BP&R October/November 2013

British Plastics

and Rubber

bp&r

THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR BRITAIN’S POLYMER PROCESSORS

oct/nov 2013

Materials handling equipment

K2013: Review from the show floor

Films for food packaging

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bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER www.britishplastics.co.uk EDITORIAL 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

happy birthday pvc

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set by the initiative.

This year marks 100 years since the Delegates also heard case studies first patent for PVC was granted to from Epwin, Altro Floors, Fife Council German inventor, Friedrich Klatte, in and Soundforms that covered case 1913. Since its discovery, the material studies involving successful recycling, has doggedly survived threats of abandonment through the recession of implementation and replacement of the 1920s and endured environmental PVC over other materials as a way of increasing and controversy. However, enhancing efficiency, fast-forward to 2013 “fast-forward to as well as those and PVC is one of the 2013 and PVC is showing the versatility most popular manand design potential of made materials thanks one of the most to its durability, popular man-made PVC through its use in innovative projects, versatility and materials thanks including its use in high efficiency in terms of profile sporting events, cost and energy saving. to its durability, such as the London Testament to this, versatility and Olympics. the recently held BPF efficiency in In order to support annual PVC conference terms of cost and the development and in Manchester energy saving.” progress of the PVC highlighted the industry, I am thrilled progress that PVC has that BP&R will be the made, and continues to sole media partner for PVC 2014, the make, in terms of sustainability and tri-annual conference organised by the environmental credibility. Delegates IOM3 that will be held in Brighton next from the industry heard an update April. You can read more about the from Brigitee Dero of the European partnership and the event on page 13.

Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM) on the progress of VinylPlus, in which Enjoy the issue. she said she is “convinced that we as an industry are on the right path to Leanne Taylor – Editor achieve the sustainability directives”

Mark Blezard T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: mark@rapidnews.com British Plastics & Rubber is available on free subscription to readers qualifying under the publisher’s terms of control. Those outside the criteria may subscribe at the following annual rates: UK: £80 Europe and rest of the world: £115 British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (10 times/year) by Rapid Plastics Media Ltd, Unit 2, Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, CH4 9QE T: +44(0)1244 680222 F: +44(01244 671074 © 2013 Rapid Plastics Media Ltd While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained within this publication is accurate the publisher accepts no liability for information published in error, or for views expressed. All rights for British Plastics & Rubber are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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

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THE BIG STORY living in a material world The future is clear ALBIS has just returned from what it says was a “very successful” showing at K 2013, with more visitors to its booth than in 2010.

“Many This year has been a busy customers, old and one for specialist new, took distributor and advantage of the compounder of technical opportunity to new thermoplastics, ALBIS, with discuss projects and meet new additions to its technical and product range, high-profile commercial experts were on hand collaborations and who to showcase the appearances at some of the group’s product industry’s biggest trade portfolio and shows. Here, the company capabilities,” commented Ian shares the trends Mills, Managing discussed at the recently Director of ALBIS held K exhibition as well as UK. “A common why it will be ‘germ-free’ as theme at the show the cold season gets was customers high underway. requesting clarity plastics for a variety of end markets, which require a demanding range of properties. ALBIS has one of the widest ranges of clear polymers on the market, with a range that covers glass-like clarity, high temperature capability or chemical resistance, as well as other properties depending on the sector, process and required finish,” he continued.

The materials in the ALBIS range can be injection moulded, extruded or extrusion blow moulded, allowing for a broad range of processes across a number of industries, even those subject to industry specific challenges or legal restrictions, such as the highly regulated medical sector, or applications for food packaging.

Recent additions to the portfolio are NAS (SMMA) and Zylar (SMMA/ SBS) from Styrolution, products that give excellent glass-like clarity, colour easily, have a resistance to

The graph shows the protection given by the antimicrobial additives

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ALBIS has recently added antimicrobial protection to some of the products in its portfolio

alcohol, blood and lipids, as well as being ISO10993 and USP Class VI compliant.

“The brands on offer in the ALBIS portfolio are from world class producers such as Bayer MaterialScience, Eastman, Solvay Speciality Polymers, BASF and many more and are usually available from stock,” continued Mills. “Our technical team can draw on a vast knowledge base from a number of plastics processing sectors to ensure that the best material is chosen for a given application.”

No bugs this winter with antimicrobial additives ALBIS has recently announced a cooperation agreement with UK-based additives manufacturer, Addmaster, (UK) Ltd., involving antimicrobial additives.

Based on this, ALBIS will offer its products, where required, formulated with Addmaster’s silver-based ‘Biomaster’ technology, which is said to considerably reduce the growth of microorganisms.

These ALBIS products involve both masterbatches (ALBIS Additive-Batch Hygienic Material), as well as compounds (ALCOM Hygienic Material). Both ALBIS solutions will carry the ‘Biomaster Protected’ label and are registered in accordance with the German Ordinance on Notification of Biocidal Products (ChemBiozidMeldeV) at the registration office for biocides of the BAUA (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health).

The goal of the application is to equip plastics, without having to coat them, for hygiene-critical areas of use with antimicrobial properties for the secure prevention of the growth of germs and bacteria.

“This agreement perfectly suits our orientation to speciality solutions,” commented Marcel Wiesner, Product Specialist, Masterbatches, at ALBIS. “Hygienic solutions, particularly those for antimicrobial protection, are experiencing more and more attention in Europe. By combining Biomaster’s brand and know-how with the expertise in compounding technology and the Europe-wide sales network of ALBIS PLASTIC we are now able to offer our customers a wide range of antimicrobial polymers such as PE, PP, ABS, PC, PA and many more.” further information: www.albis.com

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22

on the cover

21 27

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14

bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER

contents oct/nov 2013

on the cover Living in a material world This year has been a busy one for specialist distributor and compounder of technical thermoplastics, ALBIS, with new additions to its product range, high-profile collaborations and appearances at some of the industry’s biggest trade shows.

See page 4

24-27 ]FEATURE medical Medical polymer market to reach $3.5bn by 2018

28-29 FEATURE

REGULARS INDUSTRY NEWS

08

Reclamation and Recycling

34

Engineering Materials

37

injection moulding

40

FROM THE FRONTLINE

42

SOFTWARE

43

BUYERS’ GUIDE

44

antimicrobials

3 EDITOR’S LETTER

Researchers develop “environmentally friendly” antibacterial polymer

Happy Birthday PVC

30-33 FEATURE

14-19 FEATURE

packaging films

Materials Handling

Identifying contaminants in packaging materials and films

How do the various types of dosing device work?

20-23 FEATURE k show review Leanne Taylor’s review from the show floor

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Industry News

news The ‘Great Mini’ revs up support for UK’s contribution to automotive plastics This not-so-subtly branded Mini was spotted at K 2013 to fly the flag for the UK in a celebration of the industry’s contribution to the automotive industry as well as to promote the BritishGerman relationship.

The ‘GREAT’ Mini visited the international trade show as part of its tour of 16 federal German states between January and December 2013.

Companies including Axion Polymers, Barkley Plastics and Albis all deliver raw materials or produce plastic parts in Great Britain, which are then built into the Mini, contributing to making the cars lighter and lowering fuel consumption. further information: www.k-online.com

`from L-R: Keith Freegard (Axion Polymers), Werner Matthias Dornscheidt (Messe Düsseldorf), Susan Speller (consul General), Justyna Elliot (BPF) and Ian Mills (Albis UK)

APPE has award in the bottle A hot-fill, pasteuriseable PET jar has been confirmed as the winner of the Horners Bottlemaker Award 2013.

APPE’s ThermaLite PET jars are able to hot-fill at temperatures up to 95°C (previous industry maximum was 85°C) and also be pasteurised (previously not achievable with PET, which is a global first).

Using a revolutionary double-blow manufacturing process, as well as specialist PET resin, APPE has produced jars that are fully transparent, high-gloss and shatterproof.

The Horners Award Committee said it was impressed by the product’s “excellent environmental advantages.” The jars are 85 percent lighter with a smaller footprint than glass equivalents and require 15 percent less food-processing energy.

Competition judge, John Bunker, said: “The standard of entries was very high again this year but the APPE jars sood out as meeting all the criteria for a winner, including convincing success in the market place.”

Highly Commended Certificates in the competition were awarded to the ‘The EcoForm aPET Cauldron’ by GR8 Engineering Limited and RPC Containers’ ‘Artemis’ Pack. further information: www.horners.org.uk

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Industry News

news Plastics puzzle helps put piece of history in place We reported on the ‘Ten Most Wanted’ project a few weeks ago. It is a research project being undertaken jointly by the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), the University of Brighton and Adaptive Technologies, to build an online game to encourage people to research objects in MoDiP’s collection and thereby contribute to their documentation.

The game is now being piloted and information is beginning to flow in – one player found that the ‘Byson’ stair carpet clips (pictured) were patented by an Earnest Harrison in 1932 and another that Byson Appliance was listed at the 1934 White City Industries Fair as producers of ‘Stair-Carpet-Holders (nonmetal) Made from Bysonite in Oak, Walnut, Mahogany, Black, Green and Orange Colours’. Information is still required as to Earnest Harrison’s role. He was more likely the MD of the firm than the designer, so who actually designed

know MoDiP wants to pink is th t more abou rush irb ha d le ty -s deco

them? It is these sorts of questions the project is aiming to get answers to.

Additionally, perhaps you know people who worked at British Xylonite? It is believed, but not known for sure, that that is where this two-toned pink deco-styled hairbrush (pictured) was manufactured.

MoDiP also wants to know who designed it and when, and for how long, it was manufactured.

“Plastics are somewhat neglected in

most museum collections. Whereas it is common practice to specify of which wood or metal an object is made, plastic objects are frequently documented simply as being of plastic. And being less precious than many museum objects, they are often more anonymous, with both the designer and manufacturer unknown,” commented Susan Lambert, Curator at MoDiP. “MoDiP wants to put that right and has one advantage over more traditional museums: because most of its objects were made in living memory it is likely that someone, somewhere has the answer.

‘Ten Most Wanted’ has been designed to gather this information,” she continued.

There are eight other objects including a Portadyne radio, a Midwinter tea set, and a Streetly Manufacturing Company dustette. For more information and to contribute, visit the website. further information: www.10most.org.uk

ir Byson sta ps li c et p ar c

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industry news

2013 “a year of stabilisation� for plastics industry

The latest data from PlasticsEurope suggests the world plastics production volume has shown an increase of around 2.8 percent

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t a press event held during K 2013, European trade association, PlasticsEurope, presented its latest production, demand and waste management data. The world plastics production volume has shown increase, since at global level the production has gone from 280 Mtonnes in 2011 to 288 Mtonnes in 2012, signifying an increase of around 2.8 percent. At European level however, the 2012 results do not show the same trend. The sector is still suffering from the consequences of the crisis; production (-3 percent) and demand (-2.5 percent) results show a slight decrease in 2012 compared to 2011. This is due to a decrease in the demand of the main customer industries (packaging, building and construction, automotive, etc.). There are, however, differences between Western and Central Europe: in Western Europe, demand declined by 3 percent, while in Central Europe demand increased by 0.6 percent. “Confronted with a changing and often difficult economic context, the European plastics industry has shown great resilience and adaptability. Even if we would have preferred a quicker recovery, we have so far managed to dodge the threat of globalisation and remain competitive and innovative, thereby contributing by 2.6 percent to Europe’s GDP. However, the lower prices of energy and raw materials in other regions of the world are a substantial challenge for our industry in Europe,� said Dr Wilfried Haensel, Executive Director, PlasticsEurope.

