PRA October 2010

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A S l A ’ S L E A D l N G M A G A Z l N E F O R THE PLASTlCS AND RUBBER lNDUSTRY

業界新聞 綠色環保材料新聞


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CONTENTS 目 錄

Volume 25, No 177

PUBLlSHED SlNCE 1985

R E G U L A R S 概要

4 Industry News 6 Machinery News 8 Green Materials News 12 業 界 新 聞 16 綠 色 環 保 材 料 新 聞

A S l A’ S L E A D l N G M A G A Z l N E F O R THE PLASTlCS AND RUBBER lNDUSTRY

F E A T U R E S 焦點內容 machinery and 20 German technology – VDMA has instilled

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confidence in the industry; it could not have come at a better time

moulding/Thermoforming 24 Blow – blow moulders go all-electric while thermoformers produce higher outputs

26 Compounding/Pelletising – with the entry of rPET and biopolymers, the mixing of materials has become complex

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Extrusion technology – machines

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Taiwanese machinery and technology – the Taiwanese plastics

cater to more layers in films and large diameter pipes

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machinery industry is at a crossroads: with more business opportunities at its calling but tougher challenges, too

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Taiwanese machinery and technology – foreign interest in

Taiwanese machines came from all four corners of the world at the Taipeiplas show in March

Processor Report – Malaysian 44 flexible packaging producer Great

IMA 7

Wall Plastics is raising public funds for its expansion

Supplements in this issue …… Plastic electronics will be the next generation of technology, with prototypes of light-emitting or energy-converting, intelligent and flexible plastic electronics to be shown at the K2010 …… The Rubber Street at the K2010 will become a road more travelled for rubber processors who are seeking the latest innovations

Publisher Arthur Schavemaker Tel: +31 547 275005 e-mail: arthur@kenter.nl Executive Editor Tej Fernandez Tel: +60 3 4260 4575 e-mail: tej@plasticsandrubberasia.com Chinese Editor Echo Yue Editorial/Production Coordinator Angelica Buan e-mail: pramalaysia@gmail.com Singapore Office Contact: Anthony Chan Tel: +65 63457368 e-mail: acesap@gmail.com

Permits ISSN 1360-1245

MICA (P) 187/08/2010 KDN PPS 1700/12/2010 (028142) Printer KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd

QSB is published 8 times a year in Mandarin and English by QSB Ltd. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is correct, the publisher makes no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the nature or accuracy of such material to the extent permitted by applicable law. © 2010 Plastics and Rubber Asia Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or used in any form, or by any means, without specific prior permission from the publisher.

Subscription rate per year applies to UK and overseas: For qualifying subscription: £75 or US$160 For non-industry subscription: £150 or US$303

Cover photo:

PRA will be at the K2010, the world’s largest exhibition for the plastics and rubber industry that is taking place in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 27 October to 3 November. Come meet us at Stand A23, Hall 5

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QSB is a member of ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation)


EXTRUSION

PRIN PR IN NTI TN NG G

CON ONVE VE V ERT R IN ING G

COME AND SEE US AT K 2010 IN DÜSSELDORF 27 OCT – 3 NOV 2010 HALL 17 · STAND A 59

BEST IN CLASS: A TRADITION THAT RUNS IN OUR FAMILY.

Best in class. It's a claim we live up to by developing new ideas and exceptional technologies. Take our new OPTIMEX 3-layer blown film line as an example; its modern die technology and ease of operation put it ahead of the class in terms of output and film quality. Plus, the OPTIMEX gets top marks in economic efficiency. Excellent prerequisites for being best in class in packaging, carrier bags, laminations, as well as in shrink- and stretch-hoods. For more information, visit www.wuh-group.com.

PASSION FOR INNOVATION

Windmöller & Hölscher KG | Phone: +49 5481 14-0 | Fax: +49 5481 14-2649 | info@wuh-group.com | www.wuh-group.com

AZ_OPTIMEX_US_K2010_englisch.indd 1

27.08.2010 15:02:38


News INDUSTRY

PTA output tripled in South Korea C Petrochem, a 50:50 joint venture between Japan’s Cosmo Oil and South Korea’s Hyundai Oilbank, will expand output of its high-purity paraxylene from 380,000 to 1.1 million tonnes/year to

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support growing, longterm demand for the chemical. Paraxylene is a key ingredient in the production of purified terephthalic acid (PTA), which is used to make PET. The company will use Honeywell company

UOP’s Parex and Isomar processes to undertake expansion at its plant in Daesan, South Korea. Basic engineering design of the plant has begun and start-up is projected for the second half of 2013. The new Parex and Isomar

European companies restructure n a reorganisation plan for its business, Belgian chemicals supplier Solvay says 800 staff will be laid off. The company sold its pharmaceuticals business last year. But before it reinvests proceeds from the sale, it says it needs to restructure to improve efficiency and reduce costs by EUR65 million. One of the initiatives involves setting up two

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global business units for speciality polymers and chemicals, which will be headquartered in Italy and South Korea respectively. It will also set up a new Innovation Centre. Having completed its integration and restructuring, Dutch chemicals supplier AkzoNobel expects to increase its EBITDA with a 13-15% margin to achieve a revenue growth of 50%

to EUR20 billion over the course of the decade. The company says it will leverage global megatrends, its geographical spread and leading market positions to realise its new ambitions. In its geographical spread, it is present in high growth markets that represent close to 40% of its revenue. It expects to double its revenue in China to US$3 billion as well as

process units will use mixed xylene as feedstock, supplementing the existing UOP CCR Platforming, Sulfolane, and Tatoray process units at the plant to expand the production. UOP has licensed more than 725 individual process units for the production of aromatics. create a footprint in India by growing its revenue to EUR1 billion. It will also focus on organic growth, particularly in the high growth markets, and on innovations by increasing its R&D spending to more than 60% and focus on functional solutions. AkzoNobel’s medium-term ambition is to achieve more than 15% of its revenue from breakthrough innovations and 30% from ecopremium solutions.

New MMA process facility vonik Industries is slated to build its first 200,000 tonnes/year Aveneer MMA production plant by 2014, with the location to be decided next year. Like the traditional ACH sulpho process, it is based on the starting materials ammonia, methane, acetone and methanol. It dispenses, however, with the sulphuric acid that is normally used, thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The German company has already launched a EUR250 million worldscale methacrylate integrated production network at its Shanghai site. Though it applies the familiar C4 process, this has been redeveloped.

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The three-year operation of the Aveneer pilot plant at its German facility in Worms has entered its final stage of proofing that the new process is technically feasible, saves costs and conserves resources. The company says that the new process also ensures optimum security of supply for its Visiomer methacrylate monomers. It is also working on substituting a renewably sourced feedstock into Aveneer. Besides the 95% yield, an internal study showed that, in contrast to established processes, carbon dioxide emissions from the new process are lower than 1,000 kg/ tonne,which is half of the previous figure.

News In Brief Largest bio-PE plant Brazilian chemicals supplier Braskem has opened what it says is the world’s largest plant to produce ethylene from ethanol in Triunfo. With a capacity of 200,000 tonnes of green PE a year, the plant is equipped with technology developed by the Brazilian company that has invested US$278 million. For each tonne of PE produced, 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide is captured from the atmosphere to allow for sugarcane photosynthesis.

Chinese film facility for panels To cater to the growth of the flat panel display market for computer and television screens, Mitsubishi Plastics is setting up an optical PET film plant in China, its first in the country. The US$288 million facility will be sited in Suzhou, Jiangsu province; It will start up in 2013 with a single line and with a capacity of 22,500 tonnes/ year. Further, it will double the capacity with a second line in 2015. The Japanese firm, which has other plants in Germany, the US and Indonesia, has also recently completed an 80,000 tonne PET film facility in Japan, said to be the largest in the world.


INDUSTRY NEWS

Chemicals suppliers expand in China hina has become the single largest market for polyolefins in the world with around 30 million tonnes consumed in 2010, while the country’s GDP growth is expected at a minimum of 7% over the next five years. It is also the world’s largest market for automotives, a key enduse market for plastics. Hence, PU system solutions provider BASF will add on another system house in Tianjin, in 2012, and Borouge has set up a sales and marketing company in Beijing.

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BASF’s system house will serve the fast growing North China markets, including Beijing, Shenyang and Changchun, and cater to the automotive, construction and appliance sectors. It will comprise local production, as well as a sales and technical centre to offer customised products. BASF has 38 system houses worldwide, including three in China – with a new one planned in Chongqing and the current ones in Shanghai and Nansha. Meanwhile through its

set up in Beijing, Borouge says it will be able to further its strategic objectives and be better positioned to serve the region with its PE and PP products from its facilities in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, and in Shanghai. Borouge has ten offices worldwide, four of which are in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong). These offices in China are supported by logistics hubs in Shanghai and Guangzhou and an R&D centre in Shanghai. Earlier in 2010, the ADNOC/Borealis

joint venture company inaugurated its 50,000 tonnes/year compounding plant in Shanghai, targeted at the automotive and appliance industries, and is now planning a second compounding plant in Guangzhou. In Abu Dhabi, Borouge has increased the capacity of its primary plant from 600,000 to 2 million tonnes of polyolefins/year and in one of the world’s major petrochemical projects is expanding its capacity to 4.5 million tonnes/ year by the end of 2013, creating the world largest integrated polyolefins plant.


MACHINERY

News Orders flow in for European suppliers

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ear pump producer Maag Pump Systems has secured what it says is a multimillion dollar deal to supply pumps and screen changers to a facility in the Middle East, producing 800 tonnes/day of virgin PET. In addition to the gear pump, the Swiss company previously supplied four compact

dual piston screen changers. This is its third large order having previously supplied pumps and screen changers for plants of this scale also in the Middle East and the US, said company spokesperson Diana Vogel. Recently, Maag and Automatik Plastics Machinery merged and the combined group

has more than 500 employees worldwide and facilities in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the US and China. In China, Germanybased BKG Bruckmann will supply several pelletisers to Tianjin Dagu Chemical for the production of styrene acrylonitrile (SAN). The pellets will be re-processed into 200,000 tonnes/

Gloucester to emerge from bankruptcy S film extrusion equipment supplier Gloucester Engineering has filed its plan of reorganisation, in its effort to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by the end of this year. The plan is being sponsored by an

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affiliate of Blue Wolf Capital Fund and has the support of a committee of unsecured creditors, who are suppliers that the company collectively owed US$13.6 million. Blue Wolf provided US$6 million of debtor-in-possession

financing to ensure Gloucester’s continued operation when it filed for bankruptcy in June, following the earlier financing package. The company says that since filing for bankruptcy there has been no disruption in its machine orders and

High output on small extrusion line aving previously introduced a 2.5 m blown film line, Indian extrusion machinery producer Windsor Machines is now working on a hybrid line, with components from Germany. A typical 250 mm die will be able to produce an LL-rich lamination film of 1,300 mm lay flat at 400 kg/hour and LD-rich films in an output of up to 500600 kg/hour, which Windsor says is an achievement for this type of film extrusion. Features are an elevator system for the air ring along with a maximiser and

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specially designed cooling lips, all imported from Kuhne in Germany. The concept of high outputs on smaller sizes is expected to revolutionise the blown film machine industry, according to Dipen Shah, Deputy General Manager of Marketing at Windsor.“A processor selecting wider widths for higher outputs will no longer be required to run a two-up line as now the producer will have the opportunity to achieve this with a single-up, smaller line. It means less space, higher produc-

tivity and excellent film properties to cater

year of ABS. BKG says this is its largest order in China. It has, to date, supplied 50 underwater pelletising systems for extrusion and polymerisation. Having started off supplying small lines for compounding and technical polymers, the company says new specifications have progressed to reactor lines, especially when it comes to polymer production. it recently secured a US$3.3 million deal for a blown film line in Southeast Asia and another one worth US$2 million from a European film supplier. It also recently commissioned a seven-layer cast stretch film line to Malaysian film supplier Scientex Packaging Film.

to varied packaging needs, obviously at affordable costs,” he added.

PET systems acquired ot r unner solutions supplier M old-M aster s has com pleted the pur chase of PET com ponents supplier A B B A S ystem s. B oth com panies have been wor king together in a m ar keting alliance to build PET pr efor m m oulds since 2009. The PET business is now

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being r e named t o M aster PET ( MPET) fr om iPET, sai d the C anadi an company, addi ng t hat together w i t h capi tal invest ment s i n m achining, t est r oom equi pment and new t echnol ogies, suc h as i Cool stacks and i Fl ow hot r unners, i t i s poised to t ackl e the PET market .



News GREEN MATERIALS

Greening the earth With sustainability and eco-friendly processing becoming a major issue for processors and materials suppliers, due to the growing pressure from consumers, PRA’s green pages will focus on bio-materials and novel applications designed for the real world.

Companies rally for PLAs Lactic acid bioplastics supplier Purac has entered into a collaboration with Arkema to engineer functional lactide-based block co-polymers to enhance the thermomechanical and physical properties of PLA, thus allowing for a wider range of applications. These co-polymers will be produced by combining Arkema’s organic catalysis ring-opening polymerisation technology with Purac’s L and D-lactide monomers. Arkema has already developed a polymer range based on its technology and markets it as Nanostrength. The French company’s new ring-opening polymerisation process is based on organic catalysis, enabling what the company calls full control over the polymer architecture. This process helps produce high purity co-polymers from cyclic compounds such as lactides and lactones, providing environmental benefits due to absence of metal residues. Purac’s expertise in the fermentation of lactic acid is applied to the subsequent conversion to high purity and 100% biobased L and D-lactides and it markets these as Puralact. In another development, US company Lapol, working with the US Department of Agricultural Research Service, has introduced a bio-based plasticiser that boosts PLA’s flexibility and increases heat deflection by 50°C. The renewable biopolymer resin technology company says its patent-pending plasticiser increases elongation in bioplastics, while maintaining clarity, modulus and stiffness. Another US company, Teknor Apex, has developed three new pelletised additive masterbatch designed to enhance the processing and end-use performance of PL, in terms of impact resistance and strength The company says its Terraloy 9000A masterbatch improves the impact resistance of PLA by up to 15 times as shown in extruded tape samples. On the other hand, the modifier increases the pull force that can be applied to PLA by up to five times and broadens the processing window of PLA in extrusion blow moulding, blown/cast and sheet films and thermoforming. The third product will function as a mould release in injection moulding. Bioplastics specialist FKuR Kunststoff, together with Fraunhofer UMSICHT, will present a broad variety of biodegradable and natural fibre-reinforced materials, including new PLA grades, at the upcoming K2010 show. Besides the already well-established applications in the

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FKuR says its broad variety of biodegradable materials can enable mass market penetration

agricultural and hygienic sectors, it is now possible to produce films for deep freeze and various multi-layer applications made from Bio-Flex PLA grades, says the company. Other innovations are in the area of injection mouldable cellulose acetate compounds in its Biograde product line. With a heat resistance of up to 115°C, it is now possible to realise applications in consumer electronics and household appliances made from bioplastics, says FKuR. Biodegradable closures on the market Driving the development and processing from its facility in Asia, US-based Norland International has introduced what it says is the industry’s first oxo-biodegradable cap for a 5 gallon water bottle. The LDPE caps, sold under the Earth Cap name, contain an additive that accelerates the degradation process, resulting in total degradation in five to ten years. The cap also features a biodegradable nonadhesive tamper-evident label and 2 mm foam seal, making the entire cap totally biodegradable. The FDA-compliant caps have a two-year shelf life and offer similar performance as compatriots. The special additive, which does not affect the cap’s clarity and tensile strength, is blended into the LDPE using a unique mixing and drying system. Once disposed of and exposed to UV light, heat and moisture, the caps become brittle and then break down into small pieces. Once the molecular weight is reduced s u f f i c i e n t l y, t h e m a t e r i a l becomes a food source for bacteria. In addition, the caps are fully recyclable and compatible with

Norland’s injection moulded Earth Caps are a replacement for traditional LDPE caps


GREEN MATERIALS NEWS

municipal collection and recycling systems. There is no contamination with the plastics recycling stream and industrial composting facilities are not required Norland says it manufactures the 55 mm caps at virtually the same cost as standard caps. The new caps are commercially available in the US and Asia in earth green, blue and natural colours. Walking tall with green shoe concept Even shoes are being made more eco-friendly with Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) having developed a concept for a “green shoe” that uses a whole host of sustainable materials and technologies. Up to 90% of all components in the Ecotrekker shoe can be given eco-friendly properties by using the company’s products. These include renewable PU feedstocks, raw materials for solvent-free coatings and adhesives, and a PC blend and TPU based on renewable resources. According to BMS, in microcellular microcellular PU elastomer systems for outer soles and midsoles alone, the proportion of renewable raw materials is as high as 70%. The German company adds that this high value puts it as a leading raw material supplier for shoe soles. There are also up to 40% of renewable materials in the PC blend used while the products and technologies developed in house for solvent and plasticiser-free textile coatings and adhesive raw materials. Using these coatings and adhesives alone would cut global emissions of organic solvents by approximately 150,000 tonnes, says BMS.

