British Plastics
and Rubber
bp&r SEPT 2017
Meet us at stand G12
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INTERPLAS 2017: SHOW HIGHLIGHTS AND FEATURES
ONE VISION: PLASTICS GROUP SETS SIGHTS ON GROWTH
BPF EXCLUSIVE: A PRESIDENT PASSIONATE ABOUT PLASTICS
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bp&r BRITISH PLASTICS &RUBBER
www.britishplastics.co.uk EDITORIAL
group Editor: Leanne Taylor T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: leanne@rapidnews.com Assistant Editor: John Carlon T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: john.carlon@rapidnews.com
SALES
Group Advertising Manager: Lisa Montgomery T: +44(0) 1244 952 372 E: lisa@rapidnews.com
ART SAM HAMLYN T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: sam@rapidnews.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS
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PUBLISHER
duncan wood T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: duncan@rapidnews.com British Plastics & Rubber is available on free subscription to readers qualifying under the publisher’s terms of control. Those outside the criteria may subscribe at the following annual rate: UK, Europe and rest of the world £249 British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (8 times/year) by Rapid Plastics Media Ltd, Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, CH4 9QE T: +44 (0) 1244 680222 F: +44 (0) 1244 671074 © 2017 Rapid Plastics Media Ltd While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained within this publication is accurate the publisher accepts no liability for information published in error, or for views expressed. All rights for British Plastics & Rubber are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.
ISSN 0307-6164 Incorporating Polymer Age and Rubber and Plastics Age.
The IMPORTANCE OF INTERPLAS
N
ow approaching my seventh year working as part of the UK plastics industry, I have trodden many a show floor in exhibition halls across several continents. Some of these, like behemoth, K Show, are a spectacle to behold and require precision planning to navigate, with some 19 halls teeming with exhibitors. Indeed, Chinaplas, on a similar note, sprawls across a bigger space each year, as exhibitors clamour to gain a foothold in this voracious market. These shows, of course, are important; they provide a hub for global visitors to view innovative solutions and applications from exhibitors spanning all areas of plastics manufacturing. For many visitors, particularly those from more remote countries, events such as Chinaplas and K, with their week-long durations and broad scale, might be the only time they can justify such lengthy travel and expense to attend an industry event. However, as much as these big shows have an important place in the industry, it is imperative not to overlook the local, national and regional shows, which, for me, play a significant role. Interplas this month, for example. A contact of mine at Jaguar Land Rover UK told me that for he and his colleagues, a visit to Interplas is imperative, offering an important opportunity to keep upto-date with industry progress, in a convenient location. “One of the great things about Interplas for us is the fact that it is
just down the road,” he explained. “People talk about K Show, which is obviously huge for plastics, but it’s not always possible for us to dedicate the staff resources to go to K. For us as a company, the fact we can see the materials suppliers that we would get to see at K Show without having to travel to Düsseldorf is a real benefit. They of course might not have as big a stand as they do at K, but for them to have a presence at Interplas is incredibly important.” This, for me, epitomises the need for local shows, for them to be championed, supported and valued in their own right.
One of the great things about Interplas for us is the fact that it is just down the road
When I attend Interplas later this month I am looking forward to a show that will not only house live working machinery, facilitate networking and deliver an educational conference programme, but one that will help foster innovation, champion UK manufacturing and help keep our industry on the map in times of unprecedented uncertainty.
Enjoy the issue.
Leanne Taylor, Group Editor
bp&r
THE BIG STORY KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU:
Plastribution brings evolving brand to Interplas 2017
W
in several technical areas, the Know-How ith an open plan stand, where brand incorporated a range of publications technical staff will be on hand to and resources accessible to customers to listen to customers and suppliers, gain insight and information crucial to their engage in conversations and SIX YEARS AGO, create and cement relationships, business. This approach, says Boswell, has been a vital POLYMER DISTRIBUTOR, Plastribution says its presence at aspect of the company’s strategy, in creating PLASTRIBUTION, LAUNCHED Interplas 2017 will encompass A NEW LOOK, A NEW the core messages the company the sort of content that is useful and useable to UK businesses looking to find solutions and launched six years ago. STRATEGY AND A NEW make the right decisions for their projects. Back in 2011, against the DIRECTION AT INTERPLAS backdrop of a stand featuring “Through Know-How, we wanted to engage 2011. NOW, AHEAD OF a Lotus Evora, Plastribution customers and prospects with informative or entertaining content they’ll want to use or THE EVENT IN 2017, THE introduced to the market a new consume for its own sake, rather than pushing COMPANY SAYS THESE set of branding to epitomise or interrupting them with direct sales or FOCUS AREAS REMAIN how it would collaborate with customers on injection moulding, promotional messages,” Boswell continued. “In ENTIRELY RELEVANT AND extrusion and blow moulding this digital age, the content that we publish has ARE HELPING TO SHAPE projects and challenges. to be searchable, shareable and actually worth THE FUTURE OF PLASTICS looking at on its own merits.” The crux of the messaging DISTRIBUTION IN THE UK. – the strapline ‘Let’s Make It Achieving leader status Work’ – was, says Managing In the six years to 2017, the Director, Mike Boswell, pivotal result of the new brand strategy in explaining to customers how and Know-How resource has led Plastribution differentiates to Plastribution seeing a marked from its competition, as well as By implementing increase in sales to become pinpointing the ways in which processes that the UK’s leading distributor the company strives to apply of plastics raw materials – really work, expertise, innovation and process something it maintains in 2017. always applying within the business. Over the course of time since “By implementing processes expertise and the initial unveiling at Interplas that really work, always applying in 2011, the company has cultivating expertise and cultivating a added to its offering, building a culture of culture of innovation in the right out the Know-How brand to innovation in way, we will not only change the include an online portal, as the right way, way plastics distribution works well as developing a social will not only in the UK, but also contribute media strategy designed to to securing its future,” Boswell change the keep subscribers and followers explained. up-to-date with updates, way plastics important messages and market distribution Content worth ‘Knowing’ movements that can be used works in the daily. about UK, but also At Interplas this year, the As well as the launch of the Plastribution contribute to company says it is looking new brand identity in 2011, the unveiled its securing its forward to building on its brand company also launched a subbrand strategy messages, as well as meeting future brand, ‘Know-How’. Designed to at Interplas 2011 customers new and old to highlight Plastribution’s expertise explain how its approach VISIT works in a real-world N IO IBUT situation. PLASTR PLAS “We remain resolute in AT INTER , 4 L our quest to listen to the L A H 2 1 requirements of the market, G D N A ST to create relationships that bring real value and to deliver tailored solutions that ensure success every day. It is only through the pursuit of this mission that we can be the preferred choice for the supply of plastic raw materials, market information and technical support,” Boswell concluded.
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WWW.PLASTRIBUTION.CO.UK 4
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
The Expert in Colour Masterbatch Solutions is pleased to welcome you at Interplas at its stand A2 in the Hall 4!
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bp&r BRITISH
contents
PLASTICS &RUBBER
september 2017
on the cover Knowing me, knowing you Six years ago, polymer distributor, Plastribution, launched a new look, a new strategy and a new direction at Interplas 2011. Now, ahead of the event in 2017, the company says these focus areas remain entirely relevant and are helping to shape the future of plastics distribution in the UK. SEE PAGE 4
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Editor’s Letter The Importance of Interplas
9-29
Interplas Preview: It’s Showtime As the UK’s biggest plastics exhibition, Interplas is being used by many as their flagship event for 2017. As headline media partner to the event, BP&R is giving readers a sneak preview as to what’s in store at the show this year from a selection of exhibitors.
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Interview: A President passionate about plastics Starting his career as a graduate trainee some 30 years ago, Bruce Margetts, now Managing Director of Bericap and the newly-unveiled President of the British Plastics Federation (BPF), speaks from experience about the need for a successful skills and training infrastructure, upholding the industry’s reputation, and plans for the years ahead.
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Issue Focus: Automotive industry continues to drive TPE market growth The global market for thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), is set to grow strongly over the next five years to 2022, with the automotive industry driving demand.
REGULARS
interplas 09 INDUSTRY NEWS 31 INJECTION MOULDING 40 MO’S CORNER 49 RECLaMATION AND RECYCLING 51 MATERIALS 65 BUYERS’ GUIDE 67 SOFTWARE 67 NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE 70
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Feature: One Vision: Plastics manufacturing group sets sights on growth As one of the world’s fastest growing plastics manufacturing companies, the OnePlastics Group has a significant presence in the UK market. Believed to be the country’s biggest nonautomotive moulder, Leanne Taylor spoke to Sales Director, Karl Stilman, about opportunity, plans and future growth.
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POLYMERMAN REPORT: Seasonal changes and the effect on polymer prices In this edition of our latest feature looking at the key issues that influence polymer prices, Mike Boswell looks at seasonal fluctuations, events affecting supply and how the UK’s converters are reacting.
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
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Comprehensive ancillaries and water solutions Interplas Sorted: Visit AB Systems at Stand G40 BLENDING & CONVEYING • • • •
Gravimetrics Mixing Dust Extraction Separation
MATERIAL HANDLING • • • •
Central Systems Granule Conveying Powder Conveying Drying
RECYCLING • • • •
Granulation Pulverising Shredding Washing & Sorting
COOLING & HEATING • • • •
Chillers Free Coolers Temperature Control Pumps & Heat Exchangers
VISIT AB SYSTEMS STAND G40 AT INTERPLAS AND EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE FOR YOURSELF 01844 339044 / info@ab-ltd.co.uk / www.ab-ltd.co.uk
thplastics Complete ancillary solutions
HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10
www.quick-mould-change.com
INTERPLAS
IT’S SHOWTIME
AND KEEP
the UK’s biggest plastics exhibition, Interplas is being used by many as their flagship event for 2017. As headline media partner to the event, BP&R is giving readers a sneak preview as to what’s in store at the show this year from a selection of exhibitors. We also have exclusive comment pieces from two of our conference speakers, highlighting the key issues they’ll cover during their presentations. These previews are just the tip of the iceberg, we’ve got plenty more on our website at www.britishplastics.co.uk During the week of the show we’ll be publishing a show daily newsletter, as well as uploading exclusive content via our social media channels. Make sure you follow the #InterplasUK hashtag to keep on top of unique opportunities and events that are happening at the show. Still need to register? Interplas is FREE to attend for all visitors, so avoid queues on the day and head to WWW.INTERPLASUK.COM/ REGISTER
CUT OUT
AS
S 2017
INTERPLA
TRE (NEC) ITION CEN IB H X E L A T NATION AM, B40 1N BIRMINGH STAG|EA9S0 HALL 4 PT E S 8 2 | CC20 EPT HALL 3A S 7 0 - 4.30 2 .3 09 T 00 5. 0 26 SEP .3 09 00 09.30 - 5.
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
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HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10
Tel: 01952 671918
Email: connectors.uk@staubli.com
Exhibitor Highlights
editor’s pick
NEW CT PRODU
NEW GUIDE
Ampacet shows new scratch-resistant masterbatch Ampacet, a producer of masterbatch and additives, will showcase its latest product designed to lessen the occurrence of scratches during manufacturing and handling processes. New Antiscratch 1000617-E masterbatch is designed to enhance the appearance of injected and blow moulded articles by significantly improving the scratch resistance of plastics. This, says Ampacet, not only improves the aesthetics of a finished product, but increases its hygiene as dust and dirt cannot become ingrained. AntiScratch 1000617E helps to avoid wear marks on polyethylene and polypropylene articles generated during manufacturing, transport and handling processes. By protecting the plastic surface efficiently against scratches, the product reduces the number rejects in the production and transport processes. Additionally, it reduces the risk of partial or total refusal of the products by customers, which implies extra charges to the manufacturer. AntiScratch 1000617-E performs well on clear as well as on dark colours where scratches are the most visible. It has no impact on the product’s colour, odour or gloss and provides a long-term protection that lasts for the life cycle of the product.
BOC to present gas manufacturing solutions for plastics
BOC and parent company, Linde, will showcase its PLASTINUM range of gas solutions for plastics manufacturing. Experts from the company will highlight its spot cooling solution for injection moulds, where liquid carbon dioxide is used as an effective cooling medium for hot spots leading to significantly reduced cycle times. BOC will also showcase solutions for Gas injection moulding with carbon dioxide and extrusion foaming with carbon dioxide. It will display a CRYOCLEAN snow unit, which has been created specifically for cleaning component surfaces in a fast, cost-effective manner while producing high quality results. Visit BOC and Linde – Hall 4|Stand F79
Hear Andreas Praller, Senior Expert at Linde Group, talk more in-depth about gas-based technologies for higher productivity in injection moulding on the Introducing Stage at 14:40 on Tuesday 26th September. Register for free at www.interplasuk.com /register
ExxonMobil to showcase energy saving guide for injection moulders
ExxonMobil will show visitors to Interplas how its recently-published ‘Energy Saving Guide for Injection Moulding Companies’ can help plastics processors save energy and optimise their operations. Produced in partnership with energy industry expert, Dr Robin Kent, along with Applied Market Information, the free guide details likely savings that are available, including switching hydraulic oil to an advanced oil, such as Mobil DTE 10 Excel, which can help increase hydraulic efficiency by up to six per cent*. Officially launched via a webinar on 12th September, the guide will be available at Interplas, along with experts from ExxonMobil showcasing its range of high performing lubricants, greases and lubrication services. The entire Mobil range is available through authorised UK distributor, WP Group. Visit ExxonMobil – Hall 4|Stand E88
Visit Ampacet – Hall 4|Stand A2
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WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
FITSCO TO UNVEIL NEW PRODUCT RANGE FOR WEIGHT SAVING ACROSS MULTIPLE SECTORS In an exclusive launch, manufacturer of high performance inserts for use in plastics, Fitsco Industries, will unveil a patent pending new product range. The range, details of which are strictly embargoed until 11am on 26th September, will be of “great interest” to designers, especially those involved in the automotive, aerospace, medical and other markets where weight saving is an important criterion. Commenting, Philip Schofield, CEO, said: “We’re always innovating to find new ways of providing the best solution to suit customer demands and offer inserts in a range of materials, along with full technical support to ensure the best product is chosen to suit an application and the view that ‘anything is possible’.” Attend the launch – Hall 4|Stand A36 CT PRODU LAUNCH
www.quick-mould-change.com
editor’s pick
GovGrant to highlight tax relief schemes for plastics innovators
Impression Technology to demonstrate new UV LED printers
GovGrant, a specialist service provider bringing together three businesses specialising in tax relief in different areas, will highlight the opportunities available for innovative plastics companies at Interplas. The company’s experts will explain to visitors how they can maximise their entitlement to thousands of pounds of Government funding each year in order to cut costs for research and development projects. The first, R&D Tax Credits, can reduce the cost of innovation and development activities by up to 33 per cent, for any UK Limited company undertaking activities that seek to achieve a technological or scientific advance or improvement. Second, Patent Box, can reduce corporation tax to 10 per cent on profits from the worldwide sale of patented products or processes for a UK Limited Company, with a UK or EU filed patent. Finally, Capital Allowances can generate up to 45 per cent tax allowances against qualifying expenditure incurred on things such as commercial property.
Impression Technology Europe (ITE), a provider of digital self-adhesive label printers and a manufacturer of label finishing machines will demonstrate a new range of small footprint, flatbed UV printers at Interplas when it exhibits at the show for the first time. The Mansfield-based company says the ‘Compress iUV’ range can bring cost-effective, ondemand colour printing to virtually any product. The two machines on show will be the Compress iUV600s, which gives users the freedom to print exactly they want to virtually any material. Secondly, the Compress iUV1200s is suited to those requiring high quality UV printing to virtually any substrate in the industrial branding market. This UV printer offers faster, higher, larger, Bi and Uni directional print. ITE’s Company Director, John-Paul Burton, said: “The Compress iUV range, which has the potential to pay for itself in less than 12 months, delivers superior quality print to a wealth of applications, allowing the customer to grow their business by offering more products.”
Visit GovGrant Hall 4|Stand C87
Visit Impression Technology Europe – Hall 4|Stand J51
KISTLER SHOWCASE CAVITY PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM
Kistler Instruments will present the latest version of its ComoNeo cavity pressure monitoring system at Interplas 2017. The system is designed to optimise monitoring and analysis of a moulding, increase productivity and remove defects at the earliest stage in the production process. The system is easily configured to meet specific user needs with up to 32 inputs for piezoelectric cavity pressure sensors, 16 inputs for temperature measurement and four analogue voltage channels for machine signals, such as screw position and machine pressure. ComoNeo monitors the profile of cavity pressure in real-time with graphical display, showing process fluctuations. Integrated data storage allows recording of curve histories with at least 50,000 cycles. Curve superimposition and other useful functions allow detailed analysis directly on the injection moulding machine. The system reduces manual input and has speedy setup. Kistler says the accurate monitoring will reduce false rejects and faulty components. Visit Kistler – Hall 4|Stand G80
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
KraussMaffei’s allelectric PX series to make UK debut
KraussMaffei will unveil the latest injection moulding machine in the Group’s portfolio – the allelectric PX series – on its stand at Interplas. The machine, which was first launched at K Show in 2016, offers flexibility and productivity thanks to a modular design and components that can be adapted to suit individual production requirements. The PX series works on a robust mechanical system, with high precision and dynamic drive technologies combined with intelligent energy management. It also has an ergonomically optimised working height, with maximised free space below the clamping unit and the best accessibility to ensure maximum ease of use.
Exhibitor Highlights
machine debut
Visit KraussMaffei – Hall 4| Stand B40
On the Interplas Introducing Stage at 14:00 on the 28th September, Kistler’s Application Engineer, Duncan Webster, will be delivering a paper on the latest developments of the Kistler ComoNeo cavity pressure monitoring system.
