EPPM 15.9

December 2013

What's the next big toy?

A look back at this year’s launches, page 5

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ISSN No - 2052-3912 DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 3

4 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

John Ellis, Segment Manager Polycarbonate, Bayer MaterialScience

Clive Maier, Owner and Director, Econology Ltd.

Dr Martin Kay, Chief Consultant, Pira International

Vicki Sayer, Regulatory Manager, Colormatrix

Dr Gerd Schmaucks, Independent Consultant

Pipe Extrusion Recycling Micro Manufacturing Automotives & Compounds Home Appliances Wire & Cable Biopolymers/Materials Science

Aerospace

Nigel Brown, Founding MD, Frontier Aerospace

Biopolymers

Alex Collins, Director, Vannplastics Ltd.

Regulation & Compliance

Andrew McArthur, Engineering Manager, IKO

Graeme Diston, Senior Injection Moulding Engineer, Bausch + Lomb

General Industry Insight

Film & Sheet Extrusion Recycling

Simon Chidgey, Director, M&H Plastics

Advisor for the German & Scandinavian Speaking Countries

Construction

Paul Maley, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Selex Elsag

Medical

Barry Assheton, Sales Director, CRDM

Martin Marron, MD, Biffa Polymers

Mould Making

John Bunker, Member, Worshipful Company of Horners

Graham Pickwell, Technical Adviser, Polymer Training & Innovation Centre

Packaging

Omer Kutluoglu, CEO, 2K Manufacturing

Medical

Rapid Prototyping

Blow Moulding

Recycling

Injection Moulding

David Gray, Editor

John Sturgess, Director, MG Stuma

Andrew Feilden, Principle Consultant, Smithers Rapra

Wood Plastic Composites

2014 will be my fourth year in plastics, and I’m starting to realise that the industry is never quite what it seems. Next week, I’ll start setting things in motion for our January/February issue - and I’ve learned not to plan too far in advance.

One of my first visits for this job, back in 2010, was a press event at the site of Bayer MaterialScience in Leverkusen.

However, the itinerary had a slot with the name ‘Dream Production’ - a vague phrase, which came with an even more Bayer MaterialScience in Leverkusen vague description.

With my brief understanding of the sector at the time, I presumed it would be a presentation about a new material aimed at lowering the carbon footprint of end-products. And I was wrong.

The group had assigned just 15 minutes or so to talk about ‘Dream Production’, the name of a pioneering project to make use of waste CO2, by converting it into polyurethanes. Bayer envisioned a potential application for insulation foams, with some small samples already made.

But truth be told, at the time there were a host of other more exciting and sophisticated technologies on display that week, some already in series production, which caught my eye and formed the basis of my report when I returned to my desk.

In 2011, I received correspondence from Bayer, informing me that the group was starting up a small pilot plant in Leverkusen to trial ‘Dream Production’ on a realistic scale. The function of the plant was to produce a chemical pre-cursor which could incorporate heavily cleaned waste CO2, and produce quantities of polyurethane foam.

That’s when I started to report on the project with more frequency, looking out for updates from the group and seeking comments from the scientists involved.

Finally, a few weeks ago, I received news from the nova-Institut, a research organisation engaged in studying bio resources, that CO2 is (in their own words) ‘ready to go’ as a feedstock in a host of different industries, most notably to me, plastics and foams. The piece stated that Bayer has now committed to a production-scale commercial plant to come on-line in 2015 - so its ‘Dream Production’ will become real production. The full story can be read in the ‘Foams’ special feature in this issue.

The point is that although I was new to plastics in 2010, plenty of my more experienced peers in Leverkusen that day looked at ‘Dream Production’ with a hint of scepticism, though certainly it was an exciting concept. Now, my question is this: “What else can be made from CO2 besides foam?”

Plastics for the Environment

What lies on the horizon?

General Industry Insight

“

from the editor

Our Editorial Advisory Board is comprised of a cross-section of the plastics industry, including processors, consultants, technicians and key industry figures.

James Goddard, Honorary Lifetime Member, Plastics Pipe Institute

Jonathon Short, MD, ECO Plastics Ltd.

Mark Bonifacio, President, Bonifacio Consulting Services

Andy Bone, Sales Director, Formaplex

Andrew Smith, Head of Manufacturing, Numatic International

Jon Herbert, Director, FS Cables

Dr Terence A. Cooper, CEO, ARGO Group International

Ken Braney, 2010-2011 President, Society of Plastics Engineers

cover story

New machines spark new trends in the

PROCESSING BUSINESS 2013 was a big year for machine launches - which is to be expected in a K year. Nevertheless, there were more than a few surprises along the way.

At the beginning of the year, Haitian gave its ‘Jupiter II’ series a relatively soft launch, making it available on the market right away. The series was essentially a re-design and re-launch of the Jupiter machine concept, with the new range aimed at saving space whilst tackling some technical drawbacks of the original series.

A key revision was the mould locking system; on Jupiter

II, the new parallel locking system between the tie-bars and the platen permits a much faster tool change, and greater precision.

Though already on the market, the machine didn’t make its international debut until Chinaplas in May, with European orders reportedly already on the books. Then, to show the machine off at K, the series was refined even further with the addition of a smaller 5500 size. Haitian claims at least 200 Jupiter II machines have been ordered globally in the first year, with the first European installation, a JUII18500, announced at the plant of Paneltim in Belgium, destined to mould large sandwich panels.

On the home-front, Engel also revitalised an existing series in-time for K, with the addition of a new machine in its all-electric e-motion range, announced in June. The compact 30-tonne version comes tie-barless - a decision based on the group’s success with the mechanics of tie-bar-less machines in its e-victory series.

As with Haitian, a re-think of design and structure were key factors during development. e-motion 30 TL uses an ‘intelligent’ frame concept, offering an even clamping force across the platen. The machine comes equipped with the in-line injection unit 50, which now delivers an injection speed of 800 mm/s.

Small electronic components are an obvious application for a machine of this size, though Engel says the machine has advantages for a range of processes requiring low clamping forces.

Similarly, Netstal had some new launches at K 2013, one of which, like Engel, came from combining existing elements from across its range. The Evos 4500 was displayed for the first time configured with the group’s hydraulic Eco Powerunit drive. In conjunction with a variable speed synchronous motor, the Eco Powerunit drive is said to be more

adaptable to specific cycle requirements, and Netstal claims that with certain applications, the configuration can offer up to 30% in energy savings.

It hasn’t just been an exciting year in injection moulding, either. One of the most talked-about unveilings at the K Show was Erema’s new ‘Intarema’ recycling line - which was serenaded by impressive jazz quartet ‘Hot Sax’. Launch festivities aside, the Intarema comes across as a genuinely fresh look at recycling machinery.

The group has traced the design all the way back to the material intake stage, which is where the system is really special. In Erema’s previous designs, material in the cutter/compactor turned forwards, in the direction of the current from the extruder. By simply reversing the direction of the material in-feed, the group says it has created a major impact on the rest of the process.

The relative speed of the material in the intake zone builds to such an extent that the extruder acts as a sharp edge, literally cutting the plastic as it enters. Thus, the extruder can handle more material in a shorter time.

Output remains high, even with a considerably broader temperature range in the cutter/compactor than may be found in earlier systems.

Blow moulders too had their fair share of new equipment on the market, not-least of which was the new all-electric KBB series of machines from Kautex. The real innovation here comes from the movements of the machine, which have been made faster, thereby reducing down-time.

However, the faster actions don’t drain power, Kautex says - the moving parts have been re-designed using lighter materials, making for more efficient movements. In addition, a new system for faster, simpler mould-changes has been implemented, as well as the ability to make changes to machine settings without stopping the machine.

And finally, the launch that few would have missed this year - sitting on the outer periphery of the plastic processing sector - Arburg’s ‘Freeformer’ machine based on additive manufacturing. Or as Arburg have branded it, Arburg Plastic Freeforming. Much has already been written on the - undoubtedly innovative - Freeformer, which also launched at K, in spectacular fashion. It left audiences wondering, what is the next step for plastics machinery?

2014 will, no doubt, give us some unexpected developments, perhaps in injection moulding, perhaps in other fields.

The January/February joint issue of EPPM next year will include insight from some thought-leaders in injection moulding, who will give their take on what the future holds.

DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 5

MACHINERY

Demo thermoformers sell on-site at K Swiss thermoforming machinery manufacturer WM Wrapping Machinery reported a successful K Show, selling both of its display machines, with one of the deals taking place on-site.

The display machines were the group’s Model FC 780 E IM2 Speedmaster Plus series vacuum thermoforming machine and an FT 500 Desmoformer simultaneous form-cut machine with lower tilting platen equipped with new stacking devices.

The FT 500 has been sold to a Vietnamese customer and the contract was concluded during the show. In the case of the FC 780 E IM2, negotiations started during the show and were concluded afterwards. The group has also said that new projects for machines with the same configuration are under negotiation.

The model FC 780 E IM2 Speedmaster Plus forms and cuts, using a steel rule blade, all in the same forming station. It is equipped with a second cutting press for products that require a second cutting step. In addition, the machine can also install a three axes robot for counting, stacking (even with A-B or AB-C sequences) and remove the stacked products. The machine can carry moulds up to 780x570 mm, with the forming unit generating a closing force of 750 kN. The standard versions come equipped with motorised height adjustments for both the lower and upper fixed platen. Thus, it can carry moulds with different heights, without the need for adapter plates. The platen movements, guided on four columns, of the first forming/cutting press and of the second cutting station, are achieved with

servomotors that independently drive a double toggle system.

The forming station is also equipped with a servomotor unit to drive the deep-drawing, which pre-stretches the sheet. During the show the machine was displayed with a mould for an APET egg carton.

The FT 500 is a simultaneous form-cut machine with lower tilting platen. This machine can carry moulds up to 570x375 mm, with the closing unit generating a cutting force of 300 kN. It is also equipped with a wide range of devices, starting from the plugging system with servomotor, and continuing

with the stacking system with rotating plate used for the removal, count and single row stacking of the thermoformed products.

WM Wrapping Machinery Web: www.wm-thermoforming.com

Edge-trim granulator launched for recyclers Recycling equipment specialist Cumberland has recently launched its 1018X Edge-Trim Granulator.

The 1018X is constructed with a heavyduty feed roll assembly complete with 76 mm diameter rollers. The rolls are steel knurled, driven by a 0.37kW geared motor and is fitted with an adjustable, knife-edge stripper to prevent wrapping of thin trims. The rolls are heat-treated, case hardened/nitride steel rolls with diamond knurl finish.

The chamber is a bolted and dowelled assembly comprising side plates, rotor bearing housings and bed knife support blocks. The bearing housings are

mounted outside of the chamber to avoid contamination. The bed knife support blocks are accurately machined to provide counter-slanted seats for two sets of stationary knives. All internal faces of the chamber are machined to a smooth finish for ease of cleaning. The bolted and dowelled construction permits easy dismantling for repair or replacement of damaged or worn components.

The rotor is fabricated as a central shaft with knife support wings deep-welded in position to form an open style rotor. The arrangement of the rotor and ben knife seats combines to form a scissor-cutting

action for minimum power consumption.

Also available is Cumberland’s 1000X Series Beside-the-Press granulator which runs quietly and can be used with robot feed, conveyor feed or hand feed applications.

Integrated rotating end discs are standard for lowheat granulation and reduced frictional wear. The 1000X Series is also available with a wide range of evacuation systems.

Cumberland Web: www.cumberland-plastics.com

weakness can be isolated. The CHRocodile K sensor provides noncontact measuring data of the lining and taper area of the balloon. The high speed measurement and compact head design facilitates easy integration into inspection machines for use in both production lines and laboratories.

Another, broader application field is medical packaging, including medicine bottles, syringes or blisters. The thickness of the material used in these applications is often an important quality criteria. The CHRocodile K sensor is reportedly able to quickly and easily measure these parameters. The wall thickness is determined from a single side, resulting in high speed, precision measurements. Due to its advanced design, the sensor can be implemented into existing production environments quickly and easily. Laboratory measurements are also very simple to initiate, according to the group.

Precitec Optronik Web: www.precitec.de

Wall thickness measurement made faster with new device Precitec Optronik of Germany has launched an addition to its line of noncontact optical thickness sensors.

Specifically designed to meet the measurement needs for manufacturers of plastic films, preforms, PET bottles, blisters (PET, PP, EVOH), balloons and many other plastic parts, the CHRocodile K is being marketed as a system with high speed and reliability.

6 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

The system has been designed to optimise the measuring range for the parameters most commonly seen in plastic materials, offering the user flexibility when setting up. The high measurement speed allows for ‘100% control’, inline as well as offline, according to the manufacturer. Variations during the production process are seen in real time, before they make an impact on quality.

The compact optical probe can be integrated into a confined space.

