Canadian Plastics April 2014 by Annex Business Media

Canadian Plastics www.canplastics.com

APRIL 2014

CHARGED Automakers are going all in on electric and hybrid vehicles, and engineering resins are ready

UP CHILLERS

Central or portable? How to choose wisely

INSIDE: G IN MOLDMAKENT SUPPLEM ., FOR I.M G IN MOLDMAKRS READE

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The right people make the difference at PolyCello

EXTRUSION

A look at some of the latest technologies

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Easiest to Use Mobile Wheel Dryers Standard Dry Air Conveying Package Standard Insulated Hopper Automatically Adjusts Air Temperature Based on Monitoring to Regulate Temperature in Hopper Standard LED Alarm Light... Matsui Charges Over $250! Siemens PLC with 7” Hi-Def Screen

Just enter your polymer type and the Smart Control PLC does the rest…

What Good is a Mobile Dryer if You Don’t Know the Dewpoint? We Include It. Matsui Charges an Extra $900! Standard Data Logging Ethernet Ready Exclusive Overdry Protection Ideal for Nylon and Other Sensitive Materials

Very Smart Upgraded Software Senses Faults…

Lifetime Desiccant Wheel Warranty Minimizes Energy Consumption by Continuously Adjusting Heater and Air Temperatures Automatically Tells You When to Change Filters

Pictorially Guides You in a Solution

Standard Conveying Blower Package Standard Vacuum Purge Valve Standard EZ Push Handles

Standard Phase Detector Avoids Phase Issues When Moved Around Plant OUDLY MADE PR

IN T

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Built-in Standards...Sold as Options Everywhere Else! Let’s Soar Together… Sold & Serviced in Canada by Maguire Products Canada, Inc. T: 905-879-1100 | F: 905-879-1101 | info@maguirecanada.com | www.maguirecanada.com © Copyright 2014 Novatec, Inc.

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contents

Canadian Plastics Cover Image:©Jan-Willem Kunnen/Getty Images/Thinkstock

APRIL 2014 VOLUME 72 NUMBER 2

cover story 10 ENGINEERING RESINS: Charged and ready Sales of plug-in electric and hybrid electric vehicles are sluggish, but most automakers remain committed to bringing them to market as alternatives to gasoline-fueled cars. It’s a tough sell to skeptical consumers, but using the latest engineering resins to boost battery capabilities, improve product safety, and reduce overall vehicle weight definitely helps.

in every issue 4 Editor’s View: Defending the latest free trade deal 5 Ideas & Innovations: Hyperbaric chamber goes portable through composite materials 6 News: • Mattel buys Canadian toy maker Mega Brands • Gloucester Engineering creates new operating divisions • NPE2015 shaping up just fine • Supplier News & People 9 Executive’s Corner: Five ways to kill your small business 32 Technology Showcase 36 Plastics Data File 36 Classified Ads

features 14 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION: Here’s looking at what’s new Some of the leading extrusion and downstream equipment makers have new machinery available. They talked about it. We listened. Here’s what they told us. 20 CHILLERS: Central or portable? Choose wisely No matter what your process, making sure you have sufficient cooling is critical to optimal performance. Don’t believe there’s much difference between types of chilling equipment? Think again. If you want to get it right the first time, there are a number of variables you’d better take into consideration. 26 DOING IT BETTER: PolyCello’s extended family gets the job done Through a combination of careful management, constant reinvestment, and a most of all a dedicated workforce, this family-owned Nova Scotia-based flexographic printer and packager has raked in more awards than The Lord of the Rings.

36 Advertising Index 38 Technical Tips: A deeper look at scientific molding (part 1)

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Visit us at www.canplastics.com

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April 2014 Canadian Plastics

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editor’s view

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

Defending the latest free trade deal

n less than six months, Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has reached a free trade agreement in principle with Europe and another with South Korea. Sounds good to me. Opening up new markets for business, and allowing consumers to purchase cheaper products from overseas, is beneficial for Canada’s economy. These agreements took years to negotiate, and are designed to help Canada recover some lost ground. In the 1990s, after the U.S. free-trade agreement and NAFTA, exports represented the future of Canada’s economy. Since then, however, Canada’s economic growth has been hampered by an inability to sell more products and services to global markets, particularly emerging ones. In 2012, Canada’s export growth was an anemic 1.3 per cent. Last year, it was 3.6 per cent. The European free trade agreement and the deal with South Korea should boost those numbers…but not everyone is satisfied. Key players in the Canadian auto industry criticized Ottawa for signing a document that rapidly eliminates tariffs on South Korean imports and does not include retaliatory measures negotiated by the U.S. for its auto makers. The U.S.Korean free trade agreement includes a so-called “snap-back” mechanism that allows Washington to re-impose a 2.5 per cent duty if Seoul violates the deal. Canada was unable to negotiate the same, which is a shame, but we’re just not in their league, clout-wise. Canada’s 6.1 per cent duty on Korean cars will vanish two years after the deal comes into force, much more quickly than car companies in North America had hoped. Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. pounced quickly. “We believe that South Korea will remain one of the most closed automotive markets in the world under the deal negotiated by the 4

Canadian government,” Ford Canada president Dianne Craig said in a statement. The U.S. and the EU have been unable to reverse a one-way automotive trade flow, she continued, because South Korea imposes non-tariff barriers on imported vehicles and intervenes in currency markets to subsidize exports and protect its domestic market. Since the U.S.-South Korea agreement was signed in 2012, the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea has increased by more than 50 per cent, Ms. Craig noted. But that overlooks the fact that U.S. car shipments to Korea have doubled since 2011. And as noted by Sean McAlinden, chief economist at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., “a large increase in Korean imports into the U.S. has not occurred beyond the percentage increase in the overall U.S. market… on balance, [the deal] has been positive so far.” According to Ford Canada and other critics of our agreement — including the Ontario provincial government and Unifor, Canada’s largest union in the private sector — the removal of that contentious 6.1 per cent tariff could decimate the auto sector, flooding the market with KIAs and Hyundais. But it’s hard to believe such a small tariff reduction can have that dramatic an impact; as the Globe and Mail noted in an editorial defending the deal, “annual currency fluctuations are often bigger than 6.1 per cent.” Other industries said car makers have seized an undue amount of the spotlight, and they have a point. “Canada is bigger than the automotive industry, and this deal really is a fantastic opportunity for Canada,” said Joy Nott, president of the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters, which includes the automobile sector. “I think the Canadian automotive industry will adapt.” And I think she’s right. Mark Stephen, editor

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 Greg Paliouras 416-510-5124 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: gpaliouras@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. 2014 SUBSCRIPTION RATES

6 issues Canadian Plastics, plus Dec. 2014 Buyer’s Guide: CANADA: 1 Year $71.95 plus applicable taxes; 2 Years $117.95+ taxes; single copy $10.00+ taxes. USA: US$81.95/year FOREIGN: US$126.95/year 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 of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

mstephen@canplastics.com

Canadian Plastics April 2014 www.canplastics.com

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ideas & innovations

Hyperbaric chamber goes portable through composite materials O xygen is a necessity for life...and the careful application of oxygen can also restore health. Take hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which is the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure. By allowing tissues to take up more oxygen — which helps the body to heal faster by speeding up the formation of new tissue and fighting infection — HBOT is used in the treatment of such wide-ranging ailments as decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, burns, and crush injuries. The crucial piece of equipment is the enclosed hyperbaric oxygen chamber that the patient is placed inside. It works just fine, but the problem is that, in either rigid or flexible form, it’s a large, fixed device that requires the patient to come to it. Until now. Quebec-based medical engineering firm Groupe Médical Gaumond (GMG) recently won a 2014 JEC Innovation Award for its new transportable hyperbaric chamber application, said to be a world first. Made in partnership with Lunenburg, N.S.-based composites technology supplier Composites Atlantique (Canada), and funded in part by the Industrial Research Assistance Program from the National Research Council of Canada, the HematoCare hyperbaric chamber falls between a traditional “hard” chamber — which typically weigh between 1,000 kg and 1,500 kg — and “soft” chambers, which are typically much lighter (45 kg) and operate at much lower pressure (4 psi). Weighing 115 kg, the HematoCare operates up to 3 bar (30 psi) — or about three times the atmospheric pressure at sea level — and is composed of three separate parts: a pressure vessel, a control station, and a

