March 2013
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4 • WWW.EPPM.COM • MARCH 2013
John Ellis, Segment Manager Polycarbonate, Bayer MaterialScience
Clive Maier, Owner and Director, Econology Ltd.
Aerospace Biopolymers
Alex Collins, Director, Vannplastics Ltd.
Regulation & Compliance
Andrew McArthur, Engineering Manager, IKO
Nigel Brown, Founding MD, Frontier Aerospace
Dr Martin Kay, Chief Consultant, Pira International
Vicki Sayer, Regulatory Manager, Colormatrix
Charmaine Bowers, Operations Manager, Polymer Training & Innovation Centre
Pipe Extrusion Recycling Micro Manufacturing
Mark Bonifacio, President, Bonifacio Consulting Services
Automotives & Compounds Home Appliances
Graeme Diston, Senior Injection Moulding Engineer, Bausch + Lomb
Jonathon Short, MD, ECO Plastics Ltd.
Andy Bone, Sales Director, Formaplex
Andrew Smith, Head of Manufacturing, Numatic International
Wire & Cable
Simon Chidgey, Director, M&H Plastics
James Goddard, Honorary Lifetime Member, Plastics Pipe Institute
Jon Herbert, Director, FS Cables
Biopolymers/Materials Science
Paul Maley, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Selex Elsag
General Industry Insight
Film & Sheet Extrusion Recycling Mould Making Packaging
Blow Moulding Construction
Martin Marron, MD, Biffa Polymers
Medical
Barry Assheton, Sales Director, CRDM
Medical
Rapid Prototyping
John Bunker, Member, Worshipful Company of Horners
Graham Pickwell, Technical Adviser, Polymer Training & Innovation Centre
Dr Terence A. Cooper, CEO, ARGO Group International
Ken Braney, 2010-2011 President, Society of Plastics Engineers
Advisor for the German & Scandinavian Speaking Countries
David Gray, Editor
Omer Kutluoglu, CEO, 2K Manufacturing
Education in the UK & Ireland
So make sure you drink enough water at work today!
Recycling
Injection Moulding
By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1 percent of its total water.
John Sturgess, Director, MG Stuma
Andrew Feilden, Principle Consultant, Smithers Rapra
Wood Plastic Composites
Welcome to the latest issue of EPPM magazine - yes, I’m opening with a letter about water. And before you think I’m running out of ideas, take a minute to read on! Water is the most commonly found substance on earth - and about 97% of it is salt water. Only 1% of it is drinkable. Humans are mostly water - so are trees. And most readers will know all of these facts (stay with me). But, did you know that injection moulding using water (Water Injection Technology) is fast being picked up by some of the biggest names in the business? I daresay many readers did know that too - but it’s very rare in my job that I get sent two pieces of news about this technology in the same week. I wondered if this could be the start of a new wave (pardon the pun) of innovation. WIT as a process is not new. It was certainly around long before I joined the industry. But most would concede that until recently it’s been a fairly niche process. Similar to gas-assisted moulding, target applications are usually hollow parts. By flowing water through the part, the concept is that thinner, more uniform wall thicknesses can be achieved. At the same time, energy savings can be made due to the inherent cooling nature of the water on the part. Engel has teamed up with PMEfluidtec of Germany, a group which has spent 12 years developing and producing systems for fluidbased injection moulding using internal pressure technology. The new partnership means that PMEfluidtec will be responsible for WIT systems and mould technology as well as service for WIT units; Engel will be responsible for adapting injection moulding machines, automation and peripheral units for the process. Entering into this collaboration shows a committment from one of the industry’s biggest players to this technology - it seems the group is laying the foundations for potential growth into this field. Similarly, on the materials side, BASF has expanded a line of polyamide grades that it produces specifically for WIT. Named Ultramid A3HG6 WIT Balance and Ultramid A3WG7 WIT, both grades are now available in commercial quantities. To my mind, the fact that a materials supplier has named an entire portfolio after the technology speaks volumes about the potential for WIT. Anyway, watch this space for more information on water injection technology - I’ve no doubt that more developments will follow. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with one last (and very important) fact:
Plastics for the Environment
Some thoughts about water...
General Industry Insight
“
from the editor
Our Editorial Advisory Board is compiled of a cross-section of the plastics industry, including processors, consultants, technicians and key industry figures.
Dr Gerd Schmaucks, Independent Consultant
cover story
MKT solves cooling problems
with insert moulding of metal parts FULL AUTOMATION PRODUCES TOP QUALITY Figure 1.
High unit counts in plastic processing can often only be achieved by a higher level of automation. The partnershipbased relationship between the processor and plant manufacturer is an important prerequisite for a solution that really meets the requirements. MKT Metall- und Kunststofftechnik GmbH is a specialist in the development and largeseries production of metal and plastic parts. In FinnentropWeringhausen, approximately 40 kilometers north of Siegen, just under 30 MKT employees produce components for the automotive industry, packaging industry as well as the medical and dental technology sectors. MKT has around 35 injection moulding machines with clamping forces of between 120 and 3500 kN. Employee-friendly production environment “Our company development is characterised by continuous profitable growth with an emphasis on social and ecological responsibility”, explained MKT Managing Director Oliver Drefs. “An employee-friendly work and production Oliver Drefs, MKT Managing environment is Director particularly important to us. After all, only healthy, motivated employees can work with full commitment.” With its special experience in the production of metalplastic assemblies, the company is able to meet high quality requirements. Distortion-free gearbox components made of PA The extensive range from MKT for the automotive sector covers gearbox ventilation, gear wheels and a large number of complex functional parts often developed in cooperation with the customer up to series maturity. The specialties of the company also include the insert moulding of metal parts. For example, a gearbox component that serves as an oil displacer and which is provided with two brass bushings. (Figure 1) This component made of nonreinforced PA66 has a continuous temperature resistance of approximately 140°C. In the short term, it even has to withstand temperatures of up to 180°C. High demands are placed on its dimensional accuracy. To prevent deformation during cooling, after demoulding (from robot) from the injection mould the relatively thick-walled part must be cooled down for 28 minutes on a cooled aluminum gauge.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
High degree of manual effort In the past, oil displacers were cooled on aluminum gauges in a water bath. However, this involved a great deal of manual effort and high cooling water consumption. Tuning the inconsistent water temperature to the cooling time proved to be difficult. The overall process was usually unstable. This resulted in fluctuating component dimensions. As the unit counts increased, MKT switched over to a time-controlled cooling gauge system with optical signal. In spite of a few improvements, the component quality did not always comply with the requirements. Excessive waste rates had a negative effect on productivity and jeopardised the scheduling. This situation was remedied only by a fully automated production cell designed to produce in three-shift operation. Systematic procedure The preparation and implementaton was carried out systematically by KraussMaffei and MKT in seven steps. The result was a production cell precisely designed for the task.
The completed plant was delivered to MKT at the end of 2011. Core components are the injection moulding machine CX 130 - 750 and the industrial robot IR 160 F/K with insertion and demoulding gripper. The robot uses the insertion gripper to place two separated brass bushings into the opened mould. (Figure 2) After the injection procedure, it demoulds the finished component and conveys it to the sprue station. An inductive measurement is then carried out to determine whether the metal bushings are in the component. The robot places the oil displacer on a free cooling gauge. (Figure 3) It then conveys another component that has reached the specified cooling time to a conveyor belt. (Figure 4) From here, the oil displacers move on to packaging. All production steps are therefore fully automatic. This enhances product quality - in particular, at the cooling station. The correct dwell time of each individual oil displacer on the cooling gauge results in high dimensional accuracy. The monotonous activity of insertion and removal at the cooling station is taken over by the robot - the workforce can be used for more demanding tasks. Manpower requirements are thus reduced and the fully automatic three-shift operation with constantly high product quality guarantees adherence to delivery dates. Flexibility ensures competitiveness “Due to full automation, we achieve unit counts of over 200,000 per annum”, stated MKT Production Manager Markus Hasenau. “Thanks to many years of experience of the interaction between injection moulding machine and automation, KraussMaffei was in a position to supply us with a production cell that met our requirements perfectly.” MKT's next project is to Markus Hasenau, MKT Production Manager supplement the manual check of the finished components with visual quality monitoring by means of a camera system. The processing of further complex moulds that are already in the development phase will also be integrated in the plant quickly and without complications with the automation solution from KraussMaffei. MKT GmbH Tel: +49 02721 9764 62 Email: o.drefs@metall-kunststoff-technik.de Web: www.metall-kunststoff-technik.de Krauss-Maffei Automation AG Tel: +49 81 22 97 82 217 Email: benjamin.weinzierl@kraussmaffei.com Web: www.kraussmaffei.com MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 5
MACHINERY
F 80 — the 800 kN hybrid model in the modular F-Series.
New machines to demo live — in your local area Every three years Ferromatik Milacron exhibits at the K Show and 2013 is no exception. This year the injection
moulding machine manufacturer will augment the industry event with its own travelling roadshow, demonstrating a hybrid F 80 and an all-electric Elektron 50. The machines will spend several days in each country in the technical centers of local offices in Spain, Italy, Denmark, and the UK. Visitors will get a chance to see demonstrations of medical and consumer goods applications, along with presentations. “The roadshow gives us a chance to introduce our machines in smaller, more personal venues, and allows our customers to engage with us directly in their own locale,” said
Toy building blocks are to be produced on the Elektron 50.
Syringe protectors are to be produced on the F 80. Gerold Schley, Managing Director at Ferromatik Milacron and Vice President of Milacron China. The modular F-Series can be configured as an all-electric, hydraulic, or hybrid machine. The F 80 on the tour has been set up as a hybrid machine: clamping and plasticising are electrically-driven, while ejection, carriage movement, and injection itself are powered by hydraulics. The machine has a clamping force of 800kN. It is equipped with an Advanced Performance APh 40 injection unit, and offers 470x470mm tie-bar spacing. It features a 64-cavity mould from Schöttli, and will demonstrate the production of syringe protectors with a cycle time of 5.8 seconds. The parts have a shot weight of 41.6g. The roadshow will also mark the debut of the second-generation Elektron in Spain, Italy, Denmark, and the UK. The all-electric machine series features a new look and brand–new controls. The touring Elektron 50 with 500kN clamping force will be outfitted with an international size 120 injection unit and will produce toy building blocks on a 20-cavity mould made by B & K Kunststoffwerke. The shot weight of the part is 36g. The parts will be made from a new biopolymer, Terez-
Elektron 50 — the 500 kN machine featuring new design and controls.
Naturegran PV 6930, developed by Livemold, which uses 70% renewable corn-based material. The material is said to be robust and meets the numerous safety requirements for children’s toys. It was recognised in the 2012 Biowerkstoff des Jahres (Biomaterial of the Year) and Bioplastics Award competitions. There is no charge for registration for the Ferromatik Milacron roadshow and spaces are still available. Visitors should contact the local organisers for each event (email addresses right).
Barcelona, Spain 20th–21st February 2013 roadshow_spain@ferromatik.com Camposampiero, Italy 7th–9th March 2013 roadshow_italy@ferromatik.com Humlebaek, Denmark 18th–21st March 2013 roadshow_denmark@ferromatik.com Chesterfield, UK 16th–17th April 2013 roadshow_uk@ferromatik.com
Welding supplier claims “breakthrough” in sealing technology for flexible packaging Rinco Ultrasonics, a manufacturer of ultrasonic welding equipment, claims to have made a “breakthrough” in technology for ultrasonic film sealing of flexible plastic packaging. The company’s new FPA series ultrasonic pouch sealing systems reportedly enable users to increase seal strength, improve aesthetics, and broaden the processing window. The FPA-4500 was designed specifically for sealing pouches with up to four and a half square inches of seal area while the FPA-4500S was created for use in duplex and triplex applications where a narrow profile is required. Rinco’s entire FPA series of ultrasonic sealing systems have been designed to replace existing heat sealing equipment on liquid filled pouch form-fill-seal (FFS) machinery or pre-made pouch systems. The systems incorporate Rinco’s patented PPS0145 seal technology. Each FPA system features a highly rigid actuator capable of rapidly generating 6 • WWW.EPPM.COM • MARCH 2013
the clamp forces required to seal pouches with minimal cycle time. “Our technology propels ultrasonic welding to an entirely new level, broadening the design and manufacturing options for OEMs and co-packers, simplifying the process, and making it less costly to operate,” said Gordon Hull, Managing Director of Rinco Ultrasonics. “The limitations of ultrasonics have been solved, making the joining system a highly useful and viable option for a range of flexible packaging applications.” Rinco claims its PPS0145 interlocking film sealing technology permits seal patterns with greater surface area than competitive ultrasonic seals, and allows production of contour-shaped seals. These seals can take almost any configuration, offering end users a range of branding options to differentiate their products, claimed Gordon Hull. The patented ultrasonic seal
technology also delivers an increase in bond strength over conventional ultrasonics. Depending upon the film used, Rinco suggests that its interlocking pattern can provide a 20%
stronger bond than conventional ultrasonic seals. Rinco Ultrasonics Web: www.rincoultrasonics.com
MACHINERY ROUNDUP Allrounders enhanced for packaging jobs Arburg has launched its new “Packaging” version for the electric and hybrid Allrounder Alldrive and Hidrive machines. The Allrounders 570 A and H feature a clamping force of 1,800 kN, Allrounders 630 A and H 2,300 kN, Allrounders 720 A and H 2,900 kN, Allrounders 820 A and H 3,700 kN and Allrounders 920 A and H 4,600 kN. The rigid, longitudinal steel machine base supports reportedly accommodate heavy mould weights and compensate for high load changes during mass movements. The FEM-optimised mounting platens combine the necessary rigidity with low weight. Together with servo-electric toggle-type clamping units, this facilitates fast opening and closing movements, leading to shorter overall cycle times. At the same time, energy recovery during braking ensures that the energy applied is used more efficiently. Energy savings of 30% can be achieved in comparison with hydraulic clamping systems. Servo-electric dosage drives offer fast operation across cycles, short dosage times and maximum productivity. The use of barrier screws ensures homogeneous melt preparation and a high material throughput. Injection involves either servo-electric or hydraulic accumulator technology via positionregulated screws. With a “dynamic filling process”, active acceleration and deceleration is possible. Together with higher injection speeds of up to 500 mm/s, this enables the short injection times which are required for packaging applications. If production sequences need further optimisation, injection can be started simultaneously with the “mould closing” movement as standard. Once again, the aim here is to reduce the cycle times in order to achieve high productivity in manufacturing. For the production of thin-walled items and screw caps, special features are available which enable the Allrounders to be adapted to the particular application.
The hybrid Allrounder 720 H in the “Packaging” version meets the high demands of the packaging sector.
Thin-walled IML containers can be produced in under five seconds.
