EPPM 23.3

SEPT/OCT 2021 | VOLUME 23/ISSUE 3

GO AGAINST THE FLOW

ENGEL MAKES SOPHISTICATION LOOK SEAMLESS BATCH TO THE FUTURE

DR CHANDRES SURTI ON MASTERBATCH FOR SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING.

CIRCULAR STATES

TOMRA’S TY RHOAD ON THE CHALLENGE OF IMPROVING RECYCLING RATES.

GIRLS ON FILM

CAROLINE AND JESSICA MARCHANTE SHARE MARCHANTE S.A.S.’ EXPERTISE.

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Our Quick Mould Change Solutions are adaptable to your company’s strategy and future business plans.

Stäubli can support your ROI at every stage of the journey, whether it’s a short, medium or long-term investment. www.quick-mould-change.com

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HEAD OFFICE

Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, Chester, CH4 9QE. Tel. +44 (0) 1244 680222 Fax. +44 (0) 1244 671074

Web: www.eppm.com C.E.O. duncan wood

EDITORIAL

editor rob coker robert.coker@rapidnews.com

PRODUCTION

head of studio & production sam hamlyn sam.hamlyn@rapidnews.com

ADVERTISING

head of media sales lisa montgomery +44 (0) 1244 952 372 lisa.montgomeryw@rapidnews.com senior sales executive gareth jones +44 (0) 1244 952 360 gareth.jones@rapidnews.com

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PEFC Certified This product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources PEFC/16-33-254

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BPA Worldwide Membership ISSN No - 2052-4811

IN THIS ISSUE SEPT/OCT 2021

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FOREWORD

VinylPlus Managing Director Dr Brigitte Dero introduces the Autumn edition of EPPM Magazine.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Rob Coker reflects on the past 18 months and looks forward as the trade fair season arrives.

GO AGAINST THE FLOW Faurecia has increased competitiveness by producing sophisticated black panels on an ENGEL duo injection moulding machine.

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INJECTION MOULDING

Injecting expertise Dominykas Turčinskas, Commercial Manager, Micromolds explains the importance of CNC machining.

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INTERPLAS SPECIAL

The marketing message Aro PR and Marketing MD Billy McKenna discusses his reasons for exhibiting at Interplas

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Cool as you like Dry ice blasting, manufacturing and equipment supplier Dry Ice Ireland will make a return to Interplas this year. EPPM spoke with MD Barry Farrel to find out more.

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PACKAGING

Batch to the future Broadway Colours’ Technical Director Dr Chandres Surti on the contribution that masterbatch makes to sustainable packaging.

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It’s all about zero-waste in the factory of the future Tetra Pak’s Roberto Franchitti on how digitisation can lower environmental impacts.

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Circular states TOMRA Recycling’s newly appointed Regional Director Americas speaks to EPPM.

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FILM AND SHEET

FAKUMA PREVIEW

Girls on film

EPPM provides a glimpse of what to expect as FAKUMA returns to Friedrichshafen.

Caroline and Jessica Marchante share MARCHANTE S.A.S.’ expertise in Biaxial Oriented films production for various applications.

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ENGINEERING PLASTICS

TEMPERATURE CONTROL

Beyond limits Change is good Husky’s Matthew Cummings on the collaboration that led to new controller functionality and automation to optimise colour change processes.

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RECYCLING

Eurotec invites you to challenge your limits in materials and demand the impossible.

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CLASSIFIEDS

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EUREKA

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SPRINGS

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COLUMN

FOREWORD F

or more than 20 years, the European PVC industry has been working towards a circular economy value chain. VinylPlus is a 10-year, industry-wide voluntary commitment to develop more ecologically responsible and sustainable ways to produce, use and recycle PVC, and includes all European PVC industry sectors – from resin and additives producers to converters and recyclers. It covers the EU-27 plus Norway, Switzerland and UK. At the VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2021, the entire PVC value chain reaffirmed its dedication to creating a sustainable and circular future with the official launch of VinylPlus 2030 — the next 10-year commitment of the European PVC industry to sustainable development.

The new programme is based on numerous inputs from key stakeholders. In early 2020, VinylPlus commenced the development of a new sustainability programme for the entire PVC industry with a view to strengthening performance over the next decade. Key to this was a three-month long external consultation, led by Irelandbased consultancy Accenture, to collect and analyse views from stakeholders on what they see as major priorities for the European PVC industry to 2030. The project team conducted interviews with a range of stakeholders in order to gather input on sustainability drivers, challenges and opportunities

partnerships have always been key to VinylPlus’ success.

We will continue to engage with stakeholders at regional and global levels and encourage our partner companies to adopt the most sustainable practices while integrating maximum transparency and accountability in our own governance and reporting.

The European Sustainable Products Initiative is of particular relevance to VinylPlus’ commitments, and a prime example of where VinylPlus can support the European Commission.

VinylPlus Managing Director Dr Brigitte Dero introduces the Autumn edition of EPPM Magazine for the industry to respond to over the next decade. With these insights, VinylPlus developed its next 10-year commitment that identifies three pathways, further broken down into 12 action areas in alignment with EU policy objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Through Pathway 1, the European PVC industry commits to advancing toward full circularity and confirms its recycling commitments: 900,000 tonnes of PVC recycled per year into new products by 2025; and one million tonnes by 2030,

made with the European Commission as a signatory to the Circular Plastics Alliance. Pathway 2 aims at the decarbonisation and minimisation of the environmental footprint of production processes and products. The use of sustainable feedstocks and renewable energy are at the heart of the strategies combatting climate change.

Pathway 3 was developed in recognition of the key role the UN SDGs play to advance development and promote human well-being and environmental protection.

Stakeholder engagement, coalition building, and forging

The VinylPlus Product Label, for instance, developed by VinylPlus, The Natural Step and the Building Research Establishment, contributes to improving the sustainability and sustainable use of products by ensuring traceability and by requiring producers to meet strict requirements, all verified by a third-party. It is the first scheme dedicated to plastic building and construction products to be recognised as a Responsible Sourcing Certification Scheme within BREEAM, the world’s mostused green building standard.

With its next 10-year commitment towards 2030, VinylPlus again confirms the united European PVC value chain’s dedication towards creating a sustainable future while ensuring that PVC remains a safe material fit for the circular economy.

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QUALITY PERFORMS.

Mechanically and dynamically highly stressed components in lightweight design and mechanical engineering need to be particularly strong. The new glass fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 variants from the Durethan® P series (Performance), a more economic alternative to PA66, demonstrate high operational stability under pulsating loads. Their resistance to cyclical mechanical stresses is several times higher than that of standard products with the same glass fiber content. Tests show that the operating life of the Durethan® BKV50PH2.0 under dynamic loads is around eight times longer than the similar standard PA6 grades, while the Durethan® BKV60PH2.0EF offers ten times the operational stability.

Potential applications include engine and chassis mounts, damper pistons, oil modules or load-bearing structures for electrical and electronic modules and seat shells for cars as well as furniture hardware. Profit by our HiAnt® service. Our testing center performs all standard vibration tests looking at the operational stability of components such as those used in vehicle applications. PA66-replacement.lanxess.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

End of the world – as we know it Dear readers,

I hope and expect that the ‘greenwashing’ of practices and products will become a thing of the past, and that businesses have learned and listened

The summer may be drawing to a close, but the autumn brings much to look forward to – particularly in the all-new trade fair calendar. They may not be exactly as we remember them, with many still rightly concerned about the lingering presence of COVID-19. Life goes on, but not as we know it. I for one feel I have done all I can to protect my family, friends, colleagues and others, and now I’m ready to live life as closely to normal as possible. Heck! After spending the past 18 months of barely moving from my house except to fetch groceries, who wouldn’t be?

There are – and always will be – other issues to take on, other challenges to face. Would it not be the bolder option to discuss potential solutions to, for example, climate change and materials pollution and waste among like-minded and respected industry partners? I think so, which is why I will be returning to the trade fair scene ready to tap into and help disseminate that powerful industry knowledge. The passion of protest is remarkable and pivotal, and the messages are noble. Yet what is their value without the input of time-served professional expertise? Much of which I expect to witness and hear during Interplas UK at the end of September, where I will be making my debut as a visitor and as a moderator on the Sustainability Stage.

Industry, traditionally, has given little to feed the hopes and assuage the fears of environmental groups, so I hope and expect that the ‘greenwashing’ of practices and products will become a thing of the past, and that businesses have learned and listened to the calls from grassroots movements such as Extinction Rebellion to make circular plastics production and consumption a reality, as soon as possible. I hope, too, to see and meet many of you at Interplas UK so you can share with me your forthcoming sustainability targets as we continue to progress into the 2020s, and make those that come after us proud of our efforts today.

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COVER STORY FAURECIA HAS INCREASED COMPETITIVENESS BY PRODUCING SOPHISTICATED BLACK PANELS ON AN ENGEL DUO INJECTION MOULDING MACHINE.

T

he vehicle interior of the future will make drivers feel even more at home and will fulfil the individual preferences of the vehicle owner.

Operating elements will disappear under high-quality surfaces and control will be even more intuitive. The way forward, Faurecia is working intensively on this topic and meeting the challenge of combining aesthetics and functionality with efficiency and cost effectiveness.

The interior of the Audi Q8 is functional and at the same time elegant. It thus points the way to the future. "Audi is particularly design-oriented," says Jochen Klos, Injection Moulding Manager at Faurecia Innenraumsysteme GmbH, headquartered in Hagenbach, southwest Germany, describing an especially demanding customer. Six interior parts are produced for the SUV Coupé by Faurecia. The centre console clearly illustrates the high-quality requirements.

In order to be competitive, Faurecia, in collaboration with its injection moulding machine manufacturing partner ENGEL, developed a production process beyond the mainstream.

The black panel component parts are produced on an ENGEL duo 700 combi

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injection moulding machine with a rotary table in a three-component injection moulding process. PC-ABS is processed for the carrier structure as are two PC types, one of them transparent, because the letter P, which symbolises the ‘Parking’ position in the switch display, is backlit.

An articulated robot integrated into the production cell removes the parts from the mould and transfers them to quality control. Immediately after injection moulding production, the surfaces of the centre consoles are painted and the paint is precisely removed from the backlit P by laser engraving. The black high-gloss paint with a precisely defined matt content is a special development from Audi and a distinguishing feature for the automotive group.

The centre console of the Audi Q8 is a filigree frame structure which houses the on-board computer, the gearshift system and a storage compartment in the cockpit. Production is demanding not only because of the three materials, which are processed simultaneously in one work step, but above all because the high-gloss lacquer requires an absolutely flat substrate. "Audi uses a strip light to test the component parts," as Tobias Hüppe, the plant manager at the Peine

GO AGAIN THE

NST FLOW

We had to route the entire media supply to the mobile mould mounting platen through the rotary table

site explains. "You can't fool the light. Even the finest weld lines or sink marks are detected and lead to rejects."

SUPPLYING HOT PRESSURISED WATER AT 180°C VIA THE ROTARY TABLE "Polycarbonate is a particularly demanding material in terms of weld lines," as Jochen Klos confirms. In order to avoid visible weld lines, the Faurecia process developers opted for variothermal mould temperature control using pressurised water. However, sink marks caused by ribs and mounting elements on the B side of the carrier structure, with its thickness of just 2.5mm, remained a challenge, as did washout in the transparent, backlit material, with the potential to impact light purity.

"These topics really caused us some headaches," as Klos reports. "Ultimately, we turned the conventional multicomponent process on its head, so to speak," giving ENGEL, the mechanical engineering partner, a tricky task. "We had to route the entire media supply to the mobile mould mounting platen through the rotary table," says Jochen Wallmüller, Automotive Sales Manager at ENGEL's Schwertberg headquarters in Austria.

What is already state-of-the-art with hightemperature cables for applications in the automotive lighting sector has taken on a new dimension with Faurecia. "This is the first time that we have also connected the pipes for variothermal mould temperature control, which transport 180°C hot pressurised water, via the rotary table," says Wallmüller.

ENGEL has developed a rotary feedthrough specifically adapted to these requirements in order to reliably control the high temperatures and load changes between heating and cooling in the tightest of spaces. "The difference to conventional rotary feedthroughs lies in the sealing system," explains Klaus Hof, sales engineer at ENGEL Deutschland, who worked particularly closely with the Faurecia team on process development.