transport case that can be converted into a chamber base. All of the parts, except for the closing system, are made of composite materials, including a mixture of Kevlar and polyurethane for the flexible membrane. “The main advantage of composite materials is their high performance level given their low weight,” said Claude Gaumond, GMG’s founder and president. “Our team reached the performance level of rigid steel or acrylic hard chambers at a fraction of their weight — approximately ten times lower than the lightest medical hard chamber. The second major advantage of composite materials is the versatility and huge diversity of materials and techniques that can be used and combined.” The assembled vessel is 2.5 metres long with a maximum diameter of 1.1 metres, and when folded accordionstyle is only 0.7 metres long. “While being flexible and pliable, the vessel is dimensionally stable, and can be installed in less than 15 minutes by properly trained staff,” Gaumond said. “And it can be adjusted to each treatment, which helps reduce the claustrophobic effect felt by some HBOT patients.” Approved by European regulators — although not yet by their counterparts in Canada and the U.S. — the HematoCare is targeted to a wide range of markets. “Medical care facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and hyperbaric centres are the main market, and the device is especially suitable for small clinics and centres where space is an issue,” Gaumond said. Call it a flexible move in the right direction for the HBOT industry. CPL Groupe Médical Gaumond (Montreal); www.groupemedicalgaumond.com; 514-523-6473

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news

Mattel buys Canadian toy maker Mega Brands

attel Inc. has acquired Canadian toy maker Mega M Brands Inc., which has the world’s No. 2 line of construction sets after Lego.

The deal values Montreal-based Mega Brands at US$460 million, including debt that El Segundo, Calif.based Mattel will assume or repay. According to a statement from Mattel — the maker of Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels cars, and a variety of other toys — Mega Brands will help it expand in two of the fastest-growing product segments: construction sets and arts and crafts. In addition to its original Mega Bloks franchise, Mega Brands offers arts and craft products under the Rose Art and other brands, which will be added to Mattel’s own offerings in that product category. “A key pillar of our global growth strategy is the strategic acquisition of brands that will both benefit from

our scale and help extend our reach into new and growing categories,” Bryan Stockton, Mattel’s chairman and CEO, said in the statement. “The construction play pattern is popular, universal, and has had one of the fastest growth rates over the past three years.” Mattel plans to keep the Mega Brands head office in Montreal and to invest in its manufacturing operations. As of 2013, Mega Brands was molding more than half of its toys in Montreal, where approximately 1,200 employees work in an 830,000-square-foot facility. The company reported sales of about US$405 million in 2013. Stockton also said Mattel will be able to contribute a more extensive distribution reach outside of North America, where Mega Brands has most of its sales, and plans to spend more on marketing than the smaller company has done in the past. CPL

Gloucester Engineering creates new operating divisions, consolidates TO’s Future Design

equipment maker Gloucester Engineering CorExtrusion poration (GEC) is splitting into two divisions. The company’s new Lifetime Support Division will be focused on GEC’s aftermarket products and customer service, the Gloucester, Mass.-based company said in a statement, while the OEM Division will concentrate on the company’s line of traditional complete blown film, cast film, foam and sheet extrusion, bag making, and extrusion coating systems and equipment. Laurent Cros has been named president of the Lifetime Support Division, and also as president of Pearl Technologies Inc., a Savannah, N.Y.-based manufacturer of consumable parts for converting and extrusion capital equipment purchased by GEC in 2012. GEC veteran Carl Johnson will continue to serve as president of the OEM Division. According to the GEC statement, the company is also consolidating another previously acquired firm, Torontobased blown film specialist Future Design Inc., into GEC’s

L-R: Laurent Cros, Carl Johnson, Rick Tattersfield, and Bill Schmidt.

Gloucester facility, a step that involves moving the manufacturing of all Future Design equipment out of Toronto. GEC bought Future Design in 2012. “Going forward, the Future Design product line will continue to be manufactured and supported by the team located at GEC’s flagship plant, and there should be no disruptions to current orders or service levels,” the statement said. In addition to the new divisions of the company, two new hires have been added to the GEC executive team. Rick Tattersfield has been named as CEO, and Bill Schmidt has been appointed as CFO. CPL

Husky making global organizational changes; Michael Urquhart retires

usky Injection Molding Systems is Hzation, making changes to its global organicreating a new combined busi-

ness unit dedicated to medical and specialty packaging; the company has also announced the retirement of longtime employee Michael Urquhart (pictured). The creation of the combined business unit follows Bolton, Ont.-based Husky’s acquisition of medical and closure mold maker Schöttli Group in November 2013. Steve Lawrynuik, formerly vice president, customer support, will lead this new 6

area of the business as vice president, medical and packaging systems, Husky said in a statement. “This new business unit will bring together Schöttli technology, the capabilities of Husky’s specialty moldmaking facilities in Austria and the Czech Republic, aftermarket tooling and services, as well as the Hylectric system platform,” Husky said. Urquhart, Husky’s vice president global sales, packaging systems, left the company at the end of February after 33 years with the firm, during which time he held a number of leadership positions throughout Husky’s operations, marketing, and sales organizations. CPL

Canadian Plastics April 2014 www.canplastics.com

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news

NPE2015 shaping up just fine

y the close of the NPE2015 space draw — held on FebruBcommitted ary 20-21 in Orlando, Fla. — exhibiting companies had to three per cent more booths and 28 per cent more exhibit space than at the drawing for the 2012 show. With one year to go before NPE2015, the exhibit space sold so far already amounts to 91 per cent of all space occupied at the successful 2012 show, according to SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, which produces the triennial NPE plastics exposition. NPE2015 will take place Monday through Friday, March 23-27, 2015, at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. “By the close of the draw, exhibitors had committed to 1,054 booths and 853,120 net square feet of space, as against 758 booths and 664,525 square feet at the NPE2012 space draw,” Washington, D.C.-based SPI said. “Of the two giant halls that make up the Orange County Convention Center, the West Hall is now sold out, as is 70 per cent of the South Hall.” In addition, SPI said, there are “strong indications” that considerably more machinery will be shown in operation than at NPE2012. “More than 300 exhibitors say they will be running equipment on the exhibit floor, and the number of

large booths taken by the close of the 2015 draw — 235 of them bigger than 1,000 square feet — is another signal that a great many machines will be displayed and operated.” International companies attending the space draw accounted for 28 per cent of the exhibit spaces reserved, led by China, Canada, and Italy. In addition, 14 per cent of the companies selecting space were either new to NPE or did not exhibit at the 2012 event. NPE2012 had 1,933 exhibitors, 40 per cent of whom came from outside the U.S. The event attracted 55,359 participants, 26 per cent of them international visitors. CPL Left: Getting down to business at the space draw. Above: Kenneth Shuman (left), president of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Shuman Plastics Inc., was the first exhibiting company representative to select a space. Photos courtesy of SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association

Montreal’s Transcontinental buys U.S. flexible packager Capri

ontreal-based printing and media M giant Transcontinental Inc. is diversifying its business with the acquisition

of flexible packaging manufacturer Capri Packaging, of Clinton, Mo., for US$133 million. The deal includes a pair of production facilities in Clinton. “This acquisition…is part of our

strategy to ensure our future growth path through diversification,” Transcontinental president and CEO Francois Olivier said in a statement. “Over the past year, we evaluated various industries where we could leverage our manufacturing competency, a great success for us in the past. The printed flexible packaging industry was rapidly

identified as a natural fit given that the production process is very similar to Transcontinental’s printing operations, and the market offers many opportunities for growth.” Capri employs roughly 200 people at its two Missouri facilities, and generates approximately US$72 million in annual revenues. CPL

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www.canplastics.com April 2014 Canadian Plastics

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news

SUPPLIER NEWS Instrumentation equipment maker Mocon Inc. has partnered with Cornwall, Ont.-based Meyer Service and Supply Ltd. to establish two certified service locations for Canadian customers. Meyer has converted existing space at its headquarters into a new 3,000-square-foot service laboratory. A second service facility is located in Brantford, Ont. “This new partnership will allow our Canadian customers to avoid import/export costs and shorten the ser-

vice timeline,” said Rich Barrett, regional manager of Minneapolis, Minn.-based Mocon. In mid-2013, Meyer also began selling Mocon instrumentation to Canadian customers. Mocon provides instrumentation, consulting, and laboratory services to medical, pharmaceutical, food, and other industries worldwide. Products include quality control instruments for modified atmosphere gas packages, as well as inline gas blenders and leak detectors.