The Ecotrekker shoe contains a number of products from BMS that render eco-friendly properties

The prototype safety shoe has a toe cap made from a PC and PLA blend from the Makroblend range while Desmopan TPU products based on a high proportion of renewable raw materials have been used for the shoe’s heel counter, shoelace eyelets and the manufacturer’s logo on the sole. Other products used in the shoe include Impranil waterbased coatings and Dispercoll adhesives and Dureflex TPU films, which form a vapour-permeable membrane to reinforce the inner sole, without the need for plasticisers. Furthermore, a counterfeit-proof label based on the Makrofol PC film ID range is used for the limited edition of the concept shoe. The inscription is carried out using highcontrast laser engraving.

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News GREEN MATERIALS MATERIALS NEWS

The concept shoe was developed at the Global Footwear Competence Centre in Shanghai, China, in close collaboration with shoe design company Simple Factory Group. Bio-composites play a part in new vehicle Canadian transportation design firm Motive Industries is producing an electric four-passenger compact car known as Kestrel with the body made from impact-resistant biocomposite material. The material is made from hemp mats that are supplied by Alberta Innovates-Technology Future (AITF), which is part of Crown Corporation, a company owned by the Canadian government. It created ripples at the recent Vancouver EV 2010 conference where a model was displayed. The company says the goal is to achieve the same mechanical properties as glass composites with a reduction in weight. Composite materials are currently used in Formula One vehicles and many road-going vehicles and have been found to have strength and safety benefits above that of steel. Motive has designed and engineered the Kestrel for participation in Project Eve, an entirely Canadian initiative with the goal of furthering the production of electric vehicles and components in Canada. It is hoped that production of the Kestrel will begin in 2012. More bio in PU foams As the PU foam industry progressively explores its options in sustainability, two US companies, Momentive Performance Materials and Cargill, have collaborated on the development of a surfactant that can enable foam manufacturers to supply flexible foam with increased renewable content to foam fabricators and producers of home furnishings and bedding. Momentive’s Niax silicone L-670 surfactant allows for the increased use of natural oil-based polyols (NOPs) that comes from Cargill’s renewable, soybean oil-based BiOH polyols. Renewable, soy-based polyols replace a portion of the petroleum polyols from which PU foam is traditionally made. The percentage of soy content depends on the type of foam and how it is manufactured. For every 1 million pounds of Cargill’s polyols used in furniture and mattresses, for example, more than 92,000 gallons of petroleum are saved. Momentive says the foam’s renewable content can go up by 30% over current incorporation levels, plus replacing standard silicone surfactant with Niax L-670 can result in enhanced foam properties, including improved IFD (measurement of foam hardness) and compression set (measurement of permanent deformation of foam) values and greater elongation, tensile and tear strength. Moreover, as a flame retardant (FR) surfactant, Niax L670 can help foam manufacturers save costs by reducing the amount of FR additive required to pass flammability tests. Recycled PET and TPU find new uses Recycled PET, better known as rPET, is making headway in a number of uses. First up is a water bottle that

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contains up to 50% rPET launched by UK-based bottled water company Belu. This 500 ml bottle – the most popular size of on-the-move mineral water – uses more recycled plastics than any other plastic bottled water on the market in the UK, says the company. It also has a 46% carbon saving compared to its PET equivalent. In research conducted for the launch of the new bottle shows that 95% of consumers believe that plastic water bottles should be made from recycled materials and the same percentage would buy a product such as this. The case for the new product is made even more compelling when 29% of respondents assumed that plastic bottles are made from recycled plastics. Belu says, “The truth is that more and more plastics are being recycled each year, as processes advance and more investment is made by big companies. But to date the bottled water sector has been criticised for not doing enough to recycle or to use recycled plastics in the manufacturing process.” Another rPET innovation comes from laptop case and accessory manufacturer Targus Group International. It has introduced a new laptop case made from rPET. Known as the Spruce EcoSmart Clamshell, the case can accommodate a 16 in. laptop and is made from 100% recycled PET. Meanwhile, Japanese chemicals supplier Teijin said that its new carpet contains rPET from 23,000 half litre bottles. It will be rolled out for the Tokyo International Film Festival, to be held in October. The so-called Green Carpet is made entirely of Teijin's Ecopet rPET. Other uses came out of the material such as the reuseable shopping bags and coasters that will be given away to festival guests. Anokimobi, the UK product company behind a number of eco-friendly and innovative phone accessories has launched the iPhone 4 ecoskin – a cover produced in the UK from recycled TPU and impregnated with silver ions to reduce bacteria levels on mobile phones.

The ecoskin mobile phone cover is produced from recycled TPU

The ecoskin features the Biomaster additive from UK supplier Addmaster. It adds on antibacterial protection similar to that used in hospitals after a recent report highlighted the potential for mobile phones to carry high levels of bugs. Apart from the cover, the packaging is also made from recycled materials and can be recycled. Furthermore, unlike its competitors, the product is made entirely in the UK by a moulder that also makes components for Aston Martin, thus also reducing its carbon footprint. U



新聞 業 界

南韓的純化對苯二甲酸出口 量躍增三倍 HC Petrochem 是 一 家 由 日 本

的 Cosmo Oil及 南 韓 的 Hyundai Oilbank 按 50:50 比 例 聯 營 的 公 司。這家公司計劃將其高純化對 二甲苯的每年出口量由 38 萬公噸 增 加 到 110 萬 公 噸 , 以 支 援 市 場 對此化學物品的長期增長需要。 對二甲苯是生產純化對苯二甲酸 (PTA) 的主要成份,它被用來製造 PET 。 這家公司將使用 Honeywell 公 司 UOP 的 Parex 及 Isomar 加工程 序,在其設於南韓 Daesan 的工廠 進行增產工作。工廠已經展開基 本工程的設計,預計將在 2013 年 下 半 年 投 入 生 產 。 新 的 Parex 及 Isomar 加工程序單位將使用混合 的二甲苯作為加工原料,輔助工 廠現有的 UOP CCR Platforming , Sulfolane , Tatoray 加工程序單位 以 擴 充 產 量 。 UOP 持 有 超 過 725 項生產香氛的個別加工程序單位 許可證。

全新 MMA 加工廠 Evonik Industries 計劃在 2014 年

興 建 首 個 20 萬 公 噸 / 年 產 量 的 Aveneer MMA 製造廠,並將在明 年正式確定設廠的地點。正如傳 統的 ACH 磺基處理過程一樣,它 是以初始原料阿摩尼亞、甲烷、 丙酮及甲醇作為基礎。然而,它 無需使用常用的硫酸,因而有助 減少二氧化碳的排放量。 這家德國公司已在其上海的 廠址推出斥資 2 億 5 千萬歐元的 世界級規模丙烯酸甲酯綜合生產 網絡。儘管它使用的是所熟悉的 12

C4 處理程序,但卻注入了重新研

發的元素。 設在德國沃爾姆斯的實驗性 工廠 Aveneer 經過 3 年操作後,現 已進入鑒定有關新程序技術可行 性、節省成本及保護資源的最後 階段。公司表示新的加工程序亦 能確保其 Visiomer 甲基丙烯酸單 體的供應獲得最佳保障。與此同 時 , 它 也 在 Aveneer 推 動 替 代 可 更新來源加工原料的工作。 除 了 達 到 95% 生 產 量 , 一 項 內部研究亦顯示,有別於已製定 的程序,新加工程序的二氧化碳 排放量遠低於 1 千公斤/公噸,即 先前數字的一半。

中國的化學品供應商與日俱增 中國已經成為世界單一最大的聚 烯 烴 市 場 , 它 在 2010 年 的 消 耗 量大約是 3 千萬公噸。中國未來 5 年的國內生產總值預計至少達到 7% 。另外,中國也是世界最大的 汽車市場,一個對塑料極為關鍵 的終端市場。有鑒於此, PU 系統 方案供應商 BASF 將在 2012 年於 天津再增設另一家系統中心,而 Borouge 則在北京設立了一家營銷 公司。 BASF 的 系 統 中 心 將 為 快 速 成長的中國北部市場,包括北 京、沈陽及長春提供服務,並以 汽車、建築及家電領域為主。它 將概括地方生產及銷售和技術中 心,提供定製的產品。 BASF 在全 球擁有 38 個系統中心,中國就佔 了其中的 3 個 — 計劃設立的一個 新中心是在重慶,現有的中心則 分別坐落在上海和南沙。 通過在北京設立一家營銷公 司 , Borouge 認 為 它 有 助 加 強 其

策略性目標和佔據一個更有利的 地位,以便其來自阿拉伯聯合酋 長國阿布扎比,以及上海工廠所 生 產 的 PE 和 PP 產 品 能 夠 供 應 予 當 地 區 域 。 Borouge 在 全 球 擁 有 10 家 辦 事 處 , 其 中 4 家 設 在 中 國 (北京、上海、廣州及香港)。 它們獲得在上海和廣州的物流樞 紐及上海的一家研發中心提供支 援服務。 2010 年 年 初 , ADNOC/ Borealis 聯 營 公 司 為 其 設 於 上 海 的 50 萬公噸/年產量複合工廠舉 行啟用禮,服務目標鎖定在汽車 及家電工業。該公司目前正計劃 在廣州設立第二家複合工廠。在 阿 布 扎 比 , Borouge 已 將 其 主 要 工廠的聚烯烴年產量從 60 萬公噸 增 加 到 200 萬 公 噸 , 作 為 世 界 主 要的石油化學工程之一,它也將 在 2013 年 年 杪 擴 充 產 量 至 每 年 450 萬公噸,成為世界最大的綜合 聚烯烴工廠。

歐洲公司大整合 在重組業務計劃中,比利時的化 學 品 供 應 商 Solvay 將 裁 員 多 達 800 人 。 這 家 公 司 已 在 去 年 出 售 其藥劑業務,並表示在使用此收 入作再投資前,公司有必要進行 重組以提升效率,以及降低高達 6 千 500 萬 歐 元 的 成 本 。 公 司 採 取的其中一項行動是成立兩個專 注於聚合物及化學物的環球商務 單位,其總部分別設在意大利和 南韓,並將成立一家新的創新中 心。 在完成整合及重組後,荷蘭的 化 學 品 供 應 商 AkzoNobel 預 計 將 其扣除利息、稅項、折舊及攤銷 之盈利提高至 13-15% 利潤率,以


業界新聞 便在未來十年取得 50% 營收增長 率 , 達 到 200 億 歐 元 營 收 額 。 公 司表示它將利用環球大趨勢,其 地理分佈及領先的市場地位來落 實此項新目標。 在地理分佈方面,它在高速成 長市場所取得的營收額佔了總營 收 額 將 近 40%。 預 計在中國的營收額將 倍 增 至 30 億 美 元 , 以及在印度創下營收 額 增 長 至 10 億 歐 元 的重要里程。 這家公司將著重 於有機增長,尤其是 在高速成長市場, 以及力求創新,將 研發支出提高至超 過 60%, 並 專 注 於 功能性的解決方案。 AkzoNobel 的中期目 標是通過突破創新來 達 到 超 過 15% 的 營 收額,以及從生態優 質解決方案中取得 30% 營收額。

2.5 公噸二氧化碳可讓甘蔗進行光

Plastics 在中國設立了第一家光纖

合作用。

PET 薄膜工廠。這家耗資 2 億 8 千 800 萬美元的工廠坐落在江蘇省蘇

中國薄膜工廠供應平板

州市,並將於 2013 年啟業,擁有 2 萬 2 千 500 公噸年產量的單一生

配合電腦及電視屏幕平板顯示 器 市 場 成 長 的 需 要 , Mitsubishi

產線。這家日本公司將在 2015 年 設置第二條生產線以倍增產量。

最大規模的生物 基聚乙烯工廠 巴西的化學品供應商 Braskem 在特里溫福 市設立了據稱是世界 最大規模,利用乙醇 生產乙烯的工廠。工 廠 每 年 可 生 產 20 萬 公噸綠色聚乙烯,並 採用這家巴西公司斥 資 2 億 7 千 800 萬 美 元研發的技術。每 生產一公噸聚乙烯, 從空氣中所取獲的 13


新聞 業 界

它最近也在日本完成了一家據稱 是世界最大的 8 萬公噸生產量 PET 薄膜工廠。它其餘的工廠分佈在 德國、美國及印尼。

Maag 獲 得 來 自 中 東 的 最 大 訂單 齒輪泵生產商 Maag Pump Systems 獲得一項數百萬美元的交易,為中 東一家每日生產 800 公噸原 PET 的 工廠供應齒輪泵及濾網變換器。公 司發言人 Diana Vogel 說,這是該 公司所接獲的第三大訂單,它先前 也曾為中東及美國類似規模的工廠 供應齒輪泵和濾網變換器。除了齒 輪泵,這家瑞士公司也供應四個精 密型雙活塞濾網變換器。 Maag 及 Automatik Plastics Machinery 最近合併,合併後的集 團 在 全 球 擁 有 超 過 500 名 員 工 , 並在瑞士、德國、意大利、美國 及中國設有工廠。

浴火重生的 Gloucester 美國的薄膜擠壓裝備供應商 Gloucester Engineering 在破產法 第十一章的保護下正傾全力地在 今年年杪擬定其重組計劃。有關 計劃獲得 Blue Wolf Capital Fund 的一位夥伴贊助,以及無擔保債 權人委員會的支持,它們是分別 被欠債 1 千 360 萬美元的供應商。 Blue Wolf 提供 600 萬美元的債務 持有人融資, 確 保 Gloucester 在 6 月宣佈破產時能夠在早期的融資 配套下繼續運作。 公司表示在宣佈破產後,其 機械訂單不再受到干擾,最近更 在 東 南 亞 取 得 一 項 330 萬 美 元 的 吹膜生產線交易,以及獲得另 14

一項來自歐洲薄膜供應商,總 值 200 萬 美 元 的 交 易 。 它 最 近 也 將一項七層拉伸鑄膜生產線委託 予 馬 來 西 亞 薄 膜 供 應 商 Scientex Packaging Film 。

Lanxess 計 劃 在 亞 洲 設 立 PBR 廠址及生物丁基 最近在德國,杜塞道夫舉行的一 個媒體日上,專業化學品公司 Lanxess 雄 心 勃 勃 地 宣 佈 計 劃 在 2015 年把公司的收入從今年所預 期的 8 億歐元提高 80% ,至 14 億 歐元。

首席執行員 Axel Heitmann

其他進行中的工程包括把德 國、美國及巴西工廠所生產的釹聚 丁二烯橡膠 (Nd-PBR)產量擴增至每 年 5萬公噸。為了應付 Nd-PBR每年 10%的成長率,這家公司亦計劃在 亞 洲 設 立 年 產 量 達 15 萬 公 噸 的 新 廠。有關亞洲工廠將專注於當地區 域並與輪胎市場為主。首席執行員 Axel Heitmann指出,新加坡是其 中一個受到考慮的國家,這是因為 Lanxess 已在當地設有一家丁基橡 膠工廠。Heitmann說,“廠址擁有 足夠的空間”,但尚未確定是否要 在當地設立 Nd-PBR 工廠。公司預 計將在6個月內宣佈入選的國家。 另一個有助於增加公司收入 的領域是綠色輪胎領域,而公司

已 投 資 了 100 萬 美 元 在 駐 美 國 的 科 技 研 發 公 司 Gevo, 以 創 建 一 個製造生物基異丁烯的程序(利 用生物質裡的糖)。 Heitmann 表 示 , “ 我 們 將 帶 進 Lanxess 科 技,利用此程序轉換異丁烯以製 造生物丁基。”他透露生物基異 丁烯將在未來幾年成為主流。丁 基橡膠是異丁烯及異戊二烯的共 聚物。

在中國設立新 SBS 工廠 中國石油化學產品供應商 Keyuan Petrochemicals 將 於 2011 年 年 杪在浙江省寧波市建立一家年產 量 7 萬公噸的可塑性橡膠 (SBS) 工 廠。這家耗資 1 千 750 萬美元的工 廠將用於應付中國現有的 75 萬公 噸需求,超越當地的 60 萬公噸年 產量供應。由於供應不足,中國 必須從日本、南韓、台灣及美國 巨量進口以滿足本身的需要。未 來幾年中國對 SBS 的需求量預計 將按年增長 6%-7% 。 Keyuan 預 計 新 工 廠 將 在 2012 年首全年達到 80% 產能使用 率,為公司帶來 1 億 1 千萬美元 營業額。這家公司是在 2009 年成 立,其運作包括石油化學生產每 年 55 萬公噸各種石油化學產品。

Evonik 出售碳黑單位 配合集團專注於化學領域的計劃, Evonik Industries 決定脫離碳黑業 務,有關業務是該集團現有的一個 商業單位。憑著 10 億歐元的營業 額,它在全球排名第二,並在 12 個 國家聘有1千700名員工。在經歷了 2009 年市場重挫危機後,預計它今 年的營收將呈正面反彈。


