formerly Bayer MaterialScience, has developed a new matrix system for carbon fibre structural components that it says has three times the energy absorption potential of comparable resins. The company says its new Baydur system is therefore able to provide an extremely high-level of occupant safety in the event of a collision when used in automotive components. Automakers and direct suppliers also benefit from high productivity, Covestro added, because the components are manufactured efficiently using the state-of-the-art high-pressure resin transfer moulding (HP-RTM) process. “We developed the polyurethane system with high-profile partners in the automotive industry and optimised it for the latest requirements,” explained Detlef Mies, Expert for RTM Composites at Covestro. “Our partner ThyssenKrupp used it to manufacture prototypes at its state-of-the-art Composites

Technical Centre in Dresden. These have performed extremely well in material testing.” The HP-RTM process has proved very effective for manufacturing robust composite parts in volumes in the low hundreds of thousands, says Covestro. Wovens or fabric with oriented carbon fibres are first laid in the open mould, which is then closed. In the space of a few seconds, the low-viscosity PU system is injected into the closed mould under high pressure. Thanks to the high reactivity of the PU system, the composite cures rapidly and fully (Snap Cure), and the component can be demoulded and processed after a short time. Cycle times are reportedly just a few minutes, with consistently high quality. Various polyurethane matrix materials from Covestro are already being used successfully to manufacture composite materials via RTM, the pultrusion process and other process technologies. WWW.COVESTRO.COM pert, Karine Covestro ex otype ows the prot Benbelaid sh as w ch hi nt, w of a compone e efﬁcient th g in us d manufacture er e resin transf high-pressur P-RTM). (H s es oc pr moulding

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The gentle way

RegrindPro速

FAKUMA / Friedrichshafen / Germany / 13.-17.10.2015 / Hall A6 / Booth A6-6314

The gentle way to success in regrind recycling. Are you looking for the ultimate way of producing top recycled pellets from thick-walled regrind? For end products with best performance properties and a particularly high recyclate content? The new INTAREMA速 RegrindPro速 offers the ideal solution: extremely gentle processing in combination with high-performance filtration. A true material all-rounder so you remain as flexible as possible. RegrindPro速. Go the gentle way. CHOOSE THE NUMBER ONE.

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REVIEW: The future’s bright - the future’s rotomoulding Words | Leanne Taylor

t the ARMO rotomoulding conference held in Nottingham recently, speakers spoke of their visions for the future of the rotomoulding process - making it faster, more flexible and safer. There were several areas of innovation discussed across a range of materials, machinery and processes - all aimed at safeguarding the future of the process against a rise in the development of similarly shaped blow and injection-moulded products. Starting proceedings, Martin Coles of Matrix Polymers delivered his vision of the future of rotomoulding materials; questioning the dominance of polyethylene and announcing news of the company’s new R&D venture that will see it embark on a new programme of developing new alternatives. “I see the development of new raw materials as one of the biggest challenges our industry faces. Not enough has been done to overcome the hurdles to using materials other than polyethylene,” explained Coles, who identified cost of other materials as a major preventative factor to their use. “As an industry we will have to get out of the mindset that any other material than PE will have to be lower cost – this is not just the case. We need to think about the extra performance benefits. “There are growing threats to rotomoulding on all sides, blow and injection moulding will encroach more and more on the technique, as well as 3D printing. Greatly expanding the range of products that can be made is possible,” he added. Coles went on to say that not only is the company looking at developing materials for the progression of rotomoulding, but also the process, with research work set to be undertaken with machinery manufacturers and mould makers. “There is no point in developing all this and realising moulders cannot utilise it,” he said. As part of the new materials developments, Matrix Polymers would be working on specific projects with

included an energetic an identified end use, with overview of the North further announcements American rotomoulding expected in the coming market by Adam month. Concluding, Coles said Webb from ARM. the future of the rotomoulding Having recovered better industry could not just rely on than any other country polyethylene. “We cannot afford following the 2008 downturn, to stand still and we must start America’s rotomoulding industry looking into alternative materials,” is currently experiencing he said. “The opportunity is I see the a real resurgence in its there to transform the future development of new fortunes. Explaining how of the process and develop they did it, Webb advised thousands of new processes.” raw materials as UK rotomoulders to look into Focusing on health and one of the biggest “new, larger markets outside safety in the industry, Ian their comfort zones” in order Hansen of Rotoconsult challenges our grow. “Training, contingency outlined the importance of industry faces. Not to plans and bringing external considering both old and new enough has been processes in house to ensure machines when it comes skills are available and staff to rotomoulding safely, done to overcome are kept even in economic highlighting several options the hurdles to using slow times are also vitally available. “Safety is not an expense, it’s an investment,” materials other than important,” said Webb as he recalled the advice of a UShe told the audience. Carrying polyethylene, – Coles based rotomoulder. on this theme, Mic Hewer of On the machinery side, the the Stewart Group gave Dr. Gareth McDowell of 493K an update on the Health and introduced his rotomoulding Safety initiative developed machine with integrated temperature by the BPF’s rotomoulding group and control technology as “a vision of the future” HSE. “We decided we would concentrate and Johan Potargent of AMS Belgium spoke on prevention. There has been cases of of a “revolution in rotomoulding” using the entrapment and we have decided that company’s technology for a fully automated nowhere in the world should someone be process using robots. allowed to walk into an oven without someone When it came to art and design, the knowing that they are there,” said Hewer, who charismatic William Sweetlove of the Cracking explained that new guidelines will be issued to Art Group showed how his giant encourage collaboration and risk mitigation. rotomoulded Other notable presentations animal sculptures have been A delegate displayed takes a rest on all over the a rotomoulded world, from tuk tuk international events such as the G8 Summit to celebrity parties. Les Stokes, from LA Design, spoke of making rotomoulding ‘sexy’, highlighting how to get the very best out of the manufacturing process by considering the full user experience of a finished product. Finally, the presentations and conference over the two days were supplemented by 51 trade stands and a range of innovative rotomoulded products on display from the A bright winners and runners up of the ARMO 2015 orange Student Design Competition. Organisers, rotomoulded the British Plastics Federation, said the chair conference had been “a roaring success.” WWW.ARMO2015.COM WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