"ENGEL has supported us excellently in solving the new engineering challenges and it was thus also ENGEL's contribution that we were able to take this extraordinary process into series production," says Jochen Klos. "We are achieving a scrap rate of less than four per cent for three-component parts, which puts us ahead of the competition among black panel suppliers."

MOVING FORWARD THROUGH ENGINEERING EXPERTISE ENGEL is a strategic supplier for Faurecia.

"The TCO, the Total Cost of Ownership, is crucial here, and we definitely do not want over-engineering," concludes Klos, adding an aspect that is personally important to him – second only to great innovative strength. "We do not want standard machines, but the opportunity to continuously expand our business. That is why ENGEL is the right partner for us. In the future, engineering expertise will be even more pivotal for our competitiveness than it is today."

INJECTION MOULDING CNC MACHINING IS ONE OF THE MOST USED TERMS IN MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS. BUT WHAT DOES A CNC MACHINE MEAN FOR MANUFACTURING AND HOW DOES IT WORK? DOMINYKAS TURČINSKAS, COMMERCIAL MANAGER FOR VILNIUS-BASED MICROMOLDS, EXPLAINS.

INJECTING EXPERTISE

C

NC (Computer Numerical Control) refers to an automated machine that performs subtractive manufacturing. It utilises tools and computer-controlled programs/commands (G-codes) to remove layers of material from a solid block to ensure exact production measurements. The layer-bylayer reduction results in the form of a custom-designed part.

The process is usually perceived as in contrast to additive manufacturing, in which the purpose is achieved by adding layers of the material. CNC machining is highly suitable for a wide range of materials including metals, wood, foam, glass, plastics, and other composite materials.

CNC machining, or CNC milling, has a pivotal role in injection moulding. The mould model is first prepared by the CAD software and uploaded to the CNC machine through the CAM software. That is, after designing, optimising, DFM analysis, and writing G-codes, the manufacturing of the mould is carried out using the CNC machine. The following is a selection of some of the benefits of CNC machining for overmoulding or injection moulding.

FEWER STEPS Perhaps, the most significant benefit of CNC machining is that it offers a limited number of steps to get the task done with minimum human intervention.

The user only needs to feed the design and set the program according to the requirements, and the machine will perform the rest.

PRECISE AND REPEATABLE Unlike manual manufacturing, CNC machines offer automation in every step, bringing part precision and repeatability without loss of quality or machine efficiency.

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COMPLEX PARTS PRODUCTION Complex parts are difficult to manufacture manually, but with CNC machines, irregular parts can be quickly, precisely and efficiently produced.

COMPATIBILITY WITH CAD The design of the product is made ready on the CAD software. Later, the design files are fed into the machine, which reads the CAD files and keeps performing the operations.

IMPROVED SAFETY Unlike manual machines, CNC machines possess the ability to ensure a high level of safety as they are fully automated and require minimum human intervention.

When it comes to injection moulding, different tooling processes can be handled by machines and computers. Meanwhile, CNC machining for mould manufacturing has been a long-standing application in plastic injection moulding.

First, the product drawing is prepared. It should be remembered here that the process, whether CNC machining or injection moulding, includes the same method for the initial design – i.e.

3D design prepared on CAD software.

Second, the metal block of correct and appropriate size is adjusted on a CNC machine, which performs primary functions such as milling and turning.

The cutting tool selection is always made by keeping in view the mould material. Likewise, the whole designing and machining process should be highly efficient to ensure rapid tooling and mould making.

Nowadays, the advancement in moulds is directly related to manufacturing with CNC machines. Typically, it has always

CNC machining is one of the broadly embraced subtractive processes that offers a very fine-shaped and precise part been essential to ascertain the suitable material for the mould. Often, aluminium and steel are used to prepare the mould. The former is faster and cheaper than the latter, but both have their own advantages and applications.

With layer-by-layer removal, the block finally reaches the desired shape. The mould is then adjusted with the platens of the injection moulding machine to start producing. The molten raw material passes through the barrel and enters the mould where the material is solidified.

CNC machining is therefore one of the broadly embraced subtractive processes that offers a very fine-shaped and precise part. There remains a wide range of industries in which it has high-profile applications. Global market size reached $71.46bn (~€60.48bn) in 2020, and it is expected to grow to $76.22bn by the end of 2021.

Volume production Production of customized injection molded parts Volume production of high quality silicone parts using one- and multi-component injection molding technology.

FAKUMA RICO Elastomere Projecting GmbH Thalheim bei Wels/Austria, www.rico.at

Friedrichshafen/GER 12.-16.10.2021 Hall A5, Stand 5004

INJECTION MOULDING DARREN HERRON, NATIONAL SALES MANAGER, SUMITOMO (SHI) DEMAG, AND GERARD HENN, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE IRELAND-BASED AVENUE OPERATION, DISCUSS INJECTION MOULDING FOR THE MEDICAL SECTOR.

lectric Avenue How much more important has medical device manufacturing become due the events of the past year or two?

Agility has been the name of the game during these unprecedented times.

Naturally, the focus on medical device manufacturing has been amplified.

Within the Group, demand for medical technology solutions rose by almost 50 per cent. Here, the focus was on applications for in vitro diagnostics.

Throughout this unpredictable trading environment, machine features such as remote diagnostics have been extremely valuable to customers as they strive to maintain operational efficiency and save money, while adhering to health and safety guidance and ensuring machine assets are safeguarded. The market for IVD is booming, especially to support the devices which perform COVID-19

tests. The main products are pipette tips and PCR plates. Drug delivery devices still remain a stable pillar in the current economic situation.

In what ways is Ireland at the forefront of Europe’s medical device innovation?

According to Polymer Technology Ireland, the polymer sector currently comprises 230 enterprises employing 7,000 people.

With major R&D and manufacturing hubs in Athlone, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Dublin, Cork and Waterford, and annual exports exceeding €1.62bn, the COVID-19 pandemic is anticipated to further strengthen Ireland’s medical polymer value chain.

The dominance of medical plastic injection moulding in the Irish market means there is high demand for cleanroom specification allelectric machines.

Being part of the Eurozone is clearly an export advantage.

Additionally, Ireland has attracted a large number of multinational organisations in recent years, especially clusters of US pharma, technology and electronic firms with their EMEA operations located

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here. Continuing investment shows no sign of slowing.

And how does injection moulding help to maintain that all-important quality aspect?

In order to enhance patient safety, there’s a drive towards using new and more innovative regulated materials with a better flow and high impact strength to mould components. Medical moulders globally seek IM machinery that offers the highest repeatability, precision, cleanliness, traceability and energy efficiency, and support customers with their product validation. Advanced batch tracking, contact-free inspection using cameras, and highly automated assembly are among the latest developments to meet the precision and quality control requirements.

How much does the right process control hardware and software contribute to this quality?

It is an essential consideration. Medical systems need to be cleaner, cooler, faster and quieter, with more precise injection control, together with smoother mould and ejector movements.

As a high liability market, authentication of individual components requires a fingerprint style approach to traceability. However, it is not purely about mandatory information and supply chain tracking. Real-time traceability is about being able to call up data and verify the exact settings used on the injection moulding machine when that individual plastic part was made. That’s where connectivity to a Management Executive System (MES) is vital.

Medical moulders globally seek IM machinery that offers the highest repeatability, precision, cleanliness, traceability and energy efficiency For example, when parts being produced on multi-cavity tools, like pipettes, robots are programmed to remove and place the components into cavity-assigned racks. This means that if an issue with cavity 1 arises, the rack containing all corresponding cavity 1 parts can be isolated and the rack recalled, with all the production information stored in the MES. Time to market is critical in the medical devices industry. How does collaboration between Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and Avenue help maintain or accelerate this?

Throughout Europe, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag continues to adapt its strategies and portfolio to meet new market demands. Collaboration with customers and industry partners is critical to future market developments and new research programmes.

Although the pandemic has made collaboration challenging, the importance of our company’s strategic decision to push ahead with new and further developments in our all-electric IntElect machine series a few years ago has been clearly beneficial as moulders reacted to different demands during this current pandemic, including heightened demand for oxygen sensors, blood monitoring equipment and facemasks, as well as test kits.

Our expertise in the all-electric range, combined with an optional package developed specifically for a typical medical production environment, has enabled moulders to rapidly implement

a clean production cell and capture the opportunities in hygiene sensitive markets.

And how does Sumitomo (SHI) Demag technology help Avenue meet its sustainability and environmental responsibilities For Nolato, sustainability centres around social and environmental work which we see as an integral part of our financial value creation. Every decision across the entire product lifecycle plays an important part in this. With this increased focus on sustainability, energy site consumption is a key metric and as a business unit we are expected to monitor, report out and target planned efficiency gains for our operations. Precision moulding and all-electric technology assists Avenue and Nolato to meet these goals.

Nolato is a Signatory of the UN Global Compact, and our sustainability targets are linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We report according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and to the Carbon Disclosure Initiative (CDP). All manufacturing plants must be certified according to ISO 14001.

In which specific applications can we expect to see injection moulded parts manufactured by Avenue?

Specific applications include various airway delivery components, diagnostic test kits and moulded parts for IV fluid delivery sets. A growing part of our business has been in moulded medical device components for surgical theatre use.

INTERPLAS ARO PR AND MARKETING MD BILLY MCKENNA DISCUSSES HIS REASONS FOR EXHIBITING AT THE UK'S BIGGEST PLASTICS INDUSTRY TRADE FAIR, INTERPLAS.

The marketing message How important are trade fairs such as Interplas to a PR and Marketing company?

The shows are really important to us and engineering shows in particular in terms of meeting up with some of our existing clients. It's also important for business development and growing the business because we get to meet a lot of new contacts. Like a lot of exhibitors, we won't sign a deal on the dotted line on the day of the show, but we will start a relationship which will then continue over weeks, months or years and thus secure new business, new clients. What shows like Interplas can do is give you an opportunity to have a conversation with somebody face to face. It's not cold calling because you’ve got a reason to be there, and sometimes people are open to having those conversations. So, for me, it's a really important way of building the business.

How excited are you that these events are returning?

I can hardly contain myself.

We've done the event scene – sometimes three or four events a year – and to be honest with you, at the time I hated it. I hated the preparation for them and the build-up but, when I got there, I always had a nice time because you meet nice

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people and you have a nice chat. Now that I haven't done them for a year and a half, I'm really looking forward to it, and really looking forward to Interplas in particular because this is our first time exhibiting there. I chose Interplas as the first event we're returning to exhibit at because it's one of the biggest, if not the biggest, shows around.

This past year and a half has made me prioritise a lot more rigorously and a lot more vigorously about where we are allocating our time and our show budget. Interplas was an obvious place to be because of the depths and the extent of its reach within the industry – within various sectors.

It's just huge and it's got so many different aspects to it.

It covers so many aspects of advanced engineering.

What can other visitors expect to learn about at your Interplas exhibit?

We’re specialists for SME engineering companies so, at the very least, they can have a conversation about how they can boost their own business development and lead generation, which we've recently developed into our service. We can bring techniques from the businessto-consumer market. These are things that Coca-Cola

Interplas is just huge and it's got so many different aspects to it and Mars do to get their customers. We’re bringing some of those ideas into the advanced engineering field, and that's quite a new development for us. So, at the very least, they can get some new ideas; they will certainly get food for thought; and they might find a way to quickly grow their own businesses.

How does Aro plan to contribute to the discussion around sustainability and circularity?

What we do helps that whole sustainability and environmental agenda because all of our clients are SMEs dealing with the bigger players in the industry. These bigger companies have all got very strong sustainability targets in

their agendas. What we help our clients do is communicate their own sustainability practises. For example, in the oil and gas industry there’s a not uncommon problem of leaking and energy-inefficient pumps. I was talking with one pump manufacturer and one of their big selling points is that their pumps don’t leak and are much more efficient in energy usage. Those are very strong business messages to get out there, and also very strong sustainability messages that play in and meet the needs of the bigger companies. Getting those messages out there is very, very important for our clients and will encourage more companies to think of the environment.

DRY ICE BLASTING, MANUFACTURING AND EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER DRY ICE IRELAND WILL MAKE A RETURN TO INTERPLAS THIS YEAR. EPPM SPOKE WITH COMPANY DIRECTOR BARRY FARRELL TO FIND OUT MORE.

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L

AS YOU LIKE What new solutions can Interplas visitors expect at Dry Ice Ireland's booth this year?