業界新聞 Evonik 是根據此領域日益飽和,以及亞洲市場

顯著地興起而作出有關出售決定。從今年開始, 這家德國公司就已經審視有關選擇,目前正與一 家投資銀行進行去投資化的工作。

輪胎公司紛紛伸展觸角 Bridgestone 在泰國的子公司投下 213 億日元擴充

其 Nong Khae 工廠,計劃將工廠的轎車及輕型卡 車 的 輻 射 輪 胎 日 產 量 從 1 萬 3 千 500 單 位 增 加 至 2014 年 年 杪 的 5 萬 單 位 。 公 司 在 1995 年 設 立 的 這第二家工廠是供應輪胎予國內及外國市場。它 也展開一項提高 6 千單位產量的擴充工程,預計 將在 2011 年完成。隨著全球輪胎需求量的增加, Bridgestone 將繼續進行擴充工廠產能的工作。 另一方面,馬來西亞的輪胎技術及翻新化合物 公司 Goodway Integrated Industries ,經與印度的 Indag Rubber 達成一項協議,考慮在橡膠化合物 及翻新工業進行聯營的機會。 Indag 參與製造橡膠 化合物及輪胎翻新業務。

印尼的高爾夫球工廠 Sumi Rubber Indonesia的 子 公 司 Sumitomo Rubber 將在國內設立一家高爾夫球工廠以擴充其

產能。有關高爾夫球是由 Sumitomo 的另一家子公 司 SRI Sports 負責銷售,它在日本及英國分別佔 據了 30% 和 23% 的市場額。公司今年首半年的營 業額比去年同時期增長了 15.3% 。

熱固化橡膠供應予所有用戶 法 國 公 司 Bluestar Silicones 成 功 推 出 Rhodorsil MF175USP 熱 固 化 橡 膠 (HCR), 這 是 該 公 司 繼 2008 年推出 160 攝氏度級熱固化橡膠後的另一產 品。此 SP 使 100 系列,即 Bluestar 在綜合用途熱 固化橡膠的前線產品系列變得更完整。此等級是 以壓延、擠壓及注塑成型加工過程為目標,特別 是用於管子、組合、家用電器和技術、建築、食 品接觸材料及電氣絕緣部件。營業額達 6 億歐元的 Bluestar 是 China National BlueStar 在收購 Rhodia Silicones 後於 2007 年成立的一家公司。


新聞

邁向綠色地球

綠 色 環 保 材 料

面對來自消費者日愈高漲的壓力,再生及對生態 環境友好的加工程序已成為加工廠商與材料供應 商所關注的主要課題。有鑒於此,PRA的綠頁將 把重點鎖定在生物材料及為真實世界設計的新應 用方案上。 公司紛紛競逐 PLAs 乳酸生物塑料供應商 Purac 與 Arkema 共同合作開發的功 能性乳酸基塊共聚物有助強化 PLA 的熱機械及物理性質以 擴展其用途。這些聚合物是以 Arkema 的有機催化開環聚 合技術結合 Purac 的 L 和 D– 丙交酯單體生產。 Arkema利用本身技術研發的聚合物產品系列已以 Nanostrength 的名字在市場上銷售。這家法國公司的 新開環聚合加工過程是以有機催化基來全面控制聚合物 的結構。此過程能利用環狀化合物,如丙交酯及內酯來 生產高純度共聚物,不會留下危害環境的金屬殘餘物。 Purac的專長是乳酸發酵過程,它被用來轉換成高純度 兼100%生物基的L和D–丙交酯,並以 Puralact 的名字 在市場銷售。 另外,美國公司 Lapol 已與美國農業研究服務部門合 作,推出生物基增塑劑,增加 PLA 的彈性及使熱變形溫 度提高 50°C。這家採用再生生物聚合物樹脂技術的公司 說,其專利待批的增塑劑可提高生物塑料的伸長率,並保 持其淨度、模數和硬度。 另 一 家 美 國 公 司 Teknor Apex 所 研 發 的 新 顆 粒 添 加 劑母料可強化 PL 在加工過程及終端使用時的抗衝擊和強 度性能。公司表示其 Terraloy 9000A 母料能使 PLA 的抗 衝擊度增強 15 倍,就如擠出條樣本所顯示的那樣。另一 方 面 , 改 良 劑 可 使 施 加 於 PLA 的 拉 力 提 高 5 倍 , 並 擴 大 PLA 在擠出吹塑、吹塑/鑄造及薄膜片和熱成型的加工範 圍。第三產品將在注射鑄模中發揮脫模的作用。

FKuR 說它 的各種生物 降解材料有 能力滲透廣 泛的市場

16

在 即 將 來 臨 的 K2010 展 , 生 物 塑 料 專 家 FKuR Kunststoff 將連同 Fraunhofer UMSICHT 展示各種生物 降解及天然纖維強化材料,包括新的 PLA 等級。公司說, 除了已在農業及衛生領域建立穩固用途,如今也可利用 Bio-Flex PLA 等級來生產冰點還原及多架構應用的薄膜。 其他創新領域尚包括在生物級生產線採用注射模塑醋酸 纖維塑料化合物。FKuR 指出,憑著高達 115°C 的耐熱性 質,它如今已有可能落實使用於生物塑料製造的消費類電 子產品及家用電器上。 市場上的生物降解間隔 在 其 亞 洲 廠 房 的 發 展 與 加 工 帶 動 下 , 駐 美 國 的 Norland International 推出了據稱是工業界首個為 5 加侖水瓶而設 的氧生物降解瓶蓋。此 LDPE 瓶蓋是以 Earth Cap 名稱銷 售,它含有助加速降解過程的添加劑,可在 5 至 10 年達 到完全降解。此瓶蓋亦備有生物降解非黏附防揭開標籤及 2 毫米泡沫封條,使整個瓶蓋可完全降解。瓶蓋符合食品 及藥物管理局的條規,並具有兩年保存期和提供同類產品 的性能。 瓶蓋使用的特定添加劑不會影響其清晰度和拉伸強 度,並以獨特的混和及乾燥系統混合在 LDPE。廢棄的瓶 蓋接觸到紫外線、熱和潮濕時就會脆裂並分解成較小部 份。一旦分子重量降至足夠水平,瓶蓋的材料就會成為細 菌的食物源。此外,瓶蓋也可再循環並與市政府的收集和 再循環系統相容。塑料再生流程不會造成污染,亦無需使 用工業堆肥設備。 Norland 表示生產 55 毫米瓶蓋的成本與標準瓶蓋的成 本大致相同。在美國和亞洲,這商業用途的新瓶蓋備有地 球綠色、藍色及天然色。 Norland 的注射成型 Earth Caps 可取代 傳統的 LDPE 瓶蓋

暢行的綠鞋概念 鞋 也 也 可 變 得 很 環 保 。 由 Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) 研 發 的 “ 綠 鞋 ” 概 念 全 面 採 用 可 回 收 材 料 及 技 術 製 造 。 通 過 使 用 該 公 司 的 產 品 , Ecotrekker 鞋 有 多 達 90% 的 材 料 具 備 環 保 特 點 , 其 中 包 括 再 生 的 PU 供 料 、


CREATING NEW HORIZONS AT K 2010

Oct 27 - Nov 3

Many of today’s lifestyle and life-changing innovations have been driven by advances in plastics. But what about tomorrow? Innovative plastics solutions can contribute to addressing the global challenges we face together, today and in the future. Borealis, Borouge and NOVA Chemicals are among the world’s largest players in the plastics industry. With financially strong and committed owners ADNOC, IPIC and OMV, we make significant and on-going investments in innovation, production and logistics. Building on our experience, we are actively creating new horizons for a more sustainable future, with innovative solutions and in the way we conduct our business. We have the capability, commitment and caring approach to create new horizons. And we believe that strong partnerships help to deliver leadership, growth and innovation.

Visit us at K 2010 – and discover how together we can create new horizons for our customers, your business and society. www.join-us-at-K2010.com www.borealisgroup.com www.borouge.com www.novachemicals.com


新聞 綠 色 環 保 材 料

無溶劑塗料的原料及黏劑,以及再生來源的 PC 混合物及 TPU。 BMS 說 , 單 是 鞋 底 外 層 及 中 層 的 微 孔 PU 彈 性 體 系 統,再生原料的比例就高達 70%。這家德國公司進一步指 出,如此高的比例值使它成為鞋底原料的首要供應商。鞋 子使用的 PC 混合物亦含高達 40% 再生原料,公司自行研 發的產品與技術使用的是溶劑和不含增塑劑的紡織塗料與 黏性原料。BMS 說,採用這些塗料及黏劑可使全球的有機 溶劑排放量減少大約 15 萬公噸。 原型安全鞋擁有 Makroblend 系列之 PC 及 PLA 混合 物製造的鞋頭,而 Desmopan TPU 產品則以高比例的再 生原料為基礎,用在後跟墊、鞋帶孔圈及鞋底製造商標誌 部位。 鞋 子 使 用 的 其 他 產 品 尚 包 括 Impranil 水 性 塗 料 , Dispercoll 黏劑及 Dureflex TPU 薄膜,構成一道透氣膜以 強化鞋底內層,而無需使用增塑劑。此外,限量版概念鞋 上的防偽造標籤是採用 Makrofol PC 薄膜 ID 系列。鞋上的 刻字是以高對比度激光來雕刻。 此 概 念 鞋 是 在 鞋 子 設 計 公 司 Simple Factory Group 的 緊 密 合 作 下 於 中 國 , 上 海 的 Global Footwear Competence Centre 研發。 Ecotrekker 鞋含有多種來 自 BMS 對生態環境友善 的產品

Motive 在參與 Project Eve 時設計和製造 Kestrel,這 項由加拿大倡導的工程,其目標是進一步帶動加拿大生 產的電動車及部件。預計 Kestrel 將在 2012 年正式投入生 產。 聚氨酯泡沫更具生物性質 配合聚氨酯泡沫工業積極開發再生資源的選擇, Momentive Performance Materials 及 Cargill 這兩家美 國公司共同合作開發一種表面活性劑,讓發泡製品廠商能 夠生產含更多再生成份的彈性發泡製品,供應給發泡製品 製造商及家居用品和寢具生產商。 Momentive 的 Niax silicone L-670 表面活性劑採用 更多的天然油基多元醇 (NOPs),它是來自 Cargill 的再生 大豆油基 BiOH 多元醇。 再生大豆基多元醇可部份取代PU泡沫在傳統製造過 程中使用的石油多元醇。所使用的大豆成份巴仙率乃視 發泡製品的種類及製造方法而定。例如用於傢具及床墊 的每 100 萬磅 Cargill 的多元醇,可節省多達 9 萬 2 千加侖 石油。 Momentive 說,發泡製品的再生成份可比現有的摻 入水平高出 30%,加上以 Niax L-670 替換標準的硅表面 活性劑,有助強化發泡製品性質,包括改善 IFD(測量發 泡製品的硬度)及壓縮設置(測量發泡製品永久變形)值 和更好的伸長率,拉伸強度及撕裂強度。更重要的是,作 為防火阻燃劑 (FR) 表面活性劑,Niax L-670 有助發泡製 品廠商節省成本,減少使用FR添加劑的數量以通過易燃 性測試。 回收 PET 及 TPU 有了新用途 回收PET或 rPET 的用途繼續取得良好進展。駐英國的 瓶裝水公司 Belu 率先行動,推出含多達 50% rPET 的 水瓶。公司說,這 500 毫升裝水瓶—礦泉水中最受歡 迎的瓶裝設計—比英國市面上任何其他塑料瓶採用更多 的回收塑料。它也 比同級 的PET 節省4 6% 碳。

生物複合材料成為新車的一部份 加 拿 大 交 通 設 計 公 司 Motive Industries 正 在 生 產 稱 為 Kestrel 的 電 動 四 人 精 巧 型 汽 車 , 車 身 來 自 防 撞 生 物 複 合 材 料 。 此 材 料 是 採 用 Alberta Innovates-Technology Future (AITF) 供應的麻墊製造,前者是加拿大政府屬下 Crown Corporation 的一份子。 這部模型車在溫哥華 EV 2010 大會上展示時掀起了漣 漪。公司表示希望能夠達到縮減重量和具備類似玻璃複 合材料機械性能的目標。現有的第一方程式賽車及許多 上路的汽車都有使用複合材料,它的強度及安全性均可 媲美鋼材。 18

ecoskin 手機套是以 回收 TPU 製造


綠色環保材料新聞 對推出這款新瓶子進行的一項調查顯示,95% 的消 費者認為塑料瓶應使用回收塑料製造,而同樣巴仙率的 消費者表示會購買這類產品。當有29%受訪者認為塑料 瓶是由回收塑料製造時,這個新產品個案更是引起人們 注目。 Belu 說 , “ 實 際 上 , 回 收 塑 料 的 數 量 每 年 都 在 增 加,而回收塑料的過程也越來越先進並獲得大公司作出 更多投資。然而,瓶裝水領域卻常被抨擊在回收過程或 製造過程中使用回收 塑料的工作做得不足 夠。” 另 一 項 使 用 rPET 創 舉 是 來 自 筆 記本電腦包及配件製 造 商 Targus Group International。這家公 司 推 出 了 使 用 rPET 製 造的新筆記本電腦 包 Spruce EcoSmart Clamshell, 可 用 來 裝 16 寸 的 筆 記 本 電 腦 , 使 用 的 是 100% 回 收 PET。 與 此 同 時 , 日 本的化學品供應商 Teijin 說 , 它 的 新 地 毯 含有來自 2 萬 3 千個半 公 升 瓶 子 的 rPET。 它 將 在 10 月 舉 行 的 日 本 東京國際電影節上 推出。 這款綠色地毯完 全採用 Teijin Fibers 的 Ecopet rPET 製造。此 材料的其他用途尚包括 送予電影節嘉賓的可重 複使用購物袋及杯墊。 生產一系列對生 態環境友善及創新手機 配件的英國產品公司 Anokimobi,最近推出 了 iPhone 4 ecoskin– 這款在英國生產的手機 套 使 用 回 收 TPU 製 造 並浸漬了銀離子,以減 少寄附在手機上的細 菌 量。

ecoskin 結 合 了 來 自 英 國 供 應 商 Addmaster 的 Biomaster 添加劑。它增加了類似醫院使用的抗菌保 護特點,最 近 一 項 報 告 指 出 手 機 可 能 寄 附 著 大 量 的 微 生物。 除了手機套,它的包裝也以回收材料製造並可再循 環使用。此外,有別於其競爭對手,這整個產品是在英 國生產,並使用一個同時為 Aston Martin 製造組件的 模具製造,進而減少了它的碳足跡。 U

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PREVIEW GERMAN MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGY

Asia sales driver for growth With VDMA reporting an improvement in orders, and as confirmed by suppliers of machines and technologies, the German industry is officially out of the doldrums. This is good news for the K2010 exhibition, which will be held from 27 October to 3 November in Düsseldorf. Industry on a high T h e G erm an p la s tic s a n d m a c h in e r y association, otherwise known as VDMA, reported recently that the industry had a record 85% jump in orders in the first six months of this year. Said Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman of the VDMA, “Incoming orders have grown rapidly every month since September 2009 and actually passed the 100% mark in June 2010.” Orders from customers within Germany were up by 26%, while demand from other countries in Europe went up by 51% and from outside Europe, by 117%. Having risen steeply, the business climate index for plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers is in positive territory again and there is a sense of optimism about how the industry will develop in the second half of the year, says VDMA. However, sales are still lagging by 3%, compared to last year. “The relatively high level of domestic sales during the same period last year explains the 23% decline this time around,” said Thorsten Kühmann, Managing Director of VDMA. Sales to customers abroad, on the other hand, rose by 7%. “In the light of the marked rise in incoming orders, we expect sales to grow by 11% by the end of the year,” added Kühmann. Polyolefins growth to come from Asia Asia, especially China and India, has been pushing sales for European manufacturers. The polyolefins m ark et i s n o d iffe r e n t a n d th e r e g io n will be the growth driver for the PP and PE markets, said Anton de Vries, LyondellBasell’s Senior Vice-President of Olefins and Polyolefins at a pre-K2010 preview in June. He said that an additional 30 million tonnes of polyolefins demand is forecast by 2014. “Most of the capacity build up is in the Middle East. It is the only exporting region, compared to all other regions that are Anton de Vries of importing,” said de Vries. H a v i n g e m e r g e d f r o m LyondellBasell emphasising i t s b a n k r u p t c y i n A p r i l t h i s the company’s future y e a r N e t h e r l a n d s - b a s e d outlook of growth at the K2010 preview LyondellBasell is now poised to enjoy the growth, he said, adding that the company had been through “a lot of stress”. Last year, it shut down 1 million tonnes of capacity in Europe and the

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US, reduced its staff force to 14,500 and trimmed fixed costs by US$1 billion. Looking to the future, the company will take advantage of the low cost of feedstock in the Middle East to boost capacity at its three 2.1 million tonne PP and PE joint venture plants. De Vries pointed out that the Saudi Ethylene and Polyethylene joint venture in Al Jubail is producing 850,000 tonnes/year of Lupotech LDPE and Hostalen HDPE and the processes were said to be running well after having started up last year. Another large plant is the Al-Waha joint venture that started up its 450,000 tonnes/year Spherizone process for a mix of PP products last year. In Thailand, HMC Polymers added a third Spherizone PP line, increasing capacity by 300,000 tonnes/year. LyondellBasell’s latest addition is the 320,000 tonnes/ year Hostalen HDPE plant in Münchsmünster, Germany, catering to Europe and the Middle East. Growth through speciality products Ticona, the engineering resin arm of Celanese, is another business that feels the time is ripe for growth, especially in China and India. Recent activities include product expansions through acquisitions, said Maria Ciliberti, Commercial Director Europe, at the K2010 preview in June. In its core POM line, Ticona is building a 50,000 tonnes/ year facility in Al Jubail through its joint venture with Sabic, Ibn Sina. Also the move of its 140,000 tonnes/year Kelsterbach site Ticona’s Maria Ciliberti for POM will be completed says the company is b y 2 0 1 1 . T h i s w i l l b e i t s contemplating setting up a single largest investment in LCP compounding facility in Asia Europe. A growth strategy in green electronics, where i t s u p p l i e s i t s h a l o g e n - f r e e L C P s a n d P C Ts , h a s been pumped up by acquiring DuPont’s Zenite LCP und Thermx PCT products. “The acquisition has accelerated our penetration into Asia, where most of Zenite applications are,” said Ciliberti, adding that a LCP compounding facility will be set up in Asia in the future. Other Asian onslaughts will be through long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (LFTs), having acquired FACT (Future Advanced Composites & Technology).


