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RAW MATERIALS HANDLING SYSTEMS Troubleshooting tips to avoid downtime
ROBOTS & AUTOMATION Innovative case studies
COMMERCIAL PURGING COMPOUNDS Saving time & money
BIOPOLYMERS Going mainstream
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contents
CanadianPlastics SEPTEMBER 2008 VOLUME 66 NUMBER 8
Looking back...
The October 1983 issue of Canadian Plastics reported on the Fiero, the first production quality plastic body car offered on the North American market. Manufactured by General Motors (GM), the Fiero’s all-plastic body consisted of sheet molded compound for the hood roof, rear and upper quarter panels, and rear deck; and reinforced reaction injection molding (RIM) panels for the sides, front fenders, door panels, and rear lower quarter panels. A flexible version of RIM was used to make the full-width front and rear bumper fascias. To accommodate a production run expected to exceed 100,000 Fiero vehicles per year, sections of GM’s manufacturing plant in Oshawa, Ont. were restructured to provide the largest RIM capacity in Canada.
page 16
Number of the month:
*25%
* Percentage of injection molders and extruders planning to buy new auxiliary equipment within the next 18 months. (see pg. 8)
4 Editorial: • Our greatest commodity 6 Ideas & Innovations: • Eco-friendly foam for the furniture market 7 News: • CPIA outlines new structure • Pliant expands Canadian presence • Processors reveal auxiliary equipment purchasing intentions 12 Executive’s Corner: • Working smarter — Your innovations planning checklist 24 Technology Showcase 26 Advertising Index 27 Classifieds 29 Design Ideas: • Making transportation safer 30 View from the Floor: • Shipping your product — Cube out, or gross out?
PLUS:
Jim’s Tip, Buzzword of the Month
page 13
page 29
Cover illustration by James Wardell
cover story
13 RAW MATERIALS HANDLING: TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS In today’s superheated business climate, there’s no time to waste on unnecessary production delays. Many plastics processors have to deal with these downtimes, though, because of problems with their raw materials handling systems. Inside, we canvass some of the leading raw materials handling equipment suppliers for tips on how to identify and solve the most common areas of trouble.
features
16 ROBOTS & AUTOMATION: UNIQUE APPLICATION CASE STUDIES Robots and automated cells aren’t just for pick-and-place jobs anymore. From low-volume jobs demanding lightning-quick changeovers, to two-cell overmolding, to loading and unloading EDM machines, Canadian Plastics takes a close look at three North American plastics processors that are getting more out of their robots. 20 COMMERCIAL PURGING COMPOUNDS: NOW MORE THAN EVER With resin prices skyrocketing, can you really afford to use your own inhouse material to perform machinery purges — especially when they’re not particularly effective? The good news is you don’t have to. Inexpensive commercial purging aids allow plastics processors to clean out their equipment more efficiently and more effectively. 21 BIOPLASTICS: A PRIMER GUIDE If your company is thinking about making the leap into molding with biodegradable polylactide (PLA) resin, we’ve got some information you’ll need to know. Inside, we talk with PLA suppliers to get the latest on how their materials work, what they can do, and what markets they’re best suited for. PLUS: We spotlight some of the newest PLA-based biopolymer applications.
Visit us at www.canplastics.com www.canplastics.com September 2008 Canadian Plastics 3
editorial
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OUR GREATEST COMMODITY
F
or many companies in the Canadian plastics industry, 2008 has been a rough year. With the unprecedented rise in commodity prices, continued strength of the dollar and constrictions in areas like automotive, manufacturers are fighting on a lot of fronts. But as we continue to struggle against these cyclical forces, I find myself wondering if we are losing our grip on our greatest resource: our people. As part of our 65th anniversary issue roundtable, Mark Lichtblau of Haremar Plastic Manufacturing noted that there is a skilled labour shortage in Canada, a challenge that our industry must embrace. Finding and attracting skilled labourers has been a problem for manufacturers across the board: according to the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters’ 2006-2007 Management Issues Survey, only 13 per cent of companies said they did not experience problems in attracting or retaining skilled and experienced personnel. Lichtblau also noted that the message being communicated to professionals is that “Canada doesn’t want to support manufacturing,” which I think is the crux of the problem. We are trying to recruit people to what many already view as a lost cause. I recently had the opportunity to meet Simon Yee, one of the laid off workers who had set up a blockade outside Progressive Moulded Products. Yee had worked at the company as a process engineer for more than 23 years, and his frustration was palpable. These workers, many of whom spent more than 10 years at the company, had been forced to take drastic measures to fight for severance pay and benefits. It’s hard not to empathize with workers like Yee, who bear the brunt of the ebbs and flows in this sector. And these are the images that are being transmitted to the public, the stories that are
4 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
leaving the strongest impression on potential employees. There is the hope that business will eventually stabilize, and many economists have predicted that the manufacturing sector will recover over the next few years. Companies in the plastics industry are incredibly resilient, and will continue to find ways to overcome high commodity prices and a strong currency. But, in my opinion, we cannot afford to have current and prospective employees lose their faith in this industry. When the industry does recover, they will be the ones who will help us drive it forward. The Canadian plastics industry in particular is filled with examples of people who got their start in the industry before going on to become global innovators. For instance, newly-retired Robert Krycki (News, pg. 7) began his plastics career as a plant engineer at W. Ralston & Company. He went on to found Future Design Inc., home to the world-renowned Saturn family of air rings. It perfectly illustrates the fact that innovation in the plastics industry often comes from within the ranks. So where do we go from here? It is evident that we — the collective “we” — need to invest our energies in developing skilled labour. But how do we counteract the image of Canadian manufacturing as a sunset industry with no sustainable future? And how can we foster a culture of innovation at a time when many business owners find themselves flying by the seat of their pants? What is your company doing to find and retain the best talent Canada has to offer? And what should the industry be doing to attract skilled workers to a career in manufacturing? Tell me by emailing me at Uabdul@canplastics.com. We could talk about commodity prices until we are blue in the face, but let’s also give some thought to protecting our greatest commodity. Umair Abdul, assistant editor Uabdul@canplastics.com
MANAGING Editor Mark Stephen 416-510-5110 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: mstephen@canplastics.com technical Editor Jim Anderton 416-751-5749 E-mail: jimeditorial@yahoo.ca ASSISTANT eDITOR Umair Abdul 416-510-5112 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: uabdul@canplastics.com art director Valerie Perrott Production Manager Steve Hofmann 416-510-6757 E-mail: shofmann@bizinfogroup.ca Print Production Manager Phyllis Wright Publisher & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Judith Nancekivell 416-510-5116 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: jnancekivell@canplastics.com Associate Publisher Bill Young 416-510-5124 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: wyoung@canplastics.com Circulation Manager Diane Rakoff 416-510 5216 Fax: 416-510-6875 E-mail: drakoff@bizinfogroup.ca HEAD OFFICE 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto ON M3C 4J2. 416-442-5600, Fax: 416-510-5134 Canadian Plastics is published 10 times a year by the Business Information Group, a division of BIG Magazines LP., a leading Canadian information company with interests in daily and community newspapers and businessto-business information services. 2008 SUBSCRIPTION RATES, 1 YEAR 10 issues Canadian Plastics, plus Dec. 2008 Buyer’s Guide: Canada: $67.95 plus applicable taxes. USA: US$75.95; Foreign: US$118.95 Dec. 2007 Buyers’ Guide only: Canada: $99.00 plus taxes and shipping USA & Foreign: US$99.00 plus $5.00 shipping. From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: phone 800-668-2374; fax 416-442-2191; e-mail: privacyofficer@businessinformationgroup.ca; mail: Privacy Officer, Business Information Group, 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M3C 4J2. The contents of this magazine are protected by copyright and may be used only for your personal non-commercial purposes. All other rights are reserved and commercial use is prohibited. To make use of any of this material you must first obtain the permission of the owner of the copyright. For further information please contact Judith Nancekivell, 416-510-5116. For Reprints call RSiCopyright, Michelle Hegland, msh@rsicopyright.com USPS 745-670. U.S. Office of Publication, 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY. 14304-0357. Periodical Postage paid at Niagara Falls NY USA. Postmaster: Send address changes to Canadian Plastics, PO Box 1118, Niagara Falls NY 14304-0357. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program towards our mailing costs. PAP Registration No. 11035 CANADA POST – Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Dept. – Canadian Plastics, 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M3C 4J2. RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Indexed by CBPI ISSN 0008-4778 MEMBER: Canadian Business Press, Canadian Plastics Industry Association. Editorial Advisory Board: Brian Read, president, Horizon Plastics Company Ltd. Tom Meisels, president, F.G.L. Precision Works Ltd. James Ellis, vice-chairman, CPI Plastics Group Ltd. Mark Lichtblau, vice-president, Haremar Plastic Manufacturing Ltd.
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ideas and innovations
Eco-friendly foam for the furniture market By Umair Abdul, assistant editor
B
uying a green or eco-friendly product can help many consumers sleep easier at night. So it’s only fitting that Brampton, Ont.-based Valle Foam Industries Inc., a manufacturer of slab stock polyurethane foams primarily for the furniture and bedding markets, is commercializing a new line of bio-based foams. “Historically, we have tried to be a responsible business, and there seemed to be a need for a greener type of foam that is less dependent on a petroleum feedstock,” explained Valle’s vice president of operations Dale McNeill. “More than a year and a half ago, we approached a company that was doing some work on natural polyols.” Since then, the company has committed itself to replacing up to 25 per cent of traditional petroleum-based polyols with polyols derived from natural plant-based oils.
