Canadian Plastics April 2013 by Annex Business Media

Canadian Plastics www.canplastics.com

APRIL 2013

The latest MEDICAL GRADE engineering resins

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When (and how) TO BASELINE YOUR EXTRUDER

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QUEBEC’S PRECIMOLD INC. is finding its own way forward

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contents

Canadian Plastics APRIL 2013 VOLUME 71 NUMBER 2

LOOKING BACK...

Okay, it wasn't exactly the Manhattan Pro ject, but the August 1961 issue of Canad ian Plastics detailed the merger of eight Canadian companies into a prospective $12 million per year operation to manufacture and sell vending machines nationwide. Called Vendomatic Services Ltd., the Toronto-based enterprise included, as part of the eight, Caddy Plastics Ltd., a Toronto custom molder tasked with supplying the disposable plastic cups for the machines. In this Mad Men era, vending machines were doing $50 miilion worth of business a year, our report said, and were increasing sales at a rate seven times faster than general retailing.

Number of the month:

-40°F*

* Dewpoint temperature at which a good dryer should run — or is it? (See pg. 25)

in every issue 4 Editor’s View How boys’ early education hurts manufacturing 5 Ideas & Innovations Algae drifts into biopolymer development 6 News • The best of times or the worst of times? New report on human resources and Canada’s plastics industry forecasts both • From bankruptcy to buying: Milacron purchases Mold-Masters • Supplier News & People 10 Executive’s Corner How to be a real leader 30 Technology Showcase

19, 24

cover stories 19 CHILLERS: Tips for a better installation If you thought putting together that new table from Ikea was a nightmare, imagine the agonies associated with installing a complex and critical piece of plastics processing equipment like a chiller. We talked to the experts so that you don't have to puzzle it out on your own. 24 DRYERS: Nine details you can’t afford not to know Drying resin — especially hygroscopic materials that pull moisture out of the air — is a complicated job at the best of times. Don't make it tougher for yourself by ignoring these essential guidelines. features 11 ENGINEERING RESINS: Medical marvels With an ageing population requiring ever more care and treatment, medical OEMs are looking for total solutions from their molding partners. Stepping up with some of the latest medical grade engineering resins can help keep your business in the pink of health.

37 Classified Ads

16 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION: In praise of baselining Whether you're installing a new single screw or twin screw extruder or putting a new screw in an older machine, baselining to determine the expected throughput rate is vital for setting realistic performance expectations. Here's how to do it.

38 Technical Tips: • How to increase your blow molding machine uptime (and profit)

28 DOING IT BETTER: Precimold finds its own way forward For almost 50 years, custom molder and moldmaker Precimold Inc. has been doing whatever it takes to grow its business. And it's working.

36 Plastics Data File 36 Advertising Index

Visit us at www.canplastics.com www.canplastics.com April 2013 Canadian Plastics

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editor’s view

How boys’ early education hurts manufacturing

henever I visit a plastics processing facility or a moldmaking shop, I know going in the one thing I’m guaranteed to hear: there’s not enough young people with trade skills available to replace retiring workers. This isn’t exactly a newsflash. We tend to blame the shortage on bad publicity that surrounds the manufacturing sector, especially during the Great Recession. Why, the reasoning goes, would responsible parents push their teenagers to enter the trades when jobs have long been going to China in a handbasket? There’s truth to this, no doubt, but the problem might start earlier. (And without meaning to downplay the varied and important jobs performed by women in the plastics industry, those who complain about a skilled labor shortage invariably mean a lack of young men — men to hang molds, change dies, et cetera). A new study suggests that, beginning in kindergarten, boys get lower grades than girls across the board — not because their schoolwork is inferior, but because they don’t behave like girls. The study, which was published in The Journal of Human Resources, compared the standardized test scores of 5,800 children from kindergarten through fifth grade with the grades their teachers gave them. It found that, no matter what the subject, the boys’ grades did not reflect their test scores. “Boys who perform equally as well as girls on reading, math, and science tests are graded less favorably by their teachers,” the study’s authors write. Why? Because of differences in “noncognitive development” — i.e., behaviour. In general, girls are better at sitting still, paying attention, and cooperating — traits valued by most teachers. Boys aren’t, and lose points as a result. Some people argue that the classroom 4

is no more rigged against boys than workplaces are rigged against lazy and unfocused workers. But unproductive workers are adults — not six-year-olds. In my opinion (and I have a few teacher friends who agree with me, albeit quietly), too many schools are pushing what I’d call a soft-left perspective that’s often hostile to boys’ inclinations and interests. Many have abolished competition in favor of cooperation, even though most boys tend thrive on competition. Others have outlawed rough-and-tumble play, or even cancelled recess altogether. By the time teenage boys reach high school, they’ve spent years being taught how to build their self-esteem rather than how to build with their hands. One of the most successful schools today (as cited in a recent New York Times article) is New York City’s Aviation High School. Its students are mostly boys from low-income families, and they spend half the day in standard classes and the other half studying technical subjects such as aviation hydraulics and aircraft engines. They wear coveralls and get grimy working on real planes. The yearly graduation rate is a whopping 90 per cent. Canada has a good community college system, but it comes too late for too many teenage boys who were dissuaded from the constructive arts and now only work with their hands to operate an Xbox controller. The goal should be to restore their pride in competing and in actually making things at the primary and public school levels, before they become disengaged and opt out of vocational schools. How? Steps might include more boy-friendly reading assignments (science fiction, sports, battles), more recess for physical activities, and more male teachers. Boys will be boys, as the saying goes. Working with it will help them and the manufacturing sector.

Canadian Plastics magazine reports on and interprets develop ments in plastics markets and technologies worldwide for plastics processors, moldmakers and end-users based in Canada.

www.canplastics.com EDITOR Mark Stephen 416-510-5110 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: mstephen@canplastics.com ART DIRECTOR Andrea M. Smith PRODUCTION MANAGER Steve Hofmann 416-510-6757 E-mail: shofmann@bizinfogroup.ca PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER Phyllis Wright SENIOR PUBLISHER Judith Nancekivell 416-510-5116 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: jnancekivell@canplastics.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Brayden Ford 416-510-5124 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: bford@canplastics.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Anita Madden 416-442-5600, ext. 3596 Fax: 416-510-6875 E-mail: amadden@bizinfogroup.ca EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Tim Dimopoulos VICE PRESIDENT, CANADIAN PUBLISHING Alex Papanou PRESIDENT, BUSINESS INFORMATION GROUP Bruce Creighton HEAD OFFICE: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto ON, M3B 2S9. 416-442-5600, Fax: 416-510-5134 CANADIAN PLASTICS is published 7 times a year by BIG Magazines LP, a div. of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd., a leading Canadian information company with interests in daily and community newspapers and business-to-business information services. 2012 SUBSCRIPTION RATES

6 issues Canadian Plastics, plus Dec. 2012 Buyer’s Guide: CANADA: 1 Year $70.95 plus applicable taxes; 2 Years $115.95+ taxes; Single copy $10.00+ taxes. USA: US$79.95; FOREIGN: US$124.95 B uyers’ G uide only : CANADA: $103.00 plus applicable taxes and $5.00 shipping USA & FOREIGN: US$103.00 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, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto ON M3B 2S9. 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. PAP Registration No. 11035 CANADA POST – Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Dept. – Canadian Plastics, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto ON M3B 2S9. RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED INDEXED BY CBPI ISSN 0008-4778 (Print) ISSSN 1923-3671 (Online) MEMBER: Canadian Business Press, Canadian Plastics Industry Association. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

Mark Stephen, editor

mstephen@canplastics.com

Canadian Plastics April 2013 www.canplastics.com

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ideas & innovations

thinkstockphotos.ca

Algae drifts into biopolymer development

n the list of things that most of us pay attention to, algae probably ranks somewhere below the price of betel juice in Southeast Asia. But to others, algae is a bigger deal — and if cutting-edge bioplastics is your thing, you might already know that it’s a hot material at the moment. A little background information: algae are single- or multi-celled organisms that can grow in water either alone or in strings or colonies. They can be macro like seaweed or micro like slime — you’ve probably encountered one or the other at either the beach or a cottage dock. It’s not a pleasant material to brush up against while swimming, but a research team at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) considers it a good way to solve a nagging problem in bioplastics development: growing concern over the diversion of agricultural land and food crops away from potential consumers. Working with support from Japanese chemicals group Asahi Kasei, the UC Davis team has used cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) to convert carbon dioxide into the chemical feedstock 2,3 butanediol. The cyanobacteria use photosynthesis to turn carbon dioxide and sunlight into chemicals with carbon-carbon bonds. The UC Davis researchers identified enzymes that produced the reactions they were looking for, and introduced these enzymes’ DNA into the cells of cyanobacteria. “Most chemical feedstocks come from petroleum and natural gas, and we need other sources,” said UC Davis assistant professor of chemistry Shota Atsumi. “This new technique makes use of unexploited wetlands.” Presently it takes three weeks to produce 2.4 grams of 2,3 butanediol per litre of growth material, which is the highest yield yet produced for any chemical grown from cyanobacteria; enough for Atsumi and his team to consider the potential for commercial development. Further experimentation may increase yields and produce different chemical feedstocks, Atsumi said. The UC Davis project is just one of several to blend algae into thermoplastics. Cereplast Inc., a compounder of starch-based biopolymers in El Segundo, Calif., markets an algae-based bioplastics product. Algix LLC in Bogart, Ga., a spinoff in 2010 from the University of Georgia in Athens, is also developing blends of unprocessed algae into thermoplastics, under a global license from Kimberly-Clark