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Book now to attend our technology seminar
Innovative Packaging & Converting Solutions Flat Die & Blown Film for the future of plastics 26th - 27th SEPTEMBER 2017 | BIRMINGHAM Basic program valid for each day - Everyday both sessions are presented *
Flat die technology session
Blown film technology session
9:30 / 10:00 AM
Welcome & Start of the Seminar
2:00 / 2:30 PM
Company
Subject
Speaker
Innovative solutions for recycling of PET bottle and PET thermoforms
Dario Previero
Ancillaries & Systems In extrusion
Cristian Brugnolaro
Integrated gravimetric blending & extrusion control
Paul Edmondson
11.15 AM
1:00 PM
Company
3:45 PM
Coffee break
Welcome & Start of the Seminar
Subject
Speaker
New performance polyethylene solutions for flexible packaging
Francois Chambon Dirk Van Der Sanden
Pursuing perfection in blown film cooling
Francesco Facchinetti
Quality control for sheet & foil plants in the era of industry 4.0
Paul Bullock
Coffee break
Innovative Technologies for Gabriele Rigid Packaging Solutions Murano
Latest trends in flexible film Carlo extrusion for packaging & Pattini converting industry
IV Enhancer Impact modifier for A-PET
Tonino Severini
Inline recycling of trims, improve performance and quality, reduce cost
Simon Jay
Updated technologies for silicone coating process on top-quality films
Tobias Schurr
The added value of slitting and roll finishing
Davide Malki
Lunch
5:30 / 6:00 PM
Meeting with Speakers, Networking & Drinks
* 27th September Blown film technology session in the morning, flat die technology session in the afternoon
LOCATION
DEADLINE TO REGISTER 21st September 2017
NEC - National Exhibition Center Piazza Suite 5 Birmingham - B40 1NT - UK www.thenec.co.uk
Register now
in cooperation with SEMINAR DETAILED INFORMATION AND ORGANIZATION Elisabetta Proverbio @ BANDERA + 39 0331 398 361 • e.proverbio@lbandera.com
Donna Bennett @ UK EXTRUSION - BANDERA + 44 (0) 7535 575961 • donna.bennett@ukextrusion.com
HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10
www.quick-mould-change.com
editor’s pick
LIVE ROBO TS
Motan Colortronic to showcase multiple new products
Motan Colortronic Limited will be demonstrating seven totally new products to the UK and Irish markets, along with items from its current ranges. For materials handlers, the company will showcase a new Luxor EMA mobile dryer and a MetroNet connect patented coupling station from its own range. Where temperature control is concerned, it will have products from Swiss manufacturer, Regloplas, including a new water heater up to 240°C and Reglochill compact chiller. For recyclers, the company will have the new continuous melt filters from Ettlinger on display, as well as Sesotec’s new range of magnets and metal detection units. Products from the revised range of Herbold granulators and shredders will also be available for visitors to view. Finally, Motan will also debut its customer service and support platform for the first time in the UK. Visit Motan Colortronic Limited – Hall 4|Stand F4
RJG SHOWCASE NEW COPILOT PRODUCT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE UK AT INTERPLAS
RJG will unveil its latest product to the UK and Irish markets at Interplas as it debuts ‘CoPilot’, an injection moulding processing software. CoPilot functions as a notification system, a communications tool and a coach and is designed to provide a simple and practical programme that can be used by technicians of all levels of experience. Features of the system include the ability to keep a process on template, as well as real-time notifications when a process has changed, automatic process audits and step-by-step walkthroughs to return to a process to match. RJG says the development of the system has come as a result of the need to bridge the skills gap within the plastics industry, as well as reducing waste and improving overall part quality. The CoPilot product will be in action as a live demonstration on Haitian’s stand (H60) at the show.
Sepro UK to Showcase New Products and Tech at Interplas 2017
Sepro UK will be showing its latest products and automation technology at Interplas. This includes the new CNC S5 Picker, which will be running on a moulding machine producing parts live on the stand, a 5X-25 5-axis CNC robot and the recently launched Success 5 model. Also on display will be two 6-axis CNC robot models, a Staubli 6X-90L and a Yaskawa 6X140. Sepro’s robots and automation systems can also be seen on several of the stands belonging to its industry partners. Visit Sepro UK – Hall 4|Stand D20
Visit RJG – Hall 4|Stand G4 Visit Haitian – Hall 4|Stand H60
Exhibitor Highlights
NEW CTS PRODU
Stäubli to demonstrate working cell and QMC concepts for increased productivity
Stäubli will showcase a demonstration cell at Interplas to explain just how automation solutions for injection moulding can open new levels of productivity, process reliability and flexibility. The pioneering demo cell will showcase all the essential process steps of a fully automated injection moulding machine. Visitors will be shown how networked Industry 4.0-compatible components enable individual processes to be coordinated and optimised. This automation solution illustrates how easily a complex task can be mastered with integrated Stäubli technology. The demo application will additionally exemplify the Stäubli concept of Quick Mould Change and SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die). These superior QMC solutions allow the exchange of injection to be performed to the highest safety standards within minutes. Visit Staubli Hall 4|Stands E12/L10 O
LIVE DEM
DUCT PRO T DEBU
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
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HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10
www.quick-mould-change.com
Exhibitor Highlights
Wittmann Battenfeld UK celebrates partnership decade
Wittmann Battenfeld UK will present an increased portfolio of injection moulding machinery and ancillary equipment at Interplas 2017. The Wittmann Group’s acquisition of Battenfeld is ten years old on April 1st 2018 and both brands have developed through the partnership. The company’s newlydesigned MicroPower, SmartPower and MacroPower injection machines continue to make inroads into the British contract moulding market. According to Barry Hill, Managing Director of Wittmann Battenfeld UK, this is a result of low-cost operations, compact footprint, modular design and competitive pricing. Also on display at Interplas will be items from Wittmann’s range of ancillary equipment, which includes automation, materials handling and temperature control, and the company will be explaining to visitors how complete production cells can be sourced and purchased. Hill said: “We look forward to helping our Interplas 2017 visitors make investments that will be of service through the coming months. All the features on our newest equipment are designed to save one or more of the following factors: time, space, energy, money. We believe that we really have something for everyone and encourage all moulders to spend some time with us at the show.” Visit Wittmann Battenfeld – Hall 4|Stand E11 14
editor’s pick
Ultrapolymers show innovative new material for medical tubing
Materials distributor, Ultrapolymers, will show the newest addition to Lyondellbasell’s ‘Purell’ range of healthcare products at Interplas. The Purell range is ideally suited for applications such as medical flexible tubing and drug delivery devices. The newest addition is Purell KT MR 07, a metallocenebased, high molecular weight plastomeric material obtained by polymerising Butene-1 that is phthalatefree and fully recyclable. Thanks to its high compatibility with PP, it is the ideal blending partner when looking for enhanced softness, elastic recovery, elongation at break and impact resistance whilst improving transparency and reducing stress whitening. Visit Ultrapolymers – Hall 4|Stand E40
LIVE RY HINE
MAC
ARBURG TO COMPLETE MACHINERY HAT-TRICK WITH IMMS AND FREEFORMER Arburg will showcase production-efficient manufacture of plastic parts in both high volumes and one-off production when it brings three machines to Interplas. An Allrounder from its ‘Golden Electric’ series of entry-level all-electric injection moulding machines will show the high volume production of stacking boxes. A 470 E model with a clamping force of 1,000 kN and size 290 injection unit will produce the 74 gram moulded box in a cycle time of around 20 seconds before removal by a linear Multilift Select robotic system. Arburg says the example will highlight the reproducible manufacture of high-quality technical parts using the machine series. The second injection moulding exhibit, a vertical Allrounder 275 V, will demonstrate the benefits of the freely programmable central Selogica machine control system. These include, for example, intuitive graphical sequence programming, automatic plausibility checks, integration of robotic systems and peripheral equipment, as well as the allocation of access rights. Finally, a Freeformer will demonstrate the potential of Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) for medical technology: the exhibit will use an additive manufacturing process to produce customised implants for
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facial and cranial bones from the same qualified, commercially available plastic granulate as used in injection moulding. The raw material employed is medical polylactide (PLA), which is resorbed by the body after a defined length of time. Colin Tirel, Managing Director of Arburg UK in Warwick, said: “The Interplas trade fair affords an excellent platform for presenting our wide range of machines for the production-efficient manufacture of plastic parts to our customers in the UK and Ireland. “At the Interplas 2017, we will demonstrate the capabilities of our robotic systems on our electric injection moulding machines. After all, automation is key for many of our customers, helping them to increase productivity and remain competitive. We have an expert in production cells at our subsidiary and are able to offer complete turnkey systems from a single source.” Visit Arburg – Hall 4|Stand H4 “The Interplas trade fair affords an excellent platform for presenting our wide range of machines for the productionefficient manufacture of plastic parts to our customers in the UK and Ireland.”
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Going Global: How export finance can help the UK plastic industry grow can then invest in expanding its business without having to wait for bills to be paid. Export finance is very similar, except it relates to invoices sent to customers located abroad, and the amount is advanced in the relevant currency relating to the invoice. Working with the right financier can enable plastics companies to embark on an export strategy more confidently despite a changing economic and political landscape. International financiers with proven experience in global markets will be well-positioned to support customers through such changes. A good export finance provider will also offer debtor protection, which effectively insures the business against the risk of debtors failing to pay. It can cover up to 90 per cent of outstanding debts and include goods not yet invoiced or services not yet rendered. Many businesses find debtor protection provides peace of mind, particularly when dealing with new or unfamiliar customers and those based outside of the UK. With a need to increase investment and profit margins shrinking, companies in the plastics sector are being forced to re-evaluate their business strategies. Many are already exporting and looking for ways to increase their global presence, meaning those that have yet to do so risk being left behind. Export finance is an important tool for any company looking to expand outside of the UK.
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WWW.SIEMENS.CO.UK/FINANCIALSERVICES
PAUL WALSH
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he latest survey by the British Plastics Federation (BPF) of its members shows that 62 per cent expect to export more over the next 12 months. Approximately 30 per cent said COMPANIES IN THE they expected their export levels PLASTICS SECTOR ARE to remain stagnant and only seven RECOGNISING THAT TO per cent said their exports would MAINTAIN GROWTH AND decrease. This means that those COMPETITIVENESS THEY companies not yet exporting are by far in the minority within the NEED TO REACH OUT plastics sector. The BPF also asked TO MARKETS ABROAD. whether there were any ‘special ALTHOUGH BUSINESSES factors’ affecting their predictions MAY BE CONCERNED and out of those who stated that ABOUT MAINTAINING they expect export sales would THEIR CASH FLOW, increase, around half the firms singled out the weak pound as a EXPORT FINANCE CAN competitive advantage. PROVIDE THE SOLUTION For many companies, the AS PAUL WALSH, HEAD OF perceived complications of SALES INVOICE FINANCE securing and working with (MIDLANDS), AT SIEMENS new customers based in other FINANCIAL SERVICES, countries can be off-putting. Initial obstacles include the length of EXPLAINS AHEAD OF time involved in establishing new HIS PRESENTATION AT business, additional travel and INTERPLAS. other associated upfront costs; all putting a strain on working capital. So it’s no surprise that access to working capital or cash-flow funding is a primary concern often raised. Export finance is one method of alleviating the working capital concern that’s rapidly gaining popularity. Members of the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA) reported that in the quarter ending in September 2015 they provided 42 per cent more in export factoring to customers, than in the same quarter the previous year. Export finance is essentially invoice finance applied to invoices issued to customers overseas. With invoice finance, when a company invoices their customers, up to 90 percent of the approved invoice total is straightaway advanced by the finance provider, with the remaining 10 per cent paid once the customers settle the balance. This provides the company with essential working capital so it
H
ear Paul talk more in-depth about both export and invoice finance options for the UK plastics industry by attending his presentation in the ‘Advancing UK Plastics’ session on the Main Stage at 11:30am on Wednesday 27th September.
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British Plastic Federation, Business Conditions Survey for the UK Plastics Industry Conducted June/July 2017 OECD, CFE/SME(2012(6/FINAL, Fostering SMEs Participation in Global Markets: Final Report, 4 July 2013 3 Asset Based Finance Association (AFBA), Quarterly Statistics to September 2015 1
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editor’s pick
BOY to bring three injection moulding machines to Interplas
Bunting to show working magnetic separation and metal detection technology
Maufacturer of injection moulding machines with up to 1,000kN clamping force, BOY, will show three working injection moulding machines on its stand. The first, the new BOY XXS, is a compact table-top machine with a clamping force of 6.3 tons and compact dimensions. Secondly, the BOY 35 E VV, which has a 350 kN closing force and 1.67 m² installation area will be displayed with two collaborating robots. “The compact automation of a BOY 35 E VV producing plastic beer glasses, which are individually labelled on demand and presented directly to the visitor from the robotic hand, will certainly attract the attention of the visitors at the BOY booth,” explained Bob Wilson, Managing Director of BOY Ltd UK. Thirdly, a BOY 60E will show the production of protective caps for insulin injections under cleanroom conditions. The caps will be made using a 16-fold mould and will be printed with production data for traceability. The injection moulding machine is equipped with a white antistatic coating and higher supporting feet, which BOY says makes it ideally suited for Class 7 cleanroom production. “Interplas is an ideal platform for us to show new machines, technologies and applications. This year we are expecting a large number of visitors at our booth,” Wilson concluded.
Hot runner manufacturer, Thermoplay, will show its expanded small nozzle series, featuring the FØ11, at Interplas. Designed for special applications in the packaging, medical and electronics sectors, the nozzle has a smaller pitch and is available for valve gate applications. Due to its compact profile, this nozzle is ideal for use in restricted areas and allows injection on an ‘inside’ surface of the part. The nozzle and tip design allows low thermal dispersion giving the maximum flexibility to the mould maker to design the cooling system.
Kent-based medical parts moulder, Boddingtons, will be highlighting its plastics injection moulding services when it attends Interplas and celebrate the recent opening of its new £4.6m manufacturing facility. Boddingtons produces a variety of medical technology parts; from DNA trays to needle holders, endoscopy products and medical tubing. The company says it has honed its moulding credentials over the last 60 years and is looking forward to welcoming OEMs, product developers, brand managers and associate manufacturers to its Interplas 2017 stand.
The latest Magnetic Separation and Metal Detection technology will be on display on the Bunting Magnetics stand. This will include a working, production-sized model of the company’s combined FF Drawer Grate Magnet and quickTRON Metal Detector, where regular demonstrations will enable visitors to witness the capabilities of the metal separation system. “This combination [FF Drawer Grate Magnet and the quickTRON Metal Detector] offers the best method of removing metal from free-falling materials,” explained Dave Hills, Bunting’s Head of Sales. “The Magnetic Separator captures and holds any magnetically attracted metals such as steel screws, bolts, steel slithers from worn equipment and even work-hardened stainless steel. This always proves to be the bulk of the metal contamination. “Any remaining metal will be identified as it passes through the Metal Detector and then ejected. The cleansed plastic can then proceed safely into the next stage of the process, whether that is to the extruder or granulator.” In addition, a range of pTRON Metal Detectors designed for use in pneumatic transportation lines will also be on display on the Bunting stand, along with examples of extremely strong magnetic grates, plate magnets and tube magnets.
Visit BOY – Hall 4|Stand B30
Visit Thermoplay – Hall 4|Stand C30
Visit Boddingtons – Hall 4|Stand H17
Visit Bunting Magnetics – Hall 4, Stand H11
BELGRADE TO OFFER “UNLIMITED THERMOFORMING SOLUTIONS” Belgrade Polymer Products will make its debut at Interplas by demonstrating its capabilities in specialist thermoforming. The company, which supplies broad sectors from water treatment products to automotive will be on hand to discuss projects and highlight its expertise in design and prototyping through to
Thermoplay to show expanded range of small nozzles
manufacture. Patrick Burke, General Manager, said: “Exhibiting at Interplas 2017 will give our business the opportunity to communicate our message of unlimited thermoforming solutions to the industry.” Visit Belgrade Polymer Products – Hall 4|Stand B5
Boddingtons celebrating new plant
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Exhibitor Highlights
SHOW DEBUT
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Exhibitor Highlights
editor’s pick
NEW CT PRODU
DMN-Westinghouse to show new HP Rotary Valve
DMN-Westinghouse will exhibit its new High Pressure Rotary Valve, designed specifically for the plastics industry. There are two elements that effectively set the HP (High Pressure) series of rotary valves apart from other models in the DMN-Westinghouse range firstly, the HP valve can run up to 3.5 bar g. Secondly, it is the way that the inlet has been designed. Together, both elements ensure that product degradation is minimal as the product travels through the valve and energy costs are reduced by cutting air leakage by up to a third. The HP valve is available in sizes 200, 250 and 300 mm. Other valves on the stand will be a GL 200 rotary valve which is part of the standard range of DMN valves for handling granular material, and a DL 200 rotary valve representing the entry-level range of rotary valves. DMN will also show its diverter valves, displaying diverters from the PTD and a SPTDS ranges. Bob Rogers, General Manager of DMN UK, said: “As this is our first time at Interplas, we have high hopes for a successful exhibition.” Visit DMN-Westinghouse – Hall 4|Stand D52
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Dugdale and 4Plas join to offer PVC expertise at Interplas
Dugdale, a leading independent PVC compounder, will be represented by its distributor, 4Plas, at Interplas 2017. The 4Plas team, backed up by Dugdale staff, will be available to discuss new PVC materials and applications. Andy Tombs, Dugdale Business Development Manager, said: “We are delighted to once again be working with Simon and the expert team at 4Plas. PVC materials are often the unsung hero of plastics processing work today. We have developed some new compounds and formulations in recent years to bring to the attention of the Interplas injection moulding audience.” Simon Humphrey, 4Plas Director, said: “Interplas 2017 will, once again, hopefully provide an excellent opportunity to reaffirm the 4Plas brand in our home market. “The Dugdale and 4Plas partnership is now some 11 years old and is growing with the industry’s needs and through the innovations and aspirations of the end users. We are delighted to be working together at Interplas yet again.” Visit 4Plas – Hall 4|Stand D51
ENGEL TO BRING INDUSTRY 4.0 TO INTERPLAS Engel will focus on smart factory technology at Interplas, with a demonstration of its Inject 4.0 system for digitalisation and networking. Inject 4.0 is poised to lead to the smart factory where production processes continuously self-optimise through networking, the systematic use of machines, process and production data, and the use of intelligent assistance systems. Engel will demonstrate how plastics processors can increase the productivity and quality of their production and respond flexibly to ever more rapidly changing requirements, by making Inject 4.0 logos on an all-electric and tie-bar-less Engel e-motion 170/80 TL injection moulding machine. The injection moulding process will demonstrate three assistance systems from Engel’s Inject 4.0 programme: iQ weight control to maintain consistent injected melt volume in the moulding process; iQ clamp control to monitor the mould breathing in order to calculate and automatically adjust the optimal clamping force; and thirdly, iQ flow control, which will connect the injection moulding machine, which is equipped with the e-flomo electronic temperature control water distributor, to the temperature control unit, enabling the pump speed to automatically adjust to the actual requirement. This
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results in higher energy efficiency. In addition, Engel will also show its expertise in the manufacturing of hightech products from liquid silicone. At the show the company will demonstrate the production of venting valves for beverage bottles on a hydraulic ENGEL victory 860/160 injection moulding machine in conjunction with its partner, Elmet. For medical manufacturers, the company will showcase the live production of interdental brushes on a cleanroom version of the all-electric Engel e-motion 170/110 T injection moulding machine. Together with the grip surface and core, up to 500 bristles can be formed in a single-component injection mould. Finally, the stand immediately next to Engel in Hall 4 (Stand H71) will be home to robot manufacturer, Campatella. Here, an Engel e-motion 440/160 T injection moulding machine will be used for the production of thin walled containers as part of an overall demonstration of automation technology and in-mould labelling. Visit Engel – Hall 4|Stands F70 and G70
Engel will focus on smart factory technology at Interplas, with a demonstration of its Inject 4.0 system for digitalisation and networking.