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Valle started working with material suppliers like Cargill and Bayer MaterialScience, and introduced bio-polyols into its process. The company also utilized the federal government’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development Program (SR&ED) to test different formulations and optimize processing characteristics. Bio-polyols like the ones developed by Cargill have already been adapted by
“We saw Valle Foam as an opportunity to extend out of the automotive sector, and into the furniture, bedding and toy sectors,” noted Ontario BioAuto Council vice president of operations Erin Cheney. “We thought they were an excellent green partner.” Once the company has introduced biopolyols in all of its foams, McNeill said they hope to continue working towards reaching the 25 per cent biocontent mile-
“The chemistry of the foams is different, automotive applications are primarily a molded-type foam and a high resilience foam, whereas ours is a polyether type foam,” explained Valle’s McNeill. a number of automotive foam suppliers. For instance, Ont.-based The Woodbridge Group recently announced that it would supply seating for the 2009 Ford Escape using its proprietary BioFoam, in partnership with Intier Automotive Seating. “The chemistry of the foams is different, automotive applications are primarily a molded-type foam and a high resilience foam, whereas ours is a polyether-type foam,” explained Valle’s McNeill. Valle is already offering 10 different bio-based foams now, ranging from lowto high-density, primarily for the furniture market. Some of the company’s customers, such as Vaughan, Ont.-based furniture manufacturer Brentwood Classics Ltd., have already adopted and are now exclusively using the new foam products. Valle is marketing the eco-friendly foams under the BioPlush product line, and the company hopes to introduce the bio-polyols across the board for all of its foams by the end of the y ear. Valle Foam recently received $500,000 from the Ontario BioAuto Council to help commercialize its BioPlush product line, making it the council’s first non-automotive investment.
stone. He noted that the bio-polyols currently available through Cargill is still being developed and refined, and Valle may be able to add more biomaterials as the chemistry changes. Additionally, there are some challenges when it comes to adding biocontent to lower density foams. “There are some restrictions in the current usage levels, and you can’t put 25 per cent into each foam,” he said. “The density is related to the amount of polymer content in the foam, so as you lower the density you have lower polymer content in the foam...it doesn’t allow you to adopt more material as a filler or an additive.” Although Valle is still working towards adding bio-polyols to all of its foams, McNeill says the BioPlush line has already received a strong response from the industries it serves. “People are starting to ask for our product now,” he said. “There seem to be some companies that are more forward-thinking, and are interested in differentiating themselves.” Valle Foam Industries Ltd. (Brampton, Ont.); 905-453-8054 Ontario BioAuto Council (Guelph, Ont.); www.bioautocouncil.com; 519-827-1118
news
Future Design’s Robert Krycki retires R obert Krycki, the founder, president and CEO of Mississauga, Ont.based blown film equipment supplier Future Design Inc., has announced that he is retiring from the company. Krycki recently received the Canadian Plastics Industry Association’s (CPIA) Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of his contributions to the industry. “I noticed all those people [who receive the award] are very old,” he joked recently. “And when I looked in the mirror, I said, ‘You’re one of them now.’” Krycki is handing Future Design’s reigns to Gary Gould, who takes over as president, and who, he continued, brings a strong business background to the company. “The way I ran the business was more on a technical level, with an innovative
product line and knowing the blown film industry,” Krycki explained. “Gary has a very strong business aptitude, and finance is a very strong part of his character.” Krycki got his start in the business as a plant engineer for blown film and bag manufacturer W. Robert Krycki Ralston & Company. He started building equipment in his spare time with his close friend Bob Smith, and worked as a service engineer for Brampton Engineering. He went on to found Future Design Inc., which placed an emphasis on the repair and replacement of blown film line components. The company, which
Pliant expands Canadian presence
Schaumburg, Ill.-based Pliant Corporation has announced that it is investing nearly $3 million in 2008, on top of the $4.5 million invested in 2006 and 2007, to improve its product offerings in Canada. The capital investment program is similar to initiatives underway in Europe, Asia and Mexico, and is an attempt to grow the company’s market in Canada. According to the company, a new leadership team and a greater focus on the needs of the Canadian marketplace will allow Pliant to expand its market share, specifically for its meat and food wrap, pallet wrap, engineered films, personal care, medical and printed products. “Pliant has the most comprehensive offering of quality products available in Canada from a single manufacturer,” said Pliant’s Canadian managing director Tim French. French rejoined the company in March 2008 after a stint as the CEO of Snowbear. Pliant has sales of more than US$110 million in Canada, and is one of the largest manufacturers of engineered packaging and specialty products in North America. The company’s Canadian headquarters are located in Orillia, Ont., and existing manufacturing facilities in Orillia and Toronto will be seeking strategic Canadian acquisitions. As well, the company plans to expand its current sales force to better serve the domestic market.
turns 30 this October, is particularly well known for its Saturn family of air rings. “Nobody realized how important the air ring was back then, so we took it and said, ‘This is what we have to go after,’” Krycki noted. Moving forward, KryGary Gould cki sees Future Design diversifying in the business, and he noted that he has been looking at opportunities with Gould in an advisory capacity. “I’m retired from the day-to-day operations, but I’m not out of the business,” he said. “We’re seriously looking at things that Future Design could do on top of what they do well already.”
CPIA outlines new structure
After a lengthy strategic review, the national board of the CPIA has announced a final framework for the organization’s restructuring. Among the developments, the board has decided to make the Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC) an autonomous unit within CPIA. “By making EPIC an autonomous unit... the intention is to focus the financial investments of our three largest resin members as well as allow companies and organizations to belong to EPIC without being a member of CPIA,” the organization said. CPIA will also create a new processor-focused unit, designed to incorporate elements of research, training, networking, advocacy, government relations, business and partnership development, and both domestic and global trade promotions. The organization also pledged to support three councils with the greatest membership: Composites Council, Plastic Film Manufacturers Association of Canada, and the Vinyl Council of Canada. All other councils will be phased out by the end of the year, CPIA said, but also noted that some of the activity of the disbanded councils may continue in the form of working groups or task forces. Finally, CPIA will close its last remaining regional office in Montreal as a cost-cutting measure, but has not ruled out future use of regionally-based staff and consultants. CPIA will present final details of the plan to its board for ratification in mid-November.
www.canplastics.com September 2008 Canadian Plastics 7
news
Processors reveal auxiliary equipment purchasing intentions Twenty-five per cent of injection molders and extruders contacted on behalf of a Canadian Plastics survey plan to buy new auxiliary equipment within the next 18 months. The telephone survey, conducted by Oakville, Ont.-based market research firm G. Bramm & Associates, contacted 100 Canadian plastics processors, 25 of whom said their company would purchase such items as blenders, chillers, conveyors, granulators, loaders, robots or temperature control units (TCUs) between July 2008 and December 2009. Fifty-five of the respondents worked at injection molding facilities, 13 at pipe and profile extrusion shops, while the rest were involved in other types of molding. Dyers will be the most sought after item, with 10 respondents saying their shops will need at least one new dryer, followed by seven that indicated a need for new conveyors. The highest average budget set aside for a purchase is $120,000, for loaders. An average of $63,000 is being set aside for new chillers, $35,000 for new blenders, and $26,000 for new TCUs. To obtain a summary report of the survey, contact Mark Stephen, at mstephen@ canplastics.com, or telephone 416-510-5110.
NEWS BRIEFS Chemical, rubber and plastics products manufacturer Channel Prime Alliance Canada is changing its name to Ravago Canada Co., as the result of a consolidation of parent company The Ravago Group’s Canadian entities. The new companies will have two commercial businesses: distribution (formerly Channel Prime Alliance and Entec Polymers) and resale (formerly Muehlstein Canada, Pyramid/Entec and Novell). Aurora, Ont.-based parts supplier Magna International Inc. has acquired Technoplast, a manufacturer of plastics exterior and interior components located in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Technoplast currently supplies components for several programs for GAZ Group, Russia’s largest producer of commercial vehicles. In a bid to strengthen its position as a construction materials manufacturer, Surrey, B.C.-based Vanguard Plastics Ltd. has acquired injection molder Primex Manufacturing, of nearby Langley, B.C. Terms of the purchase have not been disclosed. Injection molder Vanguard Plastics Ltd. manufactures fenestration, shelf supports and plastic handled shopping baskets. 8 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
St. Louis, Mo.-based TricorBraun has acquired Vancouver, B.C.-based rigid packaging distributor Columbia Packaging. Founded in 1995 by Larry West, Columbia services various beverage industries and specializes in packaging for other markets, such as healthcare and sports nutrition. The Eastman Chemical Company has said its copolyester, Eastman Tritan, has been approved for use in food contact applications by the Canadian government, receiving a “favourable opinion” for use in specified food contact applications from the Canadian Food Directorate. According to Kingsport, Tenn.-based Eastman Chemical, the material can be used in a broad range of applications including housewares and appliances, and offers clarity and toughness with high heat and chemical resistance.
ing an engineered materials facility in Valleyfield, Que. The closures will take place over the next nine months due to downturns in compounding end markets. The company will shed nearly 150 jobs. Resin supplier Basell Canada Inc. has sold the assets and land located at its Sarnia, Ont. site to Shell’s Canadian affiliates. According to the parent company, the sales included the feed preparation unit, pipelines, polypropylene storage, and all of the land.
PEOPLE
Mold base and hot runner supplier Hasco America, Inc. will phase out its U.S. manufacturing operations. As a result, Hasco America will eliminate approximately 40 of its 50 positions at its Arden, N.C. manufacturing plant. The company will also close a small facility in Valencia, Calif.
Richmond Hill, Ont.based Wittmann Canada Inc. has named Paul Kinsman to the position of technical salesBattenfeld IM Machines for the Canadian market. For Western Canada, Gord Kaye, technical sales, will support Paul in his new role. Paul can be contacted at 905-887Paul Kinsman 5355, ext. 230, or at email pgkinsman@wittmann-canada.com.