Corporation in Irving, Tex. But there are downsides — chief among them, the occasional fishy smell. Processing algae to remove nutrients or oil reduces the odor, but when a closed box of plastic pellets with algae content is opened, it can still smell. According to Cereplast, secondary processing, for example by injection molding, will further reduce the smell. Another criticism leveled at algae biofuel technologies is that they consume too much fresh water and energy for aeration to be environmentally sustainable. So with all this in mind, will lowly algae redefine the bioplastics industry? Probably not. But according to the Denver, Colo.-based Algae Biomass Organization, a fouryear-old trade group formed to promote industrial algae, the rapidly growing industry has already hit US$1.2 billion per year, which includes use as a biopolymer. Not bad for CP Equipment pond scum. Ad:Layout 1 3/4/2013 11:04 AM Page CPL

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news

THE BEST OF TIMES OR THE WORST OF TIMES?

New report on human resources and Canada’s plastics industry forecasts both

anada’s plastics industry suffered employment losses during the Great Recession that cut deeply into leadership, assets, skills, and supporting infrastructure — and there’s little indication they’ll come back even as the industry enjoys a recovery. This finding is one of several conclusions of a new report that examines human resource (HR) planning issues for plastics processing companies between 2013 and 2020, with the goal of establishing national HR priorities and concerns for the industry. Based on interviews with a wide range of plastics industry members, the report — a follow-up to earlier studies undertaken in 1996 and 2007 — was compiled by Torontobased labor market analysts Prism Economics & Analysis Inc., and prepared for the Canadian Plastics Sector Council (CPSC). “The recession obviously caused an enormous amount of damage to the plastics industry in Canada,” Bill Empey, a managing partner with Prism, told Canadian Plastics. “But there’s good news in that the industry has regained half of what it lost over the past few years, and that retrenchment seems likely to continue.” As important, Empey said, a series of longstanding structural problems that pre-dated the recession are finally finding resolution. “There’s a reshoring movement underway, as companies that went to Asia years ago are now finding the costs too high and contracting work back to North America,” he said. “Similarly, new technologies to extract natural gas in North America will keep resin production from moving overseas and help keep certain resin costs lower. These are remedies for problems that appeared very discouraging a few short years ago.” Another source for optimism, Empey continued, can be found in new opportunities for plastics processors in sustainable product markets. “There will continue to be a growing demand for bioplastics, high-performance composites, and additive manufacturing,” he said. “The industry has managed to get back into a variety of expanding markets with sustainable, eco-friendly products in relatively short order.”

WHERE HAVE ALL THE WORKERS GONE? But the study also pinpoints the industry’s Achilles’ heel: a serious shortage of skilled workers that’s already hobbling the recovery of many processors, and which only threatens to get worse. “We found very strong hiring intentions among small, medium-sized, and large processing firms; two-thirds of the firms we spoke with said they would moderately or significantly increase their workforce in the near future,” Empey said. “But there has been a notable decline in the proportion of key technical occupations including engineers, technicians and technologists, and designers; so while the industry wants to rebuild the depleted ranks of technical leaders, doing so is going to be difficult.” The seeds of the problem were planted when Canadian col-

leges began closing plastics training programs well before the recession hit, Empey noted. “Nothing has replaced these programs since, and the result is a lack of people with extensive technical skills and experience in plastics. It’s a widening skills shortage that might seriously inhibit the recovery for certain firms.” Such as? “Our research reveals that large firms — 200 employees or more — held onto more of their skilled workforce during the recession, and are now the first to hire people back,” he said. “And since they have their workers back first, they seem to be in a better position to take advantage of new opportunities than small and medium-sized shops.” It might sound depressing, Empey said, but it doesn’t have to be — and it doesn’t mean the end is near. “One of the goals of the study — and it’s the primary function of the CPSC — is to help Canada’s plastics processors make HR policy decisions,” he said. “We’re telling the industry that it needs to rebuild the workforce, and that the resources are going to have to come from within, since the government doesn’t seem to be able to help. At the same time — given reshoring and the huge demand for sustainability in the marketplace — there’s a tremendous opportunity at hand as the economy moves into a place that’s well-suited to the needs of the plastics industry. It’s a chance that doesn’t come along very often, and processors should embrace it.” CPL

PEOPLE

Mark Segal

Chris Bitsakakis

Mike Wagner

— Bolton, Ont.-based Husky Injection Molding Systems has named Mark Segal as vice president, finance and chief financial officer. — Royal Building Products, of Woodbridge, Ont., has named Chris Bitsakakis as vice president and general manager of its window and door pro- William J. Murray files division. — Auxiliary equipment manufacturer The Conair Group, headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pa., has named Mike Wagner as vice president of aftermarket sales and service. — Material supplier Teknor Apex Company, headquartered in Pawtucket, R.I., has named William J. Murray as its president. He succeeds Jonathan Fain, who remains CEO and chairman of the board. PEOPLE continues on page 8

Canadian Plastics April 2013 www.canplastics.com

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news

FROM BANKRUPTCY TO BUYING: Milacron purchases Mold-Masters

he roller coaster ride of Milacron LLC has taken another twist. After Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 and no less than two different private equity owners, the Batavia, Ohiobased plastic machinery maker bought Canadian hot runner major Mold-Masters Ltd. in mid-February for US$975 million. Georgetown, Ont.-based MoldMasters was sold by 3i Group PLC, a British private equity firm that has controlled it for the past five years. Mold-Masters was started in the 1960s by German immigrant Jobst Gellert, and the Gellert family owned it until 3i Group came in as an investor in 2007. The family has maintained a partial ownership position in the company, but that’s now been sold along with 3i Group’s controlling stake. Mold-Masters expanded dramatically over the years and now has manufacturing operations in Canada, the U.S., Brazil, India, China, Britain, and Germany. The deal is intended to create a company with capabilities across five businesses: Milacron (plastics machinery); Mold-Masters (hot runners); DME (mold base technologies); after-

SUPPLIER NEWS — U ltrasonic bonding and cutting equipment maker Rinco Ultrasonics USA Inc., headquartered in Danbury, Conn., has appointed Newmarket, Ont.-based Plastics Machinery Inc. as its Canadian representative. — Chemical maker BASF Corporation has named Milton, Ont.-based Lorama Inc. as the exclusive distributor for BASF industrial kaolin in Canada. — Industrial Solutions, of Goodwood, Ont., has been appointed the Canadian sales representative for Toshiba Injection Molding Machines.

market parts and service; and CIM- global leader in the plastics industry COOL fluid technology. with the scale, technological leaderMilacron’s CEO Tom Goeke said ship, international presence, and comthat Advertiser: Mold-Master’s CEO Bill Barker petitive positioning to deliver a wide Haremar will Publication: stay on to leadCanadian the operation, and March range of products and services to more Plastics Issue that the two companies plan to expand customers in more markets around the Specs: Half Page Ad - 4.5” x 7.5” with bleed together. “The acquisition creates a world,” Goeke said in a statement. CPL

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news

PEOPLE — Hot runner manufacturer Synventive Molding Solutions, of Peabody, Mass., has named Glenn Reid as business development manager of its automotive lighting division. Reid is based out of Bolton, Ont. — Pittsburgh, Pa.-based robots and automation systems manufacturer Sepro America LLC has named Paul Rudzinski of the Turner Group as West Coast

regional sales manager, covering B.C. and Alberta in Canada; and Lorne Burke as East Coast regional sales manager, covering Ontario, which is represented by Shadow Automation. — Munich-based equipment manufacturer The KraussMaffei Group has appointed Peter Roos as the manager of its extrusion segment.

Glenn Reid

Paul Rudzinski

Lorne Burke

Peter Roos

Resin Resinsupply, supply,demand demand and and pricing pricing forecasts forecasts

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Organized by Canadian Plastics magazine. Endorsed by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association A limited number of sponsorships and tabletop displays are still available.

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IN MEMORIAM Paul O’Neill

Paul O’Neill, 56, passed away on October 31, 2012, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. O’Neill was the founder and president of OneHalf20 Inc., a Toronto-based supplier of melt pressure transducers, rupture discs, and display products for the polymer and chemical processing industries. OneHalf20 has hired his long-time friend and business associate Curt Roberts to run the company’s day-to-day operations.

Vijay Gokhale

Vijay Gokhale, 54, a manager with Waterloo, Ont.based energy efficiency consultant and machinery retrofitter Enersave Controls, died of cancer on February 9, 2013. He started his career in plastics at R.H. Windsor Ltd. in 1978, and also worked for Magna International, Collins & Aikman, and Johnson Controls Inc.