Dry ice Ireland provides an array of solutions for Interplas visitors, including dry ice blasting, dry ice supply and dry ice blaster sales and rentals, and this year visitors can expect some new Dry Ice Blaster technologies to be displayed at our booth.

How important is Interplas in the plastics industry events calendar?

Interplas is one of the most important events in the plastics industry calendar as it provides an opportunity for companies within the industry to showcase our new, cutting-edge technologies.

There will be a huge focus on sustainability and circularity at this year's event. How can we expect Dry Ice Ireland representatives to contribute to both the discussion and the action required? How important are events such as Interplas in helping drive circular economy solutions?

We will have representatives attending the event to provide information on the solutions we have already applied to our services in order to create a more sustainable future in this industry. Interplas allows companies

like us to provide a more sustainable manufacturing process to our customers through the use of our non-waste productive and environmentally friendly services, allowing us to participate in the drive for circular economy solutions.

What were the decisive factors in Dry Ice Ireland opting to take part in the event this year, specifically when we consider the events of the past 18 months or so?

The events of the past 18 months have not really had an effect on the demand for our services in providing a more sustainable future in manufacturing, and this event will allow us to create a greater awareness of how useful these services can be in achieving this.

How does Dry Ice Ireland interact with its value chain partners in order to make plastics more sustainable?

To ensure that we are sustainable, the companies we partner with are only the best of the best, such as our partner Cold Jet, which provides the best dry ice blasting technology in the market – and they share our values of protecting the environment.

And how does Dry Ice Ireland technology help maintain the quality and performance of plastics?

We will have representatives attending the event to provide information on the solutions we have already applied to our services in order to create a more sustainable future in this industry

Manufacturing plastics requires the use of machines to be efficient. To ensure the quality and performance of plastics, these machines need to be at their best. In order to remain at their best they need to be clean. Our dry ice blasting services allow for this as they ensure machines are cleaned efficiently, effectively, and sustainably with minimum downtime and maximum productivity.

PACKAGING ROB COKER SPOKE WITH BROADWAY COLOURS’ NEW TECHNICAL MANAGER DR. CHANDRES SURTI ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTION MASTERBATCH MAKES TO THE CHALLENGE OF SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING.

In what ways will your academic background help improve the performance of the masterbatch, and how will that improve the performance of the material in application?

My scientific and chemical background is quite diverse, ranging from the traditional organic chemistry to biotechnology, speciality chemicals and monomers for the medical devices industry. My broad knowledge has furnished me with the skills to adapt and be flexible to changing environments and regulations, and to stay informed with new, innovative technologies.

With regards to masterbatch, my primary goal is to introduce a new level of innovation and chemical knowhow to the performance of our masterbatches – whether that be the introduction of new additives, bio-sourced polymers or recyclables.

day. There are challenges with recycling, improving performance and increasing the use of polymers from renewable sources. Developing the type of innovation we need to deal with these new world problems will need significant input from the academic environment.

Our intention is to increase the portfolio of products that we offer. We aim to provide a selection of masterbatches which can be tailored to suit specific end applications, for current and new end-users. These may include novel antimicrobials and biodegradables, but also maintaining a focus on providing new and innovative pigment effects.

As a company we have a strong desire to work with academics to help realise and commercialise innovative ideas.

So, there’s a real opportunity for young academics to research and publish in the masterbatch field and become leading figures in the industry.

Supporting sustainability is of course a key objective. I’m looking to work with customers to find suitable applications for our ‘Supra-Sustainable’ range of masterbatch – reducing the volume of virgin polymer, particularly in compounds and roto powders. I’ll also be working closely with our customers to find solutions for PCR polymers.

How does a young academic become interested in masterbatch development?

That is a good question. The world is changing very quickly and we are facing new questions about the environment.

We have a collective responsibility to deal with the new challenges. Part of that is dealing with the plastics we use every

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How do you expect masterbatch providers will be able to support manufacturers in achieving their sustainability targets?

I think it’s important we provide manufacturers with the information they need to process and bring the end product to market. Our increased R&D capacity will allow us to do this more effectively. Processing PCR material to meet sustainability goals is always going to pose challenges. There’s a need for the masterbatch industry to take the technical lead and work with end-use manufacturers to help meet targets for their use of recycled material.

Broadway Colours will continue to work with our customers, seeking to offer answers to all their sustainability questions.

The company has commissioned a new

There’s a real opportunity for young academics to research and publish in the masterbatch field and become leading figures in the industry The company has commissioned a new lab for you to lead. In what ways is this new facility state-of-the-art?

Broadway Colours is significantly investing for the future, both in our new laboratory and by increasing production capacity. There will be substantial improvement in our analytical and technical ability, and we will be able to analyse raw materials and final products, as well as provide a faster and incredibly accurate colour matching capability.

The investment will bring a range of new equipment to enhance the business and enable us to gather more information over raw material consistency to avoid downstream processing issues. It will also be a tool to support our customers whenever they need guidance.

The increased analytical capability will accelerate the rate at which we can develop new additive and pigmented masterbatches, and gather the data for processing and manufacturing. We believe in working in partnership with our customers, hence the investment to grow Broadway Colours, but also to support our customers’ needs. In addition, there’s ongoing investment in our staffing, our brand, our website and the whole customer experience. I believe this shows the high level of commitment and confidence the Board of Directors has in Broadway Colours and its future.

Which is more important to the manufacturer: eye-catching packaging or recyclability?

Difficult question. I believe both will play a part. Consumer expectations are high and until consumer perceptions change, eye-catching packaging will remain a priority for brand owners.

However, consumers are becoming savvy.

Recyclability will become a marketing tool used to persuade the consumer, but there is no reason why the manufacturer must significantly compromise the eye-catching nature of their packaging.

PCR material is here to stay, and we need to work with it. Whilst there may be some negative impact on aesthetics, our goal is to support our customers. Whether that be regulatory advice and information, or by taking advantage of the wealth of experience our long-serving team of colour matching experts possesses. Using the depth of experience we have inhouse, we seek to minimise the impact of utilising PCR material. So, I think both are achievable and both will remain important to the manufacturer. It’s important that the right choices are made, they must be for the sake of the environment and not simply for good PR. Which is more important to the consumer?

There’s a growing level of consumer awareness when it comes to plastics, even if much of it isn’t evidence-based.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact that humankind and industry is having on the planet.

We all have a responsibility to support a sustainable future. If that means there will be slight changes in packaging material then the consumer will accept that, providing they understand the environmental benefits.

Consumers are aware of the challenges the plastics industry faces and they want to play their part in the solution. It’s up to brand owners and manufacturers to take the lead.

How will your technical expertise help reconcile the two?

Being able to utilise recyclate and support the use of sustainable materials is something we’re continually working on at Broadway Colours. With the introduction and roll-out of our SupraSustainable range, we have already met some of these needs. Our increased and improved technical capability will enable this progress to advance at pace.

This will ultimately be beneficial to the consumer and manufacturer and will help in bridging the gap. Our on-site colour matching suite provides the perfect facility for brand owners to visit us to approve samples using their specific PCR base material, which we know varies from batch to batch.

How do Broadway Colours' masterbatches increase the amount of recyclate used whilst simultaneously decreasing the use of virgin materials?

This is a technical challenge that masterbatch producers are facing. It will need the co-operation of raw material suppliers and brand owners to drive the change. There are challenges with the reproducibility and processability of recyclate. If there is consistency in the quality of the recyclate then this will filter down to masterbatch manufacturers and end users. In overall terms, Broadway Colours can offer greater influence in increasing the use of PCR through our compounding services.

Unlike with masterbatch, this isn’t just a small percentage of the final material used in the moulding process.

We’re working with a customer in the horticultural sector who has an interest in us producing PCR-based compounds, incorporating our masterbatches. We’d welcome the opportunity to work with new customers to expand this area of our business and help others increase their use of PCR material.

The drive to use less virgin polymer will have a beneficial return to the balance sheet, especially in current times when material is in short supply and costs have increased. We work with our partners to promote the use of recyclate, highlighting the benefits from both an environmental and marketing perspective. Our expanded analytical and technical capability will help us to guide a collective progression.

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PACKAGING AS A TECHNOLOGY PARTNER IN VARIOUS AREAS OF THE PLASTICS AND PACKAGING INDUSTRY, KIEFEL GMBH NOW SUPPORTS ITS CUSTOMERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS.

New materials, new opportunities

W

ith Fiber Thermoforming, KIEFEL has opened a complementary field of technology utilising natural fibres, incorporating decades of knowhow from plastics processing into the development of the Fiber Thermoforming machines.

In addition to classic recyclable plastics, the company can now process fibrebased, recycled and bio-based materials.

Virgin fibres (unprocessed cellulose) can be used to comply with food industry regulations for packaging solutions, meaning KIEFEL can provide the optimal product development and production technology, regardless of the material.

The raw material for fibre products is pulp or paper dissolved in water. This is shaped, pressed, dried and converted into dimensionally stable packaging that can be recycled or composted. Depending on the application, they offer an alternative made from renewable raw materials, with a low CO2 footprint. The Fiber Thermoforming process enables highquality products with perfect rims and geometry tolerances similar to plastics.

This is enabled by an extensive fibre packaging machine portfolio: The NATUREPREP KFP series for high-quality natural fibre pulp stock preparation, and the NATUREFORMER KFT series systems, on which various fibre products can be manufactured. Matching coating concepts make the products grease- and water-repellent and barrier properties can be easily reached utilising sustainable materials that can be added to the pulp or coated onto the products.

DISCOVERING THE POTENTIAL In its Material R&D Center, KIEFEL researches, analyses, and categorises wood-based materials and designs coating concepts for natural fibre packaging. The company also investigates promising annual plants including wheat,

straw and sugar cane. These are tested on pilot systems and optimised for the manufacturing process. The Material R&D Center complements KIEFEL's Applied Polymer Research Center, which focuses on research into recycled and bio-based plastics. In the adjacent Packaging Technology Center, the company undertakes testing on materials, tools and prototypes, as well as on machinery and small batch sample production.

THE ENGINEERING IN FIBER THERMOFORMING The NATUREFORMER KFT series batchprocesses raw cellulose pulp to a one per cent fibre content. Flow simulations ensure the fibres are evenly distributed.

The aluminium suction tool is immersed in the suspension where the applied vacuum removes liquid, leaving the cellulose fibres in the tool, like a filter cake. A spray bar removes excess pulp and defines the edge of the product at regular intervals.

The suction tool then moves into a flexible counter tool in the pre-pressing station. These steps increase the dry content to approximately 40 per cent, guarantee even fibre distribution across the tool geometry, offer excellent dimensional accuracy and leave a very high-quality surface.

The suction tool then transfers the component to the hot press where any remaining moisture is eliminated by temperatures around 200°C in the upper and lower tools and a clamping force of up to 600kN. Richard Hagenauer, Head of the Fiber Thermoforming project, said: “Our technology allows us to achieve drawing depths of up to 250mm on the NATUREFORMER KFT 90 Flex. We work with cavities directly heated by heating cartridges integrated into the tool. This enables us to achieve optimal heat transfer, reduce energy consumption and achieve high product quality."

FAST TOOL CHANGE AND MACHINE HANDLING The suction tool is mounted on the handling robot and transfers the component from station to station.

The KFT 90 Flex is equipped with a fully automatic rapid tool change system that enables the heated tool to be changed within 15 minutes. The handling robot traverses to tool positions for maintenance, cleaning and tool change.

As on the plastics thermoforming machines, the KMI 2.0 HMI supports the machine operator, facilitating easy and transparent control.

AUTOMATION AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT The NATUREFORMER KFT series has a high level of automation that supports customers for industrialised production systems. Automation solutions include a tilting and stacking function, Flex-Picker, sleeving station and automation up to and including packing. Quality control and inspection systems can be integrated, as well as peripherals for printing and labelling. The various automation modules and their connectivity enable KIEFEL to meet specific customer needs.

The machines are experiencing high demand – several have been delivered with many more on order. This makes KIEFEL the first manufacturer of plastic thermoforming machines to also offer highly automated systems for fibre thermoforming.

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PACKAGING ULRIK AUNSKJÆR, GLOBAL INDUSTRY DIRECTOR, PALSGAARD A/S, HIGHLIGHTS THE BENEFITS OF PLANT-BASED ADDITIVES FOR PLASTICS IN PACKAGING.