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LASER MARKING | NEWS AMADA MIYACHI LAUNCHES NEW COMPACT LASER MARKING WORKSTATION Amada Miyachi America Inc., a manufacturer of laser welding, marking, cutting and micro machining equipment and systems, has launched a new, low-cost Laser Marking Workstation (LMWS), specifically designed for benchtop operation. The LMWS is said to be ideal for marking many plastics and has cutting, drilling, and welding capabilities. Requiring only minimal workspace, the updated unit is said to be perfect for low volume production and research and development environments in the automotive, medical, aerospace, electronic components and battery industries. Although the design has been modernised and several features added, Miyachi says the new LMWS is available at a “reduced price point.” Standard LMWS models are powered by Miyachi’s 10-50W LMF fibre laser markers and use the same graphic user interface for easy transfer from prototype to production phase. Although separable from the base LMF, the two machines are designed to function as one unit. The motorised Z axis and rotary stage make for easy adjustment of part and focus, says Miyachi. The spring-loaded manual door opens for 180 degree access to parts and tooling and the large viewing window allows for visual process monitoring. The LMWS is equipped with F 100, 160 and 254 lenses for marking various parts and sizes. The fume extraction port with flexible tubing makes adjustment to different parts easy and fast.

The ne w, com pac

t LMW S

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With a wavelength of 355 nanometers, the new TruMark 3330 is said to be “ideal” for marking plastics.

TRUMPF LAUNCHES NEW UV LASER FOR MARKING PLASTIC Trumpf has introduced two new products for the laser marking of plastics designed for lower costs and reduced energy consumption. Its first new product, the TruMark 3330 ultraviolet laser, is an expansion of its TruMark Series and is designed primarily for use with plastics. The TruMark 3330 is equipped with an air-cooling system, which Trumpf says “significantly reduces maintenance requirements,” resulting in lower operating costs. An additional benefit of the new marking laser, it added, is its power optimisation despite lower energy consumption.

TECHNIFOR LAUNCHES NEW INTEGRATED LASER MARKING MACHINES Technifor has launched a new range of laser marking machines that it says offers “a new level” of integration in a production chain. The company says its new Laser Solution F-Series has been developed in response to the machine-to-machine communication is that is being increasingly used in the industry, as it communicates and interacts with the various workstations

Operating at a wavelength of 355 nanometers, the TruMark 3330 is said to open up new possibilities for labelling plastics. That, says Trumpf, is because synthetics absorb the energy of the short-wave UV light far better than an infrared laser beam, which may eliminate the need for expensive additives. In this way UV lasers reportedly offer significantly better inscription, at greater contrast and optimal labelling quality – along with high processing speed. Thanks to its beam quality of M² < 1.5, the laser can be focused on a very small spot. The laser power absorbed by the material causes a reaction in the plastic, one that is primarily photochemical. This type of machining is exceptionally gentle on the material and reportedly

produces very good surface quality. At the same time, the high pulse-to-pulse stability in the TruMark 3330 is said to offer dependable reproducibility in the work and uniform high quality of the inscriptions. The second new addition to Trumpf’s range is a new marking station for medium lot sizes. The new TruMark Station 3000 extends the portfolio of marking workstations already available – the 1000, 5000 and 7000. It is said to especially beneficial for users who need to ensure traceability in small and medium-sized production runs and who wish to integrate the marking process into their own manufacturing.

integrated into the chain of production. Available in a range of powers (from 10 to 50 W), the Laser Solution F-Series permits the direct and permanent marking of a wide variety of parts and materials (plastics, metals, ceramics etc.). From surface marking to deep engraving, it is said to provide high quality 1D and 2D codes for faultless scanning. These new laser machines offer a real technical advantage to

integrators and manufacturers who need to install marking stations on production lines, says Technifor. Being compact, the marking head is adapted to industrial constraints such as small spaces and extreme conditions of temperature and vibration. The solution can be integrated with no necessity for filtration or additional enclosure and it is immune to electromagnetic interference. WWW.TECHNIFOR.COM

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Increased recalls in the automotive industry:

HOW VISION-BASED LASER MARKING

ENSURES UNCOMPROMISING TRACEABILITY

2014

was a record year of recalls in the automotive industry, which cost the carmakers dear: almost 64 million vehicles have been recalled for safety problems solely in the USA and more than 1.9 million vehicles in Germany. This trend IN THE FOLLOWING is observable in many other countries ARTICLE, ANJA WEICH as well and has not stopped this year. AND VIOLA KIRK, For example, in August 2015, a luxury EXPERTS AT FOBA carmaker recalled almost 20,000 cars LASER MARKING AND in China because of problems with the brake hoses. This is where innovative, ENGRAVING, EXPLAIN laser-based parts marking solutions can HOW THE USE OF LASER come into play. They ensure more product MARKING FOR THE safety and reliable traceability.