Avon Lake-based PolyOne Corporation is closing eight production plants, includ-
Engel North America has appointed Jim Chiofolo and Steve Broadbent to its sales
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price. This may mean it forgoes windfall profits, but it protects the organisation against unexpected losses and enables it to determine and manage the amount of risk it is prepared to accept. As a result, hedging can help organisations to better manage cash flow and predict profits by creating certainty over a fixed period of time. The option of physical delivery plays an important role in creating price convergence between the LME price and the physical market price. It does not replace the normal channels for buying and selling plastic; only a very small proportion of contracts actually result in delivery. The effectiveness of this mechanism, however, means that if the LME price diverges from the physical market price, those in the market will see a favourable opportunity and make use of the delivery mechanism either buying or selling the futures contracts to benefit from the difference. This buying and selling activity ensures that the LME price is always in line with the physical market price. The LME futures market is a reflection of industry fundamentals and the balance of supply versus demand. The LME is unrivalled in its experience, capabilities, resources and proven relationships within commodities markets and financial communities. The LME is on track to deliver credible and market driven risk management tools for the North American plastics industry. For information on how to trade through the LME and on our authorised brokers (members) visit the ‘what next’ page http://www.lme.com/plastics-what.asp. For further information on the LME or its services, information can be found on the LME website www.lme.com. If you have any questions about the LME’s plastics price risk management tools please email info.plastics@lme.com or contact the LME marketing department on +44 (0) 207 264 5555.
news
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Jim Chiofolo
John Wise
William Normand
Kelly Roney
team, specializing in rubber and liquid silicone molding applica- Dear Canadian Plastics, tions. They will operate from the Re: Your May 2008 editorial, “Free trade on the campaign trail”. company’s headquarters in York, Globalization is like fishing: the fish think it’s getting a free Pa. lunch, but then it turns out it is the lunch. Is America’s $10 trillion debt healthy? Chippewa Falls, Wis.-based The Toronto Star has a daily list of tool and die machine Extrusion Dies Industries, shops going bankrupt along with thousands of manufacturing LLC has named John Wise as jobs leaving Canada. Tool and die machine shops are the ecoregional sales manager for its nomic canaries in the mineshaft. With those jobs gone so goes northeastern territory. In addition the economic future. to the eastern U.S., the region When are we going to wake up to this WTO and NAFTA includes Ontario, Quebec, and disaster? Communist China and its Trojan Horse Enronesque the Maritime Provinces. The multinationals are bankrupting Canada and the U.S. company has also appointed WilAs a small manufacturer of 22 years, I have to export, and the liam Normand to the position of export profit margin is so small as to be almost useless. If I didn’t inside sales coordinator. have my Canadian customers, I would close the business. Only fools, thieves, politicians, and University economic Mold technology supplier professors who’ve never had to earn a living (check out their D-M-E Company, of Madison tenure clauses) support NAFTA. Heights, Mich., has appointed Everybody who promotes NAFTA and WTO should be Kathleen “Kelly” Roney to the shipped to China. We don’t need traitors. position of global director of Donald Champagne human resources. President, North Bay Plastic Molders Ltd.
10 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
Integrating Plastic technologies since 1965
executive’s corner
Working smarter — Your innovation planning checklist All the essentials to get your initiative underway
I
f you’re like most entrepreneurs, you’ve got some innovative ideas brewing but you’re wondering how to bring them to fruition in your business. Although there’s no one formula for success, it helps to see if all the necessary pieces are in place before getting a project off the ground.
GENERATE IDEAS The first essential step is to stimulate innovative thinking and, without cramping your team’s creativity, keep employees focused on ideas that will add value to the organization. Ask employees to look at ways to improve customer responsiveness, reduce waste and downtime, reach more customers or tackle a new market. At the same time, give staff a means to bring their innovative ideas to the table, whether it’s a suggestion box, an employee forum or a face-to-face brainstorming meeting. With every 10 ideas, there may be only one that will bring a return on investment. Once you’ve taken stock of potential innovation projects, take the time to narrow them down and determine which ones are worthy of your company’s resources. The project will have to have pay-off, such as improved customer service, increased revenues or longterm growth.
By Mary Gagliardi, Business Development Bank of Canada
ASSESS IMPACT & FEASIBILITY Carefully assess the impact of the innovation project for all stakeholders: employees, customers and the community. Entrepreneurs expanding their products and services may require a full market analysis to make sure they’re going in the right direction. Before changing an internal process, consider the impact it will have on employee needs. A green-friendly initiative will have a positive impact on the community, so you want to be sure to take it into consideration.
GET YOUR TEAM IN PLACE Whatever the scale of a business project, entrepreneurs need to do some sound planning in order to make the initiative a success. It’s important to clearly understand the project challenges, outline the results you want to achieve and establish realistic deadlines. Plan for appropriate financing and the best strategy to use human resources. Implementing basic project management mechanisms such as ongoing monitoring and working within an allotted budget will help entrepreneurs achieve business objectives. The innovation team should include a leader who can be fully accountable for the project.
TEST IT, ROLL IT OUT, MONITOR IT Entrepreneurs can build a prototype, or working model in order to determine whether the innovation will actually work and deliver what it promises. A commonly used practice, particularly in product development, is to build a prototype or working model. This gives business 12 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
owners a chance to make improvements before running full production. You can test an internal process with customers using pilot studies, for example. This allows you to gather real client feedback and refine the process before full implementation. Entrepreneurs should ensure they clearly outlined how the initiative will be rolled out with measurable targets and milestones. These are essential in the process so that employees involved can see any progress along the way. The innovation team leader can report how the project is evolving and convene any necessary meetings to adapt the plan. It may take some time to see if the investment is paying off, yet be sure to have a way to monitor project progress. If you’re launching a new product or service, you may see a positive impact in your sales figures. An improvement in a production process might be measured by your production output or customer satisfaction. Any innovation initiative should show measurable results, even if it’s an intangible such as improved employee satisfaction. As a follow-up to innovation projects, entrepreneurs can also conduct surveys or focus groups with all stakeholders involved. Mary Gagliardi is vice president and district manager for Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). BDC is a financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Canada that actively supports the development and growth of Canadian small and medium-size businesses through its complementary financing, investment and consulting solutions. For more information, visit www.bdc.ca.
raw materials handling
Top illustration credit: Wittmann Canada Inc.
RAW MATERIALS HANDLING SYSTEMS:
A TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
A
ccording to Murphy’s Law, whatever can go wrong, will. This probably sums up the way many plastics processors feel about their raw materials handling systems. There are, after all, so many different raw materials handling components to go wrong. Adding to the difficulty, processors, under mounting pressure to manufacture more parts more quickly, may not always give their systems enough close attention...until a problem arises. Here are solutions to some of the most common problems, provided by several leading raw materials handling equipment suppliers. ⌦ PROBLEM:
MATERIAL IS NOT DRYING CAUSE:
In today’s business climate, no plastics processor can afford the lost revenue associated with unnecessary downtime. Many have to suffer just that, however, because of problems with their raw materials handling systems. To help your system run smoothly, Canadian Plastics asked some of the leading equipment suppliers to identify, and solve, common trouble spots.
By Mark Stephen, managing editor
Tom Martin, head service technician for Motan Inc., highlighted several leading sources of this problem. “First, the customer might not be allowing the material to be in the drying bin for the recommended residence time,” he said. “In addition, filters and breather screens on the dryer may not be maintained at the proper intervals; and processors may also be neglecting to change the desiccant material in their dryers at the proper intervals.” ✓ SOLUTION:
The solution is very simple, suppliers say: follow the directions and maintenance as dictated by operating manuals, particularly as regards regular changing of desiccant. Also, if the material being dried is very hygroscopic, processors need to use a closed-loop conveying system that doesn’t introduce ambient air. “Typically, if a processor is running a closed-loop conveying
system properly, they shouldn’t encounter any problems in drying material,” said Joe Corturillo, engineering manager at Wittmann Canada Inc. “And as long as the dryer is sized properly for throughputs, there shouldn’t be any issues in conveying the dried resins, either.” ⌦ PROBLEM:
DROP IN THROUGHPUT 1st CAUSE:
Pelletized materials require sufficient air to be transported, and there are several common reasons for airflow to weaken, resulting in a drop in throughput. “Clogged filters in vacuum receivers, vacuum takeoff boxes, and vacuum pumps are the most frequent causes of this,” said Novatec Inc.’s Les Mischaud, installation manager, and John Kraft, marketing specialist. ✓ SOLUTION:
Mischaud and Kraft recommend inspecting and cleaning filters on a regular basis. “Also, don’t forget to empty the catch pans under cyclone filters if you have them,” they said. “If the pans fill up, dust can be pulled back through the system to clog the filters again.” 2nd CAUSE:
Another reason for a decrease in throughput is a vacuum leak — evidenced by sluggish conveying, longer fill times and pellets on the floor — which diminishes performance because the system is sucking air rather than material. “Vacuum leaks are one of the biggest causes of decreased throughput,” said Brian Davis, general manager at Maguire Canada Inc., which also distributes Novatec products. www.canplastics.com September 2008 Canadian Plastics 13
raw materials handling
“Other sources of vacuum leak include a break in a coupling, faulty solenoids or bad cylinders, or a dust cap that has come off,” said Jordan Lauder, a service technician at Wittmann Canada Inc. “It’s also possible for an abrasive material, such as a glass-filled nylon, to wear away at the inside of a conveying line, causing leaks and failure.”