Canadian Plastics April 2013 www.canplastics.com

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executive’s corner

How to be a real leader By Timothy F. Bednarz, Ph.D., Majorium Business Press

ere’s a question: what’s the difference between a manager and a leader? Managers are often task-oriented. Leaders, on the other hand, are peopleoriented; they work through and motivate their employees, utilizing the workers’ resources to perform assigned tasks in the most productive and profitable ways possible. A leadership role is different from a managerial role, in other words, although sound management practices are complementary to effective leadership. Grasping this distinction, and merging the two to become an effective personal leader, can be critical to your business success.

AUTOMATED CONTRACT INJECTION MOLDING

Here are some tips for how.

1. MANAGE YOURSELF FIRST

Turns out there’s something to the old adage about leading by example. Leaders take complete responsibility for all their actions and decisions, and must often make a decision to challenge rules proven to be detrimental to their overall work environment and the people entrusted to them. The role of a leader is to set ineffective or unproductive rules and procedures aside in favor of those that promote increased cooperation, trust, and ownership. This might mean rocking the boat, but leaders recognize that the status quo often isn’t good enough, and that it takes change and creativity to generate improvements.

2. DON’T LOOK BACK

Part of filling the leadership role involves not dwelling on the rearview mirror. Look forward, instead. It’s all well and good to learn from past mistakes and errors in judgment, but never allow them to scare you away from future opportunities and possibilities. Leaders learn to detach themselves from their circumstances to maintain a clear, forward-thinking perspective. They know past experiences can easily alter good judgment. For a leader, past experiences aren’t a prison; instead, they become the lessons for the future, producing the wisdom to adapt to change.

3. WALK THE FLOOR Lights out up to 200 tons

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Part of a leader’s role is to offer help when and where it’s needed. This can only be done by personally taking part in tasks and assignments, and being an overall active participant in what’s going on in the workplace. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Knowledge is gathered, problems disclosed, and people motivated when leaders

fulfill this role. Employees gain respect for leaders who willingly undertake this interaction in a positive fashion rather than view it as an obligation.

4. CULTIVATE YOUR EMPLOYEES

I’ve saved this one for last because it’s probably the most important. To best cultivate, support, and nurture their employees, a good leader learns and remembers. Leaders know that part of their role is to learn everything about every person under their charge; to learn what’s important to each, to celebrate special days, achievements, and even sadness with outward expressions, incentives, written memos, awards, notes, and letters. Nothing builds loyalty and cooperation in employees better than being both professionally and personally attuned to them. Part of this is done by demonstrating fairness and a cooperative spirit by working with employees to maintain high levels of motivation and productive team efforts; and by clearly educating employees on specific procedures, problems, and needed skills, and also by acknowledging and taking seriously their own expectations. While some individuals are natural leaders, the rest of us have to work at it. But it doesn’t have to be like reaching for the stars; it just takes some effort and an intelligent approach, which is — after all — no more than what you’re asking of your employees. CPL Timothy F. Bednarz, Ph.D., is the author of Great! What Make Leaders Great, which was selected by Forward Review Magazine as one of the top ten career books published in 2011. He is also the founder of Majorium Business Press publishing house. Visit www.majoriumbusinesspress.com for more.

Canadian Plastics April 2013 www.canplastics.com

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engineering resins

MEDICAL MARVELS Photo Credit: Elastocon TPE Technologies Inc.

With an ageing population requiring ever more healthcare treatment, medical OEMs are looking for total solutions from their molding partners. Using some of the latest medical grade engineering resins oughta keep ’em happy. By Mark Stephen, editor

or plastics processors, there may be no such thing as a recession-proof sector — but medical parts molding comes damn close. At the very least, the medical molding business is less susceptible to economic swings than most other industries. Take an ageing population of baby boomers, add life-prolonging advancements in medical technology, and throw in the fact that — because of the red tape involved in meeting FDA regulations and rigorous product approval processes — OEMs are reluctant to take contracts away from approved molders to recertify replacements, and you’re looking at a sweet deal for the processors.

WHAT THE DOCTORS ORDERED High growth product areas in the field include drug delivery systems for respiratory care and diabetes, such as dry powder inhalers, prefilled syringes, and improved blood-glucose test strips. Although hospitals will continue to be the strongest area for injection molded dis-

posable medical supplies, molders can expect to see strong opportunities in overthe-counter products, as consumers chose to treat themselves to lessen out-of-pocket medical costs. But there are difficulties, as well. Medical OEMs are looking for total solutions from their molding partners in areas such as part and tool design, prototyping, and part qualifications/validations. Some molders are investing more resources into research and product development, believing that new products will define the future of the medical supply business — and they’re probably not wrong. Competition is also ramping up as more international molders enter the market. Finally, medical molders are also feeling pressure from hospitals to lengthen the life of their products; some hospitals spend as much as $1 million a year on incineration, so the heat is on processors to engineer and produce parts that can withstand the myriad of sterilization procedures used throughout the world.

According to market research firm The Freedonia Group, engineering resins accounted for an estimated 22 per cent of total material consumption for medical parts in North America last year. And the smart money is on demand for engineering resins to expand due to the need for higher performing materials in diagnostic testing, drug delivery systems, preventive medicine, and surgical instruments. Commodity resins certainly have their places, but if a product molder is looking to really make a mark in the medical device market, engineering resins might just be the best way. Here’s a look at some recent offerings.

FIGHTING INFECTION A new product portfolio from SABIC Innovative Plastics is designed to help reduce hospital-acquired infections, which — according to a 2011 report by the World Health Organization — played a role in killing 99,000 patients and clinicians in the U.S. alone in 2002. The port-

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engineering resins

New design lets Canadian medical device maker slice into surgical scalpel market

Photo Credit: E.I. DuPont Company

Medical device developer, contract manufacturer, and national distributor Southmedic Inc. is one of the big guns in Canada’s operating room product industry. Early in 2013, the Barrie, Ont.-based company introduced its new and innovative CABO (Cutting Above & Beyond Objections) surgical scalpel, a device that incorporates Delrin SC acetal resin from DuPont for a critical piece of the puzzle: the black safety scalpel blade holder. Why this material? “Delrin SC acetal offers good stiffness compared to other competitive thermoplastics, and excellent property retention to the ethylene oxide sterilization method used in this application,” said Diana Salvadori, North America healthcare segment leader for DuPont Performance Polymers. The part made of Delrin accommodates key components of the scalpel system, including the handle, blade, and sheath. “The injection molded blade holder incorporates a snap-fit design so a clear retractable PC sheath and metal blade can be attached,” said Alex McDonald, Southmedic’s vice president of manufacturing and business development. “The material’s low-friction properties ensure that the PC sheath slides easily along the substrate’s grooved track.” The CABO system’s safety cartridge fits all standard scalpel handles, McDonald added, and — a rarity among safety items — has a fully retractable sheath that gives the surgeon a clear view of the scalpel blade. And why is the finished product a big deal? “Surgeons are faced with a growing number of safety mandates such as the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act in the U.S.,” McDonald explained. “The CABO scalpel is part of the next generation of safety-engineered healthcare devices that reduce the risk of sharp injuries and blood exposures.”

folio comprises nine different antimicrobial grades across four product families, including Lexan EXL copolymer, Lexan polycarbonate (PC) resin, Xenoy PC/polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin, and polypropylene (PP) resins with and without fibreglass reinforcement. The antimicrobial compounds featuring silver technology have been tested for log reduction values — the level of microbes eliminated from a surface — according to the ISO 22196-2007 protocol. According to SABIC, five of the new grades have a high antimicrobial effect (log reduction value above 4, representing a 99.99+ per cent reduction in pathogens) and four grades have a low antimicrobial effect (log reduction value below 4, representing a 99.0-99.99 per cent reduction in pathogens). “These options allow customers to select the appropriate formulation 14

depending on whether the end product is a high- or low-touch application,” said David Wildgoose, general manager of SABIC’s engineering resins division. “Potential applications include fluid and drug delivery applications, surgical instruments, monitoring and imaging devices, and durable medical equipment such as hospital beds and operating tables.” BASF is also offering new engineering resins designed to prevent dangerous microbial buildup on medical device and equipment surfaces. The company’s HyGentic antimicrobial product line includes HyGentic SBC, a transparent injection moldable styrene butadiene block copolymer granulate material that contains antimicrobial silver ions; and HyGentic PA, an antimicrobial glass fibre reinforced, injection moldable polyamide granulate that can be used directly to

manufacture medical devices such as inhalers or ventilation filters. “These materials are exceptional in being extremely effective against a range of fungi and bacteria,” said Edgar Eichholz, BASF’s business development manager for medical device materials. “Additionally, all medical devices produced with HyGentic products can be disinfected by conventional procedures.” BASF also recently made available Ultradur B4520 PRO, its first PBT for injection molded medical applications. “Ultradur B4520 PRO improves the high dimensional stability of PBT by adding optimized shrinkage behaviour to meet the stricter requirements for reproducible dimensional accuracy made on components intended for medical devices,” said Vinny Sirani, BASF’s business manager for high performance plastics. “This material can be easily printed on and sterilized with ionizing gamma radiation or ethylene oxide.”