IDENTIFICATION OF PLASTIC PARTS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY AFTER A SPATE OF RECALLS.

Product marking requirements in the automotive industry

The permanent marking of safetyrelevant parts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as the mentioned brake hoses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is extremely important in the automotive industry. It helps to meet the high standards of product safety, process reliability, traceability and quality assurance. In order to be resistant to external influences during manufacture and use, the markings on automotive parts have to be especially indelible and also resistant to temperature, light and lubricants. A high marking quality ensures optimum legibility and secure traceability. It is of further importance that the right markings are applied on the right position, to the correct and non-defective part. Such a marking process, where all marks

Automotive part with traceable laser marked code

are executed precisely and with repeat accuracy, ensures that waste is drastically reduced and productivity, as well as efficiency, is increased significantly. In times of increasing recall risks, followed by increasing demands on quality management combined with high cost pressure, this can be a crucial competitive factor.

Laser-based process solutions

Laser technology is ideally suited for the challenges of the product marking in the automotive industry. Innovative marking solutions contribute to easy, reliable traceability and, with that, a higher level of product safety. At FOBA, we offer a closed-loop imaging and marking process, which we believe offers process reliability, both before and after marking. The key to this process is a highly precise laser marking system with an integrated patented vision system, known as IMP (Intelligent Mark Positioning). IMP supports a reliable product marking by means of a pre- and post-mark optical validation as part of a three-stage closed-loop marking process. This firstly involves part validation, pre-mark verification and automatic mark alignment prior to marking. Secondly, the laser marking itself, before the third and final step, the post marking process that involves mark-verification, Optical Character Verification (OCV) and 2D code validation/code reading. This three stage marking process, combined with the patented vision system, ensures process reliability, as well as zero-defect markings. This makes a crucial contribution to quality assurance. The code reading option is especially important for the basic documentation of product cycles and for the reliable and quick identification of products, which is decisive in the case of product recalls.

Roll over valve with laser marked traceability code

Conclusion

With laser marking solutions, carmakers and automotive suppliers benefit from a higher product quality, more efficiency and a reliable traceability. These factors are more important than ever when considering the globally competitive market, cost savings and safety. WWW.FOBALASER.COM

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RECLAMATION & RECYCLING | NEWS Stuart Foster addressing the RECOUP conference recently

RECOUP CEO SAYS ACTION MUST FOLLOW TALK The CEO of RECOUP says “action must follow talk” regarding joined-up working and true partnerships in the UK’s recycling industry. Making the comments at the recycling organisation’s 25th anniversary conference recently, Stuart Foster also noted the upcoming EU plans on reforming regulation under a circular economy banner would shape recycling and resource management for “the next decade and beyond.” The conference, held in Peterborough was attended by over 200 guests from across the plastic, packaging and recycling chain, who watched presentations and debates on issues including mandatory recyclate content in goods, the call for strong leadership and direction from Europe, as well as the call for increased action from DEFRA in England to match the ongoing work in Scotland and Wales on resources and recycling. The Conference was opened by BBC Countryfile’s Tom Heap, who chaired the leaders panel tackling the question of whether plastic is a sustainable resource. Other notable highlights included Phil Conran, Chairman of the

Advisory Committee on Packaging, who commented on speculation that the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system was likely to be replaced and insisted that the system was simply “under review”. There was also a view of recycling’s future from Veolia’s Richard Kirkman, as well as a presenatation from Sandy Roger of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, who outlined the need for aligned collections as the current situation of separate requirements for individual councils “increases confusion.”

OVER TWO THIRDS OF UK PLASTICS RECYCLING UNDERTAKEN BY BPF RECYCLING GROUP MEMBERS Member companies of the British Plastics Federation’s Recycling Group collectively carry out over two thirds of the UK’s plastics recycling, according to survey results published recently. According to the 2013 Annual Return Survey, compared to 2011 data, the Group increased the amount of used it plastics handled by 150kt compared to 2011 data, to a total of 660kt. It is estimated that, in the same year, the total amount of plastics mechanically recycled in the UK was around 900kt, including waste arising from packaging, construction, automotive, WEEE, houseware, 38

sports, agriculture and other sectors. The BPFRG has grown significantly over the last year with new members including Veolia, MBA Polymers (UK), PlasGRAN, PVC-R and Polypipe. These new additions have helped the Group to become a strong voice in the UK plastics recycling industry, representing an estimated turnover of £900 million. “BPFRG continues to be the leader in the sector with robust growth in WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