Equipment for producing thin-walled items includes preparations for connecting an external in-mould labelling system or other removal system. In addition, the extension of the robotic system interface enables the robotic system to advance as the mould opens. For screw-cap production, a servoelectric ejector with hydraulic booster function is available. This reduces problems during demoulding, even with shrunk-on closures. Dropping of the moulded parts can be adjusted with precision to keep the mould opening times short. Higher screw circumferential speeds enable correspondingly short dosage times. Arburg Tel: +49 7446 333259 Email: contact@arburg.com Web: www.arburg.com
MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 7
MACHINERY ROUNDUP ‘One-stop-shop’ for mould makers sees strong growth
One analyser offers multiple measurements
After extending its range of products, Meusburger, a ‘onestop-shop’ for the mould and tools industry, was able to increase its turnover to €148m in 2012. The group reports this as an increase in turnover of 14.5% compared to the previous year. According to the management, this result is mainly due to new markets in the tool and mould making sector. “We are the reliable partner for tool and mould making and offer our customers top service and the widest choice of products. Our customers are already enjoying the benefits of our large warehouse which ensures permanent availability of our products and very short lead times”, said Guntram Meusburger, Managing Director. The figure for the past business year was a record turnover for the group. In addition to consumables and cutting tools, the product range now also includes surface finishing tools. Meusburger adapts its product range for applications in tool and mould making and claims to offer high quality with short delivery times. The customer can save time and money, according to Meusburger, because there are fewer suppliers to approach for individual components. In 2013, Meusburger will extend its
Precision instrumentation specialist Mettler Toledo has announced the launch of its latest Excellence Dynamic Mechanical Analyser DMA 1. This analyser offers six different deformation modes to more accurately gauge material performance. The equipment is able to handle multiple dynamic and static measurements to characterise viscoelasticity, glass transition, softening, crystallisation, phase transformation and more. DMA 1 is said to be useful for both academic and manufacturing labs that handle different types of materials under tight budget and time constraints. Researchers can set the sample arm and analysis head at multiple angles based on sample nature and geometry. Adjustment of the sample arm, without having to calibrate in between configurations, means samples of many shapes and sizes can be processed in quick succession. Rapid cooling to as low as -190˚C with minimal liquid nitrogen consumption also helps improve sample throughput, reduce costs, and improve operator safety. A high-end temperature range of 600˚C further increases the DMA 1 application range. A key feature of the DMA 1 is its linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) which measures changes in length over a measurement range of ± 1mm with a mean resolution of 2nm. Fitted near the
8 • WWW.EPPM.COM • MARCH 2013
The specialist for tool and mould making is extending its product range. product range and invest large sums in the extension of its headquarters in Vorarlberg, Austria. The company says it plans to invest about €8m, not including machinery, in the largest extension building in its history. A new, three-storey factory building will be built in the north of the premises to consolidate Meusburger’s central manufacturing and shipping plant. About 100 new jobs will be created. “This extension building is called for by the ongoing expansion of sales markets and the resulting increase in turnover”, said Guntram Meusburger, Managing Director. The project is already being implemented, and completion of the new building is scheduled for the end of 2013. Meusburger Tel: +43 55 74 67 060 Web: www.meusburger.com
sample to minimise influence of measuring system deformation, this resolution improves the accuracy of time lag/phase shift measurement between the force and displacement to help manufacturers more precisely determine how a particular material will behave in its manufactured context for better performance and reduced rework. The DMA 1 also offers the critical ability to operate in liquids or at specific relative humidity levels. A humidity chamber/generator and circulating heat bath allow measurements under optimum conditions in every deformation mode. Mettler Toledo Tel: +44 116 235 7070 Email: globalsalesandservice@mt.com Web: uk.mt.com
MACHINERY ROUNDUP Dry cooler boosts start-up moulder with 90% savings Process cooling specialist IsoCool has supplied an energy saving cooling solution to start-up injection moulder, Signal Plastic Components, resulting in a dramatic overnight saving of 90% on previous costs. Installed last September, IsoCool’s ADCOOLER adiabatic dry cooler was provided on a 12-month interest free loan for Signal Plastic Components, a company which is expanding rapidly after a successful first year in business. Signal Plastic Components currently operates six presses at its factory in the UK, where it manufactures plastic injection mouldings for a variety of industries. Historically, these machines were cooled to the required 20˚C by a traditional refrigeration chiller, which was specified and installed by another cooling company. However, high energy costs quickly led Managing Director of Signal Plastic Components, Alan Franklin, to question the efficiency of the system. “My expertise is in plastics manufacturing, not cooling, but even I could see that the running costs were too high,” he said. “I called in IsoCool after receiving a recommendation for their services and am really glad I did — they reviewed the set up and independently confirmed that we were poorly advised by our previous supplier on the type and positioning of the system.” To maximise the efficiency of the cooling system, IsoCool proposed to replace the chiller with the ADCOOLER, an intelligent adiabatic dry cooler that switches
automatically between dry and wet bulb operation according to the ambient temperature and humidity. “Essentially, the ADCOOLER functions as an air blast cooler during low ambient conditions, providing up to 100% direct air cooling, and an adiabatic cooler when the ambient is higher than the set point temperature,” explained Nigel Hallett, Managing Director of IsoCool. “As a result it is far more efficient than a traditional chiller, which has a much higher installed power.” According to Alan, the predicted savings on running costs provided reason enough to proceed with the replacement: “I was very surprised at how reasonable IsoCool’s price was, and the energy savings made it a no-brainer — but what really impressed me was the service,” he added. “Nigel was incredibly supportive of us as a new business, taking into account cash flow and upfront costs. He gave us a 12-month interest-free loan on the ADCOOLER unit, which is great as the savings we make on running costs help to pay the loan back. We also required pipework, but rather than try to win the business for IsoCool, which he could have done, Nigel suggested that we use our inhouse skills to build it. He even advised us on what to buy.” Signal Plastic Components installed the ADCOOLER, a process which Alan described as “dead simple. It was literally a case of plugging it into the mains, connecting water, and switching it on. It worked first time and couldn’t have been more quick and easy.”
IsoCool’s ADCOOLER adiabatic dry cooler. The recent cool weather meant that the ADCOOLER ran in free cooling mode immediately, consuming only minimal power to run the fans. “As soon as we switched the ADCOOLER on our cooling costs went down by over 90%. And as long as the weather is below 20˚C, which it is most of the time up north, we’ll be making huge savings. Even in summer our energy usage is going to be far lower as we’ll be running on the adiabatic system — it’s a win-win situation for us,” explained Alan. “We’re saving over £500 a month on energy bills at the moment, which makes a big difference to a small, growing company,” he continued. “We’ve been able to invest back into the business, and thanks to being more cost-efficient, enjoyed a brilliant last quarter — we won some really big automotive contracts,
moved to bigger premises and employed more staff. In fact we’ve already taken another free-standing chiller from IsoCool to work with a special application that requires mould cooling below 10˚C. I really can’t see myself using any other cooling specialist now.” Nigel concluded: “Supplying an energy saving solutions is always rewarding, no matter what company we work with, but to see the impact that it can have on a young company is really exciting. We’re really delighted to be part of Signal Plastic Components’ story, and we look forward to seeing such a dedicated company grow.” IsoCool Ltd Tel: +44 1376 328455 Email: info@isocool.ltd.uk Web: www.isocool.ltd.uk
MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 9
MACHINERY ROUNDUP Cleaning and maintenance available for injection moulders Industrial finishing equipment manufacturer Guyson International offers plastic injection moulders a package of maintenance cleaning equipment for moulds, dies and injection screws. Cleaning contaminations from injection tooling, without dimensional change to the geometry or degradation of the mould material itself, is vital to maintaining optimum performance according to Guyson. The group offers numerous dry blast and ultrasonic cleaning options. The process starts with test and evaluation, which includes process trials. Prospective customers are encouraged to submit sample components for free feasibility testing in the company’s
development workshop. Once the injection moulds or injection mould screws arrive at Guyson they are taken to the test facility to undergo a comprehensive series of cleaning procedures to ascertain whether blasting — without dimensional change, or ultrasonic cleaning is the best solution. This recommendation is not only based on the most appropriate cleaning method but also takes into consideration component size and weight, throughput volumes, factory space availability, budget, health and safety and environmental issues. Once a recommendation is made a quote is issued and this is progressed through the sales channel with local
visits and consultations from Guyson’s team of sales engineers. Ultrasonic cleaning is used for removing tough, burnt-on residues from mould faces or degreasing and cleaning assembled moulds without the need for mould disassembly. This cleaning without the need for stripping can sometimes offer an advantage over dry blasting methods. Users can choose between Kerry KS and UCR tanks. The difference being that UCR models offer an integrated second tank used for rinsing and hand spray nozzle for rinsing off the part. Numerous standard size options are available for both models and special sizes can be made to order. All are
constructed using AISI 316L polished stainless steel tanks for durability, whilst Kerry Pulsatron ultrasonic generators ensure powerful parts cleaning and long equipment life. The injection moulds are placed in the steel constructed basket and then gently lowered into the cleaning tank. Very heavy moulds may need a supporting grill lower floor inside the tank to help support their weight. The cleaning time is then selected in the membrane keypad and the LCD panel displays the temperature and time set by the user, the time elapsed since the start of the cleaning process, and the status of the power supply, heater and ultrasonics. Guyson’s Kerry KS ultrasonic tanks have been designed to use safe aqueous solutions. Ultrasonic transducers bonded to the tank base provide high performance and reliability together with uniform distribution of the ultrasonic energy but if high degrees of loose contaminant is encountered during trials – side mounted transducers may be recommended to provide more effective cleaning – as the loose soil dropping to the base of the tank can reduce base mounted transducer effectiveness under certain conditions. Transducer frequency is factory tuned to the individual tank/transducer combination and then optimised under normal usage conditions with frequency sweep and fully automatic tuning. Ultrasonic cleaning takes place directly on the component surface and in the crevices and injection holes. The actual ultrasonic cleaning action is created by something called ‘Cavitation’ — where millions of miniscule cleaning bubbles are generated by alternating pressure waves created in the wash solution. These waves create cavitational bubbles which grow and then implode when at an optimum size, producing an extremely high energy scrubbing action that imparts the cleaning. Sometimes, depending on substrate and maintenance cleaning regimes, blast cleaning is a better option than ultrasonic cleaning for injection mould cleaning. Guyson uses its Euroblast range of pressure-fed blast cabinets for these jobs. Blasting allows localised attention to particularly troublesome areas where residue material builds up most and provides controlled aggressive cleaning without the harmful effects, both to the dies and operators, which some manual cleaning methods can inflict. Blast cleaning is also highly capable of removing hardened residue 10 • WWW.EPPM.COM • MARCH 2013
MACHINERY ROUNDUP Rotary claw vacuum pumps offer significant cost savings
Mould cleaning equipment from Guyson.
plastic from case hardened steel injection mould screws. The Guyson Euroblast PF (pressure fed) systems are designed for speed, giving faster cleaning times (up to four times faster than suction fed venturi systems) to meet higher production requirements. Pressure feed blast systems are used for removing tough, hard scale and deposits, particularly in hard-to-reach recessed areas and complex shapes. As a result of the speed of the blasting process, maintenance cleaning can take place on a more frequent basis so lessening the inevitable process build-up of residual plastics on the steel injection mould screws. The blast media used is a specialist plastic blast media sold by Guyson, that is aggressive enough to remove the residue, but without causing any damage to the precision screw threads. Blasting takes place in a well illuminated sealed cabinet, so the operator is not exposed to any hazardous debris flying about, cuts from knives or wire brushes or odours and spills from acid baths. The plastic blast media is fired at the encrusted screw threads or die by a high impact stream of air generated from a Guyson G27 (27 litre) pressure pot and directed at the point of impact through a blast nozzle, so precise cleaning can take place exactly where it is needed. A standard blast system also includes a cyclone separator and dust collector. The cyclone separator maintains a consistent grit size with the media stream to achieve consistent roughness level. The Guyson 75/16 cyclone separator creates a vortex of air that carries the heavier re-usable particles to the outside of the rotating air stream which collect in a storage hopper ready to be re-used, whilst the lighter remaining dust, fines and undersize media are separated and collected in the Guyson C400 cartridge dust collector for disposal. Additional machine options include side loading platforms equipped with turntables so that heavy moulds can be mechanically lifted onto the turntable and then slid into the cabinet for blasting, whilst allowing rotation of the product. Or alternatively a roof slot option is available so that heavy items can be positioned directly into the cabinet whilst suspended on chains. Guyson Tel: +44 1756 799911 Email: info@guyson.co.uk Web: www.guyson.co.uk
Vacuum pump and blower manufacturer Busch (UK) Limited is highlighting the benefits of its Mink rotary claw range of vacuum and over pressure pumps, which it claims can offer cost savings of up to 60% for some users. Designed for applications in plastic manufacturing, among others, Mink is said to offer high efficiency, noncontacting operation with low maintenance. Variable speed control to match pumping speed end pressure and flow to process demand is a feature of the design which provides flexibility for the user. Mark Sumnall, UK Sales Director for Busch (UK) Limited, said: “Our Mink range has proved to be extremely successful as it operates using the tried and tested rotary claw principle and works contact and oil free, which significantly reduces wear and tear. “Savings can therefore be made in terms of both maintenance and energy consumption. With energy prices seeming to be continuously on the rise and with budgets being squeezed, Mink offers a highly economic choice when selecting vacuum or pressure conveying equipment. “To demonstrate these savings, we have developed a dedicated comparison microsite where customers can visit and see for themselves the kind of cost savings that can be achieved. Those interested in finding out more can go to www.save-with-mink.co.uk.” The Mink series is available with suction capacities of 60 to 500 m³h and provides pressure differentials of up to -
0.9 bar (g) vacuum and 2 bar (g) over pressure. Larger volume flows can also be generated by connecting single pumps or compressors in parallel arrangements or using mechanical boosters. It operates with two rotary claws rotating in opposite directions within a cylinder with no contact between either the claws or the casing. Mark Sumnall explained: “The compression chamber is divided into two parts, the first is an enlarging chamber on the suction side drawing in air which works with a decreasing chamber on the discharge side to compress and discharge the process gas. “The exact rotation of both claws is carefully controlled by a synchronised drive, but in contrast to roots blowers, the Mink rotary claw pump works with internal compression.” Mink is driven by three phase motors, which, when used for frequency controlled operation, are equipped with PTC thermistors. It is also air cooled via a separate additional electric fan and reportedly has the ability to adapt to the process by speed control which can result in an energy saving or increase of conveying power by up to 20%. Busch describes the roller bearings as
being robust in construction and that the shaft sealing between the compression chamber and the gearbox is effected by labyrinth seals, which means no contamination of the gearbox/seal chamber by process gas is possible. The Mink is equipped with a number of important accessories as standard. These include suction air filter, vacuum relief valve, non-return valve and exhaust gas silencer for suction conveying. Mink’s pressure conveying features include an inlet silencer combined with a suction air filter, pressure relief valve to protect against overload and a pressure side vessel to enable pulsation reduction and non-return valve. Busch (UK) Limited Tel: +44 1952 677432 Email: sarah.burton@busch.co.uk Web: www.busch.co.uk
Big anniversary for Swedish automation group Wemo Automation AB celebrated the inauguration of its new production building and the company’s 25th corporate anniversary in the latter half of 2012. The company states that during this quarter century of business, it has supplied over 3,000 handling units, ranging from both standard, complex and custom-made automation solutions. Wemo’s range of products includes three different construction series. At the core is the Basic 2 Series, offered in eight sizes for injection moulding machines with clamping forces ranging from 250 to 40,000kN and with supporting force ranging from 5 to 75kg. Depending on model, the maximum length of the X-axis is 420 to 2,000mm, the maximum length of the Y-axis is between 1,200 and 3,000mm, and the maximum length of the Z-axis is between 2,200 and 8,000mm. Wemo states the product range is enhanced with the High Speed Series for packaging and thin-wall technology. These extremely fast robots are said to guarantee a cycle time of below 3.5 seconds. The linear robots work in all three axes with servo motor drives, which are said to be more accurate and faster. Owing to the higher speed and acceleration compared with conventional systems, the part removal times and therefore the cycle times are shorter. Wemo Web: www.wemo.se MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 11
MACHINERY ROUNDUP System integrator takes risks out of complex plastics project Injection moulding equipment manufacturer Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has completed a challenge set by interconnect products manufacturer Molex Ireland. The complex project, annual multimillion production of a 2shot rugged sealed connectors for a new energy saving pump from Grundfos, would open up a new global market for Molex and enable the group to target the industrial multi-components rugged sealed connector market. System integrator Sumitomo (SHI) Demag was one of the technology partners chosen by Molex for this entirely new manufacturing process which included two multi-cavity bespoke innovative 2-shot direct gate hot runner moulds (to make the connector cover and insert in a single mould process) management of 750 and 850 glow wire materials with a strong bond to a second shot sealing material, plus a fast and efficient multi-component 350 tonne injection moulding machine. This would support Molex in its development of scientific expertise in materials capability relating to accurate bonding and product integrity and enable the parts manufacturer to meet initial production deadlines within six months of design freeze. “We were confident that Sumitomo (SHI)
Demag could provide the right equipment as they had a successful installation base of multi-component injection moulding equipment worldwide,” said Process Engineer Donal Costello, who continued: “but more importantly we needed them to work effectively as technology partners with the other stake holders of this project. It was their extensive network of very competent and innovative experts along with their Irish based service technician and 24 hour hotline telephone support, plus their ability to help us turn this challenging project around in the short timeframe, which set them apart from their competitors.” Sumitomo (SHI) Demag was able 2-shot rugged sealed connector made by Molex for Grundfos (x 3 images) to provide sample parts by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag provided a both capable and reliable. Sumitomo borrowing a similar machine from an solution which took the project from an (SHI) Demag in conjunction with the existing customer for a two week period idea into production, providing a other stakeholders Hofmann, Manner & to run the moulds. compact and flexible machine enabling John Goff really helped us to de-risk the Demag reduced the risk of delays by Molex to target the rugged sealed entire project, this clearly demonstrates sending the machine to the mould industrial connector market. Donal said: the importance of picking the correct makers before it went to Molex. Donal “This project involved a new customer, technology partners.” added: “The install team worked for 24 hours a day over the Christmas period to new product type and a new sector for Molex globally — we had to be 100% Sumitomo Demag have the machine in production on time confident that our chosen partners could Tel: +44 1296 739500 – this really was a fantastic deliver a manufacturing solution that was Web: uk.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu achievement.”