Minimising fossil depletion and waste P

ackaging was not in the focus when Einar Viggo Schou invented plant-based emulsifiers a century ago. Since 1917, Palsgaard’s Einar range of natural emulsifiers has improved the taste, stability and texture of foods from margarine to ice cream and chocolate.

However, consumers today want nonsynthetic solutions not just in their food and personal care, but also in the packaging they buy with those items.

At the same time, the increased use of packaging polymers derived from renewable, non-fossil and recycled resources has resulted in a growing demand for material formulations using more sustainable functional additives to help minimise fossil depletion and waste.

Beyond their fundamental ability to mix oil and water, Einar plant-based products soon played an instrumental role in reducing spattering, preventing thermal shock, controlling viscosity, facilitation aeration and extending the shelf-life of food. Their versatile benefits were eventually extended into non-food products and particularly packaging materials, where they serve important functions for enhancing the processability, handling and safety of packaging films, foams and coatings.

Typical examples include the addition of durable anti-static and anti-fogging performance to PE and PP injection moulding, as well as film and foam grades for manufacturing a wide range of end-products from food packaging and storage to non-food containers. In other areas, they are used as ageing modifiers in PP and PE foams, slip agents in polyesters (including PLA), coating powders for EPS, mould release agents, and pigment dispersants in colour masterbatches. In addition, the bio-based additives provide brand owners, packaging designers, material formulators, compounders and converters in the food, cosmetics and other consumer markets with a certified carbon-neutral additive technology to meet ambitious sustainability targets.

NO STATIC, NO FOG Besides reducing our carbon footprint, a hungry world requires packaging solutions capable of extending the shelflife of products and reducing food loss.

Notwithstanding, consumers want to see what they are buying, which means that transparent food packaging films and containers must ensure long-lasting clarity to maintain the aesthetic appeal

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of the packaged product. Palsgaard is addressing these needs with a range of surfactants designed to reduce the fogging and the accumulation of static electricity of the packaging material.

Varying conditions of ambient humidity and temperature in transportation and storage can cause the formation of condensation droplets and fogging on the inner packaging surface, unless it is made from a material modified with an effective anti-fog additive.

Although Einar plant-based anti-fog additives cannot prevent the occurrence of moisture, they lower the surface tension on the inside so that condensed moisture will spread as a continuous thin film across the surface. While this preserves the clear view on the food, it also protects its freshness and extends its shelf-life.

Another critical function of surfactants in packaging materials is to prevent the accumulation of static electricity on the outer surface. Static electricity attracts dust and other fine particles, which again means lower transparency and creates an unhygienic look. Perhaps even more importantly, static build-up can result in serious processing and downstream problems. Particularly, it is known to reduce the acceptable rolling speed in film production. It can cause congestions on conveyor belts, impair the stackability of moulded or thermoformed items, and complicate the sealing of packages for powdery food. In electronics packaging, it may even damage the packaged product. By interacting with ambient moisture to form a conductive layer that will dissipate the static, plant-based additives have shown that they can effectively outperform fossil-based antistatic agents, including amine/amide and polyethylene glycerol competitors.

Besides reducing our carbon footprint, a hungry world requires packaging solutions capable of extending the shelf-life of products and reducing food loss These favourable anti-static and antifogging properties are owed to the migration of the additives from within the polymer matrix to the surface of the packaging material. While this migration is a desired effect, there are normally strict migration limits for additives in food packaging to eliminate health hazards and prevent changes in the taste of the packaged food. However, as virtually edible, plant-based additives, most Einar products are not subject to these constraints. In fact, they can help formulators and compounders to reduce the overall additive concentration in the polymer, thus also minimising their potential impact on the recycling of post-consumer packaging. Notably, they are not known to degrade into harmful compounds which might contaminate the recyclate, promote discolouration or loss of properties.

HIGH EFFECTIVENESS AT LOWER CONCENTRATION The benefits of plant-based additives also extend to other areas and polymer properties. As natural alternatives to erucamide slip additives in thermoplastic polyesters such as PET, they add lubrication to plastic surfaces and lower the coefficient of friction (CoF) while also promoting thermal stability and low volatility during processing. They work well in combination with anti-blocking agents and can help reduce surface defects.

As ageing modifiers in PE and PP compounds, they are successfully replacing amine and amide modifiers

to support the release of excess blowing agent from foamed articles. Moreover, they have no stress-cracking impact on packaged electronic components.

In injection and compression moulding plastics, they combine excellent mould release and denesting with high heat and process stability at low loading levels.

In addition, the plant-based technology has proven extremely effective for the dispersion of pigments, fillers and other additives in polymer masterbatches. In view of growing safety and sustainability concerns, compounders and converters are looking for renewable and natural alternatives to conventional fossil-based dispersion aids. Palsgaard’s liquid Einar solution meets these requirements at significantly lower concentration than traditional waxes in the market. This means that pigment loadings can be reduced to achieve the desired colour strength, which saves cost, facilitates colour changes and enhances the sustainability profile of both the masterbatch producer and the polymer.

TOWARDS A CARBON NEUTRAL VALUE CHAIN Palsgaard’s bio-based additives are polyglycerol esters or glycerol monostearates made exclusively from vegetable fatty acids.

Derived from animal-free and edible plant sources, such as certified palm oil, rapeseed, sunflower, soya and other vegetable oils, they

meet the highest standards of safety and sustainability. All are FDA and EU approved for food-contact applications and produced in CO2-neutral factories.

This gives them a perfect fit in innovative new responsible packaging solutions and makes them an ideal drop-in replacement for fossil-based additives in existing polymer formulations.

The Danish company is also actively influencing and supporting the sustainability of its upstream and downstream partners. The ultimate goal is to implement an industry-wide carbon-neutral value chain from the plant sources to the final applications. Product development and customer project support is backed by a dedicated Polymer Application Centre, which is fully equipped for meticulous testing and validation to make the transition of sustainable plantbased technology into successful additive solutions as flawless as possible.

STAND G70 0121 725 4422 Enquiries@BOLEMachinery.co.uk

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PACKAGING AN AWARD-WINNING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ISRAEL-BASED PACKAGING FILMS MANUFACTURER POLYSACK AND BULGARIA-BASED CONVERTER STS COULD HELP IMPROVE FLEXIBLE PACKAGING RECYCLING. EPPM SPOKE WITH POLYSACK VP MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT YAIR GELLIS TO FIND OUT HOW.

Congratulations on receiving the Bulgarian Prize Pack award through your collaboration with STS. What does the award mean for sustainable flexible packaging manufactured in Europe?

Receipt of the award was accompanied by a process of examining the packaging, its production processes, the composition of the materials, and the ability to recycle at the end of the existing recycling streams. Receiving the award serves as a quality mark and proof of a genuine mono-material recyclable offering for various applications.

In what ways does Polysack and/ or STS work alongside Europe-wide industry organisations such as CEFLEX? Polysack is a member of CEFLEX and we do our best to promote a circular economy, specifically in the flexible packaging area in which there is complexity in recycling. We comply with CEFLEX regulations making sure our films are at least 95 per cent PE – in most cases they are 100 per cent PE. We also promote the CEFLEX regulations to drive converters to move to PE-based packages instead of a multi-material structure.

How do you think the collaboration has helped improve Bulgaria’s reputation in the Europe-wide packaging industry?

Bulgaria has recently been criticised by the EU for not implementing the directives of the Rethink Plastic Alliance, their initiative focused on moving the member states from single-use plastics towards a circular economy. Best

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performing states are showing that, with political will, great ambition and timely transposition can go hand in hand. Polysack materials and designs allow decision-makers and entrepreneurs to drive the systemic change needed in Bulgaria and many other countries across Europe.

How can co-operation between industry players and materials experts help progress circularity in flexible packaging?

Today there are few flexible film recycling options. The co-operation of the entire value chain, the end customer, the food manufacturer, the packaging manufacturer, and the raw material manufacturers can lead to improvement.

The more flexible packaging that can be recycled, the greater the benefit becomes of collecting and recycling them in a dedicated process.

In which applications can consumers find Polysack products such as the Pack’N’Cycle solution, and how can they be assured that the product truly reflects the principles of circularity?

The Pack’N’Cycle solution has been proven to work in various applications such as dry food, pet food, homecare and detergent products, wet wipes, powder and liquid packages, fresh food packages, and more. Polysack’s MOPE has been certified by known industry institutes for its recyclability and we make sure to educate our customers about how to implement and convert the plastic in a way that complies with a circular economy approach.

Despite all the positive qualities of recyclable packaging, does the use of a mono-material in flexible packaging have any negative effects on quality or durability?

Using a package made entirely of one material has compromises. Some in the visibility and transparency of the material and some in the mechanical properties. Following our unique manufacturing process, our films exhibit excellent transparency. So, at this point, there are no significant differences compared to standard packaging. We also mechanically ensure that the packaging maintains the integrity of the product.

A situation where the packaging does not protect the product sufficiently is not acceptable and can create more environmental damage than the benefit that recycled packaging brings with it.

At which trade fairs can interested stakeholders learn more about Polysack products?

Unfortunately, during the COVID-19 pandemic, one can only learn more about Polysack’s products via our website or to get in touch with us and we will happily share our experience and knowledge.

Once the situation eases, we plan to participate in industry shows and events in person.

PACKAGING TETRA PAK EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, SERVICES & QUALITY, ROBERTO FRANCHITTI OFFERS HIS THOUGHTS ON HOW MANUFACTURERS CAN USE DIGITISATION TO LOWER THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.

It’s all about

W

hatever your opinion on climate change, there is one thing virtually everybody agrees on – waste is a bad thing. It leads not only to excess cost and reduced competitiveness, but to unnecessary burdens on the planet and the natural world too.

In recent years, the focus has shifted to expose how some company operations, in particular manufacturing processes, contribute towards global warming.

Recognising the need for action, leading companies in the food and beverage manufacturing sector are rethinking the way their factories operate and are finding innovative solutions to reduce waste.

The factory of the future is one where the integrated application of decarbonisation measures, through innovative and datadriven solutions, reduces net emissions to zero, and ‘zero waste’ becomes the norm.

Zero waste not only refers to carbon and energy emissions, but also wastage of water, raw materials, products, and time.

Zero waste needs to be a common goal for many, and if it is going to work, the factory of the future must be centred around the concept of ‘circular manufacturing’, where responsible production is driven by two key areas: digitalisation and flexibility.

Zero waste cannot be achieved without rethinking manufacturing operations, but it is not man vs machine. Instead, we should be looking at how machinery or technology can empower workers to improve operational efficiencies, supply chain planning and costs.

By equipping manufacturers with the right tools, the workforce has the ability to oversee their operation lines seamlessly, allowing them to make more informed decisions and engage with their product more holistically. In turn, plant managers will clearly see which lines are performing inefficiently in real time or predict a breakdown before it occurs, and now artificial intelligence and machine learning can provide the information to make decisions quickly to mitigate these losses.

As equipment becomes more technically advanced, modern plants require everhigher worker knowledge, which calls for more and better skills and knowledge sharing. This is key to higher plant uptime and productivity. There is a growing need for workers to share knowledge and collaborate across sites. But the good news is that staff have a strong appetite for flexible on-the-job learning, at their own pace and point of need. Digital Industry 4.0 solutions now make this possible.

With a digital and data-first approach, manufacturers can also be more efficient in how they test a product. A lot of time currently goes into testing products in the factory before they reach the shelves for customers, and often these products are disposed of as waste. By automating some of this process, we can reduce the length of time it takes to test, as well as the number of products that would be thrown away.

Data-led insights have helped us improve how we predict changing customer demands over time. This has facilitated a shift towards having more

in the factory of the future

flexible production lines. In essence, manufacturing and supply chains will become more ‘on demand’. The introduction of mass customisation enables factories to work towards a more ‘circular manufacturing’ process, by only producing what will be used and eliminating as much waste as possible.

In manufacturing, anything that does not create value is considered a loss.

For factories to archive zero waste, manufacturers need to find innovative ways to eliminate any kind of waste, whether that be wasted time or excess products. However, first they need to adopt a zero-waste mindset. Both technology and human workers will exist in harmony in the factory of the future – now, we need to understand how digital tools can enable humans to be more efficient, less wasteful, and more productive.

PACKAGING ANDREW GREEN, BERRY GLOBAL DIVISIONAL CEO OF BERRY BPI, CONSIDERS HOW PLASTIC FILMS ARE ENHANCING THEIR CIRCULARITY.