One example application discussed during the launch are balloons that are used in cardiology for dilation of constrictions in coronary blood vessels. These balloons have to be able to withstand great demands on their wall strength. The thickness of the wall determines the strength, and by detecting thin spots, any

MACHINERY ROUNDUP Husky launches new system for PET preforms Husky Injection Molding Systems has announced the launch of its HyPET HPP5 preform moulding system. Based on the existing HyPET platform, enhancements have been made which reportedly allow for a 12% productivity boost, complemented by an integrated system for extended mould life.

“Husky is committed to offering customers the best return on their investments through continuous innovation. When developing our new HyPET HPP5 system, we listened to what our customers were telling us and with that feedback in mind designed a system that would help them run a more competitive injection moulding operation,” said Robert Domodossola, Husky’s Vice President of Engineering and Business Development. “HyPET HPP5 is the result of meaningful technology refinements to many areas that combined offer the most complete and integrated injection moulding system for preform manufacturing on the market today.”

The system enables users to utilise moulds from previous generation products. Simplified cross-generation mould compatibility packages make upgrading equipment easier and help to preserve floor space, while allowing customers to manufacture a complete product range. In addition, a combination of technical elements offer production flexibility, which makes the replacement of legacy assets more viable.

A key feature of the HyPET HPP5 system is the addition of (Husky claims) the “industry’s first” integrated solution for extended mould life, which helps to improve performance and reduce maintenance costs. Benefits include a 60% increase between required mould maintenance intervals and extended tool life up to 10 million cycles without excessive wear or flash, the group says.

Sensors ensure correct mould installation and detect misalignment between mould halves during operation. If misalignment is detected, sensors signal the operator through the Polaris HMI and provide specific instructions to correct misalignment, allowing the vertical position of the cold half to be adjusted and the mould aligned without the use of a crane. Additional features to reduce maintenance and machine downtime include an improved procedure to align neck rings to the cavity plate and specialized anti-wear coatings that extend greasing intervals up to 120,000 cycles.

The CoolPik dehumidification unit, standard on HyPET HPP5 systems, has also been improved by replacing the desiccant wheel dehumidification and air to water heat exchanger with refrigerator combined cooling and dehumidification.

The HyPET HPP5 offers air cooling and dehumidification efficiency improvements that can yield a more than 20% reduction in energy consumption. For carbonated soft drink preforms, when combined with better melt control and other advantages, a cycle time improvement of up to 3% can be achieved.

In terms of software and hardware, the system has undergone improvements to streamline operation, including upgrades to increase automation and simplify controls.

Maguire launches latest dryer for cost and energy savings At K 2013, Maguire Products continued with the rollout of its new-design vacuum resin dryer by introducing a model of its energy-saving VBD system with throughput of up to 89 kg per hour, depending on the material being dried.

Maguire says the new VBD 150 dryer is sized for the throughputs of many injection moulding machines as well as small extrusion lines for products such as medical tubing.

Like the much larger VBD 1000 model introduced earlier this year, Maguire Europe’s General Manager, Paul Edmondson, said the new dryer makes operation much simpler and more reliable than with previous vacuum systems, as

well as being capable of drying resin six times faster than with desiccant dryers and using substantially less energy.

“The VBD 150 vacuum dryer has the exact same design and mode of operation as our larger model, using gravity to move material through vertically arranged stages of the drying process, with the discharge of material from one stage to the

next controlled by slide-gate valves,” said Edmondson. “This eliminates most moving parts, in particular the threestation indexing carousel mechanism of the Maguire LPD vacuum dryer introduced in 2000. It also does away with gaskets, which can be worn and compromised by resin dust.”

B. Patrick Smith, Maguire Products Vice President of Marketing and Sales, said the VBD 150 also includes the load cells that offer the capability for real-time monitoring, control, and documentation of material consumption.

Maguire Web: www.maguire.com

Husky Web: www.husky.co DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 7

MACHINERY ROUNDUP AEC grows ancillaries portfolio

Figure 1

Figure 3

AEC, a member of the ACS group of companies has recently launched several new pieces of equipment, including temperature control and materials handling lines.

Temperature Control The group claims that the latest addition to its heating and cooling line is “the most reasonably priced and efficient temperature control unit to-date for the European and Asian markets.”

Named ‘Truetemp II VCU’ (Figure 1), the unit is available from 0.56 kW to 3.73 kW models which include solenoid valves up to ¾” NPT. The VCU’s off-the-shelf microprocessor-based PID controller displays process and setpoint, and provides LED readouts with indicator and warning lights. The electrical enclosure features branch fusing and meets NEMA 1 electrical standards.

The VCU features an immersion-style Incoloy heater and a bronze-fitted centrifugal pump, independent hightemperature safety thermostat, adjustable low supply water pressure switch, and 10.3 bar pressure relief valve.

At K, the group launched its first new central chiller in over 10 years, the GC Series (Figure 2). This product uses a green refrigerant and is designed to be modular, with modules ranging from 20 to 60 tonnes of cooling. The end user can potentially build a system up to 300 tonnes – using hermetically sealed scroll compressors, stainless steel brazed plate evaporators, and a choice of shell and tube water cooled condensers or aluminum micro-channel remote air cooled condensers.

The R410a refrigerant used is chlorinefree, which complies with the Environmental Protection Agency’s newest guidelines.

A full suite of electronic sensors with digital readout include leaving and entering fluid temperatures, compressor suction pressure, compressor discharge pressure, condenser inlet temperature, superheat, sub-cool, pump pressure and tank level. Monitoring the conditions of the chiller provides “adaptive control”, where the operator can adjust the operation of certain components with the chiller approaches an alarm condition in an effort to keep the chiller running with minimal downtime.

Optional hot-gas bypass allows for the system to operate down to 20% of the smallest module providing tight temperature control if necessary.

Optional web access to the controller will allow an AEC, or other qualified, technician to diagnose alarms and see real time data without having to go

Figure 2

Figure 4

directly to the site. The controller includes alarm history and capacity profile information.

The LCD displays operating status, Set Point and To-Process temperature as well as the complete status of the chiller on multiple screens, with a 20 character x 8 line display. All GC Series chillers, available in remote air- and packaged water-cooled models, offer a leaving coolant temperature range of -7.5°C to 30°C. Materials Handling New in the materials handling offering are the AVR series central conveying material receivers (Figure 3). At economical pricing, the AVR Series offers high performance and ease of maintenance for trouble-free conveying. The series allows for the conveying of free flowing pelletised and granular materials using vacuum receivers that integrate into a centralised conveying system. Receivers are available in six models and offer litre capacities from 5 to 50 litres.

Also new is a full range of drying hoppers, named the ‘WH Series’ (Figure 4), which are available in floor, cart, machine and mezzanine mount configurations. With 10 models in the range, the WH Series offers capacities of 30 to 800 litres, and offers an insulation thickness of 60 mm.

With a thicker insulation than previous

Figure 5

models, the WD Series is able to provide more energy efficiency to the process.

The thicker insulation minimises heat loss from the drying hopper surface, keeping the material hotter longer and using less energy to dry resin over time.

The hoppers provide a large air diffuser for good mass flow, and are constructed of a smooth, polished stainless steel interior with an aluminium outer-wrapped exterior.

Included on Models WH 30 to 200, a hinged lid is available for easy cleanout and access. On WH models 75 to 800, a fully insulated and hinged access door with sight glass is included to accommodate clean out. The access door is also gasketed to ensure a tight leak-proof seal.

Additionally, the group has redesigned its series of mid-range desiccant dryers – the MDB series (Figure 5). With processing rates between 22-225 kg per hour, the dual blower, desiccant bed system with electric bed switching valve technology provides a platform that can expand and control up to three drying hoppers with a modular drying system platform. An optional desiccant wheel system with pre-cooler (MDW) can be added as an option. This dryer can be sold as a stand-alone unit if the drying hopper is mounted directly on the machine or as a cart system with or without conveying options to service

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

The company says the blender unit, is targeted at companies who are using both virgin and recycled plastic feedstock.

“The problems of feedstock homogeneity will be well recognised by plastic moulders,” commented Mark Barton, MD of Barton Fabrications. “With 8 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

the increased interest in the use of recycled material, we saw an opportunity to develop an improved static cone blender back in 2008.

“The blender benefits from zero power usage and requires no maintenance, as it works using a cleverly designed static mixing unit within the silo. Every customer requires a slightly different solution as each type of plastic feedstock material has its own flow characteristic.

This property relates to a number of factors including particulate density, morphology and coefficient of friction.

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

Barton Fabrications Web: www.bartonfabs.co.uk

Figure 6

several process machines. The conveying cart packages can be configured in closed loop or purge valve configurations.

The control platform includes: auto-tune PID; process data storage; overtemperature alarm and shutdown; dirty filter indicator for process and regeneration filter; touch-screen data entry; and high/low process and regeneration temperature alarm and shutdown.

Finally, the group has recently launched its new VP Series Vacuum Pumps, which form a complete conveying system with controls and filter in a single unit.

The VP Series Vacuum Pump offers different filter types that can be used to convey pellets and dusty regrind over short to medium distances in an open or closed-loop operation, and is available in 0.75-8.5 kW models. Open or closed loop conveying is also an available option.

The VPL and VPR (Figure 6) models from the series can feature up to nine station operation, either with remote or built-in valves. The VPS models provide a smaller cabinet and offer remote sequence valves with up to nine station control and are only available in 0.85 and 1.5 kW models.

AEC Web: www.aecinternet.com

MACHINERY

SHOWCASE PROCESS CONTROL & SOFTWARE Control set-up boosts crystallinity in PET blow moulding At the recent PETnology 2013 conference in Germany, control system specialist Agr unveiled its approach to managing crystallinity in the manufacture of PET containers.

Agr’s Process Pilot system works in conjunction with the reheat stretch blow moulding machine to proactively manage and maintain container material distribution at a specified thickness to within ~0.01mm. This is accomplished by continuously monitoring every bottle for material distribution, analysing minute changes and adjusting the blow moulding machine controls to maintain pre-defined distribution levels.

The addition of crystallinity management takes this one step further. Georg Wolfe, Agr's Chief Technical Officer explained that the theory behind the Process Pilot is based on the continual management of material distribution during bottle production. By measuring distribution on every bottle produced, one gets a very good view of the process, especially when and where deviations occur. “If you know when and where the process is changing, you have the ability to react swiftly to make adjustments and manage your process proactively,” stated Wolfe.

“If we monitor crystallinity in the same way, we can further expand this capability by proactively adjusting the blow moulding machine to optimise crystallinity along with material distribution on 100% of production.”

In his presentation, Mr. Wolfe detailed how, with the addition of crystallinity management, Process Pilot can detect small changes in crystalinity while actively maintaining desired crystallinity levels and, at the same time, eliminate the occurrence of haze and pearlescence. “If you can actively manage crystallinity you have greater control over bottle attributes such as dimensional and volumetric shrinkage,

top load characteristics and shelf life” he concluded.

Agr’s Process Pilot automated blow moulding machine control system has been on the market for several years and has amassed a significant global install base of major bottle converters and selfmanufacturing brand owners. This product has proven to be a vital tool in the production of light weight bottles while improving overall bottle performance and quality, claims Agr. The company is currently slating commercialisation for the crystallinity capabilities for third quarter 2014.

Earlier this year, the group unveiled its Pilot Vision system, a vision-based inspection and quality management system for PET containers. The Pilot Vision system is another component Agr’s Process Pilot Family of products, geared toward providing manufacturers with a total blow moulding management approach. Having previously introduced components that provide in-machine material distribution measurement as well as automated blow moulder control, Agr has developed the Pilot Vision system as a new component to complete the comprehensive package.

The Pilot Vision system is designed to work in conjunction with today’s high speed reheat stretch blow moulding equipment to provide detection of random occurring defects during the production of PET bottles.

According to Robert Cowden, Agr’s Chief Operating Officer: “The increased use of non-virgin materials has contributed to growing incidences of contaminants, black specs and un-melted material that can randomly appear during the blowing process, compromising quality and usability. Since these occur on a random basis, 100% inspection is required. New Pilot Vision system was designed with this issue in mind, it gives bottle makers

the assurance that bottles with these types of defects will not enter the production stream.”

The Pilot Vision system is a modular vision-based inspection system that mounts inside the blow moulder. The compact design of cameras and lighting components make it compatible with a wide variety of blow moulder models and brands. Its operating speed of up to 100,000 bottles/hour is compatible with even the highest speed blow moulding systems available today.

The open architecture of this system allows for simultaneous management of up to six cameras in multiple locations.

These are typically configured in four separate inspection stations; preform inspection in the oven area, bottle seal surface, bottle base and bottle sidewall inspection that permits complete sidewall inspection of bottles up to 16 inches tall.

Featuring the latest vision and inspection technology, the Pilot Vision system utilises high-resolution Gig-e cameras and variable multi-spectrum LED illumination for maximum flexibility, reliable operation and, most importantly, clear and precise imaging. In addition, to accommodate the harsh environment inside the blow moulder, camera and imaging components are sealed to prevent damage from fluids and moisture. Active cooling is also available for high temperature operation.