Mould release agents save time and cut costs At the recent International Rubber Conference 2013 in Paris from 20th-22nd March 2013, chemicals specialist Chem-Trend presented its portfolio of conventional and semi-permanent monocoat and branded mould release agents. Chem-Trend’s focal point at this year’s IRC was the newly developed waterbased mould release agents for complex rubber compounds. Chem-Trend says the compounds increase productivity as a result of reduced consumption of release agents, significantly lower scrap rates, as well as longer mould operating life due to reduced mould contamination. “The development of continuously more complex rubber compounds for use in specialised applications necessitate a constant advancement in the development of mould release agents in
order to ensure their compatibility with the rubber compounds in question”, said Erik Thilloy, Account Sales Manager Rubber, Chem-Trend France. In addition to the growing demands on the mechanical properties of rubber compounds, production standard requirements are increasing, resulting in lower fault-tolerance levels and shorter production cycles. The changed production parameters, such as higher process temperatures and moulding pressures, also pose a challenge for the development of mould release agents, according to Chem-Trend. High quality mould release agents carefully selected to match the specific process not only help to separate the moulded products from their moulds, but can also help to protect the mould
Chem-Trend has developed water-based mould release agents for complex rubber compounds, for use in parts such as moulded gaskets. and enable the elastomer to quickly and evenly flow and fill the mould. Chem-Trend’s European Material Compliance Management monitors the observation of legal requirements and ensures compliance with REACH regulations. Customers purchasing their
products from any European Chem-Trend facility therefore bear no responsibility for REACH registration. Chem-Trend GmbH Tel: +49 8142 417 1196 Web: www.chemtrend.com
High performance shelf mounted robot benefits injection moulders Stäubli Robotics has introduced a sixaxis shelf mounted robot into its range of four-axis and six-axis robots specifically designed for the plastics market. The TX340 SH can be mounted on top of an injection moulding machine and is said to deliver excellent reach and payload capability; increasing production flexibility and providing a smaller footprint than conventional gantry robots. Stäubli states its six-axis robots are ideal for injection moulding applications, as not only can they provide high speed demoulding but, with six degrees of freedom, are able to perform many secondary operations at the side of the moulding machine, such as desprueing, part inspection, assembly tasks and packaging – usually all within the machine’s moulding cycle. Stäubli’s robot range has been developed in close co-operation with end users in the plastics market to ensure that the robots are responsive and easy to use, meeting 12 • WWW.EPPM.COM • MARCH 2013
all the demanding real-time operational requirements of injection moulding. The latest introduction to the range is the TX 340 SH, a shelf mountable, sixaxis robot that can be positioned on top of the IMM. Stäubli states mounting on top of the IMM reduces the cell footprint and allows the robot to operate effectively on both sides of the machine. The robot can handle payloads up to 165kgs and has a reach of 3680mm, making it suitable for most moulding shop tasks. Designed with IP65 protection, this machine can reportedly operate at speeds up to 12 metres/second while still maintaining a repeatability of +/0.1mm over its full working envelope. Stäubli states the economic benefits of automation by using six-axis robots have never been clearer. While labour rates continue to rise and availability of skills provides on-going difficulties, the real cost of robots has been decreasing. Payback times of 18 months and less
With a reach of 3680mm and payload capacity of 165kgs the TX340 is suitable for most moulding shop tasks.
The TX340 SH 6-axis robot is suitable for shelf mounting on injection moulding machines.
are achievable through increased productivity and reduced wastage of materials, in addition to the benefits of operator safety.
Stäubli Robotics www.staubli.com/en/robotics
MACHINERY SPOTLIGHT eppm
MATERIALS HANDLING
Motancolortronic of Germany, a manufacturer of systems for sustainable raw materials handling for injection moulders, blow moulders, extruders and compounders demonstrated the latest version of its Ultrablend 95 gravimetric batch dosing and mixing unit during the recent Medtec show in Stuttgart, Germany. The Ultrablend 95 can benefit manufacturers of thermoplastic medical devices, according to motan. The processing of raw material compounds that are sometimes extremely expensive in hygienically clean operations (possibly also in cleanrooms) into medical primary packaging, components, implants, instruments and equipment requires the highest levels of cleanliness, precision and cost discipline. The medical device moulder Aero Pump GmbH, headquartered in Hochheim, Germany, has more than 50 of the systems in use on injection moulding machines. The company supplies more than 140 million dosing and
KEEPING IT CLEAN AND CLINICAL AT MEDTEC
atomising units annually throughout the world. The gravimetric Ultrablend blender has been developed for dosing and mixing of free-flowing raw materials – plastic granulates and additives. It reportedly improves process quality and stability and makes its own contribution towards minimising production costs. Made with electropolished stainless steel, the design places emphasis on clear functions, minimum maintenance and easy operation in a hygienically clean production environment. The Ultrablend 95 is especially suitable for precise dosing of extremely small amounts of material directly into the injection moulding, extrusion or blow moulding machine. A maximum of four raw material components can be dosed by weight, one after the other, precisely as required by the recipe. They are then mixed together homogeneously in the downstream mixing chamber (4.5 litres volume) and fed into the feed throat of the processing machine. The minimum dosing amount is 3g per component (900g lot size). motan-colortronic gmbh Tel: +49 7562 760 Email: motan.ger.s@motan.de Web: www.motan-colortronic.com
ProTec Polymer Processing will make its inaugural appearance as an exhibitor at Chinaplas with its OHL tumble reactor, a rotation reactor that can be heated and evacuated. The PET treatment process involves decontaminating the pellets of any volatile pollutants while at the same time allowing post-condensation. The recycled PET produced by the OHL process has an acetaldehyde content of ≤ 1 ppm and repoprtedly exhibits material properties just like virgin PET product. Through the precise control of the temperature, vacuum and time, the pellets in the OHL tumble reactor – which can be recyclates or virgin products – are individually processed based on technical requirements and customer demands. This means that during the post-condensation of polyesters, even intrinsic vicosity values of ≥ 1.2 dl/g (which may be required in some technical applications) can be achieved. As well as treating PET both for the production of high-quality rPET and
FULL RANGE OF HANDLING EQUIPMENT TRAVELS EAST
for the post-condensation of new PET, the OHL tumble reactor can also be used to carry out decontamination and post-condensation of other polyesters such as PBT or PEN in addition to polyamides (PA6, PA66, among others). It is also still used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry for the drying of pelletshaped products. ProTec says that the regulated batch process always delivers consistent product characteristics (material viscosity, cleanliness). ProTec Polymer Processing GmbH Tel: +49 6251 770610 Email: info@sp-protec.com Web: www.sp-protec.com
MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 13
MACHINERY SPOTLIGHT eppm
MATERIALS HANDLING
Wittmann Battenfeld has recently helped UKbased Bespak to build upon its recent production successes and has supplied materials handling equipment for an expansion of the company’s moulding operations. Bespak recently expanded its clean room moulding facility, principally to increase its production of metered dose dispensers. The group supplies several hundred million polymer-based medical and pharmaceutical products to its clients around the globe. The expansion required installation of seven injection moulding machines in a new clean room environment. Wittmann Battenfeld UK was selected to provide the materials handling, drying and blending equipment together with all necessary robots and automation. The Drymax 100 dryer has been equipped with dewpoint measuring to ensure consistant drying and three Silmax hoppers (2 x 150l and 1 x 30l) mounted on a common frame. The Silmax hoppers are also equipped
MATERIALS HANDLING MAKES IT IN MEDICAL
14 • WWW.EPPM.COM • MARCH 2013
with Smart Flow intelligent air distribution valves. These automatically adjust to differing throughputs of material flow and also prevent over cooking of materials. The Drymax was sized for optimum drying and providing dry air, which was used to convey the materials over the lengths of pipework to the moulding machines, and purge valves were fitted to pipe runs to ensure material was not left sitting in pipes after conveying. Wittmann Battenfeld set a precedent in the Bespak production environment by stating a kWatt usage per kilo of material on the front of each dryer. “Wittmann sets great store in our leadership for low-energy materials dryers,” said Barry Hill. “And we are very clear about pledging that performance to the customer in every dryer sale that we make.” Each new Bespak moulding machine was also equipped with a B series loader sized for the appropriate machine throughput. Bespak’s new Wittmann hopper loaders do not use a ‘flap and switch’. Instead they utilise a bell shaped shut off which is pneumatically powered in order to give complete seal of the material flow. This configuration is said to be suited for clean rooms.
The Wittmann M7.2 control using CAN Bus was linked to all of the equipment including pumps and filters for easy configuration and for visual display of all functions and alarms. Bespak dryers linked to the M7.2 therefore give a visual display of all functions of the drying cycle such as dessicant regeneration. On commissioning, a material menu is automatically produced and all drying temperatures and drying times are set. This automatically prevents any given material being used until its drying time is complete. Temperatures are also preset from the initial M7.2 menu, thereby eliminating operator errors and maintaining quality. System expansions and/or setting modifications are very simple using the M7.2 control and fresh data can be downloaded to be used in various
Wittmann Battenfeld supplies a wide range of materials handling and automation equipment to the industry. formats. Hill said: “The M7.2 system continues to lead the industry and is designed to be as easy in use as possible. We know that the software gives the moulding customers complete monitoring, control and peace of mind as well as energy and material savings.” The plant monitoring function of the Wittmann 7.2 system enables Bespak plant managers to view the materials feed and handling situation on each moulding machine in real time. Wittmann Battenfeld GmbH & Co.KG Tel: +49 2354 720 Email: info@wittmann-group.com Web: www.wittmann-group.com
MACHINERY
SHOWCASE RECYCLING EQUIPMENT Positive EFSA opinions for PET recycling process The European Food Safety Agency EFSA has issued its opinion of recycling specialist Starlinger’s PET iV+ technology, designed for recyclers of PET. In August and December 2012 EFSA published the first opinions on food safe PET recycling processes which will serve as a base for the authorisation of recycling processes by the European commission and the member states. The opinions reportedly posted positive evaluations of all recyclers who produce recycled PET pellets using the Starlinger recoSTAR PET iV+ technology or the recoSTAR PET FG technology. The challenge test results for the cleaning efficiency of the Starlinger PET recycling process honed in on five specified surrogates: toluene, chloroform, phenyl cyclohexane, benzophenone and lindane. The results reportedly came in far above the thresholds specified by EFSA, meaning that the process is not considered to raise any safety concerns if operated under welldefined and controlled conditions. The evaluation of the process is based on data obtained in challenge tests provided by Starlinger recycling technology. The same data were also used in 2007 for obtaining the NonObjection-Letter from the US FDA. While the challenge tests are usually carried out with washed flakes, Starlinger performed the challenge tests under “worst case” conditions. In the four-stage recycling process, heavily contaminated unwashed PET flakes were processed. Despite the high contamination the process is shown to achieve a cleaning efficiency that lies well above the EFSA thresholds.
values published by EFSA are results obtained from tests with washed flakes. The challenge tests are carried out by independent test facilities such as Fraunhofer Institute, Germany, TNO, Netherlands, or OFI, Austria, who are commissioned by the technology provider and/or the recycling companies. The obtained results are forwarded by the respective applicants as part of the petition to EFSA for evaluation. The test procedure for the recoSTAR PET iV+ technology was as follows: Step 1: Conventionally hot washed flakes are contaminated with the surrogates • Normal case scenario – contaminated flakes are washed again • Worst case scenario – contaminated flakes are processed unwashed Step 2: The contaminated flakes (washed or unwashed) are processed at a rate of 100% without dilution (i.e. adding noncontaminated flakes) – no mixing of flakes or homogenisation • In order to prove FIFO (first-in, firstout) processing, contaminated flakes have a different colour, in this case green. • To be able to run a small challenge test batch (about 80–100kg) the pilot plant also has to process a certain amount of clean flakes to allow stable production. Those flakes are transparent so that at the end the pellets produced from contaminated flakes (green) can be distinguished from those produced from clean flakes (transparent). • No dilution takes place. Only pellets produced from contaminated flakes (green) are used for analysing the quantity of residual surrogates or calculating the cleaning efficiency. Step 3: Analysis of super cleaned rPET pellets. Relevant are results regarding residual surrogates (ppm) and decontamination efficiency (%) relative to input contamination.
The super cleaned rPET pellets. Starlinger has also carried out a challenge test with contaminated washed flakes, which is the input material recyclers usually deal with. In this case, four of five surrogates show a cleaning efficiency of 99.9%. Lindane (non-volatile/non-polar) shows a cleaning efficiency of 99.9% where the EFSA threshold requires 89.67%. Both challenge test results illustrate the decontamination capacity of the recoSTAR PET iV+ technology (Table 1). Most of the other decontamination
In both scenarios the Starlinger recoSTAR PET iV+ process reaches the required EFSA cleaning efficiency according to the defined criteria. Contamination concentration in the PET flakes are modelled corresponding to a migration after 365 days storage at 25°C, and the material does not exceed dietary exposure of 0.025 µg/kg body weight/day. Starlinger & Co. Ges.m.b.H. Tel: +43 1 59955 0 Email: recycling@starlinger.com Web: www.recycling.starlinger.com
MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 15
MACHINERY
SHOWCASE The Corema system.
RECYCLING EQUIPMENT Recycling and compounding systems combined The ‘Corema’ system is a new upcycling concept from recycling machinery specialist Erema. The development is based on the idea of processing inexpensive recycling raw material to make customised plastic compounds in a single step without intermediate cooling. The combined recycling and compounding system is designed to assist recyclers with material production, and benefit compounders in terms of raw material procurement. The compounding technology comes from Coperion. Inexpensive recycling raw material (e.g. PP non-wovens, PE edge trim, PA fibres etc.) is converted to filtered melt using the Erema technology. In the cutter/compactor, this material is cut, homogenised, heated, dried and buffered. The preheated material is processed by a single-screw extruder and cleaned in the fullyautomatic, self-cleaning filter. The melt then goes directly into the co-rotating twin-screw extruder from Coperion. In addition to a wide variety of additives, large quantities of fillers and reinforcing
agents can also be admixed. “We made a conscious decision in favour of Coperion as a partner. This company has a wealth of experience in the production of compounds and the twin-screw extruders are made in such a modular way that they can be adapted for any individual job. And the same applies to our recycling system,” said Manfred Hackl, one of two CEOs at Erema. “Together we are convinced that with this combined technology customers can take another step in the value added chain and turn waste into new products in an economic way.” Corema systems can be supplied for loads ranging from 300kg/h up to 4t/h. The Erema cutter/compactor can be used for a wide variety of recycling jobs and applications. Hackl said: “We are of the opinion that Corema is the ideal system not only to process inexpensive mixed fractions such as PET/PE with additives, but also to produce a compound with 20% talcum out of PP nonwoven waste, for example.” As well as being used in the electrical and construction industry,
Value added. The specialists in plastic recycling systems. COREMA® – Recycling & Compounding in a single step
Choose the Number One.