Recycling the

unrecyclable F

lexible plastic packaging plays a key role in supporting and shaping our modern world. Its many benefits, including strength, durability and flexibility, mean it meets the needs of busy lifestyles, delivering, among other things, high levels of product protection, consumer convenience and on-shelf appeal.

Just as importantly for today’s environmentally conscious world, flexible plastic can contribute to companies’ sustainability goals. It is lightweight, which is an advantage during transportation of goods; by protecting and preserving products, it extends shelf-life to minimise food waste; and continuing technical advances mean the latest plastics deliver the same performance while being even lighter, thus contributing to material reduction targets.

need for all stakeholders involved in the supply and use of plastic packaging, including brand-owners and equipment manufacturers, to take collective responsibility to bring innovation and investment toward circularity from its production to end-of-life.

In our own efforts at Berry Global, bpi division, we started our focus with efforts to reduce material usage in the 1990s.

While successful in meeting performance objectives, this established expertise was not enough in giving our natural resources multiple lives and delivering on circularity objectives, so we advanced our design capabilities and material science expertise.

Design for circularity includes enhancing the material’s recyclability. We took major steps in our flexible packaging to redesign into monolithic PE structures that are much easier for consumers to recycle. More advanced systems and technology for recovery and sorting are improving the quality of the recycled material, which in turn further widens their usage and range of applications.

Berry has developed a recyclable alternative to traditional laminated films using the knowledge and expertise from the production of its proven FormiFor film.

Despite all this, plastic has a perception challenge associated with its end-oflife disposal options. Consumers are demanding sustainable packaging solutions, governments are increasingly evaluating extended producer responsibility, and there is an urgent

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The new Formifor Lam combines full recyclability, excellent performance, with superb point of sale impact to provide an alternative to traditional non-recyclable PET/PE and OPET/PE laminated films Simultaneously, developments are also continuing in the incorporation of recycled material into new films. While recycled flexible plastic is traditionally used for

refuse sacks and building films, Berry is now transforming its use to replace virgin content in higher value products such as shrink film, and retail and industrial packaging as part of its circular economy strategy.

An increasing amount of Berry bpi’s packaging products now contain between 30 and 50 per cent recycled content.

Its Sustane recycled polymer, produced from post-industrial and post-consumer recycled plastic, is able to match the performance of those products made from 100 per cent virgin polymers, in terms of look and feel, function and strength, including its capacity for highquality printing.

Innovations such as these are supporting the move from a linear to a circular economy. While we believe Berry is at the forefront of providing innovative sustainable solutions to our customers both in the development of fully recyclable flexible plastics and of high recycled content materials, to be truly successful, it will not be just technology that drives higher levels of recycled content in plastics packaging. It will be achieved through co-ordinated action across the whole supply chain, focusing on improved consistency and traceability of raw material, improved recyclability of films, the introduction of common standards, and the capability of packaging technology to handle and process these materials.

Through continued collaboration and innovation, flexible packaging has a pivotal role in ensuring goods are safely protected and promoted while helping to support the sustainability aspirations of brands, retailers, and consumers.

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Dreyplas to showcase UHMWPE applications

Tosaf geared for su

Hall B1, Booth 1004

Tosaf /Afula and German subsidiary Tosaf Color Service will highlight sustainability-geared solutions in their range of functional, colour and combimasterbatches for extrusion and injection moulding.

Dreyplas will showcase innovative application possibilities for the ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) Lubmer from Mitsui Chemicals.

The difference between the various UHMWPE types lies in the length of the molecule chains. With conventional types, they are so long that they cannot be melted but sintered into the semi-finished products. The molecular weight of the Lubmer types supplied in granule form is reduced by just enough for processing to be possible on conventional injection moulding machines and extruders.

Despite the reduced molecular weight, Lubmer offers equally good tribological properties as components made of a sintered semi-finished product. This and its recyclability in the polyolefin stream make it in many applications a

sustainable alternative to engineering plastics such PPS, POM, PA or PBT. Lubmer can be used in applications at long-term temperatures as low as -200°C, and its chemical resistance, heat resistance and (low-temperature) impact strength are the same as those of UHMWPE semi-finished products.

Dreyplas also markets the higher temperature-resistant Alloy LS4140, which, due to its polyamide modification, combines elevated temperature resistance with good flow properties.

Lubmer can be used both with hot runner systems and with traditional tunnel gates. The light and opaque intrinsic colour facilitates the use of colour masterbatches.

Hall B4, Booth 4402

These will include colour masterbatches for recyclates with a special focus on post-consumer plastics, as well as biodegradable masterbatches. Another focus will be on e-mobility and electronics applications. A third key issue will be light diffuser solutions for polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC), including coloured grades.

Due to source-related inconsistencies, recyclates from post-consumer scrap can show significant differences in their basic colour. Tosaf has developed highly efficient masterbatches tailored

Arburg focusing on Hall A3, Booth 2101

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ustainability to cover such variations in a way that the final products meet the customers’ specifications within tight tolerances.

Tosaf has also developed appropriate additive masterbatches based on biodegradable carriers such as polylactic acid (PLA) and resin (rosin).

The need for polymers that maintain their colour virtually unchanged is a new and demanding property. Tosaf has set a worldwide benchmark with such a colour masterbatch according to RAL 2003 for polyamides (PA6 and PA66), polypropylene (PP) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

The PA masterbatches were successfully tested at 130°C for 1,000 hours without darkening. All grades are available with or without a laser marking additive for identification purposes.

‘best of both worlds’ Arburg will focus on ‘The best of both worlds’, that is, arburgXworld and arburgGREENworld. Visitors can learn about digitally networked and sustainable plastics processing.

By adopting a pioneering approach and a focused strategy to showcase innovative solutions for production-efficient injection moulding and additive manufacturing of plastic parts, Arburg’s exhibition will also showcase the sustainable production of plastic parts and their return into the circular economy through application examples that include separation by type using HolyGrail2.0 and CurveCode during production of IML and espresso cups.

Trade visitors can also get advice on sustainability and the conservation of resources at an arburgGREENworld terminal.

Then lossburg-based machinery manufacturer will also launch a new machine series for production-efficient multi-component injection moulding with its Allrounder More machines, which are equipped as standard with a highly dynamic electric toggle-type clamping unit with energy-efficient liquid-cooled servo motors.

A total of nine machine exhibits will demonstrate innovative applications and processes at the trade fair stand.

On view will be the production-efficient manufacture of IML cups for packaging technology, blood tubes and 2k fluid housings for medical technology, the injection moulding of LSR face masks, and the industrial additive processing of LSR materials and original plastic granules.

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Oerlikon HRSflow showcasing S series hot runner system

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Feddersen focuses on the future Hall B2, Booth 2209

Hall A2, Booth 2217 Oerlikon HRSflow will be presenting the new, particularly small hot runner systems of the S series with their low space requirement in the mould.

The main field of application is the production of small-format technical components.

The S series can be equipped with screwed-in or nonscrewed-in (face-to-face) nozzles. The inner bore size can be selected according to the shot weight. The design allows a compact mould structure with a minimum nozzle pitch of 37mm. In the valve gate version, the S series is combined with either a compact cylinder 62mm high or, in the version

with adjustable needle position, with a 70mm high cylinder. Extensive tests have ensured an optimal sealing and thermal profile along the nozzle, and a special channel geometry enables fast colour changes.

Typical applications include consumer goods, technical and electronic components and small automotive parts.

The application of the S series for a so-called Hydration Reminder made of polypropylene will also be on show. The S series made it possible to meet the requirements for a low part weight with a wall thickness of only 1mm.

The Feddersen Group of companies is looking forward to showcasing new products and services to provide ideas and inspiration for futureoriented and sustainable applications.

K.D. Feddersen GmbH & Co. KG and its regional subsidiaries distribute all polyketone grades belonging to the Hyosung brand POKETONE in Germany and Europe, after sister company K.D. Feddersen Ueberseegesellschaft mbH has been selling its extrusion grades to the compounding industry since 2015.

Cologne-based BIO-FED will be exhibiting on the group's joint stand and focuses on its biocompound product range, which is suitable for flexible and solid applications as

32 WWW.EPPM.COM

well as for a wide range of manufacturing processes.

Sustainability is a high priority at AKRO-PLASTIC. CO2-neutral electricity and gas have already been used for production and the administration buildings since 2019. At FAKUMA 2021, the new sustainable product ranges AKROMID NEXT and PRECITE NEXT will be presented for the first time.

One representative of the future-oriented AKROMID NEXT portfolio is the partially bio-based AKROMID NEXT G based on PA 6.9. As a densityreduced “LITE” compound, with a proportion of biocircular PP and processed carbon fibres, sustainability can be raised to a new level.

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TEMPERATURE CONTROL A COLLABORATION BETWEEN HUSKY AND CHEM-TREND LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW CONTROLLER FUNCTIONALITY THAT FOCUSES ON AUTOMATION TO OPTIMISE COLOUR CHANGE PROCESSES. EPPM SPOKE TO MATTHEW CUMMINGS, PRODUCT MANAGER, MOLD CONTROLLERS, AT HUSKY TO LEARN MORE.

A CHANGE is GOOD How will the development of Altanium benefit the operator, and what effect does it have on the final product?

Every machine, every application has different or unique colour change parameters. We’re enabling customers to find a process that works best in their moulding operation. The operator can then be prompted during a colour change so that it's followed exactly, and they can get much more consistent results with the materials they're using.

It's just such an important performance metric and requirement for a lot of our customers. More and more we see customers requiring very high performance with respect to colour change processes. Changing colour within this same given production cell is just so common that if you can shave different elements of time from their changeover process, it can represent significant cost savings.

Your colour change can be the bane of production because while you're in transition you're still making parts that will end up as waste. It's certainly a process they can shorten by following the automation to be as efficient as possible.

Can you give us a hint at just how critical the Altanium portfolio can be in temperature control for injection moulding?

34 WWW.EPPM.COM

The Altanium mould controller product portfolio is one of our most important product lines at Husky. These units have been around for some time, but they have evolved with many new product releases, offering more advanced features and performance. We offer three models under the Altanium portfolio: the Neo5, Delta5 and Matrix5. These are aligned with zone count and capability so, as you go up from Neo to Delta and to Matrix, the controllers become more capable.

They allow for higher zone counts and more technology.

We've had a number of different interesting releases added to the product lines, whether through greater connectivity in support of industry 4.0, but also through various revisions of algorithms that we use to control temperature in a sophisticated way.

Furthermore, servo motion has become very important for many of our customers, so our Altanium controllers are no longer just managing and controlling temperature, but various types of servo axes control as well.

A lot of our customers are using the controllers for things like leak and fault detection, enabling them to protect their moulding process. We provide active and proactive notifications prior to any types of faults, which can essentially save their hot runner in their mould and enables them to reduce downtime.

Temperature control has taken on a greater role in the moulding cell than ever before. We’ve been asked many times ‘what else can we do with this controller?’ and that is now coming of age with the controller being able to drive servo control with data collection all around the moulding cell, assisting the customer to systemise and harmonise some of the moulding processes with an informational source around the moulding machine.

The role of what we used to call the temperature controller has really morphed into what we now call the mould controller, which is an overall control device.

Generally, how important is temperature control in injection moulding?

Depending on the market and parts you’re manufacturing, it has become a much more critical stage of the moulding process, and it is recognised that the balance of the hot runner system would be controlled and influenced by the temperature. Before technology had the ability to provide balance geometrically through the hot runner system, it was done thermally on the hot runner controller. That has come to be the gold standard for obtaining balances by harmonising the temperatures to one perfect set point. That then eliminates the variable of temperature control and

compounds market, is certainly a wonderful collaboration for Husky.

We don't add Husky’s name lightly to third party products, and we don’t endorse their products or collaborate with them unless we know that it works.

At which trade fairs can we expect to see the Altanium range in action?

leaves the work of balance control in the design of the hardware system.

It's also recognised that temperature control is essential if you want to be able to measure other variables. We’re now living in a world where we can control temperatures to fractions of a degree.

Previously, if you were within five or 10 degrees, everybody was pretty happy.

Nowadays, customers are looking for a one degree or less temperature variation on tips. That's not an easy job, but the Altanium does it very well.

Has digitalisation brought about a new kind of control?