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22.08.17 09:01
HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10
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exclusive | conference preview
It’s time to think afresh about sustainable product design consumers. If goods produced with more recycled content and a lower ‘taxation’ on the material use linked to their carbon footprint cost less, that presents an attractive marketing opportunity to prospective purchasers. Product designers working with higher ‘carbon impact’ materials, such as plastics, metals or glass, must consider the associated carbon footprint that comes with each material choice. Equally, they need to verify the origin, source and quality of the recycled material so they can be confident that the recycled supply is at least as good as the virgin material. Asking the right technical questions is crucial. Is your supplier employing certified quality standards (ISO 9001); how are materials tested and how do they control batches, material flows, cleanliness and traceability? Almost all recycled polymers will offer some price benefit against virgin materials. But the price benefit can vary widely depending on the volatile market status for that individual polymer. Swings of up to 50 per cent in short timeframes are not uncommon. Specifying recycled material from a tightly-controlled feedstock ensures you can buy into a stable pricing model. For example, our three types of recycled polymer are derived from End of Life Vehicles (ELV) and WEEE. With full control of the feedstock from its origin as waste right through the process chain to a finished product, we can ensure consistency of quality, supply and pricing. Furthermore, our 2017 Axpoly Carbon Footprint Analysis revealed a carbon saving of up to 89 per cent for recycled ABS, 82.5 per cent for recycled HIPS and 73 per cent for recycled PP. Of the many technical, commercial and marketing reasons for designers to choose recycled content in place of virgin materials, perhaps the defining one is that many of your customers might like it.
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WWW.AXIONGROUP.CO.UK
KEITH FREEGARD
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t’s time to think afresh about sustainable product design and how recycled plastics can deliver interesting products that can help brands of all sizes and sectors engage more with their AHEAD OF HIS consumers. PRESENTATION AT Our planet is facing scarcer INTERPLAS, KEITH raw material resources as global FREEGARD, DIRECTOR businesses – be they electrical OF PLASTICS RECYCLER, goods, automotive or construction, to name but a few – consume AXION POLYMERS, vast tonnages of materials in EXPLAINS HOW USING their manufacturing processes. SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS These products deliver goods and FOR PLASTICS PRODUCT services from which end-users DESIGN CAN OFFER enjoy a benefit. We have reached a point where BRANDS VALUABLE the traditional linear consumption DIFFERENTIATION model of ‘take, make and dispose’ IN A COMPETITIVE no longer makes environmental MARKETPLACE. sense. Industries are realising that this is not sustainable, alongside growing consumer concern about our ‘throwaway society’. In the last few years, there’s been a huge wave of consumer reaction to plastics largely due to news headlines of beach and ocean litter. Clever brands are realising they need to vary their business model to deliver more sustainable environmentally-beneficial attributes that fit with their customers’ expectations of ‘doing their bit’ for the environment. Coca-Cola’s recent announcement that it would move towards a 50 per cent recycled PET content for its drinks bottles by 2020 has to be welcomed. But one key driver for the change is concern about brand damage due to high levels of recognition in the media. By tapping into growing consumers’ desires for sustainability, brand owners can further strengthen trust in their products and increase customer loyalty. Hence the commitment from Coca-Cola; but other major manufacturers, such as Peugeot, are following suit. Likewise, in the electrical sector we are seeing big brands starting to specify recycled content for some components in their equipment. I envisage this trend accelerating over the next few years. Another key driver for sustainable materials use, I believe, will be the introduction of more stringent carbonbased fiscal measures; either as a ‘carbon tax’ or other indirect measures to encourage greater use of recycled content in new products. Given the lower manufacturing costs and reduced carbon footprint of using recycled polymers versus oilbased virgin polymers, significant savings can accrue for manufacturers that, in turn, can be passed onto
H
ear Keith talk more in-depth about sustainable materials for circular product design by attending his presentation during the ‘Green Room Live’ session on the Main Stage at 14:30 on Thursday 28th September
REGISTER FOR FREE AT WWW.INTERPLASUK.COM/REGISTER
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Is your hydraulic oil saving you money? Operators using Mobil DTE™ 10 Excel premium hydraulic oils saved, on average, nearly $40,000 * in total costs. Is it time you joined them? Visit us at stand E88 at Interplas to meet with our hydraulic oil experts and find out more We also invite you to attend our exclusive energy efficiency guide webinar on Sept 12th for Injection Moulders
*Savings based on extended oil drains, increased production/equipment uptime, energy efficiency or other tangible savings achieved by 147 customers in 2015, as compared to use of market general hydraulic oils. Š 2017 Exxon Mobil Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its affiliates unless otherwise noted.
HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10
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MACHINE DEBUT
FANUC and Hi-Tech to join forces to showcase automation solutions
FANUC, a leading maker of factory automation systems, along with key strategic partner, Hi-Tech Automation, will join forces at Interplas 2017 to showcase their ‘Easy Cell’ range of Plug-and-Play Automation solutions. These will include a 50-tonne Roboshot injection-moulding machine paired with an LR Mate Easy cell. Also on display will be a 150-tonne Roboshot machine alongside a CAR20 Cartesian robot and a 300-tonne Roboshot machine with platemounted M10 long-arm robot in a small footprint Easy Cell. Visitors can also take a close look at the FANUC Robocut C400 Wire EDM machine along with FANUC MT-LINK. This is an advanced machine monitoring system which collects process and production data from FANUC machines wherever they are in the world and logs this on a central database, allowing increased analysis and traceability. Andy Armstrong, Sales Manager at FANUC UK, said: “The quality of visitors to Interplas is always high and we are delighted to be linking up with Hi-Tech Automation for the event this year. The stand will display a broad spectrum of integrated systems showcasing the ability of our technologies to deliver complete automated solutions with unrivalled control and visibility.”
Genesis bringing standout silo to Interplas
Genesis Process Solutions, based in Sandbach, will be an Interplas landmark with a five-metre high silo. The Krause flexible silo will be the most visible feature on the company’s stand, towering five metres tall when complete with base. The company is inviting visitors to inspect the silo, which is available in sizes from one tonne to 50 tonnes. Also on Genesis’ stand will be a range of Brabender feeders which are used extensively throughout the plastics industry in compounding and masterbatch production, along with the Genesis-designed prop-flow. Prop-flow, a flat-bottomed discharger that uses a rotating blade – similar to that of a propeller, was launched at the 2014 Interplas and was designed specifically to handle flake and regrind for the plastics industry. Genesis Process Solutions will also introduce the Bay Plastics Machinery range of pelletisers following the distribution partnership it secured with the US-based company earlier this year. Bay Plastics Machinery manufactures three basic types of pelletiser – manual, automatic or water bath – and there are variations of each type, with options for customisation.
Micro-Epsilon to bring sensor innovation
Micro-Epsilon UK, a precision sensor manufacturer, will present two in-process measurement systems for flat strip materials and injection moulding, called thicknessSENSOR and moldCONTROL, at Interplas, along with presentations from its technical experts. Its stand will feature live product demonstrations of moldCONTROL, which detects defects and quality fluctuations in injection-moulded parts. The system is well suited to large, complex, multilayered or transparent moulded parts and can be easily retrofitted to existing injection moulding machines. It will also showcase ThicknessSENSOR, an affordable compact thickness measurement system for strip, plate and film targets. The fully assembled system is immediately ready for use ‘out of the box’ and costs less than £10,000. The system is designed to bridge the gap between customers’ own self-build solutions and the high cost, large investment thickness measurement systems that involve commissioning by the supplier’s own engineers. Visit Micro-Epsilon – Hall 4|Stand K7
Visit Genesis – Hall 4|Stand E28
Visit FANUC and Hi-Tech – Hall 4 | Stand D70 WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
Negri Bossi’s all-electric ELE to make UK debut
Negri Bossi will unveil the first UK showing of its ELE180 all-electric injection moulding machine at Interplas. The machines are designed for maximum reliability and achieve energy savings of up to 80 per cent when compared to conventional hydraulic drive solutions. Substantially reduced cycle times, due to full overlapping movements, are also key features. The range which is available from 50 to 350 tonnes, is equipped with the latest ‘Tactum’ multi-touch controller which will be demonstrated at the show. The ELE180 will mould a four-impression in-mould labelled disc equipped with a Sytrama side entry robot, running in a three-second cycle. Also on demo will be a servo hydraulic Canbio ST 250 tonne machine. A Cartesian Robot will remove four wine glasses from the mould and place them on a conveyor, where a Sytrama six-axis robot fills the glasses with juice.
Exhibitor Highlights
editor’s pick
Visit Negri Bossi – Hall 4|Stand H70
Hear Manfred Pfadt, Micro Epsilon’s Product Manager for Sensors, talk more in-depth about the moldCONTROL system during the Inspex session on the Introducing Stage at 10:40 on Thursday 28th September. Register for free at www. interplasuk.com/ register
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Brilliant performance | ENGEL medical
ENGEL medical Fully-electric machines impress with great performance. The ENGEL e-motion medical series combines best-of-class performance with maximum cleanliness. Optimised for clean room applications, the machine has an encapsulated barrel to minimize particle and heat load, along with encapsulated injection unit drives and an oil return unit on the toggle lever as standard features. The ENGEL e-motion medical is available as a continuous series with up to 500 tonnes clamping force.
Clean and precise. With ENGEL medical. Because it is about life.
Visit us at Interplas 2017 26 - 28 September Birmingham | Booth F70 & G70
www.engelglobal.com
HALL 4 STAND E12 | L10
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Renmar builds on previous Interplas shows with new range of machinery
Renmar Plastics Machinery will build on a successful last showing at Interplas with more machinery and robots on display. On its stand at this year will be two completely new AEC mould heater designs; a Virginio Nastri conveyor; a blender and granulator from EnginPlast; Renmar’s own dryer and loader; a display from Amut; a Swegon chiller and a robot. Commenting, Kevin Horne, Managing Director at Renmar, said: “As Interplas only takes place every three years, it provides visitors with an opportunity to see how a proactive company like Renmar has been able to make major changes to its products and services. This year, all the changes made since 2014 will be on display.” Visit Renmar – Hall 4|Stand H90
SteriTouch premiere new antimicrobial keyboards
SteriTouch, based in South Wales, has launched a hygienic keyboard for the healthcare, dental and call centre markets, which it will exhibit at Interplas. The SteriType keyboard is washable and features an integrated silicone cover, creating a fully sealed unit. The white Magnum ABS body of the keyboard and silk polyurethane coating on the silicone cover contain SteriTouch antimicrobial protection throughout, preventing the growth of bacteria, biofilm and mould for their usable lifetime. The keyboards have undergone chemical resistance testing which has proven that the antimicrobial properties will remain effective even while using disinfectants or harsh cleaning agents such as bleach or methyl ethyl ketone. Also available as part of the initial launch is a washable, antimicrobial mouse, which, alongside the keyboards, are suitable for any working area where hygiene is important. Visit Steritouch – Hall 4|Stand B88 Hear Huw Durban, Steritouch Director, talk more in-depth about antimicrobial and detectable additives during the Materials and Design session on the Introducing Stage at 10:20 on Wednesday 27th September. Register for free at www.interplasuk.com/ register
BRAND LAUNCH
SUMMIT SYSTEMS TO UNVEIL NEW TEMPERATURE CONTROL BRAND Summit Systems will unveil a new division at Interplas which will see it supply chillers and temperature control equipment. ‘Summit Chilled’ will make its official debut at the show, with products on display from the company’s own range, as well as those from its partner, Frigel. Mike Jordan, Managing Director, said: “Frigel are a world class brand with frontline innovation. I have always admired their product line and progressive approach so I was delighted to form a serious partnership with them. “Summit has been working on the fringes of temperature control in the industry for years, mainly working with partners, but the time is now perfect to take the next step and invest in the full sales, service and support to compliment our existing market of materials handling.” Summit says the partnership gives it the ability to not only supply individual chilled water solutions, but offer
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Exhibitor Highlights
editor’s pick
companies a full turnkey project when automating a complete mould or extrusion shop. This year marks the tenth appearance at Interplas for Summit Systems and the company says it is the ideal opportunity to launch its new brand to the market and display its full range of products on one stand. Mike Jordan, Managing Director, said: “Having spent over two and a half decades scouring the world for new technologies, we now have an incredibly strong portfolio for our clients to choose between and Interplas is the number one event to showcase these products.” Visit Summit Systems – Hall 4|Stands E30/F80
Having spent over two and a half decades scouring the world for new technologies, we now have an incredibly strong portfolio for our clients to choose between and Interplas is the number one event to showcase these products.
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INDUSTRY | NEWS CARBON TRUST OPENS GRANTS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY SCHEME The Carbon Trust is to run a new, £9.2 million Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator (IEEA), launched by the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), aimed to help bolster the global competitiveness of British industry. Over the next four years, the IEEA will aim to lower costs and increase the number of available energy efficient technologies for a range of industrial sectors, through demonstration of near-to-market innovations. The programme is open to all sectors and is technology neutral, targeting near-commercial innovations that will have the largest cross-sectoral impact on industrial energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. The first competition will be open from September 2017 to January 2018. The IEEA is funded by the Energy Innovation Programme, led by BEIS,
and will be delivered by the Carbon Trust with support from engineering firm, Jacobs, and infrastructure specialist, AMEC Foster Wheeler. The funding is anticipated to unlock a further £11million of investment from the private sector to support the demonstrations. The industrial sector accounts for 17 per cent of the UK’s total end energy use, which is equivalent to over 20 per cent of total carbon emissions. Through the manufacturing process up to 40 per cent of this energy can be lost due to inefficiency in equipment, mechanical limitations and heat loss. Optimising energy use will deliver important cost savings and reduce the environmental impact by cutting carbon emissions. Claire Perry, Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry, said: “The Government is investing millions of pounds in new technologies that can help increase energy efficiency, cut energy bills and meet our climate change targets in the most costeffective way.
“This latest programme is a great example of how reducing emissions and growing our economy go handin-hand. It’s part of our Industrial Strategy which provides an ambitious long-term vision for the UK, building on our strengths as a country and supporting the competitiveness of businesses.” Al-Karim Govindji, Senior Manager of Innovation at the Carbon Trust, said: “The global competitiveness of UK industry has never been higher on the agenda. We face a once in a lifetime opportunity to support the industrial strategy to safeguard and create jobs, develop innovative businesses and attract inward investment.” The IEEA will run an open application process until January 2018 to engage with technology developers looking for opportunities to demonstrate near-commercial solutions and to access incubation support. WWW.CARBONTRUST.COM/IEEA
The Carbon Trust will be running a new £9.2 million Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator (IEEA)
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PENCE AND SENSIBILITY: POLYMER BANKNOTE FEATURING JANE AUSTEN UNVEILED The first British bank note to feature raised braille bumps has been launched by the Bank of England. The new ten-pound note uses a polymer substrate by Wigton-
based Innovia, using its ‘Guardian’ polymer substrate and high-security ‘Clarity C’ film, to improve its longevity and prevent counterfeiting. The new note will contain the tallow that sparked a backlash from certain environmental and animal rights groups earlier this year, although the Bank is still considering alternatives
to produce the new £20 polymer notes in 2020. The bank said the note, which will enter circulation on 14 September 2017, is a fifth smaller than the current note. It features an illustration is of Jane Austen, the first English novelist to appear on a bank note. © Bank of England [2017].
TESCO TO STOP SALES OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BAGS Tesco is to stop the sale of singleuse plastic carrier bags across all of its UK stores, providing customers with the option of either bringing their own bags, or purchasing a 10 pence ‘bag for life’. The move comes after a trial phase-out in Tesco’s Aberdeen, Dundee and Norwich stores in May, which led to a 25 percent reduction in bag sales. The ‘bags for life’ are made of 94 per cent recycled plastic, and will be replaced by the retailer free of charge if damaged. Tesco says the move will fund community projects across Britain, as well as reducing litter and the number of bags sent to landfill. WWW.TESCOPLC.COM
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CBI FINDS MANUFACTURERS STILL ENJOYING ‘ROBUST DEMAND’ Manufacturing firms reported that order books were robust in August, while expectations for selling prices ticked up, according to the CBI’s latest monthly Industrial Trends Survey. The survey of 432 manufacturers found that total order books and export order books were strong in August. The firming in export orders relative to the previous month reflected rising orders in 10 of the 17 manufacturing sub-sectors, led by mechanical engineering and aerospace. Output growth remained strong and broad based and is expected to remain so over the next quarter. Meanwhile, firms’ expectations for output price inflation picked up again after
BRITISH CAR MANUFACTURING REBOUNDS IN JULY British car manufacturing rose 7.8 per cent in July, with 136,397 new units rolling off production lines, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Major carmakers ramped up production for new and existing models in the month ahead of summer factory shutdowns, which provide an essential period for plant maintenance, upgrades and re-tooling. Production for the UK bounced back in July, in readiness for the important September market, following seven successive months of decline. Production levels rose by 17.7 per cent – an increase of 4,490 units – while exports also grew by 5.3 per cent. Cars made for overseas buyers
having eased briefly. However, they remained lower than in the first half of 2017. Stocks were just above adequate levels, after dipping below in July, but remained below the long-run average. Anna Leach, CBI Head of Economic Intelligence, said: “There are further signs that exporters are feeling the benefit from the lower pound in this month’s figures, and output growth is expected to power on over the coming quarter. “But after a brief pause last month, expectations for selling prices have rebounded, indicating that the squeeze on consumers is set to persist. We expect Consumer Price Index to top out at around three per cent towards the end of this year and remain close to that level during 2018, as the effect of the weak pound continues to feed through.”