The conference reached a conclusion with RECOUP and WRAP announcing how their initiatives, ‘Pledge 4 Plastics’ and ‘Recycle Now’, will be working together to promote plastics recycling. There will be a new Plastics Resources Pack, with new communications resources and some exciting new initiatives, planned in October and November. A provisional date of 29th September 2016 has been planned for next year’s conference. WWW.RECOUP.ORG

membership even under very tough market conditions. Challenging recycling targets, which favour quantity over quality, and a flawed PRN system, are still some of the key issues facing the industry,” explained Roger Baynham, the Group’s Chairman. “In addition, export markets are now feeling the pressure too, with a challenging Chinese market and devaluated currency, which calls for a more resilient UK reprocessing sector.” He added: “It is critical that we encourage and incentivise the use of UK recycled plastics and invest in the infrastructure that will allow the UK to future proof markets for its plastics waste.” WWW.BPF.CO.UK

OVER 66 BILLION PET BOTTLES RECYCLED IN EUROPE IN 2014 The equivalent of 66 billion 1.5L PET bottles were collected and recycled in 2014, representing 57 percent of bottles and containers placed in the market, according to the findings of a new study. This conclusion comes from a report carried out by PCI PET Packaging Resin and Recycling Ltd for European trade association, Petcore Europe, from a Europe-wide survey among actors involved in the collection, sorting and recycling of PET. “PET collection and recycling continue to increase and to be a success story over the last 25 years. PET is by far the most recycled plastic material in Europe,” explained Petcore Europe Executive Director, Patrick Peuch. “However, we can do even better and actively contribute to the European Circular Economy, especially as PET now penetrates new applications.” Looking at the 2014 collection rates in Europe, the results show that with 1.8 million metric tonnes of bottles and containers, PET collection has grown by 6.8 percent compared to 2013. Comparing this number to an estimated 3.1 million metric tonnes demand for bottles and containers placed in the market during this period suggests a 57

percent collection rate. In 2014, the growth in PET demand itself increased by 4.8 percent. “Although the collection rate increased by 1.3 percentage points over the 2013 rate, it clearly illustrates the need for a two-sided approach,” continued Peuch. “On one hand, our industry has to work together to align the collection processes to deliver increased recycling objectives. On the other hand, consumers have to be more engaged. Raising consumers’ awareness on the importance of collection and the value of recycling, especially in the context of the European Commission Circular Economy approach, and their own role in the process, are key.” Furthermore, the collection rates vary considerably across Europe, shows the data, with a number of Member States exceeding the average 57 percent while several others are still lagging behind. In 2014, 1.7 million metric tonnes of PET were recycled in Europe. With an installed processing capacity estimated to be around 2.1 million metric tonnes, the recycling industry operating rate reached only 79 percent, lower than the 83 percent rate of 2013. This decrease illustrates the challenges that the PET industry had to face in 2014, says Petcore Europe, in particular the pricing throughout the RPET (recycled PET) chain and pressure from low virgin PET resin prices that

occurred during the last quarter of the year. Furthermore, the processed PET volume in 2014 was also below the collection volume. According to the survey participants, this difference is due to process losses and maintenance shut downs, as well as shift programmes and production schedules adjusted to available bale supplies. The latter, issues related to bale supplies, was cited as one of the main contributing factors to lower productivity in 2014. The evolution of PET resin pricing and demand for recycled PET remain uncertain for the future. The results will be presented during the Petcore Europe Conference in Brussels on 24 November. WWW.PETCORE-EUROPE.ORG

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N THE LATEST IN OUR SERIES OF ARTICLES WRITTEN BY CRAIG FORRESTER OF STÄUBLI CONNECTORS, THE FOCUS IS ON HOW THE CONTROL OF A MOULD’S TEMPERATURE CAN BRING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO PRODUCTIVITY IN AN INJECTION MOULDING SHOP. Maintaining moulds at the correct operating temperature is of course important, if the mould is too cold then the material being moulded may not flow correctly to all areas, if too hot then the material might not have totally solidified, causing sticking in the mould or deformation on ejection. The standard method of cooling moulds is to pass a coolant, usually water or a water/glycol solution, through a series of holes drilled through the mould plates and connected by hoses to form a series of continuous pathways. The coolant absorbs heat from the mould, which has absorbed heat from the hot plastic and keeps the mould at the designed temperature to solidify the plastic at the required rate. Quick connect couplings are vital when considering the process of improving the connections of the cooling circuits to boost productivity. Ensuring that all the connections to the mould cooling circuits are made quickly and correctly is important – and can save significant amounts of time during mould changeovers – as well as providing a mechanism to avoid errors caused by incorrect or poor connection to the cooling circuits. There is a vast range of connectors available for circuits controlling the temperature of moulds, including standard full flow and valved designs both suitable for mono and multiple connection configurations, as well as the more specialised connectors with a higher temperature capability or those that have non-spill technology. Standard full flow connectors are suitable for both hot and cold water circuits and often feature the additional benefits of easy circuit identification using coloured rings as well as strengthened locking systems to improve circuit security. Valved couplings can be specified with either single or double shut off valving, providing optimum flow with a minimum pressure drop. When required, the plugs can be recessed for easy mould handling and storage, eliminating any risk of damage. The flat-faced design of non-spill connectors ensures that no spillage occurs on connection or disconnection, eliminating any Health & Safety hazards caused by slipping on spilt coolant. The design also protects the circuits from any ingress by contaminants.