Digitalisation certainly plays a part, and our controller is a digital device that has made the ability to read those thermocouples more accurately. The thermocouple is just a millivolt signal that is easy to disrupt with noise and other factors. Our controller boasts 100 per cent immunity from external noise conditions that would disrupt its control accuracy. Also, our ability to read that signal and react to it has become much, much faster. The heart of the system, the control card, now has speeds with which it can read those thermocouples and react far faster than ever before – a thousand times a second – so, you're able to detect changes in temperature and react very quickly.

Why would the colour change time be detrimental to temperature control operations?

If it's done improperly, it can take hours to perform a colour change. With a properly utilised purging compound, it can be done in a few

shots. If done improperly, it can cause all kinds of other problems too, such as degradation of the material inside the hot runner system.

Consumer goods wherein the colour of the product can make all the difference is amazing marketing. The colour in the plastic makes it more attractive and thereby affects the consumer’s choice.

Those colours can't be inconsistent; they can't be different from part to part. You can't have packaging products that are different shades of blue. They have to be the same. If it’s not the right colour, it winds up as waste.

We’re really looking forward to getting up front with customers again at trade shows, so we’ve started to ramp up our presence after a lengthy pause.

We're actively participating in Interplas, as well as at FAKUMA, MD&M West, and Amerimold.

At Interplas, we will demonstrate the functionality of the Altanium with respect to the automated purge feature.

We’re going to be running the UltraShot technology at FAKUMA, where ChemTrend will have their own booth showcasing the Altanium and UltraPurge technology.

How can we gauge the satisfaction of Chem-Trend as result of this collaboration?

Husky’s had a pretty long-term relationship with Chem-Trend with the purging compounds being sold directly by our service and spares organisation.

The collaboration has already extended into other sectors too. There will certainly be refinements to the offering we have right now. So, I think you'll see some more developments along those lines. ChemTrend, in the purging

The role of what we used to call the temperature controller has really morphed into what we now call the mould controller, which is an overall control device

TEMPERATURE CONTROL A NEW BIGRED 4D-54 INFRARED CONVEYOR TUNNEL OVEN FROM US-BASED FAMILY BUSINESS VASTEX INDUSTRIAL BOOSTS TEMPERATURES TO OVER 150°C WITHIN THE FIRST SEVERAL CENTIMETRES OF CONVEYOR TRAVEL AND MAINTAINS AT-CURE TEMPERATURES OF UP TO 482°C. EPPM SPOKE WITH VASTEX PRESIDENT MARK VASILANTONE TO LEARN MORE.

TUNNEL VISION Can you tell us a little about the origins of the business?

Vastex was founded in 1960 by my parents Michael and Fannie. Prominent among the many patented innovations was the first small-product electric infrared oven, as well as an oven air recirculation system, and a belt alignment/tracking device.

The reputation of Vastex engineering and equipment performance spread quickly, propelling the company to an international leadership position with equipment now operating in over 50 countries.

I assumed leadership of the business in 1999, and my aim is to continue to innovate with regards the design and performance of the equipment.

How does the Vastex BigRed 4D-54 help increase the quality of plastic products?

The BigRed offers consistent and uniform heating from edge to edge, as well as highly repeatable results over the short and long terms, which enables plastics processors, converters and fabricators to accurately predict performance and control quality.

How does it help manufacturers increase capacity and productivity?

The 4D-54 Conveyor Tunnel Oven features a boost zone that surges temperatures to over 300°F (149°C) within the first several inches of conveyor travel, allowing at-cure temperatures of

36 WWW.EPPM.COM

up to 900°F (482°C) to be maintained over a greater percentage of conveyor travel, thereby increasing capacity. In addition, capacity – that is, belt speed – can be doubled as new or by retrofit by adding one additional heating chamber (total 45,600 watts), or tripled by adding two additional chambers (total 68,400 watts), and extending the conveyor belt length.

What user-friendly qualities does it possess?

'Make-up' air is drawn into the chamber's double-walled shell through filtered inlets along opposite exterior sides serving to cool the outer shell for safety, while a six-inch (15.3cm) diameter exhaust fan outlet located below the centre of the conveyor belt can rotate 360 degrees for easy connection to ductwork. In addition,

the control box can be located on either the right side as standard or the left side of the chamber upon request. Safety features include exhaust flow sensors with warning lights that alert operators to a clogged exhaust line, clogged filter or blower failure, a light tower to monitor oven status, and a 'cool down mode' for powering down.

How can it help reduce waste in the form of cut-offs and dust?

Exhaust filters located on both sides of the conveyor prevent dust, lint or other contaminants from entering the blower or exhaust stack. Cleaning all filters before or after each shift can therefore be accomplished in just one minute, preventing dust contamination of the product or plant environment.

RECYCLING THE HORIZON 2020-FUNDED CIRCULAR FLOORING PROJECT’S THOMAS DIEFENHARDT HOSTED A WEBINAR HIGHLIGHTING IT’S PROGRESS SO FAR. EPPM WAS THERE.

T

he Circular Flooring project aims to produce new products from waste PVC floorings and to safely treat legacy plasticisers. Funded under the EU’s Horizon 2020 scheme and co-ordinated by Dr Martin Schlummer from the Fraunhofer Institute for process engineering and packaging, the objectives include enabling a circular use of plasticised PVC from waste flooring by using a solvent-based recycling process.

This eliminates the legacy phthalate-acid esters as they do not conform to the EU’s REACH Directive.

Circular Flooring seeks to develop a process for the recycling of postconsumer PVC containing legacy phthalates and to prevent this material from being landfilled or incinerated. It also aims to demonstrate applicability of the phthalate-free plasticisers that are being produced.

Another aim is to assess environmental health and safety impacts and, of course, the techno-economic feasibility of the whole project. A mixed consortium of research institutes, universities and manufacturers of PVC, the project has 11 partners from five countries, including the European Resilient Flooring Manufacturers Institute (ERFMI) and its seven members.

The PVC enters the loop and is then recycled into new flooring via the CreaSolv Process. The legacy plasticisers are catalysed by hydrogenation and made safe. They are then brought back into the new flooring, which can re-enter the market. The CreaSolv Process is a solvent-based recycling technology that enables these resources to be conserved by separating the PVC and

the plasticisers. It uses specific solvent formulations that do not contain hazardous substances as defined by the EU, and the PVC is dissolved.

The waste enters the process and impurities are removed from the polymer, which is then precipitated and dried. The solvent is regained in a closed loop and the finished polymers can be produced as granulates or as a powder.

Around 360 kilotons (kt) of PVC flooring has been placed in the market in Europe.

Theoretically, these can be collected but, in practice, only about 80 per cent are available due to insufficient collection systems. The main countries in which the PVC is found are France, the UK and Germany, due to their larger PVC demand. The recycled PVC has reached an accepted quality in terms of tear strength, elongation and heat stability, but the Circular Flooring consortium aims to continuously improve its characteristics.

Thomas Diefenhardt, scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute, said: “We are now at the stage where we have particle sizes of below 500 micrometres and this is around what the industry would accept, even though it would be best to have even smaller particles, which we are trying to achieve.”

Another issue, as is common in all recycling streams, is a mixed input that results in a dark PVC that is generally not suitable for top layers

in the renewed flooring. Suitable for middle or lower layers, however, the quality and characteristics remain good, as Diefenhardt put it, but it's almost impossible to colour, so it will have fewer applications.

“The advantages of the CreaSolv process are especially that this solvent-based technology separates impurities (e.g. other polymers) and contaminants (e.g. legacy additives) from the PVC,” Diefenhardt continued. “The process uses solvent formulations that are not characterised as hazardous … and they do not pose any risk to users or the environment, enabling the EU to achieve its goal of establishing a circular economy.”

The benefits include a reduction in consumption of primary resources, the removal and safe destruction of legacy plasticisers from the plastics, and recovery of these resources. Similar to the plastics that have won support, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of new business opportunities within a circular value chain come as part of the project.

RECYCLING TY RHOAD, TOMRA RECYCLING’S NEWLY APPOINTED REGIONAL DIRECTOR AMERICAS, SPEAKS TO ROB COKER ABOUT THE CHALLENGES HE FACES IN HELPING IMPROVE RECYCLING RATES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.

Circular states Congratulations on your appointment. How does to feel to be joining such a renowned business?

I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work for a company whose passion for recycling and advancing the circular economy aligns with mine. TOMRA has an excellent global reputation for recycling technology and innovation, and I’m happy to do my part of advancing TOMRA’s mission.

I also see tremendous opportunity to grow the recycling infrastructure in the Americas. Many communities’ recycling programmes are underdeveloped – as evidenced by a recent fi gure of less than 20 per cent of all plastics are recycled in the US. There is just so much untapped potential for TOMRA to help close the recycling loop.

How does one go about selling European technology to the NA market?

Where the technology is developed is not the critical issue. It’s if the technology works and if a company has the right people in place to offer recycling operations, the right technology for the application, and the ability to support the customer after the sale.

TOMRA has incredible technology – such as AUTOSORT, AUTOSORT FLAKE and INNOSORT FLAKE – targeted to optimise recycled product purity and increase throughput rates, as well as decades of fi eld experience to offer customised sorting solutions, so companies have the

38 WWW.EPPM.COM

confi dence they are investing in the right technologies to sort their feed material.

Regarding after-sale support to ensure the equipment and technologies are working at optimum effi ciency, TOMRA has this covered through technologies that offer the ability to connect machines, review production data and see when and where there are issues. We also have dedicated service technicians to support our customers and plant building partners to offer service and parts support.

And how do you expect European technology will help improve recycling rates in the Americas?

TOMRA is here to accelerate the transformation to a circular economy and shape future waste and resource systems. We’re bringing the latest standards and solutions for advancing recovery and recycling rates to the Americas. We can enable transformation and bring recycling in the Americas to a new level, for the sake of the industry and the environment.

TOMRA has thousands of units operating globally and hundreds in North and South America. One best-practice example is SIMs materials recovery facility (MRF) in Brooklyn, NY. This is the largest MRF in the US, handling more than 24,000 tonnes per month of waste from the city’s more than eight million residents, which is collected and delivered by New York City’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY), which is one of the most robust recycling programmes in the country.

We must mention that the recycling rates in the Americas are relatively low compared to many European countries, and we must improve the local waste management infrastructure to considerably increase these. This includes the proper disposal and collection of waste since, without collection, sorting and recycling, plants do not have the necessary materials at hand and are thus limited in recovery. Luckily, TOMRA has more business units. One of them, TOMRA Collections, provides Deposit Return Systems to collect used beverage containers for clean loop recycling, thus brining valuable materials back to the value chain. Plastic packaging, on the other hand, ends up in MRFs and can be recovered by the machines of TOMRA Recycling.

Can you share with us some of your recycling-based background that led to your appointment?

I am an active member of the Future Industry Leaders Alliance of the National Waste and Recycling Association and have worked with ONM Environmental Products and Services and Rehrig Pacifi c Company. In these roles I have developed a passion for the industry and for making a difference and making our world greener. Resources are limited and we must turn to them to enable greater sustainability. Plastics is a hot-button issue because its production rates are accelerating, as is littering or improper disposal. This is a pity because plastic is such a versatile and benefi cial material.

Its value and quality must be kept and appreciated. Giving products a second, third, fourth life is the best we can do for our planet, and changing the way we use our resources can ensure the long-term health of our economies, communities and environment. The way we are meeting our needs today is actually comprising the ability of future generations to meet theirs to the same extent.

Being committed to what I do professionally, and support privately, has always helped me in realising important projects and being successful in my previous positions. I’d apply the same approach at TOMRA to promote recycling at all scales.

Is value chain-wide collaboration as fl uid in the Americas as it is in Europe?

As of now we can take Europe as a best practice in cross-value-chain collaboration. TOMRA set a good example when joining forces with Borealis and Zimmermann, with whom we have recently opened a state-oftheart plant for post-consumer plastic waste sorting and advanced mechanical recycling in Lahnstein, Germany, which processes both rigid and flexible household plastic waste. Unlike many such plants, it will produce the advanced solutions necessary for use in highdemanding plastic applications invarious industries.

With high-purity, low-odour, high product consistency and light colour fractions, the recycled polymers will meet customer quality requirements across the value chain. This collaboration is just the beginning of what’s possible when key players come together.

Why do such industry relationships matter when it comes to challenges such as sustainability and circular economy?