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represented nearly 80 per cent of output in the month with 106,525 units shipped abroad, compared with 29,872 which stayed at home. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “UK car production lines stepped up a gear in July, as usual bringing forward some production to help manage demand ahead of September and routine summer factory shutdowns. As the timing and length of these manufacturing pauses can shift each year, market performance comparisons for July and August should always be treated with caution, but if the economic conditions at home and abroad stay broadly stable we expect new car production to remain in line with expectations for the rest of 2017.”
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exclusive | interview | leanne taylor
A President passionate about plastics
S TARTING HIS CAREER AS A GRADUATE TRAINEE SOME 30 YEARS AGO, BRUCE MARGETTS, NOW MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BERICAP AND THE NEWLY- UNVEILED PRESIDENT OF THE BRITISH PLASTICS FEDERATION (BPF), SPEAKS FROM EXPERIENCE ABOUT THE NEED FOR A SUCCESSFUL SKILLS AND TRAINING INFRASTRUCTURE, UPHOLDING THE INDUSTRY’S REPUTATION, AND PLANS FOR THE YEARS AHEAD.
Q: YOUR PREDECESSOR, DAVID HALL, SET OUT A FUTURE STRATEGY FOR THE UK PLASTICS INDUSTRY, HOW DO YOU INTEND TO BUILD ON THIS AND WHAT ARE THE KEY AREAS? The Strategy was a long-term vision for the industry with considerable membership input. It’s a ‘living document’ which can be continually updated. From my perspective education and skills are the key areas. Without properly trained employees you cannot build a company or an industry. It’s as simple as that. Reputation is also key. We need to be seen to be adopting the best practices and be promoting the positive aspects of the industry, otherwise we will not attract the best talent. I will be announcing a ‘quick win’ at Interplas – namely ‘Career Zone’ – a BPF website dedicated to illustrating the various career pathways in the plastics industry.
Q: WHAT HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN LIKE TO THE ACTION PLANS OUTLINED IN THE STRATEGY? The Strategy was produced with Government support and has been widely circulated to Ministers, MPs and Civil Servants. It was
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interesting to see that the ‘ten pillars’ which make up the Government’s own Industrial Strategy, published earlier this year, correspond quite closely with our own. The dimensions of the industry we cited impressed them deeply – a turnover of £23.5bn. and 170,00 employees making us the third largest manufacturing industry sector. We are getting serious traction with the senior civil servants involved in Industrial Strategy, Sector Deals and Brexit as a result.
Q: YOU TAKE ON THE ROLE IN A CRITICAL TIME, AS THE COUNTRY STARTS TO UNTANGLE ITSELF FROM ITS RELATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION. WHAT ARE THE CRUCIAL ASPECTS OF THE BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY? Plastics is an international industry with a lot of symbiosis between the UK and EU in terms of trade, company ownership, technical interchanges and people. Amongst the most crucial aspects are, firstly, continuity of economically viable access to the large quantity of raw materials and equipment imported where we do not have self-sufficiency. This balanced with maintaining
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17 - 21 Oktober Please visit us at Hall A5-5105
and maximising the £5.5 bn of exports currently made from the UK plastics industry into the EU. Secondly, over 10 percent of our workforce are non-UK EU citizens and there is a dependence on them in both skilled and unskilled posts. Both they and our Industry need assurance that their status here will not be impaired. Thirdly, we do not want to have to comply with two different UK and EU systems so we are looking for a close shadowing of EU material compliance legislation.
Q: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE OF HOW THE UK’S DECISION TO LEAVE THE EUROPEAN UNION HAS AFFECTED THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY SO FAR? The main impact has been on currency which is significantly weaker than in early 2016. This has made imports of raw materials denominated in Euros more expensive and generally this has had to be passed onto customers. There is still a residual benefit as the cost of incoming products has risen even more making UK domestic manufacture more attractive. Exports have benefited but not as much as one would have anticipated – foreign buyers have a sharp awareness of the potential volatility of currency movements and maybe some concerns over future tariff barriers. There is some evidence that some non-UK EU citizens working in the industry have left for home but it is unclear if this is because of the relatively low value of sterling or because of ‘Brexit’ and what is might mean culturally. There is some slowdown of investment decisions. This may be due to uncertainty created by Brexit, or just an exchange rate effect. I was pleased to see in the BPF’s latest Business Conditions Survey that about a third of companies responding
were planning to invest significantly in the next twelve months.
Q: YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY OUTLINED YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR INITIATIVES THAT LOOK TO PLUG THE SKILLS GAP AND RECRUITMENT DIF CULTIES AFFECTING THE INDUSTRY. DO YOU PLAN ON MAKING THIS A FOCAL POINT IN YOUR NEW POSITION? Absolutely it will be a focal point although it’s important to balance this with fact that the BPF’s remit is extremely broad and I can guarantee that there will be many unpredictable issues that it has to contend with. We cannot be sustainable as an industry without people with skills and the training infrastructure to deliver them. We will not be able to assimilate new technology and approach the much-vaunted Industry 4.0 at the same speed as our competitors and we will find it difficult to innovate in terms of processes and products. Skills are absolutely essential for growth in a post-Brexit world. We need to ensure the plastics industry is in a position to develop the core skills and be recognised as an attractive sector in which to have a rewarding career.
Q: THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES AND UNCERTAINTIES AFFECTING THE UK PLASTICS INDUSTRY AT THE MOMENT, BUT WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE KEY STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES? We’ve got some very strong cards in our hand. At the macro-level the UK is a large and fundamentally stable economy in its own right with a growing consumer market and it has a strong independent legal system underpinning businesses. We have a tradition of having done business in all
parts of the world. For the plastics industry we have the additional element of a ‘circular economy’ from a strong raw material knowledge base, though to an immensely broad coverage of converters and a sizeable recycling sector. Also, I think much more so than in other countries the UK plastics industry is very cohesive. Its people are dedicated and tend to stay in it. A big driving force for this of course is the BPF itself which, uniquely, brings all sectors together under one loyal umbrella. This makes for economies of scale and an unparalleled inflow of business intelligence for the use of members.
Q: YOU ARE OFFICIALLY OPENING INTERPLAS THIS MONTH, WHICH HAS EXPANDED INTO AN ADDITIONAL HALL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2005. WHAT DOES THIS TELL US ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF THE INDUSTRY AND HOW IMPORTANT ARE EXHIBITIONS LIKE THIS? It’s really encouraging that the industry is supporting Interplas so strongly. It tells me that in spite of the current uncertainties, the industry is determined to forge ahead and secure its own future independent of international politics. It represents a certain buoyancy, maybe optimism along with the willingness to invest and a strong interest in innovation. Fairs like Interplas are crucial in providing a ‘shop window’ for an industry. They are very time-efficient events where exhibitors can meet a large number of customers – existing and potential – in a concentrated manner and visitors can see a variety of new technologies and products in a single day. They are highly educational as places where you can secure a rapid update on developments and to challenge the status quo through picking up
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more unexpected new ideas. Undoubtedly another key element is the personal networking and making random encounters with old colleagues. We are a very human industry and I think this is one of its great strengths. It adds to the cohesiveness of the industry as a community of like-minded souls who are passionate about plastics.
Q: INTERPLAS IS LAUNCHING AN ‘INNOVATION AWARD’ FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR. HOW IMPORTANT IS INNOVATION TO THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY?
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Without properly trained employees you cannot build a company or an industry. It’s as simple as that.
For me Innovation and Plastics are synonymous. Innovation is how the industry has worked since its inception in the nineteenth century. We can’t survive without it, whether it’s in the materials processes, products or in areas like training and communications. Out subsectors can learn so much from each other and in the trade-off spark a lot of new thinking.
Q: LOOKING FORWARD, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE ACHIEVED BY THE END OF YOUR TERM AS BPF PRESIDENT? It would be great to see identifiable progress towards a visible and accessible training infrastructure with a recognised skills pathway for those who we can attract into our Industry and to help up-skill and develop those already within. The BPF is a great organisation staffed by capable individuals dealing with a wide range of challenges. Maintaining the good works in an evershifting landscape is an achievement in itself and a measure of ongoing success can be gauged by the engagement of the industry and a continued growth of membership. WWW.BPF.CO.UK 35
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TPES | NEWS ULTRA SOFT NEW MEDICAL TPE GELS OVERCOME ADHESION CHALLENGES Teknor Apex has launched two new series of ultra-soft thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), known as gels, in order to address the challenges of surface tack and limited adhesion to polypropylene (PP) substrates in medical device applications. Medalist MD-16100 and 10100 Series TPEs are designed to overcome limitations of standard gels and provide device makers with cost-effective alternatives to silicones in products where cushioning is desired. Medalist MD-16100 low-tack gels exhibit less surface friction than standard TPE gels, providing smooth surfaces and improved haptics. Grades are available with hardness levels from an exceedingly low 20 Shore OO to 65 Shore OO, or 10 Shore A. The compounds can provide padding, support, or cushioning in applications like orthopedic devices and prosthetic liners and can serve in diabetes therapy as insoles, heel cushions and toe spacers.
The global market for thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), is set to grow strongly over the next five years to 2022, with the automotive industry driving demand.
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO DRIVE TPE MARKET GROWTH The global market for thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), is set to grow strongly over the next five years to 2022, with the automotive industry driving demand. This is according to new research published by Smithers Pira, where, in its report ‘The Future of
Medalist MD-10100 gels for over-moulding onto PP exhibit excellent adhesion to this substrate, providing the design flexibility of parts consolidation and yielding rigid components with built-in cushioning functionality. Grades range from 8 to 18 Shore A. These gels are used in respiratory masks to provide an air-tight, cushioning seal against the face. Other applications include orthopedic devices and grips for handles or hand-held devices. The new compounds are safe for skin contact, process and demould easily and are available in clear and translucent grades that are ideal for custom colours, according to Ross van Royen, Senior Market Manager of regulated products. “New Medalist 16100 and 10100
Series compounds are unique among TPEs in avoiding much of the tackiness that is typical with gels and overcoming their limitations in PP over-moulding,” said van Royen. “Their outstanding properties as cushions and liners make them costeffective replacements for silicones.” Manufactured in ISO 13485 facilities, the new gel compounds comply with FDA requirements for food-grade ingredients, ISO 10993-5 standards for biocompatibility, and REACH SVHC directives. They are free of DEHP and other phthalates, BPA and latex. Standard grades are ADMfree. Medalist 16100 and 10100 Series compounds are available worldwide.
Thermoplastic Elastomers to 2022’, it predicts an overall 5.5 per cent growth rate across the next five years for the material, reaching 4.24 million tonnes by 2020. The report identifies the importance of the automotive industry in driving this growth, with growth of 5.9 per cent between 2012 – 2017 and consumption reaching 1.84 million tonnes. This represents 43.4 per cent of the total market in 2017. The prediction for 2022 is a consumption of 2.46 million tonnes, representing a market share of 44.4 per cent and a CAGR of 6.0 per cent. The report also details predictions for TPE by type, with the report suggesting that the long domination of styrene-block-copolymer based TPEs (TPS) could slowly lose market share to other olefinic-based products over the next five years. It suggests by 2022, TPS will still be the most important thermoplastic elastomer, but Smithers’ research suggests this may not last for very long. The main weaknesses of TPS,
it says, are its higher price and the fact that there appear to be very few technical refinements in the pipeline. The introduction of cross-linkable TPS is showing some promise, but this is still a long way from commercial launch. Furthermore, the low barriers to market entry for TPS is ensuring that there will continue to be overcapacity for this material for 2017-2022, especially in Asia, and particularly China. Patrick Ellis, report author, said: “The success of thermoplastics depends on their acceptance and growth within several different industries. The automotive industry, being the most important consumer of TPEs, sets the pace here. “Equally, the economic health and growth of any country and region has a real effect on the supply and demand of thermoplastic elastomers. If a given market is suffering, due to outside competition, this will have a knock-on effect on TPE consumption.”
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HEXPOL TPE info.uk@hexpolTPE.com www.hexpolTPE.com
KRAIBURG LAUNCHES NEW TPE COMPOUNDS FOR PREMIUM LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS Kraiburg TPE has extended its portfolio of Thermolast K thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) with a range of compounds designed to deliver smooth surfaces, superior adhesion in twocomponent applications with polar thermoplastics and high mechanical performance properties. The new VS/AD/HM1 series, which the company officially launched at Chinaplas in May but which is available worldwide, is said to offer high scratch and abrasion resistance, good chemical compatibility and UVstability as well as easy processing at high injection rates. The materials have been developed to address the needs of premium lifestyle and consumer electronics products, where there is a growing demand for TPE materials with higher performance properties in application and processing. Kraiburg says benefits of the new compounds that address customer challenges include efficient injection moulding properties, such as excellent flow for high injection rates and short cycle times. In addition, they are said to demonstrate superior adhesion to polar thermoplastics in two-component applications not only with PC, ABS, PC/ABS blends, PU, ASA and SAN, but also with PA12 und PA6. The new VS/AD/HM compounds feature high scratch and abrasion
HEXPOL TPE HELPS CONSUMERS GET A GREEN NIGHT’S SLEEP A German manufacturer is expanding its traditional product offering by using the Dryflex Green range of bio-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) from Hexpol for its new bed slat holders. Grund GmbH & Co. KG is one of several Hexpol customers looking to add a ‘green’ line to its portfolio, and needed a TPE that was efficient to process, with good flowability. It needed to be easy to colour and the compression set properties also needed to be considered. Jan Grund, Managing Director at Grund GmbH & Co. KG, commented: “We see customer demand moving towards sustainable materials. They want products that give the performance they need while also
The new TPE series is well suited to the production of premium lifestyle products
resistance as well as durable compatibility with chemicals typically tested in the consumer electronics industry, including human skin lipids (sebum), cream and common household cleaners. They have also proven good skin compatibility in irritation tests in relation to ISO 10993-10. The first products produced using the range combine a Shore A hardness in the range of 61 to 72 with a tensile strength up to 15 MPa and a tear strength up to 30 N/mm. They provide very high elongation at break (600 per cent) and peel strength, making them well suited for very thin elastomer overmouldings. Kraiburg TPE says together with ease of colouring and excellent colour stability, these properties open “virtually unlimited“ design possibilities for a wide range of different premium applications. “The development of our unique VS/AD/HM series meets with
the specific market for high-tech elastomers, characterised by strong global growth,” said Franz Hinterecker, CEO of Kraiburg TPE. “Chinaplas was the perfect place to introduce these new compounds designed to meet four key demands of our lifestyle, consumer electronics and automotive customers; excellent adhesion, ease of processing and outstanding strength with a velvety soft feel.” Typical applications for the new compounds include game console controllers, remote controls and headphones, protective sleeves for mobile phones and tablets and toys. They also meet essential requirements for automotive interior parts, such as control wheels, handles, buttons and switches. 1 VS = Velvet Surface, AD = Adhesion, HM = High Mechanicals
being environmentally friendly and responsibly produced. Dryflex Green TPEs gave us the properties we were looking for. “The team at Hexpol TPE supported us with customisation and compound adjustment to suit our processing requirements and specification. We had an open discussion with them about the source of the renewable raw materials – this allows us to present our products in the correct way.” Hexpol says it is helping manufacturers to open up previously unreachable design solutions to the bio-based thermoplastic market by covering a wider range of hardnesses, including softer grades from 20 Shore A through to 55 Shore D, while incorporating high levels of renewable content to over 90 percent.
The bio-based content derives from raw materials such as polymers, fillers, plasticisers or additives. The company has also developed compounds using organic fillers from plants, crops or trees; these give additional organic appearance and haptics. Hexpol says the biobased content is achieved by use of truly sustainable raw materials and feedstocks with recognised certifications such as ISCC+. Thomas Köppl, Manager, Central Technology and Development Centre, Hexpol TPE, said: “We can see that Dryflex Green TPEs are giving manufacturers of applications such as household goods, sports equipment, toys and infant care new opportunities for sustainability.”