The Pilot Vision system offers a number of tools to assist operators with setup and management of their processes including multiple adjustable ROI tools, digital image filtering, zone scaling and the ability to capture and hold a large set of images for evaluation or setup purposes. A high-resolution, touch screen user interface is the center for system operation and provides a host of information for the operator including

data for monitoring line status and assessing production trends, detailed defect and reject information and production-run data summaries, with live and historical images.

The Pilot Vision system is available as a stand-alone system, or as part of Agr’s Process Pilot automated blow moulder management system. When you combine the Pilot Vision system with Agr’s Pilot Profiler material distribution measurement system and the Process Pilot automated blow moulder controls, it offers manufacturers a means to produce defect-free bottles with stable and consistent production on a 24/7 basis.

The Pilot Vision system is another segment to Agr’s Process Pilot family of products, designed to provide comprehensive material distribution monitoring, automated blow moulder management and now vision–based defect detection.

Agr International Web: www.agrintl.com

Engel unveils overhaul of process control system Engel has recently launched its latest control system, which it says has been developed due to the increase in demand for turnkey systems that incorporate automation solutions.

CEO Peter Neumann spoke about Engel’s focus on its ongoing automation strategy, where robots are integrated into the production process for conformity of cycle times and ease of system operation.

“Our strategy for automation is to grow even faster than we do in our machine business,” he commented.

Neumann explained that even though the different components of automation systems are not high-end products, the company considers it important to be able to tailor a complete package and system for an individual customer’s needs.

“We really do see automation as a very important part of our strategy going

forward, all manufactured ourselves, including conveyor belts, robots and other components. In order to ensure that these systems work in the best way they can, we need an effective control system.”

Engel says the CC 300 will make the use of injection moulding machines and integrated system solutions safer, more user-friendly and more efficient through allowing IMMs and manufacturing cells to be controlled for specific tasks, including mould changing and injecting. The information displayed is what Engel terms ‘the essential’ but further details are available if necessary.

The new central operating element was designed for accuracy and speedsensitive control for movements — it has been named ‘e-move’. The functions are said to increase safety levels when sensitive movements are made and reduce the risk of operation errors.

Pressing the ‘intelligent operation’ button

will start the machine and initiate various movement sequences.

The complete integration of Engel’s ‘viper’ linear robots and ‘easix’ multi-axis robots, which the group will continue to use with all the products in its new generation of control units, also contributes to the ‘e-move’ concept. The entire manufacturing cell can be controlled and monitored centrally from the injection moulding machine's control panel.

The new 21" full HD display is easier to read and also offers simpler and userfriendlier navigation.

The information and layout of the different screen pages can be adapted to suit the user's individual needs, and haptically shaped operation elements can be assigned different functions. The control panel automatically switches to the most ergonomic position for the individual operator when they log on.

Making use of capacitive touch technologies, the new machine control unit can be operated like a smartphone.

Engel Web: www.engelglobal.com DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 9

MACHINERY

SHOWCASE PROCESS CONTROL & SOFTWARE Case Study: Cavity pressure monitoring at Neo-Plastic At injection moulding specialist Neo-Plastic of Germany, monitoring the quality of large-scale production of injection moulded parts is not a matter of chance. Using cavity pressure to determine the switchover to holding pressure for process optimisation and cavity pressure-based monitoring for quality assurance using both direct or indirect cavity pressure measuring, ensures minimum rejects. The medium-size company focuses on producing high quality technical components mostly for manufacturers of ball bearings, linear guides and the automotive industry.

Application The example application from NeoPlastic is the injection moulding of hinge covers. These flat, palm-size SEBS parts protect the sensitive electric seat adjustment systems during the production of foamed car seat systems.

The seat manufacturer inserts the injection moulded covers into a mould, where they form a very tight bond with the seat during foaming. Although these inserts are installed in a concealed place, they need to be precisely moulded to ensure that they are fully functional.

The injection moulding machine for this project, acquired in 2008, was equipped with a machine control system that provided outputs for pressure signals and integrated cavity pressure monitoring. Each cavity of the 2+2cavity hot-runner family mould for the production of right-side and left-side hinge covers is equipped with Kistler 2.5 mm pressure sensors.

“In this application, cavity pressure measuring has a double benefit.” said Managing Director, Patrick Freiherr von Twickel “On the one hand; we can switch over from injection pressure to holding pressure as soon as the threshold value is reached, and on the other hand, we can monitor all cavity filling processes. This way, we can ensure that each cavity is filled and that every cover is within specification. The cavity pressure dependent switchover has also proved to have a stabilising effect on the injection moulding process.”

Managing Director Patrick Freiherr von Twickel of Neo-Plastic 10 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

Four hinge covers, two for the left and two for the right side are produced in a family mould with cavity pressure monitoring

Process monitoring with indirect pressure measuring For other projects, the company also deploys Kistler’s CoMo Injection system.

“CoMo is fully configured for analysing and monitoring injection moulding processes. When it comes to direct comparison, a machine control systems provide rather limited analysis options,” von Twickel said. For the production of a 0.05 gram miniature part from unreinforced PA66 which is gated via cold runner into an 8-cavity mould, NeoPlastic currently operates eight indirect pressure sensors located behind the ejector pins. During this indirect measuring process, the sensors do not come into contact with the melt; instead, the cavity pressure acts upon the ejector pin and the resulting force is measured at a distance from the cavity. This retrofitted indirect measuring system has proven its reliability. In this application, cavity pressure technology is used for process control with automatic switchover to holding pressure and quality monitoring of all cavities.

“If any one of the cavities happens to be blocked, we will notice immediately,” von Twickel said. “The complexity lies in the fact that the blocked cavity will be the last to fill up, even if the melt gets to it first.” That happens because once the melt reaches the clogging; the remaining cavities will be volumetrically filled first.

SEBS hinge covers need to be fully formed in order to be fully functional

Only after they have been filled completely will the melt break into the blocked cavity, with the result of excessive pressure increase, which often leads to overpacking. Von Twickel continued: “We can see clearly how the cavity is filling. The CoMo Injection’s evaluation element ‘box’ uses the entry and exit point of the pressure curves to monitor the pressure increase in all eight cavities and will detect any irregularities.

Here, we also use CoMo Injection for the automatic switchover to holding pressure. This way, we prevent underfilling, overfilling or overpacking causing burr formation or burning.”

Indirect measuring delivers reliable results Von Twickel does not share the reservations held by some moulders about indirect cavity pressure measuring: “I am perfectly happy to take a positive stance for indirect pressure monitoring.

Some processors are sceptical, but the production of miniature parts with cold runners benefits significantly from this method. There are certain risks involved, because the ejector pin doubles as a pressure transmitter and may become contaminated. However, it is almost impossible during continuous operation.

With the current installation, we ran almost 100,000 shots and the pressure signal level remained constant.”

Technical breaker plate production with monitoring and switchover With new, medium-term projects with six or seven-digit annual output rates, NeoPlastic operates with cavity pressure technology right from the start. This applies to the production of a small technical PA46 breaker plate with a shot weight of only 3.5 grams. The brand new 8-cavity mould, made by the company’s in-house mould engineering department, is equipped with eight direct 1 mm pressure sensors. Again, the CoMo injection process monitoring system will control the process by means of cavity pressure-dependent switchover and guarantees the quality of the moulded parts by monitoring the pressure curves.

For the switchover, Neo-Plastic works with a pressure threshold while for quality monitoring, evaluation boxes are used. The pressure signal has to pass through these boxes in a predefined way. “Without sensors, this project would generate massive problems due to underfed parts. Automatic switchover makes the process significantly more stable.”

Faster setup changes and restarts How long does it take before the investment in a cavity pressure monitoring system pays off? Von Twickel: “This is hard to pin down. There are many positive influences. Just think

MACHINERY

SHOWCASE PROCESS CONTROL & SOFTWARE

of the cost of complaints and the subsequent sorting effort. With the new system, we have removed that risk completely. Cavity pressure dependent switchover also facilitates and speeds up any setup changes: after ten shots with the new mould, the quality is perfect again. During the active production process, lot variations or changes of flow are registered immediately and can be remedied directly. Assuming an out-put rate of 200,000 parts per year, I would expect the system to have paid off after 18 months.”

Flexible machine utilisation For neo-plastic, the CoMo Injection monitoring system is not operated in fixed connection with one single machine, but, like the moulds, is flexibly used on several machines of similar size.

Everywhere the system is applied, the process achieves stable conditions, no matter whether the machines are electric or hydraulic, and independent of their age.

It took some time for the staff to get used to the new technology. “There was

CoMo Injection process monitoring system on an injection moulding machine producing miniature parts a certain apprehension at the beginning, but that is perfectly normal whenever innovations are introduced,” von Twickel said. “Many staff members were faced with one challenge: the visualisation of the injection moulding cycle with process parameters over time. Not everyone is familiar with this approach that involves analysing the process by looking at curves displaying screw stroke, cavity pressure, hydraulic pressure and temperatures. The graphical display of the process is highly informative, but many staff members had

All pressure signals are bundled in a multichannel connector at the top of the mould to be trained to interpret the information.

We often encounter questions such as: “What does the perfect curve look like?”

My answer is that there is no such thing as an ideal curve. We have to fill the part in a way that is perfect for the part. The corresponding curve then works like a fingerprint.”

As far as von Twickel is concerned, machine operators have overcome their apprehension: “It is important to understand the principle and deal with

Priamus launches new sensor control technologies ‘Fillcontrol’, a modular system to monitor and control the injection moulding process went on display at the recent K Show, on the stand of the developer, Priamus.

For cold runner moulds – for instance in case of liquid silicone rubber applications – it is important to achieve an equal filling, as different volumes in the cavities can also cause a different compression after cross-linking. The results are unfilled parts which sporadically occur in one or the other cavity.

‘Fillcontrol’ allows for automatic detection of the melt front via cavity pressure or cavity temperature sensors and the

automatic delay of the valve gate opening until an equal filling is possible.

In addition, the group’s range of cavity temperature sensors has been extended with a new “heavy-duty” line, which can also be used at mould temperatures up to 320°C. “Heavy Duty” sensors eliminate the need for robust connecting cables which were designed for use in a rough and industrial environment and can be ordered with a hardened sensor front for use with abrasive media.

Priamus also introduced a melt temperature sensor for use in the machine nozzle or in the hotrunner manifold. This sensor has been specifically designed for the temperature measurement of plastic melts under high pressure, which is why it is supplied with a special seal.

The ambient temperature at the point of installation can be up to 450°C. The sensor is delivered with a hardened sensor front as standard, in order to withstand highly filled melts.

Cavity pressure and cavity temperature sensors in contact with the moulded part are commodity items which are supplied in high quantities.

In similar set-ups previously, a cavity pressure sensor would usually be mounted with the help of a mounting nut in order to ensure a secure fit and avoid measuring errors.

Alternatively cavity

these systems on a regular basis in order to become familiar with them. But anybody who has dealt with 18 machines with clamping forces of up to 2,000 kN is completely convinced of the benefits of cavity pressure technology.

This includes the realisation that every part has its own perfect curve. If we are faced with a certain number of parts to be produced or if a certain machine running time is stipulated by the project, I insist on cavity pressure technology. It has become firmly established among my staff and it makes sure that we deliver quality. Underfed parts can only be safely identified by cavity pressure, because, if the cavity is not full, it will not achieve the typical pressure profile.

Pressure monitoring makes the process failure-proof. I can look into the cavity.

That constitutes an unbeatable advantage. I have not encountered any other method that would deliver similar information. Today, we are working in the mould, not in the machine.”

Kistler Web: www.kistler.com

New sensors make sense, says Micro-Epsilon

temperature sensors have been clamped with the help of a distance sleeve.

However, Priamus says that both methods have drawbacks, because the thread for the mounting nut often needs to be tapped deep in the bore hole and the distance sleeve requires cutting to the precise length.

In response, the group has launched its new ‘Priafit’ mounting sleeve, which consists of a combination of mounting nut and distance sleeve, and aims to bring together the advantages of both methods. The thread for the mounting of the sensor can be easily tapped near the top of the borehole, and the length of the sleeve only requires approximate measurement, the group claims.

Priamus has also developed a new voltage module which measures the analog machine signals where available – which is in the control cabinet of the moulding machine.

Here, the analog signals are converted into digital signals and finally connected with the new ‘BlueLine’ devices by a single hybrid-bus cable. As it is a bus system, the different BlueLine modules (such as pressure and temperature amplifiers or machine interfaces for process control) can be arranged in any order. The device is galvanically isolated and also designed to provide the required supply voltage for independent sensors such as pressure transmitters.

On request, the device can also be mounted outside of the control cabinet in a sealed housing.

At this year’s K Show, Micro-Epsilon presented various measurement solutions for the plastics industry, including some new products.