⌦ PROBLEM: CAPACITY LOSS 1st CAUSE:
Again, the solution seems obvious: locate and eliminate vacuum and material line leaks. “It’s a tedious problem to solve, though, because you have to break the system down and check each machine for any type of leaks, cracks, or anything else that’s allowing excess air into the system,” said Maguire’s Brian Davis. “The best way of doing this is to develop a methodology, involving breaking the line down into segments, and then testing each segment for conveying strength.” If a processor is drying and then conveying resin, they may also want to think about installing either aluminum flex or stainless steel flex hoses, according to Wittmann Canada’s Jordan Lauder. “Standard polyvinyl chloride flex hoses aren’t constructed for these temperatures, and may melt and collapse,” he said. And if a processor is conveying an abrasive material, they may want to consider investing in stainless steel elbows or ceramic line bends that will protect the material line, Maguire’s Brian Davis advised. This last point is particularly important, according to Gord Stowar, technical sales at Wittmann Canada, and highlights a larger issue regarding material handling systems. “When installing a system, it’s not enough to know simple conveying distances,” he said. “Processors also have to be aware of changes in direction and elevation, and share that information with suppliers.”
“The problem can be detected by knowing your system and finding out where the capacity loss is occurring,” Corturillo continued. “The best solution is to bring your supplier into the equation when making changes or adding new equipment, so the system will be properly sized to handle the additional capacity.”
✓ SOLUTION:
⌦ PROBLEM: GETTING RAW (VIRGIN) MATERIAL
INTO FILTER CANISTERS
CAUSE:
Overfilling the receiver, often as the result of fill times that are too long, typically causes this problem. ✓ SOLUTION:
“Each receiver needs to be adjusted individually based on the size of the unit,” said Motan’s Tom Martin. “The purge time is the biggest factor; the customer wants as much material per pull as possible, but neglects to count the purge cycle which clears the line of all material into the equation.”
14 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
“Adding any new equipment — dryers, blenders, loaders, etc. — to a conveying system will have an adverse affect, because the system was originally designed and sized to operate without that additional capacity,” said Wittmann Canada’s Joe Corturillo. ✓ SOLUTION:
2nd CAUSE:
This problem typically originates when a processor doesn’t have the right information about their vacuum pump, especially relating to pounds per hour. “Processors that purchase equipment at machinery auctions may wind up acquiring an undersized pump if they’re not careful,” said Maguire’s Brian Davis. “Some processors also add new machinery and then try to cut corners by using an existing pump that’s too small.” ✓ SOLUTION:
Ensure that a vacuum pump is sized for your location. “Power systems operating at 50 Hz rather than 60 Hz can cause the pump to turn more slowly, and a processor will need a bigger pump or one that turns at higher rpm to compensate,” said Conair’s Doug Scott. “And don’t assume that a system spec’d for one city will operate the same way in another. Thinner altitudes, for example, mean the pump will be moving less mass of air with each revolution.” ⌦ PROBLEM: LACK OF MATERIAL CAUSE:
Material is not reaching the vacuum receivers beyond a particular station in a common-line system. Common causes include plugged material lines, or something as simple as an empty Gaylord or surge bin. ✓ SOLUTION:
“Decrease the load time; or if the amount of material loaded in a single shot needs to be increased, add a spacer below the check valve or switch to a larger receiver,” said Novatec’s Les Mischaud and John Kraft. Plugged material lines are typically related to a lack of transport air, they continued. “With virgin pellets, simply remove the material line from the material source and the plug should break up. If this works, slightly increase the air flow by adjusting the air mixing valve to avoid a repeat of the problem.” Regrind material can often pack the lines hard enough to require manual removal with a rod. “Sufficient transport air is the best preventative,” they advised. Also, make sure employees regularly check material levels. “This sounds like a simple thing, but having employees check material levels helps avoid costly downtime,” said Conair’s Doug Scott. At approximately $2,000, automatic tilt tables are an inexpensive way of ensuring consistent material flow from a Gaylord, said Wittmann Canada’s Gord Stowar. “Tilt tables are also ideal for helping improve material flow if the material is clumping.”
raw materials handling
⌦ PROBLEM: CONTAMINATION CAUSE:
The most common source of contamination, suppliers say, comes from performing material changes without properly cleaning the material lines. Problems can also arise if a material handler accidentally hooks up the incorrect material source on a panel that does not have a “proofing” system, as well as when metal and dust are introduced when processing regrind. ✓ SOLUTION:
Proper cleaning of material lines before all colour and material changes is crucial. Purging compounds can help in this regard, and are much more effective than using in-house resin or regrind. As a preventative step, suppliers suggest investing in RFID (radio frequency identification) coded couplings to eliminate resin selection errors or erroneous user connections. Also, proper handling and storage of regrind will prevent contamination. And to be on the safe side, invest in a metal detector. “The problem of metal contamination can be solved by putting a metal detector right at the throat of the machine,” said Wittmann Canada’s Gord Stowar. “It’s the difference between the cost of approximately $500 for a magnet, versus the cost of a new barrel and screw and associated downtime.” A final measure involves proper maintenance of storage silos. “There are companies specializing in washing the inside of a silo with an environmentally friendly system that conveys the water back into a truck, removing all contamination,” Stowar said. “It’s a service we’re happy to arrange for the customer.”
cated-line system with purge and a common-line system.” Also, operator training is critical. “Especially when employee turnovers are high, make sure everyone has the information they need to keep the system running,” said Conair’s Doug Scott. “Employees also need to understand various alarm conditions and to know when there is a simple problem, or something more complex, like an electrical issue that needs to be attended to.” Finally, don’t forget the importance of preventative maintenance. “This is probably the most neglected part of the whole equation,” said Wittmann Canada’s Gord Stowar. “Don’t use duct tape to fix damaged hoses, for example; replace them,” he said. “If you take care of your raw materials handling equipment, it will take care of you.” CPL Resource List The Conair Group (Pittsburgh, Pa.); www.conairnet.com; 800-654-6661 Hamilton Avtec Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.hamiltonavtec.com; 800-590-5546 Maguire Canada/Novatec Inc. (Vaughan, Ont.); www.maguirecanada.com; 866-441-8409 Barway Plastic Equipment Inc. (Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.); 450-455-1396 Motan Inc. (Plainwell, Mich.); www.motan.com; 800-991-9921 Dier International Plastics Inc. (Unionville, Ont.); www.dierinternational.com; 905-474-9874 D Cube (Montreal, Que.); 514-272-0500; www.dcube.ca Wittmann Canada Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ont.); www.wittmann-canada.com; 888-466-8266
⌦ PROBLEM: ANGEL HAIR CAUSE:
Softer materials like polyethylene can heat up and smear against the walls of the conveying lines, deforming and leaving “angel hair” behind to clog the system. Angel hair is indicative of a transport problem somewhere before arrival of the pellets in the hopper, a problem that can begin as early as the unloading of material from the railcar or truck. “If the system is not designed or operated properly, there’s a real possibility of creating angel hair,” said Wittmann Canada’s Jordan Lauder. ✓ SOLUTION:
Optimize conveying velocity and control temperature of the conveying air; equipment suppliers say that conveying air temperatures over 70° C and conveying speeds over 35 m/s are dramatic promoters of angel hair. “When laying out a conveying system and sizing the pumps, the designer will want to make ensure the conveying air velocity at the material pick-up point is kept as low as possible,” said Conair’s Doug Scott. FINAL SUGGESTIONS:
The best way for processors to avoid problems with raw materials handling systems, equipment suppliers say, is to design and install them properly in the beginning. Keep in mind some basic principles. “Minimize the number of elbows, vertical lifts, and feet of flexible hose,” said Novatec’s Les Mischaud and John Kraft. “Size pumps accordingly, avoid up-slopes in material lines, and choose carefully between a dediwww.canplastics.com September 2008 Canadian Plastics 15
robots and automation
DOING THE ROBOT
Robots and automation aren’t just for pick-and-place jobs. Canadian Plastics highlights three North American companies that have put robots to use in unique ways — a custom injection molder for low-volume jobs and lightning-fast changeovers; an optical molder for two-cell overmolding; and a moldmaker to load and unload EDM units.