DOWN THE TUBES Many polymers used in minimally invasive surgical devices are hydrophobic and create friction against moist bodily tissue — not a good thing. Hydrophilic coatings are often applied to these polymer components to reduce friction and avoid tissue trauma, but these add additional manufacturing steps and may provide more lubricity than necessary — again, not good. In response to the problem, Arkema’s new hydrophilic Pebax MV 1074 SA 01 MED polyamide is said to absorb up to 48 per cent of moisture from the surrounding environment, and to form hydrogen bonds that create a wet film on the component surface that enhance lubricity against bodily tissue. With a 40 Shore D hardness and 80 MPa (11,600 psi) flexural modulus, Pebax MV 1074 SA 01 MED has been designed for co-extrusion applications, and can be extruded as a hydrophilic polymer layer in a multi-layer tube or film extrusion for surfaces coming in direct contact with bodily tissue that require high moisture absorption, such as surgical tubing. Also new from Arkema, and also for medical tubing and angioplasty balloon applications in which “pushability,” burst pressure properties, and elongation are

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engineering resins

the goals, are Rilsan MED polyamide 11 and Rilsamid MED polyamide 12. The Rilsan polyamides can be used in either extrusion or injection molding applications, Arkema said.

TPE TECHNOLOGY For such applications as grips for medical and dental utensils and knobs and buttons for medical equipment — products that healthcare workers don’t want to go all butterfingers on — the newly expanded CLR series thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) from Elastocon TPE Technologies Inc. are available in low oil formulations. Developed for applications that require oil- or plasticizer-free and non-blooming high strength properties, the expanded grades now include a broader range of hardnesses, Elastocon said, from 15 Shore A to 75 Shore A. Two grades — CLR65 and CLR75 — are completely oil-free. The formulations are designed to stand out from among competitive clear TPEs in that they’re odorless, can be

extruded or injection molded, utilize materials that are FDA compliant, have superior tear resistance, and can be easily color tinted. Selected grades can be overmolded onto polypropylene. Star Thermoplastics also has some new TPE offerings meant to give medical parts molders new, lower cost alternatives for incorporating or switching TPEs in the design and processing stages. The StarMediflex grades are offered from a soft 8 Shore A to a harder 60 Shore D, and meet FDA and medical grade requirements. Suggested applications range from physical therapy straps and medical pads to PVC replacement tubing applications that can be injection molded or extruded, the company said. Don’t confuse those with the company’s new StarMed TPEs, offered in clear or translucent grades, and described as easy to color, non-allergenic and customizable, and with a rubbery feel that can replace latex or silicone. Further, all grades are said to be recyclable.

Finally, Star’s new StarPrene TPEs are intended to mold and perform better than TPVs, offering similar flow characteristics with the same rheology, but at a more competitive price. High flow versions available that are designed to be easier to color and to provide more consistent colors than TPVs, the company said. StarPrene materials are also described as offering superior tensile strength and elongation, without the need to dry the material before processing. CPL RESOURCE LIST Arkema Canada Inc. (Bécancour, Que.); www.arkema-inc.com; 819-294-9965 (Burlington, Ont.); 800-567-5726 BASF Canada (Mississauga, Ont.); www.basf.ca; 866-485-2273 E.I. DuPont Company (Mississauga, Ont.); www.plastics.dupont.com; 905-821-5193 Elastocon TPE Technologies Inc. (Rochester, Ill.); www.elastocontpe.com; 888-644-8732 SABIC Innovative Plastics (Toronto); www.sabic-ip.com; 800-323-3783 Star Thermoplastics (Broadview, Ill.); www.starthermoplastics.com; 708-343-1100

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pipe & profile extrusion

Setting a

BASELINE Pho

If extrusion processing is a highway, baselining your system to establish the expected throughput is the best way to kick the tires before hitting the road. If you don’t, you might wind up driving blind. By Mark Stephen, editor

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aking measurements to establish baseline data for an extruder system sounds pretty dull. Dull, but important. Simply put, when a new single screw or twin screw extruder is installed, or a new screw mounted in an existing machine, it’s vital to know what the expected throughput rate is going to be. If you don’t, the job of setting realistic expectations for its performance becomes next to impossible. Want to get inspired about it? Equate the process with opening up your new car on a straight, lonely stretch of highway to find out what it can really do. But there’s a difference. Dropping the pedal on that car is pretty straight forward: floor it and hang on. But baselining your extruder is an intricate process, and you’d better understand the ins-and-outs if you want to reap the benefits.

ZONING IT IN Just as you’d check with your car dealer for important details about what’s under the hood, it’s a good idea to bring the extrusion machine vendor into the baselining process at the outset. “When purchasing a new extruder or a new screw, ask the vendor what theoretical throughput rate you should expect to get, what temperature profile they would recommend, and also about any metallurgical characteristics that might be unique to that model and that could affect performance,” said John Effmann, director of sales and marketing for Entek Extruders. “We can also help with potential changes — barrel lengthening or shortening in a twin screw extruder, for

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example — that might be necessary if the processor has a machine bought on the used market that they want to convert and baseline for a different type of extrusion process.” And when replacing a screw, take a few extra minutes to inspect the alignment of the extruder. “You don’t want to put a new screw into a machine that’s out of alignment,” said John Christiano, vice president of technology for Davis-Standard LLC. “This is also a good time to perform a general maintenance check of the used extruder, changing oil filters if necessary, calibrating pressure transducers and thermocouples, and ensuring that barrel zones are working properly.” In the past, when using a single-stage screw, most extrusion operators would use either a “flat” barrel temperature profile or an “increasing ramp” profile. “These temperature profiles would work, but they weren’t optimal,” said Timothy Womer, president of consulting firm TWWomer & Associates LLC. And now? “Using today’s barrier screw technology, much more sophisticated barrel temperature profiles must be used to optimize extruder operating conditions,” he said. Many experts recommend using a “hump” temperature profile, in which the first barrel zone is set at the normal zone 1 setting, but zone 2 is set as much as 75°F to 100°F higher; the remaining zones decrease in temperature uniformly to the point where the last barrel zone is set approximately 10°F below the desired melt temperature. An important detail? “The melt temperature should always be measured using a handheld pyrometer for the best accuracy,” Womer said. “Using immersion probes in a flow adapter, or infrared guns, will often produce false readings due to their inherent limitations.” Also, get familiar with the polymer that’s going to be used. “Understand the resin before it’s processed. Know the resin brand, the part number, the lot number, and any rheological information that you can obtain,” said Mike Puhalla, general manager of the extrusion business unit of Milacron Plastics Technologies. “This can save troubleshooting time down the road if the processor changes resin suppliers and suddenly starts to see process drift.” This also means understanding how using regrind can affect the process. “Adding regrind to the feedstock drops the throughput rate in proportion to the percentage difference in the overall bulk density of the feedstock,” Timothy Womer said. “So, if 100% pellets are being fed into the extruder with a bulk density of 32 lbs per cubic foot and the blend of pellets and regrind weighs only 29 lbs per cubic foot, the actual throughput rate could drop by approximately 10% if all other conditions are the same.”

One last thing: don’t forget to look downstream. “The processor is not going to obtain the maximum production rates from their extruder during baselining without having adequate downstream cooling and handling equipment in the extrusion system,” said Antonio Pecora, vice president of Custom Downstream Systems Inc.

GATHERING THE DATA With the preliminaries out of the way — the new extruder or screw is installed, and the hopper has been filled with the resin for which the screw was designed — it’s time to determine the baseline capacity as throughput rate in pounds per hour. “Begin with a series of rate checks, typically carried out at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% of full screw speed — or 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, depending on the extruder size, how much resin you can afford to sacrifice, and the time allowable,” Timothy Womer said. “At each screw speed, three two-minute weigh samples should be taken.” On larger extruders — 4.5 inches and above — the sampling time can be reduced to one minute, the experts say, in order to conserve material. And you shouldn’t worry about damaging the extrusion system by running at full screw speed. “If extrusion screws are designed properly, they typically will be able to withstand the maximum torque available from the extruder and the resin being processed,” said Matt Sieverding, general manager of extrusion technology for Krauss-Maffei Berstorff in the U.S.

“

Baselining gives trending information that can help the processor avoid downtime in the future.

“

pipe & profile extrusion

Next, weigh each sample on a set of digital scales that are accurate to within at least one decimal place. A common mistake? “Too many processors weight samples with a pallet scale, which only measures to within plus or minus 0.5 lbs,” said Timothy Womer. “When this inaccuracy is carried over into the throughput calculation stage, it can produce an inaccurate result.” With the throughput rate data-gathering method clear, the other information needed to baseline the extruder includes screw speed, sample rate, melt temperature, drive motor amp (or per cent of load), head pressure, and the barrel zone settings. “All of this can easily be captured in a simple spreadsheet,” Womer said. “To make it simpler, use ‘S’ and ‘A’ on your table to distinguish between the ‘Set’ and ‘Actual’ barrel temperature settings.”