The company displayed a new controller unit for its idiamCONTROL system. idiamCONTROL measures with a noncontact sensor (which is available in various diameters) the inner diameter and thus the wear of extruder bores. The new controller unit now comes with a new user interface with touch screen and supports data exchange via USB. Also making its international debut was the group’s infrared thermography for injection moulding. A system based on an infrared camera controls the process.

In addition, the group manufactures a range of infrared temperature sensors for fast measurements on sensitive surfaces.

Measurement systems for contact and non-contact thickness measurement of blown and flat film extrusion lines were also displayed.

Priamus Web: www.priamus.com

Micro-Epsilon Web: www.micro-epsilon.com DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 11

MACHINERY SPOTLIGHT eppm

TESTING & INSPECTION

New software now available with Dynisco LMI Series melt-flow indexers is said to offer simplicity in gathering, storing and managing digital data collected by the system.

NEW MFI SOFTWARE SIMPLIFIES TEST DATA MANAGEMENT

The LaVA Suite software is a proprietary development of Dynisco, a specialist in measurement and control technology for plastics processing.

Features of LMI melt flow indexers include an ergonomic weighthandling system, automated resinsample packing, improved digital piston-displacement measurement and a touch-screen user interface.

Now, new data-management software has been added to the package.

“The LMI is Dynisco’s approach to reinventing one of the most common pieces of equipment in any polymer laboratory,” said Joe DiOrio, Product Manager. “Along with its ergonomic features, our new software turns a standard piece of laboratory equipment into a 21st century test operator’s dream come true.”

The name “LaVA” stands for Laboratory Viscosity Analysis. The LaVA Suite software for the LMI is

capable of delivering a wider range of data, simplifying analysis, reporting and archiving. It captures melt index values as well as shear stress, shear rate, viscosity and apparent melt density, while also recording testing conditions. The LaVA Suite software has the look and feel of applications designed for the latest PCs or mobile devices.

Screen layout and menu navigation is said to be intuitive to lab personnel of every skill level.

In terms of weight management, the LaVA suite borrows an ergonomic concept used in gym equipment. All weights are stored in the unit itself, and changing the weight load is claimed to be as simple as moving a pin from one slot to the next.

To avoid inconsistent packing of resin samples, which can cause data inconsistency, Dynisco has developed an adjustable force packer that delivers a constant force regardless of the operator.

Replacing the vacuum fluorescent display, the larger, backlit colour touch-screen allows for easier programming and viewing of testing status and results. A digital encoder provides an accurate measurement of piston displacement during volumetric tests.

The unit comes with 3 USB ports as standard. One master and two slave ports provide all the communication necessary for networking LMIs, storing data on a USB stick or communicating to a weigh scale or printer.

Other features include optional automatic cut-off of samples during Method A and A/B testing, and correlation of data to determine PET intrinsic viscosity.

The design of the system is related to the group’s ‘Simply Complex’ initiative. This approach to product development looks not only at product design but also at the product line structure, model nomenclature, marketing messaging and materials, and the customer ordering process. Moving forward, this model will reportedly be applied throughout Dynisco’s offering.

Dynisco Web: www.dynisco.com

12 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

MACHINERY SPOTLIGHT eppm

TESTING & INSPECTION

Thin film manufacturers FILM and other web MEASUREMENT gauging users can now SENSOR SAVES reduce waste ON WASTE and increase saleable product using a new high-resolution basis weight sensor with multiple source options - that’s the claim made for a new sensor from Thermo Fisher Scientific.

The Thermo Scientific Beta Plus Basis Weight Transmission Sensor uses either a Kr-85 or Sr-90 source designed to offer users accurate, higher-resolution basis weight readings for webs and films between six and 7,000 grams per square meter. The sensor with the Kr-85 source is designed to measure basis weight of very thin film while providing approximately five times the usable life of comparable sensors on the market.

“The Beta Plus sensor enhances web gauging performance by incorporating improved optics and advanced digital electronics into our existing designs,” said Tam Nguyen, Product Marketing Manager, Web Gauging, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “The sensor is fully compatible with our current measurement and control platforms, scanners and applications software,

MOCON Mocon Inc., a supplier of MONITORS permeation OXYGEN instruments, TRANSMISSION has developed a new oxygen IN HIGHtransmission BARRIER rate test instrument which FILMS

making it easy to integrate into existing web gauging systems. It also provides one of the widest measurement ranges in the industry and eliminates the need for a second sensor in many production operations.”

The sensor features improved shielding and design geometry engineered for added safety for the system’s operators. Customers have access to support from Thermo Fisher engineers, who assist with installation, implementation and integration.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Web: www.thermofisher.com

is said to be able to accurately and repeatably measure barriers to 5x10-4 cc/(m2 x day), ten times lower than previous levels. The Ox-Tran Model 2/21 10x system measures films or packages at precise temperature and relative humidity conditions.

The system is suitable for a variety of applications which require increasingly better oxygen barrier. Film and resin manufacturers, converters and packagers in industries such as electronics (OLED and thin film), solar, vacuum panel, food, pharmaceutical and medical device reportedly stand to benefit from the system’s greater sensitivity for measuring ultra-oxygen transmission characteristics of films and packages.

Improved material barrier systems have created a demand for increased testing sensitivity. Brand owners and suppliers require accurate and repeatable results in order to make sure performance criteria are being met.

“There are a number of improvements

engineered into the Ox-Tran Model 2/21 10x Module to take oxygen permeation testing to a new level. The most important is the improved proprietary Coulox coulometric sensor which counts every oxygen molecule permeating through the film” said Doug Lindemann, Vice President, Mocon.

Additional improvements incorporated into the system include: improved electronics to reduce system noise level; new 'TruSeal' film cell design to eliminate edge-leakage and offer a perfect seal; improved temperature stability.

Mocon Web: www.mocon.com

DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 13

MATERIALS

Clariant’s concentration on liquid masterbatch Clariant, which has undergone several re-structuing measures in recent times, is now placing renewed emphasis on its liquid masterbatch operations. Launching ‘HiFormer’ – the new brand name for its ‘philosophy’ on liquid technologies, the group says the initiative incorporates three elements: ‘Converse’ – the group plans to liaise more with customers; ‘Cocreate’ – creating formulations alongside customers; ‘Complete’ - Clariant goes to work supplying the product.

The HiFormer system is designed to work in the packaging and consumer goods segments in the plastics industry, to allow wider use of liquid colour and additive concentrates.

The group’s tailored carrier technology and customised dosing and handling systems are said to offer fast and simple colour changes and easy replication of specific colours. The liquid

masterbatches are highly concentrated, meaning that less is needed to achieve more vibrant hues.

Introducing the new system, Hans Bohnen, Head of Business Unit Masterbatches, said: “As one of the world’s leading masterbatches systems providers, Clariant sees Liquid Masterbatches as an integral component of its technology and service portfolio.

Now we have created a major breakthrough. Our new HiFormer Liquid Masterbatches system offers great opportunities for new and innovative design, technology and efficiency dimensions for brand owners, specifiers, and plastics processors.”

Mr. Bohnen added: “Clariant is committed to generating cutting-edge products, processes and services that deliver maximum value to our customers.

Innovation is a vital part of our strategy, as

Image courtesy of Clariant. our global team is finding new ways to meet – and exceed – customer expectations, whilst contributing to their market differentiation and commercial success.”

Clariant offers a range of pigments and additives aimed at PET bottles, PE, PP and PS packaging, closures, consumer durable goods and others.

Clariant’s liquid masterbatches can be used with almost all thermoplastic resins and processes, including extrusion, injection moulding and blow moulding.

They are compatible with most commonly used additives. The group says that “when properly formulated as part of a total systems approach, liquid masterbatches deliver not only the desired shade, but the chemistry of the base resin, special process requirements and the targeted performance level of the finished part.”

Clariant Web: www.clariant.com

New ‘compatibilisers’ aid high-value recycling of mixed polymers DuPont Entira EP is a new series of compatibilisers which have been designed to aid the recycling of difficultto-separate mixtures of inherently incompatible polymers. The first grades which have now become available in the market are ethylene-copolymers, optimised for mixed waste streams of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). DuPont says it is currently developing further formulations of compatibilisers for other mixed materials, including PE and polyamide (PA) or PE and ethylenvinyl alcohol (EVOH), which are typically used as barrier resins in polyolefin based packaging films, bottles or rigid containers, and therefore available in high quantities worldwide. Additional interest is also being shown, claims the group, in PE-PET mixtures with PE as the dominant matrix – a mixture that emerges in the beverage industry.

Compounding of reground mixed polymers together with Entira EP in a twin-screw extruder (or in a single screw extruder with good mixing performance) is said to generate recyclate in pellet form with excellent mechanical and processing properties, even where high degrees of contamination are present.

The compounding process itself may also be made more economical, because using Entira EP reduces the need for melt filter cleaning.

Depending on the selected compatibilizer formulation, the compounded material can reach almost the same level of low temperature toughness as the major blend fraction, claims DuPont. The granulate produced is suitable for injection moulding, 14 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

extrusion or blow moulding. Typical applications include use as blending partners in new materials or as core layers. DuPont says that under certain conditions they can even be processed directly.

“As plastic processors increasingly recycle plastic waste in-house, the amount of single-component and therefore easy-to-process material available to the recycling industry is going down”, commented Michel Decodts, Market Segment Leader at DuPont. “At the same time, incompatible plastic mixtures have become more readily available. These have to be segregated at relatively high cost and therefore make it more difficult to achieve specified recycling rates. Entira EP compatibilisers now offer manufacturers of re-compounds costefficient new opportunities, as they significantly boost the range of ready-touse raw materials for high-performance applications.”

Typical sources for mixed PP-PE waste streams include packaging applications, such as screw-caps made of PP and fitted with sealing inserts made of foamed PE. Products resulting from mixing and jointly processing such incompatible plastics in an extruder consist of a continuous phase (the matrix), created by the higher fraction material, and inclusions of the other component dispersed in this matrix.

Adhesion between the matrix and the inclusions is poor, cracks may easily propagate along their interfaces, and mechanical properties are therefore on a very low level.

The new PE-PP-specific Entira EP

formulations are ethylene-copolymers, exhibiting high compatibility – and hence adhesion – to either one or to both polyolefins. Even at low concentrations of around 4%, these new compatibilisers act highly efficiently, promoting a firm bond between matrix and dispersed material. Best results will derive from an advanced formulation which provides good compatibility to PE and at the same time to PP. Here cracks will propagate through both the PE and the PP rather than along their interfaces, increasing strength, elongation at break, and in particular low temperature impact strength of the re-compounded materials to a level which even meets most stringent requirements.

Loic Rolland, Technical Development Leader at DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers, said: “Entira EP compatibilisers provide new opportunities for generating added value by recycling used plastics, and help reducing the need for landfilling or incineration. They support the production of re-compounds with excellent processing and in-use

performance even from highly contaminated feedstock. Our tests have shown mechanical properties to reach levels, which can normally be achieved only after applying costly separation technologies to provide extra low contamination grades. Therefore, regranulates compounded with Entira EP are even suitable to mould highperformance, thin-walled components.”

DuPont Web: www.dupont.com

MATERIALS ROUNDUP Lanxess places emphasis on polymer testing Lanxess says it is now attaching increased importance to polymer analysis by integrating its Polymer Testing Center, which was previously part of the High Performance Elastomers business unit, into its Innovation & Technology group function. This organisational unit coordinates all of the group’s research and development activities. The Leverkusen-based rubber expert says it aims to offer more than the standard measuring of abrasion resistance, shore hardness, viscosity, tensile strength and fabric bonding. It also has sophisticated physical methods for assessing the molecular microstructure of the vulcanizates, which can provide crucial information for optimising products. The complete current portfolio of the Polymer Testing Center has been brought together in a comprehensive brochure that can be downloaded at www.polymertesting.lanxess.com.

“Cutting-edge rubber formulations are extremely complex multi-component systems whose development requires a great deal of experience,” said Professor Claus Wrana, head of the Lanxess Polymer Testing Laboratory in Leverkusen, Germany. “Over the past few decades, polymer physics has developed a series of methods that enable us to explain the properties of rubber products by looking at the molecular structure of their components.

As a major rubber supplier and developer with strong research credentials, Lanxess has played a big

part in that. We not only use this expertise internally for the further development of our own rubbers, we are also happy to pass it on to the rest of the industry,” said Wrana. “In so doing, we not only provide measurements, we also explicitly see ourselves as problem solvers, helping to tackle challenges using polymer physics.”

The Polymer Testing Center is based in building K10 of the Chempark Leverkusen site. Its customers primarily include SMEs in the rubber industry that commission Professor Wrana’s team with manufacturing and examining material samples for them. The equipment in his laboratory is extensive; It comprises a series of mixers for manufacturing test mixtures on a laboratory (85 ml) to technical (90 l) scale and moulds and extruders for the compression molding of specimens. It is also possible to follow the vulcanization process using a moving die rheometer (MDR) or a rubber process analyzer (RPA). The most important rubber chemicals for manufacturing mixtures can also be found in the warehouse.