In terms of outlook, Patrick Thomas, President of PlasticsEurope and CEO of Bayer MaterialScience, said that “2013 could well be viewed as a year of stabilisation in the European plastics sector and in 2014 industry predictions suggest a slight recovery; although we will still be far from pre-crisis level.�

Regarding plastic waste management data in Europe, 2012 results show a positive trend. While post-consumer plastic waste generation stood at the same level as the year before (recycling

and energy recovery rates increased and reached 26.3 percent (+4.9 percent) and 35.6 percent (+ 3.3 percent) respectively. These figures have led to a total European recovery rate of an average of 61.9 percent, an increase of 4 percent compared to 2011. The situation, however, varies significantly among the different European countries, since some countries recover 100 percent of the postconsumer plastic waste they generate, while others hardly reach a 30 percent recovery rate. This leaves more than 9 million tonnes of plastic waste that are still landfilled.

“Despite a positive evolution of the European data for plastics recycling and energy recovery, we lament that more than a third of plastic waste still ends-up in landfill,” continued Haensel. He added: “To achieve the goal of a resource efficient Europe, our industry strives for a zero plastics to landfill by 2020 objective. At the actual pace, this ambitious goal is significantly jeopardised. Therefore, the plastic industry calls on the policy makers to support this ambitious goal by taking measures to avoid land filling of recyclable and high calorific waste.”

Patrick Thomas closed the event on an optimistic note, stating, “our industry is a resilient one, we have always faced challenges and adapted to evolving circumstances. This trade fair is a demonstration of our strength and adaptability. We are the proud bearers of Parkes and Baekeland legacy, our material is the material of innovation and creativity. It has inspired architects, designers, engineers and inventors in every sector and it will continue to push the boundaries of human genius and innovation.” further information: www.plasticseurope.org

British Plastics and Rubber announced as sole media partner for PVC 2014 PVC 2014 has announced British Plastics and Rubber as the sole media partner for the upcoming event to be held in Brighton, UK, next April.

“This leading publication for polymer processors in the UK and around the world is a well-established, highly respected magazine, which covers all aspects of the plastics and rubber industries. It publishes a broad mix of highly technical articles and features, as well as important industry news and updates through both print and digital media,” said PVC 2014’s organisers.

The triannual conference is one of the world’s leading and most reputable forums to support the future of PVC globally, celebrated for its broad appeal through the extensive programme of subjects addressed. Covering all aspects of rigid and flexible PVC, the 2014 programme will include strategy/direction and markets; recent plasticiser developments; processing technology; performance covering engineering properties and structure; sustainability including recovery, recycling and social aspects; and polymerisation and PVC production.

The PVC 2014 conference welcomes Jonathon Porritt CBE, founder of Forum for the Future, to provide the keynote address, as well as an abundance of high-profile sponsors and supporters.

“British Plastics and Rubber magazine is delighted to be the media partner for PVC 2014. The event is highly regarded in industry as one that addresses key issues and stimulates interesting discussion and lively debate. An impressive line-up of speakers and a seminar programme that covers timely and important areas of PVC’s development makes the conference one that we are keen to be involved with,” said Leanne Taylor, Editor of British Plastics and Rubber.

The conference provides a global platform for the exchange of information, educational debate and discussion. further information: www.pvc2014.org

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materials handling

THINK MATERIALS MANAGEMENT...

We are passionate about... n ction solutio The metal dete of e risk has reduced th r dairy fo n io at in am cont plaste go Lo packaging at

news Metal detection solution reduces risk of contamination at UK packaging plant TH Plastics has developed a metal detection solution for manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging, Logoplaste, which it says not only reduces the potential risk of contamination, but also increases productivity.

The Logoplaste site in Leeds, UK, supplies milk bottles for the Arla dairy that in turn supplies major supermarkets across the UK. There are currently 13 machines working 24/7 to fulfil this demand.

Logoplaste approached TH Plastics to look at an innovative, contamination eliminating metal detection solution to sit within its materials conveying line. One of the key challenges it faced was to maintain uptime whilst ensuring zero product contamination.

Site manager at Logoplaste, Gary Muggleton said: “We wanted to eliminate the risk of contamination whilst improving our performance. TH Plastics’ metal detectors guarantee the purity of plastic products and are an important component of quality assurance.

“The benefit of installing the metal detection system has reduced the potential risk of machine damage and improved product safety. This is a massive improvement for the business and could equate to a lot of material savings and increased production time.

“We’re delighted with the results. It’s the ideal solution for the food and drink industry because it considerably reduces the potential risk of contamination and at the same time increases production because there’s no downtime,” he added. further information: www.thplastics.co.uk

New UK headquarters for equipment manufacturer Flexicon Europe has moved into new, larger UK headquarters in Whitstable, Kent, which it says offers an increased manufacturing area, office space and operational efficiencies as well as the ability to accommodate a larger staff.

The company was previously located in Herne Bay, Kent, where it occupied a primary facility, and subsequently expanded by adding an adjacent manufacturing plant for the production and manufacture of a range of bulk handling equipment.

“The Whitstable facility not only expands our total area, but consolidates it under one roof with large open spaces, significantly improving production flow and manufacturing capacity,” commented Managing Director, Keith Bourton.

Administrative space has doubled and includes new conference facilities for visiting customers and an expanded staff of technical sales personnel responsible for sales throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East. further information: www.flexicon.co.uk

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Flexicon Europe’s new UK headquarters in Whitstable, Kent

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The IMRO in action machinery

Materials handling range means big business for UK company With secondary raw material from waste gaining more and more importance, one UK company says that demand for solutions in the recycling sector is winning it an increasing amount of business.

Kent-based Fercell Engineering says it attributes some of this newly won business to an appetite for the range of Imro materials handling products it stocks, which includes conveying, sorting and separation technology.

“The IMRO product range is extensive and offers the highest quality in robust build and industry proven materials handling solutions,” commented Fercell

Engineering’s Marketing Manager, Bruce Le Gros, when discussing the company’s success in the recycling sector.

“Further complimenting our own UKmanufactured dust and fume extraction, Kwik-Fix ducting products including shredders, briquette press foam compactors and other industry related solutions, the Imro range compliments our ‘everything-under-one-roof’ business model by providing the final piece in the jigsaw.”

Commenting further he said: “With over 36 years industry experience in the field of materials handling, whether it be pneumatic, worm-screw or conveyor; standalone or, as is now more commonly

materials handling

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required, a complete turnkey plant, Fercell Engineering can deliver the most competitively priced solutions avoiding any reduction in quality.” further information: www.imrouk.com

Mike Jordan (left) photographed here with Steve Maguire, Maguire’s founder

Summit Systems recognised for insight in auxillary equipment At a ceremony during K 2013, Maguire Europe honoured its longtime agent in the United Kingdom, Summit Systems Ltd., for its leadership in introducing “innovative auxiliary equipment technology” to the marketplace.

The award was presented to Summit Systems Managing Director, Mike Jordan, in a special ‘Partner Award’ event at the Maguire Europe stand.

“In Summit Systems’ 22-year partnership with Maguire, Jordan has personified his company’s progressive and innovative approach to the marketplace,” according to Paul Edmondson, General Manager of Maguire Europe.

“It was Mike who identified the market for gravimetric blender technology in the UK and was the first person to import gravimetric batch weight technology to Europe in 1990,” said Edmondson. “This foresight is at the heart of Summit’s ethos. The team’s relentless pursuit of excellence is impressive and exciting to be associated with.”

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news Demand sees materials handling specialist make major investment Materials handling and process cooling specialist, AB Systems, says it has made a significant investment in its service provision by installing state-of-the-art job management technology in order to keep up with demand.

Designed to further improve the speed and efficiency of its service offering, AB Systems says the new simPRO software allows the company instant access to its customers’ service, project and estimation histories, and allows quotes for spare parts and equipment to be generated immediately.

“We’re growing at an exceptionally fast rate, not only in terms of our client-base,

but also the number of manufacturers for which we distribute,” said Jeff Day, Managing Director of AB Systems. “The software has given us a real boost in future-proofing our service and ensures that we can keep up with demand.”

Everything is logged by simPRO so that all data can be tracked and traced to source, offering complete project management, as well as integrating the company’s servicing and estimating

been designed to The new blender has cost and e balance performanc

“Next generation” blending technology for plastics launched New blender technology that aims to improve the cost/performance balance for plastics manufacturers by allowing throughputs to be measured in real time, was unveiled at K 2013.

Launched by suppliers of gravimetric blending and control systems, TSM, this latest product development is said to combine the benefits of its patented reverse auger technology with an ultrafast, responsive throughput measurement.

TSM’s Director of Sales, Declan Byrne, said the new blender has unique advantages and will provide customers with guaranteed quality and repeatability

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We are passionate about...

ents to Further improvem cy of AB ien fic ef and eed sp offering ce rvi se Systems’

materials handling

THINK MATERIALS MANAGEMENT...

departments through stock control and planning.

“We hold a significant amount of stock on site for both materials handling and cooling systems, and will now be able to quote, package and dispatch products in record time – important for the business continuity of our clients,” explained Day. further information: www.ab-ltd.co.uk

while reducing raw material costs.

“The fast, responsive throughput measurements will benefit plastics producers by giving them real-time control.

This will significantly improve the accuracy and consistency of their end product, reduce waste and improve cost efficiency,” he commented.

A new control algorithm, which has been specially developed in conjunction with a leading UK university, is said to deliver exceptional control, allowing performance to be maintained at lower setpoints. The unique mechanical design reportedly delivers a small footprint, making it ideal for either new or retrofit installations. further information: www.tsmcontrols.com

your business

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Case study: Genesis’ largest silo finds home at Perrite UK Perrite Ltd, the Warrington-based UK division of A. Schulman Inc., recently invested in new equipment in order to streamline the handling of its engineering thermoplastic compounds to increase flexibility and reduce manual handling.

The company purchased a silo with a capacity of 50 tonnes from Genesis Process Solutions, reportedly the largest flexible silo that the company has ever supplied in the UK. Genesis designed the framework so that it would fit precisely into place, as well as supplying the fill pipe that connects both the existing and flexible silos. A vacuum take-off box to allow connection to two existing production lines was also included, as was a load cell monitoring system. The project installation was completed in two weekends, with a total project time of 12 weeks from order to install.

Perrite says the extra storage capacity frees up its two external silos, giving it the extra flexibility in purchasing and production required.

According to Perrite, before the new silo was in place, there was a lot of manual handling involved in using bagged material. This, combined with product losses through damaged bags, floor space requirements, packaging disposal and forklift movements, was an ongoing cost.

Clinton Andrews, Continuous Improvement Manager at Perrite, commented: “Genesis fully understood the issues we were faced with and gave us exactly what was required, on time and on budget. The additional storage not only allows us to benefit from lower raw material costs but we are also continuing to reduce the amount of manual handling we have to do. The total cost of the project and the time frame for installation made it a far better solution than a conventional silo.”

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news

The new test rt. center in Stuttga n, rio pe Co it: Cred y Stuttgart/German

‘World’s largest’ compounding test center opens Compounding and bulk materials handling systems manufacturer, Coperion, has opened what it says is the worlds largest compounding test centre in Stuttgart, Germany.

With a footprint of 2,700 m² and floorspace of 4,500 m² on three levels, Coperion says the test centre is designed to facilitate the installation of trial set-ups that correspond exactly to actual production conditions. Quality control tests and analyses aimed to

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further develop processes are carried out in the analytical laboratory. The facility will reportedly accommodate up to 100 customer trials per year.

Additionally, Coperion says the centre will carry out internal tests with new machine components. It is equipped with 20 different ZSK extruders with throughput rates ranging from 10 to 3,000 kg/hr, including the latest generation machines, the ZSK Mc18 series, for products requiring high energy input, as well as the ZSK MEGAvolume PLUS machines for high volume throughput.