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pipe & profile extrusion

REAPING THE BENEFITS With the baseline data taken, simply store the information in a handy place — not a difficult task with modern extrusion control systems. ”Today’s controllers have recipe storage capabilities that allow the processor to easily save and recall baseline information,” said Mike Puhalla. “The goals are not only to lock in the baseline parameters and set performance expectations, but also to trend a variety of process variables such as temperature profiles, screw speed, and discharge pressure.” A big benefit of that trending information — gathered by periodic repetition of the same test baseline method — is to avoid downtime, or even prolonged shutdown, in the future by scheduling preventive maintenance. “We have several woodplastic composite extrusion customers that can predict, based on their baseline information and upon how many hours their machines have run, exactly when they’re going to need a screw rebuild or a barrel replacement; the wear can be calculated that precisely,” said John Effmann. “And while not every extrusion application is this wear-specific, a good many are.” And if the throughput rate — and thus the wear — is tracked on a regular basis, capital expenditures for a new screw or barrel can also be planned in advance instead of biting you on the backside out of the clear blue. In the end, the benefits of baselining seem well worth the

time, effort, and — possibly — the hassle up front. “Taking the time when a new extruder is installed, or a new screw mounted in an existing machine, followed up with an hour of time during a shutdown to gather data every six months and then tabulating all of the information could have a significant affect on a company’s overall profit at the end of the year,” said Timothy Womer. It certainly makes better economic sense than the gift you’ll get from Officer Friendly when he catches you conducting that speed test on the highway. CPL RESOURCE LIST Custom Downstream Systems Inc. (Montreal); www.cdsmachines.com; 877-633-1993 Davis-Standard LLC (Pawcatuck, Conn.); www.davis-standard.com; 866-922-2894 Auxiplast Inc. (Ste-Julie, Que.); www.auxiplast.com; 450-922-0282 Milacron LLC — Cincinnati Milacron Extrusion Systems (Batavia, Ohio); www.plastics.milacron.com; 513-536-3320 Entek Extruders/Entek Manufacturing Inc. (Lebanon, Ohio); www.entek-mfg.com; 541-259-1068 Krauss-Maffei Corporation (Florence, Ky.); www.kraussmaffei.com; 859-283-0200 TWWomer & Associates LLC (Edinburg, Pa.); www.twwomer.com; 724-355-3311

THE BASICS OF ExTruSIOn Learn the ABCs of... successful extrusion at this full-day workshop

Applicable to all extrusion processes (including pipe, profile, film, sheet, compounding, extrusion blow molding) Instructor Allan Griff literally “wrote the book” on extrusion and is the author of “Plastics Extrusion Technology” and “The Plastics Extrusion Operating Manual”. He has extensive experience in extrusion education and has given over 400 public and in-house seminars since 1979.

Workshop topics include: Extrusion expert Allan Griff, has over 50 years experience

• the ten key principles of extrusion • Basic plastics chemistry • extrusion hardware – the parts of the machine and their function • Factors affecting output rate • operation and troubleshooting • common problems in extrusion and how to avoid them thursday, April 18, 2013, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. humber institute of technology & Advanced learning 203 humber college Blvd. (hwy. 27 & Finch. Ave.) toronto, on M9W 5l7

Cost: $199, including lunch and a course manual Organized by:

CanadianPlastics

For detailed information and registration, check www.canplastics.com/thebasicsofextrusion/ or call 416-510-6867

WAtch For our other seMinArs lAter this YeAr: Sponsored by:

the BAsics oF plAstics, June 19, Toronto. Instructor: Paul Waller the BAsics oF injection Molding, Nov. 20, Toronto, Instructor: Kip Doyle

Canadian Plastics April 2013 www.canplastics.com

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SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: Chiller installation made semi-easy By Mark Stephen, editor

chillers

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If you thought putting together that new table from Ikea was a nightmare, imagine the potential agonies involved in getting a complex and critical piece of equipment like a chiller up and running. We talked to the experts so that you don’t have to puzzle it out on your own.

nstallation can be everything. That surround sound home theatre system in your man cave will sound worse than a twocans-and-a-string telephone if it hasn’t been put in properly. Ditto chillers. Whether portable or central, the most critical part of any water-cooled or air-cooled chilling system is its installation. And there are a number of variables to consider, any one of which could have a major impact on efficiency and operability. Here’s a quick primer for meeting the challenges.

PORTABLE CHILLER

Portable chillers are typically 30 tons in capacity or less, simpler in overall design, and lower in initial cost than a central system. Equipped with caster wheels, they’re easy to deploy, easy to connect, and easy to power up. Like central chillers, they offer both air-cooled and water-cooled types. “Most portable air-cooled chillers are placed indoors and send a stream of warm air directly from the condenser fan to the plant floor,” said Mike Mueller, sales manager, heat transfer for The Conair Group. “During cool weather, the warm airflow delivered by the condenser fan can supplement the plant’s space heating system and help to reduce energy costs.” So far, so good. But indoor portable chiller installation requires careful attention to location, piping, and fluids — and the problem is, since installation is often done at the maintenance facility level without a technical representative at hand, these details sometimes go unconsidered by the user.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

To begin, keep that famous real estate adage in mind. “The closer the chiller is placed to the process, the better,” said Alan D’Ettorre, engineering manager for Mokon Inc. “First, you limit the amount of piping going from the chiller to the process, which matters because every time you move water through pipe there are frictional penalties to be paid. Second, shorter lines can minimize the amount of ambient heat absorbed through the piping, in addition to being less expensive to fill with fluid and to insulate.” But beware of placing the unit near a hot spot in your facility. “If the chiller is air-cooled, close proximity to a heat source such as an air compressor causes the system to pull in the heat,” said Ziggy Weibe, president of Chillers Inc. “And avoid putting it too close to the compressor room at all costs because you’ll lose efficiency. The exception is with a remote condenser, in which case the chiller can go in that hot environment because the heat is being dissipated outside.” Another common mistake is simply positioning the portable chiller for convenience, which may mean overlooking potential air flow problems. “Air flow can be impeded if the chiller is too close to a wall or to adjoining equipment, resulting in inefficiency,” Alan D’Ettorre said.

THE POWER OF PIPING As we’ve seen, long piping runs can affect chiller performance. Another installation no-no? “Too often processors will choke the line size down from 1.5 inches to 0.24 inches because that’s the size of the ports that are on their process,” D’Ettorre said. “The problem is, fluid can’t flow through those small diame-

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chillers ters fast enough, causing it to back up in the system and compromise performance.” The solution? “To optimize performance, portable chilling systems should be designed with a low pressure drop in the flow delivery,” said Ziggy Wiebe. “This is accomplished by having properly sized delivery piping systems that keep water velocities between five and seven feet per second and pressure losses to less than 3 psi per 100 feet of run. It’s also important to minimize the amount of elbows, valves, and other components such as quick connect fittings that can cause high pressure drops.”

FLUID MOVEMENTS Selecting a pump for process flow is critical for effective heat transfer. A good choice, some suppliers say, is a system design that utilizes two pumps, one allowing smooth, efficient chiller operation, and another that provides stable temperatures and fluid flow rates to the process application. And this brings us to fluids, almost literally the lifeblood of

the chilling system. Some rules of thumb: pure water gives the best heat transfer, but doesn’t supply freeze protection; glycols, meanwhile, provide freeze protection, but reduce the heat transferability of the fluid in the system. “If the chiller is operating at 45°F fluid temperature or above, straight water can be used; below that temperature, a water/glycol mix is required,” said Alan D’Ettorre. “If glycol is necessary, industrial glycols are vastly superior to automotive glycols, which have waxes and parafins in them — over time, these deposits seep into very small flow passageways, causing clogs and other no-flow situations.” Some technicians like to oversize a chiller to ensure reserve capacity for future system changes or to overcome the effects of glycol. But this should be done with caution. “Oversizing without regard to design limitations can cause excessive cycling, contributing to losses in energy efficiency, increased maintenance, decreased compressor life, and burned contacts,” D’Ettorre said.

CENTRAL CHILLING SYSTEM

Central chillers are generally larger in capacity, more complex in design, and may have a higher installed cost per ton than a portable chiller. A key advantage of central chiller systems, suppliers say, is flexibility: the ability to handle varying process loads at a lower electrical consumption while also handling the total production load with lower overall installed tonnage. A downside? Central systems also require a greater amount of dedicated plumbing to circulate coolant throughout the plant.