The full value chain must work together to maximise impact in preserving resources, enable change, and unlock new business opportunities. All involved in the value chain have their role to play, and no one can make a considerable impact without the other acting alike.

A good example here is Design4Recycling.

To further promote the recycling rate of plastics packaging, the packaging must be designed to be recyclable. If this is not given, recyclers can have the best technologies in place but not improve recovery rates, because the material is simply not recyclable. Likewise, brand owners must be willing to change their production and increasingly use recycled content in their products. With some of the latest legislations, they are even forced to increase the amount of recycled content. California, for instance, is the fi rst US state to ask for a minimum PCR resin in plastic bottles. The amount of required PCR resin in PET bottles must increase to 50 per cent in 2030.

We must mention that the recycling rates in the Americas are relatively low compared to many European countries As for Europe, the Single-Use-Plastic Ban asks for the incorporation of 25 per cent of recycled plastic in PET beverage bottles from 2025, and 30 per cent in all plastic beverage bottles from 2030. As we see here, global efforts in recent years have already produced a tidal wave of new agendas and collaborations – a scenario that should become commonplace.

What challenges are you looking forward to tackling the most?

Since I see an incredible potential for the recycling industry in the Americas, I am particularly looking forward to further advancing the segments with TOMRA, the company’s knowledge, impact leadership, and technology. It is important to sharpen the awareness of current resource crises while going ahead with best-practice examples. There is still a long way to go, but we must start now to make a difference tomorrow.

For me, it is an incredible opportunity to support the transformation in the US, Canada and in Latin America.

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RECYCLING MATTHEW BISHOP, OPERATIONS MANAGER AT VIKING EXTRUSIONS, DISCUSSES HOW GREATER RECYCLING OF SILICONE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED.

MAKING SILICONE CIRCULAR I

t is reckoned that for every tonne of carbon dioxide used to make silicone, around nine tonnes are saved in its application. Silicone, still considered a ‘miracle material’, will almost certainly play an important role in our transition to a world (more) free from fossil fuels.

There is a drawback, however. At present, silicone is not recycled as much as it should be. Perhaps the most important reason for this is that silicone is difficult to break down, which makes recycling expensive and discouraged. This resistance to chemical degradation is also why silicone is so highly valued – and possibly the reason why we have been so slow collectively to recycle and reuse it. Silicone is not like plastic. It does not break up into microplastics and, if landfilled, it generally holds together and could resist the environment for at least 500 years.

This actually makes silicone environmentally friendly, in a way. If silicone is dumped into the environment, it just sits around doing nothing. It doesn't make its way into the oceans or food chains and is therefore easy to ignore.

This is a mentality that must change.

THE STATE OF RECYCLING SILICONE Currently, the best methods to recycle silicone involve breaking it up into little pieces and then exposing it to extremely high-temperatures and salty solutions.

Only with such an onslaught will the molecular compounds of silicone begin to break down. We, as a society, only engage in modest silicone repurposing such as shredding it for use in rubber mats.

There isn't a whole lot more to say about the recycling process of silicone.

Its recycling is limited and embryonic.

The process simply isn't encouraged. If we are going to bring about a culture that is pro-silicone recycling, we need to start changing our attitudes towards it.

Industry players consider the difficulty and expense of recycling as discouraging.

While I can sympathise, this isn't the right mindset. We need a system of networking that will encourage silicone recycling and, once established, drive down costs and inspire greater recycling initiatives.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Silicone already has a near impeccable reputation due to its high material purity and the fact that it is oil- and mineralfree, along with many other advantages – but there is still much more we can do to improve its reputation.

It almost feels like silicone's reputation has held it back. There are entire grades of silicone that are just thrown away but can be sterilised and reused in medical and food applications. It seems so easy to make more, yet so hard to reuse. Challenging this zeitgeist can reduce the silicone industry's impact on waste and the environment.

The industry has already dropped the ball due to a lack of transparency and clarity, which has resulted in a ban or limit on certain types of silicone within the EU. Although such a decision is

being challenged by the Global Silicones Council, we needn't have ended up in such a position in the first place.

The EU has a right to be cautious about silicone and how its application could affect human and environmental health. If only the silicone industry had communicated to Europe's regulatory bodies more clearly, such a huge legal mess could have been avoided.

Alternative types of silicone could have been offered, and intense curing could have put any misgivings to bed.

To summarise, the silicone industry is becoming complacent. An incredibly versatile, useful and important material, silicone’s untapped value is being squandered. It's relatively benign in an environmental setting, but that doesn't mean we should do nothing and let it build up only for it to slowly degrade over the next thousand years. Europe’s plastics value chains have shown real leadership in making plastics more recyclable. The silicone industry must do likewise.

Contemporary views on recycling silicone is that it is expensive, difficult, and time consuming

WWW.EPPM.COM 41

RECYCLING IN A RECENTLY PUBLISHED PROFILE, LUX RESEARCH INC. ASSESSED NETHERLANDS-BASED CHEMICAL RECYCLING COMPANY IONIQA TECHNOLOGIES AT ITS HIGHEST SCORE OF ‘STRONG POSITIVE’. EPPM SPOKE WITH IONIQA CEO AND FOUNDER TONNIS HOOGHOUDT TO FIND OUT JUST HOW DISRUPTIVE ITS TECHNOLOGY IS.

An apPETite for disruption

Congratulations on the positive accreditation from Lux Research.

What does it mean to Ioniqa to have its achievements recognised in such a way?

Obviously, we are very proud of the outcome of Lux Research’s assessment and their strong endorsement. Having an independent company like Lux Research

value our company as such is a big compliment to the entire team that has been working on getting Ioniqa to where it is today. Bringing a disruptive technology to the market is challenging and requires perseverance. This accreditation is a sign that we are more than on the right track, and will motivate Ioniqa to work even harder to establish our ambition of providing a closed loop for PET. How do you anticipate revenue growth as a result of this accreditation?

Lux Research is a well-known company when it comes to the strategic development of upcoming technologies.

It is believed that all major players in the plastic value chain market will have access to the publication and that it will create an incentive to intensify discussions on licensing or revive past contacts. Since we are at the point of commercialisation for our licensing business, it is believed that the accreditation is a good catalyst for further commercial discussions. What is more, we are now looking forward to having these discussions with the market.

Which brand-owners do you expect will benefit from the use of Ioniqa technology and how will it help achieve sustainability targets?

42 WWW.EPPM.COM

From the end markets it is seen that there is a huge supply-demand gap, that will not decrease in the coming years. Brand-owners in the packaging and apparel industry are coming in with ambitious pledges, which is not corresponding with current feedstock supply. Also, European legislation is driving the necessity to incorporate recycled content. By providing a technology that can make use of more PET waste materials and upcycle it into high-quality raw materials, enables us to be more efficient with this valuable polymer. In that sense, it will benefit all brand-owners since more waste will be used that can be upcycled to the highest possible quality and for the most demanding applications.

Can you explain how PET beverage bottles are recycled?

Recycling of PET bottles is less straight forward than most consumers think. First of all, the bottles are collected via general waste, deposit return schemes or curbside collection. After collection the PET is sorted into bales for further processing.

The PET bales are then processed in to flakes, which constitutes a number of different steps. These are sorting (mainly cap removal), washing (label removal), drying, flaking and further sorting.

Finally, you end up with a high-quality PET flake product that can be clear and transparent, or a green-blue mixed colour.

These can be used in textile, sheet, tray and bottle applications via extrusion or melt-in polymerisation.

Numerous further sorting steps take place after the PET has been grinded into flakes. These steps then help remove impurities that are not suitable for downstream processing, these include tray material, opaque and black packaging, polyolefins, PVC, paper and aluminium, for example. To ensure all this material is removed, a lot of PET must also be discarded from the process.

At Ioniqa, we take these side streams and valorise them in high-end raw material that can be used in making new bottles produced out of 100 per cent recycled content. In the near future, we also want to start to use streams other than PET bottles – trays and textiles, for instance.

By doing so, more PET can be recycled per kilogram.

How has The Netherlands government helped to establish Ioniqa in the industry?

The Netherlands is very supportive to innovative companies and has a whole host of financial instruments to assist such companies for promoting innovation from initial idea to commercialisation.

Furthermore, Ioniqa was named a ‘National Icon’ in 2019, which created the opportunity to discuss the challenges we face in moving towards a circular economy with our government. It also provided an international platform to showcase our solution globally.

In what ways do you expect Ioniqa technology to revolutionise the way PET plastic is recycled in Europe?

Ioniqa’s technology is a disruption in a highly changing market. It offers new feedstock, which is currently overlooked, to be valorised into food contact materials. It connects the waste management and chemical industries and forces the industry to look at production with a fresh pair of eyes. You see this across all chemical recycling activities and it will again raise the question of ‘What is waste?’ even in a legal context.

Environmental, sustainability, safety,

and trade aspects are currently being reviewed and using new technologies to valorise more waste will challenge the current perspective on the matter.

In which ways does the company participate with the many Europebased recycling consortia?

Ioniqa is an active member of Petcore Europe and Chemical Recycling Europe, alongside whom we try to showcase the potential of using alternative recycling methods when it comes to circular economy and sustainability, while producing high-quality and safe products.

Ioniqa’s objectives are not different from Europe’s when it comes to the efficient usage of valuable resources. To do so, recycling will be part of the solution.

Ioniqa offers an additional tool in the way we recycle. A tool that prevents PET materials from being incinerated or landfilled, as well as materials that currently can’t be recycled because of their application in safe food packaging, for example. While doing so, emitting less CO2 when compared to PET production from fossil resources, which represents a win-win situation, in my opinion.

And at which trade fairs/conferences can we expect to hear more from Ioniqa this year?

This year, the emphasis is on the Plastic Free World Conference and Expo, which will be held on 10-11 November

Ioniqa’s technology connects the waste management and chemical industries and forces the industry to look at production with a fresh pair of eyes

in Cologne, Germany. The conference is held in combination with the Greener Manufacturing Show and focuses on a wide range of industries looking for the latest technologies and solutions to enhance their sustainability credentials and reduce the impact of their operations on the environment. It will be the first time that Ioniqa will exhibit with a stand, and will be combined with a presentation by Jeroen Bulk, Ioniqa’s CFO. We kindly invite all readers to come and join, to learn more on our offering.

Finally, 2022 is of course the year of the K show in Düsseldorf, which is important for the entire plastics industry. It would be great to showcase further progress at that event.

FILM AND SHEET CAROLINE AND JESSICA MARCHANTE SHARE MARCHANTE S.A.S.’ EXPERTISE IN BIAXIAL ORIENTED FILMS PRODUCTION FOR VARIOUS APPLICATIONS, AND THE RETURN OF THE FAMILY BUSINESS TO TRADITIONAL TRADE FAIRS.

Girls on film How did it feel to see MARCHANTE return to the traditional trade fair whilst at Chinaplas in April, and what was on show for visitors to experience?

It felt comforting to see the light at the end of the tunnel that was keeping us from meeting in person. It gave a great opportunity to our Chinese customers to discuss their current and upcoming projects more precisely. As you know, 2020 was challenging for everyone. In an industry like ours, where we spend most of our time traveling and meeting our customers, it was challenging to keep the same relationship from a distance.

Anyway, we learnt how to deal with the situation, and even succeeded in starting up one of our lines in Asia remotely. Mr Chen Linbo, our Chief Representative in China, clearly said that going back to Chinaplas 2021 made industrial professionals more comfortable, and will help the market to select the suitable machinery and technology for coming developments.

During this edition, we were finally able to present our MASIM L&S series in person. It was our focus point as the Market is evolving towards specialty and highly technical films, so we were proud to present our latest features for Simultaneous Stretching in applications such as for Battery Separator

44 WWW.EPPM.COM

Membranes, Bi-Oriented PE for monomaterial packaging, and many other applications in the electrical automotive and electronics industries.

How do MARCHANTE products help to improve performance in, for example, electric vehicles or other automotive applications?

At which other trade fairs can industry players go to learn more about MARCHANTE products?

MARCHANTE’s expertise is the development of complete lines for biaxial orientation of films, for all types of polymer-based or bio-based materials.

From simple packaging to specialty films such as membranes for Lithiumion Batteries, our goal is to help our customers produce high quality films.