By Umair Abdul, assistant editor
Moldmaker uses robot to feed EDM UNITS The plastics industry is accustomed to hearing about processors who automate for cost savings, but Germantown, Wis.based Moldmakers Incorporated is using an overhead robotic system to increase its level of automation and consolidate more productivity in less space. Moldmakers Incorporated, which provides high-end engineering services and expedited mold build capabilities, is using the overhead system to load and unload six 16 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) units and a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The company’s goal was to create what amounts to a “mold printer” that would provide ready-to-assemble mold components accompanied by verified threedimensional output automatically. “The goal of our engineers and programmers was to feed three-dimensional, quality-controlled data directly into the manufacturing pipeline by creating a sys-
robots and automation
DANCE tem that could machine steel or graphite and subsequently measure and verify the accuracy and repeatability of the machining operations,” said marketing director John Berg. The firm was originally using several three-axis robots, each serving two EDM machines arranged in a circular layout. However, to improve flexibility and efficiency and optimize the use of manufacturing floor space, management decided to change to a linear layout. “The plan was to coordinate our six wire EDM machines with a rail-mounted robot to make maximum use of our real estate and create a straightforward process to monitor the most efficient setup and integrate verification using a CMM,” said Berg. The company selected a FANUC Robotics M-710/B/45T overhead rail-mounted robot, a six-axis, modular, electric servodriven articulated gantry robot designed for material handling and machine tending. The rail on which the robot travels is about 83 feet — roughly 21.55 meters — in length, not including additional guarding and other details. The layout is arranged with four wire EDM machines and the CMM on one side of the rail, and two EDM machines plus pallet storage on the other side. The system currently serves a total of seven machines, but can handle up to 10 stations, providing the company with the flexibility to expand within the same space. The system, which took just over a year to get up and running, also features a human-machine interface (HMI) that controls the operator interaction and a passageway underneath the rail at the centre of its length to eliminate the need for operators to walk all the way around when they need to reach the other side. New Berlin, Wis.-based Promatech LLC integrated the system. FANUC Robotics Canada, Ltd. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.fanucrobotics.ca; 905-812-2300
Flexible cell for low-volume jobs When Manchester, Conn.-based custom molder ABA-PGT found itself losing low volume insert molding work because of manual labour costs, the company decided to automate. The company, which specializes in the manufacture of plastic gears and critical-to-function precision motion transfer components, developed a “Flex Cell” automation cell concept that was flexible enough to allow for swift changeovers. Developed by director of R&D Tim Vale, and proprietary to ABA-PGT, the “Flex Cell” concept includes a molding machine, robot, an automation system for putting inserts into the process, and a similar system to handle finished products. Although the system still requires an operator to place the inserts on the pallets, the job only requires 15 to 30 minutes every two hours, significantly reducing the labour content. ABA-PGT supplied the “Flex Cell” concept to Wittmann, which had already supplied robotic solutions for the company’s high volume applications, along with all required design parameters for the various parts. “Coming up with the parameters was a challenge because you were making an educated guess on what type of parts you might see in the future, based on what was quoted in the past,” said Vale. “Designing an automation cell around a clearly defined product is not always that easy, but it’s certainly a degree or two easier than trying to design an automation cell around a bunch of parts that don’t exist yet.” The parts could be big or small, and the inserts could be screw-machined shafts, stamped metal parts or some other intricate machine shape. Additionally, product changeovers would be required every two
or three weeks but could be of shorter or longer intervals, and the automation had to be designed for a 110-ton machine with a minimal capital investment. Working with ABA-PGT’s existing conveyor supplier TEC Engineering, Wittmann supplied a W631 three-axis linear servo robot equipped with a pneumatic wrist flip (c-axis) and a quick release system for the end of arm tools to allow for product changeovers in less than five minutes. “The Wittmann-designed and -built EOATs were the key to the success of the cell,” noted Vale. “We had to make a lot happen in a very limited amount of space with these EOATs. The constraints were not just between the mold plates but also on the conveyor side of the system where floor space is at a premium.” The system was delivered pre-loaded with the first EOAT for a two-cavity gear mold with a screw-machined shaft insert. The “Flex Cell” used an existing mold that had previously required hand loading of inserts and hand packing of trays, and resulted in a cost savings of $21,900 after 100,000 pieces. A typical EOAT for the system costs anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000, depending on the complexity and number of mold cavities, and the total cost of the eight to 10 pallets for the inserts is about $5,000. In other words, the payback for the customers is very fast. ABA-PGT now simply adds about $2 more per hour to the machine rate to cover the added cost of the automation, using the “Flex Cell” to get jobs it couldn’t get because of manual labour costs. Currently, there are five jobs sharing time on the cell, resulting in about 80 per cent utilization. Wittmann Canada Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ont.); www.wittmann-canada.com; 888-466-8266 www.canplastics.com September 2008 Canadian Plastics 17
robots and automation
Eye-opening two cell overmolding solution Boucherville, Que.-based Vision2 International Inc. is a manufacturer of protective eyewear products for various industries, including sports, safety, industrial and military applications. When the company looked for ways to increase its competitiveness, it turned to injection molding machine supplier ENGEL Machinery. As a supplier of both machinery and automation equipment, ENGEL was capable of providing a fully automated molding cell that would help the company reduce costs and improve cycle times. However, because of the wide variety of eyewear styles manufactured by Vision2, the optical injection molder also needed a cell that had the flexibility for multiple molds. The company has two manufacturing cells to produce multiple styles of swim goggles. The first cell manufactures the lenses, producing up to six different lens styles. The cell consists of a 100 ton tiebarless machine equipped with an ENGEL
18 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
ERC 33/1-C robot, which removes the molded lenses from a four-cavity mold using a custom designed end of arm tool (EOAT). (There is a different EOAT for
After the process is complete, finished lenses are placed on an outfeed conveyor system. For the second cell, an ERC 44 E-series robot picks up the lens inserts
Once the parts have been reoriented, the robot transfers them to the defogger station, to be coated with an anti-fog solution. each different mold, six in total.) The robot takes the part through a deionizer station to reduce static on the lenses, and positions them at the cutter station for runner removal. The lenses are carried to the part flip station, which rotates the parts and transfers them to the orientation nest. Once the parts have been reoriented, the robot transfers them to the defogger station, to be coated with an anti-fog solution.
from the parts tray, and transfers them to another tiebarless injection molding machine for overmolding. Upon completion of the cycle, the robot positions its de-molding EOAT to retrieve overmolded parts and put in the next set of inserts. The finished parts are then transferred to the deposit position on the outfeed conveyor system. ENGEL Canada Inc. (Guelph, Ont.); www.engelglobal.com/na; 519-836-0220
E X P O P L A S T 2 0 0 8 Roadmap to a Sustainable Future! Expoplast only takes place every three years, it’s your absolute best opportunity to see and interact with the products and services you’re going to need to compete and prosper in an increasingly competitive world. This event is loaded with educational opportunities, business development initiatives and features celebrating innovation and achievement in the Canadian plastics industry. This is the event you can’t afford to miss. Visit the website for information and to register to attend.
Palais des congrès Montréal • October 20-21, 2008
www.expoplast.org
purging compounds
Commercial purging compounds:
now Economizing on resin costs is the new reality for plastics processors. Investing in more efficient commercial purging aids can help. By Mark Stephen, managing editor
F
more than
EVER
ew, if any, plastics processors need to be told that resin prices are skyrocketing, with no sign of coming down. But a survival strategy many are adopting — making more “just in time” product, with shorter runs and more frequent colour changes — has its own potential problem: a great deal of valuable virgin resin is wasted if products are contaminated by streaks or black specks. Luckily, a ready, cost-effective solution is at hand. Using commercial purging agents can clean out equipment with the least amount of resin and expensive downtime.
PURGING 101 There are two types of commercial purging agent: mechanical and chemical. Mechanical or physical purges, typically used in injection molding, use abrasive or high-viscosity plastics to scour other materials from screws, barrels and dies. “A mechanical purge is a flush, designed to break down and displace plastic,” said Barbara Giaquinto, technical manager at RapidPurge, a maker of chemical purging compounds. “There’s nothing fancy about mechanical purging grades, including ours.” Chemical purges, by contrast, use ammonia or other substances to break down the polymer residue chemically in the machine, reducing the molecular weight and viscosity so it can be flushed out easily. “Chemical purges require residency time inside the machine to soften and loosen any hard carbon deposits, giving a greater degree of cleaning than 20 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
mechanical purges,” said Giaquinto. The process can become tricky with blown film and coextrusion lines, she added, with the chemical agents requiring strict procedures for measuring, blending and “soaking”. There’s a rough economic balance between the two processes. Chemical agents in pellet form can cost up to 70 per cent more than mechanical purging agents, but are also used in much smaller quantities.
IN-HOUSE IS OUT Notwithstanding the availability of mechanical and chemical purging products, the tried and true purging method for many processors has long involved using in-house material: virgin resin (typically styrene), as well as scrap or regrind, heated and run through a machine. For a number of reasons, commercial purging compound suppliers say, this is no longer the economical way to operate. “Frankly, using in-house material is the best way for a company to lose money,” said John Pizzo, technical service and development engineer with mechanical purging compound maker ASACLEAN —Sun Plastech Inc. “In-house material is simply not designed for use as a purging agent. It’s ineffective and requires constant purging, which results in a lot of downtime.” There are signs that times are changing, however. “There’s a transition underway in the industry, going from purely resin purging to purging with a commercial purging compound, as companies realize they have to reduce their costs to remain competitive,”
purging compounds
said Arthur Haag, president of commercial purging compound manufacturer PURGEXNeutrex Inc. “Companies are doing short run applications with custom colour changes, and they’re realizing in-house purging doesn’t help them reduce their scrap rate.” Using commercial purging grades can save time, as well. “A processor can conceivably cut the purge time on a machine from two hours with an in-house material, to 45 minutes with a commercial grade,” said Michael Muth, sales manager at chemical purging compound maker Slide Products Inc. “They’re also using much less purging compound than they would in-house resin, and the aggregate savings are very high.” And with resin prices on their steady rise, it’s no wonder commercial purging compound suppliers are experiencing a boom. “Our business is up dramatically in the past two years, and to a certain extent the market is coming to us,” said Tim Cutler, business manager at Dyna-Purge, a maker of mechanical purging compounds. Nor is business likely to fall off anytime soon. “Resin price increases appear to be sticking, whereas in the past they didn’t,” said Arthur Haag. “With commodity resins now hitting the US$1.00 per pound range, very few molders want to waste their material doing purges, and this makes commercial purging agents almost mandatory.”