Increasingly, manufacturers are using higher moulding temperatures and connector design has responded to these requirements, with new models specifically designed to operate up to 300°C using metal to metal sealing and eliminating internal seals. Moulds often require several separate cooling circuits to be connected and this is where a multi connection plate can bring definite productivity advantages. All connections are made simultaneously in one simple action and the multi coupling can only be connected in one position, eliminating any risk of circuit inversion. On complex installations where several multi coupling plates are used on the same machine, mechanical interlocking systems on each plate prevent any connection errors and selection of left hand and right hand locking allows plates to be positioned side by side. An alternative solution for connecting many cooling circuits is the use of a temperature control manifold. Designs are available that can be adapted to the specific needs of any application and are capable of handling many circuits by adding elements to the basic modular structure, simplifying mould connections and bringing added flexibility to temperature control circuits. The use of quick release connectors on temperature control circuits can provide a significant improvement in productivity by reducing mould changeover times; ensuring operating temperatures are maintained and eliminating spillages and bad connections. WWW.STAUBLI.COM/EN/CONNECTORS

TALKING TECHNICAL: IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY IN INJECTION MOULDING Part 4: Temperature control of moulds

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

Engineering Passion

MACHINERY | NEWS NEW SALES MANAGER AT BMB UK AS COMPANY GOES FROM “STRENGTH TO STRENGTH” Sales at the UK subsidiary of injection moulding machinery manufacturer, BMB, continue to go from “strength to strength.” Managing Director of BMB UK, Nigel Baker, said that thanks to continued growth in 2015 it has appointed a new Service Manager, Sean Wade, a former Senior Service Engineer. Wade will shortly embark on indepth product training at BMB UK’s parent company in Italy, after this time he will be permanently available in the UK & Irish markets. “The BMB machine continues to go from strength to strength, our sales have exceeded expectation again this year,” explained Baker. “We have performed many mould trials at our parent company in BMB SpA, Brescia, Northern Italy.

Our wide range of machines from 70t — 4,000t in KW, eKW, eMC and KX models continues to impress and offer significant advantages in terms of improved part quality, increased productivity, reduced power consumption and increased reliability.” BMB KW Series

BMB is the only machine manufacturer to offer all-electric clamp units up to 2,200t and the company’s range of machines is suited to the manufacture of products in packaging, caps and closures, technical, automotive, medical and PET market sectors. WWW.BMB-SPA.COM

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THERMOFORMING SHEET GRANULATORS HELP CUT THE COST OF WASTE The use of thermoforming sheet granulators is helping a UK-based plastics processor reduce production costs and increase efficiency. Desch-Plantpak UK, which manufactures products including pots, tubs and trays, uses the TRIA TF Series Sheet granulator from Summit Systems for automated beside-the-press granulation in its thermoforming process. “Our sheet granulator from Summit Systems runs from a high volume thermoforming machine 24-7, with a continued feed of skeletal waste feeding through. The machine doesn’t miss a beat, and I would have no hesitation in purchasing another,” explained Alan Green, Technical Manager of Desch-Plantpak UK. The thermoforming process produces a significant amount of scrap, usually in the region of 30-50 percent and, therefore, inline recovery requires a high performing, reliable and silent grinder. The TF series has been designed to meet these needs and to grind all types of plastic, including PP, PS, PET, PLA and mono/co-ex. TF grinders can recover full sheet at start-up, full sheet with cups and web sheet, as well as giving uniformity to regrind material. Mike Jordan of Tamworth-based Summit Systems, says the TRIA TF Series has been in demand in 2015: “This versatile product is perfect for companies which use thermoforming - it’s easy to see why it has been in demand this year. With customers benefiting from quieter and more energy efficient processes, coupled with high quality regrind material, production costs reduce as scrap value increases.” WWW.SUMMITSYSTEMS.CO.UK IA The TR es ri e S TF or granulat

Comment: EUROMAP data, electric technology and economic forecasts IN THIS MONTH’S COLUMN, NIGEL FLOWERS, CHAIRMAN OF THE POLYMER MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS AND DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION (PMMDA) DISCUSSES THE LATEST MACHINERY FIGURES, THE UPTAKE OF ALLELECTRIC AND WHAT RECENT WORLD EVENTS MEAN FOR THE UK ECONOMY.…