GERMAN MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGY

It has also added Vectra Trex LCP, designed for thermal forming and claimed to be the first LCP tailored for this. First-up is a 40% filled-grade with improved notched impact strength, targeted at baking equipment, vacuum-formed large-format sheets, sterilisable trays and semiconductor chip carriers. Improved nylons for automotive and electronics use Various materials suppliers, including Lanxess have improved their nylon offerings. It has two new 35% glassfibre Durethan grades for physical and chemical foaming, allowing blowing agents to dissolve easily for homogeneous singlephase solutions. These are s u i t a b l e f o r u n d e r- t h e - h o o d automotive use like cylinder head covers and fan shrouds; and for plugs/connectors, lamp sockets/holders and housing components for thermostats and DIY tools. Another new Durethan TP 424-009 (to be known as AKV 30 G HR DUS 023 in the future) is targeted at pipes used in vehicle engine compartments. This hydrolysis-stabilised 30%f i l l e d PA 6 6 i n c o r p o r a t e s a n additive that allows for gas and water injection processing for hollow parts with large pipe cross-sections and complex geometries with branches, flattened cross-sections and large angles.

One of Lanxess’s new products has been used to produce the spare wheel recess in the new Audi A8. In addition to its principal function, the spare wheel recess also reinforces the rear end of the car by integrating two 2 m long reinforcing channels with the component using gas injection technology

A 60%-filled DP BKV 60 H2.0 EF grade, meanwhile, offers stiffness for automotive engineering use as an alternative to metals and glass mat-reinforced thermoplastics (GMTs). Its tensile modulus of 19,000 MPa is twice standard-filled PAs. It has recently been used to produce a spare wheel recess with integrated reinforcing channels in the new Audi A8.


GERMAN MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGY

PREVIEW

In its Pocan PBT range, Lanxess has added on three blends for exterior truck components. The high heatresistant A3131 is a 30%-filled PBT+ASA blend for structured geometrical thinwall parts like wind deflectors and door extensions. With better flowability (40%) and toughness (30%), a key strength of the PBT+PC C3230 XF is its minimal distortion. It is ideal for lamp housings and large panels/trims. Meanwhile, the 55%-filled T3150 XF is for structural reinforcement that require stiffness and strength. It boasts a high elasticity modulus of 18,500 MPa, panning it as an alternative to plastic/metal composites. Green nylon and ABS for electroplating Another company that has improved its nylon grade is BASF. Its flame retardant Ultramid FRee S3U40G5 Balance is available in light colours, which is becoming important for specific electronic components. Other properties are its chemical resistance and low water uptake, since it is based on castor oil-derived sebacic acid. Thus, over 60% of the base polymer comes from renewable resources. The product was recently approved by energy management specialist Schneider Electric for circuit breakers, sockets and switch bodies.

metal parts in a single step. It will produce eyeglasses from Evonik’s nylon, with the lenses heated by a conductor track to prevent condensation. IKV says it is able to make the flow of electricity indirectly visible via the heat discharge. To manufacture the glasses, IKV has integrated Babyplast’s add-on injection unit, which has been modified and optimised for processing the low-viscosity metal alloys, with Ferromatik Milacron’s K-Tec 200 S/2F injection moulding machine. Together with Krallmann and Hasco, IKV developed a three-station index plate mould. With the aid of this moulding tool, the glasses are produced in a compact production cell with only one mould and machine. The temperature of the cavity inserts in the individual stations of the index plate mould is controlled with water via separate circuits. To enable processing of the extremely fast solidifying low-melting metal alloy in the area of the conductor track, the mould is equipped in the second station with a highly dynamic variothermal temperature control system from Gwk. Other equipment include a drying and conveying system from Koch while sensor technology from Kistler Instruments is used for the on-line monitoring of the mould pressure and temperature. Automation is made up of a six-axis robot from Kuka Roboter and gripper from ASS Maschinenbau for insertion and removal. Laser welding gains LPKF Laser & Electronics will be showcasing its twinweld hybrid welder, a turnkey system boasting higher welding quality and faster processing times. And since tempering is no longer required it reduces production and tooling costs. The automated system is able to undertake 3D designs for car headlights and tail lights, both of which are difficult with other welding systems. LPKF says the trend in welding is towards microcomponents and large 3D free form components. It will also be showing the LQ-Vario RT, said to be a lowmaintenance laser source and rotary indexing table with an optional double clamping device for higher output.

BASF’s latest Ultramid PA is targeted at light coloured electronics

I n i t s Te r l u r a n A B S l i n e , B A S F h a s d e v e l o p e d an electroplating grade. Studies conducted at the Lüdenscheid Plastics Institute show a broad processing window and compliance to adhesion testing on a complex grid plate. The BX 13074 is intended for plumbing fixtures like water faucets, shower heads and other shiny surfaces in bathrooms and kitchens while in the automotive sector, it can be used for radiator grilles and trim strips. The first operational plates for flushing mechanisms have already been made by Werrit. Eye on hybrid process The Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) at RWTH Aachen University will present a hybrid process that involves combining die casting and injection moulding for the production of electrically conductive plastic/

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LPKF’s laser welding machine for large parts


GERMAN MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGY

Koch’s Exako is for small dosing volumes

Length and breadth of auxiliaries Werner Koch says its new dosing unit for injection moulding machines guarantees total accuracy in dosing the smallest quantities, irrespective of external influences. The Exako is fitted with scales that register the actual weight and compare the value with the calculated set weight using a new control system. It is integrated with a newly developed Siemens PLC S7 control unit. In its drying range, it will present the Comko compressed dryer that has been designed for operation in immediate contact with the processing machine. It is suitable for drying small quantities of hygroscopic materials at an output of up to 7 kg/hour. Herbold will show its new large HB granulator series. It is able to reduce whole bales of film, bulk injection moulding and blow moulding parts and bales of foamed plastics in a single step. The grinding chamber is directly linked to a feed hopper. With the help of a PLC-controlled ram the material is forwarded to the rotor. It also has a new HGM wet shredder type HGM, developed for highly contaminated waste such as agricultural film. It uses water for the size reduction, thus reducing the well-known wear and tear problems associated with this type of waste. With its Micromat Plus series of single-shaft shredders for recycling, Lindner Resource is launching a new machine concept. It is available in three sizes and three drive concepts to accommodate specific needs. The available range of square or point-blade rotors can be fitted with variously sized blades. Screens with 10-300 mm hole diameters allow for more versatility, says the manufacturer. The newly developed internal force feeder can be individually adapted to the given application and an increased filling capacity e n s u r e s a c o n s t a n t l y h i g h m a t e r i a l f l o w. T h e patented revision and maintenance hatch facilitates the replacement of blades and counter-blades as well as troubeshooting, reducing downtime. U


PREVIEW BLOW MOULDING AND THERMOFORMING

All-round improvements At the K2010 show, blow moulding machinery manufacturers will highlight all-electric and hybrid technologies, driven by the low energy use and precision. Meanwhile in thermoforming, higher outputs are a desired element.

Resin improvement for ISBM Total Petrochemicals will be running its HDPE SB 1461 resin on a Sidel ISBM (injection stretch blow moulding) machine at 1,700 Total’s bottles/cavity/hour boosting new resin capacity, it says. Trials with produces the resin on other ISBMs rigid and from Sidel, like the SBO lighter dairy Universal, ran a high output bottles with improved thickness d i s t r i b u t i o n , s a y s To t a l . Compared to EBM (extrusion blow moulding), the ISBMproduced HDPE dairy bottles are more rigid and 20% lighter, allowing for down gauging. Total will add on a new grade for household chemical and personal care bottles later. All-electric and hybrid blow moulders Having introduced hybrid and all-electric single-station machines, Uniloy Milacron Germany has added electric drives to its double-station UMS12E.D for 30% lower energy. Equipped with a triple parison head at 100 mm spacing, it will be running a 225 ml bottle. Leak testers are installed above the deflashing station and operated via the B&R control. It can be used in cleanrooms and for pharmaceutical, medical or food applications. The first UMS12E.D was installed last month; and a 24-tonne model is next. Compatriot Uniloy Milacron of Italy, meanwhile, will present the new electric UMS200EZ EnergiaZero continuous extrusion shuttle. With a stroke of 710 mm, the all-electric clamp unit can accommodate six cavities, at 110 mm spacing, and IML too. Able to extrude up to seven layers, it is targeted at consumer packaging sector. Bekum is promoting its BM-07 EBM available in both hydraulic and all-electric (EBlow) versions, with clamping sizes of 10-24 tonnes and mould widths of 350-700 mm. The displayed 10-tonne Eblow 307DL offers up to 50% energy savings and up to 15% reduced dry cycles. A new clamp design allows for trouble-free pinch-off and for top and bottom calibration. US-based Jomar will have two injection blow moulders, with a 85S hybrid model pairing an electric screw drive with hydraulic accumulator for a low 30 hp motor. Thus, energy use is reduced by up to 50%,

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compared to a standard Jomar hydraulic machine. It will run a ten-cavity mould for 4 oz. CPP bottles at 3,600 bottles/hour. The other injection blow moulder is for producing small bottles from commodity resins like LDPE in six to eight cavities or 50 ml bottles in four cavities using engineering resins. At the K show, the machine will demonstrate COP resin. New developments stretch the process In the same arena as reducing energy use is Krones’s FlexWave oven for its Contiform stretch blow moulder. It uses lower energy compared to infra-red heating and also achieves process flexibility, independent of the preform colour, material or proportion of recyclate, says Krones. It will also show its ProShape module for preform alignment and temperature control to keep oval bottles in shape and allow for an output of 2,000/hour. Kautex Maschinenbau will showcase its new KLS 8-100 long-stroke extrusion shuttle machine that is integrated with leak detection, visual inspection and a built-in preventive maintenance system. In line with the strong global growth for wide mouth hot-fill PET jars as a replacement for glass hot-filling, Japanese Nissei ASB will introduce the HSB6M reheat stretch blow moulder. It incorporates the company’s double blow process, which has been successfully used in Asia for more than 15 years. The preform is first Krones’s ProShape keeps oval blown, then shrunk and bottles in shape re-blown. In addition, it will introduce the CM-6000M neck crystalliser that enhances the heat-resistant properties of preforms and reduces weight by up to 20%, compared to conventional necks produced by competitor systems. Sacmi will show its SBF (Stretch Blow Forming) reheat machine. It is available in 12 models with 6-30 blowing stations and a dual-cavity mould capable of producing two 0.5 l bottles or one 1.5-2 l bottle, with a quick changeover system. It will also show the CCM80S compression machine capable of producing 2000 bottles/ minute in a 2.4 second cycle.


Blow Moulding and Thermoforming

Up scaled thermoformers Indian thermoforming machinery supplier Wonderpack, which recently merged with Rajoo Engineers, will showcase a four–axis servo controlled form and cut–in–place thermoformer with a speed of 60 strokes/minute. German supplier Kiefel will show its latest automated pressure forming Speedformer KMD80, said to reduce production costs by 10% due to low energy use and its ability to recover energy. Operating speed of up to 65 cycles/minute is possible, with reduced material consumption through optimum utilisation of the forming area. A film conveying system is operated via a chain guide system for a constant feed rate and forming area of 600 x 800 mm. It also has a new automated cup-stacking unit for its high-speed KTR thermoformer, co-developed with automation specialist Rudholzer. Deviating from traditional materials like PS, Illig and Gabler will both focus on forming machines for amorphous PET (APET). Gabler, participating together with its US partner Lyle, will show its modular Focus (Form, Cut and Stack) thermoformer; and Illig, its RDK90 automatic pressure former. It features up to 900 mm processable material width and 700 mm index length, and processes APET on an 18-up tool at 55 cycles/minute. An RDM70K, with a forming area of 680 x 300 mm, will form APET yoghurt cups. Meanwhile, TSL-Thermoforming Systems will display the FT3500 machine with its patentpending tilt technology. The thermoformer has been developed to cater to the growing mid-sized trim-inplace market for PP processing. It forms and trims parts up to 150 mm deep in a single station with a forming area of 775 x 450 mm. The tilt technology is a synchronised dual servotoggle-driven design for high speed and repeatable forming. ◆

Kiefel will present its new pressure forming machine


PREVIEW COMPOUNDING AND PELLETISING

Eco-friendly thrust With the increase in biopolymer and rPET processing, equipment suppliers are innovating pelletising and compounding systems to cater to the special requirements involved in processing these materials.

Pelletising rPET Pelletising equipment supplier, Kreyenborg says its CrystalCut pelletiser will help processors and recyclers of rPET work better with the material. This is one of its 25 exhibits on display, of which, four will be underwater pelletisers and a new generation GPE3 gear pump designed for temperature-sensitive materials such as polycarbonate and bioplastics. At the show, it will present five models that are available in ten sizes each for extrusion capacities of up to 12 tonnes/hour. It will also present its 4K-75 screen changer with optimised flow channel geometry, for up to 100% filtration.

Kreyenborg’s 4K-75 backflush screen changer

Swiss company Maag’s CSC/BF-PE screen changer now also meets the requirements of direct recycling processes, thanks to the fully automatic cleaning of the screens that can be adjusted to any kind of process. The quantity of material needed for backflushing of the screens is collected in a permanently flushed space and will then clean the dirty screen. Hence, variations in pressure and volume are avoided. By adding in the specifications into the control system, the backflush filter starts the cleaning of the screens that is controlled by pressure or time and depends on the level of dirt accumulation. With a flow geometry free from dead spots, the screen changers are based on the double-piston design that does not require additional seals for a leak proof operation.

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Underwater pelletising Coperion will display the die plate of what it says is the largest underwater pelletiser in the world, with one sold already. The average cutting diameter is 1,250 mm, output is 100 tonnes/hour of PE, water flow rates of up to 1,500 cu. m/hour and it can have up to 11,000 die holes. A slightly smaller but similar system for PP has been in operation since last year. Another large underwater pelletiser for TPEs will go into operation next year. Since TPE pellets tend to be very sticky, the axial water flow along the knife shaft into the cutting chamber and the radial water flow along the pelletising knives towards the water chamber exit minimise turbulences in the cutting chamber. Automatik Plastics Machinery will be at the K for the first time since its recent merger with Maag Pump Systems. Its exhibits will focus on biopolymers, CCPET technology and recycled PET, micro pelletising and fibre-reinforced thermoplastics. CombiCrystal PET or CC-PET is a process where pelletising, drying and crystallisation are combined in a single process. Here, a new generation of its established Sphero underwater pelletising system, Sphero 70, will be shown. It has been improved with a streamlined process water flow, allowing for easier cleaning and reduced wear. Other features are the cutting chamber lock that can be flipped open with a single hand, said to be a first in the industry. Micro pelletising and biopolymers A growing area is EPS (expanded polystyrene) and here Kreyenborg subsidiary BKG Bruckmann will show a pelletiser for micro pellets (less than 1 mm size) since it says demand has been especially strong of late for these systems. Automatik, meanwhile, will introduce its Centro 150 centrifugal dryer fitted with fine screens, designed for micro pelletising. For biopolymers and fibre-reinforced thermoplastics, Automatik will have its EBG belt conveyor pelletiser, together with the Primo Plus 200 dry cut strand pelletiser. The EBG gently guides the strands without tensile force, making it ideal for highly filled products, says the company. The system offers a range of air and water cooling. The Primo Plus will feature a changeable cutting head that can be removed and exchanged with a second cutting head, enabling minimal downtime. In March, Kreyenborg delivered what it says is the world’s largest continuous infrared drum (IRD) for the drying of PET bottle flakes with a maximum performance of 3,500 kg/hour. For smaller outputs, the company plans to introduce a batch IRD for handling input moisture of up to 25%, especially for processing PLA and special plastics. Coperion has also delivered its first compounding plant for biodegradable plastics to compounder Cabopol in Portugal. The system includes materials handling as well as compounding with downstream pelletising and drying. Biodegradable compounds based on compostable polyesters with and without starch are being manufactured. The processing



COMPOUNDING AND PELLETISING

PREVIEW Davis Standard’s improved die plates support bio-resins

extruder, a ZSK MEGAcompounder PLUS, has a ZSB twin screw side feeder and a venting unit. The die discharges into a water bath for strand cooling followed by suction drying of the strand surface prior to strand pelletising. All the peripherals are integrated with the EpcNT control. Davis-Standard has introduced a new series of underwater, water ring and air ring pelletisers for micro, normal and macro pellets in laboratory sizes to high-capacity virgin resin plant sizes. These pelletisers offer higher output of up to 25% while the die plates, which have been produced in-house, are redesigned. B es i d es t h e lo n g e r life s p a n a n d im pr oved scr ap recovery, the die plates allow for a broad melt viscosity range without a die change for the bio-resin and debottlenecking sectors. Compounding – energy efficient and higher outputs In compounding, KraussMaffei Berstorff will present its ZE60 A UTX twin-screw with a maximum speed of 600 rpm to showcase that large machines operating at medium speeds are energy efficient and produce higher quality pellets than fast running small lines.