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Effective feedstock mixing with static cone blender Barton Fabrications, a UK-based supplier of silos to the plastics industry, says it is experiencing growing interest in its static cone blender, which it says addresses and improves plastic feedstock homogeneity issues.

The company says the blender unit, which uses no power and is maintenance free, is targeted at companies that are using both virgin and recycled plastic feedstock.

“The problems of feedstock homogeneity will be well recognised by plastic moulders,” commented Mark Barton, MD of Barton Fabrications. “With the increased interest in the use of recycled material, we saw an opportunity to develop an improved static cone blender back in 2008.

“The blender benefits from zero power usage and requires no maintenance, as it works using a cleverly designed static mixing unit within the silo. Every customer requires a slightly different solution as each type of plastic feedstock material has its own flow characteristic. This property relates to a number of factors including particulate density, morphology and coefficient of friction,” Barton continued.

“To optimise the design of new silos we produce a scale trial unit in which we can alter the blender cone dimensions and angles. In this way we can ensure we obtain the best mixing result. In addition, as the demonstration unit is made of clear acrylic, we can dynamically demonstrate, using different coloured feedstock, how effective the mixing is.” further information: www.bartonfabs.co.uk

Barton Fabrication’s silo blender addresses plastic feedstock homogeneity issues

In the last article (August’s issue of BP&R), we talked about dosing screws and cone valves. In the second part of our feature, we will consider some of the other widely used dosing devices, namely: slide-gate valves; disc dosing elements and rotary valves.

(L-R) a slide-gate valve, disc dosing element and rotary valve

Slide-gate valves Like a cone valve, a slide-gate valve is a passive system – i.e. the material simply flows out of the supply hopper. Output is controlled by the slide, which can be positioned either vertically or horizontally.

Material can be metered continuously or in batches and the volume dosed each time will depend on the cross-sectional area of the slide and how long the valve is open. Slide-gate valves are suitable for granular and free-flowing powders. If working with materials that do not flow well, on the other hand, you run the risk of the material sticking or clumping together (often called ‘bridging’). To avoid this, an additional device that positively feeds the material is necessary.

Slide-gate valves can be used for smaller and larger material throughputs, however, they are only suitable for gravimetric batch dosing systems. Synchronous operation is not possible, making a downstream mixer a must.

Schematic of a slidegate valve

Disc Dosing Elements The disc dosing unit and the rotary valve are based on the same concept: they actively meter the material by enclosing the required volume in chambers – similar to measuring using a cup or tablespoon when cooking. And just like in the kitchen, any excess material is “levelled off” before dosing. This method is also known as ‘digital-volumetric’, because when the technology was in its infancy (or in the case of very simple systems); the only way to create

mo explains: The choice of dosing device depends on which materials and method you are using, and what throughput you require.

MO’S CORNER

Q: How do the various types of dosing device work? (Part 2)

discrete volumetric units was to use entire chambers. Depending on the design, today’s systems are capable of far greater precision. You can achieve even more precise measurements by adjusting the dosing device to the required throughput.

Both the disc dosing unit and the rotary Powder dosing station with a disc dosing unit valve can meter material continuously or in batches. The volume dosed in a given period of time depends on the volume of the chamber and the rotary speed of the wheel. Both devices can process granular and free-flowing powders, and are suited to dosing very small to medium material throughputs. If you are using material that does not flow well, you will need additional equipment to positively feed the material. This allows you to ensure each chamber is filled to the same degree. Both dosing elements are deployed primarily in volumetric systems.

Rotary Valves A variety of disc elements and rotary valves are available for processing a range of throughputs and materials. In addition, discdosing units can be fitted with a blade for levelling off excess material. This can cut granules if required, ensuring each chamber is filled correctly and enhancing the consistency of the volume. This type of disc dosing device is particularly suitable for small volumes of micro-granulate. further information: askmo@moscorner.com

A B

(A and B): Disc dosing element with an integrated blade for leveling off and cutting the material

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K show review

www.quick-mould-change.com

k2013 from the show floor S

o, post-K 2013 and the dust is starting to settle. The organisers of the fair, Messe Düsseldorf, have issued a statement outlining visitor numbers, with the overall number of attendees having decreased slightly After months of since the 2010 event. This year saw 218,000 visitors preparation and come from over 120 planning, days walking countries, compared with visitors during the the halls and nights 222,486 last outing. networking in the Suggestion is, that the Altstadt, K 2013 is over organisers of the other great player in the global plastics for another three years. exhibitions arena, Chinaplas, Here, Leanne Taylor could be preparing to step up and looks back at some of themselves capitalise on attracting those the highlights, visitors that gave K a miss to innovations and their event in Shanghai on April 23 – 26, 2014. There’s announcements over the definitely opportunity in the course of the show. East, given that the Messe Düsseldorf’s figures suggest the proportion of visitors from Asia accounted for the largest group of foreign visitors – totaling approximately 30,000 from South, East and Central Asia as well as from the Near and Middle East.

Despite this, word from the organisers suggests that expectations for business at the show have been exceeded, with exhibitors reporting numerous concrete project enquiries, negotiations with visitors and a large number of business deals, some of which were concluded on-site and were worth “millions”.

Chairman of the Exhibitors’ Advisory Board for K 2013, Ulrich Reifenhäuser, said: “We had not expected visitors’ willingness to invest to be this high. The many innovative products and applications premiered in Düsseldorf were met with great interest from trade visitors.” One such product to do justice to this statement undoubtedly came before the show had officially even begun.

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Plastic freeforming – no one saw that coming Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the freeformer, a plastics processing additive manufacturing machine for the production of mould-free, prototype parts and it was undoubtedly the biggest bombshell dropped at K 2013 by none other than injection moulding machinery manufacturer, Arburg. At the company’s pre-show press event, held the night before the show opened, the mystery as to what was concealed beneath the curtain could safely be described as a shock to many of the trade press and onlookers who weren’t privy to the secret, which was telling from the silence that greeted the shiny, compact machine, that most definitely wasn’t an injection moulding machine, sitting underneath. The gymnast, or should I say contortionist, that was pirouetting on top, only added to the polished unveiling by the company.

So, what exactly is the freeformer? According to Herbert Kraibühler, Managing Director of Technology and Engineering at Arburg, the new freeformer enables the production of functional plastic parts without a mould by layering droplets of liquid plastic.

“Additive manufacturing entails the conversion of 3D CAD data into STL data,” commented Kraibühler. “The layered geometries obtained in this manner are then used to build up the components on an additive basis, i.e. in layers, without the use of a mould.”

wds to Düsseldorf K 2013 draws the cro

What is causing the noise in the world of additive manufacturing – and has led to the machine being touted as “game changing” – is the fact that the machine uses conventional plastic granulates rather than ‘prefabricated’ materials such as powders or strands, which traditionally make the material, the processing and therefore, the parts, more expensive.

“You can continue to use your familiar standard granulates. In other words, all the plastics that you use dayby-day at your injection moulding plant. Our freeformer requires no additional, special and therefore expensive materials,” said the company.

Developed using the group’s technical experience in injection moulding, the system uses a heated plasticising cylinder for an optimal plastic melt in the discharge unit.

The patented nozzle closure, with high-frequency “piezo” technology, is said to enable fast opening and closing movements to produce the plastic droplets under pressure. “The nozzle of the freeformer remains stationary, while the component carrier moves along three or five axes. This allows undercuts to be produced without the need for support structures. This means new freedom in terms of geometry and less material waste,” explained Kraibühler.

The freeformer can be configured as either a single or twocomponent machine, allowing the production of parts that integrate both hard and soft polymer elements as well as multiple colours, often a drawback with conventional additive manufacturing systems.

In terms of distribution, the group says it aims to use existing channels and customers to bring the machine to the market, with the first freeformers to be supplied from next year. Commenting on the freeformer, Colin Tirel, Managing Director at Arburg UK told me: “In a word – it’s phenomenal. I think it’s going to take us into markets, into areas and into companies that we don’t currently sell to. Initially of course, it will be offered to our own customers, but if you think about the whole additive manufacturing arena, it will open so many doors for us. It’s unique and it’s created a huge buzz.”

Although the freeformer got unreservedly the Lion’s share of attention of all of the exhibits on Arburg’s stand, some of the other technology, much more in keeping with the traditional vein, was not to be overlooked. One particularly impressive display was a fully electric

Email: connectors.uk@staubli.com

injection moulding machine and cube mould producing a functional two-component juice container closure. Using a mould from Foboha, an Arburg Allrounder 720 A produced the closure in six seconds and, utilising all four sides of the mould for production, the mould filling, cooling phase and part removal was carried out simultaneously, a process designed to considerably reduce cycle times, particularly for applications in the packaging industry.

Machinery – the best of the rest In terms of the other big injection moulding machinery manufacturers, it was apparent that serious investment had been made in some colossal booths, which were a serious magnet for visitors keen to see the machinery live in action. At Engel’s press conference, the company unveiled its recently launched control system, which it says has been developed due to the increase in demand for turnkey systems that incorporate automation solutions.

CEO, Peter Neumann, spoke about the company’s focus on its ongoing automation strategy, where robots are integrated into the production process for conformity of cycle times and ease of system operation. “Our strategy for automation is to grow even faster than we do in our machine business,” he commented.

“We really do see automation as a very important part of our strategy going forward, all manufactured ourselves, including conveyor belts, robots and other components. In order to ensure that these systems work in the best way they can we need an effective control system – and The Freeformer is unveiled that is why we are presenting the CC 300 as part of our showcase at K 2013.”

Engel says the CC 300 will make the use of injection moulding machines and integrated system solutions safer, more user-friendly and more efficient through allowing IMMs and manufacturing cells to be controlled according to tasks such as mould changing, or according to functions such as injecting.

At Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s booth, the company demonstrated a new peripheral module called activeColourChange. With the product, the group has developed a pigment dosing system, which allows extremely short colour change times to be performed when using liquid colours.

The group demonstrated activeColourChange on its new

Arburg’s cube-mould technology

Tel: 01952 671918

Systec SP 280 (producing one litre buckets) with three different colours at K 2013. The colour was fed directly from a closed system into the metering zone of the melt-filled injection unit. In contrast to colouring with masterbatch, the upstream zones (the feed and compression zones) are kept free of colour, which in theory means that less cleaning is required.

Another curtain drops – this time recycling machinery In another ‘big reveal’ at the show, machinery manufacturer, Erema, unveiled its latest machine for plastics recycling, the ‘Intarema’.

The machine is based on newly developed and patented ‘Counter Current’ technology, which is said to result in increased productivity, flexibility, easy operation and “considerably lower” energy consumption.

Erema says the innovation in the Counter Current system is in the cutter/compactor and tangentially connected extruder, where it circulates material against the normal direction of the extruder, resulting in more material being processed in a shorter time.

Erema says to date, the worldwide technical standard has been a system in which the material in the cutter/compactor moved in the direction of the extruder. The centrifugal forces arising in the process were used for the feeding of the extruder and the treated, warm material was “packed” into the extruder screw. It says the inverse tangential configuration of the Counter Current system now ensures that the extruder screw is filled virtually pressure-free with the preheated material.

Michael Heitzinger, CTO at Erema, described the impact which the new system has on productivity and the quality of the recyclate, saying: “The screw basically “takes what it needs”, the extruder always has the ideal filling level and is never overfilled, which makes it much better to regulate.”

Elsewhere in the machinery halls, Swiss plastic engineering equipment firm, Leister, unveiled a new compact hand extruder, the Weldplast S1, a smaller version of its Weldplast S2 range.

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www.quick-mould-change.com

“The new product is the result of a challenge Leister tasked itself with to develop a hand extruder that could be used primarily with one hand rather than two, as well as being suitable for fabricating in small and dark spaces,” commented Steve Gibbs, Technical Sales Director for Plastic Extrusion at Welwyn Tool Group, the UK distributor, sales and service centre for Leister equipment.