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Engineering Passion
INJECTION MOULDING | NEWS KRAUSSMAFFEI AND ROCTOOL TO EXPAND MOULD HEATING PARTNERSHIP GLOBALLY KraussMaffei and Roctool have announced they are to intensify their cooperation in the global marketing of Roctool’s inductive mould heating technology, known as HD Plastics (High Definition Plastics). As a result of the new Global Collaboration Agreement, KraussMaffei will be able to offer all injection moulding machines from its range with the option of the HD Plastics technology, either within RocTool’s DMH (Dynamic Mould Heating) package, or directly. Both companies say they “expect to open up new markets and applications” as a result of the cooperation, along with the “outstanding design options” provided by this technology. The companies say the benefits of HD Plastics/DMH are the options Exciting surface effects can be created with Roctool’s inductive mould heating technology HD plastics, with those shown here produced on a PX 160-540
that allow for design and construction while remaining highly cost-efficient. The one-shot process is said to produce components with premiumquality surfaces, however, without the technical and financial expenditure of decorated films or painting. As a result, additional in-mould decoration steps such as preforming, punching and feeding are omitted. “With KraussMaffei as one of the world’s leading suppliers of injection moulding machinery, we have a powerful partner at our side. We have been cooperating intensively for the last three years and we have already opened up numerous applications,” commented Mathieu Boulanger, CEO of Roctool. “Now we want to expand our cooperation further and offer KraussMaffei customers added value with the additional option of Roctool’s HD Plastics technology.” The companies first presented the technology publically at Chinaplas in Guangzhou in May, then during an Open House event in Mexico. The partnership will see the technology on KraussMaffei machines available globally, however. “The design options of the inductive DMH technology are enormous and open up entirely new markets and applications. For example, we see great potential in the entertainment and communications industry, in the automotive industry, and in the sport and leisure sector,” explained Nadine Despineux, Vice President, Sales, of the KraussMaffei brand in the Injection Moulding Machinery segment. The technology is also said to bring also other key advantages, such as elimination of weld lines, flow length extension, quick cycle time and no temperature limitation for any plastic materials. WWW.ROCTOOL.COM WWW.KRAUSSMAFFEI.COM
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WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK Hall 4 Stand C4
WITTMANN GROUP INVESTS IN INJECTION MOULDING FACTORY EXTENSION The Wittmann Group is planning an expansion of capacities at its injection moulding machine manufacturing facility in Kottingbrunn, Austria. Investing €15 million (approx. £13 million GBP), both its production plant and the administrative area will be extended and remodelled. All product lines of Wittmann’s PowerSeries injection machines have increased in sales in recent years, and, after high orders ALL PRODUCT to start 2017, the group decided to invest further LINES OF in the expansion of the WITTMANN’S Kottingbrunn facility. POWERSERIES Specific plans have been INJECTION made to extend the assembly MACHINES HAVE area by an additional 2,200 m². This area will house the INCREASED assembly lines for mediumIN SALES IN sized and large machines RECENT YEARS, from the EcoPower and AND, AFTER HIGH SmartPower series, with ORDERS TO clamping forces ranging START 2017, THE from 180 to 400 tonnes, to complement the assembly GROUP DECIDED line for small machines TO INVEST already in operation since FURTHER IN 2015. THE EXPANSION Office space will also be OF THE enlarged, and two more KOTTINGBRUNN floors will be added on top of the existing sales office FACILITY. building to accommodate ultra-modern offices and conference rooms. Construction started in June of this year and is to be completed before the end of 2017. The Wittmann Group announced earlier this year that it had achieved sales of €377 million (approx. £337 million GBP) in 2016, a five percent increase on its 2015 achievement.
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WWW.WITTMANN-GROUP.COM
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Industry collaboration sees new machine range ‘zoom’ into UK market
S
TV Machinery and Fenton Precision Engineering, both based in Wellingborough, Northampton, formed the unique partnership to test the capabilities of the Chinese-made ‘Yizumi’ (pronounced YiZoo-Me) range of machinery, so that STV could decide on distributorship of the range based COLLABORATION BETWEEN on a three-month, no obligation A MACHINERY SUPPLIER trial by Fenton. “Although new to the UK, Yizumi AND A PLASTICS are a well-established worldwide MANUFACTURER HAS company, represented in over RESULTED IN THE 30 countries,” explained STV’s DISTRIBUTION OF A NEW Director, Richard Perry.
RANGE OF INJECTION MOULDING MACHINES TO Benchmarking against THE UK MARKET. the best The machines, which are LEANNE TAYLOR REPORTS.
designed and built to European standards, are manufactured from three production sites, with approximately 7000 injection machines produced per year. The range includes general purpose, all-electric and two platen machines ranging from 60 to 3,200 tonne clamp. STV says they offer a combination of productivity, reliability and value for money and are benchmarked against European competition. “All Yizumi machines feature state-of-the-art European control systems as well as a host of other top quality European-made components including valves, seals, transducers and switchgear,” Perry continued. “This focus on European components is the result of Yizumi’s R&D and manufacturing policy of benchmarking designs and product performance against the best that Europe and the world has to offer. To compete and win in global machinery markets, there is no room for compromises on quality.” The three different models in the series include the A5 series, which is Yizumi’s general purpose toggle lock injection machine in the 60-2600 tonnes clamp force range. The machine is focused on delivering high precision and energy efficiency, helped by a microprocessor control system from Austria-based KEBA and a servo motor energy saving pump system. Yizumi’s all-electric offering, the FE, offers clamp force in the 60-120 tonne range. Ideal for the production of connectors, medical products, automotive parts and optics, the development of this series was benchmarked against Japanese technology throughout and includes high-quality components to ensure reliability. The FE Series, says Perry, offers up to 70 per cent energy savings compared to conventional hydraulic machines, helped by a negative rake angle and five-point double toggle structure, which offers excellent motion performance, low energy consumption and high speed efficiency. Finally, the Yizumi DP Series is a third generation, two-platen machine offering reliability, precision and efficiency. STV says each machine can be highly customised to suit customers’ individual requirements and to keep running and maintenance costs as low as possible. Featuring a Japanese Yuken dual displacement piston pump with servo drive and servo motor, the series can achieve energy savings of between 20 and 60 per cent compared to a variable displacement pump.
Fenton’s decision to invest
Fenton Precision Engineering, which specialises in design, precision tool making and injection moulding services, has experienced continued growth over the last three years, resulting in the need for it to expand and re-organise its injection moulding halls, which currently house 29 injection machines. Following the loan of the 120-tonne Yizumi machine, Fenton made the decision to purchase a 260-tonne machine from the range as it looks to expand into new markets. Nick Skidmore, Director at Fenton, explained: “We are very impressed with the Yizumi machine. It has been totally reliable and there have been no issues. We are at a stage where we are expanding into new market sectors and efficiency and reliability are key to this. “We have taken the decision to purchase a Yizumi 260-tonne machine, which is a higher capacity than the ones we currently have and will be more suitable for our increasing business and mix of tooling. We expect to be installing this in the coming weeks.” Following the company’s long-standing relationship with STV, Skidmore added that he expects to make Yizumi the standard machine at Fenton. “I have complete confidence in the support we will receive from the team at STV Machinery, having tested their expertise over the years,” he concluded.
A well proven formula
The Yizumi machines come with warranty supported by STV Machinery Ltd in the UK, as well as access to the company’s service, maintenance and technical support teams for the machine’s life cycle. “Investing in capital equipment is a big decision, for any manufacturing business. You need to be certain that you’re making the right decision and that your investment will provide the returns you expect,” continued Perry. “Yizumi has grown to be one of the world’s leading injection moulding brands in under 20 years, with hundreds of thousands of machines operating throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas. So while manufacturers may not be familiar with the brand here in the UK – they can be assured they are buying into a well-proven, winning global formula.” Perry continued: “At STV Machinery we are very excited to be representing them here [in the UK]. We know a lot about injection moulding machines from the bottom up and we believe that the Yizumi range can really offer UK processors good quality, reliability and value for money.”
The A5 Series, Yizumi’s generalpurpose, toggle lock injection moulding machine
WWW.STVMACHINERY.CO.UK/YIZUMI
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
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Engineering Passion
PROTO LABS INVESTS IN SIX NEW ARBURG MACHINES FOR UK SITE AS DEMAND GROWS Telford-based Proto Labs is to invest in six new injection moulding machines from Arburg as it looks to satisfy growing demand for its services across Europe. The company, which specialises in rapid prototyping and the production of low-to-mid volume parts, will purchase Arburg’s Golden Edition and ‘S’ machines between 50 and 250 tonnes, bringing the total number of machines at the site to 45. In addition, the latest phase of expansion in Telford, which produces its injection moulded parts for its customers across Europe, will see Proto Labs invest in a large order of new machining centres. The company uses industrial 3D printing, CNC machining and injection moulding technologies to produce parts within a matter of days, as opposed to services that can take many days or weeks. Originating in the US, Proto Labs started its UK operation in 2005 with a handful of moulding machines, and the company says it is making this investment to meet customer demand across Europe for an extensive variety of thermoplastic
MILACRON EXTENDS FERROMATIK PLANT PRODUCTION Milacron has extended its manufacturing period for Ferromatik injection moulding machines at its plant in Malterdigen, Germany, despite plans to transfer the production announced last year. In March 2016, the company said it would move injection moulding Ferromatik injection moulding machines will continue to be manufactured at Milacron’s Malterdigen plant in Germany, despite plans to transfer the production announced earlier this year.
www.kraussmaffei.com The huge number of machining centres at Proto Labs’ Telford site
and liquid silicon rubber (LSR) parts, from virtually every industry sector; aerospace, medical, automotive, computing and CE, general industrial and more. “We have been doing this since
Arburg machines on site at Proto Labs
2005 so we have deep experience – serving every sector, at every size from very large companies and OEMs to the entrepreneurial one-off inventors who have the next big idea,” said Director of Operations, Lee Ball. “Our success is built on speed and scale, where we respond quickly using proprietary software that automates the design-to-quote process. With this investment in Arburg machines, we can massively
machine assembly and machining from Malterdigen to a new factory in the Czech Republic by the end of 2017. However, the company will now continue production at the German site until the end of 2019, due to higher orders for machines across Europe. It still plans to transfer manufacturing operations to its new facilities in the Czech Republic, but will use both German and Czech facilities for a period. As a result of the initial plans to move production, around 130 workers were expected to lose jobs, although contracts will now be amended to reflect the extension, with some employees that had already been let go being brought back to fulfil the orders. Milacron has struggled over the last decade to make the Malterdigen plant profitable. Denis Poelman, Milacron Managing Director, said: “Milacron has a proud history in Malterdingen WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
scale capacity to support the growth and increased requirements of our customers.” Proto Labs’ proprietary automated quoting system – ProtoQuote – translates 3D CAD models into instructions for high-speed manufacturing equipment. The result, it says, is large reductions in development time by providing parts that are shipped in between 1 - 15 days. The company claims it can make a tool from a 3D CAD, assemble the tool and mould the customer’s part in as little as one day. “We are delighted that Proto Labs has chosen to invest further in Arburg and we want to learn with and help the company in the next phase of their digital manufacturing development,” said Arburg Ltd. Managing Director, Colin Tirel. WWW.PROTOLABS.CO.UK
designing, engineering and manufacturing the Ferromatik line of injection moulding machines. “As I’ve always stated, Milacron will still have a strong presence in Malterdingen even after the manufacturing operations transition to the Czech Republic. Milacron is committed to remain in the Malterdingen area and if there were to be a move it would be within 25 kilometres of our current location. “Milacron’s European injection moulding machinery business will retain and grow the Engineering, Research, Service, Sales, Marketing and Aftermarket departments.” Poelman also added that highly customized and complex machines such as cube moulds, PET, coinjection systems and automation/ robotics systems will be going through Malterdingen for testing and customisation. WWW.MILACRON.COM
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Engineering Passion
CASE STUDY: COMBINATION OF MOULD MAKING AND 3D PRINTING PROVIDES “BEST OF BOTH WORLDS” FOR LOW VOLUME INJECTION MOULDING A partnership between German mould making supplier, Hasco, and additive manufacturing solutions provider, Stratasys, has culminated in a “best of both worlds” technique to produce low-volume injection moulding parts for samples, prototypes and short production runs. The collaboration came as a result of Hasco looking to provide its customers with ways of delivering prototypes quickly and effectively, as time-to-market cycles become shorter and production quantities are reduced. The solution utilises Stratasys’ 3D printing technology to produce mould inserts for Hasco’s K3500 quickchange mould system. The K3500 mould-base is often used within production, product development and prototyping to test the quality and effectiveness of a product before it is mass marketed. By combining the two processes, mould makers can quickly change between inserts for different products. This enables them to costeffectively produce low volumes of injection moulded parts. “Compared with conventional or aluminum inserts, our new approach shows mould makers the flexibility to quickly produce and switch inserts, making them much more productive and profitable,” explained Dirk Paulmann, Executive Vice President, Sales and Business Development of Hasco. “Combining our longstanding heritage in mould-making with
Hasco 3D prints injection mould inserts with Stratasys PolyJet 3D Printing Solutions
www.kraussmaffei.com
Hasco sealing plugs produced using Stratasys 3D-printed injection moulds
Stratasys’ pioneering expertise in 3D printing injection moulds, this best of both worlds technique is the future of prototyping and low volume production.”
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“The speed of the process was incredible,” continued Paulmann. “Using the Stratasys Objet500 Connex 3D Printer, we produced COMBINING the parts of the cavity OUR that shape the polymer LONGSTANDING Real-World Test – such as the inserts HERITAGE Hasco decided to use and slides – in just IN MOULDthe hybrid technique to six hours compared to MAKING WITH 3D print mould inserts the 24 hours it took to produce an injection previously. We then STRATASYS’ moulded sealing plug worked with prototyping PIONEERING for an industry standard specialists Canto Ing. EXPERTISE IN A8001 clamping fixture. GmbH, Lüdenscheid, 3D PRINTING However, it quickly to finish the 3D printed INJECTION became apparent that inserts and test the the plug needed 12mm sample mould. We were MOULDS, thick walls to seal the delighted with the result THIS BEST OF threaded holes – a and the first sealing BOTH WORLDS geometry not possible screws were produced TECHNIQUE IS via conventional ready for mounting on THE FUTURE OF our clamping unit in a injection moulding PROTOTYPING processes. Using record time of only four Stratasys 3D printing, days. AND LOW Hasco was able to “Through the use VOLUME redesign the screw of tried-and-tested PRODUCTION. with a reduced standardised HASCO wall thickness and products and Stratasys subsequently 3D state-of-the-art 3D printed a mould insert to the new printing, the project has proved specifications in order to test the that it is possible to implement integrity of the design before mass this innovative rapid-technology production. application within the injection The mould inserts were 3D moulding process. For the production printed using Stratasys’ tough of low-volume prototypes in the Digital ABS material, which has a final product material, the ability to high dimensional stability and heat quickly change moulds with a 3D resistance ideal for low-volume printed cavity offers a rapid, low-cost production. As well as material alternative to conventional methods,” performance, another aspect that he concluded. was critical to the test was the speed at which mould inserts could be WWW.HASCO.COM created. WWW.STRATASYS.COM WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
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Engineering Passion exclusive | interview | leanne taylor
one vision: plastics manufacturing group
sets sights on growth
AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING PLASTICS MANUFACTURING COMPANIES, THE ONEPLASTICS GROUP HAS A SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE IN THE UK MARKET. BELIEVED TO BE THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST NON-AUTOMOTIVE MOULDER, LEANNE TAYLOR SPOKE TO SALES DIRECTOR, KARL STILLMAN, ABOUT OPPORTUNITY, PLANS AND FUTURE GROWTH.
T
he OnePlastic Group (OPG) set out in 2013 with a specific focus; to be the leading manufacturer of plastic products in the sectors in which it operates. No small task, given competition, rising costs and political and economic turbulence. However, believed to be the largest non-automotive moulder in the UK, and one of the top five in Europe, the company is making strong headway in fulfilling its ambition. The Group was formed from the amalgamation of five plastics-specific companies concentrating on the production of environmental containers, packaging and industrial products – three UK-based, one in Cork, Ireland, and one in Shanghai in China. In the years since, the addition of a further UK business through strategic acquisition has resulted in a strong set of annual results, impressive growth figures and paved the way for a successful business plan that the Group intends to forge ahead with.
Investment in capacity, service and growth In 2017 alone, OnePlastics has invested heavily in its UK plastics operations. Karl Stillman explained the company’s decision to invest was driven in part by the Group winning new contracts across its portfolio. “Significant new business that has been awarded to OPG over the past couple of years has led to a significant increase to our installed capacity over all our UK plants and across all our business sectors,” he explained.
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Since the beginning of the year, the Group has installed five new machines at its Protech Plastic Containers business in Tamworth, increasing capacity for production of pails and paint cans. In addition, the group has opened a 44,000-square foot logistics centre in the town. This, it says, will support distribution of products for Protech Containers and one of the group’s trade moulding operations, AAC Plastics. A seven-figure sum investment at its youngest UK company, comprising Straight Ltd in Hull and MGB Plastics in Rotherham, has seen the company acquire a further five new, high tonnage injection moulding machines and a blow moulding machine. These businesses are the country’s leading wheeled bin, kitchen caddie and recycling container manufacturers. Altogether, the UK sites comprise a total of 75 machines ranging from 55 to 2700 tonnes and one of the youngest fleets in the country, representing significant investment and a broad manufacturing base from which to operate. But with the UK making the decision to leave the European Union, does Stillman still consider the country as an attractive prospect for further acquisition and growth? “We are seeing opportunities arising, largely driven by the weak pound, whereby European manufactured product bound for the UK is becoming far too expensive,” he explained. “We are talking to a number of
www.kraussmaffei.com potential customers at present demonstrating that the same product can be manufactured in UK significantly cheaper than bringing it in from the Continent. “Looking at the latest figures published on the PMI, the pace of growth of the UK manufacturing sector has posted its twelfth successive increase since the Brexit vote last year. Growth over July was the second strongest month on record. Add to this the success of our industrial business, I would have to say, albeit cautiously optimistically, that yes, I do think the UK is an attractive place to invest.”
MOULDING THE FUTURE The company’s proven strategy of growth through acquisition is one that is evidently working well, and its investment in each of its sites is equipping each to be able to operate with efficient technology, systems and processes. But to be “the leading manufacturer” in the fields in which OPG operates, Stillman recognises the need to be flexible, plan for the future and invest in staff and services. “Going back several years, the role of customer and supplier was easy to define and the way of working was quite transactional. I think
in recent times that those lines, once easy to define, have come quite blurred, the expectation from our customers having moved on considerably,” he explained. “For example, complete DFM (Design for Manufacturing) input is often required, supply chain management skills have had to increase significantly and in some cases, even a completely different logistics solution e.g. VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) has had to be implemented. “Where we have been successful is moving upstream in the supply chain from just a manufacturer to a trusted advisor. In order to enable this process, we had to really start to understand our customer’s business drivers and critical success factors, moving our relationship from purely transactional to more of a partnership approach.” This understanding has been helped considerably by the Group’s investment in its R&D facilities. This includes establishing an Innovation Centre of Excellence in Cork that services the entire OnePlastics Group. Services here include full product design, finite element analysis and Moldflow. “All our major customers are benefitting from this approach to R&D we have implemented. This investment has taken centre
stage in our service offering and is key to all our future growth ambitions,” Stillman added.
PEOPLE POWER
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Where we have been successful is moving upstream in the supply chain from just a manufacturer to a trusted advisor. In order to enable this process, we had to really start to understand our customer’s business drivers and critical success factors, moving our relationship from purely transactional to more of a partnership approach.