At the K show, KraussMaffei Berstorff will display a ZZE twin-screw with a Mixomat. The allin-one conveying, weighing and mixing unit has a large door for rapid cleaning, in case of frequent material or colour changes

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When compounding 30%-filled PA6 and an output of 2,100 kg/hour on the extruder at 1,200 rpm, for instance, the energy requirement is 0.21 kWh/kg. By using the next larger machine size, at a speed of 600 rpm, only 0.18 kWh/kg is required, says the company. Product quality is also enhanced because of the greater screw channel depth in larger machines, which exposes the material to less mechanical stress at comparable r e s i d e n c e t i m e s . M o r e o v e r, t h e c o m b i n a t i o n o f medium speeds and increased channel depths are said to reduce screw and barrel wear. The company has optimised the extruder power train and heating system to further increase energy efficiency. Another new product from KraussMaffei Berstorff is its EasyClean compounding line designed to reduce cleaning and changeover times by up to 40%. It features clamp joints and clamped flange connections at the feed hoppers. Plus, the material conduits to the metering devices and the silos can be loosened without tools. The docking station for the bulk solid metering device was also engineered to speed up changeovers since the second metering device can be cleaned off-line. At the show, a ZZE 60-mm twinscrew will be equipped with a Mixomat, an all-in-one conveying, weighing and mixing unit. With this, the number of metering devices are reduced. It also has a large cleaning opening for quick clean-out in material or colour changeovers.

Buss’s four-flight kneader

Meanwhile, Brabender will have its MiniCompounder KETSE 12/36 for laboratory applications. The12 mm 36 L/D twin-screw machine has a clamshell barrel that opens to allow the processing steps to be viewed. The machine is also offered in a 20 mm, 40 L/D configuration. Since it launched its MX kneaders at the K2007, Buss says they are setting new output benchmarks for compounding heat and shear sensitive plastics. It will show a compounding line incorporating an MX with 140 mm diameter screw shaft. A leading European cable manufacturer recently took delivery of an MX 140 line for flame retardant cable compounds with up to 3,000 kg/ hour output, said to be double the capacity of competitor lines and thrice as much as what Buss’s MKS used to offer. This is attributable to the four-flight kneading screw, lower cut and higher speed of 750 rpm. U


Omipa Jolly PRA:Omipa folder 2005 16/09/10 20.32 Pagina 1

AT THE TOP OF THE EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY.

CO-EXTRUSION LINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF - CLEAR SHEET AND FOIL OF HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY - HOLLOW PROFILES - TECHNICAL SHEET AND FOIL FOR GENERAL PURPOSE

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Since 1963, innovative lines incorporating continual improvements and new patents. High quality materials and components, design and manufacturing entirely realized inside the company, extensive experience and know-how; we take up our customers' challenges, which become also ours. This is the way how our customized lines take shape.

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PREVIEW EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY

Faster, better and higher In film extrusion technology, suppliers are beginning to layer up to cater to consumer demand for barrier packaging while new technologies allow for solar films and multiplication of layers. In pipe/profile lines, the target is for higher outputs and larger diameters. Multi-layer lines take the cake To cater to the worldwide trend for multi-layer films, Reifenhäuser Kiefel Extrusion will bring out its nine-layer Evolution, a name it picked to denote a new generation of lines that incorporate the best of both worlds (technology from the respective companies). Its centrepiece is the extruder/die combination that allows a flexible production of a range of materials such as nylons and glycol-modified PET, which it can process at low melt temperatures. RKE’s Evolution is a combination of both companies technologies

The rheological and thermal design of the die permits consistent production of thin layers with accurate thickness ratios of the individual layers, says the company. Plus, the film cooling unit has been redesigned and adapted to run barrier films at higher outputs that until now were only possible with polyolefins. The winder is modular, allowing it to be configured for contact, centre or gap winding, and it comes with a range of modular accessories that can be switched on and off as needed. Not to be outdone, Italian company Macchi will also showcase a nine-layer line producing film of barrier resin sandwiched between layers of metallocene LLDPE and LDPE using tie layers. The 55 mm, 30 L/D extruders will be driven by Siemens’s synchronous torque motors. The line uses the compact CoexFlex IBC die that combines melt binary splitting and a traditional spiral mandrel. At Hosokawa Alpine’s stand will be a high-output fivelayer line with a patented X-Die for processing a wide range of materials and layer ratios. The screw is direct-coupled with the drive shaft in a two-stage gearbox and is turned by a water-cooled, asynchronous AC motor, making it quiet, compact and low maintenance. Measuring barrier layers In the processing of multi-layer blown film, maintaining the

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thickness of the various layers of a structure is important, especially when using expensive barrier layers. Now, two German institutes, the IKV (Institute for Plastics Processing) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, have developed a system that measures the layers during processing, at output rates up to 450 m/minute. Previously, this could not have been done accurately due to the thin layers. The system relies on an interferometric sensor and infrared light to detect changes in the refraction index of the film. These variations can be tracked on the film’s surface as well as where two layers meet. Four German SMEs are involved in the project including processor A+C Plastic, which has been running the system on one of its lines for some months. Other companies are Octagon and Elovis, both of which manufacture measuring equipment, and extrusion line manufacturer Kuhne, which tested the system in near-production conditions before A+C put it to the test. Catering to market trends Rajoo Engineers will display a 300 kg/hour, 700 mm wide, three-layer line for producing 0.2-1 mm thickness PET sheets using rPET. The Lamina RS1X 1490-50/900 comes complete with a crystalliser, dehumidifier, continuous screen changer, polishing rollers with fine gap adjustment and Siemens touchscreen control. The Indian company says the line is designed for moderate outputs, something not able to be done by the Europeans or Americans. Rajoo will showcase its rPET sheet line

In BOPP, Brückner will show four highoutput lines ranging from widths of 8.7-10.4 m, with speeds of 300-525 m/minute and outputs of 16,000-56,000 tonnes. It will also display a 6.2 m, 16,000 tonne/year CPP line, to be installed at Chinese film maker Hangzhou Great Southeast, after the show. Another highlight is the Energy Monitoring Tool for displaying how much energy per component is being consumed during a process. Saving floor space with compact lines Austrian supplier SML will introduce the EcoCompact, which is its latest stretch film line with a competitive priceperformance ratio. With a footprint of 140 sq m, it also halves the space requirement of standard stretch film lines. The line features low energy use is durable and offers a stable production. The supplier says that four-up EcoCompact lines are available in net widths of 2,000 mm and in a choice of three or five-layer production. Winding takes place using



EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY

PREVIEW

a W4000 winder with automatic core magazine, which is suitable for both machine and mother rolls in weights of up to 60 kg. The lines boast a production capacity of around 1,200 kg/hour and run at speeds in excess of 600 m/minute. Italian Torninova also has a compact stretch film line for making co-extruded film in a width of 900 mm and at speeds up to 780 m/min. The machine has a footprint of 16.7 sq m. Oerlikon Barmag will unveil a mono-filament line for producing artificial turf using LLDPE, HDPE and PP yarns with an output of up to 150 kg/hour, which is 50% of the normal capacity of a standard system. The footprint has been reduced since a three-level hot-air oven is incorporated. Die technology Davis-Standard Converting Systems will display the internal mandrel of its new ProCone die technology to illustrate various possibilities. The die is engineered for five to ninelayer blown films and has a stackable mandrel arrangement allowing vertical movement of mandrels within the stack. This allows for angular movement of the mandrels relative to each other, for changing layer ratios without altering extruder position. The cone and ring modules can be rotated to share an extruder or uncoupled and moved within the stack for use with another extruder. Canadian Brampton Engineering will display its FlexStack SCD (Streamlined Coextrusion Die) die, which is half the size of its standard SCD. Another Canadian supplier Macro Engineering & Technology will exhibit a seven-layer TaperPack Die, which is a key component of its DXL-7000 double-bubble lines that are used for multi-layer shrink bags for meat and cheese packaging. Meanwhile, Alpha Marathon’s LFR-style air ring uses lowpressure, high-volume air flow and specially designed fins with side intake ports. A fixed lower lip coupled with precise adjustment of the upper lip allows for an easy set-up. Equipment for high-tech structures Extrusion Dies Industries will feature its layer multiplication technique, which relies on a multiplier tool to create layers within a co-extrusion sandwich provided by a feedblock. The structure is then fed into the manifold of an extrusion die to produce film or sheet of desired width and thickness. Regardless of how many microlayers there are in the structure, the overall thickness is no greater than that of conventional co-extrusion and the structure contains the same amount of material. The company says the process is promising for sheet and thick film packaging, such as rigid retort and hot-fill containers, stand-up retort pouches and vacuum skin packaging for meat Cloeren will have a nanolayer feedblock technology that allows up to 34 layers, which has recently been applied EDI's new technology reduces the oxygen transmission rate by up to 80%

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together with its Epoch III die for processing nylons, TPE, TPU and PET by a US processor. The company will also show feedblocks and dies for clarified PP; protective and stretch films – systems that have been supplied to Asia. For the production of PV solar panels, EVA film is used for encapsulation of cells. Hence, special properties such as low shrinkage, have to be fulfilled. Breyer has produced a line that does that and at a high speed, since it says standard extrusion lines only allow a low processing speed as anything over 5 m/minute can result in high shrinkage. The company is promoting it as an alternative to calendaring/cast film lines. For pipes and profiles Swiss company Maillefer will be exhibiting drip irrigation line technology as well as forming and welding components for heating and plumbing pipes that allow for easier forming tool set-ups, elimination of wear and dust from TIG grounding and improved weld surveillance. Battenfeld Cincinnati will be showing its new parallel twin-screw extruders for PVC profiles. Four machines with screw diameters from 78-135 mm and a 34 L/D provide an output of up to 1,000 kg/hour, 25% higher than its previous models. KraussMaffei’s extrusion line for extra-large pipes with a 36D singlescrew extruder and a spiral distributor pipe head

KraussMaffei Berstorff is building an extrusion line to produce what it says is the largest diameter smooth-walled pipe. The line will be used by P.E.S. to produce 2,400 mm diameter HDPE pipes. It is part of the single-screw extruder series ranging from 105150 mm diameters and L/D of 36. The extruder features a barrier screw for low and uniform melt temperature. In the pipe head, specially engineered for extra-large diameters, the melt is gently pre-distributed via multiple holes to produce an ideal circular cross-section before it reaches the spiral channels. The die can be manually pre-adjusted. A number of heating oil circuits and segmented heater bands support accurate wall thickness control. Italian company Amut will show the BA114 Cemax parallel counter-rotating twin-screw extruder with 30 L/D, targeted at producing window profiles at around 600 kg/hour and an output of 1,100 kg/hour for rigid PVC pressure pipes. Unicor will present its new UC320 corrugator for medium-sized pipes. This machine succeeds the UC250, of which, 100 machines are in operation worldwide. Its collaboration with Fränkische Maschinenbau since 2009, has resulted in a range of robust and higher speed corrugators. In die heads, Unicor will display its CDH or compact die head, which can run 630 mm diameter pipes. For small diameters and technical pipes, it has its UC15, claimed to be its best selling workhorse of a machine. U





TAIWANESE MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGY

Industry moves to top gear This article by CC Wang, the President of the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI), provides an account of how the Taiwanese plastics and rubber machinery industry has fared since the downturn in 2008 up until 2010 and concludes that the industry needs to move to a higher level in order to keep up with the competition in the global market.

ffected by the global economic crisis since 2008, the production volume of Taiwanese plastics and rubber machinery in 2009 was approximately US$970 million, a 27.7% decrease compared to the same period in 2008. In 2009, the total export volume was US$745 million, a 31% decrease. The import volume was US$175 million, a decline of 45.7%. Market demands from high-tech industries were high in 2006, but dropped slightly in 2007, followed by a smooth recovery in 2008, but then hit a sharp downturn in 2009.

A

Upgrading of technology The industry is facing a turning point that includes upgrading technology, so as to meet the rapidly growing market for high-tech components and factory automation. The export volume occupied 62% of all production output in 1992, 75% in 1995 and was nearly 82% in 2008. One of the main reasons for this increasing ratio was due to local factories moving over to China or where labourintensive industries were situated. In the meantime, imported machinery has had an upper hand among local high-tech customers for decades. This chronic asymmetrical sales allocation phenomenon is a serious subject that all Taiwanese manufacturers must contemplate in depth. There are approximately 200 plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers in Taiwan, among which 98% are small-medium size factories, 90% are located in Tainan, Taichung and the Hsin Chu areas. The traditional master and apprentice relationship plus powerful subcontract supply chains in Taiwan have developed a unique situation so that the number of manufacturers increases year by year, yet the technologies are still stagnant. Production As mentioned above, there are more than 200 manufacturers in this business, even so looking at the sales revenue in 2008 as an example, the leading brands such as Victor, Chen Hsong, Chuan Lih Fa, Fong Kee, Hwa Chin, Fu Chun Shin, Jon Wai, Ye I, Chumpower, Asia Metal, Lien Yu, Shini, Kai Mei, Jung Chang and Taiwan Union Plastico together had a total turnover of nearly US$500,000. These companies occupied almost 40% of the total capacity, while the rest of the small-

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Table 1 Production / Export / Import 1999 – Q12010

medium companies had only a 0.35% market share each, on average. The performance gap between big and small companies is quite considerable. Exports Taiwan is an export-orientated country and most machine production relies on foreign buyers. Table 1 gives a clear comparison. Last decade, on average, the export ratio was between 80-85% of all production output. The export amount in Q1 2010 was US$22.9 million, which represents a growth of 48.9% compared to the amount in Q1 2009. As for the types of machinery, injection moulding machines represent the largest sector in the category followed by other types of plastics and rubber machinery, extruders, blow moulders and machines for vacuum forming, hot press and other special purpose machines.

Exports by country – Q12010


TAIWANESE MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGY

As for exports to countries, undoubtedly, China is the largest machine consuming country in the world. It accommodates a third of export machines; second largest is India, but with only 7.1% of the export amount. Indonesia is the third at 6.3%, followed by Thailand (6.1%), Vietnam (5.6%), Turkey (3.5%), Brazil (3.1%), Japan (2.7%), Malaysia (2.4%) and the US (2.1%). One important figure worth mentioning is that the top five counties also enjoyed high growth rates in Q1 2010, with China (119%) leading the way followed by India (146%) and Indonesia (77%). These numbers suggest that an optimistic market recovery can be expected. China, together with other Asian countries, consumes 70% of Taiwanese machines. At the same time, European customers are still loyal to Taiwanese brands. This can be seen from exports to Italy, which amounts to 58% of European total exports while Germany is 62%.

Exports by items – Q12010

Imports Import figures in the past ten years did not follow the patterns of production and exports. But the performance in Q1 2010 of US$51 million gives confidence that markets should walk out from the dark economic valley. In the item category, the ranking is the same as items in exports. Injection moulding machines take the lead followed by extrusion systems, blow moulding, vacuum forming, hot press and other special purpose machines.