he EUROMAP data for the second quarter of 2015 is now in, and shows that the recovery in the demand for injection moulding machines and automation has continued. Automation in particular over the same period shows a 13 percent increase over last year and 24 percent over 2013, with almost half of the machines sold by EUROMAP members being equipped with a robot of some kind. As for moulding machines, the overall market was up by 10 percent compared to prior years, with machines over 10,000kN continuing to be the star performers. This clearly demonstrates the ongoing success of European car production, however, the adoption of electric technology has continued to stagnate, remaining at just below the 20 percent level, which is similar to the last 3-4 years. I think that over the next couple of years machine builders will up their game and we will see a steady rise in the adoption of electric machines in all segments, driven by developments in machine technology and closing the gap between electric and hydraulic. Locally, the UK picture is broadly similar, with demand for machines and ancillaries remaining strong. It is encouraging to see companies investing in improving production efficiency. It is, however, important that they leverage this investment by continuing to improve skills and capability to ensure that every benefit is squeezed from the investment. On a global scale Asia (including China), continued to show a strong demand despite the recent poor economic data, which has not yet fed through, but South America has really cooled. The good news is that EU demand remains strong; clearly demonstrating that manufacturing is not afraid to invest. There are a few clouds on the horizon; institutions such as the EEF have reduced the forecast for manufacturing output by 50 percent and a recent member’s survey highlighted the continuing worries about both the strength of sterling and the possibility of a Eurozone relapse as significant concerns for the months ahead. In terms of interest rates, a key investment driver, there was better news with a majority of members expecting a rate rise sometime in mid-2016. Finally, from all the PMMDA committee I would like to wish all the PMMDA members entering the Plastic Industry Awards this year the very best of luck. WWW.PMMDA.ORG.UK

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

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MATERIALS | NEWS

ution training The Plastrib n in conjunctio ld he courses, to be en ov pr ve with G&A, ha r highly popula

TRAINING OF UK WORKFORCE IS KEY IN COMPETITIVE PLASTICS MARKET, SAYS PLASTRIBUTION MD Materials distributor, Plastribution, says that in an increasingly competitive global plastics market, the importance of training the UK’s workforce is “fundamental.” The company has been running training courses for both technical and non-technical staff for the last eight years, with nearly 400 candidates from around 100 different companies attending. It recently launched a new course for 2015 aimed at helping attendees understand the polymer supply chain. “In an increasingly competitive global plastics market, we are obliged to make our contribution to training a world-class UK plastics workforce,” commented Mike Boswell, MD, Plastribution. The courses, which started in 2004 after the company began working with Peterborough-based G&A Moulding Technology, are aimed at advancing the knowledge and skills of its customers’ process technicians and production, commercial and supply chain management. Earlier this year, Plastribution

LANXESS AND SAUDI ARAMCO CREATE JOINT VENTURE FOR SYNTHETIC RUBBER Lanxess and Saudi Aramco are entering into a joint venture for synthetic rubber with an estimated value of €2.75 billion (£2.03 billion). The world’s largest producer of synthetic rubber and the world’s largest oil and energy producer entered the strategic alliance each holding a 50 percent interest, with Saudi Aramco paying approximately EUR 1.2 billion in cash for its share. Lanxess will contribute its synthetic rubber business to the new joint venture. This will include the Tyre and Specialty Rubbers (TSR) and the High Performance Elastomers (HPE) business units, their 20 production facilities in nine countries

launched its newest course, which is entitled ‘Understanding the Polymer Supply Chain’ and is run at the Bosworth Hall Hotel in Warwickshire. The course, says the company, is a departure from some of the technical training that has been provided in the past. Its aim is to provide clarity on the economics of the polymer supply chain and to help individuals in key roles to make more informed decisions about the purchasing of polymers they use every day. “One of the key objectives of the course is to look at ways we can better interpret and sift the vast

amount of information that the internet and industry media push to us, and to explain some of the terminology that we all use every day but don’t fully understand,” said Plastribution’s Duncan Scott. “We aim to help customers better utilise the benefits of polymers to increase efficiency within their own businesses, whilst also helping them win and attract new customers,” he added.

and some 3,700 employees and additional support staff. The high-performance rubbers manufactured by LANXESS are mainly used in the production of tyres and technical applications such as hoses, belts and seals. Saudi Aramco will provide the joint venture with “competitive and reliable access to strategic raw materials” over the medium term. “This alliance will enable us to give the rubber business a very strong competitive position and the best possible future perspectives,” said LANXESS CEO, Matthias Zachert. “Together in the future we can produce synthetic rubber in an integrated value chain from the oil field to the end product, thus establishing one of the best positioned suppliers in the world market. In this way, we will be able to offer our customers even greater

reliability than before.” Abdulrahman Al-Wuhaib, Senior Vice President Downstream, Saudi Aramco said: “Through the joint venture agreement we are investing in a world-class synthetic rubber and elastomer products capability that already supplies many of the world’s largest tyre and automotive-parts manufacturing customers.” The new joint venture, expected to be completed in the first half of 2016, will be managed by a holding company headquartered in the Netherlands. The CEO will be appointed by LANXESS and the CFO will be appointed by Aramco Overseas Company. Each company will have equal representation on the JV’s board of directors.