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PP/talcum compounds are used mainly for white household goods and in the automotive industry. Dutch firm Rodepa Plastics B.V has been operating two Erema recycling systems for a number of years and says it has noticed increasing customer demand for filled recyclates over an extended period. Mark Langenhof of Rodepa explained: “This is why we looked very closely into compounding and had a look at what machines were available on the market. When we heard that Erema covers this topic with their own product line we contacted them straight away. The recycled material is processed and filtered in the robust and proven cutter/compactor single-screw system. The clean melt then moves
directly to the twin-screw unit which is available for a wide variety of compounding tasks. All in all you can expect outstanding energy efficiency from this process. Besides this it is also important for us to have a strong partner by our side, especially in this field.” Currently, Rodepa uses production PP for injection moulding applications – also in the automotive sector – and LDPE for film applications. In the future, however, the company intends to process more post-consumer material. Erema Tel: +43 732 3190 0 Email: erema@erema.at Web: www.erema.at
MACHINERY
SHOWCASE RECYCLING EQUIPMENT “Friction machine” is a green, clean dream Equipment supplier Amut has patented a friction washer system which it claims guarantees the complete elimination of impurities from recycled PET by using a continuous, carefully controlled process. The group also claims that the system is capable of reducing water consumption by two thirds compared to other cleaning systems, using one litre of water per kilogram of PET. The friction washer system is designed to remove labels, glue, residues of organic substances and surface dirt. The machine is fed directly from an external screw conveyor, which transports the material to be processed and then discharges it. Once inside, the PET is washed with hot water and chemicals, soda and detergent. The
soda is used to attack organic soils, while the detergent prevents glue and pollutant from redepositing on the surface of the flakes. The operation of the machine is automatic and continuous, which means that the same quantity of material leaves the unit after being treated. The residence time of the material being treated is a determining factor for the success of the washing action. Normally this setting is done when the system is started, but if necessary, it can be changed by the operator. The water leaving the machine, together with the impurities, is treated with a special vacuum filter, and is recirculated through a heat exchanger which resets
the working temperature parameters (90-95°C). ECO Plastics, a well-known UK recycler has recently invested in the system. When Managing Director Jonathan Short and his team set about selecting a new wash plant to expand its Hemswell operation in order to supply additional tonnage of hot-wash PET bottle flake to their joint venture with Coca Cola Enterprises, their quality requirements were extremely demanding. Having already been involved in the washing of PET flake from its existing plant for some time, the demand required for the extrusion and SSP facility was for a washing plant rated at 6000kg/hr with a specific final PPM
on any of the granulators to increase capacity, improve regrind quality or minimise energy consumption. A tilt-back hopper and drop-down screen cradle provide easy access to the cutting chamber for maintenance and cleaning. These features contribute to increased productivity and reduced downtime. An optional sound attenuation package also makes the NCF Series quieter than other small granulators. The super-tangential chamber design ensures that the rotor grips bulky scrap on the downward stroke, drawing it into the knives and preventing it from bouncing on the rotor. Standard tangential and straight-drop in-feed configurations are also available. The rotor itself can be open with three rows of double-angled knives for a clean scissors cut with minimum heat generation. For tougher materials, a solid rotor can be equipped with three
rows of up to five cassette knives in a staggered array. Cassette knives allow for quick and easy knife changes and minimise downtime for service and maintenance. The knives require no adjusting to maintain a consistent knife gap for improved quality. Conair Tel: +1 724 584 5500 Email: info@conairgroup.com Web: www.conairgroup.com
DEFRA unveils MRF Code of Practice consultation DEFRA (the UK’s department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) has unveiled a new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Code of Practice and Quality Action Programme designed to improve the quality of dry recyclates from co-mingled commercial and local waste streams. The new code of practice, which was unveiled on 1st February by Resources Management Minister, Lord de Mauley, is now open for consultation. It is hoped the plans will increase quality as well as promote a stronger market for recycled materials. Commenting on the new MRF Code of Practice, Chris Dow, CEO of Closed Loop Recycling, said the announcement was “the Government’s first major step towards realising its plans to become the greenest government ever.” He continued: “We at Closed Loop
Recycling agree with the ESA and other industry leaders that all aspects of the scheme must be mandatory and enforced via the Environmental Permit regime. It is absurd to believe that the illegal exporters would join the scheme if voluntary. We also believe that independent audits should be unannounced and should include physical sampling by the independent auditor. Without this check, illegal exporters would be able to create false but seemingly compliant sampling documentation. The audit might also include a holistic view of ISO systems documentation and customer feedback regarding quality. “With a mandatory MRF Code of Practice, greater enforcement of the Trans-Frontier Ships Regulations and a review of the PRN/PERN system, UK reprocessors will feel confident to invest
Amut Tel: +39 0321 6641 Email: amut@amut.it Web: www.amut.it
Metal detection provides machine insurance for plastic recyclers
Tangential granulator uses less space, delivers versatility New NCF Series ‘super-tangential’ granulators from Conair have footprint dimensions at least 30% smaller than many other granulators with similar capabilities, according to the company. The cutting chamber configuration is ideal for handling lightweight bulky parts such as bottles, but also produces clean uniform granulate from runners and small parts. Different hopper designs and rotor/knife choices are available to maximise performance with a wide variety of scrap types. Four different models feature 203mm diameter rotors, in widths of 240, 360, 480 and 600mm, and deliver standard maximum throughputs ranging from 68205kg. The smallest unit is powered by a 5hp motor and the three larger sizes have 7.5hp motors with options to 15hp. Standard rotor speed for the NCF 810 is 260 rpm and standard speed on the larger models is 400 rpm, although 260-, 400- or 840-rpm can be specified
(parts per million) being achieved. The group went to the market and asked three companies to put forward proposals and after a series of exhaustive material trials, Amut was chosen. The ECO Plastics plant produces a flake which is then suitable to make “bottle to bottle” grade rPET resin. Jonathan Short says that this new line has been so successful that the group is now considering re-engineering its existing PET wash line to focus on coloured PET and natural HDPE.
Closed Loop’s Chris Dow has welcomed the Code of Practice for MRFs in additional capacity which will lead to the creation of substantial numbers of green jobs and will reduce the UK’s imports of virgin raw materials.” DEFRA Tel: +44 207 238 6951 Email: defra.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.defra.gov.uk
Plasmac, a leading manufacturer of recycling extruders for the plastics industry, especially film producers, has described fitting metal detectors to its range of off-line extruders as “the best value insurance against the risk of input contamination damaging the extruder SST screw and other internal components.” The in-line extruders face a very small risk and do not normally need metal protectors. Plasmac has worked with S+S inspection for several years and advises every customer to have S+S DLS metal detectors fitted to its off-line recycling extruders. Plasmac’s Mark Richardson explains that the cost of fitting metal detectors is relatively low compared with the cost of machine damage and production downtime that may be caused by even a small piece of metal. This advice is occasionally rejected where cost is a major factor but not fitting the metal detector voids much of the machine warranty. Plasmac uses S+S metal detectors exclusively because they claim they are simple to interface with the company’s control systems. S+S Inspection Limited Tel: +44 1489 553740 Email: info@sesotec.co.uk Web: www.sesotec.co.uk MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 17
MATERIALS
Compounder develops range for hot and cold water contact European thermoplastic compounder LATI has spent several years developing engineering plastic compounds to
replace metal in items intended for contact with hot and cold drinking water. In 2009, the group’s PA66-based structural compounds (tradename Latigloss) obtained certificates of suitability for contact with water according to the WRAS (hot and cold water), NSF 61 (hot and cold water), ACS, KTW, and W270 standards. This encouraged the extension of the water contact product portfolio, according to the group. In particular, LATI has now concentrated on expanding its range of plastics for contact with hot water, an application where polyamide 66 has some limitations. The base resin for the new range is
aromatic polyamide (PPA). Compared to PA66, LATI says that PPA provides resistance to hydrolytic and extractive action of hot water, even during prolonged exposure. Natural moisture absorption is said to be very low, even at high temperatures. This allows the PPA to keep its mechanical properties when immersed, reducing the risk of leaks or failure due to the typical swelling of wet polyamide. LATI says that all of its compounds are developed to replace metals, hence they feature substantial structural reinforcement made of 40-60% glass fibre. LATI submitted the full Latigloss 57 F2 product range in the ‘natural’ and ‘black’ versions to the aforementioned
certification bodies. Results reportedly showed that Latigloss 57 F2 is best suited to contact with cold and hot drinking water up to 85°C. The compound was shown to combine low residue values with good resistance to fungi and algae growth. Potential applications for the range include valves, mixers, tanks, taps, connecting parts and all parts in continuous contact with cold and hot drinking water, says Lati. The certifications allow safe use throughout Europe, as well as the USA. LATI Tel: +39 0332 409111 Email: info@lati.com Web: www.lati.com
Universal purging compound developed for blow moulders
Blow moulders get a new choice in bimodal HDPE
Purging compound developer Aquapurge has launched a new line for the blow moulding industry. Technical Director John Steadman said: “Our Poly Clear HMEX is by far the most universal and most effective purging compound that Aquapurge has developed for both continuous and accumulator blow moulding of polyolefins.” Aquapurge Technical Director John Steadman with the company’s Aquapurge is targeting new compound for blow moulders, Poly Clear HMEX. sales in the global Aquapurge says that a practice of blow moulding sector, starting with the machine purging gives suppliers an UK’s moulders. opportunity to flex with market demand. Blow moulding applications from 0.5l Aquapurge claims to have research upwards may see reduced downtime, which suggests that the majority of blow lower material costs and less colour moulders work on a high volume and contamination. Aquapurge’s Scrubber small margin basis. Added to this, Freeze compound is also recommended increasing ‘Just In Time’ (JIT) for PVC blow moulding applications. requirements places extra demands on John Steadman claimed: “There’s no capabilities. need to ever strip your blow moulding Poly Clear HMEX is therefore intended to equipment again.” protect against production disruptions Aquapurge believes that many blow that can harm the profitability of each moulders are currently tying up valuable order. time and money, simply by not purging “The accumulator blow moulding their equipment at all, running colour or process is sensitive to inherent hold-up tool changes through to clear for the points in all head designs and, over next job, producing customer orders to time, can contribute to black specking an ‘ideal’ colour schedule, or scheduling and loosened or degraded polymer or tool changes just to match the next masterbatch,” continued Steadman. colour to be run. “These are common practices, and can Aquapurge actually devalue the whole production Tel: +44 20 8813 7990 process, decrease machine utilisation Email: enquiries@aquapurge.com and also the value of polymers used,” Web: www.aquapurge.com claimed Steadman.
Producers of blow moulded bottles for household and industrial chemicals and for personal care will soon be able to access from a new grade of bimodal high density polyethylene (HDPE). SABIC is readying facilities at its plant in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, due to start commercial production in the second quarter of this year, with grades suitable for containers up to 5 litres. The same grades, as well as grades intended for jerry cans, drums and other large containers, will also be produced at one of the company’s plants in Saudi Arabia; production there will start in the third quarter of 2013. “Some processors are concerned about future supply of bimodal HDPE grades from Europe,” said Mario Scholle, Business Manager Bimodal HDPE at SABIC, “so we think this is the right time for us to support the market by including bimodal HDPE blow moulding grades in SABIC’s product portfolio. We already have a strong line-up of unimodal HDPE grades, and we have now decided to take advantage of our strong position in process technology and catalysts to introduce bimodal HDPE grades that we expect to stand out in the market.” SABIC has been accelerating grade development in recent months, and will be fine-tuning the new grades during the first quarter prior to their formal launch. It is already talking with potential customers to ensure that the new grades fulfill their requirements. Initially, the Gelsenkirchen plant will supply two grades, both with a density of 0.958g/cm3, with melt flow rates (MFR) of 22 and 28g/10 min respectively. Bimodal HDPE (which exhibits two peaks in its molecular weight distribution) has an excellent environmental stress crack resistance
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(ESCR) and has low die swell. “SABIC has built up substantial knowledge in this area, with extrusion grades for high performance pressure pipe and for film”, said Gerrit-Jan Bekink, Technical Marketing Engineer HDPE at SABIC. “The new HDPE blow moulding grades will form the basis of a global platform,” said Riyadh Al-Djein, Business Director HDPE at SABIC. “From our plants in Germany and Saudi Arabia, we will be able to satisfy expected needs in markets around the world, not just Europe and the Middle East. Having two plants will enable us to ensure continuity of supply.” SABIC Polymers and Chemicals Tel: +31 46 722 2168 Email: solange.schlosser@sabiceurope.com Web: www.sabic-europe.com
MATERIALS ROUNDUP ‘First plastic engine support’ to feature in Mercedes GL Class Daimler is installing what has been claimed to be the world’s first plastic engine support for the six-cylinder diesel engine used in the new Mercedes GL Class. Compared to the previous aluminium support, the plastic part is said to offer improved acoustical properties, better thermal insulating characteristics and a definite weight advantage, while being able to withstand the same load. The part, which supports the engine with the aid of the engine mounts, is moulded from Ultramid A3WG10 CR, a highly reinforced specialty polyamide from BASF that has been optimised for high mechanical loads. Joma-Polytec in Bodelshausen designed the injection mould and produced the plastic engine support. Engine supports are subject to a permanent load – the engine's weight – while also absorbing the entire engine torque. To replace aluminum in this application, the plastic needed to fulfill demanding mechanical requirements. While Ultramid A3WG10 CR is very rigid, it was also necessary to demonstrate that it exhibited sufficiently low tendency to creep in the confined space of the engine compartment when subjected to a continuous load. Furthermore, depending on the installation conditions in the engine compartment, the plastic engine support must also withstand high bending moments. The good acoustic characteristics are the primary benefit of the Ultramid engine support over its aluminium counterpart. Thanks to the
damping behaviour specific to plastic, the new engine support contributes to a more balanced sound. An additional benefit is that the heat conduction of the plastic is considerably less than that of aluminium. As a consequence, the Ultramid engine support provides better protection from the engine’s heat for the natural rubber engine mounts connected to it, increasing their service life. In the context of the CO2 discussion, a weight saving of over 30% for the plastic part versus the aluminium version is achievable. The multitude of tests that the plastic part needed to pass included the repair crash, which replicates smaller crashes, and the massive offset crash (offset head-on crash). In the first test, the support needed to remain undamaged; in the second test, it needed to fail quickly and in a specific manner to prevent the engine from entering the passenger compartment. In addition to checking these
requirements in crash tests, BASF incorporated both cases into the very early development phase of the complex-shaped engine support through use of its Ultrasim universal simulation tool and predicted the part’s behaviour: Ultimate (breaking) loads, strength values under dynamic pulsed loads and crash loads are reported to have matched up well with the test results and
achieved the values required. It was then possible to incorporate ribbing to withstand the high loads and satisfy acoustic requirements early on and reduce the number of prototypes. BASF Tel: +49 621 60 78780 Email: ultraplaste.infopoint@basf.com Web: www.ultramid.de
Strong, thin material launched for flexible packaging With the launch of the new metallocene polyethylene (mPE) film material Lumicene Supertough 32ST05, petrochemicals giant Total claims it has provided an opportunity for flexible packaging converters to achieve films that are up to 25% thinner and stronger than existing solutions for film on the market. Lumicene Supertough 32ST05 is a downgauging product for multilayer Lumicene Supertough 32ST05 is a downgauging product structures that has been for multilayer structures that has been developed to meet developed to meet the the need for processability, high-performance, and need for processability, lightweigting in the industrial packaging, personal care, high-performance, and hygiene and food sectors. lightweigting in the industrial packaging, personal care, Polymers Division commented: “The hygiene and food sectors. downgauging story is a never-ending The material offers a combination of quest to push the thickness limits of strength and toughness, even at low packaging down. Where these limits of temperatures. These technical downgauging are reached, Supertough characteristics allow converters to create 32ST05 steps in to give the necessary strong films using less material, with the boost in toughness to overcome the processing advantages of LDPE. The thickness barrier.” result is thin, durable, lightweight The Lumicene portfolio covers the full multilayer films that offer processability range of low (mLLDPE), medium on extrusion and conversion lines. (mMDPE) to high (mHDPE) densities. . Several multilayer applications already Total offers the following density making use of the new grade include Lumicene polyolefins: EVA-MDPE-HDPE, compression packaging, such as for LDPEautoclave, LDPE tubular, PP and heavy mattresses and lightweight LLC4 import material. diapers, deepfreeze and lamination films, and highly-demanding shrink Total applications, for example glass bottle Tel: +32 2 288 37 77 unitisation. Email: delphine.saucier@total.com Carl Van Camp, Senior Vice President Web: www.total.com MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 19
MATERIALS ROUNDUP Supplier publishes engineering plastics manual
Evonik launches new generation of PVC plasticisers
Engineering and high-temperature plastics provide an impressive and varied array of properties and great scope for application. However, the use of these modern materials calls for an ever wider fund of expertise. With its latest engineering plastics manual, plastics supplier Ensinger has now published a reference work collating specialist knowledge from every aspect of plastics processing. At 100 pages, the new manual contains considerably more information than its predecessor and looks at the latest new developments. The manual starts with an overview and direct comparison of materials based on their most important properties, modifications and fields of application. A colour-coded index links this introduction to more detailed information. In the chapters on material selection and further processing, users are provided with the facts they will need for the construction of components or for machining semi-finished materials. This information has been formulated in clearly arranged graphs and diagrams and is backed up by a wide selection of application examples.