In the country of origin, Japan has been the largest supplying country for machines for decades. From January to March 2010, the import volume in Japan was US$23.97 million, which is 47.8% of the total volume in this sector; and this sales amount is 27.6% higher compared to the same period in 2009. China, including Hong Kong, is second placed with a transaction value of US$11.02 million, taking 22% of the market share and 90% growth. Germany is in third position, with nearly US$6 million sales to Taiwan,

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TAIWANESE MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGY

and 11.9% of market share. The remaining countries are the US – 8.2%, France – 3.2% and the Netherlands – 2.2%. The top three countries of origin dominate 80% of the business. Prospects The global production for the machinery industry is US$25 billion a year. The major players in this industry are Germany, Italy, France, UK, Switzerland, USA, Canada and Asian countries, such as, Japan, Taiwan, China and Korea. By analysing statistics data from each country, China claims to have taken over Germany’s position, becoming the largest plastics and rubber machinery production country in the world. Germany, Japan, Italy and the US are still in the leading group, with Taiwan ranking sixth. In 2010, after the two-year recession, Taiwan will recover from this dark period and may step back to its 2007 level. Challenges Indeed, the industry in Taiwan is standing at a crossroads: facing more business opportunities but tougher challenges, such as the following: Imbalanced market distribution Taiwan exports 31% of all its production to China, and another 25% to the Southeast Asian countries. Obviously there is too much concentration in these two regions, and therefore, spreading out the sales to other countries is a key task to reduce business risks. The new emerging consuming power from the Middle Eastern countries or Eastern Europe is worth exploring. The present situation is that the Gulf region and Central Asian countries occupy 8.8% of the market share, African countries 7.7%, Latin and South American countries 7.4%, while Middle and Eastern European countries only occupy 1.4%. There are still many potential areas to be developed. Material costs Cast iron and steel are the most important ingredients for plastic and rubber machines. Each year, Taiwan requires 20 tonnes of cast iron and steel for this industry. The steel price is manipulated indirectly depending on the demand from China and the rapidly changing prices increase difficulties for manufacturers in cost calculation. In the meantime, Taiwan is an island without any abundant natural resources. Iron sands are imported from outside: the purchase cost is at least 20%-30% higher than what Chinese or South Korean competitors pay. The cost gap is fatal, especially for conventional or low-cost machine builders, exacerbated further by the insufficient labour force and high wages in Taiwan. These factors have forced Taiwanese manufacturers to move to China. Looking at the future trend, it will not be easy to solve this problem in a short period. Taiwanese machinery makers will have to diversify their business patterns and seek more solutions for long term competitiveness.

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Main stream product: All-electric injection machine All-electric injection moulding machines feature low noise levels, low vibration, power and water savings and, ultimately the most important point, a low operation cost. Though the unit price is relatively higher than hydraulic machines, all-electric injection moulding machines fit the demands from high-tech industries, such as semiconductor, computer, multimedia and optical electronics. In 2008, 1,169 units of injection moulding machines were imported to Taiwan, with a value of US$96.22 million. Each machine cost on average US$82,300, which is 2.7 times higher than Taiwanese machines. Of these, 48.7% come from Japan, 19.6% from South Korea and 10.3% from Germany. This is concrete data that indicates the current market trend. According to the Association of Japanese Plastic Machinery, more than 80% of all production of injection moulding machines is all-electrics. Market observers predict that in the next ten years, 70% of the injection moulding machines below 1,600 tonnes coming from Japan, Europe and the US will be all-electrics. This is not only because of the machines’ environmental-friendly features but also because of their high-speed efficiency. Technology for key components and its applications i) Servomotors Servomotors will gradually replace the present complicated mechanical structures, especially because these sophisticated precision parts may wear over time. Therefore, service and maintenance costs will be an inevitable burden in the future, hence the servomotor will be the best solution. ii) Key components from Europe “Assembly in Asia, key components from Europe” – this is how business works at the moment. In order to increase profit and reduce cost at the same time, both sides must cooperate with more flexible and efficient ways so as to create a win-win situation for Asian machine makers and European component suppliers. Taiwan machine makers have organised a technical innovation alliance to develop a new generation of allelectric injection moulding machines, from the initial concept to commercialisation. The first results were seen at Taipeiplas 2010. More and more manufacturers will introduce new small or medium-size models. From the supply chain side, Japanese or German servomotor suppliers are quite confident of Taiwan’s ability to innovate; from the buyer’s side, the demands for these machines are increasing steadily. In all aspects, we see an optimistic future for the plastics and rubber machinery industry this year and there is no reason to be pessimistic in the years to come. U



TAIWANESE MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGY

Foreign interest in Taiwanese machines increases In spite of an earthquake, which hit Taiwan in March, the Taipeiplas show, also held during the same month, went on as planned. In fact, the calamity did not deter the foreign visitors, especially those coming from the emerging markets, to see the exhibition. Whether or not this is an affirmation of the appeal of Taiwanese machinery to low-cost producing countries, it should bode well for the country as its manufacturers have traditionally relied on the Chinese market for sales. Higher visitorship The Taiwanese showcase attracted 2,471 foreign visitors (an increase of 5.5% compared to 2008 up 5.5% compared to 2008) from 101 countries, of the total 15,094 visitors. Exhibitors like Venus Plastics and Kuen Yuh indicated that in addition to the usual visitors from Asia, this year they met people from the Middle East, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe. These are countries that emerged relatively unscathed from the global financial crisis. A reason for the rise in visitors could be the increased consumer spending in the respective countries. From 5 to 9 March, during the five day event, which was jointly organised by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and TAMI, there had been fewer exhibitors. Only 419 occupied 2,111 booths while at the 2008 show, there had been 429 exhibitors who occupied 2,466 booths. Nevertheless, the impetus from the emerging markets provided added income to exhibitors’ pockets. For example, exhibiting company Fu Chun Shin said that it clinched US$300,000 worth of orders from India and Pakistan and another US$1 million from Brazil and Russia. All the deals were concluded during the show. In fact, in the ensuing buyer meetings, the organiser claims that US$156.55 million worth of deals were concluded on-site, with a further US$153.86 million expected from follow-up orders.

Tung Yu’s RTIP250Y20 rubber injection moulding machine was tops in the rubber machinery section of the awards

Another exhibitor, Chumpower, generated more than US$2 million worth of direct orders while Ye I, which introduced a recycling machine, entertained potential buyers from Indonesia. The company expects sales of its machines, with prices ranging from US$120,000 to US$150,000, to generate up to US$2 million worth of potential business. According to the organiser, most of the visitors lauded the competitive pricing of Taiwanese machinery, compared to those from Japan; and also commended the quality, compared to machines from China. Awards for R&D excellence To inspire and maintain the focus on research in the industry, the organiser traditionally presents awards and this year was no different except for the level of innovations, which had significantly improved, as observed by one of the judges, Tim Ornellas. “If you look back 20 years ago, Taiwanese machine manufacturers were seen as copiers. They have moved on and are now seen as innovators.” But he added that there were still lots of in-roads to be made by manufacturers so that they could be on par with their Japanese and European counterparts. “For instance, they should pay more attention to the styling of their machines, not just from an aesthetic point of view but to keep them fully enclosed,” said the former publisher of PRA. U

Pro Doing’s three-side sealing bag-making machine with stand-up pouch and zipper bag forming device has a spin embossing stop function that prevents the material from overheating. Side-sealing positioning is tracked and inspected via an electronic photo lens. This optional device is connected via seven digital servomotors. The swivel control panel is integrated with the machine structure and located in a position that allows the operator to easily control through the touchscreen monitor. The machine is already in the market in the Asian countries and the company says it expects to market it to the US, South America, Gulf Region and Eastern Europe

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TAIWANESE MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGY

Taiwan Plastics and Rubber Machine Awards SUPER EXCELLENT PRIZE

Injection moulding machines

Blow moulding machines

First Prize Chuan Lih Fa Machinery Works CLF-450AE all-electric superspeed LGP purpose machine

First Prize Fong Kee International Machinery Three-layer co-extrusion blow moulding machine (single head/double station)

Second Prize Fu Chun Shin Manufacture AF-200 all servo IML turnkey solution Multiplas Enginery Co EV-50R-FAPC fully automated all-electric vertical injection moulding machine Huarong Plastic Machinery HR-320 servo IML and injection moulding machine

Second Prize Suma Plastic Machinery 601D4 Four - Station injection blow moulding machine

EDEX TECHNOLOGY Atom 100-SP20 precision plunger type injection moulding machine

Other plastic machines

Rubber machines

First Prize Sun Lung Gear Works SL-250 improved gear reducer for plastic extruders

First Prize Tung Yu Hydraulic Machinery RTIP250Y20 rubber injection moulding machine with energysaving innovation

Second Prize Pro Doing Industrial HT-N600 three-side sealing bag making machine with stand-up pouch and zipper bag forming device Gever Taiwan MX232 matrix deposit-free cooling machine

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Kai Mei Plastic Machinery MIB85-C injection stretch blow moulder blow moulding 20 l PC water tank

Second Prize Dah Tyan Hydraulic Machine Industrial DT-TOCER-E4V auto-vacuum rubber (four-layer moulds) machine (mould opening in press) Pan Stone Hydraulic Indus INJ-250/1500-3RT-FIFO vertical type rubber injection/transfer moulding machine (wasteless technology)


The pursuit of perfection takes immense passion and professionalism. We are well aware of this and are always moving towards performance beyond expectations.


PROCESSOR REPORT

On its way to bigger things Malaysian flexible packaging producer Great Wall Plastics Holdings Bhd (GWPH), previously known as Great Wall Plastic Industries (GWPI), is bound for a listing on the main market of Bursa Malaysia a second time around – to finance its expansion.

S

et u p i n 1 9 7 1 , GW P H w a s fir s t l isted on the local bourse in 1995 and in a subsequent reverse takeover it was entrenched within property developer Encorp. In 2004, Encorp sold off the GWPI plastic operations in two tranches. The first tranche comprising 51% of GWPI was sold to its management. Six years later, GWPH is going for a second listing, twice the size of its earlier capitalisation and value. T h e i n i t i a l p u b lic o ffe r in g (IP O) is expected to raise RM12.2 million, of which RM9 million will go towards the building of an 83,000 sq ft factory block on its 28-acre site in Rawang, a 40-minute drive from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. At the IPO launch, CEO Lim Kok Boon had said, “Given the strong demand and the resultant tight capacity, we intend to expand our production capacity and value-add activities.” The total cost of the expansion, including building and machinery, will be RM37.2 million – financed partly by the IPO proceeds, internally-generated funds and borrowings. It has 14 blown film lines from German supplier Windmöller & Hölscher (W&H) with different widths and layer configurations; with and without side gussets, as well as lines able to do film treatment on the outside only or on both the inner and outer layers. The lines also cater to high and low blow up ratios, which allow GWPH to o f f e r p r o d u c t s CEO Lim Kok Boon says the time is right for the company to list specifically suited to the needs of its customers. It also has a cast stretch film line from US supplier Black Clawson. Now, Lim revealed that the company is in the process of commissioning a new blown film line from W&H. This is a 2,600 mm double-flat Varex

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line equipped with automation such as gravimetric dosing and Easy Change automatic size change feature. GWPH has also added on a new eight-colour flexographic printer from W&H that has a printing speed of up to 400 m/minute. It also has the capability of printing long repeat lengths of up to 1,070 mm. This machine, as well as the earlier installed W&H Primalex CM8, is equipped with an automatic washing system for all the ink carrying parts, allowing for short changeover times. The Easy Set and Easy Registration features on these machines allow an automatic annilox and print cylinder setting as well as an automatic print registration, which the m achine m anufactur er says pr oduces unmat ched results compared to competitor systems. In converting equipment, it has purchased two wicketed bag making machines. Together with a new cast film line, to be commissioned by early 2011, GWPH’s annual extrusion capacity will increase from 46.2 to 62 million kg, to meet the rise in orders. Having started off manufacturing shopping bags and sheets for general household and consumer use, GWPH has moved up the value chain and today, it is one of the country’s largest producers of flexible packaging. It is also currently the largest producer of five-layer barrier films and has the largest flexographic printing output in Malaysia. In addition, GWPH says it has the largest wicketing capacity for sandwich bread bags in Asia at present. At the launch of the company’s prospectus, Lim noted that it was indeed a good time for GWPH to go for the listing given the growing market for flexible packaging. “It is important to have the ability to capitalise and leverage on the growth of the sector,” he said, adding that Malaysia’s flexible packaging market was worth RM5 billion in 2009 while exports were RM1.6 billion in the same year. Lim, who is also the President of the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association, says the need for greater convenience and enhanced shelf life of food products is driving the growth of flexible packaging. GWPH has more than 350 customers from domestic and overseas markets. Some customers who have been with it for more than 20 years are companies like Nippon Kompo Shizai, Gardenia Bakeries, Malayan Sugar Manufacturing, Malaysian Packaging Industry, Exxonmobil Chemical Asia Pacific and ABC Tissue Products.


PROCESSOR REPORT

A W&H blown film line, like the one shown above, is one of the new equipment to be installed at the facility

Currently, half of GWPH’s revenue comes from overseas sales to Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand and other countries in Southeast Asia. It intends to increase its exports to 55% by targeting new markets like China, the US, Russia and Africa. It is with this in mind that the company has been acquiring its capital equipment. “We have invested in a good range of machines so that we are able to meet the quality standards of the export markets,” Lim had told PRA on a visit to the facility early in the year. “We require a wide range of machinery to cater to our customers’ specifications,” he had said. The funds raised from the issuance of new shares will, thus, be used to expand its range of products through value addition and product differentiation. “There is always a need for packaging but product differentiation versus price will be a key factor in a company’s success,” Lim says, adding that low-cost machinery resources are more likely to be found in low-cost producing countries like China. Against this is the sustainable need to improve the carbon footprint – with lighter, thinner and smaller packaging becoming a norm. The ability to print on thin flexible films for functionality also helps increase the overall application of flexible packaging, Lim explained. “While we have experienced tremendous uptake in the past, we believe that there has never been a more exciting time for the industry than the present,” said Lim during the IPO launch. This should augur well for the company. U

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MACHINES AND PROCESSES

PREVIEW

Innovations for IMMs As the world’s largest plastics show, K2010 is the venue for trendsetting ideas and innovations. In the roll call of injection moulding machines (IMMs), all-electrics will take the lead, followed by hybrids and hydraulics while multi-component processes, upgraded control systems and automation and innovative work cells will make processing much easier. All-electrics become fashionable Moving away from its traditional base of hydraulic and hybrid machines, US company Husky Injection Molding Systems will take the plunge into all-electrics with its new H-PET AE for PET preform moulding and the HMED AE for medical moulding. The preform system will complement Husky’s HyPET line that is based on its hybrid Hylectric and offer the same quality and performance, but in a smaller size. It will be managed by the company’s PC-based Polaris control. Meanwhile, the medical moulder is an integrated, cleanroom-compatible machine that will offer speed, precision and repeatability. Husky has also formed a supply agreement with Japanbased Toyo Machinery and Metal to supply components and assemblies to be integrated into these two new machines. As for other suppliers, Engel will show what it says is the first fully electric system for cap and closure moulding. The E-cap boasts 50% lower energy use, a new injection unit with high pressure injection of up to 300 mm/second at 29,000 psi, higher ejector force and a reinforced clamping drive. A 420-tonne, 96-cavity model, capable of moulding 26 mm soft drink caps in a 2.6 second cycle, will be shown. Engel has also expanded its Emotion range by adding on a 100-tonne model. From Italy, comes Negri Bossi’s FE series in 120-400 tonnes. It has an improved belt drive, energy recovery system, injection speed of 230 mm/sec and new CANbus touchscreen control. Wittmann Battenfeld will have four additional models in its new EcoPower series, thereby extending the range from 55-300 tonnes as will Sumitomo Demag that has added on four models in its IntElect Smart line, available from 50-450 tonnes. The new model will feature air-cooled drives, allowing it for cleanroom use.

Netstal will introduce a new hybrid model

Meanwhile, Swiss machine maker Netstal is introducing two new hybrid models: Elion 2200 and 2800. Elion is its all-electric range but the new models incorporate the hybrid injection unit from the Evos. The new hybrids have an electric clamp and screw drive but hydraulic injection and will be paired with the new aXos control. Targeted at thinwall packaging applications, the machines boast ultra fast cycles (of 2 seconds) and 30% lower investment a year. Negri Bossi has expanded its Janus modular hybrid line with the Smart Energy (Janus SE) that is available from 160-900 tonnes. It combines a variable-speed electric pump motor and hydraulic accumulator. The redesigned Vector hybrid that has electric screw drives and ranges from 800-1,500 tonnes, features a quieter and more efficient gearbox, increased stroke on the clamp and ejector, easy mould access, quick-change injection unit, variable-volume pumps and touchscreen control. In its hydraulic range, Negri Bossi will present the VH1500, which is part of the BiPower series ranging from 1,200-6,000 tonnes. It will be shown with a robot developed by another Sacmi Group company, Gaiotto Automation. Negri Bossi is also launching a 180-tonne VSE model, with modular hydraulic toggles and servopump drive boasting 45% lower energy use, compared to a standard hydraulic. This is part of its modular VS hydraulic series that ranges from 110-430 tonnes. Features are the Columbia control with 15-in touchscreen and quick-change injection units. Sumitomo Demag has also expanded its hydraulic Systec, with a larger model of 1,000 tonnes. It has added the Active Drive variable-speed pump drive, which boasts lower energy use by as much as 45%.

Hybrids and hydraulics also show force Sumitomo Demag will launch a new generation of the El-Exis hybrid, the SP series, for high-speed packaging applications. It ranges from 150-750 tonnes and has a hybrid clamp, direct-drive servo screw rotation and accumulator injection. Arburg has also expanded its Hidrive range with a 500 tonne Allrounder 920H, which has a servoelectric toggle clamp and hydraulic accumulator technology. It will demonstrate a packaging application, applying collapsing cores and multiple slide demoulding. 1

INJECTION MOULDING ASIA • OCTOBER 2010



MACHINES AND PROCESSES

PREVIEW

this technology for dispensing PU foam-in-place seals and gaskets on parts. The process will inject Ceracon’s one-component S-FIT PU system, which is physically foamed with compressed air and has a heat-activated catalyst to cure in the mould. PlasmaTreat will provide its atmospheric plasma technology to selectively treat the mould surface between the cycles with an anti-stick coating to counteract the PU’s adhesiveness. Preform co-injection system supplier Kortec will also debut its co-injected multi-layer colour gradation technology (MCGT) for adding special aesthetics to PET bottles.