PEOPLE

Matthew Banach

Thomas Baldock

Bruce Catoen

Robert Cattle

Cathy Cirko

Kurt Curtis

Larry Fitzgerald

Gilad Gans

— Aurora, Ill.-based sheet extrusion machinery maker Processing Technologies International LLC (PTi) has named Matthew Banach as director of sales. — Extrusion machinery maker Guill Tool & Engineering Co., headquartered in West Warwick, R.I., has named Thomas Baldock as its sales representative manager. — Cincinnati, Ohio-based processing equipment maker Milacron LLC has named Bruce Catoen to the position of chief technology officer. Catoen is based in Toronto. — The Canadian Tooling & Machining Association (CTMA), headquartered in Cambridge, Ont., has named Robert Cattle as its new executive director. Cattle succeeds industry veteran Les Payne, who retires after 30 years with the organization. — Cathy Cirko, the vice president of the Toronto-based Canadian Plastics Industry Association, is retiring at the end of May 2014, after 17 years with the organization. — Hot runner systems manufacturer Incoe Corporation USA has promoted Kurt Curtis to general manager of its North American operations. Curtis was most recently the company’s director of global manufacturing. — York, Pa.-based extrusion machinery maker American Kuhne has named Larry Fitzgerald as product manager of its wire and cable division. — 3D printer and materials maker Stratasys Ltd., with headquarters in Israel and Minneapolis, Minn., has named Gilad Gans as president of its North American operations. — Mold release and process aid additives maker Axel Plastics Research Laboratories Inc., headquartered in Woodside, N.Y., has named Larry Lambert as Midwest and Pacific Northwest regional sales manager, also responsible for the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. —S tephen Newlin is retiring as president and CEO of Avon Lake, Ohio-based material supplier PolyOne Corporation effective May 15, 2014. He will be replaced by Robert Patterson, 41, who currently serves as PolyOne’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. Newlin will remain executive chairman of the PolyOne Board of Directors. — Injection molding training provider RJG Inc., headquartered in Traverse City, Mich., has named Dale Westerman as president and CEO; and also appointed former president and CEO Matt Groleau as director of marketing.

Larry Lambert

Stephen Newlin

Robert Patterson

Dale Westerman

Matt Groleau

Canadian Plastics April 2014 www.canplastics.com

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executives corner

Five ways to kill your small business By Ryan Caligiuri, Ryan Caligiuri International

t one point or another, most small or medium-sized business (SMB) owners will make at least one of the five mistakes listed below — I’ve been guilty of all five of these mistakes at various points in my own career. Luckily, these aren’t death sentences; rather, they’re warnings to heed, as they can spawn further problems if not addressed.

1. Running 100 miles per hour without refuelling

Virtually every SMB owner is a master of multitasking, often putting in more than 10 hours a day, seven days a week. But many still don’t get as far ahead as they should — worse, they often burn out and/or lose their drive. If you find yourself in a similar position, learn to identify tasks you can delegate or stop doing altogether so that you can focus on those of higher value. Consider the tale of the two lumberjacks. The red lumberjack chopped wood without rest. Working next to him, the blue lumberjack took periodic breaks. But by the day’s end, the blue lumberjack had more piles of chopped wood. The red lumberjack asked him for his secret. “You never stopped to sharpen your axe,” the blue lumberjack replied.

2. Trying to be Superman or Wonder Woman

Operating an SMB is all about going into unknown territory, and you’ll inevitably be faced with a number of set-

backs. But instead of trying to be Superman or Wonder Woman by tackling each problem yourself, learn to leverage the brainpower of your employees and management team. That said, it’s important to know the difference between collaboration and consensus when seeking opinions from employees and management. You’re not necessarily looking for the most popular opinion, or the one that comes from your most senior employee. Instead, you’re looking to source as many opinions as possible before deciding for yourself.

3. Making life more difficult than it needs to be

You’re in business to serve your customer, so be sure to serve their needs and make certain your employees are doing the same. All business starts with the customer. Do you understand their needs, and does your product or service meet those needs? If you take good care of your customers, you’ll reap the benefit: referrals that create an ever-strengthening foundation for your own business.

4. Forgetting to celebrate successes Every day, your people work hard to complete projects, sign new clients, and perform any number of other tasks. Failing to recognize their accomplishments can dull momentum, kill ambition, lower employee engagement, and build apathy throughout the organiza-

tion. Instead, share their successes in a newsletter, a company meeting, or an impromptu town hall meeting. A public “thank you” will inspire everyone else.

5. Letting poor performers slide I don’t know many SMBs that can afford to keep an employee on payroll who’s not meeting his/her objectives on a consistent basis. While it’s important to be patient while an employee grows into a role, too much patience can hurt your overall productivity, customer satisfaction, and revenue potential. It pays to keep in mind Jack Welch’s “20-70-10” vitality model, according to which you categorize the top 20 per cent of employees, who are the most productive; the 70 per cent, who work adequately and are considered vital to the organization; and the remaining 10 per cent, the non-producers. This last group should be fired immediately. If you own an SMB, determine if you are making any of these mistakes. If the answer is yes, correct them ASAP. It might just make all the difference. CPL Ryan Caligiuri is the founder of Ryan Caligiuri International, a Winnipeg, Man.-based consulting firm for small to medium-sized enterprises; and also of The Growth Network, a mentoring program that teaches strategies and best practices. Visit www.ryancaligiuri.com for more information.

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GR IT T I I I DRY ITDRY IT DRY ITDRYDE IT www.canplastics.com April 2014 Canadian Plastics

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engineering resins

CHARGED and

READY

By Mark Stephen, editor

Sales of plug-in electric and hybrid electric vehicles are sluggish, but most automakers remain committed to bringing them to market as alternatives to gasoline-fueled cars. It’s a tough sell to skeptical consumers, but using the latest engineering resins to boost battery capabilities, improve product safety, and reduce overall vehicle weight definitely helps.

s any blackjack player could tell you, doubling down involves a big risk. But it’s one thing to chance it at the local casino for half a day’s pay, quite another when careers, reputations, and hundreds of millions of dollars are on the line. Automakers are doing just that, though, with plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Despite the fact that overall sales of PEVs and HEVs in North America haven’t lived up to their expectations nor politicians’ proclamations so far — the U.S. federal government forecasts that only one per cent of all new cars sold in 2014 will be of the plug-in electric variety, for example — the auto industry is betting the market will expand steadily as fuel prices remain high and consumers increasingly seek alternatives to internal combustion engines. Adoption forecasts vary (and we’ve summarized one of them at the bottom of pg. 13), but several industry forecasters predict that powersplit hybrids and full electrics could account for up to 25 per cent of global vehicle production by 2020. Analysts from the 10

glass half empty school, on the other hand, note the lack of progress to date and point to the overwhelming likelihood of almost every governmental electric car adoption target being missed between now and 2020. Taken as a whole, the resin manufacturing industry is on the fence, too. Germany’s second-biggest chemical company, Evonik Industries AG, is seeking a buyer for its battery activities, including a joint venture with Daimler AG. Six years ago, the company said it wanted to become Europe’s leading producer of lithium-ion battery components; fast forward to today and Evonik is abandoning the project. At the other end of the spectrum — and in a double down that would’ve made blackjack legend Ken Uston proud — BASF, Germany’s largest chemical maker, has made battery materials one of 10 areas it’s targeting for growth in 2014. But whether the cars stall in the marketplace or not, you can bet on at least two things. First, the number of vehicle models will increase from 20 to 60 or more by

Canadian Plastics April 2014 www.canplastics.com

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engineering resins

the middle of this decade. And second, materials and polymer science — chief among them engineering resins — will be critical in automakers’ quests to boost battery kilowatt-per-hour and power capabilities, improve product safety, and reduce overall vehicle weight. The good news? “Traditional engineering resins are well-suited for use in a wide variety of electric vehicle applications, and offer properties that can enable automakers to overcome some key challenges in vehicle electrification,” said Scott Fallon, general manager of automotive marketing with Sabic Innovative Plastics.