LEARNING CURVES While product demand may have increased, commercial compound makers know they must still satisfy the industry’s need for a ready-to-use purging product. The good news is they’re doing it. First, suppliers say, today’s commercial purging compounds can do much more than previous generations. “At one time, they were used only to remove expensive hightemperature engineering resins,” said Tim Cutler. “Now, they can be used even with commodity polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride.” The catch, however, is that the commercial grades must be used properly. Fortunately, for molders carrying out mechanical purges, switching from inhouse material to a commercial grade is relatively simple. “Processors may have to tweak a few parameters in using commercial grades for a mechanical purge, but
these are very easily accomplished,” said John Pizzo. “There’s still no mixing, and no downtime or soak time involved.” There are still certain steps to follow, though. “Increasing the back pressure, increasing the screw speed, and keeping the screw forward for injection molding are very important steps in making a mechanical purge work, and processors that don’t do these things won’t get the optimum cleaning power,” Pizzo continued. “And while it may sound obvious, it’s also important to use the correct grade for a particular job.” As for chemical purges, it’s no longer the case that, being more complex, they always take longer to perform. “We have a process with our chemical purge that we call a through purge,” said Michael Muth. “A processor doesn’t have to change a machine’s back pressure, temperature or settings, and as a result the process doesn’t require much longer to complete than a mechanical purge.” Assuming a processor follows simple rules of operation, they’ll find today’s commercial compounds are easier to use than ever. “In the past, customers had problems by using too much of the active ingredient, thinking it would be more effective,” said Arthur Haag. “We’re trying to make our compounds more efficient, so processors can optimize the amount of commercial purging compound required to maximize the economic benefit.” Depending on experience levels, suppliers note that a shop’s employees may still encounter a learning curve when using either a mechanical or commercial purging compound for the first time, and stress the importance of performing trial runs. “A processing team should start with a series of trials, with the proper information in front of them, and then measure the results,” said Tim Cutler. Commercial purging compound suppliers caution that no purging agent removes all contamination from equipment; serious contamination still requires a machine shutdown, disassembly and cleaning with a wire brush. The best use of a purging agent, they say, is as a preventative maintenance tool, used to remove heat-sensitive resins at shutdown or at the start of a changeover to avoid degradation in the early stages. Investing in commercial grade purg-
ing compounds might appear to be a low priority, some suppliers say, but the benefits will quickly become apparent. “From a molder’s point of view, purging can seem like a non-value added function,” said Michael Muth. “But it’s becoming a necessity in this economic climate, and if we can find a way to make it less of a burden, then we’ve done our jobs.” cpl Resource List ASACLEAN - Sun Plastech Inc. (Parsippany, N.J.); www.asaclean.com; 1-800-787-4348 Dyna-Purge (Buffalo, N.Y.); www.dynapurge.com; 716-685-2121 PURGEX-Neutrex Inc. (Houston, Tex.); www.purgexonline.com; 1-888-843-0788 O ptima Colour (Cambridge, Ont.); 519-622-5700 RapidPurge (Stratford, Conn.); www.rapidpurge.com; 1-800-243-4203 Convex Technologies (Toronto); 416-601-0051 Slide Products Inc. (Wheeling, Ill.); www.slideproducts.com; 1-800-323-6433 D ME Moulding Supplies-OHS (Richmond Hill, Ont.); 888-809-7050 T ate Industrial Sales (Windsor, Ont.); 519-966-3210
www.canplastics.com September 2008 Canadian Plastics 21
bioplastics
THE BASICS OF BIOPLASTICS
Is your company thinking of moving over to PLA or PLA-based materials? Here’s your primer! By Umair Abdul, assistant editor
P
eterborough, Ont.-based Harco Enterprises Ltd., a custom molder of promotional materials primarily for the restaurant and nightclub industries, recently ventured into the green bioplastics market. The company started offering alternative products made of compostable plastics to its existing client base late last year. “We’re offering it as an option right now on most of our line items, and we’re hoping to get into some custom molded items,” said vice president Terry Harris. Since then, Harco has been selling items like custom stir sticks and other promotional and premium impact items under the NaturesPlast name. Harris noted that although the increase in sales has been nominal thus far, NaturesPlast has created a lot of interest and the company is doing a lot of quotations. Harco is one of several processors that have added bioplastic capabilities to their plant. And polylactide (PLA), a biodegradable resin made from renewable feedstocks such as cornstarch, has become the leading material of choice for processors looking to diversify.
MAKING THE MARKET PLA is available to North American processors through Minn.-based NatureWorks LLC, which sells the biopolymer under the Ingeo brand name. There are 14 grades of Ingeo designed specifically for different applications, taking processing requirements and end product performance into account. PLA from Ingeo is also being used in certain starch-based Cereplast Compostables resins produced by Hawthorne, Calif.-based Cereplast Inc. Companies like Peterborough’s Harco have opted for Cereplast’s formulations, which replaces petroleum-based feedstocks with materials like corn, wheat, tapioca and potato starches. 22 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
Since their introduction and commercialization, Ingeo and Cereplast Compostables have attracted a significant amount of attention from the plastics community. Although some other compostable resin types such as polyhydroxyalkanaoates (PHAs) are slowly moving towards commercialization, PLA has made the biggest splash and forged the largest market for bioplastics. “It’s the fastest growing segment in our business,” noted John Moisson Jr., founder and president of Jamplast Inc., an Ellisville, Mo.-based distributor of both Ingeo and Cereplast Compostables. However, Moisson is careful to note that the two resins are starting from a very low volume base, and are relatively recent entrants into the market.
THE TAKE UP When NatureWorks was first introducing PLA to the market, the fibres and sheet extrusion markets were seen as the biggest segments for the biopolymer. To date, those anticipated markets have been the strongest for Ingeo. Currently, the foodservice industry is making extensive use of PLA, producing everything from thermoformed trays to clamshells to cups using the biopolymer. However, several non-consumer industries have also experimented with PLA, using it in unique and innovative applications. For instance, electronics manufacturer recently announced that it had used PLA-based materials in the housing of the FMV-BIBLIO notebook series. Additionally, Samsung Electronics unveiled two new cellphone handsets made of corn-based polymers at the World IT show earlier this year. Although more sectors are experimenting with PLA and other starch-based resins, Jamplast’s Moisson notes that the materials need to be modified to fit the application. “You can’t do it with pure
polymer, you really have to use modifiers to get there, and the challenge is you want to stay green so you don’t want to use traditional materials like impact modifiers,” he explained.
WORKING WITH BIOPLASTICS One of the benefits of working with Ingeo and Cereplast Compostables is that they require very few changes to your plant’s equipment and tooling. At Harco, Cereplast’s compostable polymers are being run on the plant’s existing presses, with only small tooling modifications such as different gating to accommodate the new material. Cereplast’s compostable resins process in a very similar way to Ingeo’s straight PLA. Both polymers are hydroscopic, so they require drying prior to being processed. Additionally, the materials require a lower temperature profile, in the 365°F to 385°F (185°C to 196°C) range. “It’s a lower temperature, but it’s not dramatically less,” said Moisson. “Also, the shrink rate for PLA is similar to polystyrene, the cycle times are a bit longer, and the part has to be cooled for a bit longer before it can be pulled out of the mold.” According to NatureWorks’ technical director Jeff Smith, Ingeo is most similar to polystyrene — a stiff, clear material. As a result, polystyrene molds should work fine and processing will likely be comparable or slower depending on the part design. However, the material is very different from polypropylene, which is softer, less clear, and lower in density. Processors will encounter difficulties if they try to process PLA in a system or molds designed for polypropylene (PP). “If Ingeo is replacing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for injection molding, then cycle times are similar and molds do not need to change,” noted NatureWorks’
bioplastics
COOL INNOVATIONS WITH PLA
Smith. “If Ingeo is replacing polystyrene, cycle/ cooling times on thicker parts is longer, and thinner parts become more closely aligned. If we are replacing PP, times are longer and molds need to change due to the difference in shrinkage.”
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Suppliers note that despite the increase in demand for materials like PLA, there is no shortage when it comes to meeting the market’s needs. NatureWorks, for instance, constructed a facility in Blair, Neb. in 2003 with a nameplate capacity of 300 million pounds, making biopolymers a worthwhile gambit for high-volume, commercial processors. Additionally, recent fluctuations in the price for petroleum-based resins have virtually eliminated the premium that was previously attached to PLA and other biopolymers. RESOURCE LIST Cereplast Inc. (Hawthorne, Calif.); www.cereplast.com; 310-676-5000 Jamplast Inc. (Ellisville, Mo.); www.jamplast.com; 636-238-2100 NatureWorks LLC (Minnetonka, Minn.); www.natureworksllc.com; 1-800-664-6436
• •
Here are some of the ways in which Canadian processors and brand owners are using Ingeo’s PLA-based biopolymers: • Thermoformer Tilton Plastics (Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Que.) manufactures cookie trays for LeClerc, which produces the Loblaws and President’s Choice line of cookies. • Bi-Ax Inc. (Wingham, Ont.) sells bi-axially oriented film and sheet made of Ingeo, which is being used for numerous applications such as coffee packages, clear windows for artisan style bread bags, and clear folded cartons. • Cargo Cosmetics (Toronto) has used Ingeo for an injection molded case for its Plant Love Lipstick, sold at Sephora retail stores, as well as department stores and beauty boutiques. • +1 Water provides Ingeo water bottles to the Canadian market, with bottles currently being distributed to the Ontario Natural Food Co-op and Mountain Path Organics. Montreal-based Dyne-a-Pak is using Ingeo to manufacture foamed produce and meat trays. Danbree Corporation (Brewington, Ont.) distributes a FabriKal, Greenware cup line made with PLA, which is being used by the CFL at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Football Stadium, and by a number of breweries such as Labatt’s, Moosehead and Steam Whistle for various events and venues.