More complex methods provided by the Polymer Testing Laboratory include creating master curves for characterising the dynamic behaviour of a rubber sample – and that over a period of up to 20 decades. This enables valid statements to be made about the distribution of molecular mass, branching structure and crosslinking density of a polymer, for example. In Leverkusen, the latter can also be

assessed by observing the non-linear stress-strain-behaviour of the vulcanizates using modelling processes.

Using measurements of the amplitude dependence of the dynamic moduli of shear or elasticity, for instance, Lanxess physicists can also give assessments of the nature of filler-filler or filler-polymer interaction in the rubber, which correlates with the filler distribution in the mould, among other things.

Thanks to an advanced lab information management system, all of the preparation steps and measurements can be followed online. The close networking of the department’s global sites enables material samples manufactured in China, for example, to be examined in Leverkusen – and vice

versa, wherever the resources are available. This ensures jobs are completed quickly. The Lanxess experts are also on hand to assist customers when it comes to evaluating and interpreting the results and help them with targeted further development based on current scientific findings. “We have worked hard in the industry to earn our reputation as rubber problem-solvers,” says Professor Wrana. “And we believe that, at Lanxess Innovation & Technology, we can contribute even more to improving the material still further. We welcome every new challenge!”

Lanxess Web: www.lanxess.com

Application: the ‘biodegradable coffee pod’ Biome Bioplastics, a UK specialist in bioplastic technology, has helped to develop what it claims is a ‘biodegradable coffee pod’.

There are now around 50 different coffee pod or capsule systems on the market, but their convenience comes at a price.

An estimated 9.1 billion singleserve coffee and drink cartridges wind up in landfills every year, amounting to some 19 million cubic feet of waste.

Coffee-pod machines are increasingly popular in Britain with usage up by 45.1% between February 2012 and 2013, equating to around 186m capsules.

Biome says that the drawback is that single serve coffee pods are not easily recyclable. Mixed material pods are sent to landfill and those brands that do offer a recycling service have few recycling points and limited collection service.

In response to the perceived challenge, Biome Bioplastics claims to have developed a portfolio of compostable materials for coffee pods based on renewable, natural resources including plant starches and tree by-products.

These bioplastics are reported to degrade to “prescribed international standards in composting environments”.

“Single–serve coffee pods are an excellent example of the fundamental role that packaging plays in delivering quality and convenience in the food service sector”, said Biome Bioplastics

CEO Paul Mines. “The challenge is to reduce environmental impact through packaging optimisation without impacting on food quality or safety, or inconveniencing the customer.

Bioplastics are an important part of the solution”.

Biome Bioplastics now says it is working with manufacturing and brand partners to develop a number of natural polymerbased solutions for the hot drinks industry, with further announcements expected in the coming months.

Biome Bioplastics Web: www.biomebioplastics.com DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 15

MATERIALS ROUNDUP PET offers a BPA-free water-cooler moment Equipolymers has launched a BPA-free PET resin designed for large bottling applications including the home and office delivery water bottle market offering the potential to replace polycarbonate in water coolers. Named ‘Bisneinex’, Equipolymers says that the resin is intended to create no impact on raw material cost and may potentially improve processing cost conditions due to lower energy usage for large container sizes including five gallon and 20 litre applications. The resin will be available in limited quantities this year, with expanded production planned for 2014.

Bisneinex is aimed specifically at

injection moulding and stretch blow moulding processes (two stage process) as well as for injection stretch blow moulding for production of large volume containers which require thick-walled pre-forms and reduced crystallisation rates. The group is also claiming that relative to standard PET, its new resin, currently in final application testing, provides a number of improved process and bottle performance benefits. These include a large processing window due to reduced recrystallisation behaviour; thermal stability (low shrinkage); colour performance; drop test and top load performance.

“The newest addition to our portfolio,

Bisneinex, demonstrates our commitment to delivering the innovative PET solutions that our customers demand. It is a truly unique material that helps our customers move from polycarbonate to PET in a cost effective manner while meeting regulatory and consumer demands for a BPA-free plastic,” said Naser Al Dousari, Chief Operating Officer, Equipolymers.

“As an alternative to polycarbonate (PC) in the five gallon application, Bisneinex maintains good aesthetics while eliminating any regulatory or consumer issues related to existing and developing bans of bisphenol-A. As a benefit for the manufacturer, it requires very minimal changes to existing manufacturing processes, and can be used on PC lines with only minor modifications to the equipment,” said Antonello Ciotti, Commercial Director, Equipolymers.

Equipolymers Web: www.equipolymers.com

Plastic’s “colour of 2014” is blooming orchid

Pantone, an X-Rite company, has announced that the ‘colour of the year’ for plastics and manufacturing in 2014 is Pantone 18-3224 Radiant Orchid. “While the 2013 colour of the year, Pantone 17-5641 Emerald, served as a symbol of growth, renewal and prosperity, Radiant Orchid reaches across the colour wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Colour Institute. “An invitation to innovation, Radiant Orchid encourages expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today’s society.”

“An enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm.”

According to Pantone, Radiant Orchid has featured heavily in major fashion shows recently and is already making its way onto the red carpet. Fashion designers featured in the Pantone Fashion Colour Report Spring 2014, including Emerson

by Jackie Fraser-Swan, Juicy Couture and Yoana Baraschi, are incorporating Radiant Orchid into their spring collections and variations of this hue will carry into men’s and women’s clothing and accessories throughout next year, claims the group.

Pantone Web: www.pantone.com 16 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

MATERIALS

SHOWCASE FOAMS Bayer buys into foams market anticipating future demand

BMW scoops award with world-first in foamed consoles

Bayer MaterialScience has opened a technical center for the development premium foams. An additional production plant was also brought on stream at the site in Leverkusen for coating raw materials. The total investment in both sites has cost more than EUR 45 million, according to the group.

“This allows us to supply key industries more precisely and with higher volumes of exactly the products they need,” said Patrick Thomas, CEO of Bayer MaterialScience.

“Furthermore, the company is expanding its competence in developing new applications and manufacturing processes for its materials in close collaboration with customers.”

The group is looking to make developments in polyurethane foam because of its historic focus on global requirements and necessities. Building insulation, refrigeration systems and automotive lightweighting are some specific targets for the R&D centre.

The facility is said to be equipped with the latest machines with over EUR 10 million spent on the test center alone. In the medium to long term, the company expects the global polyurethane market to continue growing at an average

A center console from the BMW group has been awarded the 15th SPE Automotive Division Award for 2013. The design incorporates BASF’s Neopolen particle foam as a weight-saving measure.

BMW Group is reportedly the world’s first car maker to use polypropylene foam as a visible contour material on a center console. Neopolen P foam has contributed to a weight reduction of around 30% compared to the previous product used.

Moulding technology specially developed for the application eliminated steps from the original process – BASF claims that production now consists of “a single step”. Use of Neopolen also allows additional functions to be integrated into the center console. For example, the foam moulding process can allow for ventilation channels for the air-conditioning system, serving the rear of the car’s interior.

The process begins by laying a thermoplastic substrate into the mould, filling its cavity with foam beads, and using steam pressure to weld these two elements into a moulded part. During

Patrick Thomas, CEO of Bayer MaterialScience. annual rate of about five percent.

To meet the rising demand, Bayer MaterialScience is expanding production capacity for the precursors HDI and IPDI, which are based on polyurethanes.

The company invested a year and a half and EUR 35 million in the construction of a newly commissioned multipurpose plant in Leverkusen that can produce either of the raw materials depending on demand.

“With the production facility and the new technical center, we have set the course for strengthening our leading position as a developer and manufacturer of premium, chemistry-based materials,” said Thomas.

the same step, movable bars place smooth sheeting on the moulded part and firmly bond it with the material. At the same time, the bars’ grain structure and the heat from the steam lend the sheeting its textural characteristics.

Neopolen P has very good noise insulation properties, low weight, and high thermal resistance. The particle foam combines high energy absorption with good resilience and isotropic deformation performance. Its property profile, which also includes low moisture absorption and good resistance to chemicals, lends itself to a range of applications in sectors from packaging and transportation to sport and leisure.

BASF Web: www.basf.com

Bayer MaterialScience Web: www.bayermaterialscience.com

Environmental impact reduced for PU flame retardants Clariant is marketing products to meet demand for fire retarded polyurethane (PU) foams for the upholstery sector. Research by Green Urethanes Ltd, a specialist in adding green credentials to PU foams, says that manufacturers can use Clariant’s reactive halogen-free flame retardant Exolit OP 560 to manufacture low emission flexible foams that meet internationally accepted flammability standards such as Cal TB 117 (California Technical Bulletin 117, a flammability test for upholstered furniture using a small flame).

In the furniture and bedding industries, large quantities of non-reactive flame retardants are traditionally used to achieve flame resistance for flexible foams. These flame retardants, which are merely physically mixed into the foam, can migrate out of the foam matrix and are associated with adverse environmental and health consequences.

“Clariant’s Exolit OP 560 phosphonate liquid flame retardant addresses these concerns by eliminating unwanted emissions. The grade chemically reacts into the PU foam polymer and therefore does not migrate and remains fixed within a foam formulation, also resulting in reduced amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)” said Adrian Beard, Clariant’s Head of Marketing for flame retardants. The phosphonate’s high polymer compatibility allows it to be used at low dosage in the foam matrix, which

adds to its overall sustainability, says Clariant. The amount of flame retardant required for flexible foam to pass the smolder and open flame tests in California TB 117 is reduced by 80%.

Green Urethane’s Technology uses Natural Oil Polyols (NOP) to produce a range of standard foams for the bedding and furniture industries. They have a total bio-renewable content of approximately 35% by weight.

Jeff Rowlands, Director of Green Urethanes Limited commented: “By using these advances in Green Chemistry, the original safety objectives of Cal TB 117 are still being met; but now with the added assurance that it comes with longterm environmental protection from undesirable emissions. These are positive developments for the upholstery sector and also provide a route to reducing the environmental impact of all foam types including those made for uses which do not need to meet the Cal TB 117 test criteria.”

Clariant Web: www.clariant.com

DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 17

MATERIALS

SHOWCASE FOAMS Fridge-maker picks Honeywell blowing agents for insulation Global corporation Honeywell has announced that Midea, an appliance manufacturer, will now use its ‘Solstice’ liquid blowing agent (LBA) to insulate refrigerators and freezers.

Use of the blowing agent will allow Midea to meet current and future energy efficiency and environmental regulations, Honeywell claims. Blowing agents are integral materials for energy efficient closed-cell foam used to insulate refrigerators.

“Honeywell is committed to developing technologies that help our customers produce energy-efficient appliances that are great for consumers and better for the environment,” said Sanjeev Rastogi, business director for Honeywell Fluorine Products. “We are delighted to help Midea manufacture products that benefit from our expertise in developing and supplying high-performance, energyefficient, and low-environmental-impact solutions.”

Midea is currently transitioning from the use of a cyclopentane, a hydrocarbon blowing agent, to blends of cyclopentane and Enovate 245fa,

Honeywell’s current blowing agent.

Subject to the terms of a pending final agreement between the two companies, Midea will continue to increase its use of Enovate 245fa, but will also adopt Solstice LBA beginning in 2014 to insulate refrigerators and freezers to be manufactured in China.

“Midea is committed being a leader in the manufacture of energy-efficient appliances,” said Eric Wang, President of Midea’s refrigerator and freezer division. “Midea’s planned use of Enovate 245fa and Solstice LBA will provide them with the lowest-cost route to meet current and future energy standards.”

The blowing agents can be used in other applications, including spray foam insulation, insulated architectural panels, and refrigerated shipping containers.

Enovate is a non-flammable hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blowing agent that does not deplete the ozone layer.

Honeywell introduced Enovate 245fa in 2002 and supplies it to a range of industries, from appliance insulation to spray foam.

Solstice LBA is the latest of the group’s offering in the field, with a global warming potential (GWP) of 1 (listed under the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program). Solstice LBA is nonflammable and is not a volatile organic compound.

Honeywell is currently building a world-scale production capacity for Solstice LBA that is expected to come on line in early 2014.

In addition to Solstice LBA, Honeywell’s family of Solsticebranded products includes stationary and mobile refrigerants, gaseous blowing agents, propellants, and solvents based on Honeywell’s new hydrofluoro-olefin technology.

The Solstice products have been developed and are being commercialised by Honeywell’s Fluorine Products business, a specialist in the manufacture and supply of zero ozonedepleting refrigerants used by top

air-conditioning and refrigeration makers worldwide, and blowing agents for energy-efficient foam insulation, as well as hydrofluoric acid and precursors for nuclear fuel.

Honeywell Web: www.honeywell.com

CO2 “ready to go” as ingredient for foams and composites At the beginning of October, 140 representatives from the arena of CCU (carbon capture & utilisation) met for three days in Essen at Europe’s largest conference on “CO2 as chemical feedstock – a challenge for sustainable chemistry”. According to the NovaInstitute, the possibility of re-using harmful waste carbon dioxide as a feedstock in the chemical industries, as well as an ingredient in plastic manufacture is a lot closer than most of us realise.