TAKE IT OUTSIDE Central air-cooled chillers are typically located outside, or with the main chiller — including the critical, serviceable components — inside and the condenser outside to conserve space or improve performance. An outside air-cooled condenser sounds simple, but there are umpteen important questions to answer before installation. “The condenser requires adequate air flow, preferably six feet from a wall and not in a corner or other tight space that can hamper heat evacuation,” said Mike Sinclair, regional sales manager with Berg Chilling Systems Inc. “If placed on the facility roof, allow for radiant heat that can affect the coil sizing. Putting the condenser on the roof also involves civil verifications that the weight can be supported, which may lead to the roof needing reinforcement.” If placed on the ground, the condenser might need bollards around it to prevent damage from trucks and other vehicles. “If vandalism of high-priced copper in the coils is a concern, either a cage or architectural fencing can be used — although the latter can also affect the air flow, so the fencing has to be a certain distance from the condenser,” Sinclair said. And condensers don’t exactly run silent, which might trouble the neighbours and/or violate sound regulations. “The condenser can be made quieter by reducing the rpm on the fan, but that also reduces the amount of air flow, which means the condenser has to be made larger,” he added. “There are very efficient low-rpm and low-noise condenser fans available.” 20

A fully outdoor air-cooled unit removes the problem of keeping an outdoor condenser relatively close to the main chilling unit located indoors, but doesn’t necessarily solve any other problems. “Weight is an issue because of the structural frame and compressors, so putting it on the roof might not be an option,” Sinclair continued. “It can be placed on a concrete pad which allows better access for service mechanics, but that also raises issues around security, fencing, and bollards.” A water-cooled outdoor chilling system has the potential for trouble from the start. To begin with, the system will require glycol in the evaporator loop for freeze protection; but glycol is expensive, needs extra flow to achieve the same heat transfer as water, and will require a larger horsepower pump motor. “Also, glycol leaks are messy and very time-consuming to clean up,” Sinclair said. “The 20 per cent extra cost to weatherproof the system, plus the costs and issues associated with glycol, should make an outdoor water-cooled chiller a last resort, only if indoor space simply can’t be found. Ultimately, the risks from freezing make it an impractical option almost anywhere in Canada, except perhaps southern and coastal B.C.”

INSIDE INFORMATION According to some chiller suppliers, a water-cooled central system is easier to bring indoors because, since it doesn’t require a fan, it doesn’t produce as much noise. But that may be where the easy decisions end. For the installation of any large indoor central system, a big problem — literally — looms at the very outset: getting it into your plastics processing facility. “Loading door size can be factor, as can bollards around loading doors that take away space,” Sinclair said. “We sometimes have to size the unit to a specific constraint to get it indoors; it might have to be built in pieces and then reassembled on site.” Assuming you can navigate those twists and turns, other questions arise. Take Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSSA) regulations, for example. “TSSA codes dictate that, if

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chillers an indoor central refrigeration unit reaches a certain level of connected horsepower, a defined mechanical room with access doors, relief doors, and defined ventilation is required,” Sinclair said. “The processor might also need to employ licensed refrigeration operators.” Where exactly to put the system is an issue, too, for a variety of reasons. “An indoor air-cooled central system requires adequate air flow and ventilation in the area to exhaust out the heat, which means that the ceiling height of where that unit is located has to be sufficient to avoid bouncing the air flow back at the condenser,” Sinclair continued. “It’s a common installation mistake to tuck the system into a corner or on a mezzanine, in which cases the recirculating hot air might eventually cause the unit to trip out.” And with an indoor water-cooled system, meanwhile, location close to an outside wall nearest to the outdoor cooling tower system is a favorable position. But that’s not the end of it. “In addition to the coolant plumbing required by any chiller and process water system, a water-cooled central chiller may require installation and maintenance of additional pumps, piping, and tanks to support operation of the cooling tower,” said Mike Mueller. “If an existing tower system is in place, it may require modification or expansion to meet the additional tonnage demands of a chiller addition.” And whether air-cooled or water-cooled, it’s preferable to place the system close to the main power feed as well as sanitary sewer and city water.

Another hint: take advantage of existing piping lines if possible. “All else being equal, it makes sense to install a central system in an area from which you can tie into existing process piping,” said Mike Sinclair. Finally, don’t forget to take the longer view when considering the location. “If you know your plant is going to be expanded in a certain direction, locate the equipment so that it doesn’t have to be moved when that time comes,” Sinclair added. In the end — and unlike that surround sound theatre system — installing either a portable or a central chiller probably shouldn’t be a DIY project. Bringing the equipment supplier into the setup process is a good way to avoid getting burned with your chilling. CPL RESOURCE LIST Advantage Engineering Inc. (Greenwood, Ind.); www.advantageengineeering.com; 317-887-0729 Chillers Inc. (Newmarket, Ont.); www.chillersinc.com; 905-895-9667 Berg Chilling Systems Inc. (Toronto); www.berg-group.com; 416-755-2221 The Conair Group (Cranberry Township, Pa.); www.conairgroup.com; 724-584-5500 Dier International Plastics; (Unionville, Ont.); www.dierinternational.com; 416-219-0509 Industries Laferriere (Mascouche, Que.); www.industrieslaferriere.ca; 450-477-8880 Mokon Inc. (Buffalo, N.Y.); www.mokon.com; 716-876-9951 En-Plas Inc. (Toronto); www.en-plasinc.com; 416-286-3030w

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR NETWORK SPE Ontario Board of Directors invites you to our upcoming Events. You don’t want to miss the Winter line-up! April 11, 2013 Extrusion Minitec Hilton Garden Inn 1870 Matheson Blvd, Mississauga, ON June 7 – Golf Tournament Royal Ontario Golf Club, 6378 Trafalgar Road, Hornby, ON For More Information Contact: Lely Chow Tel: 905-305-6355 lely.chow@onassignment.com Please register for events on-line at: www.speontario.com/upcoming-events

To become a proud member of SPE Ontario, register at: www.4spe.org/joinnow

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DRYERS:

y r a s s e c e n T he

...tips for a better drying result, that is. We’re not saying we’ve covered it all, but here’s what you need to know as a bare minimum.

By Mark Stephen, editor

hen it comes to drying polymers, figuring out the “why” is easy: to control viscosity and ensure maximum performance. It’s the “how” that can keep you up at night. Resin drying — especially involving hygroscopic materials that pull moisture from the air — is a complicated job, and it’s hard to suit the action to the word. Telling the guys on the shop floor to dry some PET at 250°F for three hours is one thing; having them do it correctly can be a whole ‘nother ball game. The totality of information about polymer drying has filled a few books, at least. Looking for something less exhausting? Here are nine details you need to know.

CHECK YOUR DESICCANT

A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains a state of dryness in its local vicinity in a moderately well-sealed container. If you think it’s important for drying polymers, you’ve just passed the entrance exam for Plastics Processing 101. But when was the last time you actually checked your desiccant? Do you know if it’s still active? And if not, why not? “Desiccants can become contaminated or ruined by off-gases from processing a variety of resins, but the number one factor that results in desiccant breakdown is plasticizer: it can weaken desiccant permanently and irreversibly,” said Mark Haynie, dryer sales product

manager for Novatec Inc. “Having a good plasticizer removal system is important in preventing this.” And if you dry cellulosics, TPUs, flexible PVCs, TPVs, and other soft-touch resins, check the desiccant’s condition every six months, because these materials emit volatiles that can ruin desiccant also. Under normal conditions, some dryer suppliers say, desiccant will last for about three years. A good rule of thumb? “Change it every 18 months,” Haynie said. “Desiccant isn’t cheap, but product recalls are much more expensive.”

COOL YOUR DESICCANT

Ever experienced resin granules melting together in your hopper to produce a single, Baby Huey-sized pellet? If so, don’t blame your material supplier. “Most of the time, melted granules are caused by the dryer bringing the newly regenerated desiccant onstream before it’s cooled down properly,” said John Bozzelli, founder of consulting firm Injection Molding Solutions. “With some dryers, you can get a slug of 350°F to 450°F air going into the drying hopper when the system switches desiccant beds.”

MEASURE YOUR DEWPOINT

A quick science lesson: dewpoint temperature is the temperature at which the air can no longer “hold” all of the water vapor which is mixed with it,

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thinkstockphotos.ca

dryers

thinkstockphotos.ca

dryers

causing some of the vapor to condense into liquid water. The dewpoint is always lower than (or equal to) the air temperature. For the processor, measuring dewpoint of the drying air doesn’t tell you if the resin is dry, it just tells you whether the dryer has the ability to dry the resin. Some equipment suppliers recommend running the dryer at less than -25°F dewpoint. “A good dryer should run at -40°F dewpoint,” John Bozzelli said. Others aren’t convinced. “Dewpoint tends to be an overemphasized aspect of polymer drying,” said Joe Dziedzic, group leader, material handling for AEC Inc. “In most cases, -25°F dewpoint is good enough for effective drying. While it’s true that being able to go below -40°F is the sign of a quality dryer — and also a good marketing gimmick — it’s an incremental change that’s usually unnecessary, although more and more customers are insisting that their dryers have that capability.” Using an extremely low dewpoint simply expends a lot more energy to dry a little faster, some dryer suppliers say, which should only matter to processors who are constantly changing resins. An alternative for the rest of you? “Use a larger hopper,” Mark Haynie said. “Since hoppers don’t require electrical power, increasing the size won’t add anything to your production costs.”

LOOK FOR LEAKS

Nothing can ruin an otherwise first-rate dryer faster than a leak (or a crushed hose). “In general, all leaks go from the process side to the regeneration side,” Mark Haynie said. “A leak causes a loss in process air flow and introduces wet return air into the regeneration, which makes the regeneration less effective and forces the regeneration heaters to work much harder.” The solution is about as simple as you’d think. “Check for leaks and crushed hoses,” John Bozzelli said. “Do it, and do it right the first time.”