BATTERY OF IMPROVEMENTS Let’s start with the area of greatest challenge: the battery. Rechargeable batteries are usually the most expensive components of PEVs and HEVs, accounting for about half the retail cost of each vehicle. It’s also the vehicle’s core, in that its power capacity determines the driving range. But it’s not exactly as light as a feather — battery pack structures can weigh up to 300 kg on a mid-sized car — and this is a drawback that can undermine environmental benefits. “Because battery modules present a significant weight increase, one of the most important challenges is to find engineering resins that are less dense, to offset the added weight, while still structurally strong,” Fallon said. And they are indeed finding them. “Sabic’s Noryl resin addresses this challenge, and is being used today on vehicles like the 2013 Nissan Leaf,” Fallon continued. “Noryl resin, by design, has a lower density than other engineering resin materials like polyamides or nylon 6/6, and also exhibits low moisture absorption, a property which may allow for thinner wall design for even greater weight savings.” Similarly, DuPont’s Zytel HTN PPA resins and new Zytel PLUS nylon resins ChargePoint’s CT4021 Bollard Dual Charging Station, which uses Bayer MaterialScience’s Makrolon polycarbonates for the top cap, plug holsters, and front-facing panels. Photo Credit: Bayer MaterialScience LLC

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engineering resins

can offer up to 40 per cent lower mass in a PEV or HEV battery pack than aluminum, the company said, as well as the design freedom to enable parts integration and improve packaging to save space and component cost. Another battery-related challenge is that, unlike traditional automotive lead-acid batteries, higher energy density battery packs for PEVs and HEVs are composed of many separate battery cells — up to 200 in some cases — and the structure around these cells and their electronic control systems must maintain stringent dimensional stability. The problem? With so many Cross-sectional image of the Nissan Leaf. PEVs and HEVs turn to advanced plastics stacked components in limited spaces, even a to displace mass from their alternative powertrains and increase performance. little instability could potentially cause misfits, Image Credit: Sabic Innovative Plastics leakage, or possible damage due to limited clearlate is fires in battery packs that use lithium-ion. For example, ances. “Sabic’s Noryl and Noryl GTX resins — the latter a blend electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc. is currently awaiting of polyamide and PPE — offer lower initial mold shrink and results of a U.S. probe into crash-related battery fires — and warp, lower moisture uptake that minimizes dimensional and a February 2014 report of a fire happening in a Toronto mechanical property changes, and a lower and more stable coefgarage involving a PEV that wasn’t even plugged in for ficient of thermal expansion,” Fallon said. “These high-end recharging hasn’t helped. properties help keep the performance of the battery pack system The trouble stems from the fact that higher power and energy stable regardless of potential changes in environment such as density requirements in battery pack structures challenge the temperature, humidity, and load.” upper performance limits of some materials, which means they A much-publicized problem afflicting PEVs and HEVs of

Canadian Plastics April 2014 www.canplastics.com

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engineering resins

require protection from exposure to high voltage systems as well as electrical isolation and thermal conductivity — something neither metals nor plastics have been able to do alone. The fires are a public relations disaster that newer engineering resins might just alleviate. “Many automakers across the world are now using UL 94 — which is a plastic flammability standard set by Underwriters Laboratories — to qualify polymers for battery packs and related components, especially for battery packs that use lithium-ion,” Fallon said. “Flame tests under UL 94 are used to determine a material’s tendency to either extinguish or spread a flame once it has been ignited. Sabic’s Noryl resin meets the stringent flame retardant requirements of the UL 94V-0 rating.” Also, DuPont offers Energain separators for high performance lithium-ion batteries, which the company said can improve safety by providing stability at high temperatures, as well as increasing battery power 15 to 30 per cent and battery life by up to 20 per cent.

LIGHTEN UP Getting away from battery packs, it seems a safe bet that engineering resins will also play increasing roles in virtually every other aspect of PEV and HEV manufacturing. For example, BASF now offers its Ultradur HR polybutylene terephthalate with integrated flame retardancy and laser transparency, qualities that the company said make the material well-suited for PEV and HEV control housings and charging plugs. But the dominant need is for overall weight reduction. “Removing weight is critical to the auto industry in general, but even more so for electric and hybrid cars,” said Ignacio Osio, key growth program manager, polycarbonates, with Bayer Material Science LLC. “A wide variety of today’s engineering resins can be used throughout the vehicle — for trim, lighting, thermal management systems, hoses and tubing, interior components, and more. Anything that goes into the electric or hybrid car is going to be scrutinized by the automaker for weight savings.” A case in point is Nissan’s 2013 Leaf, the top-selling PEV in the world. The updated Nissan Leaf is 80 kg lighter than the

outgoing model, a reduction made possible by changes to the powertrain and integrated functions, a streamlined battery module and case structure, and the use of lighter parts — including up to 20 per cent weight savings for the terminal cover and spacer of the Leaf’s battery system through the use of Sabic’s Noryl resin. The finished PEVs and HEVs rolling down the highway are the end results — what we see. Less visible, but just as important, are the charging stations that give the vehicles their power. Located outdoors, and with cars backing towards them — and sometimes into them — they need to be rugged and able to withstand the elements. ChargePoint, the world’s largest network of PEV charging stations with over 15,000 charging locations and a 70 per cent market share, uses Bayer MaterialScience’s Makrolon 6487 polycarbonate for the top cap and plug holsters on its CT4021 Bollard Dual Charging Station, and Makrolon 6557 clear polycarbonate for the front-facing panels. The Makrolon 6487 polycarbonate was selected for its flame retardant UL 94V-0/1.5 mm and 5VA/3.0 mm ratings, Bayer MaterialScience said, and the Makrolon 6557 clear polycarbonate for its impact resistance, flame retardancy, and UL 94V-0/3.0 mm rating. Despite disappointing sales, these are still early days for PEVs and HEVs, and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not tomorrow’s consumers will overcome today’s concerns that zero-emission cars are too expensive, less efficient, and less practical than conventional gas and diesel vehicles. But most automakers are all in, at least for now, so expect them to demand more engineering resins for more and more vehicle parts. It’s all part of the high-stakes double down. CPL RESOURCE LIST BASF Canada (Mississauga, Ont.); www.basf.ca; 866-485-2273 Bayer MaterialScience LLC (Pittsburgh, Pa.); www.materialscience.bayer.us; 412-777-2000 E.I. DuPont Canada (Mississauga, Ont.); www.plastics.dupont.com; 905-821-5193 Sabic Innovative Plastics (Toronto); www.sabic-ip.com; 800-323-3783

ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES RACING TO 6.6 MILLION BY 2020: REPORT Hybrid vehicles may have had pole position so far in the race to a sustainable transportation future, but electric-only vehicles are about to pull even — and they’re both becoming a significant part of global vehicle sales. Combined worldwide sales of PEVs and HEVs will reach 6.6 million annual units by 2020 and become almost seven per cent of the total light-duty vehicle market, according to Boulder, Colo.-based Navigant Research’s 2013-2020 Electric Vehicle Market Forecast. Several factors are fueling this growth, including consumer demand for less

expensive operational costs compared to gasoline-powered vehicles, consistent government policy, multiple new models from major automakers, and lower battery prices. Three different types of electric vehicles fall under Navigant’s forecast: PEVs, HEVs, and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), which only use electricity from the grid. But while the three types of vehicles may have major differences in how they’re powered, a unique combination of factors means they all have one thing in common — they’re about to see a global sales boom. Under Navigant’s outlook, HEVs will

grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5 per cent, while PEVs will sell at a 31.9 per cent CAGR, and BEVs increase at a 31.5 per cent CAGR over the next seven years. As always, favorable economics are the prime ingredient for market expansion. Gasoline prices are projected to increase at a 7.2 per cent CAGR between 2013 and 2020, while HEV and PEV battery pack prices are expected to decrease 10 per cent and 26 per cent respectively by 2020 as advanced research unlocks battery innovations.