After two years in development, the new Weldplast S1 has reportedly shed a significant 1.1kg in weight compared with the larger S2, and is well balanced by the virtue of the centralised hand grip. For working in tight corners and for lighting up darker areas, the S1 introduces an LED lighting system at the front of the extruder.

“The Weldplast S1 ensures reproducible results and efficiency, enabling the operator to set and control welding parameters for a diversity of different materials including PE, PP, PVC, PA and PVDF, providing variable and adjustable controls of temperature and blower speeds independently of each other,” continued Hobbs.

Materials hold their own in terms of innovation and footfall The materials halls held their own in terms of impressive stands, new product launches and footfall. Innovation for the automotive industry was an unavoidably apparent theme, with booths acting as podiums displaying futuristic concept cars modeling the best of the cuttingedge technology that the plastics industry can offer OEMs, designers and consumers. Bayer MaterialScience, LanXess and Evonik all showed some interesting four-wheel displays.

At the show, Evonik confirmed that it is once again fully supplying markets with polyamide 12 after the explosion that caused a severe shortage in 2012 and that it is “considering” a second plant for the production of the CDT feedstock.

Speaking at a press event, Dr Dahai Yu of the company’s Executive Board said that he was aware of the company’s responsibility as a major supplier of CDT and a second plant would ensure supply chain security should there ever be another reason for a sudden stoppage of production. “We managed to rebuild our Essen facility within six months after the explosion, which is very quick, and we are now fully supplying to our customers,” Dr Yu commented.

The autmotive industry also played a part in the launch of a new product line from manufacturer of polymer stabilisers, Songwon Industrial Group. Songxtend 2121, 2122 and 2123 are designed for the automotive industry and are tailored to address fogging and

Netzsch launched the new DSC 214 Polyma

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The futuristic car at Bayer MaterialScience

K show review

Erema unveils the ‘Intarema’

odour issues in car interiors.

Songwon says Songxtend stabilisers reduce VOC emissions and improve organoleptic properties by either eliminating or reducing undesirable odours that negatively impact car interiors.

A major focus for SABIC at K 2013 was its materials solutions for the automotive industry, an area in which it says it will continue to focus heavily. One of the company’s flagship applications at the show was the Volkswagen XL1 diesel plug-in hybrid car, which features advanced polycarbonate side windows as well as an allthermoplastic tailgate concept, which SABIC says are both aimed at enabling lighter weight and energy efficiency within a vehicle.

At the company’s press conference, Scott Fallon, General Manager for Automotive at SABIC, said the company had “collaborated with almost every major automotive OEM in the world.”

The company also announced it is working with materials that will enable it to enter “completely new markets”, including synthetic rubbers. SABIC said it will be producing a range of Polybutadiene rubber (BR), a homo-polymerised, 1-3 butadiene, which it says will be used for the production of tyres that are “safer, more fuel efficient and long lasting.”

The company also revealed plans to open a new plant in 2016 in Saudi Arabia for the production of POM, a polymer known for its high stiffness, mechanical strength and good resistance to chemicals and solvents. The company highlighted its use of POM in the automotive industry by displaying fuel caps on its stand.

Outside of the automotive industry, Innovia Films, a leading global

Leister’s new Weldplast S1 launched at the show

Tel: 01952 671918

Email: connectors.uk@staubli.com

Chris Makin of Vinyl compounds confirms the company’s plans for further investement at the battenfeldcincinnati stand

manufacturer of Biofilms, and Corbion Purac, a global leader in lactic acid and lactides, displayed a range of prototype PLA (polylactic acid) films that are both transparent and resistant to higher temperatures.

Possible opportunities for the new bioplastic films include both food and non-food packaging and many industrial applications.

Specialty chemicals group, Perstorp, premiered four new products for the plastic materials market at K 2013. The four new products are Capa for bioplastics, a highly biodegradable plastic that improves mechanical properties as well as accelerating biodegradation; Charmo for intumescent systems in plastics, a halogen-free, rich carbon source for phosphorous/nitrogen based systems said to significantly reduce the release of smoke and heat in the event of a fire; Pevalen, a non-phthalate plasticiser for sensitive applications said to be perfect for close contact PVC applications, such as flooring, coated fabrics, plastisols, toys and moulded parts; and finally, a new co-polyester alternative called Akestra, a thermoplastic alternative to polycarbonate, polystyrene and glass.

Separately, at a panel discussion on the future of plastics and the role of styrenics, Dr. Norbert Niessner, Global Head of Research and Development at Styrolution, said that styrenics were “much more than insulation” and that they had an “exciting future” in the areas of building construction, architecture and design.

Professor Dr. Hans-Werner Schmidt, Head of the Department for Macromolecular Chemistry at the University of Bayreuth, said that K 2013 was “full of innovation” and that the “polymer age” was “only just starting” in terms of exploiting the potential of plastic materials, but that research was key.

Putting those materials to the test

There was also a number of new launches and announcements from companies in the field of instrumentation for the testing and analysis of polymer materials.

UK-based manufacturer of testing instrument and equipment, Lacerta Technology, launched two new products at K 2013 as well as announcing a new UK distributor.

BMB Plastics Machinery Limited has taken on sole distributorship of Lacerta’s identiPol range of products, including the next generation QA2 and new OIT models launched at the trade show.

“BMB is joining us at pivotal moment of our growth plans and we’re very excited about two new products that we’ve launched at K 2013 that continue our focus on developing techniques and technologies to assist with plastic quality assurance,” said Steve Price, Lacerta Sales Manager.

Lacerta has unveiled a second generation system, the identiPol QA2, which it says takes the identiPol QA, the relatively low-cost device for the identification and rapid quality

assessment of virtually any thermoplastic material, to the next level of sophistication, as well as launching the identiPol OIT, an instrument for measuring oxidative induction time.

Additionally, manufacturer of instruments and equipment for the analysis and testing of polymers, Netzsch, held the world premiere of its new characterisation system, the DSC 214 Polyma at the show.

The company says the new system is an ideal tool for the research, development, quality assurance and failure analysis of polymer materials. This allows both novice and experienced users to successfully carry out a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) analysis involving sample preparation, measurement, evaluation and the interpretation of data, by incorporating specially designed software to complement the instrument hardware.

Flying the flag for Great Britain A number of UK companies said they had enjoyed a successful K Show. Charmaine Bowers from The Polymer Training and Innovation Centre (PTIC), exhibiting as part of the ‘British Group’ alongside the British Plastics Federation, said: “We’ve been really busy and have had good quality leads from several nationalities for our PICAT II software. The K Show is a globally recognised platform for our industry, a lot of our technical team are excited by the innovation that is being shown, which is important for us as a training provider as it means we keep a competitive edge.”

Richard Benyon of CJP Sales, distributors of Dynapurge purging compounds, said that the show had been “a great opportunity to network and knowledge share with other distributors from around the world.”

North Wales-based producer of solid masterbatch, Silvergate Plastics, announced at the show that it has appointed a new European-based manager to lead the company’s export growth strategy.

Dr. Giuseppe Chiacchio will be responsible for developing and supporting Silvergate’s growing client base in mainland Europe from the company’s new offices in Italy. Following a significant investment to reconfigure Silvergate’s manufacturing facility at its headquarters in Wrexham, North Wales, the company says it now has the capacity to satisfy the most demanding of requests, from specialist multicomponent 1kg purchases to high volume commodity masterbatches including blacks and whites.

Commenting on Chiacchio’s new appointment, Managing Director, Tony Bestall, stated: “We are delighted Giuseppe has come on board to lead our Export Growth Strategy. Having invested a total of almost £250,000 into our manufacturing facility, we now operate a much slicker, flexible and larger operation. We can now bring our extensive technical know-how to a much wider market and rapidly deliver products of any volume to fulfil the needs of our growing customer base.”

Derbyshire-based Vinyl Compounds reaffirmed its expansion plans at K 2013, with MD, Chris Makin, confirming the purchase and delivery of a fourth compounder from battenfeld-cincinnati’s Hartmut Hachmeister on site at the show.

The new machine, one of many purchased in close succession by the company, is on track for delivery by December 2013, with further investment opportunities in mid 2014.

“The partnership between our two companies goes from strength to strength. It is based on mutual respect and satisfaction,” agreed both Makin and Hachmeister at the show.

Until next we meet Messe Düsseldorf has confirmed the dates for the next event will be 19 – 26 October 2016. Until then, the impact of the other big tradeshows remains to be seen. As Helmut Heinson, Managing Director of Arburg, said during the EUROMAP press conference at K 2013, it is “important for plastics and rubber companies to strive for global presence at exhibitions.”

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further information: www.k-online.de

medical

news Case Study: Carclo Technical Plastics expands into ISO Class 8 Manufacturing Contract technical moulder, Carclo Technical Plastics (CTP), has successfully ventured into ISO Class 8 manufacturing with the installation of two activeCell selfcontained cleanroom moulding and packing cells designed and manufactured

by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag.

Surrey-based CTP provides injection moulding and contract manufacturing services for medical, automotive, PPE, optics and mechatronics applications and operates in twelve locations across USA, UK, Czech Republic, China and India.

Following numerous customer requests for medical devices made to class 8 standards, CTP’s operation in Brno (Czech Republic) looked to integrate an onsite cleanroom at its 4730m2 facility, however, the cost implications this would have incurred led them to invest in a selfcontained activeCell cleanroom moulding and packing system from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag.

“Without specifying any application details, we challenged Sumitomo (SHI) Demag to build two systems to meet our customer’s proposed capacity requirements. We required a moulding and packing solution which had no restrictions, navigated numerous obstacles both technically and commercially and could easily switch between several different modes of production,” commented Carclo Technical Plastics’ Technical Director, Lee Dodd.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag had a number of bespoke challenges to overcome: the cell’s seal would be broken by cranes and other equipment regularly entering the machine, yet the system had to retain class 8 standards; the product portfolio was extensive requiring large and small parts of all geometries to be manufactured and then either bagged or boxed; the facility to track and trace bagged products; identical machines were required with inter-transferable mould and robot programmes.

The resulting all-electric compact mini

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s selfcontained activeCell cleanrooms at Carclo Technical Plastics

Plastics Carclo Technical ntact co es ur manufact e lens cases on th ell eC activ

cleanroom system is fitted with laminar airflow cabinets for particle free air in the mould-space area, integral packaging equipment and a six-axis Yaskawa Motoman robot which removes parts from the mould ready for packing: “Over and above its primary purpose, the six-axis robot is a value-add for manufacturers looking for future expansion options including pick and place, assembly or even palletising,” commented Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Managing Director, Nigel Flowers.

The activeCell units were built within 20 weeks, meet all CTP requirements and currently manufacture a range of complex single impression and multi-impression parts (including contact lens cases) to class 8 standards in volumes from 125,000 - 9,000,000. With order values to date exceeding £500,000 per year, CTP will see a return on its investment in less than 24 months.

“The solution hit a sweet spot, in that it was affordable, flexible and transferable.

Without Sumitomo (SHI)Demag’s

activeCell solution, we would not be able to offer cleanroom moulding. We now have a cost effective and highly flexible machine blueprint which any CTP facility worldwide can use should they decide to expand into cleanroom manufacturing,” concluded Dodd. “activeCell has been designed to address current market requirements for a low investment alternative with complete flexibility at a fraction of the cost of a full cleanroom,” added Flowers.