Ferromatik Milacron will unveil its modular F series, which is set to replace all its other models next year

Wittmann Battenfeld will showcase its new MacroPower two-platen hydraulic range, available from 800-1,600 tonnes. The company says an optional servopump can be added on to save up to 25% or more energy use. Ferromatik Milacron will unveil a modular F series that is set to replace its existing machinery, including the Elektra all-electric, K-Tec hydraulic and Vitesse hybrid. Once the product launch is completed next year, the new series will be available in ten clamping forces, from 50-650 tonnes, for the packaging, consumer goods and medical sectors. This single machine series will be highly modular to allow a choice of emphasis on performance, energy consumption, dynamics or precision as well as electric or hydraulic drives. At the show, it will have a 160 tonne model, with a size 50 injection unit and 50 mm screw demonstrating a PP packaging on a two-cavity tool from Italian mould maker Incos, in a 6 second cycle.

Managing Partner of Arburg, Michael Hehl, seen here with the company’s new Selogica Assistant control

Arburg will demonstrate an overmoulding process o n a 3 2 0 t o n n e A l l ro u n d e r 7 2 0 A u s i n g a 1 2 - c a v i t y mould from German mould maker Zahoransky. It will produce toothbrush cores and handles using the Servo Cavity Positioning System (SCPS) or paternoster t e c h n o l o g y. S C P S i n d e x e s s e t s o f c o re s a n d p a r t s upward through a mould by means of a servodriven Multi-component moulding spindle without having to open the mould between Both Engel and KraussMaffei (KM) will show machines c y c l e s . T h e s e p a s s t h ro u g h t h e t o p o f for multi-material moulding and organic the mould for demoulding without any hybrid composites. KM has upped the Previously effect on cycle time. ante – it showed its SkinForm process An overmoulding concept for organic for overmoulding a rigid thermoplastic overmoulding has hybrid composites will be shown by both material with two-component thermoset been done using Engel and KM. Previously overmoulding PU in the same mould at the K2007 and preformed h a s b e e n d o n e u s i n g p re f o r m e d s h e e t this year it will use its MX Spinform sheet metals but metals but now to save weight, long swivel platen hydraulic machine to show a three-component thermoplastic/ now to save weight, f i b re p l a s t i c - re i n f o rc e d s h e e t i s u s e d and stiffened with moulded on ribs. PU part. The two-platen machine will long fibre plasticKM will thermoform organic sheet from undertake the TPE overmoulding and the reinforced sheet is Bond-Laminates in the mould and then integrated RimStar Nano metering unit used… encapsulate it using a glassfibre-reinforced will overmould the PU. nylon from Lanxess. KM’s 300 tonne CX Engel, meanwhile, will use a very injection moulding compounder will blend and mix thin, clear coating of PU, not intended for soft-touch the glass fibres with the nylon for the overmoulding haptics but to protect a decorative film back-moulded sheet. Swiss mould maker Georg Kaufmann Formenbau with the rigid substrate in the first of two machine will provide the mould. This process is targeted at cycles. Hennecke will provide the PU metering system. producing lightweight structural automotive parts. PlasmaTreat and CeraCon, in adjoining booths, will show

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3 INJECTION MOULDING ASIA • OCTOBER 2010



MACHINES AND PROCESSES

PREVIEW

KraussMaffei’s new Energy Analysis Tool can be used to monitor power consumption of its machines in real time. Specific energy demand for various machine functions are displayed on the operator panel, such as mould opening and closing, plasticising, injection, holding and barrel heating. Netstal’s aXos is a freely programmable control that allows processors to build their own customised process sequence, compared to the current fixed sequence that is influenced by 15,000 parameters. The upper screen includes a membrane keyboard to show the status, axis positions and user-specific markings while the lower screen has a sequence editor and auxiliary control page. Any inconsistencies in the programme will be highlighted before activation. Husky says its new Encore programme consists of structured upgrade solutions to help customers maximise the useful life of machines less than 20 years old. It can either maintain the performance of a machine when it becomes prone to deterioration or improve its existing performance.

Boy will have its latest XS model on display

Small but packing in punch For micromoulding, Dr Boy will showcase its XS that has injection volumes from 0.1-8 cc. The model also comes in horizontal, insert moulding and cleanroom versions. Even with its small footprint, the XS allows drying, colouring and conveying systems to be installed, thus saving space. Arburg, meanwhile, will promote a new retrofittable, two-stage micro-injection unit, with a capacity for 2.3 cc, for its electric Allrounder machines. As for Engel’s single-stage micro-injection unit it can be paired with the Emotion allelectric or E-victory hybrid to achieve shot weights of less than 1 g and part weights of 0.1 g. Two new drives, ….aXos is a freely with injection speeds of 330 and 550 mm/second, are available. Wittmann programmable control Battenfeld will show its that allows processors completely redesigned all-electric Microsystem to build their own m i c r o m o u l d e r, n o w customised process available from 5-15 tonnes. Meanwhile the Männer sequence…. Group, which is typically a hot runner and injection tool supplier, will launch a micromoulding machine known as Micro-män, featuring what it says is a revolutionary concept and new standards.

Automation to complement Wittmann Battenfeld will premiere its Primus side-entry robots; and Engel, its Viper servorobots. Sepro Robotique will be presenting its S5-25 range of Cartesian robots driven by the Visual 2 CNC for easier automation with its simplified programming and control. The robot has been designed for machinery from 120-450 tonnes

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Sepro will showcase its S5 line that boasts a better technical availability rate, additional strokes and higher speeds

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while the S5-35 will cater to larger machines. In Sumitomo Demag’s stand, a new SDR 33 robot, which is jointly developed with Sepro, will be shown. Also, Ferromatik Milacron will exhibit its new FMR 8-5 Advanced robot, which is available in six sizes. This robot is produced by Wemo of Sweden.

Controls with improvements Sumitomo Demag will feature the NC5 control with features like the active adjust optimisation tool for adapting to machine applications using slide controls, saving cycle time and enlarging the process window. Arburg will premiere its Selogica Assistant with new features allowing the programming of entire production systems, auxiliaries and six-axis robots. It offers menu-guided, supervised set-up or teaching functions for mould sequences, with a cycle sequence created in five steps.

Work cells extend the process Billion’s 50-tonne all-electric Select machine will produce polycarbonate SD cards using a 2+2 cavity tool from PolarForm. The total injected weight is 3.7 g. The sprue is separated from the part during the holding phase. In the real production configuration, an on-line assembling unit is used. Catering to cleanroom environments, a closed cooling system in the 5

INJECTION MOULDING ASIA • OCTOBER 2010


An SD card mould from Polar-Form will be shown running on a Billion machine

3+3 mould allows for the 8 second cycle while MTFTechnik’s closed conveyor is used for part removal. It can also be fitted with a laminar flow box. Arburg will showcase the production of a rotation angle encoder as a three-component part with inserted magnetic sensors on a 70-tonne all-electric Allrounder. The part design and mould have been developed by Oechsler in cooperation with the Institute of Polymer Technology of the University of Erlangen. Its Multilift robot will be used for feeding and removing parts. Automation supplier Waldorf Technik will exhibit on Netstal’s booth a work cell for medical parts. A feature will be the 96-cavity mould and individually-controlled 96 grippers for demoulding. The parts from groups of six cavities will be deposited in 16 containers to allow for segregation of batches in case of defects. Waldorf Technik will also have a work cell on Sumitomo Demag’s stand that will be demoulding a 32-cavity mould producing pipette tips, with camera-based quality control. The unit can be adapted to a 64-cavity mould. Swiss company Beck Automation will exhibit a highly transparent PS thinwall cup part in which the decoration is visible from inside, too. The work cell comprising Netstal’s all-electric Elion, cooling technology from EF Cooling and a mould supplied by Glaroform allows for 4 cups/shot in a 3 second cycle. U

Beck Automation’s IML thinwall technology will be shown decorating PS drinking cups with labels printed on both sides


MOULDS AND TOOLS

PREVIEW

Tooling cut out for uptime processing Various highlights from mould equipment suppliers and specialists in hot runners point to improvements for medical and multi-component processing. Alternating Temperature Technology (ATT) system shown on a moulding system for a thickwall polycarbonate magnifier. The STWS 200 alternating system with a heating capacity of 36 kW and the SKL 23-L cooling system will alternate the flow of hot and cold transfer media through contour-aligned, mould heating/cooling channels in tailor-made cavity inserts on an Arburg Golden Edition 320 machine. Single will also show the SWV water distribution system with integrated flow metering for up to 32 temperature circuits in injection moulding machines. It is designed for wearresistant flow metering according to the eddy current method with a metering range from 1-12 l/minute or 2Measuring points inside Single’s SWV 40 l/minute and for water distribution system measure the flow rate and media return temperature temperatures of up to for each individual cooling circuit 100°C.

All-round mould improvements Braunform will display a 900 mm rotary table that will be fitted with the mould half of a 32+32 multi-cavity mould producing a two-component TPE/PS razor part with a part weight of 0.83 g/part. The rotary table is suitable for machines in the range of 250-275 tonnes with a turning rate of 1.5 seconds during continuous operation. In Braunform’s Besides moulds multi-cavity production, at Wittmanna two-component Battenfeld razor part of TPE/PS will be shown (two-part multi-functional cooking oil bottle closure) and SumitomoDemag (a 72-cavity PET bottle closure mould doing a 2.6 second cycle), KTW Kunststofftechnik will promote an alternative cooling process, in a technology partnership with Australian company Ritemp Technologies. In the Ritemp process, heat is transferred from the cavities to pockets filled with water that evaporates. Vapour circulates through a distribution system to a cooled heat exchanger, where it is condensed and returned as water to the cavities. The water-vapour circuits are hermetically sealed and evacuated to reduce the boiling point. In the heat exchanger, heat is transferred to an external cooling circuit, eliminating hot spots and quality. Mould making equipment supplier Hasco’s pre-hardened steel Toolox33 is now available as an undrilled P-plate, as a finished cavity plate in K20 quality or as K252 with finished machining allowances in the system drillings. The special stability features of this material allow finish-machining in one setting. Hasco also has a range of range of latch locking units, two-stage ejectors, transmission elements and collapsible cores for demoulding. The company also offers a range of cooling elements to dissipate heat from a mould’s cavity to optimise cycle times. The product line starts with a wide range of hoses and connections, through spiral cores and diverting elements. DME will display its new hydraulic locking cylinder for actuating core pulls and slides. It uses proximity switches to sense when the cylinders are fully extended or retracted. Single will debut its hot water temperature control system for temperature regulation of up to 225°C. This is for high temperature polymers like PEEK for medical parts. The compact unit has a heating capacity of 6 kW and a flow rate of up to 30 l/minute. Another new product is the Micro wateroperated temperature control system specially designed for temperature control of moulds using micro-runners with diameters between 1-3 mm. Another highlight will be the active

Medical/packaging hot runner upgrades Ewikon will introduce a new version of the HPS III-MH nozzle for low-cavity applications, with two tips per nozzle. A standard nozzle is used for the main part but modified with a MH-style mouthpiece that contains the tip inserts. For deep immersion applications, the main nozzle can be lengthened using a slim adapter. When moulding long, slim parts, additional space for the integration of core supports or unscrewing mechanisms is available in the hot half. Ewikon will also show the nozzle in an ultra-compact 24-drop valve gate version, with tight spaces between gating points, for a medical part. Another medical part runner comes from PSG Plastic Service that has a new nozzle for side gating. Suitable for this is the new compact operating unit (50 x 50 x 70mm) for invisible injection points and better reproducibility of vestige height. Ewikon’s HPS III- It requires a small space, allows smaller MH for low cavity distances of the nozzles, decreases loss of applications heat and boosts the stiffness of the tool. 7

INJECTION MOULDING ASIA • OCTOBER 2010


Incoe’s SoftGate valve pin speed control is said to allow for improved filling and part finish in large part sequential moulding applications. It can be retrofitted to existing valve gates

Incoe has a new, retrofittable patent-pending SoftGate speed control for hot runner valve pins. The controlled opening of the valve gate, according to Incoe, improves surface quality in large parts requiring a cosmetic appearance. Incoe has also improved its Direct-Flo Gold hot runners with longer heating elements, reducing the area needed to accommodate wires on the outside of the heater and along the nozzle. Also presented will be its twin-heater technology and temperature-controlled gate inserts. Hasco will highlight needle valves and solutions for difficult gating positions in manifold tools. Two new control units have also been added to the range. Having acquired UK-based control supplier PMS last year, Mold-Masters will introduce its M series of plug and play temperature controls. Also new are the E-Multi all-electric, servodriven, mould-mounted, auxiliary injection units for multi-component applications. The Canadian company has also added on the fast cycle Sprint VG, which is an all-electric valve gate for caps and closures. Meanwhile, the E-Drive system allows exact pin position, on the fly adjustment and equal movement of all valve pins via the servodriven synchro plate system. Magnetic clamping systems Since taking over the magnetic clamping division for injection presses from Walker-Braillon, EAS has focused on this sector. The company will unveil its EAS-y-MAG line, available for machines with clamping forces of 50200 tonnes. The system is based on the Pressmag SP 100 that uses 47 x 47mm square magnetic poles. For high temperature applications, it will promote the Pressmag SP 150 line that uses alloy permanent magnets to increase the working temperature to 150°C. For injection machines of 400 tonnes and above, EAS has its Long Pole Pressmag HP that uses rectangular instead of square poles. The advantage is the ability to convey the full magnetic flux, creating a higher holding force compared to square poles. For hydraulic clamping systems, EAS has a new clamp line for machines with T-slotted platens. The clamps can be moved in the T-slots manually or pneumatically. The clamp is without position sensors, but the company says that the clamp function can be monitored by checking the hydraulic pressure. U


PLASTICS-BASED ELECTRONICS

Banking on printed electronics Prototypes of light-emitting or energy-converting, intelligent and flexible plastic electronics will be shown at the K2010. The conversion of light into energy and electrical conductivity are part of the future for the industry that is undergoing massive change, with electronics providing the focus for innovation. Flexible plastics-based solar cells, printed batteries, smart materials or bio-analysis on a plastic chip will be products much in demand in the near future. Organic and printed electronics The global market for printed electronics is set to grow to US$100 billion by 2020 and reach US$250 billion in another five years, according to British market research company IDTechEx. It will be driven by organic photovoltaics, OLED (organic light emitting diode) displays and lighting and printed transistors and data memories. Organic and printed electronics have the backing of the plastics industry. As a basis for electronics, polymers are becoming the material of the future. Battery chargers, sunshades and carrier bags will convert light into energy and reduce the dependence on existing power grids. The need for taking the charger for the mobile or looking for a socket in the train compartment will then be a thing of the past.

Investments pouring in This industry will transform plastics into a high-tech material on which many industries are pinning their hopes. Investment, which amounted to EUR2.2 billion last year, will double by 2015. It is estimated that globally more than 2,000 firms are active in the various branches of organic and printed electronics, with Germany, Japan and South Korea as the main players. Recently, Belgian chemical firm Solvay invested US$4 million in US-based Polyera, a materials developer for the printed electronics market that develops and commercialises organic semiconductors and dielectrics for organic thin-film transistors (OTFT) and organic photovoltaics (OPV), enabling applications such as flexible display backplanes, printed RFID tags and printed solar panels. Solvay has also invested in another US company, Plextronics, and in Norway’s Thin Film Electronics. Alternative source of technology Applications range from lit-up packaging and revolutionary forms of lighting to universal power supply. Codes that cannot be duplicated by counterfeiters will guarantee that products are genuine. Labels will sound the alarm when a use by date is reached. Electronic components will supply their own power. Experts predict a high level of demand for alternative lighting technologies. Markets are currently looking for diffuse lighting, flat light sources that can be integrated with wide surfaces. The plastic layer has not been durable enough to date. Oxygen and moisture attack the material. But the solution lies in a flexible OLED encapsulated in a thin layer of material, manufactured in a vacuum roll-to-roll coating plant. For instance, for the photovoltaic layer, the crucial part of the thin sandwich composite, materials supplier Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) is using inorganic quantum dots (Q-dots). In this way, photovoltaic cells could be applied to films in a simple printing process, resulting in a costeffective solution for mobile electronic devices. And now, light-emitting wallpapers and canopies as well as interactive advertising posters and street maps are all within reach. The first products are ready for the market and have gone into mass production. In the field of medical technology, packaging for medicines are being tried out that will record whether patients are taking their medicine. Billions of singleuse glucose test strips are already produced every year.