www.canplastics.com April 2014 Canadian Plastics

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PROFILES IN

NEW TECHNOLOGY The essentials on the latest product offerings

PELLETIZING OF PVC AND THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS In PVC pelletizing, counterrotating twin-screw extruders with “EMS” technology from battenfeld-cincinnati are wellsuited for flexible pelletizing of rigid and soft PVC with outputs of up to 1.800 kg per hour — and at the 2013 K Show in Germany, battenfeld-cincinnati showcased its optimized machine concepts for quality PVC reclaim, particularly in the area of PVC window recycling. The “EMS” electric-powered back pressure gap adjustment facility serves to control and influence the attributes of the melt, such as melt pressure and temperature, degree of plasticization, and material degassing. In addition, the company offers conventional, counter-rotating twin screw extruders as an alternative for standard PVC dryblends with an output of up to 1300 kg per hour. In this case, the screw design is optimized for the individual PVC formulation. For pelletizing thermoplastic materials (PE, PET, PP, PS, PA, PC, and ABS), meanwhile, battenfeld-cincinnati offers singlescrew extruders with smooth or grooved feed zones in combination with barrier screws or degassing screws. This machine concept offers the benefit of superior dispersion performance, high flexibility, and a smooth and trouble-free melt exit. battenfeld-cincinnati USA (McPherson, Kan.); www.battenfeld-cincinnati.com/usa; 620-241-6843

PROTECTING, EXTENDING TUBING LIFE The Multi-Mono extrusion tooling line from Guill Tool is designed to satisfy growing market demand for increased product burst strength in medical tubing, irrigation hoses, automotive fuel lines, pipes, and more. The Multi-Mono is available in two options. “The first is hose or tubing with greater burst strength using the least amount of material possible, by eliminating the weld lines, while still meeting product requirements,” said Bill Conley, Guill’s technical sales manager. “The second option is keeping the same polymer 14

material specifications used previously with the Multi-Mono tooling design to create enhanced burst strength and a longer lasting product. Both options achieve considerable cost savings and superior value throughout the life of the extruded product.” The Guill Multi-Mono is available in both a crosshead and an inline die, and the newest addition is a variant that’s able to fit within the confines of a multi-material die, providing the die with layers overlapping per the individual material. “The indexing of the weld lines is critical to enhancing the layer’s physical properties, and this ensures that no weld lines exist when extruding multimaterial products, even on an individual layer basis,” Conley said. Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Inc. (Warwick, R.I.); www.guilltool.com; 401-828-7600

PRECISE CUTS FOR SMALL-BORE MEDICAL TUBING A new traveling planetary cutter (TPC) from The Conair Group allows producers of small-diameter medical tubing to automate cut-to-length operations and increase productivity without worrying about cut-quality or particulate contamination. Unlike a rotary fly-knife cutter, which chops through tubing in one quick slice, the planetary knife rotates around the tubing, gradually penetrating the wall to yield a precise, square cut without the shattering, whitening or distortion that commonly occurs with other cutting methods. “A rotary cutter can automate online cutting of many resins, but for more brittle materials like crystal polystyrene, HDPE, and highly-filled resins, processors concerned about getting a clean, square end cut had to resort to manual operations,” said Chris Weinrich, Conair’s downstream extrusion manager. “The Conair TPC units bring the cutting of even difficult resins online without sacrificing quality, for tubing as small as 0.080 inches in diameter, while holding cut-to-length tolerances of ±0.015 inches.”

Canadian Plastics April 2014 www.canplastics.com

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©Toa55/Getty Images/Thinkstock

pipe & profile extrusion

©Toa55/Getty Images/Thinkstock

pipe & profile extrusion

Cutting speed and force are controlled by adjusting the rotational speed of the cutter head; rotation is servo-controlled for precision; guarding is made of clear polycarbonate, allowing for full observation of the cutting process; and a front-mounted touchscreen control allows an operator to start and stop the cutter, adjust table travel velocity, blade velocity profiles and scale factors, and store process recipes for easy recall. The Conair Group (Cranberry Township, Pa.); www.conairgroup.com; 724-584-5500 D ier International Plastics; (Unionville, Ont.); www.dierinternational.com; 416-219-0509 Industries Laferriere (Mascouche, Que.); www.industrieslaferriere.ca; 450-477-8880

ENERGY SAVINGS (WITH FREE HEAT BENEFIT FOR YOUR PLANT) American Kuhne has introduced an energy-efficient new extruder model, the E3, which is designed to offer an energy savings potential of between 10 per cent and 15 per cent over conventional units. “The energy savings derive in large part from the drive system — a direct drive, permanent magnet motor — which alone represents a substantial savings,” said Bernadette Marti, the company’s regional sales manager for Canada. “And with a lot of older extruders out there, it’s also feasible to upgrade existing DC extruders with this technology.”

Other features included with the E3 model are a low friction/ low loss gearbox, a unique water-/air-cooled feed section with no plant water required, backdraft barrel cooling, and a full PLC-controlled touchscreen software system. “A useful side effect of the backdraft barrel cooling is that the heat that’s pulled away from the barrel zones can be ducted elsewhere within the building to help heat it in the winter months, or otherwise vented to the outside of the building to prevent contributing to the hot air supply from machinery in the summer months,” Marti said. “The entire E3 package is cooled via a single turbine blower — barrel zones, feed section, and cabinet.” American Kuhne Inc. (Ashaway, R.I.); www.americankuhne.com; 401-326-6200

COMBO CLEAT PULLER/SAW MACHINE SAVES SPACE

A new combination cleat puller and saw machine from Custom Downstream Systems Inc. puts two separate pieces of downstream extrusion equipment on a single frame, saving floor space and facilitating an easy setup.

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pipe & profile extrusion

“The unit, which is available in several standard sizes, has a puller and saw built on a common frame,” said Antonio Pecora, the company’s vice president of sales and business development. “The PLC touchscreen control is shared between the two units, with the speed of the saw automatically adjusting to changes in the speed of the puller. And the saw immediately follows the puller, which saves valuable real estate by shortening the extrusion line by a few feet, without sacrificing any of the features of a standard CDS machine.” The combo unit is particularly well-suited for profile extrusion, Pecora added, and can handle most commodity materials, PVC and HDPE primarily. “The controls, digital speed indicator, and inline inducer are custom-made depending on the material of the finished parts and other customer specifications,” Pecora said. Custom Downstream Systems Inc. (Lachine, Que.); www.cdsmachines.com; 877-633-1993

dsX TECHNOLOGY HANDLES A RANGE OF PROCESSES Davis-Standard LLC has recently introduced its dsX technology for several types of processes. The new dsX flex-pack extrusion coating line (pictured) pro-

vides converters and printers with a pre-engineered system that will give them advantages in the price-sensitive global flexible packaging market. The system is aimed at a range of packaging applications including salted snack and noodle bags, toothpaste tubes, sachet packs for personal care products, condiment packs, and stand-up pouches. The company’s dsX pre-stretch cast film extrusion line for cast film is said to be the first inline pre-stretch system, allowing customers to run thinner films at higher speeds to produce quality pre-stretch film with greater efficiency and consistency. The preengineered line is two meters wide, and comes with both five- and seven-layer options. Finally, the ultra-compact dsX med-tube is designed for medical tubing. It offers a smaller footprint for cleanrooms, and language-specific control systems. A co-extruder arrangement allows for processing materials ranging from PP to fluorinated ethylene polypropylene by changing feedscrews. Systems are available for single lumen, multi-lumen, IV catheter, corrugated drainage, integrated bump tubing, and multi-layer tubing. Davis-Standard LLC (Pawcatuck, Conn.); www.davis-standard.com; 860-599-1010 Auxiplast Inc. (Ste-Julie, Que.); www.auxiplast.com; 866-922-2894

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pipe & profile extrusion

SEVEN-LAYER PIPEHEAD FOR MULTI-FUNCTIONAL PIPES The demand for complex pipes with a number of functional layers is on the rise, and KraussMaffei Berstorff has responded with its intelligent pipehead system, which produces up to seven layers. “The pipehead’s modular design comprises between two and seven radial distributors with various spiral inflows,” said Matt Sieverding, general manager of the KraussMaffei Berstorff brand at KraussMaffei Corporation. “As a result, we can achieve the lowest possible tolerances in the production of each individual layer — this allows material consumption to be reduced in expensive, thin layers such as barrier or adhesion-promoting layers.” Other benefits? “The modular design principle allows the processing system to be adapted quickly, for example from producing seven layers to producing five or three layers,” Sieverding continued. “Moreover, improved flow-channel technology leads to short flushing times.” KraussMaffei Corporation (Florence, Ky.); www.kraussmaffei.com; 859-283-0200