The all-electric system is installed fully compliant meeting GAMP and FDA requirements with DQ, IQ and OQ documentation and available in 100, 160, 220 and 280 tonne formats. further information: uk.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu

ADVERTORIAL Spotlight on medical: Ultrapolymers Ultrapolymers continues to extend its portfolio of grades tailored to the healthcare market. The company says this underlines an on-going commitment to its role as an experienced, reliable and knowledgeable provider of high quality raw materials for healthcare applications. As the official distributor of LyondellBasell, Styrolution and BASF materials, Ultrapolymers is responsible for the introduction of a broad range of specialist medical polymers into an industry that requires strict control, security and consistency. Offering a consultative approach to polymer selection and development provides designers and convertors with an invaluable service to help meet the increasing demands of the healthcare market.

Ultrapolymers says its portfolio supports risk class I and II applications as well as offering global regulatory approvals, long-term formulation consistency, enhanced quality control and guaranteed security of supply.

LyondellBasell’s Purell PP and PE range supports a wide variety of healthcare applications and processes, including injection moulding, blow moulding, film extrusion, injection blow and stretch blow moulding. Recent developments include Purell HP671T, a high flow PP offering high stiffness, good optical properties, easy processing, high output rates and excellent resistance to gama sterilisation. Additionally, Purell PE3320D, an LDPE offering greater rigidity for blow filled seal applications has been added.

In partnership with Styrolution, Ultrapolymers offers a range of healthcare specific styrenics. Telux HD, Novodur HD, Luran HD, NAS, Zylar, Styrolution PS, Styroflex and Styrolux are tailored to applications such as housings, drug delivery devices and labware and provide additional stiffness, outstanding optical properties and excellent dimensional stability.

Ultraform PRO, Ultradur PRO and Ultrason deliver engineering polymer solutions for applications requiring healthcare approvals coupled with increased mechanical performance. further information: www.ultrapolymers.com

Enjoyed around the world!

Ferromatik knows the taste of success.

A German company with strong roots, we are a proud part of the Milacron group which manufactures exceptional injection moulding machines in four locations around the world.

Dig in and enjoy!

Manufacturing facilities:

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Ferromatik UK Ltd. I Carrwood Road I Chesterfield Trading Estate Chesterfield S41 9QB I UK | +44 (0)1246 260666 sales@ferromatik.co.uk I www.ferromatik.com

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medical

news ATM hits the mark for drug delivery devices Leicestershire-based ATM Automation says it has collaborated with a leading UK medical device manufacturer to develop a fully automated solution for high accuracy, high clarity circumferential printing on a range of drug delivery components.

Following a review of specific requirements for the application, ATM chose a combination of HF corona treatment and pad printing for the manufacturer to ensure consistent and durable printing. “With a wide range of polymers being used within the industry and a number of different printing techniques available, it is essential that the correct combination of materials, pre-treatment and printing processes are selected to achieve the marking quality and durability required for different applications,� ATM said.

Equally as important as the choice of technologies for marking is the need to ensure consistent print orientation and registration. For these particular components, precise radial orientation was required and ATM says this was

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ug Printing on dr delivery devices ise must be prec nt te and consis

achieved using a closed loop system, comprising of a laser sensor and servo positioning system. Once set, the radial orientation is maintained during printing using a precision clamping and support mechanism. This combination of technologies is said to enable print registration tolerances of better than 0.4 degrees radially and 0.3mm longitudinally.

Following printing, ATM says each part is subsequently checked using a machine vision system to verify both correct print and print quality, with any parts deemed as reject being segregated. further information: www.atmautomation.com

ing, ATM’s fully automated feed printing and inspection system can accept new part types n with a minimum of re-desig ent and investm

Medical polymer market to reach $3.5bn by 2018 According to a new report from industry analyst firm, NanoMarkets, the global medical polymer market will grow from $2.3 billion (USD) in 2013 to over $3.5 billion in 2018, due to an aging population and technical developments.

The report entitled, ‘Worldwide Medical Polymer Markets 2013 - 2020’ suggests implants currently consume about half the medical polymers produced and are expected to account for around $1.6 billion in polymer sales by 2018.

Polymers have been penetrating the implant market because they are lower cost and lighter weight than metal alternatives, such as titanium. The report also indicates that increased use of medical imaging is creating further demand for polymers.

According to the report, sales of polymers for diagnostic systems will reach $1.04 billion in 2018. In vitro diagnostics account for 50,000 to 60,000 metric tonnes of specialised and commodity plastics every year. Most diagnostic procedures today are rapid, multi-assays, and plastics have become indispensable. The report suggests growth prospects in this sector are thus particularly strong.

The report claims that PMMA, PS/styrenics and PP are the leading medical polymers, based on revenue, accounting for around 26 percent of the market in 2013. There is also some high value niches appearing in the market. Commercial elastomers that provide a ‘soft touch’ are being used to coat

accessories, such as catheters, gloves and syringes, in order to impart a soft touch feel. Their use is expected to grow in intravenous drug delivery systems, cardio systems and blood collection devices.

The last decade has seen the rise of biodegradable polymers. The report says the current trend suggests that in the near future, entire prostheses will be developed from these materials. While they will not be used to manufacture diagnostic products, biodegradable polymers will be incorporated into implants and some clinical labware. The report suggests there is some additional interest in discovering new biodegradable polymers for medical applications, but investment in this area is limited due to the need to complete extensive long-term studies in order to validate new materials. further information: www.nanomarkets.net

rt, the to the repo l According market wil er al polym 18 20 in global medic n r $3.5 billio grow to ove

Clinical labware

antimicrobials

news Antibacterial alternative to nano-silver or triclosan developed A company based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, says it has invented a technology that combines zinc with polymers to give antibacterial properties.

The technology, created by Parx Plastics, is said to offer a safe and nontoxic alternative to presently available solutions such as nano-silver or triclosan.

The effectiveness can reportedly reach as high as 98 - 99 percent after 24 hours following the ISO 22196 testing guidelines and is said to work effectively against Staphylococcus Aureus, Escherichia Coli, MRSA and Clostridium Difficile.

Parx Plastics says the technology exclusively targets bacteria cells, causing them to die, without affecting human cells.

The incorporated technology is not cytotoxic, says the company, and is fully safe in contact with humans and nature.

The technology is said to be suitable for plastics that come in contact with foodstuff or materials for other regulated applications, as it presents no increased

Parx Plastics says it has invented a technology that combines zinc with polymers to give antibacterial properties.

migration and it uses only allowed substances.

“As we are able to apply the technology to any existing polymer without changing the original characteristics of the material it truly offers groundbreaking possibilities,” said Michael van der Jagt, co-founder of Parx Plastics. “The antibacterial property can be included in products that to date could not

incorporate this functionality because of guidelines, limitations or compromised characteristics.”

Eastman has incorporated the antibacterial property into a copolyester for use in an infant care product. further information: www.parxplastics.com

INJECTION MOULDING EXPERTS

Do you need medical or bio-medical products and components?

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t Class 7 clean room t Closed loop manufacturing t Cleanroom assembly and packaging We can help you during every stage of the production process from prototype and tooling, small batch runs to full manufacture.

Researchers develop “environmentally friendly” antibacterial polymer KTH Chemistry Researcher, Josefin Illergård, explained that the team got around the problem of resistant bacteria by creating an antibacterial surface in which polymer binds with cellulose. “We have managed to find an antibacterial polymer that attaches stably to Researchers at KTH cellulose and therefore cannot be released into Royal Institute of the environment,” she Technology in said.

Stockholm, Sweden, have The Institute says the discovery could be an discovered an important antibacterial polymer breakthrough in the that they say can be used search for environmentally friendly in everyday products ways to control bacteria such as sportswear, while preventing nappies and bandages antibiotic resistance and resistant bacteria. without causing Illergård says the resistant bacteria. Here team’s discovery is BP&R takes a closer based on cellulose fibres embedded in a look at the research. polymer, which kill bacteria. Cellulose is the most common organic substance in nature and the primary structural component of plant cell walls. The active polymer is so strongly bonded to the fibres of the cellulose material that it does not loosen or leak into the environment via water.

The new polymer can be used in everyday applications such as sportswear and shoes

Antibacterial agents such as triclosan and silver ions are commonly used in sportswear and shoes to remove unpleasant odours from bacteria formation. But the Institute says such biocides leak into the environment when the treated garments or surfaces are washed, raising the risk that bacteria will gradually become resistant to their effect. “If someone uses a cloth to wipe a countertop treated with antibacterial agents, and that cloth is rinsed in the sink, those substances are then spread further through the drain and into the environment where they can contaminate soil and water and give rise to bacterial resistance,” Illergård conitnued.

The material may have applications in water purification, according to Illergård, who says that bacteria must come in direct contact with the material for the antibacterial process to work.

Due to polymer having a positive charge and bacteria a negative charge, the new material actually attracts bacteria, Illergård explained. The material does not contain large amounts of polymer; and only non-toxic nitrogen oxides remain after it is burned. Nevertheless, she said the team’s goal for the future is to continue the research and try to replace the antibacterial polymer with an entirely renewable material.

“We know that this project is of international interest,” Illergård continued. “Our papers have been requested by companies abroad and we are getting a lot of feedback when we present our findings at conferences. “In the future, I believe our material will be used in cleaning clothes, in sanitation for hospitals and in different kinds of water purification filters.” further information: www.kth.se

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packaging films

news New product increases potential for using PA6 blown films for flexible food packaging Royal DSM, the global life and materials science company, has launched a newlydeveloped product which it says offers processors increased potential for using polyamide 6 in blown film for flexible food packaging.

DSM says thanks to its improved crystallisation properties, new Akulon XS has an extended processing window, which provides new opportunities in designing co-extruded multi-layer as well as monolayer film structures.

As awareness of the need for food waste reduction and shelf life extension grows, demand for barrier films for flexible food packaging continues to increase.

DSM says Polyamide 6 (PA6) is a viable option for use in such films, owing to its good barrier properties and its mechanical strength. The high crystallisation rate of polyamide 6, however, can limit its

Akulon XS for blown film used in food packaging

processing window. Processors have to either compromise on productivity, or obtain improved processability by blending the PA6 with special, and more expensive, amorphous polyamides or polyamide copolymers. This, says DSM, reduces the cost-effectiveness of the film.

Akulon XS is said to resolve this issue as it crystallises much slower in the film bubble than conventional PA6—matching the crystallisation rate of other material layers. This creates a more stable bubble and gives processors more leeway in their processing conditions. The film is also more stretchable, so less force is needed to achieve the same blow-up ratio (BUR),

or the same force can be used to produce a bubble with a BUR between 7 and 10 percent higher. There are also said to be fewer wrinkles in the flat film.

Even though slower crystallisation creates larger crystals that might be expected to produce a less clear film, DSM says tests on full-scale production lines have shown that there is virtually no discernible difference in the optical properties of films made with a benchmark film-grade polyamide and Akulon XS. DSM says all properties of the film in use are the same as in film made with standard PA6.

DSM says Akulon XS is making it easier and more cost effective for processors to make polyamide 6 blown films for flexible food packaging, leveraging the unique barrier and mechanical properties of polyamide 6. further information: www.dsm.com

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High-barrier polymers for food packaging turn 50 Solvay Specialty Polymers is celebrating its 50th anniversary as the global supplier of Diofan and Ixan polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) polymers used in barrier packaging and says continued investments are planned to support future expansions for PVDC production around the world.

Solvay says Diofan and Ixan high barrier polymers have both oxygen and water vapour barrier properties. They are used to enhance and upgrade packaging materials by preventing the permeation of oil and grease, as well as the loss of aroma and flavour. They provide strong seals to make hermetic packages and improve package appearance through transparency, gloss, print adhesion and scratch resistance.

“Diofan and Ixan products have a long history of providing safe and reliable packaging and they have become a performance standard in the barrier packaging industry,” said An Nuyttens, Solvay’s Global Business Manager for high-barrier polymers.