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
Also key to the company’s future ambitions is its staff. As its portfolio grows, the need for skilled employees that can take the business in the direction it wishes to travel is imperative. Stillman says this is another reason the UK is an attractive location for the Group. “The UK has a fantastic heritage of plastic manufacturing and with that comes some world class engineers. I am pleased to say that we have quite a few working at OPG,” he explained. “We recognised the skill shortage gap quite a while ago and have installed a very successful apprenticeship programme across all of our sites. At present we have 20 apprentices.”
FUTURE AMBITIONS At the announcement of its last set of results in March 2017, One51 PLC, owners of OnePlastics Group, revealed an increase in revenue of 18.3 per cent to €433 million. In addition, earnings increased by over half, 53 per cent, to €55.2 million (£47.8 million). The company revealed its intention to continue to narrow its focus to the plastics industry and its ambitions to build on the solid growth achieved in just a few years. “Future ambitions include strengthening and growing our market position by continually investing in our business together with targeted acquisitions in the sectors we operate,” Stillman continued. “We believe that we are the largest ‘non-automotive’ moulder currently operating in the UK, both in terms of turnover and tonnage. We have a specialty in the production of large industrial mouldings, so envisage particular growth in this area in the coming years.” WWW.ONEPLASTICS.COM 47
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Q: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE DEW POINT WHEN DRYING PLASTICS? IN THIS EDITION OF MO’S CORNER – OUR REGULAR FEATURE THAT AIMS TO ANSWER COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MANUFACTURE AND PROCESSING OF PLASTICS – WE LOOK AT HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY DRY PLASTIC GRANULES WITHOUT DAMAGE.
Drying material means removing its moisture, which sounds very simplistic. The first method that comes to mind is to use the highest possible drying temperature to dry the material rapidly. This is because higher temperatures increase the air’s ability to absorb moisture. However, the nature of the material itself places limits on the drying temperature; the plastic must remain undamaged. This means the temperature must remain significantly below the material’s melting point. (Other kinds of damage are beyond the scope of this article.) Even with a drying temperature below the melting point, longer drying time carries risks. So, how do you dry plastic granulate without damaging it? There are two key factors: the binding forces between the water and plastic molecules and the vapour pressure differential between the pressure at the surface of the plastic and the partial pressure of water vapour in the air; this is also called a concentration gradient. The forces binding the water and plastic molecules, called van der Waals forces, are relatively weak, and dependent upon the
MOTAN STARTS SECOND SEARCH FOR INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN PLASTICS Motan has opened applications for its second Innovation Award, to bring new ideas in plastics development from individuals or teams. The company has set a prize fund of €20,000 (£17,700) to be split between winners. Sandra Füllsack, Managing Director of Motan, said: “Too many good ideas are never developed or pursued. As a result, the industry loses enormous potential. We want to find these treasures which are often found inside people’s heads and left to languish in drawers.”
strength of the polar groups in the material. As temperatures rise, the forces between the molecules weaken. The gecko is an example of van der Waals forces at work: their footpads are covered in fine hair-like setae. The force of a single seta is weak, but together they are strong enough to allow the geko to walk on walls. Concentration gradients play another key role. This gradient is the difference between the material’s initial moisture content and the moisture content (dew-point) of the dry air. Hygroscopic materials naturally tend towards moisture equilibrium with the ambient air. This equilibrium is dependent upon the type and temperature of the plastic, and the air parameters (relative moisture content, temperature and pressure). Heating the air, or lowering the dew-point temperature, creates a pressure differential (and a resulting concentration gradient); this causes moisture to diffuse from the plastic to the air. Higher temperatures weaken the binding forces between molecules, allowing the moisture to diffuse more
easily. Additionally, hotter air can absorb greater amounts of moisture. In other words, it has a higher water affinity. The rate at which inner moisture in the material diffuses to the surface is called the rate of diffusion. It depends on the material to be dried. It is important to note that at the beginning of the process, diffusion is more rapid due to the greater concentration gradient. As the gradient decreases, the rate of diffusion slows, until a new moisture equilibrium has been reached again. When drying plastic granulate, the absolute moisture content of the material is relatively low. Against this background, it becomes clear that the process air must not simply be heated to an appropriate temperature. It must also have very low moisture content, in order to develop a concentration gradient that will bring the residual moisture to the level required for further processing. Often, in the context of drying plastic granulate, dew-points between -20 and -60°C are mentioned. In most cases, however, it is
doubtful whether a very low dew-point temperature really is an advantage. Broadly speaking, process air with a low dew-point temperature does have a positive effect, at least to some extent, on the speed of plastic granulate drying. But this effect is, as previously described, limited by the maximum rate of diffusion, which in turn is dependent upon the material and temperature in question. Moreover, drying the air to achieve a very low dew-point temperature requires a significant amount of energy – and carries a risk of over-drying the material. Against this background, a dew-point temperature of approx. -20°C is sufficient for drying most hygroscopic plastics.The experience of dryer manufacturers also plays a role. They draw on a vast number of their own tests, and information gleaned from real-world use, to offer recommendations on judicious settings. When drying plastic material, the goal is to strike the ideal balance between drying speed and preventing damage to the material. FURTHER QUESTIONS? EMAIL: ASKMO@ MOSCORNER.DE
Applications can be for all fields of plastics production. As well as the prize money, the winners will also receive support developing their idea for the market and Motan will also help them with their own patent application. The application deadline is 31 December 2017 with winners announced in October 2018.
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
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RECLAMATION & RECYCLING | NEWS LUXUS AND POLYKEMI WIN EU GRANT FOR NIR-FRIENDLY BLACK ALTERNATIVE Luxus has secured a £1.29m (€1.47m) investment from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, in a consortium with Nordic polymer processing partner, Polykemi, and global plastics manufacturer, One51. The funding supports NIRSort, a commercialisation project that aims to replace carbon black and many other pigments with a range of nearinfrared (NIR) detectable alternatives for use by packaging, automotive and consumer durables manufacturers. Each year 3.5 million tonnes of polymer are scrapped in the UK alone, since black and some other coloured packaging cannot be picked up by recycling sorters. These products contain carbon black that reflects very little or no radiation, rendering it ‘invisible’ to sorting machines in recycling depots. This two-year project will be led by Luxus, with Polykemi participating by formulating, processing and testing materials. The resulting materials will be then further evaluated for use in innovative packaging material via
A still from Coca-Cola Great Britain’s new advertisement produced using recycled packaging
COCA COLA PREMIERES ADVERT PRODUCED WITH RECYCLED PACKAGING AS PART OF NEW SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY Coca Cola Great Britain is encouraging consumers to fall in love with recycling with a new, stop-motion television advert made entirely from recycled packaging. The advert, called ‘Love Story’, premiered on Channel 4 on 28th July and tells the story of two bottles that fall in love each time they meet after being disposed of properly and
Polykemi’s subsidiary, Scanfill. The third consortium partner is rigid plastics manufacturer, One51, selected for its injection moulding manufacturing expertise. Christel Croft, Technical Director at Luxus, said: “This pioneering project is based on the previous successful work to identify NIR detectable alternatives to carbon black from specialist additive and masterbatch supplier, Colour Tone, whom Luxus acquired earlier this year. “It aims to develop a range of colourants for polymers that will enable NIR sorting operations to segregate black and coloured plastics from waste streams to a level of purity that they are useable in highly engineered polymers.” Croft said that there is even potential to use the colourants in Luxus’ own range of anti-scratch polypropylene compounds for the automotive industry, Hycolene. “We have defined a programme of development, designed to identify formulations with optimal cost effectiveness in packaging recycling and to extend the technology across to WEEE and end-of-life vehicle applications, each of which has its
own specialist requirements.” The most immediate market need is for food packaging, which typically has a three to 12 month cycle from ‘make-to-waste’. While waste from consumer durables goods (WEEE) however, has a mean-life of five years and ‘end-of-life’ automotive vehicles (ELV) 13 years, both also require solutions to prevent the continued build-up of potentially unrecoverable polymers. Croft added: “Our market strategy is based, therefore, on a continuous positive development cycle or a ‘circular economy’ approach. This is where the packaging industry will use virgin detectable polymer to make its packaging and this with its product life of under a year, is recycled into high quality engineered plastics for the manufacturer of automotive and consumer durables to use - without waiting for returns from their own ‘end-of-life’ materials.”
recycled into new bottles. Created by Berlin-based artist, Lacy Barry, the hand-crafted advert uses 1,500 Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Smartwater and Honest bottles and cans during production. Coca Cola Great Britain says the advert “aims to encourage more people to recycle and highlights how plastic bottles can be reused to produce more plastic bottles.” The TV campaign is expected to communicate its message about recycling to 35 million Britons by the end of this year. Aedamar Howlett, Marketing Director for Coca-Cola Great Britain says: “The beauty of Love Story is that it reminds people our packaging is valuable, as it can be recycled into more packaging over and over again. “All of our packaging is 100 percent recyclable and has been for some time now. The multi-million pound campaign shows how serious we are about encouraging more people to recycle, so we that we
reach our aim of getting all of our bottles back.” The British Plastics Federation says it is pleased that Coca-Cola has chosen to communicate the re-usable nature of plastic bottles, stating: “It is important that everyone understands that plastics are a reusable resource and everyone has a part to play in helping to achieve a circular economy for plastics. The BPF believes this fun animation created by Coca-Cola is a positive step in widely communicating the sustainability and recyclability of plastics.” The advert forms part of the company’s new sustainable packaging strategy, which sees the company aim to recover all its packaging, as well as setting the ambition to increase recycled PET in bottles from 25 percent to 50 percent by 2020.
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UK TO BAN PLASTIC MICROBEADS FROM 2018 The UK will ban the use of plastic microbeads from personal care products from next year, the Environment Secretary has confirmed. In his first major speech in the role, Michael Gove said on July 21 that following the Government’s consultation last year into the use of the beads, legislation will now be put in place to ban their inclusion in the manufacture of personal care products from January 2018. Microbeads, which are often included in products such as shower gels, body scrubs or toothpaste as exfoliating agents, are washed away during use and build up in the marine environment where Mr Gove said they have “a devastating effect” on marine life. He also said that the move would be combined with other measures to reduce plastic entering the ocean, including litter reduction incentives. “There is more we can do to protect our oceans, so we will explore new methods of reducing the amount of plastic - in particular plastic bottles - entering our seas,” he said.
Environment Secretary, Michael Gove
“I want to improve incentives for reducing waste and litter, and review the penalties available to deal with polluters - all part of a renewed strategy on waste and resources that looks ahead to opportunities outside the EU.” The Minister said that the reduction in the use of single-use plastic bags, combined with the amount of money raised for good causes, following the Government’s 2015 implementation of a 5p charge was demonstrative of the success that nationwide intervention can have on the environment. Following this, he later said that outside of the European Union, there is scope for Great Britain “not just to set the very highest standards in marine conservation, but also to be a global leader in environmental policy across the board.”
CHEMICALS SUPPLY CHAIN LAUNCHES NEW GUIDANCE TO ASSIST COMPANIES IN MEETING WASTE PACKAGING OBLIGATIONS
A new set of guidelines has been issued in order to help companies obligated to meet waste packaging targets.
A new guidance document has been collaboratively developed by a group of trade associations representing companies operating in the chemicals supply chain that use packaging. The new document, entitled “The Assessment and Classification of Waste Packaging” provides information for companies that are required to meet waste packaging obligations. It has been welcomed by The Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and Scottish Environment Protection Agency, which have agreed to its adoption in England, Wales and Scotland. The document provides guidance for assessing whether packaging to be taken offsite is waste or not and if waste, whether it is waste packaging or not and whether it should be WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
I want to improve litter incentives for reducing waste and litter, and review the penalties available to deal with polluters This, he said, included taking “smarter and more targeted approaches to the improvements that we want to see”, such as incentivising recycling “according to the environmental impact and value of the material, rather than a crude weight-based target that currently focuses recycling on things that happen to be heavy.”
classified as hazardous or nonhazardous. It includes a method that allows for the weight of the packaging to be taken into account and is intended to be complementary to the joint environment agencies’ Technical Guidance WM3. The guidance will also support companies in the context of resource efficiency and the concept of the circular economy. The Trade Associations involved include British Association for Chemical Specialities; British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association; British Adhesives and Sealants Association; British Coatings Federation; British Plastics Federation; Chemical Business Association; Chemical Industries Association; International Fragrance Association; Industrial Packaging Association; Solvents Industry Association; and United Kingdom Lubricants Association. WWW.GOV.UK/GOVERNMENT/PUBLICATIONS/WASTE-CLASSIFICATION-TECHNICAL-GUIDANCE 53
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@POLYMERMAN ON PRICES
Seasonal changes and the effect on polymer prices IN THIS EDITION OF OUR LATEST FEATURE LOOKING AT THE KEY ISSUES THAT INFLUENCE POLYMER PRICES, MIKE BOSWELL LOOKS AT SEASONAL FLUCTUATIONS, EVENTS AFFECTING SUPPLY AND HOW THE UK’S CONVERTERS ARE REACTING.
A
t the end of July it was expected that C3 (Propylene Monomer) contract price would increase by €15 (£13) per tonne and that C2 (Ethylene Monomer) contract price would remain at the same level. However, by early August it was clear that the increase for C3 had not been successfully implemented and the price rolled over from July to August. The graph to the right (which depicts feedstock costs in £ per tonne) provides some useful insights and, in the case of C3, the fact that the spot price has fallen dramatically – and appeared to be continuing to fall to a level below the contract price at the end of July – is probably the basis of the rollover. Whilst in Q3 2015 feedstock prices were in quite sharp decline, the situation in Q3 2016 is probably more typical of historical price trends at this time of the year, with prices on the increase. This seasonal trend is typically a function of higher demand from converters, as production returns to normal after summer vacations in July and August and also due to higher levels of demand to meet the December peak in consumption. Although, at the time of writing this article, the outage affecting Shell’s Pernis refinery (which was expected to be offline until at least mid-August) had only caused Shin-Etsu to announce
eak See Mike sp s la rp te In at | | Main Stage ay sd ne ed W 27th September
“Whilst in Q3 2015 feedstock prices were in quite sharp decline, the situation in Q3 2016 is probably more typical of historical price trends at this time of the year, with prices on the increase” force majeure on shipments of K67 suspension grade PVC resin from its Rotterdam facility, other polymer European polymer producers talked of the likely impact of the Pernis outage causing tightness in the polyolefin feedstock market, which would likely result in price increases and consequential tightness of supply some PE and PP grades. In fact, with the first week in August only just out of the way, a number of producers were in the process of closing their order books for particular grades, in order to
conserve inventories. The reaction from UK plastic converters has so far been quite subdued and although the majority subscribe to the notion that the market in July/August is/was somewhere close to the bottom of the (current) cycle, there is not much evidence of a dash to secure material with most buyers only committing to slightly higher than ‘normal’ volumes. However, and as has been clearly evidenced in the events of 2015, market circumstances can and do often change at short notice.
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Who is @polymerman
Mike Boswell is Managing Director of UK materials distributor, Plastribution, as well as the Chairman of the British Plastic Federation’s Polymer Compounders and Distributors Group, and, most recently, its ‘BREXIT Committee’. He has a broad knowledge of both materials and the issues affecting the wider industry, with over 20 years experience in the field. @polymerman is the title used for announcements made via his Twitter account.
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POLYMERS & COMPOUNDS | NEWS Albis has extended its medical materials portfolio
ALBIS EXPANDS ITS PRODUCT PORTFOLIO FOR MEDICAL APPLICATIONS Albis has expanded its healthcare product portfolio with new materials suited for use in medical devices, laboratory and diagnostic applications as well as pharmaceutical packaging. All the new grades provide “outstanding features” as well as service packages to meet the safety and functionality requirements of today´s healthcare market, says Albis, such as notification of change, regulatory testing and support as well as a certain provision to ensure security of supply. The latest additions include two new grades from Covestro, the first, Makroblend M 525 (PC + PBT blend) can be used for housings of wearable devices that touch unbroken skin. The material combines excellent impact resistance (even at low temperatures) with high chemical resistance and is suitable for injection moulding processes. The second, Bayblend M 750, is an opaque and non-reinforced PC+ABS material used for applications such as housings of medical devices. Alongside high toughness and stiffness, Bayblend M 750 offers
a good combination between mechanical and thermal properties. It also offers high dimensional accuracy as well as excellent dimensional stability. Eastman Chemicals’ Tritan MXF 121 (Copolyester) offers chemical resistance against aggressive hospital disinfectants, as well as providing good toughness and durability and an all-colour UL 94 V2 rating (thickness 1.5 and 3.0 mm). The high impact resistance and strength as well as the relevant ISO 10993 certificates (cytotoxicity, skin sensitisation and intracutaneous reactivity) make Tritan MXF 121 a suitable grade for applications such as housings for small hand held medical devices and diagnostic equipment. Also new, Novodur HD M 203 FC G3 (ABS) by INEOS Styrolution, a glass–fibre-reinforced version of the established Novodur HD M 203 FC. The material has been developed for transfer spikes in infusions systems and can also be used in fields of applications where high stiffness, good flowability and high dimensional stability are required. Styrolux 4G60, also an INEOS Styrolution grade, has been developed to be used for drip WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
chambers in IV infusion sets. It has softness and transparency as well as good bonding properties. The material is suitable for common sterilisation methods such as gamma radiation, E-beam or ETO. Also newly available, Purell KT MR 07 (Polybutene-1) by LyondellBasell provides an outstanding compatibility with polypropylene, meaning materials with a broad range of softness and flexibility can be created to meet individual requirements. Using Purell KT MR 07 significantly increases not only the impact resistance (even at temperatures below 0°C), but can also improve transparency. It is ideal for applications such as medical tubes, IV-bags, caps and closures as well as seals. Finally, LyondellBasell’s Purell RP 320 M for cast film and injection moulding processing offers good mechanical properties, optical characteristics as well as excellent homogeneity and sealing properties. It can be used in a wide range of applications such as flexible packaging solutions for medical devices and drugs, caps and closures and for disposable labware. WWW.ALBIS.COM
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High-performance plastics for demanding applications
LANXESS LAUNCHES NEW PBT COMPOUND FOR BATTERY COMPONENTS IN ELECTRIC CARS Lanxess has developed a new compound in collaboration with Hella KGaA Hueck & Co., that is said to offer low warpage and high flame retardance when used for battery components in electric vehicles. New Pocan AF4130 serves as a housing material for a battery management units (BMU) and two cell monitoring units (CMU). Made from a blend of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and acrylic esterstyrene-acrylonitrile (ASA), it contains 30 percent-by-weight glass fibres and a halogen-based flame retardance package. “The particular advantages of the material are its extremely low warpage and shrinkage, combined with its high flame retardance. We see great potential for application in precision components for vehicle battery systems,” explained Marc Marbach, Head of Sales Segments E&E in the Lanxess High Performance Materials (HPM)
business unit. “It took just two-and-ahalf years to go from the initial idea to extensive testing and finally to use in full-scale production.” Hella fabricates the BMU and CMUs for a German manufacturer of battery systems for motor vehicles. Devices using the new compound are currently used in the lithium-ion battery system of a German compact car. As required for this application, the material achieves the best classification of V-0 (0.75 millimeters) in UL 94 fire testing by Underwriters Laboratories. It further is listed on the UL Yellow Card with a good classification of UL 94 5VA (1.5 millimeters). The material is designed for the injection moulding of flame-retardant housing components, although it has additionally been given a UL f1 listing for use in outdoor applications involving exposure to UV light and water. “Our compound thus has a good chance of also being used for electrical components such as photovoltaic plugs and sockets,” continued Marbach. Surfaces made of the new thermoplastic are very low-emission,
as demonstrated by thermal desorption analyses conducted by Lanxess in accordance with VDA 278 (German Association of the Automotive Industry). “It is therefore also suitable for many motor vehicle applications requiring very low volatile and condensable emissions, such as components for the automotive interior,” concluded Marbach. WWW.LANXESS.COM
New Pocan AF4130 serves as a housing material for a battery management unit (BMU) and two cell monitoring units (CMU).