Evonik has announced plans to launch a new generation of PVC plasticisers to include phthalate-free and biobased varieties. Alongside the company’s portfolio expansion, Evonik states it will also develop a new brand of products as well as broadening its range of sustainable plasticisers. Production of the phthalate-free plasticiser 1,2Evonik will start producing phthalate-free plasticisers at its Cyclohexane chemicals plant in Marl. dicarboxylic acid “With our new plasticisers, our diisononyl ester is expected to begin in customers will soon be able to choose the second half of 2013, with an the plasticisers that meet their exact expected annual production of 40,000 requirements from an even wider range metric tonnes at its facility in Marl, of products,” explained Dr. Rainer Germany. Fretzen, Head of Evonik’s Performance Evonik states it will undergo research to Intermediates Business Line. successively add additional products to the new generation of plasticisers, Evonik including the launch of bio-based Web: www.evonik.com varieties.
“Engineering Plastics – The Manual” is available immediately in printed and digital form in German and English. The PDF is available as a download on the Ensinger website: www.ensingeronline.com/en/downloads/brochures/ Ensinger Tel: +49 7032 8190 Web: www.ensinger-online.com
New composite developed with renewable reinforcements Materials supplier Mondi has launched Fibromer, a polymer reinforced with cellulose fibre that has numerous injection moulding applications for industries such as automotive, logistics/transport, electronics and furniture. Mondi developed Fibromer in a new compounding process that homogenously mixes kraft pulp fibre – a renewable resource produced by Mondi – with a polymer granule. The result is a new composite which Mondi claims offers clear advantages for injection moulders and original equipment manufacturers over other composites
used in manufacturing. Clemens Stockreiter, COO Mondi Kraft Paper, said: “Product innovation is a high priority at Mondi. We recognised that requirements for composite materials were changing: converters and manufacturers want polymers that are not only strong and stable, but also customisable to a certain degree and preferably from renewable or sustainable sources. We are excited to launch Fibromer which meets all those needs and has great potential for a number of industries.” Fibromer is said to enable faster injection moulding cycles and higher
iPad app released for colour additive selection PolyOne Corporation, a global provider of specialised polymer materials and additives, has released a mobile app for accelerated product development and colour selection. The OnColor Portfolio app for iPad, available for free download, was designed to bring mobile convenience to the colour development process, enabling iPad users to evaluate colour ideas, request colour samples, submit custom colour requests, and easily access information about PolyOne’s colour and additive technologies. The app includes a colour selection tool, enabling users to browse a full-spectrum colour palette and order samples of colours they wish to explore during development.
A ‘Favorites’ area allows users to save the colours they are evaluating and build a customised palette. Also built-in to the app is the ability to submit requests for custom colours and request direct contact from a PolyOne expert. A resource library of specialty solutions is also available to brand owners and processors via the app. “The OnColor Portfolio App is just the beginning of our ability to leverage mobile technology to generate tools that help streamline our customers’ product development process,” said Fernando Sanchez, Global Marketing Director for PolyOne Color and Additives. “At the same time, these tools can expand the understanding of what is possible with colours and special effects when they are considered at the earliest stages of development.” The OnColor Portfolio App for iPad can be downloaded from the App store using the search term “PolyOne OnColor”. PolyOne Tel: +1 440 930 1000 Email: info@polyone.com Web: www.polyone.com
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productivity than some competitive materials. It has material strength, stiffness and high-impact resistance at low temperatures. Mondi claims that it provides higher heat distortion than talcum-filled compounds and enhanced dimensional stability. At the same time, Fibromer is a lightweight solution that has low odour, low density and very low abrasion. Cellulose fibre is available year-round at a consistent quality. The product meets certain criteria for sustainability and green manufacturing. It is produced from renewable resources and is highly recyclable.
Mondi’s global distribution network will offer Fibromer in a variety of product options that are customised for different industry applications. Customers may choose from defined variations in fibre content, matrix material, tensile modulus, tensile strength, impact strength, heat distortion temperature, and melt flow index. This means Fibromer is suitable for a range of injection moulding applications – from crates and bins to automotive interior and structural parts. Mondi Tel: +44 1932 826 300 Web: www.mondigroup.com
Biodegradable plastics get the cold treatment
A famous Italian ice-cream maker is to completely replace its disposable plastic items with Mater-Bi, the biodegradable and compostable bioplastic from Novamont. Grom, which has 57 sales outlets across Europe, Japan and the Americas, has taken the decision to use Mater-Bi to make all of the disposable items at its sales outlets, including spoons, cups, refuse sacks and carrier bags. Grom is also using specially made Mater-Bi mulching film for growing strawberries and melons at its farm. Novamont states Mater-Bi is becoming
one of the reference materials for food packaging and catering due to its biodegradability and compostability, which represent added value for products contaminated with food scraps which would otherwise be difficult or uneconomical to recycle. Last year, fast food giant McDonalds chose Mater-Bi to provide its customers at London 2012 with cutlery, straws, cups and lids made of biodegradable plastics. Novamont Web: www.novamont.com
MATERIALS ROUNDUP Polypropylene film put to the test UK-based specialist in temperature controlled microscopy Linkam Scientific Instruments has been chosen as the supplier of a TST350 stage for the Complex Fluids and Polymer Engineering Division, National Chemical Laboratory, India to study the mechanical properties of dimethyl dibenzylidene sorbitol (DMDBS) on polypropylene. Most commercial PP is isotactic with all methyl groups orientated on the same side of the backbone of the polymer chain. This orientation of the methyl groups within the polymer relative to each other directly influences the ability of the polymer to form crystals. DMDBS (dimethyl dibenzylidene sorbitol) is the butterfly shaped molecule that is used as a nucleating agent in the manufacture of PP via extrusion form casting. It forms crystalline nanofibres (approx 5nm diameter) when it precipitates out of a hot melt of isotactic PP (iPP). These nanofibres form a mesh. At cooler temperatures, iPP ( -form) crystals nucleate on the surface of these fibres. Guruswamy Kumaraswamy and a group of scientists from the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) of India have used a
Linkam TST350 tensile testing temperature stage to look at the influence of this semi-crystalline morphology on the mechanical characteristics of the film. NCL, India is a research, development and consulting organisation with a focus on chemical sciences. The scientists have investigated the effect of concentration on the yield stress and tensile modulus of the PP film. They have tested films created at different processing conditions and with different concentrations of DMDBS. Homopolymer iPP pellets were coated with DMDBS using a DMDBS solution in acetone. These pellets, with 0.2%, 0.4%, or 0.8% (by weight) DMDBS were extruded through a ThermoHaake PolyLab single screw extruder. This created a film of a constant thickness of 0.45mm as the film was taken up on chill rolls (10°C). To achieve six different draw ratios, the speed of the chill rolls was varied. These films were tested using the Linkam TST350 stage. The stage is built to maintain uniform vertical and horizontal alignment during testing. Temperature control ranges from -196°C to 350°C with 0.1°C control and up to
Custom compounder licenses rights to popular TPV range
A TST350 stage was used to test the film. 60°C per minute heating rate. It was observed that at TDIE=200°C voids form within the 0.8% DMDBS film during extrusion. This, the scientists hypothesised, was the reason why the 0.8% film exhibiting a decrease in yield stress and modulus values compared to neat iPP film and the 0.2% & 0.4% films. The 0.2% and 0.4% DMDBS PP films exhibited a approximated 50% increase in modulus and yield strength compared to neat PP. This is observed to be higher in the transverse direction. Linkam Scientific Instruments Tel: +44 1737 363 476 Email: info@linkam.co.uk Web: www.linkam.co.uk
New PP grade puts in a cool performance Borealis, a provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions, has launched a new grade of transparent polypropylene (PP), which it says will provide a step-up in performance and processing sustainability for frozen food packaging. Based on Borealis Nucleation Technology (BNT), new Borpact SH950MO is said to feature a combination of transparency and good drop impact properties in low temperatures. Borealis states its performance is enhanced by higher flow (melt flow rate of 40) and better processability with improved stiffness (1050 MPa) compared to its predecessor Borpact SG930MO. The company states improved properties and better
processing efficiency bring benefits and cost savings throughout the packaging value chain. Developed primarily for packaging of deep freeze products such as ice cream, frozen desserts and other frozen food items, Borpact SH950MO is also said to be an excellent choice for broader consumer packaging and housewares when the combination of good impact performance and transparency is a top priority. Borealis states the higher flowability of the new grade enables converters to use lower processing temperatures, which, in combination with BNT, support energy and cycle time savings. One of the key aspects of the new grade is said to be the opportunity to benefit
from its improved properties to downgauge material use. The high flowability and improved stiffness, both compared to the standard random PP grades, enable the use of thinner walls and more complex designs without compromising on performance. “We have invested in creating a next generation grade with improved processability and end product performance that takes the lead in supporting the sustainability and differentiation requirements of the thin wall consumer packaging market” commented Rainer Höfling, Borealis Vice Presdient Business Unit Mouding. Borealis Web: www.borealisgroup.com
Global custom engineered thermoplastics compounder RTP Company has licensed manufacturing rights from ExxonMobil Chemical for its well-known patented Santoprene TPV (thermoplastic vulcanizate) nylon bondable thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) product line. RTP Company has begun producing the products using the same Santoprene TPV technology to provide current users a seamless supply transition and says it will also develop new markets and applications. “RTP Company has been producing specialty TPV compounds for over a 20 years,” said Scott Mumm, Strategic Accounts and Alliances at RTP Company. “We are excited about this opportunity to take over production of ExxonMobil Chemical’s nylon bondable Santoprene TPV products because their addition will expand our bondable TPE product line and give us a definite advantage by having the highest performance materials in the nylon bondable arena.” The materials will be marketed by RTP Company as RTP 6091 Series bondable thermoplastic elastomer compounds and will continue to use Santoprene TPV technology to provide the same property profile. “ExxonMobil Chemical has certified the products RTP Company is producing are equivalents to their materials,” added Mumm. When overmoulded, RTP 6091 Series compounds, offer bond strength with rigid nylon substrates. They are available globally with hardness of 55 to 85 shore A and in natural, black, and custom colours. Nylon bondable TPV compounds offer superior thermal resistance (up to 135˚C), excellent chemical resistance, and better compression properties than alternative styrenic-based nylon bondable TPE materials. Santoprene TPV is a trademark of ExxonMobil Corporation. RTP Company Tel: +1 507 454 6900 Web: www.rtpcompany.com
K Show 2013, Hall 8a, Stand D01
MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 21
MATERIALS
SHOWCASE MASTERBATCH & ADDITIVES Masterbatch for film: a comprehensive approach Masterbatch suppliers targetting the highly competitive plastic film industry need to be conscious of a comprehensive range of solutions to remain successful. Masterbatch specialist Colloids says it knows about the production and use of a full gamut of end products, and their particular demands - from weather-resistant silage wrap with UV protection, to environmentally-friendly carrier bags, to seasonal wrapping. Manufacturers looking for a comprehensive standard range of colours available for short term delivery will find thorough data readily accessible in Colloids’ literature or via the group’s website, profiling for each: • the carrier (PE) • recommended addition rates (%) • destination resins including LLDPE, LDPE, HDPE, PP, and some styrenics etc. • maximum processing temperature • light and weather stability • absence/presence of potentially harmful/regulated substances (such
as heavy metals, lead chrome, cadmium, mercury) • compliance with EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste. The group provides booklets of overlaying standard swatches, physically bringing to life the impact, colour and opacity of varying dosages (%) at sample gauges (¾), and also matches bespoke colours accurately and rapidly. Some customers will always know exactly what they want, and just phone or email to confirm price, delivery and quantity — from a small bag to a tanker. Technical Director Bob Thomas has spent his whole professional life in masterbatch, starting in film, and he suggests that the more the supplier understands the client’s business, the better the service they can supply. Especially on price/performance matching solution with process and application. And when raw materials prices are rising - certain pigments for example have gone up some two-fold
because of supply shortages - which can be key to viability. The further clients go beyond just matching a colour, the more they are engaging in both the past and future, according to Thomas.