Solvay says a thin layer of an aqueous Diofan dispersion on various types of base both webs enhances barrier and packaging properties, ensuring the freshness of food and preserving the efficacy of drugs even when distributed to remote geographical regions. The material’s typical water vapour transmission rate

Case study: KM Packaging puts a lid on it Peterborough – based KM Packaging Services has helped a high street supermarket chain to launch a new range of premium ready meals in coloured aluminium trays by providing a versatile, tailor-made film lidding solution.

KM worked alongside several UK manufacturers to develop the range of around 50 different trays, which have two different lidding solutions for both hot and cold peel. The company says the trays are unique in that they have a cream lacquer both inside and out – a particularly challenging surface for KM to tackle.

Despite this, the lidding specialist says it came up with a high-clarity ovenable and peelable solution with excellent anti-fog properties and a high oxygen barrier, suitable for ready-to-heat meals.

KM Packaging’s Commercial Director, Graham Holding, explained: “In this instance we faced particular challenges with the lacquered surface, which has quite different qualities to plain aluminium. With meals that are precooked in the tray we also had to mitigate against the potential risk of product contamination.

“Our lidding solution is not just highly

with a tion trays w e solu n The idding made l r o il a t

process-tolerant: in keeping with the range’s premium credentials, we had to play our part in ensuring the meals would be both functional and visually appealing – thus the optical clarity and anti-fog properties were key. Because the film lid stays clear, the size of the outer sleeve has been significantly reduced so the

contents are displayed much more visibly and provide instant on-shelf appeal for shoppers.” further information: www.kmpack.co.uk

n and Ixan Solvay says Diofa ers have lym high-barrier po and water er rri ba n yge ox both ies. ert op pr vapour barrier

ranges between 0.05 - 10 g/(m²•d) and its oxygen transmission rate can be lower than 1 cc/(m²•d•bar).

Extrusion grades of Ixan high barrier polymer are said to provide long lasting protection for advanced film packaging solutions for both vacuum and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), thereby extending the shelf life for fresh and processed meat, fresh and frozen fish, poultry and cheese. further information: www.solvay.com

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packaging films

Identifying contaminants in packaging materials and films

C

ontaminations of polymer films and products are often microscopically small and not easy to analyse. It is important to know the chemical composition of the defect so it origin can be determined. FT-IR microscopy is the ideal tool for this because it can Fourier-Transform-Infrared measure small samples (FT-IR) microscopy is a well- only a few micrometres in established method for the size. analysis of samples that are In this example, black streaks are seen on a too small or complex to be polycarbonate packaging measured in a standard IR sample. The question is if spectrometer. It is possible the streaks are on the to obtain an IR spectrum surface or embedded in the anywhere on the sample, PC-matrix and what their revealing the chemical chemical nature is. The composition of a defined part analysis can be performed of the sample. This makes the without any sample technique useful for quality preparation. Six measurement points were control, forensic and medical set on the sample and applications to name only a automatically measured, few. A large variety of the total measurement different samples can be taking less than two analysed, such as fibres, paint minutes. Figure 1 shows chips, contaminations or the visual image of the composite materials (e.g. contaminated sample and laminates, tablets). For measurement positions, example, it may be of interest shown as coloured spots.

The results spectra are to determine the chemical shown also in Figure 1; composition of different clear differences are shown layers in a packaging material, between the spectra to identify contaminant measured on the black particles found on a plastic spots compared to the part, or impurities within a polycarbonate matrix. film matrix. In this article, Dr Figure 2 shows two Sarah Elliott, of Bruker UK, representative spectra; the presents a case study where a upper spectrum is from the polycarbonate matrix and polymer used in packaging has the middle one from the been analysed with the contamination (marked company’s Lumos FTIR with a purple dot in Figure microscope. 1). The spectrum of the black spots contained strong bands of the polycarbonate matrix, so a difference spectrum was created by subtracting the polycarbonate spectrum from the spectrum measured on the black spot. The lower spectrum in figure 2 shows the result, demonstrating that the black spot is different to the polymer matrix. It is then possible to perform a library search on the resulting spectrum using the Opus Search software, revealing that the contaminant results from a black ink marker (library search result was marker ink black 6558). This information can now be used to track down the source of the ink.

The Lumos is an ideal instrument for QC laboratories that have to analyse defects and contaminations in various products on demand, and for development laboratories needing to understand better the structure of their materials. In combination bp&r with the built-in library search function it is possible to quickly

Figure 1: Visual microscopic image of the polycarbonate packaging with black streaks, showing spectra from the measurement positions with relevant colours.

Figure 2. ATR spectra of the clean polycarbonate matrix (top) and the black spot (middle). Result of the subtraction of the above spectra is shown on the bottom. The library search of the difference spectrum reveals that the contamination originates from a black ink

identify unknown samples, as highlighted in the example here.

The combination of the fully automated, motorised Bruker Lumos FTIR Microscope and wizard-driven Opus software makes FT-IR microscopy fast, easy and highly accessible to QC and R&D Labs for many different applications.

32

Further information: www.bruker.com

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reclamation & recycling

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news Automatic sorting offers potential for increased recycled content Automatic sorting systems designed to boost the recycled content of plastic food packaging could be available within a few years, claims resource recovery specialist, Axion Consulting.

Following its technical research undertaken for WRAP, Axion says major breakthroughs in sorting technologies could increase the recycling of an estimated 180,000 tonnes of waste polypropylene (PP) pots, tubs and trays arising annually in the UK. More than 60 percent comprises food contact packaging, with the remaining 40 percent consisting of non-food applications, such as cleaning products or cosmetics.

Axion’s research centred on developing an automatic process, which uses diffraction gratings to identify and separate PP that has been in contact with food from that which has not. Under European food packaging regulations only PP that has been in prior contact with food can be recycled into new food grade PP. The process involves marking food contact PP packaging material with lines (a diffraction grating) that can be scanned by a laser to reflect a specific pattern. The pattern is then captured by a camera connected to a computerised image recognition system, which is able to identify the marked food contact PP packaging. This technique is potentially applicable to other polymer types, particularly high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging. The diffraction grating can be used on packaging labels, stamped on a mould or directly onto a packaging item.

According to Axion Chemical Engineer, Richard McKinlay, who helped to build a demonstration unit for the project, it was the first time the diffraction grating

h ed trays wit Thermoform gs & in at gr ed ld mou impression ion ct ra inted diff pots with pr grating labels

concept had been used in this type of sorting application. “This represents an innovative application of existing technology that could revolutionise any food contact plastic recycling in offering a commercially-viable automated solution.

Manual sorting is simply too expensive,” said McKinlay. “Diffraction is when one beam of light is split into several, so we are utilising this phenomena to detect a particular type of plastic packaging.”

Axion estimates the total capital cost for a single diffraction grating sorting unit, including conveyors and ancillary equipment, at £500,000, with a potential payback within four years. Its report states that this payback period “should represent a good investment opportunity for a Plastics Recovery Facility (PRF) operator or a potential food grade reprocessor processing bales of sorted PP packaging.”

Acknowledging that further work is still needed, Liz Morrish, Axion Senior Consultant, said their research had helped to move the development of technology a step closer.

“Challenges remain, including the need to widen applications and markets

for this technology. It is also crucial for retailers, manufacturers and machinery suppliers to adopt agreed industry-wide methods that would optimise the identification and subsequent recycling of these waste streams,” said Liz. “Although we focussed heavily on PP for this project, using this technology initially to sort HDPE milk bottles could be advantageous. Once it has been shown to work on this material, it may give the industry more confidence to invest further to allow the technology to be used on PP,” she continued.

“Overall it appears that diffraction gratings can potentially be used to identify food contact packaging effectively and economically; however, they are not yet ready for use commercially until a full industry-wide solution has been developed and commercialised,” added Morrish. further information: www.axionconsulting.co.uk

Stuart Foster, Recoup CEO; Lord de Mauley, Resource Minister for Defra; and representatives from the Plastic Matters initiative founding signatories at the plastics recycling conference.

‘Plastic Matters’ says Lord de Mauley at recycling conference In his keynote speech at the Recoup Plastic Recycling Conference and AGM, Lord de Mauley announced that Defra would be adding its support and financial backing to Recoup’s new ‘Plastic Matters’ initiative, and that it would be “a significant step to help reduce waste, achieve the ambitious plastic packaging recycling targets to 2017 and keep valuable plastic resources from ending up in landfill.”

The initiative, launched earlier in the day by Recoup CEO, Stuart Foster, will develop plastic recycling communications tools and guidance to provide support to local authorities to increase the collection of plastic packaging for recycling and deliver more consistency of information. By providing clear messages and minimising confusion, Recoup says it hopes the initiative will help consumers to take the right actions and ultimately lead to more plastic being recycled.

Together with Defra, the founding signatories of this initiative include Marks & Spencer, Kent Resource Partnership, Unilever, WRAP, Coca Cola Enterprises, Nestle Waters, RPC, Veolia, Closed Loop Recycling and Valpak. Both the Minister and Recoup called for more organisations to come forward and support the initiative.

“Understanding consumer behaviour is the key to changing consumer behaviour and as such, the first activity under the new initiative will be an in depth plastic recycling consumer insight study to build on existing knowledge. From this work, the steering group made up of the founding signatories will develop the consumer facing campaign and will aim to launch the consumer facing tools before the end of the year,” commented Foster at the event.

During the conference, Recoup launched two of its flagship documents, the ‘2013 UK Household Plastics Packaging Collection Survey’ and an updated version of ‘Recyclability By Design’.

Other key points of the day included a debate over the exclusion of biodegradable bags from the recently announced carrier bag tax. The 5p per bag charge, which will only apply to supermarkets and larger stores, will begin after the 2015 election, with the proceeds going to charities.

Led by Bernard Chase of Regain Polymers, there was also discussion around the current lack of parity within the PRN system, as well as a call for a review of the advantage that currently exists for export markets when compared to UK plastic reprocessors. further information: www.recoup.org

35 bp&r

engineering materials

news LyondellBasell has announced an addition to its Lupolen family of ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) polymer resins.

LyondellBasell announces new grade for strength and lifespan LyondellBasell has announced an addition to its Lupolen family of ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) polymer resins. The new Lupolen UHM 5000 polyethylene grade, with an average molecular weight of 5 million, is claimed to display strong wear resistance, a low coefficient of friction and stress crack resistance.

“Lupolen UHM 5000 is a valuable addition to our product portfolio, offering customers a demonstrated improvement in performance,” said Detlef Schramm, Polyethylene Pipe and Sheet Marketing Manager for LyondellBasell. “The coarse powder allows for a reduction in the closing time of the moulding press. The larger particle size, with the very low fines content, offers a good free-flowing property and a reduction in dust generation during handling and processing. Each of these attributes enables us to meet the current and future needs of a broad range of customers.”

The group said that the engineered polymer has been designed to meet with demand for abrasion resistance and impact strength in multiple industries, while also addressing industry requirements for faster processing by compression moulding and ram extrusion processes.

Potential applications include food and beverage machinery, chemical processing, textiles, pulp and paper, mining and mineral processing. The material is supplied in the form of a coarse, natural coloured powder and can be moulded into many shapes and colours, says LyondellBasell. further information: www.lyondellbasell.com

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37 bp&r

news Partnership to bring together graphene and plastic electronics A formal collaboration between Cambridge’s Graphene Centre, and the University’s spin-out company, Plastic Logic, has been announced.

Plastic Logic will work with Cambridge researchers on a specific programme which aims to exploit graphene, related two dimensional materials and hybrid systems in flexible, plastic electronics — a field in which the UK already enjoys a world-leading position.

Plastic Logic, founded in 2000, is a spin-off company from the University’s Cavendish Research Laboratory and develops and manufactures colour and monchrome plastic, flexible displays. The market for these devices is expected to be worth $40bn by 2020.

