Injection Moulding Asia Technology News
resin, a new PA66 resin with improved heat ageing properties, which can be positioned in applications that are challenging the limits of conventional nylon 6.6. While approximately 45% of Invista’s PA66 compounded products go into the automotive market, the company also sells to consumer and E&E markets. Since the business was launched in 2009, Invista has used a network of compounders to support its operations. It says this allows it to speed its products to market. Now, with a business presence in the US, South America, Europe and Asia, the US firm is pursuing the second phase of its development: investing in compounding capabilities of its own. It is in the process of building a nylon 6.6 intermediates and polymer plant in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park with production to start up in phases beginning in 2014.
Large machines for automotive parts
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erman firm KraussMaffei has extended its dual platen machine line with the GX series that features the GearX locking device and the GuideX guide shoe. Available in six machines, ranging from 400 to 650 tonnes, the GX is targeted at the automotive and consumer goods sectors. The company says that with the GuideX guide shoe, forces are ideally absorbed and the service life of the moulds is increased. Besides being an eye-catching design, it allows for platen parallelism due to the stable design. The GearX locking system is arranged in a space-saving way behind the moving mould fixing platen. KraussMaffei says its proven screw system is also installed. It is able to process PC, PMMA, PET, PC/PBT blends and is supported by an in-line injection unit, which has a rotary piston design and transmits force centrally via the injection piston to the screw to allow for precision and reproducibility. This is rounded up by the MC6 control system, equipped with an Eco optimum setting and the new SplitScreen technology that displays production processes. The integrated ProcessDesigner tool presents all current processes in visual terms and enables modifications, depending on requirements, by means of simple drag-and-drop movements or wiping movements.
In the new machine, the GearX locking system is arranged in a space-saving way behind the moving mould fixing platen
A GX 550-4300 was delivered to WAFA Kunststofftechnik in Augsburg in October 2011.
Invista pursues growth in China
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he world’s largest producer of PA6.6 polymer, Invista unveiled its Torzen resin at Chinaplas, with the aim to further expand its presence. This comes against the back of growing company sales in compounding resin while prime feedstock sales in Asia Pacific region have grown several-fold in the past 18 months, says the firm. In order to help its customers simplify their operations, Invista says it has introduced a range of global compounded products to its engineering polymers portfolio, enabling the use of a few products in manufacturing multiple applications. In China, it introduced the Torzen Marathon
Industry News
Yamaha zooms into India
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apanese motorcycle maker Yamaha Motor is building a new assembly plant in Chennai, India, with an investment of US$280 million over five years. It is among the several Japanese companies that are taking advantage of the strong currency to diversify and expand their operations overseas. To start up by 2014, the facility will produce 1.8 million motorcycles/year from 2018.
In lieu with this development, the company, which reported a drop in its January-March quarter net profit of 11.52 billion yen from 13.43 billion yen during the same quarter period in the previous year, predicts that motorcycle sales in India could reach 25 million units/year. It already has a motorcycle parts and assembly plant in Northern India, where it is planning on increasing production from 600,000 units to 1 million by 2018.
Tie-up for carbon fibre
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olymer materials supplier PolyOne has entered into an agreement with Italy-based Xenia Unipersonale in the development and production of carbonfibre-reinforced polymer compounds for metal and thermoset replacement. As part of this cooperation, US-based PolyOne will offer customers design and prototyping assistance to speed their projects to market. Xenia says its carbon fibre-reinforced Xecarb materials are already in use in racing and sport components and in mechanical parts. The product line consists of eight grades, ranging in loading from 2030%, with nylon, TPU, PPS, and PEKK base resins.
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Wittmann growing in India
Industry News
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ince its founding in 2008, Austrian firm Wittmann Battenfeld’s Indian subsidiary has enjoyed uninterrupted growth, in line with the double-digit growth of the Indian plastics sector, says Managing Director Nanda Kumar. “The firm is independently developing customised automation solutions, including linear robots. Wittmann Battenfeld’s new premises in Chennai Another leadership role has been earned in the with the corresponding Wittmann field of powder injection moulding M7.2 control. He is also confident with specially adapted machines of that the EcoPower machines as the Battenfeld HM series.” well as the automation of blow Kumar sees potential for further moulding machines will make growth in automation and central a strong impact on the Indian drying and conveying systems market.
Adding a spring to vehicles and new Vamac grade
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uffer-stops injection moulded from the low-emission grade Delrin 100PE acetal resin from DuPont Performance Polymers cushion the impact when mechanically-adjustable steering columns from ThyssenKrupp Presta reach full horizontal adjustment. Decisive factors in its specification were the material’s compliance with stringent emission levels demanded by some of Germany’s automotive OEMs for interior applications and its steel-like springiness. The material is also characterised by its vibration damping effect, notched impact strength and sliding properties. The buffer-stop takes up little installation space with its 1 4 x 9 x 6 m m dimensions. Held by a rivet, it slides during adjustment of the steering column on metal guide rails until they reach their limit at the end of the adjustment range. Although the associated jolt may in some cases be hard, two small springs
Automotive News on either side of the bufferstop are enough to cushion the impact both mechanically and acoustically. Moreover, as a direct benefit of the sliding properties of the resin, the buffer-stop will continue to move easily on the guide rails for the entire lifetime of the vehicle. DuPont has also extended its Vamac family with an Ultra HT ethylene acrylic elastomer (AEM) that offers enhanced continuous heat resistance up to 180°C, with peaks to 200°C, making it suitable for demanding automotive applications such as turbo hoses and air ducts. It also delivers enhanced mechanical properties such as higher flex fatigue resistance, better low temperature flexibility and acid resistance in exhaust gas recirculation environments. Its higher viscosity also improves processing versus standard AEM grades, including better green strength and scorch resistance for extrusion processes. 2
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