Carbon dioxide does not necessarily have to be reduced for use in chemical building blocks, but can instead be directly incorporated into chemical structures, partly even into exothermic processes. Professor Matthias Beller of the Leibnitz Institute for Catalysis in Rostock presented to the group various methods of direct CO2 incorporation that have been developed in recent years. One of these processes is already operational, due to be commercialised in less than two years.

Dr Christoph Gürtler from Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) in Leverkusen (Germany) presented the current progress of his “dream production” project. Starting in 2015, a commercial facility is to be built in North RhineWestphalia (Germany) that is scheduled to produce several thousand tonnes of foam material from CO2-based polyol.

For the very first time, there was a presentation of a life-cycle assessment of the “dream production”, which had been jointly carried out by RWTH Aachen (Germany) and BMS. Nicklas von der Assen of RWTH Aachen was

18 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

able to show at the conference that CO2-based polyol production performs better in the life-cycle assessment than fossil-based production. The assessment included the CO2-emitting power station as well as all its power production.

Dr Xiaoqing Zang and his CSIRO agency (Australia) are working with composites made from CO2-based polypropylene carbonate (PPC), which is already produced in the USA, China and South Korea. Zang showed various composites containing wood and natural fibre with PPC compared with PLA and petrochemical polymers. PPC is well suited for wood-plastic composites. It binds well with cellulose and improves its impact resistance.

Mixtures of biodegradable PPCs (3040%) and biopolymers are also of interest for grocery bags, for example.

Zang expects mass production to bring the price down to $1 per kg.

Finally, Dr Klaas Hellingwerf from the University of Amsterdam presented genetically tailor-made bacteria, algae and enzymes that can produce lactic acid directly from CO2 for PLA production. It seems that foams, composites and PLA all have potential to draw on CO2 as a resource.

But experts are asking which is the most attractive source of CO2? At present this would appear mainly to be carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-burning power station and industries such as the steel industry, as well as bioethanol plants. These produce large volumes of CO2 that would have to be cleaned so as not to destroy the catalyser or the

electrolysis unit. Direct air capture would be the ideal way, as one would not have to resort to large-scale fossil-powered plants but could obtain CO2 as a raw material anywhere on the globe, including places where inexpensive renewable energy is available. This is however still a long way off, although Christoph Gebald from the Swiss company Climeworks AG did tell the conference about a new method of separating CO2 directly from air with the help of cellulose fibres; this method can also be applied on both small and large scales. The first demonstration plant is due to come into service next year with a production of 1,000 t/yr and aims to sell purified CO2 at €800 per tonne. In 2016 a first commercial plant is to produce liquid CO2 at €200-300 per tonne, and commercial production of

fuels and chemicals is scheduled to begin in 2018.

Of course, others have questioned how significant CO2-based technologies will actually be for protecting the climate and securing raw material supplies. This was a major discussion at the conference.

Michael Carus, managing director of nova-Institute GmbH, gave this illustration of the possibilities of CCU: if the European chemical industry were to meet its entire carbon needs from CO2 rather than fossil sources such as oil, gas and coal, it would use or recycle 5.5% of Europe’s total CO2 emissions, despite only being responsible for just under 2% of Europe’s CO2 emissions.

Nova-Institut Web: www.nova-institut.de

APPLICATION FOCUS Medical

BASF expands antimicrobial and medical offerings BASF has released a range of antimicrobial thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) products in its ‘HyGentic’ portfolio as well as a range of high-performance plastics for medical technology.

HyGentic TPU is an antimicrobial thermoplastic polyurethane which has been designed for use in medical devices. It contains integrated silver ions and protects the product surface from contamination by microbes. This TPU is particularly suitable for tubes and catheters in hygiene-sensitive applications.

Also available in the range is HyGentic SA, an antimicrobial styrene acrylic copolymer offering similar hardness to polycarbonate. It is transparent, easy to process, and may be used for medical device housings and plug-in connectors in hygiene-sensitive environments.

A third HyGentic offering is SBC, a transparent antimicrobial injectionmouldable styrene butadiene copolymer compound, which again contains antimicrobial silver ions. The ready-to-use compound can be used to manufacture devices such as inhalers or ventilation filters.

Finally, HyGentic PA is offered as an antimicrobial glass-fibre-reinforced, injection-mouldable polyamide

compound, which is targetted instead at the production of operating elements for medical devices.

“All HyGentic compounds are extremely effective against a broad variety of bacteria and fungi found in the hospital environment,” said Edgar Eichholz, Business Development Manager Medical Device Materials, BASF New Business.

Medical devices produced from these materials can be disinfected using conventional procedures. “Hospitals can support their hygiene routine by using medical devices manufactured from HyGentic compounds,” Eichholz continued.

At BASF, the group has a dedicated microbiology team that checks the various formulations for antimicrobial effectiveness against relevant microorganisms, including multiresistant pathogens like MRSA. “The selective combination of organic and inorganic antimicrobial ingredients produces synergy effects and boosts the efficiency of the individual components,” Eichholz said. The formulations obtained in this way act faster and remain effective for a longer period.

BASF’s ‘PRO’ portfolio has also been geared towards the medical technology industry, and comprises two classes of

materials: the Ultraform PRO range (POM: polyoxymethylene; polyacetal) and Ultradur B4520 PRO (PBT: polybutylene terephthalate).

The new Ultraform W2320 003 PRO TR (tribology-optimised) line is suitable for minimising friction between two functional elements that come into contact, so as to avoid unwanted noise in application. An added lubricant minimises squeaking and stick-slip.

BASF says it also offers a comprehensive service package that has been adapted specifically to the requirements of medical technology. Aside from support relating to application technology, this package entails a commitment that “no changes will be made in the plastic formulation stored in the Drug Master File (DMF) at the FDA.” All grades in the PRO range have been shown to comply with the applicable international standards and tests for

medical technology uses of plastics such as the EU, US and Japanese Pharmacopeias and DIN EN ISO 109935. Tests are performed by independent third-party institutes.

BASF Web: www.basf.com

Tubing supplier selects PolyOne GLS TPE to boost performance Medical tubing supplier Thermoplastic Biologic (TBL) has chosen to use PolyOne GLS’s Versalloy HC for its Pharm-A-Line I peristaltic pump tubing.

The Versalloy HC material, formulated with Santoprene TPV thermoplastic vulcanizate from ExxonMobil Chemical Company, reportedly improves in-service pump performance and operational efficiencies while also offering prior regulatory compliance for accelerated speed to market in these applications.

“We developed Pharm-A-Line I tubing with the specific objective of providing superior performance in peristaltic pump applications, and the Versalloy HC material is critical to the outstanding results we’ve achieved,” said Robert Dupont, Managing Partner, Thermoplastic Biologic.

The new material, which is certified under USP class VI and ISO 10993, combines the performance of thermosets with the processing advantages of thermoplastics to decrease scrap rates and reduce energy usage. Thermoplastic Biologic tested Versalloy HC in peristaltic pump applications and found that it withstood more than 1,000 hours of operation with no detectable performance degradation.

“These new formulations offer improved options for fluid management in

pharmaceutical dosing devices,” said Charles Page, Director of Global Marketing, PolyOne GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers. “As our customers face increasingly strict requirements for safety and environmental protection, we continue to collaborate with them to develop solutions for their nextgeneration products.”

In addition to peristaltic pump tubing, potential applications for Versalloy HC include stoppers for vials and collection tubes, device handles, ergonomic softgrip assemblies, as well as seals, shields, tips and caps.

PolyOne Web: www.polyone.com

DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 19

APPLICATION FOCUS BPA-free syringes and infusion devices take centre stage At the recent Compamed show in Düsseldorf, Germany, Eastman Chemical Company displayed client applications including DMC Medical’s range of NuGen syringes and medical infusion devices from Didactic. Both applications use the group’s BPA-free ‘Tritan’ copolyester. The material is designed for increased chemical and lipid resistance, and “glasslike” clarity.

DMC Medical’s NuGen product line consists of colour-coded luer lock syringes in the following sizes: 1 ml, 3 ml, 6 ml, 10 ml, 20 ml and 30 ml. The accompanying plunger will be available in seven colours in all sizes.

The Tritan copolyester offers chemical and lipid resistance to the devices, which frequently come into contact with aggressive disinfectants, specific drugs and carriers of therapeutic drugs. The material also provides clarity, allowing healthcare workers to easily see the syringe’s contents.

Suitable for ethylene oxide and radiation (gamma and electron beam) sterilisation, Eastman Tritan copolyester also provides benefits for the syringes, as devices made with the material retain their colour and functionality poststerilisation.

“When developing the NuGen line, we looked for a material that provided the range of benefits necessary of such devices and demanded by the industry.

We found the answer in Eastman Tritan copolyester,” said Bryan Wixted, CEO, DMC Medical Ltd. “The advantages Tritan provides — in particular, being free of BPA — put DMC Medical at the leading edge of premium syringe development and supply.”

Eastman Tritan copolyester has been used for a wide spectrum of medical devices since 2009. The group says it works with OEMs in the medical sector to develop their applications.

“As a committed medical polymer collaborator, Eastman leverages its industry insight and extensive design, engineering and manufacturing expertise to help customers develop products, bring them to market quickly and follow through with strong technical support,” said Theo Wubbels, Medical Market Development Manager, EMEA, Eastman Chemical Advanced Materials B.V. “From the outset of this collaboration, the communication, follow up and technical support from Eastman has been excellent,” Wixted said. “The company’s attention to detail and understanding of DMC’s needs during the trial stages were greatly appreciated.”

The NuGen syringe range will be available to the global market, primarily targetting medical device and pharmaceutical companies that will include the syringes in custom kits or pre-fill them with specific drugs.

Also on show was a medical infusion device from French company Didactic, which approached both Eastman and injection moulder A. Hopf with plans to expand its offering. These devices include products for use in dialysis treatments, neonatology and intensive care.

To differentiate its products from those already on the market in France, Didactic wanted to market BPA-free medical infusion devices. With France’s January 1, 2013 ban of the use of BPA in food contact materials for use by children under the age of three, the company anticipates regulatory changes for medical devices could be on the horizon for France. Didactic has expanded its range of infusion devices CE marked under 93/42/EEC and 2007/47/EC directives with its new infusion sets and extension tubes. An added benefit of using Tritan is that the

devices remain intact after ethylene oxide and gamma sterilisation.

“Because all Didactic infusion medical devices are sterilised with ethylene oxide, it was very important to select a material that is compatible with nationwide sterilisation protocols as well as our own processes,” said Pascal Jean, Pharmacist and Products Manager, Didactic.

Eastman Tritan copolyester also offers resistance to lipids for stopcocks and infusion sets. Under stress and in an environment with chemical exposure, devices can form cracks, increasing the possibility of a device failure, which can directly affect patient safety.

“Eastman is committed to the long-term needs of the medical industry worldwide, and providing a material with the attributes our customers are asking for — and sometimes requiring — is something we pride ourselves on,” said Theo Wubbels.

The launch of Didactic’s new offerings brought together companies from three countries: Didactic in France, A. Hopf GmbH in the Bavaria area of Germany,

and Eastman, headquartered in the United States. Didactic’s immediate plans include providing health care facilities with products using Eastman Tritan copolyester for dialysis treatments, neonatology and intensive care.

“It has been a pleasure to be a part of this successful global effort,” Jean said.

“Eastman’s forward-thinking approach to material innovations and technical expertise coupled with A. Hopf GmbH’s injection moulding knowledge have aided in creating products that not only help ensure patient safety but also go above and beyond what is currently required within the health care system.”

A. Hopf GmbH has previously collaborated with Eastman. In Autumn 2012, the company launched its non-luer Hopf three-way stopcocks and Hopf Yconnectors made with Tritan copolyester for use in enteral feeding systems.

“Combining Hopf’s demonstrated experience with Eastman’s proven material for these new devices from Didactic has been a rewarding collaborative effort for these three companies,” said Michael Hopf, Sales Manager, A. Hopf GmbH. “In addition, the lasting value, performance and peace of mind these devices will offer to medical professionals and patients alike is even more rewarding.”

Eastman Web: www.eastman.com

TPE selected for radial compression device The Seal One device from Perouse Medical (Ivry Le Temple, France) allows for precise adjustment and control of compression levels of the radial artery.

ELASTO Sweden developed two grades of Mediprene thermoplastic elastomer for the wrist strap and transparent compression pad.

The Seal One radial compression device is used in interventional imaging, indications for coronarography and angioplasty. It targets the radial artery and has been designed to limit the risk of radial artery occlusion while ensuring no compression of the ulnar artery. It is a complete solution, with no further accessories required. It allows for controlled and optimised usage time.

It features a compression/decompression knob with scale, a decompression safety button and a time indicator for display of positioning time. The special two-step 20 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

decompression design also helps to limit the risk of unintended decompression, simplifies handling for the health-care practitioner and allows for easier monitoring of decompression protocol.