Colloids Tel: +44 151 546 9222 Email: sales@colloids.co.uk Web: www.colloids.co.uk
Distributor offers colour matching service
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CJP Sales, known in the market as a key distributor of thermoplastics and purging compounds, also supplies a comprehensive colour matching service. With the introduction of polymer specific grades, masterbatch is very often the most cost effective way of producing coloured components in virtually all grades of plastic. This is especially true for the smaller lot producers – CJP’s key market. Richard Benyon, CJP Director, said: “Customers simply need to send in a sample colour to our technical department, and we will have it matched to an extensive bank of colours, send sample plaques back for approval and supply the masterbatch in lots as small as 10kg. Typically, the addition rate is between
1% and 2%, which means that small coloured quantities can be achieved at minimum cost�. Benyon also suggests that the clean down process between colour changes needn’t be costly and time consuming. Dynapurge is fast becoming the preferred purging compound amongst processors in the UK, according to CJP, as it allows users to have a complete colour change quickly and effectively, without the need for shut down – waste is reduced and production time is increased. CJP Sales Tel: +44 1656 644907 Email: sales@cjpsales.co.uk Web: www.cjpsales.co.uk
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MATERIALS
SHOWCASE MASTERBATCH & ADDITIVES How the masterbatch changed its colour Chameleon thermochromic and photochromic masterbatch from UKbased LCR Hallcrest is a temperature sensitive masterbatch which changes colour as its temperature changes or when it is exposed to UV light. It can be added to standard plastics for injection moulding and extrusion to create vivid colour changes activated by changes in temperature (thermochromic) or UV light
(photochromic). It can be formulated to change with the heat from hands, mouths, or on contact with something cold, for example iced drinks or chilled foods. It is suitable for use with polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, ABS and PVC, and can be dosed at between 3% to 10% according to the product thickness and the colour intensity required. The company manufactures two types of masterbatch — Chameleon EVA and Chameleon LLPE — both of which are supplied in pellet form. For thermochromics, activation temperatures range from 0-65°C. A wide variety of changes are available, such as green to yellow, purple to pink, red to yellow, blue to white, brown to yellow, or translucent to a colour. Within these options there are then two variants: lighter
colours with rising temperature (with reversal back to the original colour as the temperature lowers below the activation point) and darker colours as the temperature is cooled (again, reversing back to the original lighter colour when the temperature is raised above activation point). Applications for the products are varied. The masterbatch is often chosen simply to make it stand out competitively. It can also add a safety feature to an existing product. An award-winning heat sensitive baby feeding spoon is one example. The colour of the spoon changes from blue to pink if the food is too hot, instantly warning the parent/carer. The spoon was used by Nestle for an expectant mother ‘bounty bag’ promotion in Belgium, Denmark and Sweden and demonstrates how a thermochromic effect can warn of excessive heat in food. Other applications have included
coffee spoons, ice cream spoons, lolly sticks, drink stirrers, straws, bowls, plates, cups, beakers, bath toys, children’s toys, executive toys, frisbees, on/in pack promotions, collectible promotions, safety warning devices, packaging containers/lids, feeding bottles, baby feeding spoons, bath plugs, kettles and animal shapes. LCR Hallcrest Ltd Tel: +44 1244 817107 Email: sales@lcrhallcrest.com Web: www.chameleonplastics.com
Antimicrobials specialist appoints Russian and Baltics distributor Addmaster (UK) Ltd. has recently appointed Bang & Bonsomer as distributor for its Biomaster range of silver-based antimicrobial additives in Russia and the Baltic States. Bang & Bonsomer is a leading distributor of a wide range of chemical raw materials. From its own sales offices it serves customers in Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus. The group will be promoting the Biomaster range of products into the polymer, paint and coating industries. The agreement
between the two companies was finalised at the end of 2012 and subsequently, meetings were held at the Interplastica Exhibition in Moscow. Addmaster’s International Business Director, David Wells, commented: “Bang & Bonsomer is exactly the right type of company to represent the Biomaster products in these markets. Their sales personnel are not only commercially and technically extremely competent, but also understand the potential for the Biomaster antimicrobial products in a
wide range of applications in this rapidly growing business sector.” Bang & Bonsomer’s Stefan Tallqvist – Business Unit Director Plastics & Packaging commented: “We are excited to be offering the Biomaster range of antimicrobial products from Addmaster. As our focus is on technically advanced and high quality specialties Biomaster is a perfect match for our current portfolio. The fast development in Russia and Baltic Countries will present Biomaster with some good opportunities. We will be
offering all of the usual distributor services to new Biomaster customers but will also be concentrating on building long term relationships based on our experience and understanding of the market.” Addmaster (UK) Limited Tel: +44 1785 225656 Email: info@addmaster.co.uk Web: www.addmaster.co.uk
Liquid additives ‘embedded’ in solid masterbatches Silvergate Plastics, the UK’s largest producer of bespoke masterbatches, has developed a technology that embeds a liquid additive into a solid masterbatch. Silvergate was approached to produce a free flowing solid masterbatch that would carry a liquid flavouring additive. The company frequently reviews the merits of other carrier systems and has considered the introduction of liquid systems into its portfolio. However, the inherent problems associated with shelf life and handling have resulted in the company focusing solely on solid system technology. With this new processing technology, solid carriers can now reportedly deliver the same clarity, colour and additive distribution as liquid solutions and provide a much longer shelf life.
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This ‘hybrid’ alternative enables liquids to be carried in solid form. The liquid is fully absorbed into the carrier and suspended in tiny pores within the pellet. Typical liquid to carrier ratios are 50:50 by weight. The masterbatch behaves as any other solid system in that the pellets are free flowing and completely dry. In the purchasing of a solid polymer-specific masterbatch containing a liquid additive, this process has been designed to “ensure processors receive the best technical, practical and cost effective solution” according to Silvergate. This formula was recently utilised to produce a free flowing dry masterbatch for use in a soft touch polymer in the manufacture of fresh flavoured dentures. Embedding the liquid additive into the solid carrier
enhanced the end product without compromising its performance or physical properties. Tony Bestall, Managing Director of Silvergate, said, “We have been developing this type of technology for some time and, by utilising our skills in creating a material that can actively absorb liquid, we are able to create a masterbatch that works successfully.
We can now provide an extremely effective solution to the problem of adding liquids to plastics without the inherent handling difficulties.” Silvergate Plastics Tel: +44 1978 661496 Email: info@silvergate.co.uk Web: www.silvergate.co.uk
APPLICATION FOCUS CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Water re-use tanks roto-moulded in polyethylene UK-based Midas Pattern Company has designed and manufactured the rotational mould tooling to produce polyethylene tanks for a new concept in domestic energy recovery and water reuse. Thirty tanks have so far been produced for the pilot-stage product. The customer, WaterEvolution, has developed the new reAqua+ energy recovery and grey water recycling system, which is housed in a unit measuring approximately 1m2 and 250mm deep. The tank for reAqua+ comprises two separate chambers, one bigger than the other. By taking waste water from a bath or shower into its larger chamber, a recovery activity allows heat to be returned to the hot water tank. The remaining waste water is then transferred to the smaller chamber where it is stored awaiting use as lavatory flush. The system has been designed and developed from scratch in 12 months. WaterEvolution outsourced the design to a product design company, Origin Product Design, which in turn sourced Midas Pattern Company as the supplier of the tank's rotational mould tooling. “When Origin told me about Midas I went along to visit,” said WaterEvolution's Manufacturing Director, Hamilton Scanlon. “Walking in and seeing what Midas do, and the customers they have, impressed me immensely. In terms of quality, it was of the highest standard I have seen in that kind of environment.”
The tank measures 1000mm wide x 250mm deep x 1000mm high. According to Scanlon, aesthetics were extremely important. The white plastic unit features the WaterEvolution logo moulded into the front, which has the additional function of adding strength to the design. The tank also has features that allow it to be an inherent part of the structure and ensure it attaches to a supporting metal frame. Furthermore, the flexibility of the design provides seven extraction points to accept pipe fittings from different positions and complies fully with WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme). “It would be a mistake to think that this tank is a straightforward rectangular unit with two chambers – it is, in fact, a complex design that required considerable technical input,” said Scanlon. “There was also pressure on lead-times as we had time slots to meet for BRE (Building Research Establishment) evaluation, as well as timelines for domestic trials. We have high profile investors and supporting partners to please.” According to Scanlon, Midas Pattern Company gave guidance to Origin in terms of what could and could not be achieved using rotational moulding techniques. This information related to the location of split lines, how extraction points would work, and how a range of brass inserts were best fitted, for example. “Not only did Midas deliver the tool ahead of schedule, the advice offered
WaterEvolution is already targeting reAqua+ at new homebuilders and housing associations running refurbishment projects. According to existing data established by WaterEvolution, depending on the size of the property and its occupancy levels, return-oninvestment is possible in just 3½ years. The group at the recent UK EcoBuild event. A unit is also on display at the Building Centre in central London. helped ensure we received a right-firsttime product,” he says. “In fact, the very first tank was submitted to BRE for tests to evaluate the Appendix Q accreditation level.” In total, 30 tanks have been produced from the Midas tool, the majority of which are now at the Livingston facility undergoing assembly. “We are currently building a batch of 20off to optimise our in-house processes,” said Scanlon. “This information will combine with feedback from field trials
at domestic properties on the Isle of Wight. Here we have two pilot units installed with a further three to follow shortly. These are real trials equipped with extensive monitoring equipment, the feedback from which will be supplied to the homeowners showing energy savings in monetary terms.” Midas Pattern Co. Ltd Tel: +44 1234 358394 Email: r.collier@midas-pattern.co.uk Web: www.midas-pattern.co.uk
Piping manufacturer lifts lid on Olympic contribution Polypipe, a UK plastic piping systems manufacturer, has been granted permission to highlight its contribution to the construction of the London 2012 stadia and buildings, including the Olympic Stadium, Velodrome and Athletes Village. Working with the various stakeholders from an early stage, Polypipe supplied almost one million metres of plastic pipe and over two million fittings to the Olympic Park. Polypipe states it supplied its renowned ‘Terrain’ above-ground soil and waste drainage systems to all of the major projects on the Park, plus numerous other systems such as water supply, pressure systems, under-floor heating and rainwater harvesting, whilst developing several innovative products for the project. One such innovation is Terrain Firetrap firesleeves, which the company says achieved a never-seen-before four-hour fire protection for above-ground plastic drainage systems; developed to meet 26 • WWW.EPPM.COM • MARCH 2013
the demands of the Athletes Village. Polypipe successfully tendered for and won each project individually across the Olympic Park. Ian Crickmore, Polypipe Terrain’s Technical Director, credits this success to the integrated team working he witnessed. He said: “By getting involved early with the project engineers and designers we were able to provide substantial technical assistance and guidance, helping the project teams overcome any challenges and find the best pipework solutions for their buildings. It was also a big help for us to get input into our research and development program. We became part of the integrated supply chains on these projects and the results speak for themselves.” Polypipe’s contribution to the Olympics has previously been recognised by the ODA’s ‘Learning Legacy: Lessons Learned from the London 2012 Games Construction’ report, and as part of the Plastics for Gold Exhibition at the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), which formed part of
The Olympic Village under construction in 2009. Credit: London 2012. the Cultural Olympiad, celebrating the contribution made by plastic. Adam Turk continued: “We are delighted that we have been approved under the Supplier Recognition Scheme, and can now talk more openly about our involvement in the construction of the Olympic Park. Moreover, we are really
pleased that we can now use the Olympic experience, together with our world-class technical competence, to work on other key high profile projects such as this around the world.” Polypipe Web: www.polypipe.co.uk
APPLICATION FOCUS EPS insulation manufacturer scores big housing contract Leading UK Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has chosen to trial Jablite’s Dynamic Cavity insulation in nine new homes it is building in Saffron Walden, Essex. Jablite Dynamic Cavity wall insulation, manufactured from expanded polystyrene, is a unique innovation developed by Jablite in partnership with Energyflo, an offshoot of Aberdeen University.
Automotives composite technology to shift to infrastructure? Civil and structural engineers will explore the durability of high-tech composite materials of the type used in the aerospace and automotive industries in a bid to unlock their full potential for infrastructure and civil engineering works. The University of Warwick is leading a consortium including five other UK universities which has been awarded a £1.3 million grant by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Composite materials have been used in the mechanical engineering sectors for many years as they are strong, stiff and light-weight. For these reasons, they also
offer exciting possibilities for new national infrastructure, especially in bridges and low-rise buildings. But before they can be become a common feature of the built environment, engineers need to be able to predict exactly how long into the future their structures will be fit for purpose. The DURACOMP project will address this challenge by carrying out physical testing of composite materials, and structural connections and joints, as well as developing computer modelling of their behaviour for lifetimes in tens of years. Professor Toby Mottram of the School of Engineering at the University of Warwick
said: “High-performance, light-weight composites have transformed sectors like automotive and aerospace and there is real potential that they could do the same for the UK’s national infrastructure. “But as buildings and bridges have to be designed to last longer into the future than cars or aeroplanes, we need to understand exactly how their structural performance will change with age and to possible climate changes. “The deliverables from this grant will help us to establish the durability of these materials and their structures, through a combination of collecting experimental data and advancing computer modelling.”