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The recently expanded BASF compounding plant in Schwarzheide
BASF PUTS EXPANDED COMPOUNDING PLANT FOR ENGINEERING PLASTICS INTO OPERATION BASF has put its expanded compounding plant in Schwarzheide, Germany, into operation, with the extra capacity enabling the production of up to 70,000 tons more Ultramid PA and Ultradur PBT each year. This is a further step in the capacity expansions with which BASF is responding to the rising global demand for engineering plastics. BASF’s worldwide compounding capacity for PA and PBT will now reach more than 700,000 tons per year. About 50 new jobs will be created. “The bigger plant enables us to accompany our customers’ growth in the long run, at the highest technical level and with the best plastics,” explained Jürgen Becky, Head of BASF’s Performance Materials Europe business unit. “The expanded plant represents state-of-the-art technology in the plastics market and gives us even more flexibility in our production process.”
HOUSING LINERS MADE FROM NEW MATERIAL PROTECT COMPOUNDERS FROM EXTRUDER WEAR KraussMaffei Berstorff is using new materials for the production of housing liners for its ZE BluePower twin-screw extruder series that offer protection against wear. The new material is 72HA, an ironbased powder-metallurgical alloy with high shares of carbon and chrome, which is manufactured using the HIP method. KraussMaffei Berstorff says the chemical composition of this material ensures excellent wear protection against abrasion and corrosion and facilitates mechanical processing. “We have addressed this problem and examined a large variety of metal materials available on the market. This is how we have found the perfect complement to our portfolio of materials,” says Andreas Madle, process engineer in the plastics development division at KraussMaffei Berstorff. The liners produced with the new material are said to offer an
BASF says at the same time, the additional capacity increases flexibility in its global production network, enabling it to meet, for example, the higher expectations of the automotive industry when it comes to the production of highvolume components. With the expansion, Schwarzheide is the site with the biggest PA and PBT compounding capacity within BASF globally. The engineering plastics Ultramid and Ultradur are used to make high-performance components
attractive price point compared to high performance materials previously used. “We have already manufactured the first liners made of 72HA for an extruder of the ZE BluePower series and tested them in practical use – with excellent results,” Madle added.
for the automotive, electrical and electronics industries, as well as for the construction and furniture sectors. The components include oil pans, engine mounts, sensors and connectors, chairs and fastening elements. Latest innovations are the speciality Ultramid Advanced N; the charge air duct made of the hightemperature polyamide, Ultramid Endure, in the new Alfa Romeo Giulia; and the TeamUP design chair for the office of the future. WWW.BASF.COM
We have addressed this problem and examined a large variety of metal materials available on the market. This is how we have found the perfect complement to our portfolio of materials
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FEEDING SYSTEMS
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WWW.GENESISPS.CO.UK
FLAKE DISCHARGER STRAND PELLETIZERS
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Technical Manager
Production Quality Manager
Abbey Masterbatch currently have 2 Senior Management roles within their expanding team in Ashton under Lyne.
We are additionally seeking a Production Quality Manager to support our general works management & quality department. Projects will include identifying & implementing improvements in machine operating methods. The increase of production rates, improvement in product quality, the reduction of waste and improvements in energy efficiency.
We are looking for a hands on, enthusiastic, Technical Manager to become a key member of our company. A major manufacturer of thermoplastic, engineering and speciality polymers masterbatch, we have an aggressive expansion programme, which includes new areas of business and products. Key responsibilities within this role will include product development for both our existing portfolio and our developing business for new applications. A natural progression of this will be sales lead nurturing for new business both for the UK & export markets. Our Technical Manager will have substantial experience in quality control and development work. A degree in a science or related discipline would be preferable but not essential.
Extensive experience in the thermoplastic or rubber processing industries coupled with several years of production management in a raw material conversion industry on continuous and batch process equipment, will be an ideal grounding for this position. Abbey Masterbatch’s significant expansion programme means that we will encourage progression within the company and both of these roles are rewarded with a competitive remuneration package.
To apply please email your C.V. to Michael Shirt, Managing Director jms@abbeymb.com
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27/07/2017 10:45
THERMOFORMING | NEWS ILLIG SHOWCASES AUTOMATIC PRESSURE FORMING MACHINE FOR LIQUID-TIGHT CONTAINERS WITH LID Illig has showcased production of the first thermoformed, liquid-tight container with lid for packaging liquids and wet foods. The transparent polypropylene ‘takeaway’ containers were produced using a IC-RDK 80 automatic pressure forming machine using a 12-up mould. Launching the new packaging at Chinaplas earlier this year, the containers can be tightly closed by a lid based on requirements by customers. Illig says prior to its packaging specialists developing this new process, a cost-effective and safeto-transport solution did not exist for this type of container. The company’s Germany-based team designed and realised all stages of the pack development, from the first idea and material selection through to mould production. This also included their own application tests with respect to tightness and stackability (top load). The IC-RDK series of machines offers forming and punching technology suited to achieving excellent part quality and
The first thermoformed, liquid-tight container with lid
reproducibility of packs. The machines feature high availability and easy operation. Heated materials are formed by means of pre-stretcher and compressed air; the part is punched out of the material in the same cycle. Thanks to this method, Illig says parts can be manufactured without punching mismatch in the rim area and therefore automatic pack processing is improved. WWW.ILLIG.DE
NEW STACKING ROBOTS AVAILABLE FOR AMUT COMI’S ACF THERMOFORMING MACHINES The new robots in use with AMUT-COMI’s ACF Thermoforming machines
The IC-RDK series of machines offers forming and punching technology suited to achieving excellent part quality and reproducibility of packs.
AMUT COMI, the thermoforming division of the AMUT Group, has announced the availability of a new series of stacking robots for its ACF thermoforming machines. The robots, designed to provide speed, accuracy and reliability, are available in two models and are an evolution of classic wall stacker robots. The first model, the ER2X, consists of a vertical axis to pick up and discharge the articles and one horizontal axis to take the parts from the picking station to the stacking unit. The second, the ER3X, is equipped, in addition to the vertical and horizontal axis, with a third rotating axis, 0°-180°, to turn parts for A-B stacking or other purposes. This system enables different stacking possibilities depending on WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
the characteristics of the products. AMUT-COMI says the addition of the new robots comes as a result of the success of the new ACF steel rule cutting thermoforming machines following their launch at K Show in October 2016. The new robots uses the company’s ‘EASY’ software system, which allows the operator to implement a work cycle for the robot in harmony with the operations of the thermforming machine. A specific page has been created to provide the operator with wide flexibility in setting all the cycle parameters of the robot. The interface, says AMUT-COMI, is user-friendly and intuitive. EASY has been developed to comply with the concept of Industry 4.0 and enables the AMUT-COMI thermoforming machines to be networked with the concept of a digital factory for a smart production. WWW.AMUT.IT
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Telephone: 01260 22 66 67 E-Mail: sales@ktech.co.uk Website: www.ktech.co.uk
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THERMOFORMED POT HELPS QUARK MAKE ITS MARK A Swedish dairy producer is packaging its range of Quark in a thermoformed pot from RPC Superfos as it looks to strengthen its market position. Skånemejerierne chose the thermoformed polypropylene SuperLight pot for its Lindahls Kvark brand after deciding to stop The thermoformed pots produced for Skånemejerierne
importing from Germany and produce and package the product in-house. The 500g SuperLight is decorated by offset printing in six colours, and features different artwork for each of the 25 flavours in the range. After swapping to its own filling line, Skånemejerierne’s quark production has become more cost-efficient with the intention of further strengthening its market position in Sweden and other European countries. Importantly for the company, the change of packaging has gone unnoticed by end-users. “The aim of the entire project was to maintain the same packaging standard as before, with only ourselves noticing the changes,” explained Thore Bengtsson, Purchaser at Skånemejerierne. “We asked RPC Superfos to deliver the same type of pack as the one we used to import, and we got what we asked for, even within a very tight time schedule. We’ve had superb cooperation with RPC Superfos, who have given us the right product quality, service and support on time and according to plan.” WWW.RPC-SUPERFOS.COM
KINGSMOOR PACKAGING RETAINS HIGHEST BRC GRADE FOR A CONSECUTIVE YEAR Kingsmoor Packaging, a thermoforming business based in Somerset, has maintained its AA grade BRC certification for a consecutive year. Under the revised issue 5 of the BRC Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials, an AA grade is one of the highest awards that a business can achieve within the certification scheme. The BRC certificate streamlines the supplier approval process and makes it easier for food companies to meet the requirements of the BRC Food Standard, while also helping retailers and food manufacturers to adhere to their legal obligations. The standard specifies Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, good manufacturing practices, plus hygiene, safety and quality requirements for packaging manufacturers who supply the food and consumer products industries. James Hill, Kingsmoor Packaging’s Managing Director, said: “A consecutive AA grade shows our commitment to operating at the
Kingsmoor Packaging has maintained its AA grade BRC certification
highest possible standards in producing quality thermoformed packaging products. The achievement is credit to the hard work and resolve of the team here at KPL.” Kingsmoor Packaging manufactures food grade packaging solutions in APET, PP and HIPS - as well as rPET, which contains at least half post-consumer recycled waste and at least 30 per cent industry recycled waste. WWW.KINGSMOORPACKAGING. CO.UK WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
The system technology from FRIMO
FRIMO TAILORS ITS THERMOFORMING TECHNOLOGY FOR FASTER AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION FRIMO says in response to the rise of vehicle models with increasingly shorter production cycles, it has created a versatile tool and system technology in order to achieve the most efficient process possible. For example, in the production of interior linings for doors or instrument panels, the company says its latest thermoforming system enables the formation of surfaces using deep-drawing (including in-mould graining quality), classic vacuum laminating and IMG laminating within a single production system. Additional benefits in addition to classic film unrolling, says FRIMO, include the production of automatic blank cuts using a combination system. A pre-heating system for the substrate parts ensures optimum adhesive joint temperatures, and a high-speed sliding table with tilt function provides ideal ergonomic conditions for rapid placement and removal of components. A new addition to the system is a fully automatic tool change with six change positions, which can be expanded as needed. Automatic pretempering of the tools is integrated to minimise change times. Last but not least, this feature, along with the combination of various processes in one system, reduce the need for personnel and space requirements in production. WWW.FRIMO.COM
the company says its latest thermoforming system enables the formation of surfaces using deepdrawing (including in-mould graining quality), classic vacuum laminating and IMG laminating within a single production system. 63
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MATERIALS | NEWS WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS… MAKE A BPA REPLACEMENT FOR POLYCARBONATES Chemists at ICREA (The Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies, based in Barcelona) have produced an eco-friendly method to make a BPA-free polycarbonate from limonene and carbon dioxide. A team of scientists led by ICREA Professor, Arjan Kleij, have developed a method to use limonene to replace bisphenol-A, a constituent part of polycarbonate that is a potential carcinogen if in extremely high volumes, though classified as a safe chemical by American and European agencies. “BPA is safe, but still causes concerns and is produced from petroleum feedstock. Our approach replaces it with limonene, which can be isolated from lemons and oranges, giving us a much greener, more sustainable alternative,” Kleij explained. “Because fully replacing BPA for limonene can be complicated for most industries at this moment, BPA can increasingly take over. We can start adding small quantities
Hariolf Kottmann (L) of Clariant and Huntsman CEO Peter Huntsman (R)
Chemists at ICREA have produced an ecofriendly Method to make a BPAfree polycarbonate from limonene and carbon dioxide
of limonene, then progressively substituting BPA. Step-by-step, the adaptation process could lead to new limonene derived biomaterials with similar, or even enhanced and novel properties.” The researchers also managed to improve the polymer’s thermal properties, as it proved the highest glass transition temperature ever reported for a polycarbonate. Kleij continued: “Bioplastics have
worse thermal properties than classic polymers. We were first sceptical about these findings, but we were able to reproduce this feature.” The researchers are currently negotiating with plastic producers to further advance the industrial manufacture of limonene-derived biomaterials.
HUNTSMANCLARIANT TALKS PROGRESS AS MERGER SET FOR END OF 2017
and China, and managers said they had “high confidence in meeting the synergy target in excess of $400m (€341m) as well as the $25m tax saving target.” The current downstream presence will be expanded by targeting formulation- and application-based segment niches as well as high-end composites, bespoke polyurethane (PU) systems, and costumer oriented and co-developed products. The existing presence in the adaptive chemical methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and in chemical building blocks such as ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) is to be further advanced in downstream urethane systems as well as downstream applications such as surfactants.
Clariant and Huntsman have agreed a joint strategy for the HuntsmanClariant merger, planning to join by January 2018. The companies have told their shareholders that the merger will aim for “higher growth and higher margin businesses, and expansion of existing strong downstream presence.” The HuntsmanClariant merger intends to use its matched assets to grow its global reach in established routes to market. Furthermore, HuntsmanClariant will take advantage of its broad asset base while continuing to move downstream into specialties and more differentiated applications. The merger has won approval from market overseers in the US, Europe WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
WWW.ICREA.CAT
WWW.CLARIANT.COM WWW.HUNTSMAN.COM 65
BASF IMPROVES POLYETHER POLYOLS TO REDUCE CAR INTERIOR VOCS BASF has improved the process for manufacturing its polyether polyol, Lupranol, to reduce aldehyde emissions by 20 per cent. The new process allows automotive suppliers of acoustic parts, seats and steering wheels, or back-foam instrument panels and doors, to meet the increasing requirements of car manufacturers and regulators for lower Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in vehicle interiors.
Storage – Indoor & outdoor modular silos
Following the process change at BASF’s Asian production sites at the beginning of 2017, the modification is now being made in Europe and will take place in the US plants during 2017. Alongside isocyanate, polyol is the starting product for polyurethane foam systems. The emissions were optimised by improving the cleaning and finishing processes of Lupranol in such a way that the mechanical properties of the material remain unchanged during the following foam and processing steps. This means that the currently used Lupranol grades can be exchanged immediately, there is no need for elaborate tests or renewed approvals of the PU systems which are based on these improved polyol grades. WWW.BASF.COM
Cleaning – de dusting & separation equipment
LUCIDEON WELCOMES RESEARCHERS FROM GERMANY FOR HYMEDPOLY PROJECT Conveying – Vacuum & pressure systems
Kongskilde – Your cleaning, conveying and storage specialist Kongskilde also offers complete project installations, service visits and customised control panels.
Kongskilde UK Tel. 01263 808580 kuk@kongskilde-industries.com www.kongskilde.com
Lucideon, an international materials development organisation, has welcomed five researchers from the Institute of Biomaterials at the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, to its headquarters in Stokeon-Trent to develop new anti-bacterial materials. The five researchers are working with Lucideon to develop a range of materials with intrinsic anti-bacterial properties as part of the HyMedPoly project ‘Drug-Free Antibacterial Hybrid Biopolymers for Medical Applications,’ a collaboration training PhD researchers in the development of drug-free antibacterial materials used for medical applications, such as wound care and implants. Stuart MacLachlan, Head of Research at Lucideon, said: “HyMedPoly covers a vital area of research. Infection has become one of the toughest problems in the medical world. As bacteria become more resistant to drugs and there are fewer effective antibiotics, new materials with intrinsic antibacterial properties have an important role.” WWW.LUCIDEON.COM
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BUYER’S GUIDE
MATERIALS
ultrasonic welding
MOULD RELEASE
CONTROL SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT
HOT RUNNER SYSTEMS hot runner controllers
quality monitoring control
MASTERBATCH
Kistler Instruments Ltd
T: 01256 741550 F: 01256 741551 E: sales.uk@kistler.com W: www.kistler.com Pressure transducers and associated monitoring/control equipment for new and existing injection moulding applications.