COUNTER-ROTATING UNIT FOR SMALLER APPS Milacron Extrusion Systems recently expanded its line of TP series parallel twin screw extruders to include the TP75, a machine

with a smaller, 75 mm screw diameter. Suitable for profile, pipe, and wood-plastic composites, the TP75 comes standard with an energy-efficient AC motor and drive and active screw oil cooling for precise process control. Available options include an environmentally friendly dry vacuum pump, tungsten screws, and matching barrel for reduced maintenance. With the TP75, the series now includes five models meeting throughput needs of up to 500 kg per hour. The TP75 extrudes smaller products while still offering minimal screw deflection to optimize the homogeneity of the melt and maximize the productivity of the extruder. “Previously, smaller pipe and profile applications would have required a conical twin screw machine,” said Mike Puhalla, Milacron’s general manager of global extrusion. “Now, PVC, woodplastic composites, and other materials can be processed on this smaller parallel twin screw unit.” TP75 features include air- and oil-cooled barrels with optional gearbox oil quality monitoring, and a high-wear package with a tungsten screw and barrel. A longer 33:1 L/D option is also available, as well as Torque Master gearbox with internal oil cooling. Milacron Extrusion Systems (Batavia, Ohio); www.milacron.com; 513-536-2000 CPL

www.canplastics.com April 2014 Canadian Plastics

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chillers

By Mark Stephen, editor

CENTRAL or PORTABLE?

How to choose wisely

Regardless of your industry and process, making sure that you have sufficient cooling is critical to optimal performance. Don’t believe there’s much difference between types of chilling equipment? Think again. If you want to get it right the first time, there are a number of variables you’d better take into consideration.

Decisions, decisions: a central chilling system (above) and a portable (below). Photo Credits: Mokon

ver notice how many things seem to come in twos? Scotch and soda, Hatfields and McCoys, and Batman and Robin all come to mind. What about chillers? In a way, yes. A heat-transfer device that uses mechanical refrigeration to remove heat from a process load and transfers the heat to the environment, chillers are used by plastics processors when they need a lower process fluid temperature than a simpler system, such as an evaporative cooling tower, can provide. And in a sense, they do come in twos, in that there are two types available: portable chillers and central chillers. Portable chillers are typically smaller in capacity (30 tons or less), simpler in overall design, and lower in installed cost; equipped with caster wheels, they are easy to move, easy to connect, and easy to power up. Central chillers are generally larger in capacity, more complex in design, and require more complex controls, automation, and instrumentation in order to operate, and also a greater amount of dedicated plumbing to circulate coolant throughout the plant. And as a subset, there are also two types of chiller condensers: air-cooled and water-cooled. So how does a plastics processing shop that doesn’t have a chilling system select the right process cooling equipment for their needs? It might sound simple but there are a number of variables to take into consideration. “The first step is to calculate the total cooling requirements of the

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plant,” said Tom Benson, vice president of sales and marketing with Thermal Care Inc. “This should include the heat generated by the process itself, but don’t overlook other areas in the plant that might require cooling, including hydraulic cooling, air compressors and possibly even the HVAC system. The desired temperature for optimal cooling then needs to be determined for each cooling point. Usually 85°F is sufficient for hydraulics and air compressors, while depending on the process, you may need anywhere from -30°F to 500°F.” This is also the time to apply some honest foresight. ”The processors have to ask themselves where they envision their plant being in the foreseeable future,” said Mike Sinclair, regional sales manager with Berg Chilling Systems Inc. “Are they going to be installing chilling equipment as part of a long-range plan for multiple processing machines, or simply for one line that will have a finite life period and then be gone? Making a hasty decision without taking future needs into consideration can come back to haunt them later on.”

LOADED QUESTION Once all this information is compiled, it’s time to start evaluating what type of equipment will be best for the application and will work best in the plant. The most important criteria to consider include total cooling load, upfront and total operating costs, floor space, processing performance, the environment the chilling equipment will be in, and maintenance. The obvious decision to be made upfront is whether it makes more sense to have a dedicated chiller for each machine or whether a plant-wide system makes more sense. The second decision — because things tend to come in twos, remember? — is whether an air-cooled or watercooled chiller is the right choice. There’s some disagreement in the industry as to the point at which the total cooling load will dictate, by definition, that a central chiller be used instead of portable units. “Central chillers make sense if the total chilling requirement is 20 tons or more and there are at least three machines that need cooling, all using the same temperature water,” said Tom Benson. “Otherwise a portable chiller will be the correct choice.” Not so fast, others say. “There is a natural cut-off beyond which you really cannot use a portable chiller, but it depends on the offering by the manufacturer,” said Alan D’Ettorre, engineering manager for Mokon. “Mokon offers portable chillers up to 40 tons cooling capacity, although air-cooled units of this kind will definitely introduce a lot of heat into the plant — and some customers will want that heat and others won’t. For those that don’t, duct flange kits are available that give the processor the ability to reroute the hot air on a portable chiller system either outdoors or to another part of the plant that won’t hinder employee comfort.” And there’s definitely room for a third point of view. “As a

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rule, if 80 per cent or more of a plant’s materials are processed within a ±5°F temperature range, a central chilling system will meet the need while requiring less operating tonnage, less floor space, and likely less daily maintenance than numerous portable units,” said Tim Miller, product manager, heat transfer, with The Conair Group. “If, on the other hand, the materials processed have widely different temperature requirements, properly sized portable chillers may be more effective.”

MONEY MATTERS Moving on to installation and operating costs, these are obviously not to be taken lightly in these tough economic times. There’s also more harmony among the process cooling experts about chiller installation and maintenance expenses. “There’s almost always a greater installation cost for a central system than for beside-the-press chillers, because of the more complex instrumentation required and work done internally for such things as dedicated plumbing, which is why it’s usually done by an independent installation company,” said Jean-Francois Continelli, sales and service manager with AEC representative Auxiplast Inc. “Portable chiller installations can typically be done by inhouse maintenance personnel.” And in the longer term? “Since a portable chiller must be selected for the largest cooling requirement of the machine it’s cooling, and since portable chillers are only available in specific sizes, it’s invariably oversized for the application, thus costing more to operate,” said Tom Benson. “For this reason, portable chillers are probably more expensive to operate than a central chiller in cost per ton, especially since central chillers have different methods of providing less capacity at a reduced energy cost, making them even more efficient at reduced loads. On the other hand, purchasing portable chillers allows you to buy only what you need for now — and if your plans change in the future, you haven’t spent money for cooling capacity that is no longer necessary or purchased cooling that won’t meet your requirements.” A final cost-related factor revolves around the process fluid used by the chilling system. “If a central system will be located outdoors, it will require using a glycol mixture in freezing conditions,” Benson said. “Besides the initial cost of the glycol, there’s the additional cost of maintaining a glycol system and disposal.”

ON THE FLOOR Floor space is at a premium in most plants, and this can also play a factor in chiller selection. “Portable chillers are located close to the process on the production floor, taking up valuable space that could be used for other equipment or more primary equipment,” said Giorgio Santella, global marketing director with Piovan. “Central chillers, on the other hand, can be located in a centralized location

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such as an equipment room or outdoors and vided and/or temperature stability is not a diverted to feed multiple chillers.” major concern. Central chillers can only Proper flow and pressure are crucial provide one temperature for all of the varfactors for optimal processing, and there- ious processes, and without proper system fore important factors in chiller selection balancing it’s quite common for one proas well. “Central systems are ideal for cess to use too much water while another Advertiser: Haremar ‘brute force’ cooling, while portables are process is starved for water. Portable Publication: Canadian ideal for fine temperature andPlastics flow con-- April chillerIssue manufacturers will design a chiller trol,” Tom Benson said. “Central systems specifically for a customer’s requirements, Specs: Half Page Ad - 4.5” x 7.5” areContact: ideal whenSteve the water temperature proso if temperature accuracy and stability is Lendt, 416-598-7588 slendt@motumb2b.com

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critical to the process, a portable chiller may be a better solution.” From the maintenance angle, it’s not exactly a breaking news story that downtime is a concern in any plant; and when comparing multiple portable chillers — which afford multiple chances for mechanical failure — against only one central chilling system, Murphy’s Law might work in favour of the latter. “With individual portables, if a portable fails, that machine is down unless a spare portable chiller is available and then it takes time to move it into place and connect it,” Benson said. “With a central system, the pumping system is designed with built-in standby pumps for quick switchover in the event of a failure, and the chiller itself can be oversized with an extra compressor for built-in standby. Many central chilling systems have the ability for remote diagnostics that enable quick evaluation and resolution of an issue should a problem develop.”