This printed polymer electronics technology is seen as a next-generation technology for delivering cost-effective production of highly integrated, complex moulded electronic components

“What we have here is a completely new process for mass producing electronics,” explains Dr Klaus Hecker, Managing Director of the Frankfurt-based Organic Electronics Association (OE-A), a working group within the German Engineering Federation. “The new components for electronic appliances are flexible, thin and light, but at the same time they are strong and inexpensive,” explains the expert in organic and printed electronics. The electronics can be produced on virtually endless rolls of plastic substrate – with no silicone or copper – and the functional parts directly integrated with numerous products. 9

INJECTION MOULDING ASIA • OCTOBER 2010


PLASTICS-BASED ELECTRONICS When it comes to novel thin-layer solar cells, BMS says its Makrofol polycarbonate encapsulation films can make it possible to produce flexible photovoltaic modules. A current target is to produce flexible, lightweight modules using reel-to-reel processing and the German company is working with partners to improve the product’s barrier properties against oxygen and water, in order to protect the active layer and to replace glass.

New technologies taking off Germany-based BMS has developed technology for customers who print PC films with electronic functions and process these into 3D electronic components using the film insert moulding (FIM) process. Films offer various benefits in printed electronics. They can be printed in a limited space with several electronic functions such as wiring diagrams, actuators, sensors and antennae, which previously had to be applied as separate components. Integrating these functions therefore reduces the number of parts required and the amount of logistical and assembly work. This results in compact, ready-to-install all-in-one electronic modules that require a minimum of space, thus reflecting the trend towards miniaturisation in electronics. BMS is promoting its hard coat, thermoformable Makrofol HF film, which due to its formability enables narrow radii and high depths of draw. The scratchresistant coating is only pre-cured and is not completely cured with standard UV lamps until forming is finished, hence producing a deep gloss finish that is chemical and abrasion-resistant. When working with 3D display elements, for example, it is ideal for increasingly popular piano finishes in combination with vanish-effect technologies. These make the contours of light symbols appear to vanish when these are switched off (black panel technology). Following the acquisition of Artificial Muscle, BMS says it also has the know-how to manufacture electrically activated, artificial muscles as actuators and sensors and integrate them with systems. For example, they make touchscreen fields tangible because they offer a tactile response when the display is touched and are largely wear-resistant, unlike conventional mechanical buttons. This creates considerable scope for use in areas such as manufacturing smart phones, games controllers and

touchpads and automotive engineering. In conjunction with its partners, BMS has developed the prototype for a large, one-piece 3D central console that integrates features such as a capacitative and electrically activated switch as a central control element. As well as electronic elements, the light function can also be integrated with appropriate 3D film components using the FIM process. Conventional technologies with LEDs can also be used as a light source and so too can large-area electroluminescent systems. In conjunction with Add-Vision, for example, BMS is currently working on printing flexible OLEDs onto PC films. A bright future is forecast for these P-OLEDs in areas producing displays, for instance.

An example of the use of Makrofol comes from Albrecht Jung that uses the TP 278 grade for the display of its new KNX room control system

A challenging market for OLED displays OLED displays are widely used in mobile phones and OLED televisions also look promising. OLEDs can be used to make screens that set new standards in picture quality, power consumption and space requirement. Introduced three years ago, the Sony OLED television is only 3 mm thick, for example. Though it has stopped producing and selling this model in Japan due to sluggish demand, it is still selling this next generation flat television in overseas markets. Sony said it was still technologically difficult to make large OLED panels and to produce them cheaply, limiting their potential as a mass market product. Since the display’s debut, few other OLED televisions have made it to the commercial market in any size due to the cost factor. It is hoped that the technology does not fade away but generates enough interest for it to have a staying power. This is because printed electronics can also help in achieving ambitious climate targets for countries, due to the energy savings.U

10 INJECTION MOULDING ASIA • OCTOBER 2010


INDUSTRYNEWS

built there. It expects to announce the short-listed countries in six months.

Likewise, Lanxess is eyeing the green tyres sector to boost its earnings; it has invested US$10 million in the US-based technology development company Gevo. The latter has created a process that uses sugars in biomass to manufacture bio-based butane. “We will bring in Lanxess technology to convert this to isobutene to make bio-butyl,” said Heitmann, adding that the bio-based isobutene will be on stream in a few years. Butyl rubber is a copolymer of isobutylene, as well as isoprene.

percentage of its needs from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the US. Demand for SBS in the country is expected to grow 6%-7% a year for the next several years. Keyuan says its new facility is anticipated to achieve 80% utilisation

rate in 2012, the first full year of production, and generate a turnover of US$110 million.The company was set up in 2009 and its operations include an annual petrochemical manufacturing capacity of 550,000 tonnes of a variety of petrochemical products.

Lanxess plans Asian PBR site and bio-butyl

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t a media day held in Düsseldorf, Germany, recently, speciality chemicals company Lanxess announced ambitious plans to increase its earnings by 80% to EUR1.4 billion in 2015, up from the EUR800 million it expects this year. Other projects in the pipeline include the capacity expansion of its neodymium polybutadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) to 50,000 tonnes/year at its facilities in Germany, US and Brazil. But to meet the growth of 10% a year for Nd-

PBR, the company is also considering a new plant in Asia that will have a capacity of up to 150,000 tonnes/year. The Asian plant will be dedicated to the region and cater mainly to the tyre market. CEO Axel Heitmann, added that Singapore is one of the countries being considered for the facility since Lanxess is already setting up a butyl rubber plant there. “There is space available on the site,” said Heitmann, while not confirming if the Nd-PBR plant will be

Besides announcing further investment projects in rubber, CEO of Lanxess Axel Heitmann said that the company will continue to focus on megatrends and the emerging markets

New SBS facility for China

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hinese petrochemical products supplier Keyuan Petrochemicals will build a 70,000 tonnes/year styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) facility in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, by the end of 2011. The US$17.5

million facility will cater to China’s current demand of 750,000 tonnes, which is more than the domestic supply of 600,000 tonnes/ year. As a result of the shortfall in supply, China imports a substantial

Bluestar’s new HCR and silica project

In related news, a subsidiary of China National BlueStar, French company Bluestar Silicones has launched Rhodorsil MF175USP heat curing rubber (HCR), a follow-up to its 160 grade introduced in 2008. The SP completes the improvement of the 100 series, Bluestar’s front line range in general purpose HCRs. The grade is targeted at calendaring, extrusion and injection moulding processes, especially for tubes, profiles, household appliances and technical, building, food contact and electrical insulation parts. With sales of EUR600 million, Bluestar was set up in 2007 following the acquisition of Rhodia Silicones by China National BlueStar.

C

abot and China National Bluestar have broken ground on the expansion of their world-class fumed silica facility in Jiangxi Province, China. The US$43 million investment is a joint venture project between both companies. The expansion will leverage Cabot’s manufacturing technology and position the Jiangxi site with the potential to produce up to 20,000 tonnes/year of fumed silica. In the first phase, capacity will increase from 5,000 to 15,000 tonnes with commissioning expected in the second half of 2011.

Tyre companies expand their reach in Asia

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ridgestone’s subsidiary in Thailand is investing 21.3 billion yen to expand its Nong Khae plant and increase its daily production capacity of passenger car radial and light truck radial tyres by 13,500 units to 50,000 units by the end of 2014. Set up in 1995, this is the company’s second facility for domestic and overseas markets. It also started an expansion project to increase capacity by 6,000 units, which is scheduled to be completed by 2011.

1 RUBBER JOURNAL ASIA • OCTOBER 2010

However, with global demand expected to grow, Bridgestone is undertaking further expansion of the plant. In other news, Malaysian technical and retreading compounds company, Goodway Integrated Industries, has entered into an agreement with India’s Indag Rubber to consider joint opportunities in the rubber compounding and retreading industry. Indag is involved in the manufacturing of rubber compounds and tyre retreads.


INDUSTRYNEWS Russian/Polish jv to bid for Evonik unit

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ussia’s largest carbon black producer, Zao Polycarbon, and its Polish carbon black distributor Konimpex have set up a joint venture company to make a bid for Evonik Industries’s carbon black business, which it has decided to divest to focus on speciality chemicals. The carbon black business is already a separate entity in the group. With sales of EUR1 billion, it ranks second in the world and has 1,700 employees

in 12 countries. Following the sharp market downturn during the 2009 crisis, this year, its earnings are expected to rebound. Evonik’s decision to sell is based on the increasing consolidation of the sector and the rising significance of the Asian markets. Since the start of this year, the German company has been examining its options and has now engaged an investment bank to prepare the divestment.

NEWS in brief Golf ball factory in Indonesia Sumitomo Rubber, a subsidiary of Sumi Rubber Indonesia, will establish a golf ball facility in the country to expand its capacity. The golf balls are sold by another Sumitomo subsidiary, SRI Sports, which claims a market share of 30% in Japan and 23% in the UK. It says sales in the first half of this year increased by 15.3%, compared to the same period last year.

NR prices on a high Global natural rubber (NR) prices are nearing new historical highs and may continue to be on the uptrend at least until the end of the year, according to a new report from the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC). This situation is further exacerbated by low NR supply and also the strong Thai and Malaysian currency influence on the market. Both countries are major producers of the commodity.


RUBBER AT THE K2010 SHOW stability, low compression set, dimensional stability and improved injection moulding. Other grades will cater to engine mounts, with a flame retardant series designed for railway applications. For adhesion to oil plans, the German company will introduce its Elast osil 76540 A/B, which is a room- t empera t ure vulcanising, two-part silicone. Resistant to high and low temperatures, oil and blow-by gases, this product has been developed in cooperation with Inpro and BASF and boasts 25% cost savings. It also has three new silicone rubbers for processing of materials with an intrinsically lubricious surface. Unlike traditional oil-exuding silicones, no oily silicone film forms at the top. Parts can be extruded or moulded and are simpler to install due to the low coefficient of sliding friction, so that use of release agents may not be necessary. Other new grades are the self-adhesive HTV silicone rubbers that allow for co-extrusion of multi-material parts. The material can be co-extruded onto thermoplastic, elastomer and metal substrates. Direct chemical bonding of silicone to thermoplastics, which has long been available to injection molders, is now extended to profile extrusion. Wacker has also developed a solid silicone Silpuran 8630/60 rubber for the healthcare industry. It has low sliding friction coefficient properties, easy handling and short assembly times. Speciality chemicals company Lanxess, meanwhile, has added a new grade to its portfolio of ethylenepropylene rubbers. Supplied as a free-flowing pellet, Buna EP XT 2708 VP is an EP co-polymer grafted with 0.8% maleic anhydride (MAH). It is ideal for applications such as modifying the impact resistance of engineering plastics like polyamides. For example, thermoplastics modified with the grade exhibit lowtemperature performance. It can also enhance the mechanical performance of wood/plastic composites and improve the rubber/fibre bond in fabric-reinforced rubber items such as hoses and belts. The German company says it is the only EPDM manufacturer in the world that can produce this elastomer using both the solution and suspension processes, thereby providing more than 40 different grades of EPDM as well as grafted grades. The new Buna grade is the company’s first step in this direction and it says it has other grafted grades in the pipeline. To extend its diversification to the non-tyre market, Lanxess has innovated a butyl rubber grade with low viscosity and low unsaturation. Butyl 100 also has a low double bond content of 0.9%. Potential applications include window seals for double glazing. In general, heavy-duty seals and gaskets as well as adhesives represent high-growth markets for the new butyl grade. Rubber extruder manufacturer Rubicon has developed an H-IRT infrared vulcanisation tunnel for v u l c a n i s i n g s i l i c o n e ru b b e r. T h e G e r m a n c o m p a n y says it is the first time this tunnel is equipped with an adjustable vulcanisation channel. This allows it to

Taking the high road Though the number of rubber solutions providers (exhibiting at the Rubber Street) is fewer than the last K exhibition in 2007, the industry still warrants a feature as some of the innovations take it to new levels.

Silicone, butyl and EPDM updates Silicone elastomers supplier Wacker Chemie has been busy innovating and plans to introduce ten new materials for the automotive, medical, transmission and transportation sectors. According to Axel Schmidt, Director Rubber Solutions, at a preview held in June, the company’s focus is on catering to the trends that are emerging in growth markets and on energy conservation. “Heat is a huge issue in automotive engines, especially with engines getting smaller,” he said, adding that the automotive market was the company’s biggest sector.

Wacker’s Elastosil LR 3040 features high tear resistance and fast curing characteristics for use in baby bottles

It has introduced Elastosil LR 3092/65 and R plus4060 silicone elastomers for applications like gasket intercoolers, turbocharger membranes and spark plug boots. Benefits include heat and low temperature 3

RUBBER JOURNAL ASIA • OCTOBER 2010


RUBBER AT THE K2010 SHOW be adapted to the required dimensions of a product, thereby allowing for improved efficiency. For extremely small product dimensions, the energy loss is reduced, says Rubicon. Multi-component moulding French injection moulding machine supplier Billion has developed, in cooperation with Germany-based processor Motzener Kunststoff, a rubber/thermoplastic application using its all-electric Select H150/260-150T machine. The product in question is a gas-tight, ozoneresistant membrane for the gas appliance industry.

The rubber/plastic gas-tight sealing membrane is produced in a single process in an electric production cell

It was originally manufactured on a hydraulic machine in a two-stage process, the hard part (polyamide from Evonik) was moulded, then transferred to a rubber machine, overmoulded and the soft part (Kraiburg’s elastomer) vulcanised. It is now done in a single production cell using a multicomponent process. According to Motzener, from an injection point of view, the thinwall and complicated geometry of the rubber part proved to be challenging. In order to switch to a single-step process, the company said it was necessary to develop a two-component part. The basic PA body, including the rubber part, weighs 3 g, and the process is undertaken in a cycle time of 60 seconds. The injection moulding machine with servovalve is supported by a part removal system from Hahn Automation. Liquid injection moulding Two-component liquid silicone rubber (LSR) systems supplier, Elmet will be showcasing a new TOP 1000 metering pump. This unit has been developed as an alternative to the existing system. Both versions operate pneumatically and are suitable for 20 l and 200 l drums. Delivering a maximum output of 2.5 l/minute at a 1:1 mixing ratio, the closed-loop systems can mix up to 10% colourants. Another highlight at this fair will be the valve gate cold decks for moulding liquid and solid silicone and other rubbers. The company s a y s pr e c i se e l ec tronic c on trol for m ax imum repeat ab ilit y is t he hallmark of these devices. Plus, the filling level of each individual cavity can be optimised in the on-going injection process, with direct gating, and the data records can be stored for future use. It will have the valve gates at DME Normalien’s stand, while a single-cavity micromould will be shown at rubber injection moulding machinery supplier REP’s stand. A four-cavity mould with electronically controlled needle valve gate system for simultaneous moulding of four different parts will be on exhibit at the Maplan booth. U 4 RUBBER JOURNAL ASIA • OCTOBER 2010



2010

2011

8-10 NOVEMBER China International Advanced Materials Industry Exhibition (CIAMI) Venue: Shanghai Everbright Convention & Exhibition Centre (SECEC), Shanghai, China Contact: Adsale Exhibition Services Tel: +8621 6469 6751 e-mail: ciami@adsale.com.hk Internet: www.ciamichina.com

20-24 JANUARY Plastivision India Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai, India Contact: The All India Plastics Manufacturers Association Tel: +91 22 67778899 Fax: +91 22 28252295 e-mail: office@aipma.net Internet: www.plastivision.org

17-20 NOVEMBER 12th China Dongguan Int’l Plastics, Packaging and Rubber Exhibition Venue: GD Modern International Exhibition Centre Contact: Paper Communication Exhibition Services Tel: +852 2763 9011 Fax: +852 2341 0379 e-mail: dmp@paper-com.com.hk Internet: www.dmpshow.com

19-22 APRIL VietnamPlas Venue: Giang Vo Exhibition & Fairground, Hanoi, Vietnam Contact: Chan Chao International Tel. +886 2 26596000 Fax +886 2 26597000 e-mail: steven@chanchao.com.tw Internet: www.vietnamplas.com

26-28 NOVEMBER Autoplas 2010 Venue: Autocluster Exhibition Centre, Pune, India Contact: Plexium Tel: +95 20 2665 0219/220 Fax: +95 20 2661 5655 e-mail: info@plexiumindia.com Internet: www.plexiumindia.com

10-13 MAY IIME Vietnam Venue: Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Contact: Top Repute Tel: +852 2851 8603 Fax: +852 2851 8537 e-mail: toprepute@top-repute.com Internet: www.machinery-vietnam.com

1-4 DECEMBER Plastics & Rubber Indonesia 2010 Venue: Jakarta International Expo, Kemayoran, Jakarta, Indonesia Contact: Overseas Exhibition Services Ltd Tel: +44 20 7840 2102 Fax: +44 20 7840 2119 e-mail: sluff@oesallworld.com Internet: www.plasticsandrubberindonesia.com

17-20 MAY Chinaplas Venue: China Import & Export Fair Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou, China Contact: Adsale Exhibition Services Tel: +852 28118897 Fax: +852 25165024 e-mail: Chinaplas@adsale.com.hk Internet: www.chinaplasonline.com

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Application Example HyPET RF 300 with HPP 72-cavity mold 34.7 gram EcoBase preform 1.5 liter carbonated soft drink bottle 50% recycled PET flake, 50% virgin PET 10.5 second cycle

3(7 B3ODVWLF 5XEEHU [ B$VLDB.6KRZ LQGG

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