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

WWW.PLASTRIBUTION.CO.UK

WWW.LANXESS.COM WWW.SAUDIARAMCO.COM

DEMAND FOR ENGINEERING POLYMERS IN EUROPE SET TO INCREASE BY 11 PERCENT A new report has predicted demand for engineering polymers in Europe will increase by 11 percent. That is according to new findings by DJS Research, which suggests that while many companies cite product lightweighting as a significant driver behind increased demand for engineering polymers, this is just one of several beneficial product characteristics allowing engineering polymers to substitute other materials in a wide variety of applications. “Engineering polymers are fast becoming the material of choice for components in often hostile environments,” explained David Marchant, Research Manager at DJS Research. “Companies are increasingly looking to use them for complex applications, and this creates both an opportunity and a challenge.” Marchant who carried out “hundreds” of interviews with purchasers across the entire engineering polymer value chain, says the combination of new applications, new clients and, indeed, the as yet untapped opportunities in

regions across the world are all cause for optimism. A Product Manager at a German moulder supplying to the Aerospace industry summarised his take on the positive outlook, stating:“In China and India, customers are only just starting to replace components with substitutes made out of engineering polymers, so we’d expect a consistent increase in our requirements.” Growing demand, however, is also bringing challenges. In light of the constant flow of requests to cater for the needs of new clients and applications, businesses across the engineering polymer value chain are under increasing pressure. The research findings suggested challenges faced range from product feature requirements, such as thermal and chemical stability through to colour consistency, but also encompass supply reliability and consistency of product quality. Consequently, converters are looking to their suppliers for higher levels of support, reliability and indeed for closer cooperation and a deepening of the customer supplier relationship. WWW.DJSRESEARCH.CO.UK

Product lightweighting and applications for hostile environments are increasing demand for engineering thermoplastics in Europe, says DJS Research

In association with Hardie Polymers – www.hardiepolymers.com

// Materials Technical //

Blog

This month, polymer expert and technical blog author, Dr Charlie Geddes,takes a view on sulphur and its uses in processing thermoplastics

SULPHUR: FROM THE UNDERWORLD TO THERMOPLASTICS In 1839, by inserting sulphur atoms as bridges between polymer chains, Charles Goodyear transformed Natural Rubber from an interesting curiosity into a superb engineering material that has had a huge impact on society. It took another 100 years before sulphur links began to appear in thermoplastics, although natural polymers such as proteins and DNA rely on such sulphur links. Today sulphur, in the form of sulphide and sulphone links, enhances properties of high temperature stability, chemical resistance and fire performance in thermoplastics such as polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) and polyethersulphone (PES). PPS, essentially replacing the oxygen links in polyethylene oxide (PPO) with sulphur links in the polymer backbone, offers excellent dimensional stability at high temperature (particularly when filled), broad chemical and solvent resistance and good fire performance. Although the melt temperature is high (285˚C) and there are some other moulding issues to be aware of, the low melt viscosity makes it eminently suitable for thin sections. Unfilled PPS can be used as high performance fibres, for technical textile applications, including filters, flame resistant clothing and advanced composites for the aerospace industry. Moulding grades of PPS are generally filled with glass fibre and mineral filler to improve stiffness at high temperature. Unlike most other thermoplastics, PPS can accept filler loadings up to 65% to produce very stiff, heat resistant mouldings, which I found my students mistook for metal castings, even down to the metallic ‘ring’, until the more discerning realised that the mouldings, although heavier than other thermoplastics, were significantly lighter than most metals. Air duct in Fortron PPS (Image: Hardie Polymers)

Got a view on the above?

Blog posts will also be published on the BP&R website at

www.britishplastics.co.uk

- feel free to leave your comments 46

BUYER’S GUIDE vibration welding

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SCREWS & BARRELS

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

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

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

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

TRAINING

DTL Machinery UK

We Buy / Sell all Makes, Age and Sizes of Injection Moulding Machines & Ancillaries Tool room machines and also complete factories / plants Factory Clearance Services Dismantling / Removal of obsolete plant and machinery T: 01925 596170 M: 07838138342 E: douglastrading@gmail.com

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.magneticseparation.co Contact: Carlton Hicks

TransXL International Ltd

NOZZLES & NOZZLE TIPS Engineers to the Plastics & Rubber industries, specialising in the following:

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222 48

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

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

STATIC CONTROL Arrowquint Ltd

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

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

3D PRINTING

3D Printing in Plastic & Rubber

Tel: 01420 88645

www.projet3d.co.uk

BUYER’S GUIDE PRINTERS

SOFTWARE

SERVICES

TESTINg/CONSULTANCY

TAMPO.SCREEN.FOIL

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

MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS

PARTS & SERVICE

PRINTERS printers of plastic mouldings Total Print Ltd

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: ukmarketing@epicor.com Modules: Production Monitoring, Process Monitoring, “Drag and Drop” Scheduling/Planning, “Family Moulding”, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts’ Trace-ability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, E-mail/Public Address System Alerts, Stand-alone “Drag and Drop” Scheduler, Stand-alone SPC “Machine Analyzer”, Machine Energy Monitoring, KPI Dashboards, Visual Manufacturing (Large LED Displays), Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (For Integration with Epicor ERP & Other Manufacturing Systems/Software Packages). PlantMaster BMS Vision Ltd T: 01254 662244, E: sales.bla@visionbms.com Website: www.visionbms.com/ plastics. Affordable and flexible MES system for the plastics/rubber industry. Real-time production monitoring features wireless data units and OPC Ethernet machine connections. “Drag & drop” job scheduling supports frame/insert level family tooling plus KAN BAN. ERP system integration, SPC/ SQC, Touch Screen Data Units, Machine Maintenance, Operator Tracking, Traceability, DNC, Energy