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Finally, regardless of whether they select a portable chiller or a central chiller, the processor still needs to determine if they want one with an air-cooled condenser or a water-cooled condenser. What’s the big diff? “Air-cooled condensers use a motorized blower to force air across a grid of refrigerant lines, and usually require ambient temperatures of 95°F or below to operate effectively,” said Tim Miller. “Watercooled condensers perform the same function, but require two steps to complete heat transfer: first, heat moves from refrigerant vapour into the condenser water; second, the warm condenser water is pumped to a cooling tower where the process heat is discharged into the atmosphere.” And how can these differences affect chiller selection? “Air-cooled chillers require fewer components to build and operate than water-cooled units, require less support equipment and plumbing, and are easier and faster to install,” Miller continued. “Water-cooled chillers require a secondary cooling source, usually a cooling tower, to provide water to the chiller.” It comes back, again, to the processor’s long-range plan for the plant. “Water cooling involves a higher initial investment, but if the processor can afford to make that investment, a water-cooled chiller system

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might be the more economical choice in the long run, because the condenser cooling provided by tower water is less expensive than the electrically driven fan used on an air-cooled system,” said Giorgio Santella. “On the other hand, all watercooled systems consume significant amounts of water due to evaporation, purging, and bleeding, so if water cost, quality, and conservation Canadian Plastics are of concern, an aircooled chiller may be the better choice.”

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And there’s a final consideration. While central air-cooled chillers are typically located outside, most portable air-cooled chillers are indoors and send a stream of warm air directly from the condenser fan to the plant floor. “This can be beneficial in winter months, but if the plant is air conditioned, it can be a definite disadvantage,” said Alan D’Ettorre. “In those cases, the processor will either want to locate the chiller outside of the air conditioned area or possibly outside of the building.”

In the end, both portable and central chillers have their strong points. “The key advantage of a central chiller system is the ability to offer flexibility in handling varying process loads at a lower electrical consumption while taking advantage of the process diversity to handle the load with less overall tonnage,” said Tim Miller. “A great benefit of portables is that they provide a convenient ‘plug and play’ capability when and where they’re needed, and are well-suited for use on processes where the loading remains consistent, day after day, and the process load is closely matched to the chiller’s rated capacity.” But in order to choose wisely, it’s best not to go it alone. “Before the processor does anything else, they should consult at least one, and probably more, reputable providers to help clarify and quantify plant requirements, as well as all the intangibles, that determine the final decision,” said Mike Sinclair. Turns out even that comes in twos. CPL

RESOURCE LIST AEC Inc. (Schaumburg, Ill.); www.aecinternet.com; 847-273-7700 EquiPlas (Markham, Ont.); 416-407-5456 Auxiplast Inc. (Ste-Julie, Que.); www.auxiplast.com; 866-922-2894 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 (Buffalo, N.Y.); www.mokon.com; 716-876-9951 En-Plas Inc. (Toronto); www.en-plasinc.com; 416-286-3030

Piovan Canada (Mississauga, Ont.); www.piovan.com; 905-629-8822

Thermal Care Inc. (Niles, Ill.); www.thermalcare.com; 847-966-2260 Tantus Corporation (Pickering, Ont.); www.tantuscorp.com; 647-258-9657 D Cube (Montreal); www.dcube.ca; 514-831-5623

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STARTING SMALL Family-owned since 1956, Amherst, N.S.-based PolyCello is one of Canada’s largest and leading flexographic packaging companies, running 10 flexographic presses and employing 385 workers between its 200,000-square-foot production facility in Amherst and a second 75,000-square-foot printing facility in Belleville, Ont. Started by P.G. Emmerson in 1956 as a modest polyethylene and cellophane packaging converter with six employees and one printing press, PolyCello is now led by a third generation of the family, president and CEO Stephen Emmerson, who has guided the company towards enough awards to keep that other Nova Scotia overachiever

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525 East 525 East Stop 525 East Stop 18 Road Stop 18 Road 18 Road Greenwood, Greenwood, Greenwood, IN 46142 IN 46142 IN 46142 317.887.0729 317.887.0729 317.887.0729 • fax:• 317.881.1277 fax:• 317.881.1277 fax: 317.881.1277 www.AdvantageEngineering.com www.AdvantageEngineering.com www.AdvantageEngineering.com

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Sydney Crosby happy for life. The firm has been named as a Gold Standard winner of Canada’s Best Managed Companies program for having received the award for five years in a row, repeatedly been awarded for product innovation and technical excellence by the Flexographic Technical Association, been certified by the environmentally focused Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, won a Family Enterprise of the Year Award for Nova Scotia, and has most recently been named to the list of Nova Scotia’s Top Employers of 2014 and Atlantic Canada’s Top Employers of 2014. PolyCello offers start-to-finish services including extrusion, printing, laminating, graphics, plate-making, and converting. In-house capabilities include marketing support, prepress and graphics expertise, and logistics solutions. The company makes packaging for the food industry — including frozen vegetables, fruit, seafood, potatoes, and pet food — and also for clients in the towel and tissue, and lawn and garden markets.

“

We’re not a typical location that you would expect to be serving a large North American market. Our company has had to invest heavily in both its people and its technology to be able to compete from this distance.

“

KEEPING IT TOGETHER

It’s not easy to keep a third-generation family business together in a world of rapid change, but PolyCello has managed to remain on the cutting edge of technology for 58 years while staying employee-focused at the same time — not to mention financially successful. The company has grown 10 per cent per year since 2006, with an annual average growth of 10 to 14 per cent per year for almost 20 years. “One of the keys to our success is that we continually invest in equipment to address current and projected capacity,” said Stephen Emmerson. “We’re not a typical location that you would expect to be serving a large North American market. Our company has had to invest heavily in both its people and its technology to be able to compete from this distance.” To that end as well, the Belleville plant was purchased in the fall of 2006 to increase capacity and assist in the company’s expan28

sion into central and western North America. A more recent acquisition is a 10-color VistaFlex flexographic press from Windmoeller & Hoelscher. Installed in the Amherst plant, the press is part of PolyCello’s ongoing $10 million capital expansion, helped by a $7.1 million repayable loan from the province of Nova Scotia. “The new press allows us to continue to grow, better meet customer demand for smaller print runs, and expand into new export markets,” Emmerson said. “When the company first started, our clients tended to be in the Maritimes and Quebec, but we now have major clients throughout North America, from the Pacific region down into the southern U.S.” New product development has also been vital in helping PolyCello to help those clients sell product. Investment in the company’s Innovation and R&D department has resulted in a major boost to business over the past few years, Emmerson said, and such spending will continue in the future. The department has grown from a one-person operation to an eight-person department, and is supported by a full technical lab to help develop new packaging concepts. Another investment has been in environmental controls implementation. “Our team meets regularly to determine methodologies for dealing with waste products and curbing emissions,” Emmerson said. “We continually assess every aspect of our operations to identify opportunities to further reduce our environmental footprint.” The company currently provides two primary environmentally progressive forms of packaging under its MicroPack steamable and SmartPack recyclable brands. According to Emmerson, SmartPack packaging replaces millions of landfill-bound laminated products. The company also uses VOC-free lamination, and an inline electron beam-cured, solventless coating process.

DOWN HOME TOUCHES Polycello’s many investments have paid off in spades, with the employees — 300 in Amherst and 85 in Belleville — currently working in shifts around the clock to keep up with demand. And it’s this team of dedicated, longtime workers that Emmerson credits as the biggest source of the company’s strength. “Our product lines require a highly trained workforce,” Emmerson said. “Most training is done inhouse, and the orientation period for employees lasts up to two weeks, during which time we take them through the whole facility so they can learn how everything works.” And while the latte sippers in Canada’s urban centres might regard PolyCello’s location in rural Nova Scotia as a drawback, Emmerson sees it as a source of strength. “Our workforce is very stable since we don’t have competition down the road tempting our employees away, which can be a problem in metropolitan areas such as Toronto and Montreal,” he said. “For this same reason, the workers we hire haven’t been trained at other local converting companies, because there

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1 866 922-AUXI [2894] info@auxiplast.com 2041, LĂŠonard de Vinci, Ste-Julie, Quebec J3E 1Z2 www.auxiplast.com

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ADDing

||SOLUTIONS|

“

We really do believe that the family that plays together stays together, and this attitude is perhaps the biggest factor of our success.