Jablite states Dynamic Cavity uses Energyflo technology to turn a simple wall into a sophisticated heat exchanger. Heat, which would otherwise be lost through the wall of the building, is harvested and utilised to warm cold air being drawn into the building. “This trial is line with our policy of building all our homes to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes level three,” explained Andy Harrington, Technical Director for Taylor Wimpey East London. “High performance insulation is a good way to achieve that, so naturally we were interested to trial Jablite’s new insulation to see how it performs. Energy efficiency is very important to home owners, not just because of rising costs, but there is a genuine appetite for homes that are built for sustainable living,” he continued. Jablite’s Dynamic insulation promises to deliver a U-value of 0.17W/m²K in a 100mm cavity. This is substantially better than standard, premium blown bead in a 100mm cavity, which offers a U-value of 0.25W/m²K. An additional benefit that comes with Jablite Dynamic Insulation is improved air quality because of the inbuilt ventilation system “So far we are very pleased with the ease of installation and the fact that if offers an option in our standard 100mm cavity new builds. A well-insulated house is a comfortable, snug home and that is important in our climate,” added Mr Harrington. Jablite’s Sales and Marketing Director, David Teasdale, said: “We could not be more pleased to be working with a company like Taylor Wimpey and we hope that our innovative insulation can help them to deliver their own demanding sustainability targets.” Jablite Tel: +44 870 600 3666 Email: sales@jablite.co.uk Web: www.jablite.co.uk MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 27
APPLICATION FOCUS Upcycled polyurethane panels used for the first time in composite façade The network partners in the EcoCommercial Building Program (ECB) – Bayer MaterialScience, puren and ABPolymerchemie – are supporting a research and teaching project at Technische Universität Berlin, the purpose of which is to test the combination of recycled materials for new technical and architectural applications. Through its involvement, the competence network for sustainable building initiated by Bayer MaterialScience is making a valuable contribution to the research and development of sustainable building concepts that cover a building’s entire life cycle. With 20 partners across Europe, the ECB offers decision-makers in the building industry comprehensive consulting services and material solutions for energy-efficient, economical and ecological building. As part of the research project, 20 students designed and built a “White Pavilion” from timber and demonstrated new ways of using polyurethane in a
composite facade: They used compressed polyurethane panels made of recycled polyurethane insulation scrap to construct the facade. Bayer MaterialScience, puren and ABPolymerchemie contributed financial assistance to the TU Berlin project, but also a variety of material solutions. A white, shiny container dubbed the “White Pavilion” now stands at the very center of the Technology and Innovation Park in Berlin-Wedding. With just 5 x 7 meters of floor space and a 3 meter ceiling, it makes for an interesting contrast to the old brick buildings surrounding it on the former AEG company grounds. The container’s four doors each can be rotated 360° to make the green inside walls visible on the outside, and to signal from a distance when the pavilion is open. The side is outfitted with vertical, transparent slats constructed of twin-wall polycarbonate sheets made of Makrolon from Bayer MaterialScience. It is about 60% lighter than glass, meaning it supports lighter and more cost-efficient structures requiring fewer mounting elements and struts. The individual modules of the pavilion consist of pinewood frames with OSB walling. Wooden structures are always subject to very strict moisture protection requirements. The students therefore chose a high-performance but also sustainable building material for the pavilion: Polyurethane (PU) compressed panels made of recycled PU insulation scrap, reclaimed from purenit in a special upcycling process, were used for the first time to construct the outer skin of the facade. Purenit, a functional material manufactured by puren, displays very high resistance not only to moisture, mold and rot, but also to chemicals. The PU compressed panels
serve as insulation, effectively reducing heating energy losses. To protect the panels against weathering, they were also treated with a 2 to 3-mm PU spray coating manufactured by AB Polymerchemie, which likewise is the first of its kind. In the last step, the pavilion was painted white. For the students, the pavilion is their own on-campus event location and café. For TU Berlin, the building simultaneously gives researchers an opportunity to test and evaluate the innovative facade system under practical conditions. Shear and pull-out tests conducted by the students themselves
at the Institute of Civil Engineering’s testing center helped to compile initial information on the load-bearing capacity of the PU compressed panels and the purenit/wood screw connections. The results ultimately will provide some indication of the durability of the new facade design. The TU Berlin Pavilion Project was initiated by the Institute of Civil Engineering’s Design and Construction of Composite Structures lab, under the direction of Professor Volker Schmied. Bayer MaterialScience Web: www.materialscience.bayer.com
Turnkey recycling for rigid PVC creates new building products
Window frame components matched to popular colour trends
Plant and equipment technology specialist Bühler has co-ordinated and installed a turn-key optical sorting system for Deceuninck, a Belgian sustainable building products manufacturer. The system forms part of its new plastics recycling line which opened in October in Diksmuide, Belgium taking its annual recycling capacity to 20,000 tonnes. European compounder and producer of PVC window systems and building products, Deceuninck, The recycling line will process both post-industrial recently acquired a PVC recycling and post-consumer rigid PVC waste. line as part of its global strategic vision to build a sustainable home. The Bühler’s optical sorting technology will recycling line, which will process both sort two tonnes per hour of mixed PVC post-industrial and post-consumer rigid into groups. The sorted product will be PVC waste, was installed adjacent to reused and transformed into new Deceuninck’s existing compounding window systems and building products. factory. Philippe Somers, Managing Director of In order to meet its efficiency Deceuninck Compound, said: “Our requirements, Deceuninck contacted investment in the Deceuninck plant will Bühler in January 2012 to source the further enable us to offer a closed-loop most appropriate sorting technology for solution; At the end of their useful life the job. Bühler’s team worked with our products are recycled into new Deceuninck to undertake in-house trials sustainable window systems and and demonstrations to identify the most building products. This investment also appropriate solution to meet the guarantees another source of raw company’s needs. Bühler’s engineers materials.” then oversaw the installation including the commissioning of its Sortex Z+ Bühler bichromatic colour sorting machine and Tel: +44 207 055 6650 the auxiliary equipment required. Web: www.buhlergroup.com
Glazpart, a specialist injection moulding company with extensive experience in the fenestration and construction industry, is launching a new range of through–moulded colour matched drain hole covers to match a range of coloured window profiles which is becoming prevalent in the window market. They will be available in all shapes including oblong, round, hexagonal and raised plate. Glazpart says through–moulded colours can be added quickly and easily and matched to any RAL or BS colour upon request. In addition, Glazpart has launched a new colour spraying service where drain hole covers can be colour-match paint-sprayed from stock. The spray system is a special coating designed to paint plastics including ABS, polycarbonate, acrylic and polyester powder coatings. The system forms a molecular cross-bond with the plastic surface. The group can offer all standard RAL and BS colours and match to most other colour systems. In addition, it has a specialist colour matching service that allows matching of non-standard colours and supplied colour samples. The system is said to be colour stable and resistant to UV, and will hold its colour without excessive fading. Technical data sheets show that the system does not
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contain lead, cadmium, zinc, formaldehyde or isocyanates, so is better for the environment and safer for operators. Drain hole covers are required for drained or drained and ventilated window systems. These window systems are designed to minimise the amount of water that enter the rebate. It is difficult to ensure the removal of all water from the glazing rebates by drainage alone. Water may be trapped, or may be held by surface tension, either as droplets or between opposing surfaces, even though the design should prevent this happening. Ventilation may be necessary to dry out these areas. The degree of ventilation achieved is not only dependent upon the size of the ventilation holes or slots, but also upon their position and accessibility to prevailing winds. To prevent wind-driven water being carried into the frame section, all exposed holes and slots should be protected, either by fitting drain hole covers, or by forming the slots in a position in the frame where they are not subject to direct wind and weather. Glazpart Limited Tel: +44 1295 222400 Email: dbradley@glazpart.co.uk Web: www.glazpart.com
INDUSTRY NEWS & EVENTS
Large acquisition results in all-round equipment supplier
Danish robotics manufacturer expanding globally
Milacron LLC, a global supplier of machinery to the plastic industry, and Mold-Masters, a hot-runner manufacturer with a strong presence in North America, Europe and Asia, have announced that the two groups are combining to form a “global solutions provider” positioned to serve the full range of customer needs. Milacron is backed by its private equity investor CCMP Capital Advisors. The transformative transaction will create a rapidly growing company with world-class capabilities across five businesses: Milacron (plastic machinery), Mold-Masters (hot runners), DME (mould base technologies), Aftermarket (parts and service) and CIMCOOL Fluid Technology (metalworking fluids and services). Under the terms of the transaction, Milacron will acquire 100% of the shares of Mold-Masters for an enterprise value of $975 million. Tom Goeke, Chief Executive Officer of Milacron said, “The acquisition creates a global leader in the plastics industry with the scale, technological leadership, international presence and competitive positioning to
Danish automation company Universal Robots has announced two additional UK distributors and is also reporting “overwhelming interest” overseas. The robots are now on sale in 40 markets globally, and are suitable for use in injection moulding applications. The two new UK distributors are Global Robots and Olympus Technologies. These are in addition to existing distributor R.A Rodriguez Ltd. “The UK is an important market for us but one which has been slow to capitalise on the benefits of automation”, said Kristian Hulgard, Sales Manager for the UK and Nordic markets. “However, as the recession eases and businesses look to invest in new equipment again we have seen renewed interest from SME’s in our robots and that is why we set out to expand the distribution network in 2011.” “Nobody else has a collaborative robot that’s easy to programme, can be easily moved from spot to spot throughout a factory, and is relatively low in cost. We expect this to appeal to both our existing customers and those looking to invest in automation for the first time” said Andy Kirkwood from Global Robots.
deliver a wide range of products and services to more customers in more markets around the world. MoldMasters’ expertise in the high-growth hot-runner market is second to none, and we are excited by the unique customer value proposition and numerous opportunities for growth that will result from this combination. Bill Barker, his management team and all of his employees share our commitment to excellence.” Bill Barker, President and CEO of Mold Masters said, “We are also very excited to join Milacron and become part of an industry-leading company known for providing high-quality plastics processing equipment and products, as well as exceptional customer service and aftermarket support.” The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the first half of 2013. Milacron Web: www.milacron.com Mold-Masters Web: www.moldmasters.com
“A distinguishing feature of Universal Robots is that their collaborative robots can in many cases be used with no additional protection. The UR robots also offer great value for money with their capabilities in terms of precision handling, flexibility and payload” said Gavin Jamieson from Olympus Technologies. “The ease of set-up and intuitive programming with the UR robots is simpler than most robots and we think will have great appeal to both current robot users and those taking their first steps into automation.” Universal Robots is a result of many years of intensive research in robotics. The product portfolio includes the UR5 and UR10 models that handle payloads of up to 5 and 10 kilos respectively. The six-axis robot arms are in compliance with the ISO standard for collaborative robots; as soon as an employee comes into contact with the robot arm, it will automatically stop operating. Universal Robots Tel: +45 28 14 15 61 Email: khu@universal-robots.com Web: www.universal-robots.com
K 2013 gets an online makeover ith the official opening of K 2013 now just months away, exhibitors and visitors may have noticed a few changes to the official event site, www.k-online.de. With a new design, the website is a useful platform for easy, effective preparation and planning of K visits. During the last K in 2010, the portal recorded more than eleven million clicks. With a clearer structure, the new K portal plays host to an assortment of topical information, news from the industry, research and science as well as practical advice for visitors. Recently the exhibitors’ database – the virtual catalogue of the K trade fair — went live online. Since then, the number of visits have jumped to about 110,000 in January and February according to Messe Duesseldorf. In the “Companies and Products” area of the portal, visitors can now search for individual companies or compile a list of companies offering specific services. This compilation can then be downloaded. Numerous personalised services such as MyOrganizer, MyCalendar for arranging dates online and MyCatalogue for compiling a personalised exhibition catalogue enhance the platform’s service
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package. The new K App also provides mobile access to all important information – for both Android and Apple systems. Another addition is a new ‘matchmaking’ function. This networking service pairs up likeminded exhibitors and visitors: both partners can post and access enquiries and offers – their search for a new partner, for example – online. This service provides networking opportunities in the run-up to the exhibition and helps the partners to arrange meetings at K. Visitors will also be able to buy eTickets for K 2013 online and print them out at home, which saves time and money. The eTicket is significantly less expensive than tickets purchased at the official ticket office on the exhibition grounds: the online day ticket costs €49, while the ticket office price is €65. Online threeday-tickets cost only €108, while tickets purchased from the ticket office cost €135. The K ticket includes the use of buses and trains of the public transport system in Düsseldorf and the surrounding region. The online ticket shop will be accessible at www.k-online.de, starting from the end of March 2013. In cooperation with Deutsche Bahn
Image copyright Messe Düsseldorf/Tillmann and Düsseldorf Marketing & Tourismus (DMT), visitors to the K trade fair can now travel from all German cities to Düsseldorf and back at a special price: with this special ticket, a train trip from Hamburg to Düsseldorf and back for example costs just €109 (travellers save more than EUR 30). Anybody still looking for accommodation in Düsseldorf or nearby may find it at the DMT website
http://business.duesseldorftourismus.de/messe/K/, which provides a list of several hotels of different categories and private accommodation. K 2013 Tel: +49 211 4560 01 Email: k-online@messeduesseldorf.de Web: www.k-online.de
INDUSTRY NEWS & EVENTS ROUNDUP European WPC conference to highlight “new opportunities” ew opportunities through successful marketing is the theme of the largest European WPC conference, the fifth edition of which aims to attract over 300 visitors from 20 countries to the Maritim Hotel in Cologne, Germany. As was the case in previous years, the event will be sponsored by Reifenhäuser Extrusion. The annual Innovation Prize will be sponsored by BASF AG. Wood Plastic Composites are one of the world’s fastest growing biomaterials. Over three million tonnes of WPCs are currently produced worldwide, mainly for use in extruded
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floor coverings. Yet there are also an increasing number of applications using die-casting, especially for consumer products. The conference will focus on national and international market surveys, which will shed light on current trends and decisive interactions between high-growth areas outside Europe for decision-makers in these markets. Further conference themes are new technologies and quality assurance, along with issues related to the durability and quality of terrace decking and other outdoor uses. For the first time comprehensive recycling
concepts, life cycle analysis and certification systems will be presented and discussed at the conference. Alongside an exhibition for WPC manufacturers and their service providers, we shall be organising the conference’s first “WPCs to Touch” workshop for architects and craftsmen. European WPC Conference 2013 Tel: +49 2233 48 14 40 Email: dominik.vogt@novainstitut.de Web: www.wpc-conference.com
Dutch plastomers group acquired
Borealis, a global player in polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, has acquired DEXPlastomers VOF in Geleen, The Netherlands, from DSM Nederland BV and ExxonMobil Benelux Holdings BV. Until now, DEXPlastomers was a 50/50 joint venture owned by Royal DSM and ExxonMobil Chemical Company. The site is located in the Chemelot industrial park, 50 kilometres away from the nearest Borealis site in Beringen, Belgium. Approximately 100 employees will be transferred to Borealis Plastomers 1 BV (formerly DSM Plastomers BV) and other Borealis group companies outside The Netherlands. The products manufactured in Geleen are specialty products, complementary to Borealis’ current innovative plastic solutions. “We are happy to welcome our new colleagues in Geleen to the Borealis Group and look forward to a successful integration,” said Mark Garrett, Borealis Chief Executive. “Both companies develop innovative solutions with added value for our customers; our products are complementary and will broaden our current product portfolio.” Borealis has started the integration of the new site and its activities, a process in which safety and business continuity are key, to ensure continued punctual supply to customers. “Borealis’ focus on safe operations and business continuity is in line with our existing way of working,” said Huug Bischoff, Managing Director of the acquired entity who will continue in his current position. “I am convinced our employees are looking forward and fully engaged to integrate in the Borealis Group to make this a successful journey.” Borealis Web: www.borealisgroup.com MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 31
INDUSTRY NEWS & EVENTS ROUNDUP Fakuma 2014 already in demand he 23rd Fakuma will take place in the fall of 2014 from 14th-18th October. Fakuma 2014 has already reported strong early bookings. Longstanding project manager Annemarie Lipp has already stated that the response to the registration forms has been ‘lively’. Emphasis is always strictly focussed on plastic processing at Fakuma. Well over 1000 visitors attended the presentations held at the Fakuma exhibitor forum in 2012, to gain direct contact with a host of qualified experts in their respective fields.
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The exhibitor forum will take place again at the 23rd Fakuma, and will deal with current issues such as material efficiency and intensive plastics recycling, as well as modern lightweight construction and future oriented topics including sustainable plastic materials, plastic parts with functional surfaces based on nano-coatings and innovative processing methods. P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG Tel: +49 7025 9206 0 Email: info@schall-messen.de Web: www.fakuma-messe.de
New consultancy brings “fresh approach” to the industry A new consultancy which claims it takes a fresh approach to advising and supporting manufacturers in some of the key plastics sectors has been launched by a well-known senior executive. Plastech Solutions says it is providing a one-stop-shop service to businesses in the plastics industry’s medical, technical and packaging sectors throughout the UK and Ireland, helping them to identify and source the most cost-effective production solutions, from single items of equipment to complete end-to-end production systems. It works closely with manufacturers, carrying out detailed cost analysis and agreeing with clients on the appropriate specification. Following delivery it handles installation, commissioning and training, as well as providing ongoing maintenance and service. The new consultancy is working hand-inhand with four of the industry’s leading suppliers, having been appointed exclusively to represent Kebo, Singulus Technologies, BFA Solutions and Ilsemann Automation in the UK and Irish markets. When necessary Plastech Solutions will also source other specialist items, depending on a customer’s
specific application or requirements. The new venture is the brainchild of Stephen Rundle, who departed from United Closures & Plastics in September last year. Rundle said: “I know from having worked in-house in the industry at a senior level for many years that there is a serious skills gap, with a lack of knowledge about which pieces of equipment to specify to achieve the optimum production system. “Also, if there is a problem with the system the end user often has to go back to several suppliers to get it sorted out. Obviously this has cost implications, not least because of lost production time. “Plastech Solutions will fill that skills gap for its clients, avoiding those problems and finding the solutions which best suit specific applications, with the aim of achieving optimum OEE.” Gerold Keller, Managing Director of Kebo AG, said: “Stephen is one of the most experienced individuals in the UK and Ireland plastics markets. His extensive knowledge in manufacturing, and his understanding of how to produce parts at the best ‘piece price’ will bring a fresh and unique approach to the sale of
New identity and premises for German pelletizing specialist Effective as of March 2013, PELL-TEC Pelletizing Technology GmbH has changed its company name to Coperion Pelletizing Technology GmbH. The company will continue operations under its current Managing Directors Michael Schuler and Bernhard Stern. The company recently relocated from Niedernberg, Germany to the Coperion site at Offenbach. The development and construction of strand pelletizing systems for standard and engineering plastics will continue to be the company’s focus. Besides more office space, considerably larger factory grounds will be available at the new site in Offenbach for the improvement and expansion of the company’s production and assembly facilities. The group says that the increase in available space is a prerequisite for the expansion of Coperion Pelletizing Technology’s product range. A systematic growth strategy and continued broadening and deepening of competence as a manufacturer of pelletizing systems for compounding extruders are major initiatives, according to the company. 32 • WWW.EPPM.COM • MARCH 2013
The machinery specialist is currently developing larger pelletizing systems suitable for output rates of over 6,000kg/hour, as well as pelletizers featuring higher wear resistance and more powerful drive systems for use in the processing of engineering plastics with high glass fibre content. The output rates of a specially developed series of pelletizers have been optimised for combined operation with Coperion’s Series ZSK Mc18 compounding extruders. The combination of these compounding extruders and the strand pelletizers have been designed to form a reliable unit that can operate compatibly with mechanical or control system interfaces. Coperion has been developing and constructing bulk materials handling systems for the aluminium producing industry from raw materials receiving up to electrolysis at its site in Offenbach for more than six years. Coperion Tel: +49 711 8970 Email: info@coperion.com Web: www.coperion.com
capital equipment. “This background, along with Stephen’s professional approach, will command respect and attention from industry colleagues. It is a perfect fit for KEBO AG and matches our global strategy on how best to serve the market. “We look forward to a long and successful relationship with Stephen, and Plastech Solutions Limited.” Nigel Baker, Managing Director of BMB Plastics Machinery Ltd (UK & Ireland) added: “Having worked with Stephen for many years in the plastics industry I was delighted to learn that Plastech Solutions has been established, providing a professional service to the market. “The products that are represented in the Plastech portfolio are market leaders and it will be a pleasure to work with Stephen to align BMB injection moulding machines for system solutions. “I am confident that the industry will benefit from the services of Plastech Solutions and I look forward to working on projects with Stephen in the near future.”