We just took part in The Battery Show Europe Digital Days too. As our first participation, we can say it was quite memorable. It was important for us, because our MASIM Simultaneous Stretching Technology is now playing an important role in the production of ultra-thin and homogeneously balanced membranes for the EV Industry. This session helped us discuss our ideas with highly qualified companies. If the sanitary situation allows it, we will also be participating in the traditional version of the show from 30 November – 2 December 2021 in Stuttgart, Germany.

For those who didn't have the opportunity to join us this year, Interplastica will be the first on our list of events for 2022, as one of our yearly meeting points with our longstanding partners from Russia and the CIS countries. Of course, we will be able to meet at the 2022 edition of Chinaplas in April; and in October for the highly anticipated K Show in Düsseldorf. We are very much looking forward to meeting our international partners in person again.

In this case, the product and technology that has enhanced performance in this industry is our MASIM (MArchante SImultaneous Stretching Technology).

The reasons for the success of the MASIM for this product resides in the level of flexibility of the technology: • accurately simultaneous stretching in Machine Direction (MD) and Transverse Direction (TD) ensuring a highly homogeneous porosity of the film; • homogeneous air circulation and temperature for a highly balanced film; • improved thermal stabilisation to avoid shrinkage at high temperatures; • substantially reduced side-bowing for an optimum width of high-grade film; • higher stretching ratios up to 1:12 MD&TD; and • adjustable stretching ratios, even during production.

All these features rely on mechanical and automation developments, which we design ourselves. We like to say that designing a simple machine is the most difficult challenge.

How do these products contribute to the continuous light-weighting of vehicles and to overall sustainability targets?

We develop our solutions according to Market Demand. When starting our MASIM technology, the market was asking for stretching ratios up to seven times per stretching direction. Today, demand in the battery industry is looking for thinner films, and consequently higher stretching ratios. That is why our MASIM

MARCHANTE’s expertise is the development of complete lines for biaxial orientation of films, for all types of polymer-based or bio-based materials S series is designed to reach a biaxial orientation ratio of 12 by 12, and produces membranes of a thickness down to 5µ, thus contributing to the light-weighting of vehicle batteries.

Regarding sustainability targets, these are obviously one of our priorities while designing our solutions. Over the years and machinery generations, we have constantly minimised production waste and the environmental impact of the operation of our machines.

For example, by designing the thinnest clips on the market for the MASIM Technology, not only did we improve the quality of the film, but we also reduced the trim of the edges (on the clipping zone) considerably. It is almost a wastefree technology for our customers. On the other hand, our clips are completely driven mechanically, according to our specific simultaneous tenter frame design. As a consequence, the MASIM is not excessively energy consuming.

What are the distinguishing features of MARCHANTE’s showcase products and solutions?

In today's market, MARCHANTE is the only business that offers machinery capable of such flexibility in film stretching. Another example of our distinguishing features, therefore, is the MASIM L series, which is specially designed for ultra-low stretching ratios – that is, ratios under two times MD and TD – which are very difficult to achieve with a traditional tenter frame. It will be particularly used for high-temperature films that we commonly find on electronic devices such as storage devices, mobile phones and all types of connected objects.

Additionally, we have improved our heating technology, and it is now available for temperatures up to 600°C.

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FILM AND SHEET STARLINGER VISCOTEC HAS DEVELOPED WHITE RPET100, A NEW PACKAGING MATERIAL FOR APPLICATIONS IN DAIRY AND HOT-FILL PRODUCTS.

and fully recyclable

M

ade from recycled material and designed for recycling, Starlinger viscotec, a division of Austriabased machinery supplier Starlinger & Co GmbH, has developed a new material to make packaging for dairy and hot-fill products fully recyclable. rPET100 combines the environmental advantages of recycled PET with easy material processability and opens opportunities for new circular packaging solutions.

Food packaging for applications like dairy, hot drinks, instant soups, and ready meals must withstand higher temperatures during the production process and consumption. Additionally, dairy products require packaging with optimal light and gas barriers for longer shelf life. The new rPET100 sheet combines these benefits with new ones, including its heat-resistant mono-material

and absence of polymer additives. Its white colour protects products such as trays, cups, and food containers from UV light.

Products made from rPET100 are a fully recyclable alternative to single-use cups made from PP or PS. Post-consumer recycled PET fulfils all requirements of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) when it has been super-cleaned with Starlinger viscotec technology.

rPET sheet lines by Starlinger viscotec are designed for outstanding sheet quality at high throughput rates.

Converters who run Starlinger viscotec equipment can manufacture rPET100 sheet without changes to the setup of their installation. Furthermore, packaging manufacturers also have the opportunity to achieve high output with only minor adjustments to the thermoforming set-up.

With the introduction of the new material, Starlinger viscotec aims to put the ‘cradle to cradle’ principles of a circular economy into action. By using recycled PET for packaging, a lot of CO2 emissions are prevented. rPET100 could offer brand-owners and converters a new opportunity to produce truly sustainable packaging solutions.

POLYTECHS BRINGS A FRESH UPDATE ON ITS OFFERINGS DEVELOPED OVER THE PAST YEAR.

P

olytechs, an independent company located in Normandy, France, has a primary focus in the shaping of masterbatches, compounds and compacted additives.

Additionally, the company is undertaking the development and marketing of an extensive line of additive masterbatches under its own brand.

Polytechs works for major producers and processors of polymers in the cable, plastic film, extrusion and injection moulding sectors with an annual production capacity of approximately 30,000 tonnes. Due to expertise developed internally and

with different production techniques in-house, including reactive extrusion, liquid handling, and compacting pure additive blends, Polytechs is also able to develop its own masterbatches and purging compounds in order to bring added value to its customers.

The film market is where Polytechs has his roots and remains committed to.

Speaking exclusively to EPPM, Mathieu Rioult, European Sales Manager and Marketing and Communications Manager, said: “We have seen a strong and growing interest in our Antiblock synthetic silica masterbatch, which

provides excellent coefficient of friction reduction while maintaining film transparency – a must in food and medical applications. This grade is even exported outside of Europe for its excellent quality consistency and additive dispersion.”

Last year, Rioult spoke to EPPM about high-temperature processing aid FLOW XPRESS, which has delivered impressive results in the meantime versus what is available on the market. In PE cast film at 270-280°C, for example, a further 27 tonnes were produced on average each month, which is no

small achievement for “just a processing aid”, as Rioult described it.

On the road to innovation, Polytechs also continues to go from success to success with its purging compounds, CLEAN XPRESS, on biopolymer films such as PLa, PBAT, EVOH, and PA6, as well as TPU and TPE-E films. The Normandy-based company is now developing a compound with an easy-release and residue-free surface layer for protective film. Furthermore, a full range of biodegradable masterbatches for the film industry is also under development.

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ENGINEERING PLASTICS EUROTEC INVITES YOU TO CHALLENGE YOUR LIMITS IN MATERIALS AND DEMAND THE IMPOSSIBLE

H

igh-performance thermoplastic materials provide higher performance than standard engineering plastics in, for example, mechanical and thermal properties, dimensional stability and flame resistance. The combination of outstanding properties enables them to be used for metal replacement and to meet higher material performance criteria such as long-term heat resistance. They can also take on the toughest standards in automotive, military, industrial, aviation and aerospace industry applications Eurotec aims to play an active role in high-performance thermoplastics to produce new solutions. Polyphthalamides (PPA), Polyether ether ketones (PEEK) and polyaryl sulfones (PES, PPSU, PSU) are included in the product line under the brand names Tecomid HT, Tecopeek PK and Tecotek ES, Tecotek EP and Tecotek EU, respectively.

High temperature resistance is one of the key parameters which limits the range of uses of plastics from automotive to electronic applications. Due to long-term heat resistance of PPA, PPS and PEEK, they are used in ignition components and sensors for under-hood components as well as in sockets and coils in an automobile’s electronic systems. In addition, automotive manufacturers need to continue the trend of deriving more power from smaller engines and to achieve higher power from smaller engines since it is required to work at higher temperatures. This would require materials to have higher continuous use temperature (CUT) and to retain its mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. Considering the highperformance plastics market in the automotive industry, the most widely used materials are PPA- and PPS-based.

Tecomid HT & Tecotron can provide CUT up to 180°C and 210°C, and Eurotec has many ready and proven grades for the automotive industry. For example, Tecomid NT40 GD40 BK009 XA61 (PPA, 40 per cent glass-fibre reinforced, flameretardant and heat-stabilised). This grade was approved by a respectable OEM for

48 WWW.EPPM.COM

BEYOND LIMITS a new generation of inverter housing application where standard PBT and PET materials cannot provide the required CUT. High-performance polymers may inherently exhibit flame-retardant behaviour, which enables them to meet stringent standards such as OSU, NBS and FAR in the aviation and aerospace industry due to low heat release, low smoke and toxicity properties. Polyaryl sulfones can be preferable due to costsaving advantages compared to PEEK. These also display good flame-retardant behaviours for aviation OSU heat release testing that features very challenging test requirements. Only a limited number of materials could pass this test. For example, Tecotek S20 WH100 HR 0A (PESU, white, with average rate of heat release) and Tecotek EP20 WH100 HR 0C (PPSU, white, with average rate of heat release) meet OSU heat release requirements OSU 55/55 and OSU 65/65, respectively.

Eurotec Engineering Plastics is one of the raw material suppliers for Turkish airlines and boasts a wide product range intended for the aviation industry. If a higher service temperature is required in aviation, PEEK is the right material to withstand up to 260°C among highperformance plastics. Additionally, Tecopeek grades stand out for their usability in metal replacement due to a good combination of lightness, high thermal resistance and mechanical

properties for metal replacement. Glassfibre reinforced Tecopeek has a wide range of uses in structural applications.

Tecopeek PK40 CR30 BK111 is designed to overcome corrosion issues with metals due to its high level of rigidity and tensile stress for metal replacement applications such as gears, bearing rings and pump components.

Tecopeek PK40 CR30 BK111 RT 0D with a tensile strength of 23,500 MPa and 215 MPa is tailored to solve the problems equipment that operates under high temperatures are exposed to, including constant wear such as chain bushings in a textile machine.

Eurotec continues to expand its range of high-performance products to push new solutions to the limits of materials.

Eurotec therefore invites you to challenge your limits in materials and demand the impossible.

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EUREKA How difficult a process is it to extract PVB from discarded car windshields?

For sure, it’s not easy at all since the PVB sits between two layers of highly abrasive glass. It’s obviously not easy to separate and clean the glass and the rPVB streams.

I started the company 16 years ago and it took a decade to fix the recycling challenge and to build a system that’s now proven with consistent quality.

DENMARK-BASED SHARK SOLUTIONS CEO JENS HOLMEGAARD SPEAKS ABOUT HIS COMPANY’S RECENT COLLABORATION WITH AVIENT CORPORATION THAT EXTRACTS PVB FROM DISCARDED AUTOMOTIVE WINDSHIELDS FOR NEW APPLICATIONS IN TPE MATERIALS.

How scientific/technological a process is it?

We don’t disclose details regarding the science behind the process, but this entire set up involves many intricate process steps – most of which are designed in-house.

Again, we are obviously very protective about our technical solutions too – but they work.

And they operate with no liquid or air emissions.

In which new applications can the extracted materials be utilised?

Our main applications are as alternative, sustainable raw materials in TPE and as a binder in waterborne paints.

It must feel good to have developed such an innovative and environmentally responsible business from sourcing these otherwise wasted materials. Can you tell us how good?

I am both thrilled and excited.

We have been operating with commercial volumes for the past eight years – but signing

50 WWW.EPPM.COM

up to a global collaboration with Avient Corporation is very special, and another proof that the efforts and investments have been worth it. It’s very satisfactory to see now a global organisation moving this low CO2 emission raw material forward in large volumes. The enterprise is for the good of the world and yet competitive.

Can you describe the EUREKA! moment and how it felt knowing you’d created a solution to reduce waste in a competitive way?

Our Team and I are super excited that we have proven to have qualified home-

made’ solutions to crack this code of upcycling broken laminated glass into clean glass cullets and PVB. This has been a trial-and-error process developed over 8-10 years – and counting, with many small victories and many disappointments on the journey but, like with the Avient announcement, comes yet another confirmation that we have succeeded.

How is Shark Solutions' research and development operatives working to expand the possibilities of PVB (and other materials) extraction in order to advance circularity and

This has been a trial-and-error process developed over 8-10 years – and counting sustainability for a greener future?

Our efforts have been focused on TPE and paint binder for years – and within these applications there is still much to do.

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