BLACK & WHITE MASTERBATCH Compounding
Recycling
Moulding
Film
Pipe
Conduit
DRYERS
Whitelands Mill, Whitelands Road Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6UG, UK Tel: +44 (0)161 308 2550 Fax: +44 (0)161 343 2026 E-mail: aml@abbeymb.com Web: www.abbeymb.com
Motan Colortronic Ltd
Ultrasonic Plastic Welders New & Used
For Sale &
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
Wanted
Branson - Mecasonic - Telsonic Sonotrodes (Horns) all Frequencies Fixtures, Repairs, Service, Parts Sub-Contract Welding, Hire & Consultancy
Tel; 01258 459257
Accurate colour systems for the PVC and additives industries
Tel; 07730 413197
als.ultrasonics@gmail.com www.als-ultrasonics.co.uk
t: +44(0)1942 254006 e: sales@astropol.uk.com www.astropol.uk.com Eclipse Buyers Guide_Layout 1 07
colour masterbatch
MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT
ASSEMBLY hot plate welding Branson Ultrasonics Units 3E + 3F, Hillam Road Industrial Estate, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD2 1QN T: 01274 731552 F: 01274 738118 E: sales@eclipsecolours.com W: www.eclipsecolours.com Polymer Specific and Universal Colour and Additive Masterbatches. Fastmatch colour matching service. 1 mm Easysperse MicroPellets to 4 mm MaxiPellets. Standards second to none.
158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.bransoneurope.eu
infrared welding HIGH TECH AND HIGH PASSION.
Unit 3 Vitrage Technical Park 27 Witney Road , Nuffield Industrial Estate, Poole, Dorset BH17 0GL T: 01202 697340 F: 01202 693674 W: www.telsonic.com Blog: telsoniccuk.wordpress.com
gravimetric/volumetric blending
DEHUMIDIFIERS Motan Colortronic Ltd
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
HEATING EQUIPMENT
158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4UE T: 01753 756675 F: 01753 551270 E: bucuk.sales@emerson.com W: www.bransoneurope.eu www.frimo.com
Specialists in supplying Plastic Joining, Bonding and Assembly Solutions
-Pulse Staking -Pulse Fusion -Ultrasonic Welding and Metal Insertion -High Frequency Induction Heating -Hot Air Staking
Tel UK: +44 7467 959240 Tel IRL: +353 1 8013261 Email: info@hte.ie
www.hte.ie
TO ADVERTISE in this space CONTACT LISA MONTGOMERY 01244 680222
• Reliable and robust machinery with installation worldwide • High performance de-mould automation for injection moulding • High speed axis for reduced cycle times • Dependable after sales support if required
01455 289842 enquiries@db-automation.co.uk www.db-automation.co.uk
CHILLERS/TEMPERATURE CONTROLLERS
induction heating for platens and tools MF Induction Heating
Unit 5, Martindale, Hawks Green, Cannock, Staffs, WS11 7XN Replacement Coils New platens T: 01543 570642 F: 01543 574460 E: sales@mfinduction.com W: www.mfinduction.com
Motan Colortronic Ltd
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
Motan Colortronic Ltd
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
AM&LT PUGH KONGSKILDE MAIN DEALER
Suction Blowers pipework cyclones New and Used recycling Equipment Kongskilde Spares, Parts and Pipework Suppliers industrial BLOWERS FLAKE/REGRIND Friendly Expert advice Les 01568 611338 Hereford W: WWW.GRAINBLOWERS.CO.UK
TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222
automation
DB-Automation specialises in designing and building bespoke high speed injection moulding automation
Technologies:
www.ChemTrend.com www.UltraPurge.com
Telsonic UK Ltd
MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE
Branson Ultrasonics
Infrared Welding
pulse staking
Purging Compounds Release Agents Mould Maintenance
PO Box 10380, Sileby, LE12 7ZX T: 01509 621992 E: enquiries@ffr-ultrasonics. co.uk W: www.ffr-ultrasonics.co.uk W: www.incontrolultrasonics.co.uk
vibration welding
Welding machines Innovative tooling concepts Emitter systems Control technology
cleaning materials
InControl Ultrasonics Ltd (FFR Ultrasonics Ltd)
TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222
MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE hopper loaders
BUYER’S GUIDE
MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT
PRINTING MACHINES
SCREWS & BARRELS
pad
MIXING, FEEDING & DOSING
www.magog.co.uk Design, Manufacture, and Refurbishment of Screws & Barrels for the Plastics and Rubber Industries.
Motan Colortronic Ltd
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
• Screw design • New manufactured Screws, Barrels, Feed Sections & Liners • Proven wear resistant specifications for screws • Nitrided and Bimetallic barrels • Refurbishment and repairs • Condition monitoring and wear checks Contact us to find out how we can help you Magog Industries Ltd, 10 Crane Mead, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9PY T: +44(0)1920 465201 E: enquiries@magog.co.uk
METAL DETECTION & SEPARATION EQUIPMENT Motan Colortronic Ltd
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222 Magnetics Separators Metal Detectors Eddy Current Separators
Bunting Magnetics Europe Ltd European Design & Manufacturing Facility
Northbridge Road Berkhamsted Hertfordshire HP4 1EH, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1442 875081 Email: sales@buntingeurope.com www.buntingeurope.com www.magneticseparation.co
/magnetic_separation_and_metal_detection/
DTL Machinery UK
- We buy / sell all makes / age / sizes of Plastic Injection Moulding Machinery & Ancillaries equipment. - We also buy redundant, nonrunners & faulty machinery. - Machinery repair and maintenance services available. T: 01925 596170 M: 07838138342 E: info@dtlmachinery.co.uk E: douglastrading@gmail.com
TESTING EQUIPMENT hardness - IRHD and shore MAPRA Technik Co — BAREISS For Bareiss of Germany IRHD & SHORE hardness testers, Abrasion & Rebound testers. T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk
inspection & measurement
TransXL International Ltd
Plastics Processing Machinery Bought & Sold, Thornhill, South Marston, Wiltshire SN3 4TA T: 01793 827666 F: 01793 823826 E: sales@transxl.co.uk W: www.transxl.co.uk
RECYCLING SYSTEMS EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H.
Refurbished machines with fault and leak free guarantee.
Unterfeldstraße 3 4052 Ansfelden / Austria Phone: +43 (0)732/31 90-0 Fax: +43 (0)732/31 90-71 sales@erema.at www.erema.at
We buy & sell all manner of plasscs equipment. Visit our workshop in Wellingborough, Northants. 01933 272747
CHOOSE THE NUMBER ONE.
I’VE GOT A BUMPER LOAD OF RECYCLED PLASTIC IN ME, THANKS TO VANDEN
Contact: Carlton Hicks
50mm high and 35mm
Mould change
We buy and sell high quality plastics
028 9266 8009
sales@stvmachinery.co.uk www.stvmachinery.co.uk
Engineers to the Plastics & Rubber industries, specialising in the following: Screw & Barrel Manufacture Screw & Barrel Refurbishment Tie Bar Repair & Manufacture Screw Tip Assemblies Feed Liners, Plain & Grooved 100 Tonne Screw & Barrel Press Bimetallic Barrel Blanks up to 50 mm In Stock Please e-mail or phone Karl for more info. E. info@tws-mail.co.uk T. 01706 655402 W. www.tws-ltd.com Technical Welding Services (Rochdale) Ltd
SECONDHAND AND RECONDITIONED
www.vandenrecycling.com supply@vandenrecycling.com
hopper loaders Motan Colortronic Ltd
Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Chesterfield S41 9QB T: 01246 260222 F: 01246 455420 E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.uk W: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk
MAPRA Technik Co – DOSS – MARCEL AUBERT – KAFER
For DOSS visual solution of Italy – Inspection & sorting machines for O’rings, Seals, Gaskets. T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk
thermocouples
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Selling the Business?
ANGLO PLASTICS LTD
Buy/Sell Used Plastics Machinery Rutland Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 1HX T: +44 (0) 1276 470910 T: +44 (0) 7740 632907 E: information@ angloplastics.com W: www.angloplastics.com
Tel: 01952 671918 Fax: 01952 608579 Email: connectors.uk@staubli.com
www.quick-mould-change.com
Cooper Plastics Machinery
QUALITY PVC PELLETS FOR EXTRUSION vekacompounds.com +44(0)1322 387 219
SCREEN CHANGERS Industrial Plastics Ltd
Unit 13 Canterbury Industrial Park, 297 Ilderton Road, London, SE15 1NP T: 020 7252 9600 F: 020 7252 9601 E: sales@ipl-london.co.uk W: www.ipl-london.co.uk
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TRAINING
kingswoodbusinesssales.com
COMPOUNDS
NOZZLES & NOZZLE TIPS
Kingswood Business Sales are your industry experts with a proven track record of successfully selling companies like yours. Avoid the pitfalls - contact Paul Holohan in complete confidence on 07798 530684
8 Lyall Court, Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 1UX T: 01525 719850 E: Cooperplastics@gmail.com W: www.cooperplastics.co.uk Extruders, water baths, haul-offs, fly knife cutters, conveyors/tip tables, in-line punches, coilers etc. New and used. Repairs, servicing or rebuilds. UK agent for Lyons Electronics.
DM Machinery Ltd
Used Injection Moulding Machine Stockists 40 Thorne Lane, Wakefield West Yorkshire, WF1 5RR T: 01924 290206 E: sales@dmmachinery.co.uk W: www.dmmachinery.co.uk
for sale
We buy/sell
Prime, reprocessed, regranulated flexible PVC compounds, dry blends, pulverised PVC, scrap PVC, PVC resin and associated raw materials.
Please send us your enquiries / offers We can offer prime and reprocessed flexible PVC compounding facilities to cover your specific requirements, bespoke compounds, breakdowns, holiday cover etc.
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
Vinyl Ltd
Tel: 01625 500912 Mobile: 07860 371294 Web: www.vinyl-ltd.com
TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222
BUYER’S GUIDE TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222
3D PRINTING
3D Printing
in Plastic & Rubber
PRINTERS printers of plastic mouldings Total Print Ltd
Specialist Pad Printers Station Road, Gedney Hill, Lincolnshire PE12 0NP T: 01406 330122 F: 01406 330123 E: info@totalprintltd.com W: www.totalprintltd.com Sub-Contract Pad Printers to the Plastics Industry
Component PRINTERS TAMPO.SCREEN.FOIL
Tel: 01420 88645 www.cdg.uk.com
TESTINg/CONSULTANCY
Contour Marking Co Ltd Albert house, Gledrid Industrial Park, Chirk ,Wrexham, LL14 5DG T: 01691 770093 F: 01691 770023 Sub Contract Tampo, Screen & Foil Printing to the plastic moulding industry E: sales@contourmarking.com W: www.contourmarking.com
Gammadot Rheology Testing & Consultancy Services
Unit 5C, Leaton Industrial Estate, Bomere Heath, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 3AP T: 01939 291677 E: enquiries@gammadot.com W: www.gammadot.com Providing independant testing solutions to all your quality control, failure analysis & flow simulation data needs
SOFTWARE
Cimatron 3D
Mold Tool Design CAD CAM software
SERVICES MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS Tel: 01420 88645 www.cdg.uk.com
SOFTWARE DIRECTORY A listing in the Software Directory costs £160 per programme per year. Call Lisa on 01244 680222 for details. real time production monitoring, scheduling and process monitoring Epicor Mattec Real-time MES (Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers & “Web Based”) Epicor Software (UK) Ltd T: +44 (0)1344 468 468 E: info.uk@epicor.com Modules: Production Monitoring, Process Monitoring, “Drag and Drop” Scheduling/Planning, “Family Moulding”, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts’ Trace-ability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, E-mail/ Public Address System Alerts, Standalone “Drag and Drop” Scheduler, Stand-alone SPC “Machine Analyzer”, Machine Energy Monitoring, KPI Dashboards, Visual Manufacturing (Large LED Displays), Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (For Integration with Epicor ERP & Other Manufacturing Systems/Software Packages). PlantMaster BMS Vision Ltd T: 01254 662244, E: sales.bla@visionbms.com Website: www.visionbms.com/ plastics. Affordable and flexible MES system for the plastics/rubber industry. Realtime production monitoring features wireless data units and OPC Ethernet machine connections. “Drag & drop” job scheduling supports frame/insert level family tooling plus KAN BAN. ERP system integration, SPC/SQC, Touch Screen Data Units, Machine Maintenance, Operator Tracking, Traceability, DNC, Energy Monitoring, Bar Coding, Pager Alerts. Easy to use systems from a €600m company with over 30 years experience. intouch T: 01604 646144 E: enquiries@ intouchmonitoring.com Website: www.intouchmonitoring.com Real-time production monitoring systems. Designed to be easy to use and providing affordable solutions to all sizes of businesses. Production monitoring, scheduling, reporting, data import/export, databases for parts, tools and operators, integration with other software packages.
MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS
TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT lisa montgomery 01244 680222
ProHelp EPM (for Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers) Mattec Ltd T: 01909 561544 F: 01909 560675 E: a.jewell@mattec.com Real-time Modules: Production Monitoring, ‘Drag and Drop’
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
Scheduling/Planning, Preventative Maintenance, Bar Coding/Parts Traceability, Operator Visual Aids, Process Parameter Profiling, Pager/ Tannoy Alerts, Stand-alone ‘Drag and Drop’ Scheduler, Stand-alone SPC Machine Analyzer, Automatic Data Import/Export Functions (for integration to Manufacturing Systems and other software packages).
enterprise resource planning Epicor ERP Manufacturing Software (For Plastics’/Rubber Processors) Epicor Software (UK) Ltd T: +44 (0)1344 468 468 E: info.uk@epicor.com Epicor ERP software for the polymer converting industry covers the full range of back office operations from on-line and off-line sales and quotations to production planning, inventory management and finance through to logistics, warehousing and distribution. Available on-site, hosted & SaaS it seamlessly integrates with Epicor Mattec Realtime MES to provide a single system that offers a complete quote-to-cash solution for the plastics’/rubber industries.
Process Optimisation Software RJG Technologies Ltd Moulding Technology T: +44 (0)1733 232211 E info@rjginc.co.uk Zero Defect Moulding – What’s your target? • Cycle time reduction • Reduced scrap rates • Improved process capability • Higher yield and OEE PRO-OP™ software provides a stepby-step procedure for optimising the injection moulding process to deliver optimum quality products at the most favourable cycle time. PRO-OP™ is a server based application which, by setting an optimum moulding process, highlights weaknesses and problems in relation to part design, mould design, mould construction, moulding equipment efficiency, moulding equipment specification and material selection. The moulding process is documented with explanations for each key process parameter setting demonstrating the processing conditions and equipment contributions to the final result. PRO-OP™ is aimed at companies whose focus is quality and consistent part manufacture. PRO-OP™ supports companies by providing a documented and structured validation protocol which is recognised in the in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. 69
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NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE
I
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ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS
IN AN INTERPLAS SPECIAL EDITION OF HIS EXCLUSIVE COLUMN, PHILIP LAW, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE BRITISH PLASTICS FEDERATION, LOOKS BACK INTO THE ARCHIVES TO SEE HOW THE SHOW HAS HELPED ‘MOULD’ THE INDUSTRY EVENTS SCENE IN THE UK AND WHY THERE’S REASON TO CELEBRATE COME SEPTEMBER.
’m looking forward to Interplas. It will be opened on the morning of 26th September by Bruce Margetts, our new President as reported on page 34, as his first official engagement. The BPF will have a stand from which we will launch a website promoting careers in the UK plastics industry, as well as a range of tools to help the industry address the array of media-related issues which it is currently facing. We will also be distributing the latest edition of the BPF’s Industry Directory, a key tool in our promotion of our members’ products and services. The BPF’s history book, ‘The Moulding of an Industry’, written by a former General Manager of the BPF, Geoff Stanley, in 1983, tells the story of the origins of Interplas, which go back to the 1930s when the BPF was heavily involved in what was known as the ‘British Industry Fair’ (BIF) where it organised the ‘Plastics’ section. In 1951, King George the VI, Queen Elizabeth and the old Queen Mary were conducted round a BPF stand of over 2000 square feet, including 23 members, by BPF’s Chairman, Peter Delafield. Buoyed by this success, in the same year, the BPF proposed holding a dedicated British Plastics Exhibition and this was staged at Olympia from 6-16th June. It occupied 9000 square feet, with over 100 exhibitors and 26,000 visitors, including 16,000 from 34 overseas countries. It was organised in conjunction with a publishing firm, Iliffe, to share the financial risk. The rest, as they say, is history. Back to the aforementioned mediarelated issues and readers may well be aware of the growing volume of media attention on ‘plastics free aisles’
WWW.BRITISHPLASTICS.CO.UK
in supermarkets. This supplemented articles urging us to have a ‘plastics free July’. What is missed is the crucial role plastics play in modern life and how not so long ago, in post-war Modern Britain, the quality of life was not so very good. Our diet then was quite limited, but now we have a great diversity of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are available all year round and in great measure. For this we can thank the protective qualities of plastics packaging. Additionally, levels of hygiene were not so good – I can remember the flies swarming around the butter patts in the local corner shops. Again, improvements were effected by plastics. Modern healthcare has been revolutionised by plastics and if we remove plastics from hospitals we would be left with little more than ranks of metal bed frames. Years ago, large swathes of housing were dependent on weekly coal deliveries but this provided only intermittent heating in what were fundamentally cold buildings. Today, the insulation of a house has been significantly improved by the incorporation of plastics. People avoid plastics at their peril. Let’s just hope nobody is daft enough to refuse a blood transfusion from a plastic blood bag following an accident. The plastics industry can be very proud of what it does. It has immeasurably improved the quality of life. It’s one reason I would argue, why people are living longer, healthier, brighter and more fulfilled lives than back in the dark dismal days of the late 1940s. This is truly something to celebrate at Interplas. WWW.BPF.CO.UK
www.kraussmaffei.com/px
The all-electric PX series Power meets flexibility The PX series stands out with its flexibility throughout the entire service life, setting new standards for all-electric machines: – Flexibility in selection – Flexibility during production – Flexibility for retrofitting Simply configure your PX as you require – all-electric, all-flexible. Interplas, hall 4, booth B40
Engineering Passion
fr A om N Su E W m B m R it AN Sy D st em s
Optimized Cooling for the Plastics Industry
Bringing you World-class equipment from the best suppliers in the industry
Ecodry
More powerful, economical, energy efficient and environmentally friendly than cooling towers and other traditional process cooling technologies, the Ecodry from Frigel truly is Intelligent Process Cooling.
Microgel
The Microgel line offers a unique, space-saving approach that directly addresses the needs of plastics molders.
www.summitsystems.co.uk STAND F80
Tel: 01827 265800
in partnership with
WE’LL BE THERE! 26-28 SEPT 2017 NEC STAND E30