CHECK REGENERATION HEATER ELEMENTS

MAINTAIN PROPER AIRFLOW

Having adequate airflow through the hopper is a big deal in drying. But how do you maintain proper airflow over time, and how do you determine if the airflow is being compromised? “Measure the material temperature profile from the top of the hopper to the bottom; if the correct drying temperature profile exists in a properly sized hopper, then it’s safe to conclude that the airflow is sufficient and the material will be properly dried,” said Jamie Jameson, dryers product manager for The Conair Group. “If the temperature or volume of drying air begins to fall away from setpoint — if a heater blows out, for example, or an air duct becomes crimped — it will no longer be able to heat the full volume of material in the hopper.” Tip: get yourself a quality drying monitor that will recognize this condition and alert your operator, Jameson said.

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TEST YOUR RESIN

Testing some dried resin for moisture content might just be the only sure way to know if you’re drying correctly. “There are a number of ways to measure moisture,” said John Bozzelli. “However you do it, make sure your method is measuring just moisture, and not all the volatiles driven off a sample of pellets.”

www.canplastics.com April 2013 Canadian Plastics

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Don’t ask us why, but this is a maintenance step that many processors seem to be ignoring. “It will astound you to discover how many regeneration heater elements aren’t functioning correctly in the typical plastics processing plant,” said John Bozzelli. “If they aren’t working properly, you won’t regenerate the desiccant properly, and it won’t dry your resin as it’s intended to.” Tip: put an “idiot light” on the control panel to tell you if the resistance of the elements in the regeneration heater is correct, Bozzelli said.

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DON’T OVERDRY IT...

Overdrying resin generally lowers the material proper ties, and can stress the polymer to the point where the finished parts are brittle. It happens all too often, especially in the winter months — and you wouldn’t believe some of the tricks molders use in trying to remedy the problem. “I’ve seen processors who, knowing they were overdrying their nylon res ins, tried to restore moisture by soaking the finished parts in tubs of water,” said Mark Haynie. No word on whether this works or not, but it sounds a lot more difficult than simply watching your process to avoid overdrying in the fist place.

IMPROVING YOUR

...BUT DON’T UNDERDRY IT, EITHER

On the flip side of that coin — and usually a summer time phenomenon — are resins that are either under dried or allowed to regain too much moisture. “Once dry, most resins will pick up moisture in 15 to 30 minutes,” said John Bozzelli. “Therefore, don’t convey from a central hopper to the machine, or leave it in the machine’s hopper, without a blanket of dry air.” Speaking of hoppers, moisture absorption — which can result in splayed parts — often results from residence in a poorly designed or poorly insulated hopper. “Resin flow in the hopper should be uniform, so that pellets don’t spend too much time along the wall instead of in the centre of a hopper,” said Joe Dziedzic. “Tall, skinny hoppers tend to offer better mass flow than hoppers that are short and wide; but regardless of which shape you have, the resin flow will be better if the hopper is kept full.” Looking for a good rule of thumb to apply to any hopper? “If the hopper isn’t cool to the touch, it’s under-insulated,” said Mark Haynie.

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There’s a lot that we’ve left uncovered, including the proper angle of the hopper bottom cone, which hoses to insulate, and where to vent and where not to vent the regeneration air. Your equipment supplier can help with those and many other questions — or you can read one of those books we mentioned earlier. CPL

RESOURCE LIST Omnilon Omnipro Omnitech Omnicarb Many unique AEC Inc. (Schaumberg, Ill.); www.aecinternet.com; 847-273-7700 and specialized nylon 6 and nylon 6,6, polypropylene, ABS, PBT, PET/polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS compounds. EquiPlas (Toronto); 416-407-5456 Auxiplast Inc. (Ste-Julie, Que.); www.auxiplast.com; 450-922-0282 Omnilon Omnipro Omnitech Omnicarb Many unique Rigid and flexible The Conair Group (Cranberry Township, Pa.); and specialized nylon 6 and nylon 6,6, polypropylene, ABS, PBT, PVC compounds. www.conairgroup.com; 724-584-5500 PET/polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS compounds. Dier International Plastics Inc. (Unionville, Ont.); www.dierinternational.com; 416-219-0509 Industries Laferriere (Mascouche, Que.); www.industrieslaferriere.ca; 450-477-8880 Injection Molding Solutions (Midland, Mich.); www.scientificmolding.com; 989-832-2424 Maguire Canada/Novatec Inc. (Vaughan, Ont.); 3130 Pepper Mill Ct., Mississauga, Ontario L5L 4X4 Canada www.maguirecanada.com; 866-441-8409 PH: 905-286-9894 • FA: 905-286-9893 Barway Plastic Equipment Inc. (Vaudreuil-Dorian, Que.); rpounds@poundsofplastic.com www.barway.ca; 450-455-1396 TM

POUNDS OF PLASTIC INC. www.poundsofplastic.com

Canadian Plastics April 2013 www.canplastics.com

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PURGING In the plastic processing business we are aware of the efficiency of production. I’ve had the luxury of being trained @ an injection moulding facility in the late seventies where running moulding machines on cycle or below quoted cycle was the mission. Of course the parts produced were dimensionally correct and the materials maintained the physical properties that were expected after normal heat history. We exhibited best practices for processing thermoplastic. We were also trained on the utilization of equipment. This essentially meant that our moulding machines and extruders were to have minimum down time. They did not make money when they sat idle. The analogy of procuring a moulding machine and buying it with a loan applies. You pay interest on a loan 24 hours a day seven days a week and therefore in theory the machine should run 24 hours a day seven days per week. We prided ourselves on being very organized and changing moulds in minutes. Having down times of less than fifteen minutes was our goal. We simply used high density polyethylene to purge the barrel of the moulding machine. We liked HDPE because it is chemically inert, can be taken to very high temperatures without incident. We used HDPE to purge out high temperature materials such as polysulfone & glass reinforced nylon 6,6. The theory being that HDPE is sticky @ process temperatures and it would pull crud off of the check ring, screw and barrel. The system of the barrel & screw of the moulding machine essentially consists of moving chambers of different sizes. The feed section the chambers are large, the metering section the chambers are small and in the compression or transition section the chambers change from the size in the feed to the size in the metering. The clearance between the top of the flights and the barrel lining is calculated when the barrel and screw are hot allowing for thermal expansion. The clearance between the check ring and the barrel lining is also very important. Thermoplastics are all chemical compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms not dissimilar to wood. Some polymers have other elements such as oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, fluorine attached to their structure. Wood and paper products burn and so do thermoplastics. In an ambient environment, plastics, wood and paper burn fairly rapidly and the byproducts of complete combustion are water & carbon dioxide. The burning temperature being 451o F. Different types of thermoplastics burn @ different temperatures. Thermoplastics inside the barrel can also experience combustion. However the limited amount of oxygen causes incomplete combustion that results in the and flexible production of aRigid namely carbon. Theory since PVCbyproduct compounds. steel is made with carbon and iron and carbon has an affinity for carbon the carbon adheres very well to steel surfaces. This phenomenon happens more so in worn screws and barrels. Worn check rings contribute as well as more air containing oxygen is available (larger space). It is essential to ask your machine supplier the clearance specification as factors such as thermal expansion play a role. Material can slip backwards between the flight and the barrel lining when the screw is worn or wearing. This movement between the top of the screw flight and the barrel lining causes the material to be sheared and burning will result. The loss of “cushion” is generally a sign that the check ring

is worn. Semi crystalline polymers exhibit higher flow than amorphous polymers. Nylon is very susceptible to flowing into/through thin passages. Note that the recommended vent depth for unreinforced nylon is 0.00075 inches (3/4 of a thousand’s of an inch). Deeper vents will allow unreinforced nylon to flow into them. The reference to vents demonstrates that nylon will flow through passages as thin as 0.001 inches. Glass and mineral reinforced materials will wear a barrel and screw more quickly than unreinforced materials. Running glass and or mineral reinforced nylon we need to pay special attention to screw and barrel wear Colour changes are time wasters. Colour changes can impact machine utilization negatively. HDPE is often slow in removing colour hung up on the screw, barrel, check ring, nozzles & hot runner systems. Hot runner colour changes can consume vast amounts of time as well leading to lost production.

TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS SERIES #4

Pounds of Plastic Inc. has after extensive testing in our laboratory evaluated a relatively new purge product named Tec-Purge®. TecPurge® was designed to work on all plastic types. Pounds of Plastic Inc. believe Tec-Purge® is the only purge compound required. There is no need to stock several different types of purging compounds for specific resins. Tec-Purge® is much more effective than HDPE purge. TecPurge® has given me a paradigm shift. I was never a fan of purging compounds until now! I no longer recommend HDPE but believe Tec-Purge® to be superior. Tec-Purge® consists of a concentrated purge pellet that when heated reacts chemically to effectively and quickly clean all traces of barrel residue including colour from the barrel. Tec-Purge® can also effectively chase colour and residue from hot runner systems so that the equipment is back up and running quickly. Tec-Purge® can be used in injection moulding machines, extruders & blow moulding machines. Tec-Purge® is FDA/NSF compliant and can be used up to 700o F with minimum smoke and no odour. We feel Tec-Purge® is so effective that even carbon deposits accumulated over long periods of time are removed from the machine. As a side note I am confused why Processors use acrylic or regrind acrylic to clean screws and barrels. The misconception in my opinion is that since acrylic is hard some individuals believe it scrubs the barrel due to abrasion. Acrylic is hard in the feed zone but once it “melts” it is soft. The carbon crud is generally found in the metering zone and the on the check ring. Acrylic @ the front of the barrel is soft and in my opinion doesn’t clean residue off of screws well. The only attribute I can think where acrylic is effective is that since acrylic is hygroscopic the moisture trapped within evolves as steam @ process temperatures and the steam removes grime. The down side of using acrylic is that you then have to chase the acrylic to go to other materials. Have you seen the price of Acrylic lately? Tec-Purge® is a fast, safe and effective way to purge. Switching materials is a simple as emptying the barrel, purging with Tec-Purge® and introducing the next material. Tec-Purge® is less expensive than other purge products on the market.

For additional information regarding Tec-Purge® please don’t hesitate to contact Richard Pounds, Boris Funduk or Herb Cooke @ 905-286-9894.

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doing it better

Gunter Weiss on the shop floor. Photo Credit: Precimold Inc.

PRECIMOLD

IS FINDING ITS OWN WAY FORWARD, THANKS VERY MUCH

Moldmaking? Check. Injection molding? Got it. Tenacity? In spades. For almost 50 years, Quebec’s Precimold Inc. has been doing whatever it takes to grow its business.

he mid-1960s was a long time ago, and you don’t last from then until now without reinventing yourself along the way. Take Precimold Inc. The Candiac, Que.-based contract manufacturer, custom injection molder, and tool maker of precision medical, electronic, and technical components didn’t start out as such when it was incorporated in 1966. Company founder and current president Gunter Weiss arrived in Canada from his native Germany in 1960 armed with a master’s degree in precision mechanics — and zero interest in fabricating molds for the plastics industry. But working in Canada’s medical instrumentation sector drew him into making molds for an assortment of rubber parts

By Mark Stephen, editor

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doing it better

— and then, in 1972, into purchasing his first injection press to mold window stops, followed closely by a second unit to make wrist watch components. The window stops and watch components contracts both went belly up when the customers ran into financial hardships, leaving Precimold with idle presses — a short-term crisis that quickly became a blessing. “When companies like NCR, Northern Telecom, and Singer found out that our presses were available and that we could mold parts they could not have manufactured elsewhere, our injection molding business really took off, eventually becoming at least as important to the company as moldmaking,” Weiss said. And, according to Weiss, it’s also responsible for building Precimold’s reputation over the years. “Molding small, technically complex parts is perhaps what we have become best known for,” he said.

ing division of one of its clients, Rutter Inc. of St. John’s, Nfld., for which it had been molding all the plastic components of EJETL’s Digi-Lite brand onboard life jackets. Fast forward three years and Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) has now come knocking. “We’ve been given a mandate by the DND to design a hydrostatic electromechanical inflator component for life vests,” Weiss explained. “The finished product will incorporate a combination of injection molded parts, metal parts, and electronics, and we’re now in the final stage of development. At present, the contract is to supply the vests for cruise ship lines, Coast Guard vessels, and the DND, but we believe the product is a revolutionary design that has worldwide potential.”

SLINGS AND ARROWS

But not everything has gone as smoothly as the development of the EJETL enterprise. Not long ago, Precimold was SOLD ON NEW EQUIPMENT operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week; employing 90 To that end, Precimold has been on a buying spree lately, people; and generating $9 million in revenues. Cut to today acquiring new equipment to satisfy increasing customer and the company has slimmed down to 50 employees workdemands for both precision injection molding and precision ing five days a week, and sales hover around $4 million, in moldmaking. “We recently purchased a Sodick wire EDM large part because major customers like Avon and Lexmark machine, a Sodick RAM EDM machine, a Hardinge CNC have been sending orders to China. Weiss is philosophical lathe, an Engel molding machine, three portable clean- about the changes. “You have to react to the situation; when rooms, robots, and an assortment of auxiliary equipment,” there’s a bad storm on the horizon, you have to head back to Weiss said. port quickly to take shelter,” he said. “But the skies always There’s no mystery behind the purchase of the portable clear, and business does come back. One car manufacturer cleanrooms. “We’re becoming more heavily involved in asked us to remake the molds they had ordered from China cleanroom medical parts molding, which is a good fit for because the supplier required at least a year for delivery. our expertise with small and complex parts,” Weiss said. Another client left us for India only to come back months But the same could be said of umpteen custom molders. later in a panic; we solved their problem and now they’re a Some of the other newly acquired equipment, however, loyal customer again.” reflects something more unique, Precimold’s deepening In recognition of Precimold’s success in weathering ecocommitment to a market that others are approaching with nomic storms for almost 50 years — and as a salute to his extreme caution these days: the position in the pantheon of Quebec automotive sector. “Traditionally, plastics pioneers — Weiss was named the 2011 Person of the Year our involvement in the auto indusby the Federation of Plastics and try has been in manufacturing ball Alliances Composites (FEPAC). bearing retainers; we design and make the molds, and then carry out The company has also been recogproduction in our molding facility,” nized for excellence in mold fabriWeiss said. “But in spite of the negcation, and for the injection moldative economy that everyone talks ing of high precision parts in about, we’re becoming increasingly Canada and elsewhere. involved in a broader range of autoAnd you better believe Weiss has Small, complex parts after packaging. motive work. It wasn’t entirely our learned a business lesson or two Photo Credit: Precimold Inc. own decision; our customers have along the way. “The key is to diverbeen sending us more and more work lately, and that justi- sify and seek new opportunities without losing your hold on fied buying extra equipment.” core markets,” he said. “I’ve seen too many plastics processors There are worse problems to have, and it’s only the latest fail because their one and only big client left them for China. example of the company’s tendency to follow its own path, We’ve been hurt by that, too, but our tenacity and imagination and sometimes reinvent itself, in the search for new business. have been our biggest assets, and have kept us going.” That path also took a turn in 2010, when Precimold purSo don’t anyone bet on Precimold’s reinvention process CPL chased the EJE Trans-Lite (EJETL) search and rescue light- being over just yet.

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technology showcase

AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT

Increased profitability with improved material handling processes

Super-tangential granulators deliver versatility

With footprint dimensions at least 30 per cent smaller than many other granulators with similar capabilities, the new NCF series super-tangential granulators from The Conair Group offers different hopper designs and rotor/ knife choices to maximize performance with a wide variety of scrap types, handling lightweight bulky parts such as bottles, and also producing clean, uniform granulate from runners and small parts. Four different models feature eight-inch (203-mm) diameter rotors, in widths of 10, 14, 19 and 24 inches (240, 360, 480 and 600 mm), and deliver standard maximum throughputs ranging from 150 lb to 450 lb (68 kg to 205 kg). Standard rotor speed for the NCF 810 is 260 rpm and standard speed on the larger models is 400 rpm, although 260 rpm, 400 rpm, or 840 rpm can be specified on any of the granulators to increase capacity, improve regrind quality, and/or minimize energy consumption. The super-tangential chamber design ensures that the rotor grips bulky scrap on the downward stroke, drawing it into the knives and preventing it from bouncing on the rotor. Standard tangential and straight-drop in-feed configurations are also available. The Conair Group (Cranberry Township, Pa.); www.conairgroup.com; 724-584-5500 Dier International Plastics; (Unionville, Ont.); www.dierinternational.com; 416-219-0509 Industries Laferriere (Mascouche, Que.); www.industrieslaferriere.ca; 450-477-8880

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Canadian Plastics April 2013 www.canplastics.com

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WHY USE THIS MUCH OF PURGING COMPOUND...

The new Graviplus synchronous dosing and mixing station from Motan Inc. has up to eight dosing modules that can be used for granulate, micro-granulate, powder, liquids, and regrind in a wide range of applications, such as blown film, cast film, foam extrusion, cable insulation and sheathing extrusion, masterbatch production, compounding, inline compounding, and wood plastic composite production. With throughput performance from 0.25 kg per hour to 7,500 kg per hour and constant dosing precision of ±0.1 % (1:1.000.000 load cell resolution), a level of performance and product certainty is achieved that’s essential for continuous production processes. Graviplus works according to the loss-in-weight principle; the material flow is continuously regulated and monitored according to weight, in realtime. Bulk density fluctuations and changes in particle size or flow behaviour cannot influence dosing precision. Self-calibration means the need to dose out for new materials is eliminated. The components are continuously dosed time-synchronised into the mixing chamber by speed-controlled precision dosing screws. Motan Inc. (Plainwell, Mich.); www.motan.com; 800-991-9921 Dier International Plastics; (Unionville, Ont.); www.dierinternational.com; 416-219-0509 D Cube (Montreal); www.dcube.ca; 514-272-0500

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