Plastech Solutions Tel: +44 870 919 8686 Email: stephen.rundle@plastechsolutions.co.uk Web: www.plastechsolutions.co.uk
“Market failures threaten PET recycling” claims industry body The PET recycling industry is threatened by persistent structural market failures across Europe, according to a recent statement from European Plastics Recyclers (EuPR). On the one hand, the report says, the current collection infrastructures have reached their limit and the collection of PET bottles is stuck at around 50% whereas the balance of the uncollected PET is still landfilled or incinerated. “Europe is not maximising the sustainable use of a valuable resource such as post-consumer PET” said Casper van den Dungen (Chairman of the EuPR PET Working Group). Controversially, the EuPR also blames “intensive lightweighting and complex bottle design” for a rise in the average costs of recycling in recent years. Such increased costs cannot currently be corrected by further economies of scale, the group claims. The group concedes, however, that recent years have seen an increase in demand for recycled PET and this has led to a significant increase in
investments in many new recycling lines. Casper van den Dungen said: “The combined effect of these market failures are causing recycling plants to operate at well below 75% of their capacity”. In addition, a potential lifting of currently existing anti-dumping duties on virgin PET could further worsen the industry’s position, says EuPR. “Until today, PET has been an undisputed success and example for sustainable development. It can remain so in the future if the collection moves upwards to another level and the virgin PET is fairly marketed” according to Casper van den Dungen. EuPR Tel: +32 2 742 96 82 Email: info@plasticsrecyclers.eu Web: www.plasticsrecyclers.eu
INDUSTRY NEWS & EVENTS ROUNDUP Major player boosts “three-year growth plan” with five new appointments Fuelling a three year growth strategy to boost its UK market share, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK, a manufacturer and system integrator of injection moulding equipment, has announced a new internal restructure with five appointments — underpinning the company’s European-wide decision to focus on two specific areas, packaging and precision. Each new appointment will play a pivotal role within each department driving the new segments, according to Demag. The first team will focus on packaging applications, particularly thin wall and high volume products, while the second department concentrates on applications requiring the highest level of precision, for example optical devices. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s UK MD Nigel Flowers, and new Chairman of the PMMDA (Polymer Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association) explained: “Injection moulding equipment procurement can be a significant investment; there’s not only the cost of the system, but the industry knowledge and experience that customers are buying into, which is why we’ve created dedicated teams to ensure our
customers maximise their return on investment.” Enhancing the sales, engineering, customer service and R&D teams within Sumitomo (SHI) Demag the five new appointments will be cross functional and operate at both at local and international level. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s sales team has been boosted by incoming Commercial Sales Manager Darren Herron, who is rejoining the company after five years: “It’s an exciting time to be returning. Together with the team, my key objectives are to grow market share by penetrating new accounts and streamline our processes for customer benefit.” The appointments of Kevin Heap and Peter Ing will further strengthen the sales team. Former Netstal UK Sales Executive Kevin Heap will play a vital role in developing the spread of the group’s products across the domestic market while Peter, who brings a wealth of plastics processing industry experience from positions at Engel, Dr Boy and Moretto, will focus on technical projects in market sectors such as automotive and medical. Peter commented: “I’m delighted to be working for an unparalleled leader in
Plastic industry association welcomes paper on landfill reduction Trade association PlasticsEurope has welcomed the Commission’s Green Paper on Plastic Waste as a catalyst for joint action amongst different key players to achieve the vision of ‘Zero Plastics to Landfill by 2020’. The group supports alternative solutions to the landfilling of plastics waste and to maintain plastics in the circular economy for as long as possible. Every year in Europe, 10 million tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste are buried in landfills. “The review of the Landfill Directive in 2014 offers an opportunity to make a step-change in the EU's resource efficiency policy. The inclusion of a landfill ban on plastics waste in the Directive will stimulate the plastic recycling sector and will make more plastic waste available for efficient energy recovery to produce electricity and heat. This ultimately leads to the creation of jobs and helps Europe to be less dependent on energy imports”, said Dr Wilfried Haensel, Executive Director of PlasticsEurope. The group believes that the European plastic industry can work with EU and national legislators in order to bring about better environmental policy when it comes to plastics and waste management. For this reason, it will be responding to the Green Paper and providing detailed information on its
vision towards increased sustainability of plastic products. Speaking at the Waste Free Oceans conference, on ‘Public & Private Solutions to Marine Litter’ held in Brussels on March 7th, EuPC’s Managing Director Alexandre Dangis welcomed the launch of the Green Paper and commented as follows: “At times when future polymer sourcing for European plastics converters remains unpredictable, and uncertain, there is a clear need to optimise the collection and sorting of plastics waste in order for the plastics industry to be more resource efficient. The need to incorporate more plastics recyclates in final applications will only increase the sustainability of plastics products. We are looking forward to analysing further the proposal of the Commission and discussing opportunities within the plastics value chain”. Zero landfilling will also help prevent plastics from reaching the marine environment. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 80% of all marine litter originates from land. Better waste management would be one important step to reduce marine litter reported the group. PlasticsEurope Web: www.plasticseurope.org
injection moulding machinery. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has a long pedigree of supplying quality machines and technical solutions.” Nick Smith — who has held various sales and engineering roles during his 18 year stint with Sumitomo (SHI) Demag — is taking on the process and application development role for the UK and Eire where he will work alongside the territorial sales managers to provide application support. Discussing his new remit Nick commented: “I’ll be focusing on process optimisation so that our customers can get the most out of their equipment and meet production goals such as maximising efficiency and minimising costs.” Finally Richard Nicholson — who joins the company as Service Engineer from Rutland Plastics — will play a key role in preserving customer satisfaction. Nigel Flowers concluded: “We have a clear three-year growth plan and these appointments are very much a part of our aim to ensure customers get the best out the machines they buy with pre and post-sales support. We are investing in our people because we know they can make a difference.”
Darren Herron, Commercial Sales Manager will be heading up the sales team
Nick Smith is heading up process and application development
Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Tel: +44 1296 739500 Email: salesuk@dpg.com Web: uk.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu
‘Sorting landmark’ as major plastic bottle recycling JV hits quarter of a million Continuum Recycling, the recycled-PET joint venture between Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) and ECO Plastics, has celebrated sorting a quarter of a billion bottles. The landmark comes some nine months after the £15 million facility was opened by then Waste Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach. Located on the site of ECO Plastics’ existing facility in Hemswell, itself the world’s largest plastics sorting plant, Continuum is now responsible for processing more than 50% of the UK’s bottle grade rPET plastic. The success of the facility has allowed CCE to meet its commitment to use 25% rPET in all its bottles by the end of 2012, an industry first. The plant also played a key part in Coca-Cola’s efforts to recycle all of the plastic bottles used during the Olympics and Paralympics, with some 15 million collected and returned to shelves as part of 63 million new bottles during a process that lasted as little as six weeks. Since opening Continuum has received a number of honours and shortlistings. These included the Best Partnership prize at the Green Business Awards, in recognition for the facility’s impact on the UK’s domestic recycling industry, as well as forming a key part of several sustainable manufacturing accolades awarded to CCE in 2012. CCE and ECO
Plastics estimate that the plant will save around 33,500 tonnes of CO2 per year, the equivalent of taking over 15,715 cars off the road. Nick Brown, Associate Director for Recycling at Coca-Cola Enterprises said: “Continuum has proven to be a landmark initiative for the reprocessing industry. This state-of-the-art facility is a first for the industry and is truly transforming recycling in this country. Our partnership with ECO Plastics has helped us reach an important milestone in our on-going efforts to build a lowcarbon, zero waste business here in Great Britain. “In the short time since opening, Continuum has allowed us to achieve our ambition of incorporating 25% recycled PET in all our plastic bottles and played a key role in helping to deliver a sustainable legacy for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Its success should demonstrate to everyone, from householders to Local Authorities and policy makers, the real environmental and economic benefits of recycling and the vast potential of the GB reprocessing sector.” ECO Plastics Tel: +44 845 6784500 Email: info@ecoplasticsltd.com Web: www.ecoplasticsltd.com
PET conference to look at future trends uring this year’s Drinktec fair in Munich in September, PET industry body PETnology will open the PET Arena 2013, taking place over the first two days of the show. The 16th PETnology Europe event will be a forum for new materials, technologies and machine designs, combined with sustainable, economically viable packaging solutions.
D
The PETnology event has been organised to encourage brand owners to take up fresh approaches in packaging technologies. The event will also provide time and scope for discussion across the industry. PETnology says it aims to unite supply and demand, thus addressing the specific interests of suppliers and bottling companies – in
the specialist exhibition, at the networking lunch and during the evening events. Presentations on technical and technological issues are rooted in the latest market events and predicted developments according to PETnology Europe 2013. The conference is aimed at executives and managers from the fields of
production, sales, procurement, corporate strategy, packaging, packaging design, R&D, marketing, sustainability and CSR. PETnology Tel: +49 941 870 2374 Email: b.appel@petnology.com Web: www.petnology.com
MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 33
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
EPPM CLASSIFIEDS MATERIALS
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Abbey Masterbatch
11, 34
RE-PROCESSING EQUIPMENT Cont’d
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13
Albis
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Bausano
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16
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Instron
10
Kongskilde
13
Krauss Maffei
New and second hand systems bought and sold Spares for all machines
BLACK MASTERBATCH Compounding Pipe Film
Contact: Dick Monkhouse Tel: 01928 734724 Email: sales@herbold.cu.uk
Speciality Engineering Polymers DISTRIBUTORS REQUIRED For a number of key areas Whitelands Mill, Whitelands Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6UG, UK Tel: Fax: Email: Web:
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Maschinenhandel Borowski
35
Tel: +49 89 88 99 0 Fax: +49 89 88 99 22 06 Web: www.kraussmaffei.com
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35
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29
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34
34 • WWW.EPPM.COM • MARCH 2013
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For further information: T: +44 (0) 1789 206600 F: +44 (0) 1789 206651 E: sales@enquires.co.uk Or scan the QR code below:
Renmar Ltd Tel: +44 844 6933225 Email: info@renmarltd.com Web: www.renmarltd.com
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Granulators Shredders Pulverisers Blowers-cyclones All spares Contact: Dick Monkhouse Tel: 01928 734724 Email: sales@zerma.co.uk
To advertise here please contact Tim Guest: Tel: +44 (0) 7581 398 723 Email: tim.guest@rapidnews.com USED MACHINERY
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Maschinenhandel Borowski Used plastic processing machines Injection moulding, blow moulding and accessories Tel. 0049-2173-8950790 Fax 8950799 www.mhborowski.de info@mhborowski.de
Over 35 Years of Service
1350mm Wide Welex Union ABS,HIPS, PMMA Capped ABS Sheet Extrusion Line Comprising 100mm Extruder, Coextruder, 1350mm X 450mm Stack, Guillotine.
1300mm Battenfeld coextrusion sheet line; 2 x 90mm single screw extruders. 1300mm x 600mm 3 roll polishing stack+ haul, 2 station winder, 1995.
Tel: +44 (0) 1793 827666
4 component Ferlin gravimetric blender model FGB5-4 For up to 500kg/hr. Piovan hopper loaders.
Email: sales@transxl.co.uk
90mm Welex single screw extruder. 5 zone vented fan cooled barrel. 200hp dc motor. 150 rpm max screw speed. 115mm hydraulic screen changer.
SHEET LINES
1800mm Virginio Mai 3 layer coex line 1700mm Bandera/virgin Mai ABS Line. 1500mm Bandera 3 roll stack
EXTRUDERS
1350mm Welex/ Union line 1300mm Battenfeld coextrusion sheet line. 1040mm Welex Coex sheet line. 1040mm Welex 3 roll stack
1850mm Battenfeld Gloenco PP PE Cast Film Line: 120mm+60mm extruders, feedblock. 1650mm Cloeren auto die, 1850mm Chill roll, haul off, winder.1993.
890mm Welex World Standard sheet Line. 90mm Extruder. Gear Pump 900mm Die. 890mm Welex Stack winder. 1997.
1000mm Esde 3 roll Stack 1000mm OMV co ex sheet line 890mm Welex Pet sheet line
THERMOFORMING 700mm Illig RDM 63/15B cup forming line 605mm Kiefel KL2 SH Thermoformer,
6 colour Omso DM144 lid priner
70mm Battenfeld-kuhne Extruder, Electrically Heated Air Cooled 5 Zone, Plug Vented Barrel. Screen Changer.
4.5” Welex single screw extruder. 30D vented., static mixer, gear pump. 2003.
980mm EDI model Ultraflex HR75 915mm EDI flex lip sheet die 900mm Kuhne model BDF 90F 500mm Masterflex flex lip cast film die 1987
500mm wide Illig RDM 50/3 lid thermoformer, Double heaters, Motor Indexing. Auto Rail Spreading, Counter/ Stacker, 1982 very good condition.
1700mm Bandera Virginio Mai PMMA ABS sheet extrusion line. 80mm extruder, 1600mm Simplas die, 2-7mm thickness. Complete line 1987.
100mm Union single screw extruder. 35D vented with fan cooled barrel. Vacuum vent. 110kw dc motor and drive. Temperature panel 1987.
2 Component Maguire model WSB 420 gravimetric weight scale blender. 2 hopper loaders.
540mm Kiefel KL2EH vacuum former
1040mm Welex sheet extrusion line: 90mm Welex extruder with gear pump, die head, 1040mm wide Welex 3 roll polishing stack, haul off and winder.
115mm Hartig Extruder, 30d 100mm Union extruder. 90mm Welex single screw extruder 80mm Cincinnati Titan twin screw 90mm John Brown Egan single screw extruder 70mm Battenfeld-kuhne Extruder 60mm Cincinnati coextruder 50mm Welex co extruder. 25:1 l/d ratio. 50mm Betol extruder 25:1d 45mm Kuhne model K45E 30D
500mm Illig RDM 50/3 Lid Thermoformer
1000mm Omv Coextrusion Sheet Line. 120mm Omv Extruder, 60mm Coextruder, Melt Pump, 1000mm X 500mm Roll Stack, Haul Off, Winder.
DIES
700mm Illig Rv74 Vacuum Former
700 X 500mm Illig Rv74 Vacuum Former. Unwind. Top And Bottom Heaters. Forming Station. Punch. Stacker And Waste Wind Up. 2004 100hours only!!!
1040mm Welex coextrusion sheet line, comprising 90mm and 63mm extruders, 1000mm wide die, 1040mm x 600mm stack, pumps, haul off, winder.
GRANULATORS
2300mm Omipa Pmma Extrusion Line
1350mm Welex 3 roll stack
45mm Kuhne single screw extruder model K45E 30D plugged vented. 20-204 rpm. 24kw dc motor.
500mm Zerma model GSH-500/600 660 x 350mm Cumberland model 6/84. 900mm Cumberland Model 4590 1270mm Cumberland Model 50b
2400mm Cincinnati PVC Sheet line
890mm Welex Coextrusion Welex World Standard sheet Line. 90mm Extruder. Circa 50mm Co-extruder. Gear Pump 900mm Die. 890mm Welex Stack winder. 1998.
Web: www.transxl.co.uk
1250mm Cumberland Model 50b Granulator 1997. 75kw ac motor. Throat - 1270mm x 510mm. Potential throughput over 1000kg/ hr*. Sheet nip feed.
1000mm wide Kuhne model BDF 100 PET close approach flex lip sheet die. Inclined choker bar. Decal facility. Removable bottom lip. Rectangular feed. Year 2000.
TRANSXL INTERNATIONAL THORNHILL SOUTH MARSTON SWINDON WILTSHIRE SN3 4TA ENGLAND MORE MACHINERY, MORE PHOTOS ON THE WEB: www.transxl.co.uk
MARCH 2013 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 35