The transparency of the Mediprene TPE grade used in the compression pad gives enhanced visibility of the puncture site, allowing for better visible control. A grade of Mediprene TPE was also developed to give the soft touch, nonirritating and flexible properties required for the wrist strap.

Mediprene TPEs have been engineered to address the demands of the medical device industry. Representative grades have passed cytotoxicity tests according to ISO 10993-5 and biocompatibility tests according to USP Class VI. The materials are latex free, which reduces the risk of allergic reactions; Mediprene TPEs have been classified as nonsensitisers. Mediprene TPEs are

sterilisable with gamma, EtO and steam.

Mediprene TPEs are available in a range of hardnesses; from a gelsoft zero shore A material through to 62 Shore D. For overmoulding applications, Mediprene offers grades with excellent adhesion to a variety of substrates including PP, PE, ABS, PC, PETG and SMMA. The Mediprene range also includes oil free compounds which were developed to address demands for transparent medical TPE grades with a minimum of potential extractables and leaching.

Mediprene TPEs are manufactured under rigorous controls with regard to

traceability, consistency and change control at Elasto Sweden’s ISO 13485 accredited facilities.

Elasto Web: www.hexpoltpe.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

Global brands team up to form ‘Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance’ The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, Ford, H.J. Heinz Company, Nestle, Nike, Inc., Procter & Gamble, Unilever and World Wildlife Fund have announced the formation of the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) in order to “support the responsible development of plastics made from plant material, helping build a more sustainable future for the bioplastics industry.”

The primary focus of BFA will be on guiding the responsible selection and

harvesting of feedstocks — such as sugar cane, corn, bulrush, and switchgrass — used to make plastics from agricultural materials. As the development of these renewable materials has grown, so has the opportunity to address their potential impacts on land use, food security, and biodiversity. The BFA group says it intends to bring together experts from industry, academia and civil society to develop and support informed science,

collaboration, education, and innovation to help guide the evaluation and sustainable development of bioplastic feedstocks.

“This alliance will go a long way in ensuring the responsible management of natural resources used to meet the growing demand for bioplastics,” said Erin Simon, of WWF. “Ensuring that our crops are used responsibly to create bioplastics is a critical conservation goal, especially as the global population is

expected to grow rapidly through 2050.”

The Alliance’s eight founding companies, along with WWF, are supported by academic experts, supply chain partners, suppliers, and technology development companies, all of whom are focusing on a variety of issues and possible tools within the growing bioplastic industry.

Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance Web: www.bioplasticfeedstockalliance.org

European plastic recycling growing at steady pace Plastics Recyclers Europe confirmed steady growth of plastics recycling during its Annual Meeting 2013 which took place on the 21st and 22nd of November in Amsterdam and gathered more than 170 participants.

During this event the organisation celebrated the breakthrough of 100 members and now counts 114 companies. The Management Committee has been reconfirmed by the Members and the President, Ton Emans, has been re-

conducted for a new mandate.

Ton Emans said that: “The coming years will bring radical changes in the plastics recycling industry. We need measures to create a market for recycled plastics so that the market pulls recyclable plastics out of the landfills. The market barriers restricting the use of recycled plastics should be lifted by the upcoming revision of the European waste legislation.”

Mr. Emans added: “The recent public consultations made by the European

Commission demonstrate that the European citizens are asking to create sustainable plastics which are recycled at their end-oflife. The Commission, Parliament and Member States will now have to translate these expectations into efficient legislations in order to steer the needed market changes”.

Plastics Recyclers Europe Web: www.plasticsrecyclers.eu

Polytype Converting denies closure plans Swiss converting equipment manufacturer Polytype Converting AG has issued a statement saying that there is “no credence at all” to the announcement by the Swiss union Employés Suisse that its entire Fribourg facility is endangered. The union has since apologised for the misinformation.

However, planned re-structuring may result in job cuts, the group said.

In an interview with a trade journal in

late November, the CEO of the group, Jörgen Karlsson, said that the company would stand by the facilities in Fribourg and in Hamburg: “Our most important assets are our employees and we have a very good and experienced team in Fribourg and in Hamburg.”

The group, which manufactures highend coating and laminating systems, says it has launched a new “market offensive”. The statement hinted that

production going forward will move closer to the key markets, and away from the Fribourg facility.

In addition, strategic alliances and cooperation arrangements will be given a “different priority” in the future and investment in research and development will be made at the facilities in Fribourg, and Hamburg.

The firm stated that more priority than ever is being given to sales, customer-

based development and project management plus service and aftersales activities in Fribourg and Hamburg. The restructuring means that production will be shifted away from the facility in western Switzerland. This, the group says, may result in personnel cuts.

50% more space and room to grow even further. The site features an interactive showroom as well as improved meeting and conference facilities.

For the first time in the UK, Stäubli Connectors Division will be able to display its full range of products.

Moulders will be able to view the group’s latest quick mould change and clamping systems as well as mould connectors.

Robotics customers will be able to use dedicated demonstration cells, kitted out to simulate planned automation processes and develop optimum cycle times for Stäubli’s high performance robots.

Like most new commercial builds, the site has taken into account sustainability and environmental concerns.

Photovoltaic solar panels are being

installed on site and all facilities have been expanded to allow for more visitors.

Local building and civil engineering contractor McPhillips (Wellington) Limited has been appointed as the

principal contractor to design and build the new £1.2m industrial development.

Polytype Converting Web: www.wifag-polytype.com

UK expansion for Stäubli Stäubli UK is moving to a brand new facility within its UK headquarters of Telford. The group has been based in Telford for 25 years, locating on Stafford Park when the Robotics Division formed Stäubli Unimation, following the acquisition of the robot manufacturer, Unimation. The group’s activities concentrated on high speed, high accuracy and adaptable robotics used in industry.

Stäubli Connectors Division was formed back in 1956 providing high technology, quick release connectors used across industry in many applications including plastics moulding.

Continued market growth and the associated increase in the workforce has resulted in the need for larger premises.

This latest move provides Stäubli with 22 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

Stäubli Web: www.staubli.com

INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP PET jar wins bottlemaker’s award

Clariant Masterbatches launches Italian project center

APPE’s ThermaLite hot-fill and pasteurisable PET jar has been chosen as the winner of the Horners Bottlemakers Award for 2013.

Established in 2002, the award is run jointly by the Worshipful Company of Horners (an ancient Livery Company of the City of London) and the British Plastics Federation (BPF). It celebrates innovation in the manufacture of a plastic bottle, jar or hollow container by any process.

The ThermaLite jar can withstand filling and processing temperatures of up to 95˚C and offers food manufacturers and retailers a variety of convenience and sustainability benefits over more traditional packaging formats such as glass.

In terms of sustainability, the jar is up to 85% lighter than glass equivalents with a smaller footprint, offering savings in transport costs both before and after filling. It is also fully recyclable. In addition, the jar uses less energy during the filling process, as well as reducing noise levels and avoiding the risk of breakages on the line.

The lightweight shatterproof construction means safety and convenience throughout the supply chain and in the home. For consumers, it provides easy handling and pouring, and its standard metal twist-off closure ensures easy opening and closing.

For retailers and brand owners, meanwhile, the clarity of the PET creates on-shelf impact for a wide range of products including cooking sauces, pesto, tomato-based products, pickled vegetables, relishes, chutneys, and fruit purées, jams and spreads. Thanks to the jar’s smaller footprint compared to glass, more units can be incorporated into the same shelf space, while its shatter-

Clariant, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals, has announced that its Business Unit Masterbatches opened its first ‘Project House’ in November 2013 as part of its strategy to innovate.

The Project House is a 400m2 facility in Pogliano, Italy, which will house chemists and technicians as well as equipment, such as extrusion machinery and analytical equipment. Clariant says its key objective is “to pursue breakthrough concepts and solutions in masterbatches products and processes.” The Project House represents an investment of approximately 2 million euro.

Through this initiative Clariant is able to co-locate industry know-how and connect teams of experts from around the world. The Project House identifies strategic areas and brings together interdisciplinary, cross-functional teams of scientists, technologists, marketers, academics, and suppliers to exchange expertise and explore emerging technologies and advanced concepts that can lead market innovation. The initial focus will be on “what’s next” in Functional Packaging with its subsegments Food & Beverages, Personal Care, and Household & Cleaning.

The Project House will be fully integrated with Clariant’s Masterbatches activities globally and has strong interfaces with the other Business Units, including R&D and the company’s brand-new Innovation Center (CIC) in Frankfurt.

Introducing the Project House concept, Hans Bohnen, Head of Clariant’s Business Unit Masterbatches, said: “Clariant Masterbatches’ stated objective is to build the next level of innovation. To

resistance offers new opportunities for product placement, for example close to the chill cabinet.

“As well as demonstrating innovative and detailed product design, the judges felt that the jar showed good process innovation and control,” said David A Williams, Chairman of the Horners Awards Committee.

The ThermaLite jar has already won a number of awards this year. It was named as one of Spain’s top 100 ideas

by Actualidad Económica magazine and received two Highly Commended certifications in the Starpack Awards, in the Food, and Environment & Sustainability categories.

“The success and recognition that ThermaLite has achieved to date demonstrate the impact the jar has made on the market, providing a more modern pack format that also offers excellent branding opportunities alongside valuable sustainable and practical benefits,” said APPE’s Business Development Director Mike Hanratty.

ThermaLite is currently available in four sizes from 370ml to 720ml in round and octagonal designs, with further shapes and sizes in development.

APPE Web: www.appepackaging.com

Engel appoints new Chief Sales Officer Christian Pum, CSO of Engel Holding GmbH in Schwertberg, Austria, has resigned from his position and will leave the company at the end of this year to work in a different industry. Dr. Christoph Steger, formerly Vice President for Engel’s packaging business unit, has been appointed as the new CSO. Pum joined Engel in 1991 and has been CSO since 2006. During his time as CSO, Engel says that he has made a significant contribution to the firm’s global success. “We thank Mr. Pum for his great achievements and his commitment,” said Dr. Peter Neumann,

CEO of Engel Holding. “We regret to inform you of his departure, but of course we respect his decision and wish him good luck and all the best in his new challenges.”

Dr. Christoph Steger takes over all responsibilities from Christian Pum effective immediately. Mr. Steger joined Engel at the beginning of 2012. During his time at the helm, the group’s packaging operations have experienced substantial continuous growth.

Dr. Christoph Steger, the new Chief Sales Officer for Engel.

Engel Web: www.engelglobal.com

BASF to increase prices for butanediol and derivatives With immediate effect, or as existing contracts permit, BASF will increase its selling prices for the following products in Europe: • 1,4 Butanediol (BDO) - +50 Euro/mt • Tetrahydrofuran (THF) - +70 Euro/mt • Polytetramethylene ether glycol (PolyTHF) - +70 Euro/ mt The price adjustments reflect mainly the increase of raw material cost, the group says.

BDO and its derivatives are used for producing engineering plastics, polyurethanes, solvents and elastic spandex fibres.

THF is a high-quality intermediate that serves, for example, as a specialty solvent in the production of pharmaceuticals.

PolyTHF is used to make elastic spandex fibers for a large variety of textiles, including underwear, outerwear, sportswear and swimsuits. It also serves as a chemical building block for thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), which are used to make hoses, films and cable sheathing. Other applications include thermoplastic polyetheresters, polyetheramides and cast elastomers for the production of wheels for skateboards and inline skates.

PolyTHF is a registered trade mark of BASF Group in many countries.

BASF Web: www.basf.com

do this effectively, the company actively engages in long-term projects and breakthrough developments; partnering with customers, suppliers, leading institutes and universities to make sure promising ideas reach market maturity and are converted into real value for customers. The Project House is our masterbatches division’s brand-new approach to innovation.”

Clariant masterbatches are used in bottles, microwaveable trays, biodegradable food containers, multilayer laminate, active packaging, durable industrial drums, and tear-resistant shrink wrap.

“However,” said Bohnen, “we recognise that Clariant needs to reach beyond its current portfolio in order to create maximum value and address the significant unmet customer and market needs that exist. We are committed to generating cutting-edge products, processes and services that ensure the sustainability of the Masterbatches innovation pipeline.” He added: “Through the Project House, we can effectively address relevant customers’ needs in global markets throughout the value chain.”

Clariant Web: www.clariant.com

Fakuma filling up post-K: Italian market showing interest P.E. Schall, organiser of the Fakuma show, issued a statement saying that more than 80% of exhibition space has already been booked for the 23rd edition of the 2014 event. The news comes just under a month since K 2013 closed its doors in Düsseldorf for another three years.

Fakuma is known for its interesting location, seated deep on the southern border of Germany, where Austria and Switzerland meet. Those countries represent the biggest proportion of exhibitors, followed by Italy. P.E. Schall states that due to the current economic climate in Italy, manufacturers and are seeking out other international markets – hence the increased Italian uptake for Fakuma exhibition space.