Source: NatureWorks, LLC
Automation l Blending l Conveying l Downstream Extrusion l Drying l Granulation l Heat Transfer l Material Storage
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www.canplastics.com September 2008 Canadian Plastics 23
technology showcase
AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT
Sprue pickers with easy-to-use control system The standard control system on the new SR Series sprue pickers from Sepro America, LLC, allow plastics injection molders to easily program virtually any sequence of picker movements and store up to 20 such sequences for later recall. Pickers are available in three different models for applications on plastics injection molding machines from 20 to 450 tons. They achieve takeout times as quick as 0.7 second and overall cycle times as short as 3.0 seconds. The freely programmable controls allow users to choose from standard factory-set motion sequences, but it is also easy to create custom programs or modify standard sequences during operation. Stroke lengths, take out direction and swing angle can be adjusted readily. A pre-selectable cycle counter is also standard, as are four inputs and four outputs for control of ancillary equipment such as an indexing conveyer. The pickers meet the safety requirements of the CE Machine Directive. The smallest sprue picker, the SR 55, offers a vertical stroke up to 21.5 inches (550 mm), a strip stroke up to three inches (75 mm) and can handle payloads up to 2.2 LB (1 kg). The SR 65 has a vertical stroke up to 25.5 inches (650mm) and largest model, the SR 85, has a reach of up to 32.5 inches. Both the SR 65 and SR 85 feature a six-inch (150-mm) maximum strip stroke and a maximum payload is 4.4 lb. (2 kg). Sepro America, LLC (Pittsburgh, Pa.); www.seproamerica.com; 412-459-0450 Industries Laferriere (Mascouche, Que.); www.industrieslaferriere.ca; 450-477-8880 Shadow Automation (Uxbridge, Ont.); 416-464-2070
Vacu-Bin assists pick-up wands in material unloading The Vacu-Bin SEB containers from Spaltech International, designed for vacuum loading systems using pick-up wands to load dry, freeflowing materials, allows material to flow freely to the lowest point in the bin, where the material can be easily picked up by the vacuum wand. The Vacu-Bin also comes with forklift lifting brackets as a standard feature, which permit easy lifting of the Vacu-Bin for use on mezzanines or storage racks. The vacuum wand access port is located on the top of the bin for better accessibility, while the placement of the wand chute to the top minimizes the require floor space and prevents the wand and hose from creating an aisleway hazard. 24 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
Spaltech currently offers the Vacu-Bin in three models: SEB100 (110 lb. capacity), SEB-300 (300 lb. capacity, pictured) and SEB-500 (500 lb. capacity). The Vacu-Bin is made of high-density polyethylene and is supplied with lids and heavy-duty casters. Well suited for use in the chemical, plastic, and pharmaceutical industries, the Vacu-Bin can also be used in such applications as containment of dusty materials, clean room environments, and the handling of dusty, bagged, and master batch materials. Spaltech International (Halton Hills, Ont.); www.spaltech.com; 905-877-2771
Pneumatically-assisted torque arm for assembly A new heavy duty torque arm from ASG, featuring a pneumatic cylinder to assist movement of heavier tools, is designed to improve production efficiencies and product quality by limiting the operator’s influence on the assembly process and reducing operator fatigue. Additionally, the new torque arms securely maintain tool location while allowing easy, smooth movement of assembly tools in both up-down motion and 180° sideto-side motion. The arm’s ergonomic design helps absorb torque to reduce the potential for operator injury to arm, wrist or hand. The torque arm can accommodate inline pneumatic or inline electric drivers with maximum weights of 10 lbs. It mounts easily to bench tops via bolts or optional bench clamp, which eliminates hole drilling. The end-of-arm tool holder allows the operator a full grip of the driver with no pinch points. A dial regulator provides easy adjustment of resistance for perfect balance. ASG (Cleveland, Ohio); www.asg-jergens.com; 216-486-6163 EMX Enterprise Ltd. (Richmond Hill, Ont.); 905-764-0040
Valves designed for dry bulk solid goods New from Vortex Valves, the Quantum Series Orifice Gate valves are designed to handle dry bulk solids in gravity flow, dilute phase, or vacuum conveying up to 15 psig (1 bar), depending on size and modifications. Offered as an improvement over the company’s original Orifice Gate, the valves feature a full-flange, weather-resistant design with improved sealing performance, higher durability, easier maintenance, and fewer replacement parts. Sizes for the Vortex Quantum Series Orifice Gate range from two inches to 14 inches (50 mm to 350 mm). The Quantum Orifice Gate’s blade and seal design allows the
technology showcase
valve to “self-clean” on the opening stroke, which prevents material from packing on the valve’s internal seals. Well-suited for many dry material handling applications, the Quantum Series can be applied to control, shutoff, or meter material flow. Made using precision laser cutting and bending technology, the gates have a narrow profile and lightweight construction, allowing for easy installation. Additionally, the Quantum Series offers a wide variety of modifications to accommodate rangeAM of temperatures, corroResinConfAd/AB8776/CPL 8/18/08 a7:37 Page 1 sive, humid, and hazardous environments. Vortex Valves (Mississauga, Ont.); www.vortexvalves.com; 905-607-5200 (Edmonton, Alta.); 780-432-3612 (Dorval, Que.); 514-684-0058
Screen classifying cutter handles variety of materials The new model SCC-15 Screen Classifying Cutter from Munson Machinery is designed to cut hard, soft and fibrous materials into controlled particle sizes with minimal fines at high rates. The cutter features a patented helical rotor design with dozens of cutter heads attached to a helical array of staggered holders to continuously shear oversize materials against twin, stationary bed knives. The cutter tips are available in stainless steel, tool steel and tungsten carbide, and can be slid onto blade
Don't Miss This Important Industry Event! 13th Annual Canadian Plastics Resin Outlook Conference
Thursday, October 2, 2008 Verdi Conference Centre Mississauga, Ontario (near the Toronto airport)
Hear forecasts from experts on supply, demand and pricing for the major resins.
Investment per person: Early Bird registration - register and pay in full by August 31, 2008: $395 + g.s.t. Regular registration, after August 31, 2008: $495 + g.s.t. 50% discount for second & subsequent attendees from the same company Organized by Canadian Plastics magazine. Endorsed by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association. Conference details are on the Canadian Plastics website at www.canplastics.com/Conference/conference.asp
To register, contact Judith Nancekivell, Tel: 416-510-5116 Email: jnancekivell@canplastics.com
Here’s what delegates at last year’s conference said they gained from attending: • Long range forecasts re supply for resins • Resin pricing trends and networking • What future trends will be to ensure I can plan accordingly • Pricing trends in industry for next 1-5 years • Global consumption and market drivers • Update market trends • The outlook for global resin industry and its potential impact on our business • The economic review and a sense of the market expectations re price/supply/demand
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www.canplastics.com September 2008 Canadian Plastics 25
technology showcase
holders and secured with one retaining socket-head screw for rapid replacement. The cutter has a 15-inch (381 mm) throat width and can be fitted with 30 parallelograms with 60 cutter inserts. Bed screen perforations range from 1/32 to 1-1/2-inches (0.79 to 38 mm) in diameter and up to three inches (76 mm) square, according to material characteristics and desired particle size. The shaft rotates at 30 to 3600 rpm, producing up to 500 cu ft/h (14 cu m/h) of sized product, depending on application. Munson Machinery Co. Inc. (Utica, N.Y.); www.munsonmachinery.com; 1-800-944-6644 CTEC Process Equipment Sales (Stouffville, Ont.); 905-640-4500 CON-V-AIR, Inc. (St. Hubert, Que.); 450-462-5959
EXTRUSION
Extruders for exacting profile geometry
KraussMaffei has improved its Multiplex extrusion lines to allow the processing of newly developed compounds or to meet the more exacting requirements of profile geometry precision. The hot-feed extruders integrated into Multiplex extrusion lines are particularly suited for processing rubber compounds with a high natural rubber share at high output rates, good process stability and minor output pulsations. The optimised feed section, with separately driven feed roll, ensures smooth intake of the preheated rubber strip. Uniform rubber feeding combined with tailored screw geometries offers a constant high filling level, ensuring maximum output rates and pulsationfree operation.