The Cambridge Graphene Centre was

established earlier this year to capitalise on the University’s research into the material as well as a large class of related layered materials and hybrids. Graphene is a one atom-thick layer of graphite with remarkable potential to enable significant technological advances.

The research programme will investigate the development of graphene as a transparent, conductive layer within flexible displays and of novel transistor structures using layered materials, which promise to significantly improve the performance of flexible electronics.

Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Plastic Logic, said: “I am delighted that Plastic Logic is working with the world-class team at the Cambridge Graphene Centre on this transformational research programme for

the application of graphene in our flexible plastic electronics process. This will enable higher levels of customisation and drive a step change in technology performance, opening up new commercial applications, such as the huge potential market for large area distributed sensors.” further information: www.graphene.cam.ac.uk

Ski boots slope off with weight reduction ARPRO, the specialist lightweight material from JSP, has been used to enhance the performance of a new range of ski boots, making them lighter, more comfortable and better insulated.

Incorporating ARPRO into the sole of the new X-Pro range of Salomon ski boots has not only resulted in a reported weight reduction of 15 percent, but also a 30 percent increase in levels of thermal insulation.

The development follows the successful use of ARPRO in Salomon’s range of helmets, where the material’s multiple impact protection qualities is said to offer optimum protection to wearers.

Paul Compton, JSP President and CEO, explained: “Having a lightweight boot is now considered a necessity. The inclusion of an ARPRO sole in Salomon X-Pro ski boots has contributed to a substantial weight reduction and an increase in thermal insulation compared with traditional ski boots.”

Paul-Eric Chamay from Salomon, added: “We first used ARPRO technology in our helmets, which enhanced their ability to withstand shock while maintaining a lightweight composition. Now, the inclusion of ARPRO has been a revelation for wearers of our boots. It’s a brilliant material solution and one which we will continue to build into our products, keeping them innovative and giving our customers what they want to enhance their skiing experience.”

The Solomon boots now use ARPRO material

engineering materials

Plastic Logic will work with Cambridge researchers on a programme which aims to exploit graphene in flexible, plastic

38 bp&r

further information: www.arpro.com

// Materials Technical //

Blog

In association with Hardie Polymers – www.hardiepolymers.com

This month, polymer expert and technical blog author, Dr Charlie Geddes, discusses the fire resistance of plastics.

Does FR imply fire resistance?

When we see ‘FR’ in a plastics grade coding we can sometimes be lulled into believing we have a material that is ‘fire resistant’. Of course the bottom line is that, because all plastics are based on carbon, they will undergo high temperature oxidation. In other words, given the right conditions (a supply of oxygen and heat) they will all burn.

By choosing particular base polymers and additives we can make things ‘less serious’, by concentrating on one particular aspect of fire performance: ease of ignition; heat contribution; spread of flame; toxic volatiles; smoke production.

Plastics with a ‘limiting oxygen index’ of over 25, eg PVC, require additional oxygen and heat to continue burning and will be difficult to ignite and to sustain combustion. Plastics which thermally degrade to produce combustible volatiles contribute to the spread of flame. Additives can operate through physical effects (cooling,

dilution, protective layer) or by chemical effects (reactions in the solid phase or gas phase).

In fires in occupied buildings, perhaps the most serious feature is smoke production.

Smoke can travel along a corridor faster than Usain Bolt can run. Smoke leads to people becoming disoriented and hampers escape.

Eventually they will be overcome by heat or toxic gases, but the smoke is often the prime cause for loss of life. Paradoxically there have been examples where fast burning plastics, such as acrylic roof lights, have actually saved lives by allowing rapid smoke dispersal.

In particular applications, the properties of FR grades have to be carefully matched up to specific aspects of fire performance.

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.

39 bp&r

news

companies, offer new and better services to our customers and continue to grow in the future,” commented Plas-Tech’s Chairman, Rick Rial.

Bill Scott, founder of Protomould, helped with the handover and has now retired. He commented: “I’m delighted to have passed on the reins to Plas-Tech.

Protomould has always been built on its

excellent service, quality products, quick turnaround and competitive, cost-effective prices and Plas-Tech will only help to strengthen its reputation, and grow and develop the company further.” further information: www.plas-tech.co.uk

y of Cybertools take deliver the new Romi machine

Plas-Tech thermoforming acquires injection moulder Plas-Tech Thermoforming, a specialist in thermoforming techniques based in Brandesburton, East Yorkshire, has recently expanded its operations by acquiring the specialist injection moulding company, Protomould, based in Fife, Scotland.

The move will reportedly see the two companies combine their tooling service to their customer base and open up opportunities for crossover business between thermoforming and injection moulding.

Plas-Tech says Protomould will be run as a sister company under the new name of Protomould Plastics Limited as part of the Poly Plastics Limited umbrella.

“From starting off as a small operation in 1994, we’ve seen great growth and success over the years. Our expansion will help us to build on the strength of both

Plas-Tech Chairman, Rick Rial (far right), welcomes the team at Protomould Plastics, Kirkcaldy, to the Poly Plastics Limited group of companies.

injection moulding

Engineering Passion

40 bp&r

Expanding Cybertools adds larger 200 tonne injection moulding machine UK-based Cybertools has extended the range of parts it can produce by investing in the latest generation Romi Sandretto EN 200 plastic injection moulding machine.

“Demand dictated our decision to buy,” commented Graham Driver, Sales and Marketing Manager. “The additional tonnage of the 200 tonne machine will be a great advantage to us.”

Based in Hertfordshire, Cybertools offers a trade service to a very broad range of industries, from medical to industrial products throughout the UK, but also to export markets, which include the Czech Republic, America and Ireland.

With design support, tool making, assembly and logistics in addition to moulding, Cybertools says it can now offer a full turnkey solution. The company says the retention of good tool making skills is seen as a particular USP that has underpinned the company’s growth and put it in a position where it can invest in the latest machinery to support growing demands within the business. further information: www.sandretto.co.uk

3D printing helps moulder cut tooling costs by 97 percent A moulder and mould maker is using technology to 3D print the injection tooling used to make prototypes, which it says is significantly reducing the time and cost of producing sample parts.

Seuffer, a German supplier of parts for household appliances and commercial vehicles, is using Stratasys 3D-printed injection moulds to produce parts for functional testing in their final material.

“Working with the automotive industry, sample parts need to be tested in the environment of moving mechanical parts as well as in high temperature environments,” explained Andreas Buchholz, Head of Research and Development at Seuffer.

“With Stratasys 3D printing, we can design first drafts of the injection mould within a few days and 3D print them in less than 24 hours for part evaluation.

Traditionally, it would take eight weeks to manufacture the tool in metal using the conventional CNC process. And while the conventional tool costs us about 40,000 euros, the 3D printed tool is less than 1000 euros, a saving of 97 percent.”

A Stratasys 3D printed injection mou ld

www.kraussmaffei.com

Using the Stratasys technology, Seuffer also produces 3D printed moulds for its hot melt process. These moulds, which are used to overmould low melting point polyamide over electronic circuit boards, are created with Stratasys’ rigid, opaque Vero materials.

“Companies worldwide are looking to introduce significant efficiencies to their manufacturing processes when introducing new products and are discovering the many benefits of additive

manufacturing, also known as 3D printing,” said Andy Middleton, General Manager, Stratasys EMEA at Stratasys.

“More and more manufacturers are adopting 3D printed tools as a complimentary injection moulding solution – not only to cost-effectively test products before mass production, but also to produce customised parts.” further information: www.stratasys.com

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41 bp&r

ish Part of the ‘Brit at K 2013 Group’ exhibiting

Spotlight on exhibitions News from the front line The dust is settling on the ‘K’ Fair with the surprising news that number of visitors had reduced slightly to about 218,000. The organisers of that This month, Philip Law, Public rising star in the East, and Industrial Affairs Chinaplas, now snapping at the Director at the British heels of ‘K’, will now be rubbing Plastics Federation, reflects their hands. Nevertheless, we on an eventful K 2013, looks assessed the BPF’s attendance at the opportunities rising in at ‘K’ to be a great success. Not the East, as well as wishing only did we host two sites for PVC a very happy birthday as some thirty companies with a the patent for its diverse and balanced offering, polymerisation reaches its we provided a meeting ground centenary. for UK companies at the fair and hosted the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Plastindia Foundation and eight European Polymer and Materials Clusters, including NEPIC from the north-east of England. The BPF also participated in a promotional event in Düsseldorf featuring the ‘GREAT’ Mini Cooper, currently touring all German states, which allowed us to celebrate the contribution made to the vehicle by two BPF member compounding operations, Albis and Axion.

The principal offering from the BPF’s stand at ‘K’ was ‘A Guide to the Best of British at K 2013’.This is downloadable from www.k2013.co.uk and it contains all the arguments supporting the purchase of UK materials, products and equipment. It includes a statement of the key strengths of our UK industry and also case studies of British innovation in plastics. Crucially, it details the products and services offered by BPF member firms. Some 2000 copies of the brochure were distributed during the fair.

A distinctive feature of recent months has been a higher level of coordination with UK Trade and Investment. UKTI has now committed its support for the BPF’s presence at Chinaplas in Shanghai, China, on 23 - 26 April 2014, at Plastimagen, on 18 - 21 November 2014 in Mexico City and at Plastindia, February 5 - 10, at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. For each fair UKTI will be offering companies grants of up to £2,500 to attend. Companies wanting to find out more should contact Justyna Elloitt at the BPF on 0207 457 5001.

On a different note, it is 100 years since the first award of a patent for the polymerisation of PVC. Following difficult years at the eye of the environmental storm, arguably and to some extent on the back of the Vinyl 2010 and VinylPlus programmes, the industry’s overall reputation is at a high point. It was therefore absolutely appropriate that the BPF used the centenary to celebrate the work of two extraordinary individuals who have done so much to ‘hold the line’ for PVC during the last twenty years in the UK. Jason Leadbitter and Roger Mottram were awarded BPF Gold medals for their service to the Federation and its PVC interests at our recent Annual Dinner. Both are remarkably doughty operators for their company, Ineos ChlorVinyls, and I have personally witnessed and admired their efforts since the creation of the BPF Vinyls Group back in the early 90s. Both studied at the University of Bradford, under Phil Coates, and their professional lives have proceeded in parallel, pursuing similar positions in their respective companies until a few years ago, when, with the merger of Ineos ChlorVinyls and Hydro Polymers, they found themselves working alongside each other, in the same team, now providing a combined fire power of exceptional calibre. further information: www.bpf.co.uk

A good show for a good show

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K 2013 draws the crowds

The economic outlook for the UK keeps improving, at least that is what the government would have us believe. One barometer of confidence is This month, PMMDA Chairman, exhibition attendance at the Nigel Flowers, discusses the recent K 2013 Show. positive UK turnout for the Having just spent the recent K Show, as well as last few days at this huge highlighting the importance of international trade show in exhibitions for the industry. Düsseldorf, I would have to

agree that things appear to be on the up. Throughout the exhibition, the atmosphere was far more positive than prior events. It was especially encouraging that so many UK companies visited the show – noticeably up on the 2010 event. Innovation has not been forgotten, with many companies thinking outside the box and stepping out of their traditional market segments with true product innovations.

It was also very encouraging that discussions taking place were around new investments and projects. This brings me neatly to UK exhibitions; the summer PMMDA member survey confirmed that exhibitions are very important to our membership. However the exhibition diary is becoming very congested, especially in 2014 when we will have two UK shows diluting both visitors and budgets.

Personally, I would prefer that we adopted the K/Fakuma model with a larger show on a three year cycle supported by a smaller event in the intervening years. It is more important than ever that we hear the views of the market, so please do feedback your views on UK exhibitions to the PMMDA. further information: www.pmmda.org.uk

RAPRA puts a focus on medical

software directory This month’s update from RAPRA looks at the organisation’s recent participation at Mediplas.