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

Monitoring, Bar Coding, Pager Alerts. Easy to use systems from a €600m company with over 30 years experience. intouch T: 01604 646144 E: enquiries@ intouchmonitoring.com Website: www.intouchmonitoring.com Real-time production monitoring systems. Designed to be easy to use and providing affordable solutions to all sizes of businesses. Production monitoring, scheduling, reporting, data import/export, databases for parts, tools and operators, integration with other software packages. ProHelp EPM (for Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers) Mattec Ltd T: 01909 561544 F: 01909 560675 E: a.jewell@mattec.com Real-time Modules: Production Monitoring, ‘Drag and Drop’ Scheduling/Planning, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts Traceability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, Pager/ Tannoy Alerts, Stand-alone ‘Drag and Drop’ Scheduler, Stand-alone SPC Machine Analyzer, Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (for integration to Manufacturing Systems and other software packages). SYSCON – PlantStar MTec Services Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7711 036750 Tel: +1 574 232 3900 E: mt@mtec-services.co.uk W: www.mtec-services.co.uk W: www.plantstar.org

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

enterprise resource planning Epicor ERP Manufacturing Software (For Plastics’/Rubber Processors) Epicor Software (UK) Ltd T: +44 (0)1344 468 468 E: ukmarketing@epicor.com Epicor’s ERP (on-site, hosted & SAAS) manufacturing 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, ware-housing and distribution. It seamlessly integrates with Epicor Mattec’s Real-time MES to provide a single system that offers a complete quote-to-cash solution for the plastics’/rubber industries.

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

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

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NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER 50

of employees. We are at an advanced stage in developing our ‘PolymerZone’ website, which will be launched before the year-end. This pulls together English language resources to inform children about plastics materials and products, including DVDs that explode the myth that it is possible to live without plastics. Without disclosing too much, there is a lot more to come from the BPF in this area. It’s a pity that whenever plastics are featured in the headline media its usually in terms of bags and litter. The innovation record, the vast bulk of other applications and the responsible disposal of plastics that has led to an impressive recycling story is ignored. You might well wonder why are we defending the plastics bag with such vigour? Well, the answer is that the restrictive approach, whether it’s a ban or a charge, can be applied to any application. If there’s a restriction today on bags, a gun toting politician might tomorrow, without thinking too much, very easily re-direct his firepower on bottles or single-use trays. Finally, I was very pleased to make a further staff appointment at the BPF recently. I promoted Francisco Morcillo into the role of Public and Industrial Manager, reporting into Stephen Hunt. Francisco is a Spanish national who, having served several years, is one of our seasoned BPF veterans from the sharp end. He has degrees in chemical engineering and plastics product design. He has worked in the plastics recycling industry and at the BPF he’s been steeped in Vinyls issues and the building products groups, especially Windows and the Recycling Group. On top of all this his written English is of the very highest order and he’s one of the most determined executives I’ve encountered. Good luck Francisco! WWW.BPF.CO.UK

ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS

his has been a week for plastic bags! On Monday 5th October a charge of 5p per single use plastics bag, with some exceptions, came in. Retailers are allowed to distribute the proceeds to THIS MONTH, BPF good causes in whatever direction DIRECTOR-GENERAL, they like. The merits of the charge PHILIP LAW, DISCUSSES are dubious. It emerged in the last FIGHTING THE CORNER Government as a populist measure with little scientific basis. It even OF PLASTICS’ AMONGST A contradicted research that the FLURRY OF MAINSTREAM Government itself commissioned MEDIA ATTENTION and, which has now become buried SURROUNDING THE within the depths of Defra. As I tell INTRODUCTION OF THE people, if you are going to have a plastics bag you are better off RECENT SINGLE-USE BAG having it made from plastics than CHARGE IN ENGLAND. any other material. This is true from all key standpoints; environmental, resource-use, functionality and hygiene. The Government has exempted small retailers from the scheme but some would argue that the littering problem is more closely associated with purchases from small operators. Also an opportunity was lost by not encouraging retailers to use the proceeds of the charge to invest in recycling. The media had a field day with it on Monday. It was seized on as an opportunity to explore the environmental background to the charge, in particular plastics in the oceans. I was interviewed for BBC News on Friday, 2nd October, a piece which was screened twice – at 6.00 pm and 10.00 pm. I was at pains to point out that plastics is not the enemy. They bring very many social benefits in terms of energy savings, prevention of food waste and their contribution to healthcare. The real enemy, I said, is the mindless, irresponsible disposal of used plastics products as litter. A combination of education, public information and enforced, high penalties are the only ways to secure the necessary behavioural change. I was able to reinforce these points on a further BBC Radio programme broadcast from Swindon on Monday morning. Education is a growing theme with the BPF. In a recent strategic review we have identified the need for the industry to up its game in its contact with local schools. It really makes sense, not just because we want to breed favourability with our materials in the next generation of consumers, but also to help secure the next generation

WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK

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