The company has integrated a special loop system into the Multiplex extrusion line control solution to perform two different tasks. First, this system comprises a material accumulator to ensure uniform material feeding from the preheating unit to the extruder. Material variations in the preheating section or screw speed changes caused by modified profile dimensions or compounds are automatically compensated. Second, the loop system allows the cooling section and thus the stock temperature to be modified — if required for process-engineering reasons — in order to obtain improved rubber homogeneity during the extrusion process. The product portfolio comprises eight different extruder sizes designed for the most diverse process tasks with screw diameters ranging between 60 and 350 mm and maximum output rates of 120 to 7000 kg per hour. KraussMaffei Corp. (Florence, Ky.); www.kraussmaffei.com; 859-283-0200
TESTING & MEASURING EQUIPMENT
Loop powered digital display The new SPXD, an intrinsically-safe, loop-powered digital display system from Dynisco, takes a 4-20mA signal from a pressure sensor or any 4-20mA transmitter and displays the value on a large 1-inch LCD. The SPXD includes a highly visible five-digit LCD display that is backlit for easy viewing, even in dark areas. The display also includes a bar graph that shows the measured value in 10 per cent increments of full scale. Power for the entire unit is supplied by the loop. Range setting, decimal placement, offset, and other parameters are easily configured via a front-panel push button. The entire package is rated NEMA 4X (IP66) for rugged pro-
advertising index Advertiser
Page
Acetronic Industrial Controls Inc. 30 Canadian Plastics Resin Conference 25 CanPlastics TV 6 Conair/Hamilton Avtec 23 CPIA APAC 10 CPIA Expoplast 19 Export Development Canada 32 Engel 5 Hamilton Avtec Inc. 11 Kreator 12 Lorenz 15 London Metal Exchange 9 Maguire-Canada 2 Staubli Corp 18 Vortex Valves 21 26 Canadian Plastics September 2008 www.canplastics.com
Telephone
800-803-8871 sales@acetronic.com 416-510-5116 jnancekivell@canplastics.com 416-510-5116 jnancekivell@canplastics.com 724-584-5500 info@conairgroup.com 800-590-5546 sales@hamiltonavtec.com 450-641-5923 dlacas@acipquebec.ca 905-678-7748 ext 283 tsockett@cpia.ca 866-283-2957 519-836-0220 sales@engel-ec.com 800-590-5546 sales@hamiltonavtec.com 519-941-7876 sales@kreatorequipment.com 800-263-1942 sales@lorenz.ca 44 20 7264 5555 info.plastics@lme.com 866-441-8409 info@maguirecanada.com 800-845-9193 connectorsusa@staubli.com 785-825-7177 rbarragree@vortexvalves.com
Website www.acetronic.com www.canplastics.com www.canplastics.com www.conairgroup.com www.hamiltonavtec.com www.apacinternational.net www.expoplast.org www.edc.ca/goods www.engelmachinery.com www.hamiltonavtec.com www.kreatorequipment.com www.lorenz.ca www.lme.com www.maguirecanada.com www.staubli.com www.vortexcanada.com
technology showcase
cess application. The 1.8 lb. unit can be mounted directly to the wall, or an optional wall/pipe mounting kit is also available. Dynisco (Franklin, Mass.); www.dynisco.com; 508-541-9400 Process Heaters Inc. (Toronto); 416-747-8250 Auxiplast Inc. (Ste. Julie, Que.); 450-922-0282
ness, parallelism, performance spectrum and harmonic analysis. Mitutoyo Canada Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.mitutoyo.ca; 905.821.1261
MATERIALS
Flame retardant elastomers for eco-friendly applications
Accurate desktop roundness measurement The new Roundtest RA-120/P roundness measuring machine from Mitutoyo America Corporation is designed to combine the versatility of PC control with a compact footprint. The unit has a high rotational accuracy of (0.04+6H/10000) µm, a precise air bearing turntable rated up to 55 lbs. (25 kg) and many optimizations for rapid inspection. Running under Windows, the RA-120/P uses RoundPak roundness/cylindricity measurement and analysis software, designed to simplify control, preliminary setup and measurement while providing good analysis output functionality. The RA-120/P provides twelve analysis options: roundness, coaxiality, concentricity, radial runout, axial runout, perpendicularity to axis, perpendicularity to plane, wall thickness deviation, flat-
Ticona Engineering Polymers has added two new Riteflex thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPC-ET) grades to its portfolio of XFR halogen-free flame retardant polyesters for use in ecofriendly applications. Regulations such as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) already severely restrict the use of brominated flame retardants (FR) in electrical and electronic applications, a key end-use application for engineering polyesters. The two new Riteflex XFR grades — Riteflex XFR 440 (Shore D hardness of 40) and Riteflex XFR 655 (Shore D hardness of 55) — exhibit UL-94 V-0 flame retardance rating at a minimum thickness of 1.5 mm for all colours, comparative Tracking Index greater than 600 volts, high tensile elongation properties, and good elastomeric property profile for applications that require enhanced toughness. Ticona - Division of Celanese AG (Florence, Ky.); www.ticona.com; 800-833-4882
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design ideas • making transportation safer
Bridge cables fail, thermoplastic elastomer to the rescue
Polymer specified for landing gear hubcaps on Boeing 777 aircraft Of all the pieces of equipment involved in all the modes of transportation, very few are subjected to the extreme stresses regularly placed on aircraft landing gear. So when aerospace systems supplier Crane Aerospace & Electronics developed a new tire pressure monitoring system for the landing gear of Boeing 777 aircraft, they selected Victrex PEEK polymer for the hubcaps containing the system because of the material’s high temperature resistance, chemical resistance and mechanical strength. “This unique combination of properties has allowed Victrex PEEK polymer to successfully displace metals, traditional composites and other plastics in a growing number of aerospace applications,” said John Walling, regional business manager for Victrex. Weight also played a major factor in the selection of the PEEK material, according to Jeff Tonn, a design engineer at Lynnwood, Wash.-based Crane. “By specifying PEEK polymer, each hubcap now weighs less than 1.5 lbs. (7 kg),” he said. “With 14 wheels per plane, the weight reduction is considerable.” A final advantage of the PEEK material, according to Walling, is that it can be easily fabricated into tight tolerance parts. “The hubcaps are injection molded, and a nominal wall thickness of 3.75 mm is thick enough to protect the hubcap from high impact events,” he said. Victrex USA Inc. (West Conshohocken, Pa.); www.victrex.com; 484-342-6001
When large rubber-insulated cables for a lift bridge connecting the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin failed after less than two years in service, industrial cable manufacturer Northwire Inc. found a ready solution in replacement cables insulated with DuPont Hytrel thermoplastic elastomer. Hytrel provides effective electrical insulation and toughness in thin layers, according to DuPont, which allowed the replacement cables to be 40 per cent smaller in diameter than those that failed. “Smaller cable diameter means longer flex life at a given bend radius,” said Ted Beach, director of sales for Osceola, Wis.-based Northwire. Hytrel is particularly well suited for cables that flex because its combination of high dielectric strength and toughness allows its use in thinner layers than many alternative materials, Beach added. The old cable, which used ethylene-propylene rubber for insulation, measured 1.86 inches (47 mm) in diameter; the diameter of the replacement cable is 1.1 inches (28 mm). Its conductors are each insulated with 0.010 inches (0.25 mm) of Hytrel. E.I. du Pont Canada Company (Mississauga, Ont.); www.plastics.dupont.com; 1-800-387-2122
All-composite truck cab provides benefits for soldiers Called upon to patrol the streets of such dangerous cities as Baghdad, members of the U.S. Army’s tactical wheeled vehicle fleet have far more to worry about than simple potholes. That’s why TPI Composites Inc. was selected to help provide fleet vehicle truck cabs that are lightweight, durable, and yet strong enough to carry the heaviest of armour and mine blast protection. Made from plastic composites, the prototype cab is the result of a two-year R&D program between TPI, the U.S. Army, and the University of Delaware’s Center for Composite Materials, and is manufactured by Oshkosh Truck Corporation, of Oskosh, Wis. According to TPI, weight savings afforded by the composite material, compared to conventional materials, allow the accommodation of an extra 400 lbs. of armour, ammunition and equipment in each truck cab. “The composite cab by TPI has provided a solution that up until recently was not available on a tactical wheeled vehicle platform,” said John Stoddard, executive vice president of Oshkosh Truck. “This technology, along with advanced armour solutions, will allow us as a vehicle manufacturer to increase the reliability, performance, and protection of the platforms on which it is installed. It’s a leap forward in the technology of vehicle manufacturing.” TPI Composites Inc. (Warren, R.I.); www.tpicomposites.com; 401-247-4010 www.canplastics.com September 2008 Canadian Plastics 29
view from the floor
Shipping your product — Cube out, or gross out? By Jim Anderton, technical editor
M
anufacturing in our sector is all about “pounds on the ground”... except for the slight additional issue of getting those pounds of parts to your customer. While shipping rarely affected shop floor operations in the past, the dramatic rise in fuel prices globally has resulted in fuel surcharges and significantly higher shipping costs. If you’re pricing your product “FOB your plant” you won’t notice this cost, but your customer will. How can you reduce the shipping cost risk to successful bidding on your next contract? Consider your production process. If you’re a typical parts producer, you’re shipping by Gaylord, tote or palletized cartons. And if your parts are large or irregularly shaped, you’re also shipping a significant amount of air. If shipping is calculated strictly by weight, that’s fine, but often there’s a formula used by freight forwarders that calculates weight and shipment volume, charging
Measuring resin in Gaylords
If you’re using press-side Gaylords and individual hopper loaders for resin supply, how do you measure the amount of resin consumed (or remaining) in a partly used Gaylord? An easy and surprisingly accurate method is to record the weight of your standard Gaylord of resin, smooth out the resin with your hand in the partly-used one, then measure the height of the level from the bottom of the box. Now measure the height of a full box, then use the ratio of the part box measurement to the full box height and multiply by the weight of a full Gaylord.
according to either the higher of the two or a combination of both. In my brief time in the shipping department, the question was, “Does it cube out, or gross out?” — meaning, “Is the shipment limited by volume, or weight?” If your parts are coming off your equipment by gravity or conveyor, they’re randomly distributed in your packaging. How much more dense could the packing be if the parts were carefully placed or nested in the containers? While this might seem cost-prohibitive from a labour standpoint, are you sure your robotics can’t do a little
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more than yank the parts out of the mold? One possibility is an outfeed table that allows the automation to drop parts strategically, nested if possible, to be either hand packed or conveyed in a more compact form. For parts without difficult form aspect ratios, don’t overlook the value of vibration. If you get a chance to visit your customer, it’s worth looking at your shipment as it arrives on your customer’s loading dock. You might be surprised at the amount of dead space that evolves as your contents “settle” during transportation. Can you take advantage of this before you ship? If you’re molding containers, how about using the draft built into the part to nest then into columns? If you can get in at the design stage, it might make sense to add draft to a part to facilitate nesting. One pet peeve of mine is the expensive infrastructure built around customer�1�0�0 shipping containers. I’ve seen genowned eral purpose steel Gaylords used for foam �9�5 core lightweight parts where I’d swear the box�7�5 weighs more than the parts inside. Consider shipping solutions involving collapsible racking or Gaylords, and don’t write off non-woven poly totes and Kraft �2�5 paper, either. Take a look at how you can stack paper Gaylords of resin and consider that�5 anything molded could ship in the same type of container, at least two-up. �0 Sometimes you have to think inside CPL the box!
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