RAPRA attended two fantastic days exhibiting some of the very latest in medical plastics related engineering and manufacturing technology at Mediplas on the 25-26 September. It was also a RAPRA Director, Steve chance to grow our Shaw, at Mediplas 2013 understanding and knowledge about the whole spectrum of 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies at the partner TCT Show.

The growing demand for innovative, more effective clinical treatments and medical technologies is well documented. Frequent failures of small businesses in this market include insufficient knowledge of how to commercialise their technology and the most appropriate route to into the challenging market for new devices.

RAPRA contributed to the exhibition by organising three of our Preferred Partners and Providers who explained potential issues encountered during product development and how to combat them.

Anthony Goff, Technical Manager for G&A Moulding Technology Ltd, raised essential questions related to key concepts of moulding optimisation, anticipated technical issues and possible failures, in order to prevent them in considerable time.

Dr Stephen Jenkins, MD/Principal Scientist of LPD Laboratory Services Ltd, summarised the techniques and analytical methodology, which establish causes and solutions to problems with products including a range of materials and their associated manufacturing process and Gabriele Frediani, a PhD Student from Queen Mary, University of London, presented his latest research activities on new biomedical and bio inspired mechatronic systems based on electro active elastomeric actuators. further information: www.rapralimited.org

Interplas 2014 - – let the countdown begin 2014 is set to be an exciting year. Not only is it the year of the horse, the World Cup in Brazil and Glasgow’s turn to host the Commonwealth Games, crucially, it is an Interplas year.

What that means for the plastics industry is excitement on a mass scale. Interplas is the UK’s largest plastics industry exhibition and the only event to cover all of the manufacturing processes, technologies and services within the plastics industry. As the headline magazine for the show, BP&R will be covering Interplas in its entirely, from pre-show build-up to last day stand break-downs, making sure we capture the buzz that surrounded the revitalised event in 2011.

We will feature a full page run down in every issue throughout 2014 until the event, reporting on developments, interviewing some of the top industry figures lined up to present on some of the most interesting and thought-provoking topics in the seminar sessions, as well as giving readers a sneak preview into what’s not to be missed at the show.

With some of the biggest industry players lined up to exhibit and over 65 percent of the expanded floorspace already sold a year out from the show, Interplas 2014 is certainly a crucial date for the diary.

Interplas comes to the NEC, Birmingham from 30th September - 2nd October 2014.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Affordable systems available for all size of processor.

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

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

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Call Lisa on 01244 680222 for details. bp&r

further information: www.interplasuk.com

buyers’ guide

materials

colour masterbatch

FOR SALE

CNC ASSEMBLY MACHINES Cannon Shelley UK agents for Belotti 5 axis CNC machines T: 01480 453651 F: 01480 52113 E: sales@cannon-shelley.co.uk W: www.cannonforma.com W: www.belotti.com W: www.shelley.biz

mould release

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

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

Units 3E + 3F, Hillam Road Industrial Estate, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD2 1QN T: 01274 731552 F: 01274 738118 E: sales@eclipsecolours.com W: www.eclipsecolours.com

Reheat Stretch Blow Moulding Machine (PET)

Polymer Specific and Universal Colour and Additive Masterbatches. Fastmatch colour matching service.

1 mm Easysperse MicroPellets to 4 mm MaxiPellets.

Standards second to none.

- Preform Tipper, Hopper / Elevator, Infeed Rail - Oven & Heating Wheel - Electrical Cabinet (Siemens S5) - Operating manuals

Make: Sidel, France Type: SBO 24/24 Year: 1994

For further details: 01925 596170 – 07838138342 Email: douglastrading@gmail.com

Machine Techniques Ltd Units 3-5, Sutton Court, Bath Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 9EW T: 01858 434059 F: 01858 433638 E: davidchatterton@ymail.com W: www.mactec.co.uk

spin welding H.T.E Engineering Services Ltd Unit 9, St Ives Enterprise Centre, St Ives, Huntingdon Cambridgeshire, UK, PE27 3NP T: +44 (0) 1480 467321 M: +44 (0) 7435 967632 E: john@hte.ie W: www.pulsestaker.com

ultrasonic welding

masterbatch

equipment control systems and equipment

For Temperature Control Rental turn to the experts • FLUID CHILLERS • BOILERS • AIR CONDITIONING • HEATING • DRY COOLERS/ FREE COOLING

0800 026 4717

quality monitoring control Kistler Instruments Ltd

Rental Systems

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

polymer distributors ancillary InControl Ultrasonics Ltd (FFR Ultrasonics Ltd)

The Swan Centre, 8A Swan Street, Sileby, Leicestershire LE12 7NW T: 01509 816507 E: enquiries@ffr-ultrasonics. co.uk W: www.ffr-ultrasonics.co.uk Telsonic UK Ltd

12a - 15 Birch Copse, Technology Road, Poole, Dorset BH17 7FH T: 01202 697340 F: 01202 693674 E: sales@uk.telsonic.com W: www.telsonic.co.uk Blog:wwwtelsonicuk.wordpress.com

conductive plastics and coatings FLEXIBLE POLYMERS RIGID POLYMERS ADDITIVES PURGING SOLUTIONS

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C.J.P. Sales Ltd, 8 Heol West Plas, Litchard, Bridgend CF31 1PA

Tel: 01656 644907 Fax: 01656 662 397 Email: sales@cjpsales.co.uk Web: www.cjpsales.co.uk

TBA Electro Conductive Products Ltd Unit 3 Transpennine Trading Estate Gorrells Way, Rochdale, OL11 2PX T: 01706 647718 F: 01706 646170 E: info@tbaecp.co.uk W: www.tbaecp.co.uk

To advertise in this space contact lisa montgomery 01244 680222

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

chillers/temperature controllers Motan Colortronic Ltd

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

Dosing equipment

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

hot runner systems

hopper dryers

hot runner controllers

printing machines pad

heating equipment

Energy Saving Dryers hopper loaders

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

screws and barrels

extrusion systems Injection Moulding

induction heating for platens and tools

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

UK agent for Lyons Electronics.

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

BS EN ISO9001:2008

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

materials handling and storage gravimetric/volumetric blending

LABORATORY machines

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

PLASTICOLOR B A Thorne (Machinery) Ltd 19A

granulators

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

nozzles & nozzle tips

Imex Business Centre, Oxleasow Road, East Moons Moat, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 0RE T: 01527 584714 F: 01527 584784 E: bat@bathorne.co.uk W: www.bathorne .co.uk

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

To advertise in this space contact lisa montgomery 01244 680222

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

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buyers’ guide secondhand and reconditioned ANGLO PLASTICS LTD Buy/Sell Used Plastics Machinery Rutland Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 1HX T: +44 (0) 1276 470910 T: +44 (0) 7740 632907 E: information@ angloplastics.com W: www.angloplastics.com

static control Arrowquint Ltd Unit 5 Sanders Close, Finedon Road Industrial Estate, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 4HQ T: 08450 655455 F: 08450 655456 E: sales@arrowquint.co.uk W: www.arrowquint.co.uk Static control solutions, equipment sales and rental, repairs and on-site servicing. UK/Eire agent for Eltex – market leaders in static control systems.

inspection & measurement

mouldflow analysis

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

Injection Moulding Extrusion • • • • • •

WANTED testing equipment Buy and Sell Cable and Plastics Machinery

90mm x 24:1 Francis Shaw extruder Rapid Granulator type 4535/KV Please Contact:

T: +44 (0)1204 534414 E: sales@goodwinmachinery.co.uk W: www.goodwinmachinery.co.uk DM Machinery Ltd Used Injection Moulding Machine Stockists 40 Thorne Lane, Wakefield West Yorkshire, WF1 5RR T: 01924 290206 E: sales@dmmachinery.co.uk W: www.dmmachinery.co.uk

DTL Machines 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 Plasplant Ltd Unit 4, Oakhanger Farm, Oakhanger, Bordon, Hants GU35 9JA T: 01420 473013 F: 01420 475152 E: plasplant@aol.com W: www.plasplant.com Rawmec (EEC) Ltd Rawmec Industrial Park, Plumpton Road, Hoddesdon, Herts EN11 0EE T: 01992 471796 F: 01992 471797 E: rawmec@btconnect.com W: www.rawmec.com TransXL International Ltd Thornhill, South Marston, Wiltshire SN3 4TA T: 01793 827666 F: 01793 823826 E: sales@transxl.co.uk W: www.transxl.co.uk

Payment terms: COD T: 0121 328 5222 F: 0121 328 3555 E: sales@bsplastics.co.uk

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

injection moulding

hardness - IRHD and shore

World leader in Materials Testing Instrumentation

RIDAT COMPANY

SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE. COMPETITIVE PRICE.

EXTRUSION

Tensile|Fatigue| Impact Compression|Melt Flow Coronation Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 3SY, UK Tel: +44 1494 464646

www.instron.com

UK manufacturer of Thermoforming & Pressure Forming Equipment, including Blister & Skin Packaging machines For more information or to order our sales brochure please contact us:

T: 0845 050 6525 or E: info@ridat.com www.ridat.com

ACQUISITION

Injection Moulding Business Wanted T/O between £100,000 and £1.5million.

Contact in the strictest confidence, Joe Reeve, Data Plastics Ltd

bp&r

printers printers of plastic mouldings 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

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

services

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parts & services

We are looking to purchase LDPE post production scrap.

Can take over 100 Tonne a week.

50mm x 24:1 Boston Matthews extruder

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

WANTED PLASTIC SCRAP

Presently Available:

Floatair tumble mixer 250kg capacity

Contract cleaning

Email joe.reeve@dataplastics.co.uk Phone 01993 700777

Extrusion and Plastics Services Extrusion, Compounding, Wash Plant Installation, Maintenance, Removal New Factory Setups / Single Machine CAD work / Tooling Mods / Trials Product Development / Line Trials Downstream Equipment Repairs Chillers, Pumps, Pipework, Air etc Punching / Drilling / Foiling / Wrap Filtration / Settlement Systems Process Improvement / Training 07930 150120 extrusionandplastics@hotmail.co.uk

EXTRUSION FLOW ANAYLYSIS FLEMING Polymer Testing and Consultancy An independent ISO9001 accredited laboratory specialising in the flow simulation of: Extruder screws & spiral mandrel,flat spiral,profile, coathanger & coex dies Compuplast distributor Stop guessing start simulating Tel: +44 (0)1299 253300 www.flemingptc.co.uk

Total Print Ltd Specialist Pad Printers Station Road, Gedney Hill, Lincolnshire PE12 0NP T: 01406 330122 F: 01406 330123 E: info@totalprintltd.com W: www.totalprintltd.com Sub-contract printers pad to the plastics industry

testing/consultancy FLEMING Polymer Testing and Consultancy An independent ISO9001 accredited laboratory specialising in: Capillary rheometry FTIR DSC/TGA MFR/MVR Extrusion Pilot-scale blown film Line Instrumented impact Flow simulation Tel: +44 (0)1299 253300 www.flemingptc.co.uk

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

engel-the-machine.com

ENGEL e-mac. A machine that achieves even more for you. A machine that combines great performance with amazing precision. All electric. A machine that offers you a huge amount of freedom. Freedom enough to design your individual injection moulding applications with the required degree of flexibility.

The innovative ENGEL e-mac does not use up too much of your floor space despite offering excellent performance. It is a machine that is extremely frugal. In ongoing operations, because it uses very little energy.

But above all in terms of capital outlay – keyword: unbeatably inexpensive purchasing price.

ENGEL e-mac ENGEL U.K. LIMITED | GB-Warwick CV34 6RW | tel: +44 (0)19 26 33 50 00 fax: +44 (0)19 26 33 66 77 | e-mail: euk@engel.at | www.engelglobal.com

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