Fakuma Web: www.fakuma-messe.de

DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 23

INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP Evonik and FKuR cement bio-based partnership Evonik Industries AG, High Performance Polymers Business Line, and FKuR Kunststoff GmbH announced a distribution agreement for Vestamid Terra during K 2013 in Dusseldorf. With immediate effect, FKuR will market, sell and distribute Evonik’s full line of biobased polyamide Vestamid Terra products worldwide.

“We value our partnership with FKuR, a specialist in the field of bioplastics promotion. We are excited to share our experiences and, combined, strengthen our expertise” said Jean-Marc Chassagne, Director Biopolymers Resource Efficiency, High Performance Polymers, Evonik.

For Edmund Dolfen, CEO of FKuR, the new distribution agreement is a consistent implementation of FKuR’s philosophy ‘Plastics - made by nature’.

“As ‘The Bioplastic Specialist’ we offer innovative solutions for all processing methods and applications for our customers’ product of choice. With Vestamid Terra we have extended our range of products with a high-tech engineering plastic. Thus, we enable our customers to open new areas of applications with biobased plastics”, stated Dolfen.

Vestamid Terra polymers are partially or entirely based on renewable feedstock.

The raw materials are the castor bean (Ricinus Communis) and its oil derivatives, which are synthesised into

BASF to divest PVC modifier business

Evonik Web: www.evonik.com

BASF has signed a contract to sell its Vinuran PVC modifier business to Kaneka Belgium N.V., a subsidiary of Kaneka Corporation, Japan. The transaction comprises intangible assets and inventory. It does not include a transfer of the production assets or employees in Ludwigshafen. Subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities, the closing of the transaction is expected to take place during the first quarter of 2014. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price or any further financial details.

The acrylate-based Vinuran PVC modifier business is not a core business for BASF. The transaction allows BASF to focus on growth of its acrylate-based dispersions portfolio. The deal represents a good strategic fit for Kaneka and will enable Kaneka to expand its services to the PVC processing industry.

Vinuran products are PVC modifiers based on acrylate that improve impact resistance and processing properties in transparent and opaque PVC applications. Vinuran-modified PVC grades are suitable for the production of dimensionally stable, weatherproof panels, films and profile sections frequently used in the construction sector.

FKuR Web: www.fkur.com

BASF Web: www.basf.com

Celstran PP-LGF and the new Fortron grades from Celanese were presented.

New light PA compounds – named AKROMID Lite/XtraLite – from AKROPLASTIC GmbH also featured in the theme.

“The visitor frequency at our trade show stand was higher than ever before, with extremely specific discussions at a very

high level. New project proposals were generated on the spot, and a large number of follow-up actions were agreed upon”, said Dr. Stephan Schnell, Managing Director of K.D. Feddersen GmbH & Co. KG.

main Italian warehouse is just outside Milan.

From now on, Nevicolor and Nexeo will both distribute in all areas of Italy, apart from Triveneto, which continues to be the responsibility of a third distributor, Arcopolimeri. With the increased covers, DSM can provide products to a larger group of customers.

Anna Mojana, Distribution Manager of

DSM Engineering Plastics in Europe, said: “These new agreements represent a win-win-win situation for us, our distributors, and our final customers,” she says. “DSM’s range of world class products will be more easily available throughout Italy for our final customers.”

monomers which form the basis of the Vestamid Terra product range. There are currently three products within this new group of polyamides available: • Vestamid Terra HS (PA610) • Vestamid Terra DS (PA1010) • Vestamid Terra DD (PA1012) Jean-Marc Chassagne (Director Biopolymers - Resource Efficiency, High Performance Polymers, Evonik) and Carmen Michels (Managing Director, FKuR) on the FKuR booth at K 2013

K.D. Feddersen adds new agents in Eurasia The K 2013 fair was not only a first for the new K.D. Feddersen distribution companies based in Vienna and Istanbul, but also for two new distribution partners whose products have been added to the distributor's portfolio.

In response to the strong increase in demand for engineering plastics throughout the Eurasian region, the distributor has put in place several new companies within a number of European countries. This step follows a successful expansion strategy implemented over recent years, as a result of which, the company is now firmly established in several locations throughout China.

With the foundation of K.D. Feddersen Teknik Polimerler Tic. Ltd. Sti., headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, the first step has been taken. The team made its first appearance on the international scene at the K 2013 trade fair and also exhibited at Plast Eurasia in Istanbul this month. Colleagues from Vienna–based K.D. Feddersen CEE GmbH who have actively been working to develop markets in Eastern Europe, as well as in Austria and Switzerland, also celebrated their trade show debut.

The field of bio-plastics is viewed by the distributor as an area where there is still potential.

“The recent cooperation with Metabolix makes solutions with bio-based polymer blends possible for our European customers. Long-fibre-reinforced biopolymers in particular are of interest to many potential new customers”, said Marc Swatosch, Director Distribution Advanced Polyolefins at K.D. Feddersen.

The new and growing partnership between K.D. Feddersen and Teijin also takes the two companies into the field of technical application segments. Teijin is a global producer of polycarbonate and polycarbonate compounds and blends.

Focussing on LED lighting and energy efficiency, the light diffusing, transparency, light reflecting and heat conducting characteristics of PC compounds from the Panlite portfolio are a key sales focus for the group.

Lightweight design and resultant reductions in CO2 emissions within the motor industry were the theme of the Feddersen Group’s joint stand with its sister company AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH and its subsidiary AF-COLOR. To complement this, new materials and methods on offer from the distributor’s portfolio including the newly developed, reduced density Hostacom PP compounds from LyondellBasell,

K.D. Feddersen Web: www.kdfeddersen.com

Distributors bring choice to DSM’s Italian customers DSM has entered into new agreements with two distributors for its engineering plastics portfolio in Italy to increase its coverage across the entire country. The move means that Italian customers (like DSM customers in other European countries) will now have a choice of distributors for their thermoplastics. The agreements with Nevicolor and Nexeo Solutions apply to the full range of 24 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

DSM’s engineering plastics products.

Nevicolor is a growing family-owned distributor based in Luzzara, not far from Parma, which previously distributed DSM products only in the Emilia-Romagna region in central Italy.

Nexeo Solutions is a pan-European distribution partner for DSM and covers the rest of the country (apart from Triveneto in the North-East). Nexeo’s

DSM Web: www.dsm.com

INDUSTRY NEWS ROUNDUP Market report: Wood and Natural Composites Wood and natural composites are finding increasing uses in applications across the industry. Typically associated with wood decking products and the extrusion process, the following report finds that certain fields are now making more use of these composites. The report was submitted by the nova-Institut of Germany.

The nova-Institute (Germany) in cooperation with Asta Eder Composite Consulting (Austria/Finland) has published the results of its study into the market for wood and natural composites.

The group found that the key application sectors are construction (decking, siding and fencing) and automotive interior parts. Between 10–15% of the total European composite market is covered

by Wood-Plastic Composites (WPC) and Natural Fibre Composites (NFC).

The first presentation of the results took place at the biggest WPC event in Europe, the Fifth German WPCConference, 10-11 December 2013, Cologne.

The market report gives the first comprehensive and detailed picture of the use and amount of wood and natural fibre reinforced composites in the European bio-based economy. The analysis covers natural fibre as well as wood-plastic composites in extrusion, injection and compression moulding in different branches and applications.

To achieve a reliable base of data, the study draws from a survey conducted in 2013 among the WPC and NFC industry, producers and customers. The rate of return was exceptionally high, especially for the WPC part of the study, more than 50% of the extruded volume produced took part in the survey – this means the study covers about 65 European WPC extruding companies in 21 countries.

The total volume of WPC production in Europe was 260,000 tonnes in 2012 (plus 90,000 tonnes Natural Fibres Composites for the automotive industry, see below). The level of market penetration of bio-based composites varies between different regions and application fields. Germany leads in terms of number of actors as well as in production figures. The typical production process in Europe is

extrusion of a decking profile based on a PVC or PE matrix. The increasing market penetration of WPC has meant that WPC volumes have risen strongly and that today, Europe has reached a mature WPC market stage. This study predicts growth especially in the Germanspeaking area on the back of a recovery in construction, especially in renovation, and a further increase of WPC share in the highly competitive decking market.

Also, variations of WPC decking models, such as capped embossed full profiles or garden fencing are on the rise across Europe.

The development in shares of applications points to a direction where WPC is increasingly used for applications beyond the traditional ones such as decking or automotive parts. For example, WPC is increasingly used to produce furniture, technical parts, consumer goods and household electronics, using injection moulding and also other processes than extrusion. Also new production methods are being developed for extrusion of broad WPC boards.

Figure 1 shows the different application fields of WPC produced in Europe. The decking market is leading with 67% (mainly extrusion), followed by automotive interior parts with 23% (mainly compression moulding and sheet extrusion as well as thermoforming). Although still smaller, siding and fencing as well as technical applications (mainly extrusion) and consumer goods and furniture (mainly injection moulding) are showing the highest increase in percentage. With increasing plastic prices, WPC granulates for injection moulding are getting more and more attractive, and are increasingly found in the product range of the European granulate suppliers.

Figure 1: Application fields of WPC in Europe in 2012 (Total production 260.000 tons, all production processes)

Figure 2: Use of Natural Fibres for Composites in the European Automotive Industry 2012, including cotton and wood (total volume 80,000 tonnes), others are mainly Jute, Coir, Sisal and Abaca; nova-Institut 2013 The report also gives an overview of the latest market development in NorthAmerica and Asia and an overview and forecast of the global WPC market situation, which has grown up to 2.5 million tonnes of production in 2012.

China has the strongest growth rates with a production volume of 900,000 tonnes in 2012 and is trying to catch up with the largest WPC production volume in the world, which takes place in North America and has grown to 1.1 million tonnes of WPC production in 2012. The share of WPC decking in the total decking market is increasing again, after a period of housing crises and WPC quality problems that have led to a shakeout of the top WPC producers.

In China, decking has the largest market share compared to other WPC applications, mainly through strong exports, although the domestic market has steeply developed in recent times.

China hosts also the largest window and door market in the world. Hence, companies lately have started to produce commercial window frames with WPC, with approximately 40% of wood fibre that substitutes PVC in combination with aluminium. China produces a large variety of WPC for indoor applications.

Another successful product is an extruded WPC door that is already produced by 30 companies.

The most dominant use of natural fibre composites by far can be found in interior parts of the automotive industry – other sectors such as consumer goods are still in the very early stages. In automotive, natural fibres composites have a clear focus on interior trims for doors for high-value doors and dashboards. Wood-Plastic Composites are mainly used in rear shelves and trims for trunks and spare wheels as well as in interior trims for doors.

Figure 2 shows the total volume of 80,000 tonnes of different wood and natural fibres used in 150,000 tonnes of composites in passenger cars and lorries, produced in Europe in 2012 (90,000 tonnes Natural Fibre Composites and 60,000 tonnes WPC). Recycled Cotton Fibre Composites are mainly used for the driver cabins of lorries.

The highest market shares are made up for in wood (European origin), recycled cotton (from the International market) and flax fibres (European origin). Compared

to the last survey for the year 2005, the shares of kenaf (from Asia) and hemp fibres (European origin) show the biggest increase in percentage.

Process-wise, compression moulding of Wood and Natural Fibre Composites is an established and proven technique for the production of extensive, lightweight and high-class interior parts in mid-range and luxury cars. Advantages (lightweight construction, crash behaviour, deformation resistance, lamination ability, depending on the overall concept, also price) and disadvantages (limited shape and design forming, scraps, cost disadvantages in case of high part integration in construction parts) are well known. Process optimisations are in progress in order to reduce certain problems such as scraps and to recycle wastage.

Since the year 2009, new improved compression moulded parts have shown impressive properties in weight reduction.

Today with the newest technology, an area weight of down to 1,500 g/m2 (with thermoplastics) and even down to 1,000 g/m2 (with thermosets) is possible.

In the EU, 15.7 million passenger cars were produced in 2011; in addition, 2 million other motor vehicles (trucks, transporter, motor bikes, etc.) were manufactured. Considering that 30,000 tonnes of natural fibres and another 30,000 tonnes of wood fibres were used in 15.7 million passenger cars, every passenger car in Europe on average contains 1.9 kg of natural fibres, respectively 1.9 kg wood fibres, so in total that makes almost 4 kg of these fibres per car.

From a technical point of view, much higher volumes are possible. Vehicles with considerably larger amounts of 20 kg natural and wood fibres have been successfully produced in series for years.

The market development also depends on the political framework: any incentive for the use of natural and wood fibres in the European automotive industry could help to extend the existing amount of 30,000 t/year for natural and wood fibres each. The vision could be an increase of up to five times, which means up to 150,000 t/year for each fibre type – the technologies are ready to use. nova-Institut GmbH Web: www.nova-institute.eu DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 25

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

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26 • WWW.EPPM.COM • DECEMBER 2013

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DECEMBER 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 27