“

aren’t any. But as long as a person has the right attitude to fit into our culture, we’ll teach them to do the job. And they want to work with us because we’re seen as leaders in our industry. The wide variety of awards PolyCello has received says as much about our workforce as about our management, so we celebrate all of our wins and share the recognition among all of our employees.” Employee contributions are recognized in other ways, as well. Workers with children starting university can apply for one of three bursaries handed out by PolyCello every year, to a maximum of $2,500 a child. Students who don’t receive the bursary can get an interest-free forgivable loan from the company to help offset university expenses. “All the student has to do is pass their year and the loan is completely forgivable,” Emmerson said. “They don’t have to pay it back.” The company also promotes good employee health, even paying for workers to join local gyms or fitness programs. They also share in PolyCello’s success through a profit-sharing plan, and are encouraged to save for the future with contributions to a defined benefit or defined contribution pension plan, which the company matches.

The team-building aspect of the job doesn’t end on the plant floor, either. PolyCello maintains an active social committee made up of employee volunteers. The committee plans out a number of events throughout the year, including paintball competitions, bowling nights, a Christmas party, and summer barbecues. “We’re a family here,” Emmerson explained. “It sounds like a cliché, but we really do believe that the family that plays together stays together, and this attitude is perhaps the biggest factor of our success.” CPL

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IN-MOLD SENSOR STRATEGIES A one-day workshop that will demystify choosing and using in-mold sensors! Appropriately placed cavity pressure sensors provide an ideal source of information to optimize the injection molding process. Both injection molders and moldmakers will benefit from this workshop. Injection molders will gain key information for manufacturing dimensionally and structurally consistent parts. Moldmakers also need basic knowledge on the benefits of pressure sensors, options of styles and placement with the mold. The adding of value to customers in important in today’s competitive environment.

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technology showcase

AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT

Vacuum receiver with pneumatic dump valve Flexicon Corporation has introduced a new vacuum receiver with a pneumatically-actuated dump valve for dilute phase pneumatic conveying systems. Constructed of stainless steel, the vacuum receiver features a rugged, clamp-together design that facilitates rapid, tool-free disassembly for filter cleaning and maintenance. The modular design permits the addition of cylinder segments for increased holding volume. The flap-type dump valve is actuated by a pneumatic cylinder via manual contact closure, or programmable controls based on weight gain, elapsed time, or other userdefined parameters. Unlike conventional filter receivers that employ multiple small filter elements, this unit employs a single, large diameter filter cartridge facilitating rapid filter changes, and automatic reverse pulse jet cleaning of the filter element to maintain conveying efficiency during operation. Flexicon vacuum receivers separate solids from the air stream using filter media and gravity, and are generally specified when materials contain smaller particles that are prone to dusting and/or when dust containment is a primary requirement. The new filter receiver handles a wide range of capacities, but is particularly suited to high volume applications above storage vessels, or process equipment such as blenders and bulk bag fillers. Flexicon Corporation (Bethlehem, Pa.); www.flexicon.com; 888-353-9426 Rate Technology Systems Ltd. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.ratetechnology.com; 905-607-3240

Precise temperature control through water-cooled circulator Designed to enable precise temperature control and accessibility to the operator, the IMS Hydra watercooled circulator from IMS Company is constructed to maximize operational lifespan and easeof-use. Manufactured with durable components, the IMS Hydra uses stainless steel for the majority of its build, 32

including the one-horsepower pump and 14 gallon tank. The use of glycol in conjunction with this stainless steel temperature controller virtually eliminates rust and other longterm issues related to water use. Additionally, the tank style design keeps cooling water and process water separated, increasing the unit’s longevity and upholding the clarity of small water passageways. Utilizing a high-speed digital PID temperature controller with a 9kW heating element allows accuracy in your process water at a ±1°F variance. Also, circulating 30 gallons per minute at an 88 ft head (38 psi) enables a temperature range from slightly above plant water temperature up to 250°F, an essential for many manufacturing shops. The Hydra water circulator has an open construction design to provide easy maintenance access and decrease process downtime. And because the IMS water-cooled temperature controller has a compact layout, it occupies less floor space, while remaining portable with mounted casters. IMS Company (Chagrin Falls, Ohio); www.imscompany.com; 800-537-5375

Vertical incline conveyor saves space The new DynaCon 90o vertical incline conveyor from Dynamic Conveyor offers space savings for moving parts to higher elevations, making it well-suited for crowded manufacturing facilities, growing operations, or new facilities. The DynaCon vertical incline conveyor can be custom designed to a desired height, and includes widths ranging from four inches to 60 inches. The low-cost conveyor can include an optional hopper designed to meet desired parts conveying needs, and optional casters are available to make the system easy to move in and away from other equipment. Dynamic Conveyor Corporation (Muskegon, Mich.); www.dynamicconveyor.com; 800-640-6850 Plastics Machinery Inc. (Newmarket, Ont.); www.pmiplastics.com; 905-895-5054

INJECTION MOLDING

MuCell super critical fluid dosing and delivery system A state-of-the-art gas delivery and dosing system, the T-Series SCF (Super Critical Fluid) delivery system from Trexel Inc. converts gaseous CO2 or nitrogen into a super critical fluid for dosing and injection into the plastizicing

Canadian Plastics April 2014 www.canplastics.com

CPL Apr14 p32-37 Tech Show.indd 32

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technology showcase unit of an injection molding machine, creating a lower density microcellular material structure in the molded plastic part. Designed to replace the current Series II system, the T-Series eliminates any need for hardware mounted on the injection unit (so no interface kit is required), and significantly extends the seal life on the booster pumps while reducing energy consumption. The new controls on the T-Series are greatly simplified, and only require shot weight and percentage of SCF content — the system calculates everything else and optimizes SCF delivery during screw recovery. While the old system control was static, the new system control is dynamic and automatically responds to changes in molding parameters to consistently deliver the exact required dose of SCF. The new system includes a 15-inch PC-based graphical touchscreen user interface with graphical diagnostic screens, historical data collection, and output via a USB port. The standard T-Series version is configured for nitrogenbased super critical fluid, but an available option allows molders to process either nitrogen or CO2. There is also an option available for inline detection of nitrogen purity in the

gas supply line, assuring nitrogen purity requirements are met, especially in developing markets. Trexel Inc. (Wilmington, Mass.); www.trexel.com; 781-932-0202

Drive system offers energy-efficient molding The activeDrive system on the Systec hydraulic series injection molding machines from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH is designed to make possible a reduction in energy usage of up to 60 per cent compared with standard hydraulic units, depending on the application. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag offers its multifunction machine Systec at a clamping force from 350 to 1,200 kN with a fully hydraulic clamping unit, and from 1,600 to 20,000 kN with a toggle clamping unit. Numerous production-efficient building blocks are available for the Systec, which support the processor in the realisation of the best possible production efficiency.

annoUncing

October 23, 2014 Ciociaro Club, Oldcastle, ON.

Windsor Mold

Expo

A tabletop show and dinner. Show hours: 2-7 pm Dinner: 7-9 pm www.windsorMoldexpo.coM

Keynote dinner speaker: automotive market expert, Laurie Harbour, Harbour Results Inc. Windsor Mold Expo will attract regional buying influences from Southwestern Ontario and Michigan – moldmakers, molders and OEMs. The co-located show Metalworking Manufacturing & Production Expo will attract manufacturers, job shops, maintenance, tool rooms, automotive, transportation and tool & die making professionals.

Why YoU should exhibit

• Meet face-to-face with YOUR customers, at a time when the moldmaking market is on the upswing. • Promote your products to an engaged audience. • FREE admission invitations to over 20,000 professionals, through the mailing lists of Canadian Plastics magazine, Canadian Metalworking magazine, and Canadian Association of Moldmakers. • FREE PARKING and convenient location near a concentration of mold shops encourages attendance.

Organized by Canadian Plastics

Endorsed By: