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Volume 17 Issue 5 December 2016 - January 2017
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Deepak Lamba CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Subramaniam S PUBLISHER, PRINT & PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Joji Varghese EDITOR & CHIEF COMMUNITY OFFICER | Niranjan Mudholkar niranjan.mudholkar@wwm.co.in +91 9819531819
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Celebrating the Champions!
he Indian plastics industry is on the cusp of a great transformation in many ways. Be it scale, use of technology, innovation, sustainability and variety of offerings, this industry is making its presence felt at every possible avenue. Plastics as a material is now getting wider usability and acceptance across industry segments – from agriculture to automotive, from packaging to consumer durables, from building & construction to healthcare, from furniture to toys and beyond. Importantly, these sectors are creating newer benchmarks in India in terms of innovation and “Come January 19, excellence when it comes to creating plastic products. 2017, and we will
all come together in We at ‘The Economic Times Polymers’ magazine realised Mumbai to celebrate that there is a necessity to create a robust and reputed awards platform to recognise and honour the good work the true Champions done by the various companies across these segments. It of the Indian plastics is noteworthy that our intentions and endeavours have Industry.” been recognised by an industry body like AIPMA who has joined hands with us as ‘Industry Partner’ for this maiden edition. To start with, we are looking at categories through which we can cover a fairly large horizon of the plastics fraternity. At the time of going to print, we have already received a good number of nominations but we are encouraging more and more companies to be part of this journey. Come January 19, 2017, and we will all come together in Mumbai to celebrate the true Champions of the Indian plastics Industry. We welcome you to join us for this glittering ceremony. Speak to our team to understand how you can also be part of the first ever ‘Red Carpet Awards Night’ for this industry in India.
Editor & Chief Community Officer
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CONTENTS 8
News
Automotive:
34
20 32 61
Stays cool even when it’s hot Extremely tough – even at low temperatures High performance materials based on high temperature polyamide
Textile:
26
Plastic clothing material that cools the skin
Bioplastics:
28 45
COVER STORY Packed with INNOVATION
Organic Plastics from Flue Gas and Electricity Renewable packaging
Innovation:
40
30
53 57
High-temperature stable and electroplatable Depolymerization Process: A technology to recycle PET bottles 120 in one sweep
Event:
42 52
Excel, Enhance, Expand Showcasing the world class technology
Food processing:
56
58 INSIGHT Hoping for better future
Event Calendar
Medical:
60
63
22 46
PACKAGING New frontiers in packaging
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A new conveyor belt that brings safety
HOUSEWARE Cleaner ‘innovation’ every time
Biodegradable Polymer Coating for Implants
Products
54
BLOWMOULDING Global blow moulding market
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NEWS NATIONAL
Clariant Healthcare Packaging facility plans production operations in 2017
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lariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, recently announced that the construction of its new greenfield production facility in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu is proceeding as planned and is expected to begin production of dessicant canisters by the second semester of 2017. This plant will be a significant contributor to Clariant’s global desiccant canister production. This facility will manufacture desiccant canisters, the primary desiccant platform for highspeed, high-volume packaging lines, often the case for generic drug manufacturers. In addition, Clariant is already assessing plans for expanded production, including plans to add high-capacity multi-lane production of its versatile ContinuStripTM desiccant packets, which can be inserted with numerous types of standard dessicant insertion machinery. “The new site will serve the Indian pharmaceutical industry with state-of-the-art desiccant products produced under the strictest quality and compliance standards, and within a secure, truly global manufacturing network,” said Matthias Brommer, Head - Clariant Healthcare Packaging. “We are
extremely excited that facility construction, and production plans are moving at full speed ahead, according to schedule. The production capabilities at this new facility will add significantly to our global dessicant canister production capacity during 2017.” Ketan Premani, Head – Healthcare Packaging India, adds that, “The facility will also offer the full range of globally produced Clariant protective packaging systems and components and link customers to Clariant’s global packaging design capabilities. The facility and the other Healthcare Packaging facilities around the globe ensure available back-up capacity to meet the BCP (Business Continuity Planning) requirements of our global customers.”
Nu Vu Conair is now an ISO 9001: 2015 certified
ADB maintains stable outlook for Asia
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u-Vu Conair Pvt. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of Plastic Auxiliary Equipment in the country has implemented a Quality Management System in accordance with ISO 9001:2015 for scope of Design, Manufacture, Supply and After Sales Service of Plastic Auxiliary Equipment. This certification is given by TUV SUD which is one of the world’s leading technical service organizations headquartered in Munich, Germany. In today’s competitive and dynamic environment, it is imperative for an organisation to adopt improved systems and processes and provide value to various stakeholders. This ISO certification will enable the organisation to improve customer relationship, optimize the cost, and improve quality as well as overall business. Company achieved this certification task within shortest possible time, less than the amount of time allotted to team. This was possible due to existing processes and systems implemented over the years. Nu-Vu Conair Pvt. Ltd. is a joint venture company between Nu-Vu Engineers, Ahmedabad, India and The Conair Group, a leader in auxiliary equipment for plastic processing, headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, USA.
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conomic growth in developing Asia remains broadly stable, but a slight slowdown in India has trimmed the region’s growth outlook for 2016, says a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) report. In a supplement to its Asian Development Outlook 2016 Update report, ADB has downgraded 2016 growth to 5.6 percent, below its previous projection of 5.7 percent. For 2017, growth remains unchanged at 5.7 percent. “Asian economies continue their robust expansion in the face of global economic uncertainties,” said ADB Deputy Chief Economist Juzhong Zhuang. “Structural reforms to boost productivity, improve investment climate, and support domestic demand can help maintain growth momentum into the future.” Combined growth for the major industrial economies exceeded expectations in the Update, ticking up 0.1 percentage point to 1.5 percent in 2016. Growth in 2017 is maintained at 1.8 percent. Robust consumer spending supported the US economy, with supportive monetary policy and improved labor markets fueling growth in the euro area. Japan’s expansion, meanwhile, will be buoyed by strong exports, despite the stronger local currency.
8 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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NEWS NATIONAL
The Economic Times Polymers Awards to be held in Mumbai in January 2017
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he ET Polymers magazine has conceptualised a The Economic Times Polymers Awards 2017 forum to recognise, appreciate and honour the endeavours of remarkable organisations and individuals towards the progress of the Indian plastics industry. The event will be held concurrently with Plastivision India 2017 on January 19, 2017 at Hyatt Regency, Mumbai. For this award for excellence in plastics, nominations are invited in six categories including Agriculture, Packaging, Building & Construction, Automotive, Consumer Durables and Recycling. In addition to this, CEO of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Next Generation Leader and Lifetime Achievement
Award will also be conferred to the individuals in appreciation of their contribution towards the plastics industry in the said categories. Along with awards ceremony, the event will witness an interesting CEO Panel Discussion. Plastivision India 2017 is the Industry Partner for the maiden edition of The Economic Times Polymers Awards, while Alok Masterbatches has confirmed its support as Master Batches partner. To be held annually, this knowledge based networking platform is committed to rewarding excellence and great performance in the context of using plastics. It will bring together the best of companies and the best of people from the plastics processing industry under one roof.
Parag Chheda Felicitated with ‘Inspiring Business Leader Award - 2016’
The Mahindra Group takes 3D printing to schools in rural & semi-urban India
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arag Chheda, Joint Managing Director, Prince Pipes & Fittings Pvt. Ltd., was felicitated with the ‘Inspiring Business Leader Award – 2016’ at the Economic Times Summit in the ‘Business and Industry’ category. Parag Chheda, a result-driven businessman with a degree in Business administration from USA, is associated with Prince Pipes & Fittings Pvt. Ltd. since 1994. His expertise and experience has brought to the table strategic management, leadership and a host of business achievements. His firm belief in Information Technology as a tool to enhance the efficiency of the business process has driven the company to keep pace with global developments. Chheda has an extensive background and experience in technical planning, re-structuring operations, marketing, pitching for overseas tie-up, and resource management.
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he Mahindra Group has now designed and implemented a pilot project to bring the benefits of 3D printing to semi-urban and rural India. The project envisages placing 3D printers in a semi-urban / rural setting to enable learning, innovation and potential creation of additional employment opportunities. The Group has thus, presented the B.M. Pawar School in Chakan with 3D printers and has also developed a comprehensive programme to enable students and teachers to realise the true potential of this technology. “We see 3D printing as the future of technology and a potent tool to help bridge the tech divide between urban and rural India. Through this project, we seek to inspire young minds to think creatively and open up a whole new world of possibilites for themselves and their community.
Kabra Extrusiontechnik joins hands with Unicor for pipe industry
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abra Extrusiontechnik Ltd (KET) & Unicor GmbH have announced a strategic partnership at the K Show in Dusseldorf, to provide a fully integrated extrusion solutions for the Indian & global plastics Corrugated Pipe Industry. The production of corrugated plastic pipe demands for perfectly working corrugators that are exactly adapted to customers’ needs. This holds true for all pipe dimensions from technical pipe with a diameter of 3 mm up to drainage pipe with a diameter of up to 2400 mm. This strategic partnership combines the global resources and technical expertise of Kabra Extrusiontechnik Limited, India’s Leader in Manufacturing of Plastics Extrusion Lines and Unicor GmbH from Germany – a world leader in
Equipment for corrugated pipe industry. The collaboration plans to make corrugated pipe machines in India using Unicor expertise with KET’s manufacturing capabilities to offer value for money solutions in India as well as other strategic markets. “This agreement represents our joint commitment to provide customers with a single source for the latest technology equipment supported by a strong after sales and service,” commented Anand Kabra, Managing Director, Kabra Extrusiontechnik Limited. “Our joining forces shall have far reaching positive implications for Plastic processing industry offering the best expertise for their corrugated pipe requirements,” said, S Shenoy, CEO, Kabra Extrusiontechnik Limited
10 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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NEWS NATIONAL
Kenstar appoints Rajiv Kenue as its new Chief Operating Officer
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enstar has announced the appointment of Rajiv Kenue as its Chief Operating Officer with immediate effect. In his new role, Mr. Kenue will be responsible for contributing to Kenstar’s strategy for establishing it as one of the most preferred premium brands in India. The brand is offering its patrons an extensive portfolio of products ranging from Air Coolers, Water Heaters, Microwave, Mixer Grinders & host of other kitchen appliances. In his role here, he will supervise brand building, product development
and distribution expansion for Kenstar. Speaking on the occasion Rajiv Kenue stated “I feel honored to be a part of Kenstar, a company which has a great heritage and goodwill across the country and offers consumers’ an international quality product. I believe there is an incredible scope for expansion of all product category in Kenstar and our focus would be to drive secondary sales by widening our distribution network and further strengthening the brand’s image.”
Manjushree Technopack acquires Varahi Ltd
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angalore-based rigid packaging firm, Manjushree Technopack Ltd, has announced the acquisition of Varahi Limited. The strategic move a first for India’s largest PET and preform manufacturer; it has widened its lead as the largest supplier of rigid plastic packaging products in India. With this acquisition, Manjushree now has seven manufacturing locations units across India with a total production capacity of 4 billion units per annum. The 8th location of Guwahati, Assam is slated to commercialise operations in Jan 2017. Manjushree’s client portfolio boasts of top FMCG brands in India including the likes of GSK, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Mondelez, PepsiCo, Reckitt Benkiser and many others. This acquisition has swelled its client base to over 100+ with the addition of new customers like Dabur, SC Johnson, Perfetti Van Melle and Patanjali. The move will propel the organisation’ turnover upwards of Rs800 crore Varahi was founded in 1971 by late Shri HR Sanghavi. It offers rigid packaging solutions for FMCG, beverages and pharmaceuticals companies. Its manufacturing units are located in Noida, Baddi and Pantnagar with a combined production capacity of 20,000 MT.
High performance plastics market worth $35.27 billion by 2026
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he report “High Performance Plastics Market by Type (Fluoropolymers, High Performance Polyamide, PPS, SP, LCP, AKP, and PI), End-Use Industry (Transportation, Electrical and Electronics, Medical, Industrial), And Region - Global Forecast to 2026”, published by MarketsandMarkets, the market size is estimated to grow from US$ 14.49 Billion in 2016 to US$ 35.27 Billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 9.3% from 2016 to 2026. The market is driven by the increased usage of high performance plastics materials instead of conventional materials in high temperature applications. Asia-Pacific is currently the largest market for high performance plastics due to increasing demand from emerging countries such as India and China. China is the largest market for high performance plastics in the Asia-Pacific region. High performance plastics are used in various end-use industries such as electrical & electronics, medical, transportation, industrial, and others. These are the main end-use industries considered in the report. The transportation segment is estimated to account for the largest share, in terms of value as well as volume, followed by electrical & electronics, in 2016. The medical industry is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR from 2016 to 2026, in terms of value, among all the industries considered.
Plastics exports to be $15 billion in next 5 years
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lastic Industry is making significant contribution to the economy, development and growth of various key sectors in the country namely Automotive, Agriculture, Electronics, Construction, Healthcare, Textiles, FMCG etc. It is one of the fastest growing industries in India. Plastic industry would also contribute in a big way in the success of Government initiatives such as Make in India, Skill India, Digital India, Swach Bharat Abhiyan etc which are opening up opportunities and accelerating growth even more rapidly. Sharing further details, Rajeev Chitalia, Chairman of NEC, PLASTINDIA 2018 mentioned, “It seems that the centre of gravity is rapidly shifting to India due to the opportunities here. India is the world’s NEXT Plastic destination by virtue of both, its sheer size and tremendous growing domestic demand. “The facts and figures say it all. By 2020, Plastics consumption of India is set to increase from the current 12 million metric tonnes per annum to 20 million metric tonnes per annum. India will deploy 1, 80,000 machines by the year 2020 as compared to the current 1, 13,000. The export of Plastics finished goods alone is set to nearly double from $ 7.9 billion currently to $15 billion in next five years.
12 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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NEWS INTERNATIONAL
Total and Corbion form a JV in bioplastics
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otal and Corbion are joining forces to develop bioplastics by creating a 50/50 joint venture to produce and market polylactic (PLA) polymers. The two partners plan to build a world-class PLA polymerization plant with a capacity of 75,000 tons per year at Corbion’s site in Thailand that already has a lactide (PLA monomer) production unit that will become part of the joint venture. Corbion will supply the lactic acid necessary for the production of the PLA and the lactide. The new company will be based in the Netherlands and will launch operations in the 1st quarter of 2017, subject to regulatory approvals. “I’m very pleased with this joint venture, which aims to become a major player in the growing bioplastics market. This investment is consistent with our One Total ambition of expanding in biofuels and bioplastics, in addition to our more traditional oil- and gas-based products,” commented Bernard Pinatel, President of Total Refining & Chemicals. “Corbion’s unique position in the lactic acid and biopolymers value chain makes it a natural choice for Total. The joint venture will allow us to supply an innovative material that is 100% renewable
and biodegradable and that responds to sustainability concerns.” Tjerk de Ruiter, CEO of Corbion, stated: “PLA is one of the first renewable, biodegradable polymers able to compete with existing polymers. The joint venture, which will combine Total’s technical and marketing knowledge and leading position in polymers with Corbion’s expertise in lactic acid and biopolymers, will enable us to supply innovative products and will accelerate market acceptance.”
LEGO Group opens a new factory in China
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ecently, the LEGO Group celebrated the official inauguration of its new factory in Jiaxing, China. The 165,000m2 factory plays an important role in the Group’s ambition to provide safe, high-quality creative play experiences to millions of children in China and across Asia. “We believe children are the most important people on the planet. We also believe it is essential for children to play – as they learn to be creative and imaginative through play,” says Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, President and CEO of the LEGO Group, adding: “We have built a state of the art factory in Jiaxing that adheres to the same global production standards as our factories across the world. It will bring great and fun LEGO experiences to even more children in Asia, while delivering on the promise of the LEGO brand: safe and high-quality play.” The LEGO Group also owns and operates factories in Denmark, Hungary, Mexico and the Czech Republic. The factory in Jiaxing currently employs more than 1,200 people, and is expected to produce between 70 and 80 percent of all LEGO products sold in Asia. The Jiaxing factory has a high focus on integrating sustainable solutions from recycling and reusing waste and water to minimising the energy consumption. “Our most important impact comes through the LEGO products that inspire and develop millions of children. In doing so, we want to leave the planet in the best possible condition for children and so we have a broad range of activities to reduce our impact on the environment. As an example, this factory in China will feature solar panels on the roof, enabling us to generate clean solar electricity directly at our factory,” says Tim Brooks, Vice President, Environmental Sustainability.
Jindal Films Europe launches new polyolefin sealant technology
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indal Films Europe has announced the latest development in polyolefin sealant technology. SealTOUGH is a unique coextruded packaging film, targeted to replace sealant layers in a lamination or single layers in mono-web applications. SealTOUGH provides unmatched puncture resistance, enhanced clarity, improved modulus and seal strength that can exceed 5,000g/2.54cm. The latest breakthrough technology from Jindal Films gives the down gauge potential of 30 percent, 40 percent, or more compared to traditional sealant films. Jindal Films continues to set new standards for performance and sustainable solutions to support the flexible packaging industry. SealTOUGH bridges the attributes of BOPP and blown PE film to achieve enhanced performance benchmarks for clarity and strength. Packaging designs utilizing SealTOUGH contribute to the environmental objectives for source reduction and recycling.
14 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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NEWS INTERNATIONAL
Huntsman inaugurates Shanghai Campus
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lobal chemical company Huntsman Corporation recently inaugurated the Huntsman Campus Shanghai in the Minhang Economic & Technological Development Zone. The Campus brings together all of Huntsman’s Shanghai employees in one location, with the objective of significantly boosting collaboration and synergies within the Business – which in turn will significantly enhance Huntsman’s innovation performance and service to customers. A key element in achieving this vision, has been the transition of 200 employees from Huntsman’s Hongqiao, Shanghai offices to the new Campus. There are now 500 employees and 100 contractors together on the Minhang site, representing all parts of the Company – from R&D through to commercial delivery, as well as all of the business functions. The 40,000 m2 Campus comprises the company’s Asia Pacific Technology Center (ATC), which opened in 2008 and houses state-of-the-art laboratories, machine halls, analytical & testing centers and training facilities; administrative offices for the commercial, marketing and functional teams; and a downstream formulations facility for Huntsman’s Polyure-
thanes business which first opened in 1996. An inauguration ceremony for the Campus, hosted by Peter Huntsman, President and CEO of Huntsman and Tony Hankins, CEO Asia Pacific, was held at the site today. More than 200 guests, including local authorities, Huntsman’s customers, suppliers, employees and corporate officers attended the ceremony. Speaking at the ceremony, Peter Huntsman said, “The greatest output of this site will be the production of human creativity and interaction. This site is an investment in the future. It is through our co llective efforts that we will be able to build upon the successes of the past generation and provide hope and opportunity to future generations.”
Avery Dennison to acquire Hanita Coatings
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very Dennison Corporation has announced it has agreed to acquire Hanita Coatings, a pressure-sensitive materials manufacturer of specialty films and laminates from Kibbutz Hanita Coatings and Tene Investment Funds for the purchase price of $75 million, subject to customary adjustments. Headquartered in Israel with sales and distribution facilities in the United States, Germany, China and Australia, Hanita Coatings develops and manufactures coated, laminated, and metallized polyester films for a range of industrial and commercial applications, all of which require high performance and superior quality. Hanita Coatings’ window films are used in architecture and automotive aftermarkets; its top-coated polyester films are used in the manufacture of durable labels; and its ultra-high barrier films form part of insulation systems used in refrigeration, buildings and cold chain packaging. “We see clear opportunities to leverage our strong global organization and established brand to help accelerate Hanita Coatings’ product commercialization around the world,” said Mitch Butier, Avery Dennison president and CEO. “In addition to expanding our product portfolio and providing new growth opportunities, Hanita Coatings’ culture of innovation and long-standing commitment to R&D are a strong fit with our own company’s 80-year history of innovation in materials science.” With 2015 sales of roughly $50 million, Hanita Coatings currently employs more than 220 employees, most of whom are located at the company’s headquarters in Israel’s Western Galilee. The 33-year-old company generates sales in more than 40 countries.
Clariant Introduces new White Pigment
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lariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, today announced that the first production of its new, EPA-compliant Agrocer™ White 006 Dispersion is now available for sampling and will be available to order soon. “Agrocer White adds hiding power to formulations, making it easier to cover dark seeds,” said Mark Self, Market Segment Manager. “White is also an excellent shading component which makes it possible to blend more custom colors.” Self-explained that with the addition of the Agrocer White 006 Dispersion, Clariant now offers seven important colorants for seed coatings. The pigment preparations from the Agrocer Disp. range are easy to handle, readily pumpable for simple dosing and mixing and facilitate the cleaning of production equipment. Due to its composition, Agrocer White 006 Disp. is highly compatible with common seed treatment pesticide formulations as well as seed coating products. Agrocer White 006 Disp. is based on titanium dioxide; it enhances coverage of seeds and is used as a shading component together with the colored Agrocer pigment dispersion. All Agrocer dispersions are manufactured without using alkyl phenol ethoxylate (APEO) and do not require any hazardous labelling.
16 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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NEWS INTERNATIONAL
ELIX Polymers launches new food-contact grade
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LIX Polymers has launched a new ABS grade for use in products that come into contact with food and which also require extra toughness and resistance to high temperatures. Target applications include kitchenware, products for preparation and storage of food, and also toys. The new M545TF grade will enhance the company’s Healthcare portfolio, which already includes grades for medical devices, cosmetics, food contact applications and toys. The latest grade has been migration tested with different food simulants. This enables ELIX Polymers to advise its customers about migration issues and regulatory compliance during the product design phase, helping to prevent problems before they occur and shortening time to market.
Belkin, DuPont join hands
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elkin, market leader in mobile accessories, announces a collaboration with DuPont Protection Solutions (DuPont) for the development of a premium line of cables built with DuPont Kevlar for extreme durability. The MIXIT↑ DuraTek Lightning to USB Cables are forged with superior quality materials, including strong DuPont Kevlar fiber strands built into the cables to provide structure, protecting the wires inside from damage. Best known for its lightweight strength and use in ballistic and stab-resistant body armor, DuPont Kevlar fiber is used around the world for everything from bullet-resistant vests and crash helmets, to surfboards and extreme sports gear. Other smart design details – like longer, flexible strain relief to prevent breakage; an abrasion-resistant, double-braided nylon tough outer jacket; and highly flexible insulation to minimize damage from friction – deliver a cable with sustained performance and ultimate durability. “With virtually every consumer owning multiple mobile devices and looking for opportunities to charge, there’s a real and growing need in the marketplace for reliable charging solutions,” said Steve Malony, GM & VP, Belkin. “We’re delighted to collaborate with DuPont to expand Belkin’s overall mobile accessories line, bringing two iconic brands together to create a line of cables that border on indestructible, withstanding even the most demanding routines.”
M545TF can be supplied precolored, with ELIX taking the responsibility for compliance of the pigments with food contact regulations. ELIX Polymers’ current portfolio of FDA-approved colours already includes more than 120 active recipes; new colours are under continual development. “ELIX Polymers offers a high level of service to our customers, especially for the healthcare portfolio,” says Aurelie Mannella, Industry Manager Healthcare at ELIX Polymers. “We are pleased to have gained a reputation among our customers as a company that consistently offers excellence in service, along with high-quality products and constant innovation. We have implemented a rigorous selection of our pigments and suppliers in order to be able to guarantee consistent and zero-risk solutions.”
Eastman’s material enables innovative packaging for soaps
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he technology of Eastman Chemical Company was O Boticario’s bet to innovate in its newly launched liquid soaps Incredible Wishes and Christmas Dreams. The Glass Polymer resin has been chosen to develop a beautiful and functional packaging, especially for commemorative dates. Unlike the commonly found resins on the market, The Glass Polymer resins can be pigmented, bonded, ultrasonically sealed, hot stamped, textured and printed. Due to the high performance properties of the material, it is possible to create complex and elaborate designs, giving a great deal of creative flexibility to the final product, which ensures that it stands out to the consumer when compared to other products. The result is amazing packaging, which appeals to the touch, sound, beauty, brilliance and resistance, attributes valued more and more by the market. The transparency and brightness of Eastman’s resins closely resemble glass, a material valued in the cosmetic industry, where weight is often related to quality and luxury. But despite its visual similarity, The Glass Polymer resins have excellent mechanical strength - both for breakage and scratches - that is, it is more durable and maintains beauty over time. “Our material allows the development of packaging that values products and guarantees clear benefits for both the industry and the end consumer. That’s the sense of innovation, “says Alessandra Focesi, Eastman’s sales representative. The flexibility and versatility of The Glass Polymer family of resins are perfect for the cosmetics universe. “The packaging helps the consumer create a loyalty relationship with the item, an emotional memory. Consumers can identify from a distance which product and which brand. Sophisticated proposals offer differentiated experiences and increase added value. “Our partnership with O Boticário is a successful example of how Eastman is focused on winning with our customers through innovation. Proof of this comes from when we worked on the development of Clipping with Boticário, a partnership that lasts for more than 15 years,” adds Rogério Dias, regional manager of Eastman’s Specialty Plastics business unit for Latin America.
18 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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AUTOMOTIVE
Stays cool even when it’s hot NEW CONCEPTS AND INCREASING DEMANDS FROM CUSTOMERS AND LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITIES CALL FOR MATERIALS THAT ARE ACOUSTICALLY ADVANTAGEOUS.
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igh pressure at high temperatures: Pipes that are exposed to this challenge between the turbocharger and the charge air cooler can best be manufactured by blow moulding with the BASF high-temperature polyamide Ultramid Endure D5G3 BM. This is demonstrated by the new charge air duct which MANN+HUMMEL, Ludwigsburg, has manufactured for the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine of the BMW Group. The turbocharger with integrated charge air cooler is used in numerous vehicles, e.g. in the BMW 4, 5 and 7 series as well as in the X3, X4 and X5 models of the BMW Group. With Ultramid Endure D5G3 BM (BM = blow moulding), charge air ducts can be efficiently manufactured by blow moulding. The BASF polyamide 66 with 15 percent glass fibers has a high heat-aging resistance, can be processed easily and shows extraordinary acoustic properties. It is temperature resistant up to 220°C at continuous use, with possible peak temperature loads of up to 240°C. The blow moulding type supplements the Ultramid Endure portfolio for injection moulding, which has been successfully established on the market since 2010. Like the injection moulding grades, Ultramid Endure BM obtains its extraordinary heat stabilization through a well-established technology, which suppresses the oxidative attack by atmospheric oxygen. The protection is not limited to the surface, but pervades the material as a whole. The tailor-made properties of Ultramid Endure BM yield numerous benefits for moulders and car manufacturers: favourable system costs due to lower processing temperatures, shorter cycle times and reduced energy consumption are combined with a high technical performance, which leads to durable and powerful engines. Thus Ultramid Endure BM shows a better cost-performance ratio than, for example, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) or aluminium, from which conventional charge air ducts are manufactured. Within the charge air duct, the charge air pipe guides compressed hot air from the turbocharger into the integrated charge air cooler. Here, pressures higher than 2.5 bar can occur. With Ultramid Endure BM, processors save assembly costs and car manufacturers component weight. The high-temperature polyamide can replace pipes made from rolled aluminium sheets. As the tubular sections can no longer be round in the small installation spaces, metal pipes must be manufactured in expensive hydroforming. Pipes made from the BASF material can also be blow-moulded into different pipe forms. The interior surface remains smooth here, which leads to reduced air resistance compared to other plastics. Excellent processing: high melt stability, good swelling, sim-
ple welding For blow moulding, the plastic is also required to have special melt strength and favourable swelling properties. High melt stability counteracts the length variation of the pipe. The smaller the variation in length, the better suited the product is for suction blow moulding. The same applies to pipe swelling: a certain amount of swelling is required, yet too much swelling causes problems when inserting the pipe into the mold. What is more, materials that swell severely tend to expand, which leads to a frusto-conical shape of the pipe. Ultramid Endure BM, however, remains largely cylindrical. As it also responds well to changes in the processing parameters, corrections can be made easily during the production process. Ultramid Endure BM can be welded particularly well with PA66 components using e.g. infrared welding. Components under the hood are often connected with one another by welding. Due to the reduced glass fiber content, the weld line can represent a weak spot, particularly after aging. The innovative stabilization mechanism in Ultramid Endure BM not only protects the polymer itself, but also strengthens this potential weak spot. The weld lines also withstand continuous operation at high temperatures very well. Even after 1,000 hours at 220°C, there is no sign of any cracking at the joint. The weld line strength remains just as high.
Very good acoustic properties Acoustics have become a relevant brand factor and are extremely important in the automotive industry. New engine concepts and increasing demands from customers and legislative authorities call for materials that are acoustically advantageous. Ultramid Endure BM shows excellent damping behaviour and is therefore suitable for demanding acoustic requirements. Source: BASF
20 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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PACKAGING
New frontiers in packaging THROUGH EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, RIGID PLASTICS PACKAGING IS AIMING TO MATCH THE REQUIREMENTS OF OTHER RIGID PACKAGING LIKE GLASS AND TINS. By Vimal Kedia
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or coatings where the barrier material can be concentrated in a discrete layer. Multilayer and coating approaches are usually more expensive than the monolayer approach at low volumes.
igid Plastics is a popular growth segment in primary packaging. Consumer demand for beverages like fresh juices, iced tea, flavoured milk and other beverages are on the rise. These products are largely oxygen sensitive and have been traditionally packed in glass. Sauces of various types and condiments also fall in the same category. A big segment of extreme oxygen sensitive beverage is beer which has traditionally been packed either in glass or in metal cans. One of the new frontiers in rigid plastics packaging is to create oxygen and other gas barriers through emerging technologies which can match the requirements of other rigid packaging like glass and tins. A brief evaluation of some of the emerging technologies and issues are described: Issue of Surface/Volume: It is a well-known fact that one of the major contenders of rigid plastic in beverages has been small size PET containers which score over other plastics with their transparency, low weight and overall cost. Gas permeation rates are known to be proportional to bottle surface area. Bottle surface area per unit volume of contents increases as the bottle size gets smaller. This makes the case for PET bottles even more difficult as PET bottles are more popular in small sizes, i.e. less than 500ml. Barrier Enhancement: Barrier Enhancement in the case of PET bottles can be grouped into three categories: 1) Monolayer using barrier additive 2) Coating (internal or external) 3) Multilayer (co-injection) Monolayer with Additives: The approach of simply using additives in monolayer bottles has been gaining market acceptance. Earlier there was poor clarity associated with this technology. Newer solutions have largely overcome these problems. The low cost of entry of this approach means that virtually any preform moulder can become a supplier of barrier preforms overnight. The amount of barrier additive for a given level of barrier performance will be higher for a monolayer container, where it is dispersed throughout the container wall, than for multilayer
Monolayer barrier bottles with active oxygen scavenger are currently widely in use. Barrier coatings These are available from several suppliers, each with their own patented technology. External coatings have the advantage of not requiring government food contact approval, but may suffer from scuffing and other damage during transport. Internal coatings require food contact approvals but are protected from damage during shipping. Barrier Coating Technology • Extend Shelf life by 2-3X depending on product • Economical on a per bottle basis • 100% Food Safe • Transparency unaffected • Used successfully by Coca-Cola for the first time in India, with a 5 month shelf life Multilayer: Multilayer barrier enhancement has been around the longest compared to all the options available today. It involves injecting a high-barrier resin between the two layers of PET during preform moulding. In the past, the barrier material has been a problem for recyclers but a major thrust on developing recycling friendly materials and viable separation technologies is under way. A key advantage of the multilayer approach is that it is a preform-based solution and therefore drops easily into the existing supply chain model. This also means that the barrier technology can be controlled centrally and many satellite blowing and filling operations can benefit from it. Today, the multilayer packaging technology, available with only a handful of companies, globally, is increasingly being used to pack daily consumable food items such as Milk, Fresh Fruits, Ketchup, etc. and is being considered an ideal alternate to glass and metal packaging. Internationally, multilayer packaging is very popular with retailers like TESCO and WAL- MART. In India, the impact of multilayer packaging, on packaging efficiency, retail sales and consumer experience is a fascinating story that is yet unfolding. A few examples of solutions provided by Manjushree include:
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PACKAGING
Kissan Tomato Ketchup – This design developed for Hindustan Unilever has already been introduced in select markets and retail stores. This multilayer pack weighs only 60 grms as against the traditional 700 grm glass package. Rhodes Peaches – This multilayer plastic packaging solution for the South Africa based Rhodes, is used to pack fresh fruits (earlier packed in tins/cans) in such a way that the freshness of fruit is retained in the bottle without adding preservatives and the fruit is visible through the transparent package making a positive impact on retail sales. Del Monte – We have been successful in manufacturing multilayer containers for DelMonte’s ketchup flavours a) Twango b) Zingo and c) Tomato ketchup. The container preserves the goodness of the product for longer shelf life and is available in easy - squeeze bottles. Contain: The major function of packaging is to CONTAIN. In its wider context, it means the emergence of newer rigid packaging technologies for packaging of product categories which were earlier packed either in different types of plastics or in glass or metal. Thick Wall containers for Cosmetics • PET G used for producing Thick Wall Bottles • Sharp Edges to give Premium look • Heavy Plastic bottle gives a different consumer experience • Special Conditioning technology to achieve finish Paint pails in PET • Paint Pails in PET – the next big revolution • Resin prices favourable towards PET • Scalable in 2-stage compared to Injection moulding • No Price escalation Aerosol in PET containers • Replacement for TIN and Metal • High IV Material used to withstand filling pressure • No Bursting or leakages even at extreme conditions • Wide applications right from cleaning solutions to room freshners • Compatible with standard aerosol pumps Sustainability: Sustainability is one major area where a large number of technological initiatives have been undertaken in rigid plastics processing. Sustainability has 3 major pillars: 1) Reduce, 2) Reuse and 3) Recycle Out of the 3, Reduce is a major technical drive for achieving and cost saving. In blow moulding of plastic containers there have been on-going initiatives in bottle redesign with light weighting and thinner walls. 1) Parison controlling
2) Shorter and blown necks 3) Optimsed stretch ratios for greater strength at reduced weight Two relatively new technologies in this area are: 1) Foaming technology for PE / PP bottles 2) Liquid Nitrogen Dosing
Foaming Technology Insitu foam blow moulding process In the Mucell process, an inert gas is blown during the blow moulding process which reduces the weight while lowering it in density. The Mucell blow moulding process is widely applicable and cost effective. The process is very stable, providing uniform and repeatable product density and part weight. The process can be applied to wheel as well as shuttle and reciprocating systems in single or multi-head configurations using standard material grades and post recyclate. Superior cellular structures are maintained using parison programming and tool ovalization in both mono and multi-layer configurations. Mucell technology offers the opportunity to increase stiffness at equivalent part weight or decrease part weight at equivalent stiffness. MuCell blow moulding produces products unmatched in quality while reducing costs. Liquid nitrogen dosing Manufacturers of non-carbonated beverages (water, juices, teas, etc.) generally rely on PET (polyethylene terephthalate) to make their bottles. Over the past 20 years, plastic bottles have become thinner, in line with environmental and cost pressures. However, doing so has reduced the weight of PET polymers in the bottles, resulting in thinner, weaker bottle walls. After filling, bottles must be stacked so they can be transported to customers. With thinner walls, weak bottles at the bottom of a pallet buckle under the weight of the bottles above, creating unsafe conditions and costly product losses. This problem can be avoided by pressurizing the bottles. Nitrogen is the perfect medium because it is available in liquid form. When liquid nitrogen vaporizes, it expands to 682 times its liquid volume. In addition, it is inert – thus protecting the drink against oxidation, which can lead to drink spoilage and lost revenues. These systems add a droplet of liquid nitrogen and trap it by immediately capping the bottle. The trapped droplet expands as it vaporizes and increases the internal pressure. The pressure increase ‘rigidifies’ the bottle, making it robust enough to stack. In conclusion, new technology frontiers in Rigid Plastic Packaging in application, manufacturing and filling continue to evolve with materials, processes and machinery, making innovation practical and relevant to the consumer. The authors is the Managing Director of Manjushree Technopack.
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TEXTILE
Plastic clothing material that cools the skin RESEARCHERS HAVE ENGINEERED A LOW-COST PLASTIC MATERIAL THAT COULD BECOME THE BASIS FOR CLOTHING THAT COOLS THE WEARER, REDUCING THE NEED FOR ENERGY-CONSUMING AIR CONDITIONING.
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tanford engineers have developed a lowcost, plastic-based textile that, if woven into clothing, could cool your body far more efficiently than is possible with the natural or synthetic fabrics in clothes we wear today. Describing their work in Science, the researchers suggest that this new family of fabrics could become the basis for garments that keep people cool in hot climates without air conditioning. “If you can cool the person rather than the building where they work or live, that will save energy,” said Yi Cui, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford and of photon science at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. This new material works by allowing the body to discharge heat in two ways that would make the wearer feel nearly 4 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than if they wore cotton clothing. The material cools by letting perspiration evaporate through the material, something ordinary fabrics already do. But the Stanford material provides a second, revolutionary cooling mechanism: allowing heat that the body emits as infrared radiation to pass through the plastic textile. All objects, including our bodies, throw off heat in the form of infrared radiation, an invisible and benign wavelength of light. Blankets warm us by trapping infrared heat emissions close to the body. This thermal radiation escaping from our bodies is what makes us visible in the dark through night-vision goggles. “Forty to 60 percent of our body heat is dissipated as infrared radiation when we are sitting in an office,” said Shanhui Fan, a professor of electrical engineering who specializes in photonics, which is the study of visible and invisible light. “But until now there has been little or no research on designing the thermal radia-
Forty to 60 percent of our body heat is dissipated as infrared radiation when we are sitting in an office, which is the study of visible and invisible light. “But until now there has been little or no research on designing the thermal radiation characteristics of textiles. Shanhui Fan, a professor of electrical engineering who specializes in photonics,
The comparison showed that the cotton fabric made the skin surface 3.6 F warmer than their cooling textile. The researchers said this difference means that a person dressed in their new material might feel less inclined to turn on a fan or air conditioner. tion characteristics of textiles.”
Super-powered kitchen wrap To develop their cooling textile, the Stanford researchers blended nanotechnology, photonics and chemistry to give polyethylene – the clear, clingy plastic we use as kitchen wrap – a number of characteristics desirable in clothing material: It allows thermal radiation, air and water vapor to pass right through, and it is opaque to visible light. The easiest attribute was allowing infrared radiation to pass through the material, because this is a characteristic of ordinary polyethylene food wrap. Of course, kitchen plastic is impervious to water and is see-through as well, rendering it useless as clothing. The Stanford researchers tackled these deficiencies one at a time. First, they found a variant of polyethylene commonly used in battery making that has a specific nanostructure that is opaque to
26 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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TEXTILE
“Wearing anything traps some heat and makes the skin warmer,” Fan said. “If dissipating thermal radiation were our only concern, then it The material would be best to wear nothing.” cools by letting The comparison showed that the cotton perspiration fabric made the skin surface 3.6 F warmer than evaporate through their cooling textile. the material, The researchers said this difference means that something ordinary a person dressed in their new material might feel fabrics already less inclined to turn on a fan or air conditioner. do. But the The researchers are continuing their work on Stanford material several fronts, including adding more colors, texprovides a second, tures and cloth-like characteristics to their materevolutionary rial. Adapting a material already mass produced Making clothes cooling mechanism: for the battery industry could make it easier to That success gave the researchers a single-sheet allowing heat that create products. material that met their three basic criteria for a the body emits as “If you want to make a textile, you have to cooling fabric. infrared radiation be able to make huge volumes inexpensively,” To make this thin material more fabric-like, to pass through the Cui said. they created a three-ply version: two sheets of plastic textile. Fan believes that this research opens up new treated polyethylene separated by a cotton mesh avenues of inquiry to cool or heat things, pasfor strength and thickness. sively, without the use of outside energy, by tunTo test the cooling potential of their threeing materials to dissipate or trap infrared radiation. ply construct versus a cotton fabric of comparable thickness, they “In hindsight, some of what we’ve done looks very simple, placed a small swatch of each material on a surface that was as but it’s because few have really been looking at engineering the warm as bare skin and measured how much heat each material radiation characteristics of textiles,” he said. trapped. visible light yet is transparent to infrared radiation, which could let body heat escape. This provided a base material that was opaque to visible light for the sake of modesty but thermally transparent for purposes of energy efficiency. They then modified the industrial polyethylene by treating it with benign chemicals to enable water vapor molecules to evaporate through nanopores in the plastic, said postdoctoral scholar and team member Po-Chun Hsu, allowing the plastic to breathe like a natural fiber.
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BIOPLASTICS
Organic Plastics from Flue Gas and Electricity NEW BIOCATALYST USES CARBON DIOXIDE AND REGENERATIVE POWER FOR LOWCOST MICROBIAL ELECTROSYNTHESIS
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esearchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are working on an efficient and inexpensive method for the production of organic plastics. In the “BioElectroPlast” project they use microorganisms that produce polyhydroxybutyric acid from flue gas, air, and renewable power. The optimised process of microbial electrosynthesis opens up further perspectives for the future production of biofuel or for the storage of power from regenerative sources in the form of chemical products, for instance. The consumer’s wish for sustainable products also increases the demand for organic plastics, for e.g. disposable cups, packages or garbage bags. The “BioElectroPlast” project coordinated by the Applied Biology Group headed by Professor Johannes Gescher of KIT’s Institute for Applied Biosciences (IAB) focuses on a method to produce organic plastics with a minimum consumption of resources and at low costs. Also, “BioElectroPlast” is aimed at using the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) as an inexpensive and generally available raw material in the chain of values added and at applying renewable power. For this purpose, the scientists use a relatively new technology, called microbial electrosynthesis. About six years ago, researchers in the USA for the first time described how certain microorganisms grow on a cathode, bind CO2, and use the cathode as the only energy and electron source. A chemical process, by contrast, requires high pressures and temperatures and, hence, a high energy input as well as expensive catalysts. So far, microbial electrosynthesis has been used mainly to produce acetates – salts of acetic acid. “We have optimised the process, such that the microorganisms are supplied with more energy for the production of molecules of higher complexity, e.g. polymers,” Johannes Eberhard Reiner of the IAB explains. “We mix the CO2 with air. Then, the microorganisms use the oxygen as electron acceptor. This is quite similar to human breathing, where oxygen also serves as electron acceptor. In human beings, electrons are released by metabolisation of our food in the cells. Then, they are transferred to the oxygen for energy production.” As biocatalyst, the researchers use a newly isolated microorganism that permanently regenerates itself. Flue gas is applied as CO2 source. As a result, the concentration of this greenhouse gas is reduced and other sources of organic carbon that are usually applied as biotechnological substrates, such as agricultural products, are no longer required. Competition with food and feed production is avoided. The electric power needed for the “Bio-
ElectroPlast” process is based on regenerative sources. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funds the “BioElectroPlast” project under its initiative “CO2Plus – Material Use of CO2 to Broaden the Raw Materials Base”. “BioElectroPlus” started in September this year and is scheduled for a duration of three years. Apart from the IAB, the KIT project partners are the Chair for Water Chemistry and Water Technology of Professor Harald Horn at the Engler-Bunte Institute (EBI) and the “Microbial Bioinformatics” Group headed by Dr. Andreas Dötsch at the Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG). The other partners are the University of Freiburg and EnBW AG. EnBW participates in the project to further reduce CO2 emission of coal combustion as a bridge technology. The researchers plan to test their reactors directly in the coal-fired power plant of EnBW in Karlsruhe and to use the exhaust gases produced there. Source: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
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INSIGHT
Hoping for better future AS WE ARE ALL SET TO LEAVE 2016 BEHIND US, LET’S TAKE A REVIEW OF THE YEAR AND PROJECTION FOR THE COMING YEAR. By Swati Deshpande
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he industry has mixed emotions about the year that is passing now. Speaking on the same, Nitin Aggarwal, CEO, Prayag said, “The year 2016 has been excellent for our business as we successfully ventured into various new categories of pipes segment.” Solitairian Group will also remember this year for years to come as it registered impressive sales. Elaborating on it, Arjunpreet Singh Sahni, Executive Director, Solitairian Group said, “We are pioneer and leader in the manufacturing of RCC and GRP pipes and in the year 2016 as a special mention we have registered impressive sales across these segments due to continuous demand emerging from construction sector in Delhi-NCR.” On the other hand, Pankaj Poddar, CEO, Cosmo Films Ltd opined that the
The Government of India has taken several initiatives to promote a healthy environment for the growth of manufacturing sector in the country. For example, Make in India initiative promoted by the government has already offered a major platform to the manufacturing companies to grow and so manufacturing industry is all set witness next level of growth in the year 2017. Arjunpreet Singh Sahni, Executive Director, Solitairian Group
With the increasing market of UPVC pipes and fittings, Prayag plans to increase its capacity significantly in the year 2017. Prayag is investing heavily into new technologies and contemporary designs for the sanitary-ware market to come up with best products in all of its products segments, including UPVC pipes and fittings at most affordable price. Nitin Aggarwal, CEO, Prayag tape film, Lidding films, Barrier film, Pouching films for high speed machines for the packaging industry, Black velvet lamination films for luxury graphic art lamination, Digital lamination films, etc. “Additionally, the company has also set up a CPP line this year and has been delivering three transparent, three metallised and two speciality CPP based products with this this installation. The company also announced acquisition of 34 acres of land in Aurangabad, Maharashtra and acquired 11 acre land in Karjan, Gujarat close to its existing plants with expansion on mind,”Poddar added. According to Aggarwal, 2016 will be remembered for the positive environment that the Make in India initiative created. He further added that “This initiative is expected to help us further in expanding our product portfolio.”
A year to come year was challenging. “Year 2016 was a tough year for the industry where commodity margins were under significant pressure. The company’s focus on speciality products as well as operational efficiencies helped it tide through the wave to a significant extent,” Poddar mentioned. Despite the market conditions, Comso Films introduced various products in the market including Low noise
Elaborating on the product expansion, Aggarwal noted, “With the increasing market of UPVC pipes and fittings, Prayag plans to increase its capacity significantly in the year 2017. Prayag is investing heavily into new technologies and contemporary designs for the sanitary-ware market to come up with best products in all of its products segments, including UPVC pipes and fittings at
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INSIGHT
most affordable price.” That’s not it. The company is also going ahead with its strategy of sponsoring major sporting events and thus reaching to millions of young consumer base for its products. Cosmo Films too has expansion plans. Poddar explained, “Company’s largest 10.4 mtr BOPP line, which is under installation, would get completed by Q1CY17 and would put company on a fast track to growth. We are also evaluating various projects to be set up on the acquired land and working on expansion plans for our US operations.” Apart from the expansion, Cosmo Films is committed to stay focussed on speciality products and has already begun work on several new speciality products like speciality CPP films, new synthetic paper for faster drying & compatible with several printing types. Taking the same sentiment forward, Sahni informed that Solitairian Group also has expansion plans. “We are all set to invest in acquiring new technologies to strengthen our manufacturing base in the year 2017,” he continued.
Market scenario Analysing the atmosphere in the manufacturing segment, Sahni noted, “The Government of India has taken several initiatives to promote a healthy environment for the growth of manufacturing sector in the country. For example, Make in India initiative promoted by the government has already offered a major platform to the manufacturing companies to grow and so manufacturing industry is all set witness next level of growth in the year 2017.” But the industry is now going through a difficult phase
Manufacturing industry is expected to emerge as one of the high growth sectors in India in the year 2017, as Make in India Program has already gained momentum with successfully placing India on the world map as a global manufacturing hub. Pankaj Poddar, CEO, Como Films Ltd due to demonetisation. “Currently all industries are showing a slowdown due to a liquidity crunch as a result of demonetization. We may see the ripple effects of the same settling down by Q12017. Growth may again pick up Q2 2017 onwards. GST roll out would also bring a new business environment and should help propel growth,” Poddar projected. Aggarwal said, “Manufacturing industry is expected to emerge as one of the high growth sectors in India in 2017, as Make in India Program has already gained momentum with successfully placing India on the world map as a global manufacturing hub.” On this backdrop, we can definitely hope that 2017 turns out to be better than the passing year.
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AUTOMOTIVE
Extremely tough – even at low temperatures NEW POLYAMIDE 6: THE NEW MATERIAL THAT FULFILS THE SPECIFICATIONS OF VARIOUS CAR MAKERS FOR THE LOW-TEMPERATURE IMPACT RESISTANCE OF PLASTICS IN EXPOSED ENGINE OIL PANS
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assenger vehicles frequently are equipped with engine oil pans made of plastic. They incorporate the oil sump and, by nature of their function, are located at the lowest point of the oil circuit, meaning right above the road. LANXESS has developed Durethan BKV 235 H2.0 XCP specifically for oil pans that have to offer high resistance to stone impact and the underbody hitting the ground, and that are not otherwise protected by sheet metal or other cover materials. The polyamide is rubber-modified and reinforced with 35 percent special short glass fibers. The abbreviation XCP stands for Extreme Crash Performance and therefore also for the material’s high toughness. “Our structural material is characterized by outstanding Charpy notch impact resistance at low temperatures. Although it contains a rubber-based toughness modifier, its stiffness and strength remain on a high level,” explains Detlev Joachimi, head of Durethan product development at LANXESS.
35 H2.0, a standard polyamide 6 with 35 percent glass fibers, achieves 10 kJ/m2 at this temperature. Compared to the standard polyamide 6, the e-modulus and tensile stress at break of the new material are insignificantly lower at 9,500 MPa and 164 MPa respectively (dry as molded, ISO 527-1,-2). “As a result, we can design oil pans that meet strict demands in terms of stiffness and strength, but also display very high impact resistance,” explains Joachimi.
Oil pans with high mechanical strength
With its good resistance at low temperatures, the polyamide also has good prospects outside the car segment, for instance in winter sports. “Conceivable applications include components for ski bindings, sleds and snow mobiles,” says Joachimi. Detailed information on properties, applications and processing technologies for Durethan and Pocan can be found in the TechCenter of the LANXESS High Performance Materials business unit under www.durethan.com and www.pocan.com. LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 7.9 billion in 2015 and about 16,700 employees in 29 countries. The company is currently represented at 55 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, specialty chemicals and plastics. Through ARLANXEO, the joint venture with Saudi Aramco, LANXESS is also a leading supplier of synthetic rubber. LANXESS is listed in the leading sustainability indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World) and FTSE4Good.
The new material fulfils the specifications of various car makers for the low-temperature impact resistance of plastics in exposed engine oil pans. At -30 °C, the Charpy notch impact resistance is 18 kJ/m2 (ISO 179-1eA). As a comparison, Durethan BKV
High heat distortion temperature Another advantage of this innovative material is its good flow properties and high heat resistance. The heat distortion temperature to ISO 75-1,-2 (HDT A, 1.8 MPa) of 203 °C is nearly as high as that of Durethan BKV 35 H2.0. “The oil pans can therefore be exposed to high continuous operating temperatures without any difficulty,” says Joachimi.
Potential applications in winter sports equipment
Source: LANXESS
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COVER STORY
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COVER STORY
Packed with
INNOVATION GIVE THE CONSUMER SOMETHING NEW, WHICH OFFERS BETTER VALUE AND THEN SEE THE DIFFERENCE, SAYS SURESH GUPTA, CHAIRMAN, HUHTAMAKI PPL LTD.
By Niranjan Mudholkar
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uresh Gupta, Chairman, Huhtamaki PPL Ltd (HPPL), or SG as he is popularly known by his colleagues and industry peers, absolutely loves packaging. Explaining why he has been associated with this industry for many decades, he says: “Or else, I wouldn’t have worked in packaging for so long.” In fact, he has been with HPPL (which was known as The Paper Products Ltd. in those days) since the late 1980s. And when you ask him about the journey so far, the spontaneity of the answer says it all: “I am absolutely very happy with the journey.”
aging for the food industry. “By enabling food to be transported across regions through various packaging solutions, we are also helping farmers, small business owners, entrepreneurs and numerous other people in the value chain and are thus contributing positively to the economy.” In fact, SG goes on to link the level of development of an economy to the level of development of its packaging industry. “If packaging is not good then the product is not good. If the product is not good then it means that the society is inefficient,” he almost proclaims.
Growth story
It is with this passion that SG helms Huhtamaki PPL Ltd (HPPL), India’s leading manufacturer of primary consumer packaging and labelling materials. And it is this passion that has enabled SG SG has a simple principle when it comes to work - Whatever you and his team to transform HPPL into the largest manufacturer do, you should be proud of it. “You should believe in what you do. in volume of finished flexible packaging in the You should like what you do. I have liked packlarger Africa - India - Asia Pacific region excludaging from day one and I am very proud of it,” ing Japan. Today, HPPL is a Rs.2000 crore plus he adds. SG strongly believes that he and his company growing with an impressive CAGR of colleagues at HPPL (and the entire packaging 16.3 percent over 29 years. The company’s anindustry for that matter) are productive memAmbernath (2) nual income for the FY 2015 was Rs.2009.75 bers of the society who contribute positively to Bengaluru (2) crore and its income for the nine months endits growth. Gava ing September 30, 2016 was Rs.1636.92 crore. “That’s because without packaging indusHyderabad (2) “Well, we are a Rs.2000 crore company but try, everything will come to a standstill. Our Khopoli Navi Mumbai it is important to note that our packages carry lifespan would shorten dramatically. Well, all Parwanoo in them products worth more than Rs.40,000 basic requirements have to come packaged to Rudrapur crore,” SG says with pride. He also suggests that us, otherwise they will become bad. So packSilvassa when you look at a packaging company, you aging is vital. Without packaging, most prodTaloja do not look at just the sales side. “You need to ucts would become useless. Packaging is one Thane understand what that sale comprises of in terms industry that serves a variety of industries. In At present, HPPL has 14 of the variety of clients, their requirements and fact, after the core sectors – electricity, water, manufacturing plants. It is building the product complexities,” he says. HPPL’s clicement & steel – the widest sector that adds two more plants; one each in ent list includes Britannia, Coca Cola, Ferrero, value across industries is the packaging indusSikkim and Assam. Both are likely Glaxo Smithkline, Marico, Mondelez, Nestle, try,” he explains. to be operational by the H1 2017. PepsiCo, P&G, Unilever and so on. “And we SG also highlights the significance of pack-
Contributing to society
Manufacturing units of HPPL
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provide packaging solutions HPPL. In fact, he has been perYou should believe in what you do. You sonally involved in the design both for the B2B segment as should like what you do. I have liked and conception of many inwell as the B2C segment. Impackaging from day one and I am very portantly, we make packaging novative packaging solutions. proud of it. “Well, it’s all about team work solutions that address specific so the credit goes to everyone requirements of our custombut I love to personally contribute wherever possible with my ers. Our products are tailor-made to cater individual client’s creative inputs,” he says. The last big product that SG has been needs. And we use the highest level of technology to provide the personally involved with has been the packaging that HPPL did right solution for our customers.” SG adds. for Paper Boat. “Seven years ago I started working on this with Speaking more about the capabilities of his organisation, SG Neeraj Kakkar (of Paper Boat) and I am quite proud of this one. shares that HPPL offers a wide portfolio of packaging solutions Then, I was also the first one in the world to package alcohol in a that include flexible packaging, including a variety of pouching pouch,” he reminisces fondly. solutions, labelling technologies, shrink sleeve solutions, specialSG also shares that while it is a Rs.2000 crore company toised cartons, packaging machines, tube laminates, promotional, holographic and security solutions, cylinders and specialised films day, many years ago, HPPL was a fairly small organisation worth Rs25 crore or so. “What propelled the organisation into the big for high barrier. league of growth is our aggressive and relentless focus on innovation,” he says. During those days, SG insisted that he and the core Driven by innovation members of his team travelled to international markets where the SG believes that innovation has played a key role in the success of packaging industry boomed. “I insisted that everyone travelled to these big markets and got exposure to what was happening in the packaging industry. • Established as The Paper Products Ltd. in 1935. I personally spent a lot of time travelling to countries like Japan, US, Switzerland, Germany and UK. These are the world’s finest • Became a member of Huhtamaki Packaging manufacturers of packaging. I think No. 1 is Japan and No. 2 is Worldwide in 1999. Switzerland and No. 3 is Germany. So, these are the big ones. And • Acquired 51% shareholding in India’s leading may be US is at No. 10 but they have huge volumes. They teach manufacturer of labels for the Pharmaceuticals you how to scale up. They are enormous and their discipline is sector - Webtech in 2012. mind blowing. We have a lot to learn from them,” he states.
Key milestones of the Company
• The Paper Products Ltd renamed as Huhtamaki PPL Limited (HPPL) in 2014.
• Acquired 100% stake in Positive Packaging India Ltd. in January 2015.
The NASP Programme Based on the collective experience and exposure of these business trips, SG developed a special creativity programme to drive
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ogy, Government of India. When it comes to R&D, SG believes innovation called NASP. “NASP stands for New Applications, that the need of the hour is to focus more on the development asStructures and Products/Processes. NASP has now become a repect rather than on pure research. For him, innovation takes precligion for us and we calculate the sales generated from this proedence over invention. “I believe that enough primary research gramme on a yearly basis. I invented it and Huhtamaki has made has been done. The challenge is to adapt that research to suit your it a global programme. It has now become part of Huhtamaki’s local needs and local conditions. Can you bring scale and compolicy,” he shares. mercial feasibility to a unique idea through development? Believe HPPL’s internal target is that 30 percent of its sales must come me; it requires a lot more effort than doing just research. Plus, the from NASP; it has been normally achieving between 25 percent results are far more fulfilling. And that is why it fascinates me. to 29 percent of the total sales. “And we have a cut-off of two years India’s scientists and engineers in terms of new products. We are very talented and they must have set such ambitious and Well, we are a Rs.2000 crore company focus more on development aggressive targets because we but it is important to note that our than on pure research,” SG asare a fast growing economy packages carry in them products worth serts. Incidentally, SG is also and we want to introduce more than Rs.40,000 crore. on the advisory council of IIT new things as quickly as posRoorkee and whenever an opportunity presents, he does make sible. It’s more of a challenge for us. At present, we are running it a point to share his views with the academic scholars at that at about 26.5 percent of our total sales with NASP,” SG informs. institution. The NASP program has indeed proved to be a major driver of driver for HPPL. “It not only creates new business, but also helps us retain and enhance existing business,” he adds. In sync with times Today, all HPPL employees recognise the importance of the SG also believes that it is vital that organisations leverage on NASP programme. In fact, HPPL has big billboards put up at its information technology as it gives them an edge in the market. factories that ask ‘Did you do your NASP today?’. “Today, NASP is “Currently, we are looking to revise the whole national network a way of life at our organisation,” SG says. For all its innovations, as we want to be able to use the new algorithms that have come HPPL has been able to leverage on its R&D department, which in for data analytics. We want to leverage on the new ability and has been recognised by the Department of Science and Technolthe capability that will come with the latest IT systems,” he says.
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As a solution provider, HPPL caters to different customers across industry segments. Besides having a fairly enormous scale both in terms of manufacturing footprint as well as sales operations, the business has also acquired huge complexity in terms of its clientele and product offerings. “Leveraging on the best available IT tools enables us to run the business smoothly and efficiently,” SG says.
is given its proper place,” he shares.
People and passion
SG says that the root of any organisation’s success is its people. “After all, it is the people who do things. If a company fails, it is because of its people and if a company succeeds it is also because of its people.” He believes that nothing else will work if people are not pasSafety, hygiene & quality sionate enough about their SG believes that along with passion work. “I tell my people that and innovation, safety, hygiene and don’t work with this company if quality are equally important. “Every time you don’t like packaging. Even an acI visit our factories, I make it a point to visit countant in this company is not allowed the toilets. For me, the state of cleanliness at the to touch the pen to write toilets reflects the state of cleanlisomething unless he or she ness and quality at the entire facNASP stands for New Applications, has gone through the techtory. So I insist that our toilets are Structures and Products/Processes. NASP nological processes, has kept absolutely clean and hygienic. has now become a religion for us and we visited at least two of our We could actually prove to our calculate the sales generated from this facilities and has spent one own people that you could have programme on a yearly basis. week on the production the highest standards of safety and floor. So we have a onehygiene at a low cost. And as a remonth very strict induction programme,” he shares. sult, today our employees are trying to adopt the same standards of safety and hygiene at their homes!” About 25 years ago, SG also introduced the ISO 9000 qualMarket scenario - in brief ity management standards at his organisation. “It was fairly new Today, HPPL has 14 factories in the country. That’s a fairly exto India at that time. And I got the best auditors at that time to pansive manufacturing footprint to have – more so if all the factohelp us install these standards at our organisation. My objective ries are running at 80 percent of the practically possible capacities at that time was very clear - I wanted a system where risk is mini(at present). The Company caters to a wide range of sectors and mised on quality, where things are organised and where everyone SG says that many of these industries are driving HPPL’s growth. is proud of their company.” As a result, in three years, expenses as He acknowledges that HPPL is indeed growing but also adds that a percentage of sales went down! “Side by side, we also introduced it is not growing the way he would have wanted it to. the Japanese system called 5S, which focuses on organising the “We are actually growing in line with the market growth. At work space efficiently and effectively by ensuring that everything present, the volume growth in FMCG is just about seven percent. But the good thing is that while the big players are also growing, we are seeing the emergence of small businesses across the sector. For example, if you go to Big Bazaar, you will see lot of products of these small players on the shelf. These small entrepreneurs are SG is driven by the fact that he is doing something doing a good job today. Amongst 100 such small entrepreneurs, which makes him happy. “That’s it. Somehow I equate there are five who make it to the next level and these are the ones happiness beyond things that are also good beyond who are giving the big boys a run for their money. So, we also see me. Of course, in the end, we are a very selfish race. these players driving the growth for us.” May be I do things that make me happy. But luckily, I While HPPL had always been focussed on the international believe that by doing those things I am also helping the society. It makes me feel good.” As a person, he is players, about 20 years ago it also started focusing on the Indian quite interested in art – as reflected by the collection brands. And it has seen some very interesting scenarios in the of paintings and show pieces in his office. Besides, market with the rise of Indian brands. “For example, we have he is also a social impact angel investor cum mentor seen that the sales of foreign brand chocolates became flat beand is also trying to contribute to the society by being cause Indian mithai started getting packaged well! Of course, the a seed investor in campaigns that focus on renewable chocolates segment is growing again now but the fact is that small energy and low cost medicines. business innovation is also driving growth.”
What drives Suresh Gupta the man!
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SG notes that the last two years were not so good for pharma but now it too has started reviving. “In fact, we are setting up a new unit in Sikkim for pharma packaging. We will be in production by first half of 2017. Sikkim is now an organic state and that’s why a lot of pharma companies are going there. Part of the reason why we have so many manufacturing plants is because we go where our customers go,” he shares. “HPPL is also setting up a flexible packaging facility in Guwahati, Assam. “The first phase of that plant should also be up in about six months or so,” SG adds.
The e-commerce phenomenon SG acknowledges the emergence of the e-commerce segment and is closely watching its impact on the packaging sector. “But my biggest complaint is that the FMCG companies are not doing enough about primary packaging,” he says. Packaging is primarily split into two categories – primary and secondary. Primary is the product contact packaging, where the product is directly in touch with the packaging. For example, a packet of chips is a primary package. When you have several such chip packets packed in a corrugated package then that becomes the secondary packaging. “We went and spoke to the e-commerce players and we also spoke to a lot of FMCG players about the lack of primary packaging specifically designed for the e-commerce segment. The challenge is that the major FMCG players do not believe – as yet – that e-commerce is a core area for them. While the e-commerce
segment is growing quite fast in India, for a big FMCG player, it constitutes only about five percent of its overall sale. We are ready with our thoughts but we want people to come to us and tell us that we want your packaging. As far as secondary packaging is concerned, it is being designed for e-commerce but it is being designed by the e-commerce companies like Flipkart, Amazon and so on,” he informs. SG observes that about ten years ago, as a country, we had grown to 8 million retailers – that’s almost a crore of shops for branded consumer goods. “Today, that number hasn’t grown much. Why? The problem is that consumer goods companies are not spreading distribution. But some clever e-commerce companies have seen the gap and they are spreading distribution.” In consumer goods of any type, two things are very important – reach to the consumer and innovation. “Give the consumer something new, which offers better value and then see the difference. Well, that’s what we have been doing so far,” he says.
The vision SG believes that today HPPL has acquired a certain status in the market. “I believe that even five years from now this company should be the standard bearer. If you take a vote now of 100 customers, 98 will say that this is best packaging company in India. Today, that is true. Five years from now too, 98 must say that this is the best company in packaging,” he says, explaining his vision for the organisation.
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INNOVATION
High-temperature stable and electroplatable NEW COPOLYCARBONATE BLEND FOR PARTS WITH A METALLIC FINISH
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ovestro has developed a blend for fabricating chrome-plated plastic components that is extremely heat-resistant and suitable for electroplating. Apec 150 PG (plating grade) is based on a copolycarbonate and acrylonitrilebutadiene-styrene copolymer (PC-HT+ABS). Its Vicat B softening temperature (ISO 306) is 146 Grad Celsius, or about 35 degrees higher than that of electroplatable standard polycarbonate/ABS blends. “The combination of high heat resistance and good electroplating properties is rare on the market. It considerably expands the performance and application range of such materials in the production of chrome-plated design components,” explained Walter Köppchen, electroplating materials expert at Covestro.
Search for a temperature-stable and electroplatable plastic The high-tech material was developed in response to an idea by Gerhardi Kunststofftechnik GmbH for making the exhaust trim part from plastic. Based in Lüdenscheid, Germany, the electroplating specialist had engineered a substitute for the part, usually fabricated from stainless steel, and needed a thermoplastic material that could be decoratively electroplated and also withstand the temperatures prevailing in the vicinity of the exhaust. The first prototype vehicles with the plastic exhaust trim have already been out on the road to test the long-term performance. The objective is to soon establish widespread use of this innovative part in motor vehicles. Covestro showcased a prototype at the recent K 2016 plastics trade fair in Düsseldorf.
Smaller radii, integration of lighting effects The attraction of fabricating exhaust trim from a thermoplastic is that it weighs up to 50 percent less than its sheet steel counterpart. In addition, the plastic can be shaped much more easily than sheet steel to achieve tight radii and 3D geometries. Furthermore, plastic provides greater design freedom in terms of colour and function integration. For example, LEDs could be integrated into the exhaust trim to enhance its appearance with lighting effects in combination with either selective two-component electroplating or Gerhardi Strukturchrom. “In addition to these advantages, injection moulding significantly reduces manufacturing costs compared to sheet steel. Complex welding and sheet metal shaping steps can be eliminated,” explained Dirk Kieslich, head of Product and Process Development and Patent Management at Gerhardi, who initiated the
The combination of high heat resistance and good electroplating properties is rare on the market. It considerably expands the performance and application range of such materials in the production of chrome-plated design components. Walter Köppchen, electroplating materials expert at Covestro development of the plastic exhaust trim.
Excellent mechanical properties, good adhesion The new blend displays high toughness, strength and rigidity across a wide range of temperatures. The thin metal coating deposited during the electroplating process adheres strongly to the plastic surface. “The plastic part easily passes the heat aging and cross cut adhesion tests that are so critical for automotive components.” Other potential “hot” applications in automotive engineering include visible, electroplated parts under the hood, such as logos, emblems, lettering and covers. Walter Köppchen also sees good opportunities in the electrical/electronics segments, i.e. in the production of chrome-plated bezels, trim strips and ventilation grilles. Source: Covestro
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EVENT
Excel, Enhance, Expand INSPIRING FROM ‘MAKE IN INDIA’, INDIAN MANUFACTURERS ARE ASPIRING TO CATER TO GLOBAL MARKETS. WITH THIS REGARD, THE MACHINIST GLOBAL MANUFACTURING SUMMIT WAS HELD ON THE THEME OF EXCEL, ENHANCE, EXPAND.
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he Machinist, the sister magazine of ET Polymers, organised Global Manufacturing Summit, a one day conference program on the theme of Excel, Enhance, Expand recently at Gurugram. The event was inaugurated by Nikhil Nanda, Managing Director & CEO, Escorts Ltd, Yatendra Kumar of MotulTech India and Sunil Mehta of Mitsubishi Electric India. On the occasion, Mr Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India delivered a keynote speech on the topic of the theme of the event. On the occasion, Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India delivered a keynote speech on the topic of the theme of the event. During the speech he said, “Much has been talked about potential of the Indian manufacturing and center piece of that is the ‘Make in India’ initiative. India’s track record in certain sectors of the manufacturing is well-established. Automotive being one, Indian has become a world leader in the auto component manufacturing. Pharmaceutical is another segment where India ranks at the top position. Similarly India has well established itself in the chemical sector by delivering high-quality products.” However, this is not enough for achieving government’s goal of increasing quotient of the manufacturing sector in GDP from 16 percent to 25 percent. According to Mr Kumar other thriving sectors are electronics and aerospace & defence. Elaborating on aerospace and defence sector, Kumar said, “The base that automotive manufacturing segment has given us is a very important platform to enter into the space manufacturing in a big way. In fact, current suppliers for the aerospace industry in India, most of
them have automotive in their DNA.” Further he underlined that, though, here could be some similarities, the manufacturing approach for the two industries is not the same. Highlighting this point he said, “The golden approach towards automotive manufacturing is six sigma or parts per million. On the other hand, the aerospace sector works under zero defect environment.” He concluded by saying the country has the potential to achieve golden figures hat Government has put forth, provided the industry work towards it.
CEO Panel discussion Additionally, CEO Panel that consisted industry leaders — Dr. Andreas Lauermann, President & MD, Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd., Harsh Dhingra, Chief Country Representative, Bombardier Transportation India, Pankaj Dubey, MD, Polaris India, CEO and Director, Eicher Polaris and Harish Pant, MD, Hampson Industries Pvt Ltd — threw light on the “Glocal Leadership: Going Global, Thinking Local”. This panel discussion was moderated by
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transfer capabilities as well as technologies to Tier 2 players. Having a relatively younger work force also helps as they are open to new learnings and technology adoption. But to succeed in this industry, you need a change in the mindset as well as patience.”
Hall of Fame 2016
Marrying product innovation with market dynamics
During The Machinist Global Manufacturing Summit, prestigious Hall of Fame 2016 was conferred to Rajan Nanda, Chairman & Managing Director, Escorts Ltd. He was bestowed upon the award in the recognition of his enormous contribution to the Indian manufacturing industry. The machinist believes that at a time when manufacturing wasn’t considered to be the ‘in’ thing, this gentleman brought repute and fame to this industry. His excellent entrepreneurial skills and leadership abilities have resulted in the Company becoming a manufacturing brand par excellence in the global arena across sectors. Niranjan Mudholkar, Editor, The Machinist magazine and Chief Community Officer – B2B Division, Worldwide Media Pvt. Ltd. Harsh Dhingra, Chief Country Representative, India, Bombardier Transportation, and Harish Pant, MD, Hampson Industries Pvt Ltd threw light on various aspects. Dr. Lauermann mentioned, “India is not one market; it is many different markets in one. There is also big diversity. What we have learnt is that when a global company comes to India, we have to adapt our technologies and products to suit this market.” Agreeing to the same Dubey noted, “It is very important to understand the local market as well as its needs, and then act accordingly. Nothing that you have learnt globally can necessarily work in India. In fact, it will not. You obviously cannot change the DNA of your company but you need to understand the Indian market and then marry the two – the Company DNA and market understanding.” Dhingra stated “Our mantra for long term success has been localisation. We have done this by way of creating a vendor base in India; localisation by way of developing the skill sets of our workforce.” Pant argued, “Developing capabilities for an advanced sector like aerospace and defence is a long journey. Thankfully, OEMs and Tier 1 players are ready to invest and ready to hand hold and
In addition to this, a presentation on “Marrying product innovation with market dynamics” by Gurpreet Singh Maan, Director & Co-Founder, & Ankur Rooprai, Executive Director, (Ops & Engg.) Landking G-Maan Group of Industries. Other presentations including “e F@ctory - Bridging shop floor to top floor”, “Industrial Robots” by Mitsubishi Electric and Role of lubricants in overall equipment efficiency by MotulTech India were insightful for the audience. Operations Panel Discussion on the topic of Achieving Zero Defect Zero Effect was also appreciated by the attendees. Increasing the knowledge quotient, Tata Strategic Management Group and The Machinist unveiled a knowledge paper on “Achieving Global Competitiveness”. The Machinist Global Manufacturing Summit was presented by Mitsubishi Electric. The other partners are MotulTech, Cleanmax Solar, Sandvik Coromant and Tata Strategic Management.
Achieving Zero Defect Zero Effect Moreover, the operations panel discussion was held on the theme of “Achieving Zero Defect Zero Effect”. Ramesh Chander Khanna, COO, PPAP Automotive Ltd, Vinay Maheshwari, President - Corporate Projects, JBM Group, Rakesh Grover, Vice President -Engineering and Product Development, Eicher Polaris Private Ltd, Sushil Agarkar, AVP and Head of Manufacturing, Godrej Precision Engineering and Anuragam Vatsa, Plant Head, RSB Group, Pant Nagarand Sunil Mehta from Mitsubishi Electric participated in the discussion. Shripad Ranade, Senior Principal – Automotive, Engineering and Infrastructure, Tata Strategic Management Group moderated the panel. The panel discussed various aspects of the mantra “Achieving Zero Defect Zero Effect, one of them being the company culture that plays an important role. Speaking on the same Grover said, “It encompasses lot of aspects and one has to internalise this
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slogan to achieve it.” Highlighting the quality aspect of the slogan, Agarkar mentioned, “It is very important for SMEs to deliver zero defect products having zero effect on the environment when we aim at India being manufacturing hub.” Seconding the same Vats said that quality is the step forward that leads the growth of the company. And while achieving zero effect, we need to stick to our basics. Adding further Maheshwari noted “A decade ago cost was the primary factor for buying the equipment however, now customers have realised the value of the quality and ask for value for money product.” Taking this point further, Khanna said, “Nowadays customers are not only looking at the products but also looking at the whole manufacturing process. Customers have become conscious about the process as well.”
The contest Besides being a meaningful and topical knowledge sharing platform, the event also saw an engaging and relevant contest in the form of ‘God is in the Digital’ contest, partnered by Sandvik Coromant. The contest was open to all the registered delegates attending the Summit. Delegates had to answer a simple question to qualify for the contest - Will digital machining be considered a blessing for your workplace? The maximum word was 20 and they also
got an opportunity to get themselves photographed with their messages. Every participant also took home his photographed in custom made frame highlighting the contest. While Anuragam Vatsa, RSB Group’s Plant Head from the Pantnagar plant bagged the first prize with his relevant message, the two runner ups were Satyan Chadha of BHEL and Gaurav Kumar Saxena of PPAP Automotive Limited. Congratulations to all three of them. The contest now enters its second edition immediately in January 2017.
Plastivision India 2017: A launch pad AMIT PENDSE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ELECTRONICA PLASTIC MACHINES LTD TALKS ABOUT THE SHOW AND THE COMPANY’S PRODUCT SHOWCASE By Swati Deshpande Are you participating in Plastivision India 2017? Yes. It’s one of the important shows for the entire Indian as well as international plastics industry and Electronica Plastic Machines Ltd. has been participating in it since beginning. Which product/solution are you going to highlight at the show? Please tell us about its features briefly. We will be exhibiting our latest series machines with a “new launch”. We will also be highlighting some latest & stateof-the-art automation solutions. In all for the products that we manufacture, the prime focus is & will be enhanced productivity, high energy
efficiency, reliability & safe operations. We also will be highlighting some latest advancement on these machines. What are your expectations from the exhibition? The world is changing very fast. Indian economy is dynamically growing & has become a key focal point for the world market. Today, the world is looking at Indian manufacturing as a reliable & long term business partner / associate. So, we expect & are looking forward for a spositive, professional response from all our existing as well as prospective customers along with many interested & serious visitors & buyers from pan India as well as the world!
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BIOPLASTICS
Renewable packaging TETRA PAK GETS CLOSER TO FULLY RENEWABLE PACKAGING GOAL WITH NEW ASEPTIC CARTON.
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etra Pak has launched a new version of Tetra Brik Aseptic 1000 Edge with Bio-based LightCap 30. This is the first aseptic carton package in the world to receive the highest class of Vinçotte certification for its use of renewable materials.
Bio-based plastic film The new package is manufactured using a bio-based plastic film and cap, made from polymers derived from sugar cane. Combined with the paperboard, this lifts the share of materials from renewable sources in the package to above 80 percent, the threshold for four-star certification from Vinçotte, The new package the Belgium-based accredialso boasts up to tation agency that is world17 percent lower recognised for assessing the carbon footprint renewable content of packagthan a standard ing products. package, according The new package also to an independent boasts up to 17 percent lowlifecycle analysis er carbon footprint than a conducted by standard package, according IVL Swedish to an independent lifecycle Environmental analysis conducted by IVL Research Institute. Swedish Environmental Research Institute.
The Tetra Brik Aseptic carton package offers a range of volumes from 80 ml one-shot drinks to 2000 ml family packages and comes in five different formats; Slim, Mid, Base, Square and Edge. The company’s new shape Crystal is available in the Baseline format, the Leaf shape in both Base and Slim formats.
Increasing the use of renewable materials, defined as natural resources that can be replenished over time, plays an increasingly important role in mitigating resource scarcity and climate change. This is the only aseptic carton package we have certified so far and it has qualified for four-star certification. Philippe Dewolfs, President of the Certification Committee from Vinçotte “Increasing the use of renewable materials, defined as natural resources that can be replenished over time, plays an increasingly important role in mitigating resource scarcity and climate change,” said Philippe Dewolfs, President of the Certification Committee from Vinçotte “This is the only aseptic carton package we have certified so far and it has qualified for four-star certification.” Charles Brand, Executive Vice President, Product Management and Commercial Operations at Tetra Pak said, “There is a growing trend that consumers want to do more for the planet, and they want brand owners to help. With the authentic certification from Vinçotte, our new package gives customers credible information to communicate with consumers, and helps them differentiate their products. “Our ultimate goal is to produce all of our packages using only sustainably-managed renewable materials. Launching the new Tetra Brik Aseptic 1000 Edge with Bio-based LightCap 30 package is a significant milestone for us on that journey.” The new version of Tetra Brik Aseptic 1000 Edge with Biobased LightCap 30 package is available to customers globally. Switching to the new version requires no additional capital equipment investment.
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HOUSEWARE
Cleaner innovation every time
WITH THE ‘NO DUST BROOM’, GALA HAS GOT A FEATHER IN ITS CAP. HAVING INNOVATION AT ITS CORE, THE COMPANY HAS BIG PLANS FOR CLEANING SOLUTIONS, SAYS JATIN GALA, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, FREUDENBERG GALA HOUSEHOLD PRODUCT PVT LTD.
By Swati Deshpande
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oday what we know as Freudenberg Gala Household Product Pvt Ltd started its journey with trading of grass brooms. Speaking about the history of the company, Jatin Gala, Chief Operating Officer, Freudenberg Gala Household Product Pvt Ltd said, “The journey has been very eventful. It started in 1945 when my grandfather Lalji Gala migrated from Kutch. We had a small shop at Masjid, Mumbai that dealt with grass brooms. That time we were just traders. That business went on for 35-40 years. Later on we started manufacturing grass brooms. This was a specialised job. My uncles had to travel to rural places of the country especially North East of India often for purchasing right kind of grass for the broom.” “In 1989, my uncle and father thought of diversification. This
We use nylon bristles, which are unique in the market. The USP of these bristles is whenever they bend, they regain their shape. We have a special technology wherein each bristle is further split into 50-60 fibres that is how the broom has taken the look and feel of the natural grass broom. Additionally, with computerised machine, these bristles are stapled into the stem. With this we ensure that the fitting is perfect. Jatin Gala, Chief Operating Officer, Freudenberg Gala Household Product Pvt Ltd
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HOUSEWARE
pany focused on its distribution network. “We spent some time in setting up our distribution network. We participated in lot of below the line activities such as numerous exhibitions. At one point of time, we were participating in 100 exhibitions in a year along with our partners. The other thing that helped us was generating excitement amongst retailers. In order to create relationship with them we organised events across the cities of the country. We explained to them our brand, values and products. This helped them to pass on the knowledge further to the customers. That’s how we kept on progressing,” Gala stated.
Joining hands with international partner
is how the idea of entering into plastics brushes came,” he continued. At that time, plastic was still at a nascent stage in India. “In fact, plastic brushes were unknown to masses then. Additionally, this diversification plan required a special expertise, and machines had to be imported from Germany. Also, we had to learn new technology and acquire expertise in the same.” At this time, focus of the company was mainly on exports. “As we started getting business in the sector we acquired new machines and expanded ourselves in the area.” It is in the year 1995-96 when the company ventured into the consumer business in the domestic market. “Then onwards domestic market has remained the focus of the company. And this is how the brand Gala came into existence,” Gala explained. Incidentally, around the same time the company invested in the new technology. “We bought completely automated brush making machines. And it was a worthy investment keeping our exports market in the view at that point,” he noted.
Foray into the domestic market “As we entered in the domestic market, we spent 2-3 years in understanding the mindset of the domestic consumers. Plastic brushes were not prevailing at that point in India and consumers used wooden and grass brushes. However, the company believed in three core points—innovation, quality and brand building— based on which we progressed,” Gala informed. In order to make consumers believe in the brand the com-
“By 2008, Gala was quite a successful brand in the country. We were no more relying only on distributors, and dealing with retailers on our own. In the same year, we were looking for multifold expansion. Future in the cleaning solutions looked bright to us. Fortunately Freudenberg was looking for a partner as they were looking for expanding their base,” he informed.
As we create fibres and handles inhouse, we have grip over our innovations. Additionally we have a process for innovation in place—GATE process of innovation. We continuously filter the ideas on various parameters such as its use, reliability, viability, profitability, etc. This is how we ensure that only right product is entering in the market. Speaking more on the partnership, Gala asserted, “We had wide distribution network while Freudenberg had strengths in technology and R&D so it was complementary strengths. And hence it was a win-win situation for both of us.”
Innovation - the core The support from mighty R&D team has helped the company introduce new and innovative product each time. “As I mentioned innovation is one of our key pillars. And hence, we make the entire supply chain of brushes by ourselves. If you take a brush, we manufacture everything from nylon fibers used for bristles to plastic handles. The technology that allows fibres to be stapled to the stem is also made at our end.” Giving an example of the ‘No Dust broom’, Gala said the
48 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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HOUSEWARE
company has put in three years of research & development period into the innovation. “Broom is an everyday product at every household in India. But last 50 years there has been no new thing introduced in its features. Our research started with speaking to consumers on their experience on brooming and understanding their pain points. Not only we employed research agency to do this job but we also spoke to consumers. This activity brought two key pain areas in the light—the dust that natural grass broom leaves when its new and its short life span.” Taking a lead from this, three R&D teams from India, Germany and Italy collaborated to make a new broom. “Making a broom from synthetic material that looked similar to the traditional was a challenge. The first thing for us was the broom that we would create had to look like a traditional broom because if we would have brought in something totally different, it would not have been accepted,” he mentioned. “The second big challenge was fibre itself. The existing fibres could not replicate the superiority of the grass. After looking around the world for technologies and fibres, our teams came up with the fibre that goes nearest to the grass,” Gala further added. “We use nylon bristles, which are unique in the market. The USP of these bristles is whenever they bend, they regain their shape. We have a special technology wherein each bristle is further split into 50-60 fibres that is how the broom has taken the look and feel of the natural grass broom. Additionally, with computerised machine, these bristles are stapled into the stem. With this we ensure that the fitting is perfect,” Gala said. “The No Dust broom is a strip brush with all the fibres fused in. This strip is then wound to the core in such a fashion that you get the look and feel of the traditional broom. By creating this product, we have addressed to both the pain areas that consumers had. It lasts three times more than the traditional broom. Moreover, it is washable and it leaves no dust,” Gala shared the advantages of the innovative product. This product has been well accepted in the market and the company has sold more than 60 lakh brooms in three years. Likewise, Spin Mop is another innovation that company has brought in. Speaking on the same, Gala revealed, “People nowadays do not wish to bend and mop the floor. Squeezing the mopping cloth is another pain area. Realising these facts, we introduced Spin Mop, where the user can mop efficiently even without bending. Squeezing can easily be done with the help of bucket that comes along with the mop. Once you press the mop in the bucket, it gets squeezed easily.” All this have been possible, thanks to the company’s strong manufacturing capabilities. “As we create fibres and handles inhouse, we have grip over our innovations. Additionally we have a process for innovation in place—GATE process of innovation. We continuously filter the ideas on various parameters such as its use, reliability, viability, profitability, etc. This is how we ensure that only right product is entering in the market,” Gala noted.
Manufacturing capability The company has a plant in Gujarat that is spread over 80,000 sq
ft. “All the brushes are manufactured in-house by the company. For some other products, the company has employed contractors who have been provided with technical knowledge and expertise to manufacture the products for the brand Gala,” he informed.
Indian market is price sensitive It is normally observed that Gala products are expensive than the products available on the market. Speaking on that, Gala said, “Quality is one of the most important things for us. Our positioning is cleaner home every day and promise to our customers is better, efficient and reliable products for cleaning purposes. When I mean reliable that is these products have to perform day in day out. And we ensure that we do deliver such products, which is why I am not concerned about competitors and their pricing.”
Controlled environments, such as an intensive care unit in a hospital or production and microbiological areas of a pharmaceutical company, are highly-sanitized due to the nature of the work involved. Any contamination is an expensive proposition for an organisation, with significant consequences for people’s health, as well as financial implications. Therefore, cleaning in such areas must be consistently meticulous and thorough. Expansion plans Freudenberg Gala has recently launched the high-end Vileda Professional CE 3 Bucket Trolley for cleanroom applications in India. The professional cleaning trolley is designed for major pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers and hospitals, where controlled environments play a key role in the organisation’s operations. “Controlled environments, such as an intensive care unit in a hospital or production and microbiological areas of a pharmaceutical company, are highly-sanitized due to the nature of the work involved. Any contamination is an expensive proposition for an organisation, with significant consequences for people’s health, as well as financial implications. Therefore, cleaning in such areas must be consistently meticulous and thorough,” Gala mentioned. He further added, “The 3 Bucket CE Trolley is a stainless steel trolley, manufactured at Freudenberg Household Products Ox Ab Finland, using the best of processes such as electro-polishing, immersed in an electrolysis tank for 90 hours and requiring limited welding. 90 percent of the trolley is moulded, in contrast to most other trolleys available on the market today.” Also, the company is entering into laundry segment. Freudenberg Group has acquired Gimi S.p.A., Italy. “With this brand on board with Gala, we will be entering into laundry dryers and ironing board segment.”Gala said. Now we have to see what innovation Gala brings in this segment!
50 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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EVENT
Showcasing the world class technology PLASTIVISION INDIA 2017 IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. ON THIS BACKDROP, SUNIL JAIN, PRESIDENT, RAJOO ENGINEERS LTD SPEAKS TO THE ET POLYMERS ABOUT THE COMPANY’S DISPLAY AT THE TRADE FAIR AND ALSO REVEALS THEIR EXPECTATIONS FROM THE EVENT. We expect to interact with visitors from various parts of the countries and also from neighbouring countries. Plastivision India 2017 is a platform where we can reinforce our leading position in the industry. Additionally, we are looking forward to network with our processors and meet our customers and show them best of our technologies.
By Swati Deshpande Are you participating in Plastivision India 2017? Yes, we are participating in Plastivision India 2017 with a wellequipped and well-manned display. We plan to showcase best of our products at the show. Which product/solution are you going to highlight at the show? Please tell us about its features briefly. We will be showcasing the 5-layer non-barrier blown film line which was an astounding suggest at the recently concluded K 2016 in Dusseldorf. This 5-layer line while ensuring a thin skin layer of property polymers and a thick core layer of inexpensive
Sunil Jain, President, Rajoo Engineers Ltd materials, offers enough versatility for processors to produce films that comply to difficult industry demands with specifications that provide a competitive edge to its customers’ business, both in terms of diverse film properties and of course costs. The film capabilities with a 5-layer are significant when compared to a conventional 3-layer alternative. Operating at 600.4 kg/hour, TUV certified during an onsite visit, that the specific electricity consumption under standard conditions for the 5 layer co-extruded blown film line PENTAFOIL-APE-RECF-260-90/2400 IBC-A is certified to be 0.3001 KWh/kg of blown film (40 micron thickness, 2000 mm width). With a growing bet on automation, this line christened PENTAFOIL-APE RECF 2560-90/2400 IBC-A is with 4 x 60 mm and 1 x 90 mm extruders and 500 mm CSD Die. With a maximum output of 650 kg/hour, the line can produce all-PE film in the thickness range of 30 – 250 microns. What are your expectations from the exhibition? Many processors prefer to attend domestic exhibitions and we thus are showcasing our world-class technology at this show. We expect to interact with visitors from various parts of the countries and also from neighbouring countries. Plstivision India 2017 is a platform where we can reinforce our leading position in the industry. Additionally, we are looking forward to network with our processors and meet our customers and show them best of our technologies.
52 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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RECYCLING
Depolymerization Process: Recycling PET bottles A TECHNOLOGY APPLICABLE TO THE GLOBAL MARKET OF PET BASED PLASTIC BOTTLES, PACKAGING AND FILMS
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CARBIOS says, “I’m proud that CARBIOS, the LISBP and the ARBIOS, an innovative green chemistry CRITT Bio-Industries teams met this incredible challenge that company specialising in enzymatic biowas to create a 100% recycling process for bottles (water,milk…) processes applied to plastic and textile polyand cosmetic packaging products. This success is the result of a mers, has taken a major step forward in the multidisciplinary approach combining the screening development of its enzymatic of microbiological biodiversity, the discovery of a biorecycling process of polyesremarkable enzyme, its evolution by enzymatic enters by rending it applicable to crystalline PET gineering, and process engineering.” (polyethylene terephthalate). This means The market of PET plastics represented a all kind of plastic waste containing PET, world production of 21 million tons in 2014 namely bottles (transparent, opaque or , with an annual growth rate of 4 to 5 permulti-layer), packaging and films can cent. The exceptional properties of this be recycled using the same process. thermoplastic material make it the most This follows the company’s previfavoured polyester for manufacturing ous announcement that it had plastic bottles (69 percent of PET successfully depolymerized 100 plastics), films (14 percent), packpercent amorphous PET based aging (10 percent) and other applicacommercial products into its origitions (7 percent). However, conventional nal monomers, TPA (terephthalic technologies to recycle PET involves heavy acid) and MEG (mono ethylene glysorting constraints for a limited recycling rate col). This new step is a world premiere and above all, the production of lower quality that confirms the applicative potential of secondary products. CARBIOS’ technology and offers the opCARBIOS provides a solution to satisfy deportunity of an infinite biorecycling of plastic mand of PET plastic manufacturers and meet products made out of amorphous and/or cryscurrent issues of the recycling industry. By maktalline PET. CARBIOS, an ing amorphous and crystalline PET infinitely reThe patented depolymerization process innovative green cyclable, CARBIOS opens a new market which developed by CARBIOS enables the regenerachemistry company will enable the production of high performance tion of monomers with no loss in quality. After specialising plastics composed entirely of recycled PET. separation and purification, these monomers in enzymatic This solid and highly selective technology could then be used for the synthesis of virgin bioprocesses offers in the meantime the ability to efficiently PET coming at 100 percent from CARBIOS applied to plastic treat plastic waste that is currently not recyenzymatic biorecycling process. This new mileand textile cled. This will also support the orientations of stone, achieved within the THANAPLASTTM polymers, has taken the European Commission “Circular Economy project, highlights the effectiveness of the cola major step forward Package” to reach at least 55 percent of recycling laboration between the teams from CARBIOS, in the development for plastics by 2025. “These results comfort our the LISBP laboratory and the CRITT Bio-Inof its enzymatic innovative industrial approach in PET based dustries from INSA Toulouse (under the aegis biorecycling process plastic biorecycling and offer the prospect of an of TWB). By developing a new and competitive early deployment of our proprietary technology pretreatment process of crystalline PET associof polyesters by ated with its selective depolymerization, this rending it applicable together with the largest global players in this industry” stated Jean-Claude Lumaret, CEO of public-private partnership reflects the potential to crystalline PET CARBIOS. of this disruptive innovation to move swiftly (polyethylene into an industrial pilot development stage. terephthalate). Alain Marty, Chief Scientific Officer of Soure: CARBIOS December 2016-January 2017 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | 53
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BLOW MOULDING
Global Blow moulding Market:
Technological advancements ensure robust growth in packaging HERE IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE BLOW MOULDING TECHNOLOGIES APPLIED IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES. By Panchali Mallik Tripathi
T
he blow moulding market, as an ancillary of the moulded plastics industry, holds strong growth potential. The technology is considered highly flexible for moulding diverse plastic products and materials, which is the primary factor encouraging its uptake worldwide. The overall market for blow moulding is expected to remain around US$20 bn between 2015 and 2024, finds Transparency Market Research (TMR). Modern consumers strive for a higher mileage and stronger emission rules by governments, which has been the key driver of blow moulding technologies that use eco-friendly materials. For instance, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is a commonly used material in the blow moulding process, is approved by the US FDA for use in food and beverages and pharmaceutical packaging. Spurred by these factors, the application of blow moulding technology is poised to increase for industrial, construction, and other purposes. toy wheels, and seat support for vehicles. “Currently, extrusion blow moulding and The blow moulding market in the packaginjection blow moulding are the most widely ing industry is currently witnessing considerable used technologies in the market and are likely growth bolstered by the demand for bottled conto exhibit robust growth in the forthcoming sumer products. The accelerated pace of gains In the packaging, years,� says Harshad Badbade, a research analyst witnessed in the segment is also attributed to food & beverages, at Transparency Market Research. the expanding food and beverages industry. The personal care, and use of blow molding in the packaging industry pharmaceutical reached new highs when the Placo X-Y machine Packaging: dominant end-user of industries, the was developed in Japan, which marked the emerblow moulding demand for blow gence of 3D blow molding. This is an automated In the packaging, food & beverages, personal moulding machines production process, which allows seamless part care, and pharmaceutical industries, the demand is growing year by incorporation and minimal flash or excess polyfor blow moulding machines is growing year year. Ever since mer at an increased speed. by year. Ever since the advent of high-density the advent of highpolyethylene and blow moulding machineries in density polyethylene Medical sector explores blow the 1950s, blow moulding technology has been and blow moulding widely applied. The blow moulding market is moulding technology machineries in dominated by the packaging industry as a maThe likelihood of damage is considerably high jority of plastic containers in the market today when medical and research equipment and dethe 1950s, blow are produced using the technology. In fact, the moulding technology vices are packed for shipping using standard maprevalence of the process has allowed engineers terials. This loss is unaffordable as it can cost the has been widely to experiment with and create myriad designs company both its money and goodwill. Choosapplied. and applications, such as flower pots, fuel tanks, ing more durable packaging options is thus im54 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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BLOW MOULDING
perative for pharmaceutical and other medical equipment manufacturing companies. Blow moulded cases are preferred because of their durability. These cases can withstand weather conditions such as heavy rain, snow, and wind way better than cardboard containers, thereby protecting sensitive equipment against damage and corrosion. Besides the conventional areas of application in the medical sector, manufacturers are experimenting with blow moulded reagent bottles using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resins. These bottles are moulded using multiple cavity output and are treated with the post-mould fluorination process, making them less vulnerable to discoloration, permeation, panelling, and odour emission. It is important to note here that post fluorination is an FDAapproved process used for diverse medical and pharmaceutical purposes. Despite holding a meagre share in the overall moulded plastics market, the application of blow moulding in the medical sector is likely to increase considerably in the forthcoming years.
Novel blow moulding technologies Novel blow moulding technologies are providing makers of medical bags and bottles economic advantages of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). To leverage the same, Teknor Apex Company and FGH Systems Inc. produced a standard blow moulding compound called Medalist MD 12445 in 2016, to replace PVC or nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR). The innovation provided a lowcost and more efficient alternative to NBR and latex.
Currently, extrusion blow moulding and injection blow moulding are the most widely used technologies in the market and are likely to exhibit robust growth in the forthcoming years. Harshad Badbade, Research Analyst at Transparency Market Research.
Besides the conventional areas of application in the medical sector, manufacturers are experimenting with blow moulded reagent bottles using highdensity polyethylene (HDPE) resins. These bottles are moulded using multiple cavity output and are treated with the post-mould fluorination process, making them less vulnerable to discoloration, permeation, panelling, and odour emission. mature markets for blow moulding, the pace of gains witnessed in these countries will stagnate over the next few years as compared to the fast growing markets of Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). However, business is likely to heat up over time as technological advancements lure buyers and polypropylene and polyethylene prices stabilize following the shale gas boom in the United States. In addition to the North America market gaining strength in time, TMR forecasts a robust 8.7 percent revenue-based CAGR for the MEA blow moulding market between 2016 and 2024. This rapid growth is supported by the booming automotive industry in the region as automotive repairs and aftersales services are considered to be the chief factors spurring the demand for moulded plastics. Meanwhile, the developed regions will continue to hold dominance in the blow moulding market. For instance, North America held a share of around 24.0 percent in the overall market. In Europe, blow moulding, together with injection moulding, held over 73.0 percent of the overall moulded plastics market based on volume.
Focus towards Asia Pacific
Stagnancy in the developed markets
At the 32nd Annual Blow Molding Conference held in the US, analysts hinted at weak growth levels of the industry in North America. Many years of over capacity, coupled with a relatively weak demand, resulted in PET suppliers struggling with low profit margins in the region. Experts suggest that they have little scope to reduce the PET prices further, thus indicating towards market saturation. The scenario has compelled leading market participants to shift their focus on developing economies. In 2015, DuPont Performance Polymers installed a 450-ton injection molding machine and a 3D suction blow-moulding machine in Asia Pacific to strengthen its capability of application development in the region. The 3D suction blow moulding facility, located in Utsunomiya Technical Center (UTC) in Japan, in partnership with Itochu Systech Corporation, has helped DuPont develop drive air-duct systems used in automotive turbo charged engines. Rapid industrialisation witnessed across Asia Pacific is thus forecast to create strong demand for blow moulding technologies.
The United States and the United Kingdom have remained at the forefront of adopting the latest technologies. On account of being
The author is the Senior Writer at Transparency Market Research
The conventionally used breather bags posed processing and design challenges because they need to be pleated to lie flat when not in use and form a “balloon� with uniform wall thickness when inflated. While TPEs in particular are used in injection blow moulding for parts such as pinion boots and ducts and automotive racks, extrusion blow moulding is used with non-elastomeric resins such as PP, PVC, and HDPE. For breather bags, the challenge is to design complex parts in a continuous extrusion process. Besides innovating designs to meet various challenges, FGH Systems supplied the Medalist Uniloy shuttle blow moulding machines to perfect techniques used for moulding TPEs. As an outcome of the successful experiments, blow moulding of TPEs can be now applied to complex designs such as bottles, bags, or hollow parts in the medical sector and beyond.
December 2016-January 2017 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | 55
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FOOD PROCESSING
A new conveyor belt for safe food processing NEW BELT THAT ALLOWS FOR BOTH X-RAY AND METAL DETECTION
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uPont Hytrel TPC-ET thermoplastic elastomer is being used to spearhead development of a ground-breaking metal and x-ray detectable conveyor belt. DuPont Performance Materials collaborated with conveyor belt manufacturer Esbelt, to introduce an innovative and more effective polymer, which allow a better detectability to avoid food contamination. DuPont Hytrel offers the flexibility of rubber with the strength and processability of thermoplastics to produce conveyor belts. This versatile copolyester allows for detectability whilst maintaining its heat and chemical resistance for a flexible and durable material. It is part of DuPont’s portfolio in metal and x-ray detectable polymers and is an excellent combination to be used in the production of a new conveyor belt with enhanced contamination control. “Hytrel is one of the most effective options we offer for flexible conveyor belts. It lasts longer, allows higher flexible strength and is more resistant to potential tear than those made with TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane). With Hytrel, Esbelt was able to produce a superior conveyor belt allowing for both x-ray and metal detection, which helped reduce the risk of particle contamination,” said Franco Marabelli, Global Business Consultant, Development Material Handling, DuPont Performance Materials. “Our partnership with DuPont adheres to regulatory requirements, brand reputation and consumer protection needs to ensure the products are of the highest quality throughout the manufacturing process. It has been tested and approved by major food processors in the US. This new conveyor belt will be able to control the quality of the product on the belt through both metal and x-ray detection and ensure products of the highest quality, while enhancing the ability of food manufacturers to demonstrate due diligence,” said Federico Segura, MD, Esbelt S.A. Hytrel is an excellent choice when innovative new designs require the creation of unique parts with multiple performance
Hytrel is an excellent choice when innovative new designs require the creation of unique parts with multiple performance characteristics. It enables the light-weight belt to reduce power demands, operate quietly, lubricant-free and with less maintenance over long periods characteristics. It enables the light-weight belt to reduce power demands, operate quietly, lubricant-free and with less maintenance over long periods. Another product of DuPont’s portfolio of metal and x-ray detectable polymers is DuPont Delrin acetal. With its unique combination of strength, toughness, low wear and friction, Delrin also brings new solutions to the modular conveyor belt and tools for the food processing industry. DuPont’s engineering thermoplastic portfolio adheres to both European Food Contact and FDA regulations for food safety. Its products have been tested by Mettler Toledo. Paul King, Sales Head and Market Manager, Safeline X-ray inspection, MettlerToledo, commented on the new belt by saying, “This is a great new development for the inspection system industry. The combined approach of both metal and x-ray detection will ensure that all reasonable precautions were taken to identify any physical contaminants.” Source: DuPont
56 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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INNOVATION
120 in one sweep COMPREHENSIVE CONCEPT OPTIMIZES THE PRODUCTION OF NUMEROUS SPECIALTY POLYESTERS
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ith an integrated concept, Evonik can optimise the production processes for more than 120 specialty polyesters. The polyesters are produced by companies in a large number of plants with different designs. With the polyester process technology platform that was developed by experts in the Coating & Adhesive Resins Business Line it is now possible to optimize the entire production network in a sustainable manner. Evonik Chairman Klaus Engel recognized this innovation last night when he presented the team of developers from the Resource Efficiency Segment with the company’s Innovation Award for new processes. “We do not innovate simply for the sake of innovation—our aim is to enhance quality of life and to create additional value for our customers,” Engel noted. Innovations, he went on to say, are a major driver of growth at Evonik, making them an important pillar of the company’s strategy. “We fuel our success with the creativity, the wealth of ideas, and the determination of our employees—after all, we want to become one of the most innovative companies in the world.” To achieve that aim, Evonik does more than just invest in products and technologies—its specialists develop tailor-made solutions for customers, experiment with new business models, and are always going about steadily improving existing products and processes. “The particular challenge in the case of the polyester process technology platform is the high degree of complexity that is determined by the variety of products and also by the different designs of the plants,” explains Sabrina Mondrzyk, who coordinates the platform. In addition, most plants don’t manufacture one single product continuously but numerous specialty polyesters one after the other. “In these batch processes the reaction conditions are changed step by step and have to be adapted for the respective product,” adds Mondrzyk. An interdisciplinary team with members from Process Technology, Production, the business line and the Research department systematically analyzed the global production landscape of
The particular challenge in the case of the polyester process technology platform is the high degree of complexity that is determined by the variety of products and also by the different designs of the plants. Sabrina Mondrzyk, who coordinates the platform. polyesters and identified various factors for optimization. The expertise that was developed during this time will now be used as a basis to keep the processes throughout the world competitive and to support development of the market in the future. For example, the findings are being used in the new plant for specialty copolyesters in Witten, which will commence operations in 2018 and will be characterized by its high levels of efficiency and product quality. With the help of process modeling and simulation, innovative analytics, and investigation of thermodynamic and hydrodynamic effects, the team also developed a whole range of measures that can already be used to improve the way that existing plants are operated. The first improvements have already been implemented, such as minimizing the volume of secondary products and reducing raw material consumption. “By doing this, Evonik is making an important contribution towards environmental protection and reducing the consumption of natural resources,” emphasizes Dietmar Wewers, head of the business line. Among other things, the company’s specialty polyesters are used as binders in the coating of large-scale metal bands and, increasingly, also for the interior coating of food cans. They are also used in reactive single-component and thermoplastic hot melt adhesives for technical joint applications. Source: Evonik
December 2016-January 2017 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | 57
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CALENDAR
Mark your DIARY ArabPlast 2017
Location: Dubai, UAE Organised by: Al Fajer Information & Services Website: www.arabplast.info
Indian Rubber Expo 2017
Plastivision India 2017
January 24-27, 2017
January 19-21, 2017
Background It promises to be the largest plastics, petrochemicals and rubber industry trade show in MENA region as well as the fastest way to enter the vast MENA region’s plastics, petrochemicals and rubber industry. ArabPlast 2017 is envisioned to make better business sense to the participants who are giving shape to a better world. The captains of the plastics and rubber industry would be here to unveil products solutions, cutting-edge technology, and revolutionary innovations and forge international alliances.
January 19-23, 2017
January 8-10, 2017
A LIST OF KEY TRADE SHOWS HAPPENING BETWEEN JANUARY 2017 TO OCTOBER 2017.
Location: Chennai, India Organised by: All India Rubber Industries Association Website: www.indiarubberexpo.in Background: The India Rubber Expo 2017 is expected to have over 400 companies participating from India and around the globe, will be spread across 25,000 square meters and is expected to see over 30,000 visitors. Large Country Pavilions have been blocked for China, Germany and USA and for a number of companies from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan, among others.
Location: Mumbai Organised by: The All India Plastics Manufacturer’s Association (AIPMA) Website: www.plastivision.org Background: It is recognised amongst the top ten global plastics exhibition. Plastivision India 2017 is likely to see participation from about 1,500 exhibitors coming from more than 25 countries. Visitors are expected from over 61 countries and the organisers are anticipating business worth Rs2000 crore to be generated at the show.
INTERPLASTICA
Location: Moscow, Russia Organised by: Messe Düsseldorf North America Website: www.mdna.com/trade-shows/details/interplastica Background Russia and its neighbors still have a substantial demand for investment and an unbroken interest in advanced machinery, production and process technology as well as high-tech materials. Because of the more difficult economic circumstances, the domestic consumer goods and packaging industry is under pressure to improve its competitive edge and to substitute the decline in imports. At INTERPLASTICA 2017 an impressive range of innovative products and services will again be on display and the potential of market is still substantial.
58 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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Chinaplas 2017
Location: Guangzhou, China Organised by: Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd Website: www.chinaplasonline.com Background Following the very successful staging of the 30th edition this year, CHINAPLAS 2017 will return to China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou from 16 -19 May next year, occupying 26 exhibition halls with total exhibition area reaching 250,000sqm! The show spotlights “Intelligent Manufacturing High-tech Materials Green Solutions”, featuring “Automation Technology Zone”, “Composite & High Performance Materials Zone” and “Recycling Technology Zone” which gather international suppliers of advanced plastics & rubber machinery and materials.
Plastasia
Location: New Delhi Organised by: Triune Exhibitors Pvt. Ltd.
September 20-23, 2017
Background 6th PLASTASIA-2017 in its sixth edition will showcase the latest technology and machineries used in manufacturing of plastics and petrochemicals with participation from different parts of the world. This event will be an excellent platform for exhibitors to publicise and display their products, innovation and services, build brand image and develop leadership in market position in the global areas. It will be an ideal stage for those who are interested to explore and acknowledge the most recent technologies and trends of the relevant market as well as exhibit a vast range of products and services related to the PLASTIC INDUSTRY.
T-Plas
October 17-21, 2017
July 8-14, 2017
May 16-19, 2017
CALENDAR
Fakuma
Location: Bangkok, Thailand Organised by: MDNA Website: www.tplas.com Background A unified business platform for the plastics and rubber industries, T-PLAS - International Trade Fair for the Plastics and Rubber Industries will present a comprehensive range of solutions from the latest machinery and equipment, semi-finished products, raw materials, technical parts and reinforced plastics, to a full suite of services for the two industries.
Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany Organised by: P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG Website: http://www.fakuma-messe.de/en/fakuma/ Background Fakuma offers a comprehensive overview of all plastics technologies; whether injection moulding – Fakuma holds a top international position here – extrusion technology or thermoforming: the user can find out specifically about all processes machines and tools that are relevant for the working and processing of plastics. The focus here is on practice, as around 1,700 exhibitors present the entire process chain for the economic production of plastic components.
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MEDICAL
Biodegradable Polymer Coating for Implants FOR THE FIRST TIME, BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS WERE SYNTHESIZED BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION
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edical implants often carry surface substrates that release active substances or to which biomolecules or cells can adhere better. However, degradable gas-phase coatings for degradable implants, such as surgical suture materials or scaffolds for tissue culturing, have been lacking so far. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology now present a polymer coating that is degraded in the body together with its carrier. “Our new degradable polymer films might be applied for functionalization and coating of surfaces in biosciences, medicine, or food packaging,” says Professor Joerg Lahann, Co-Director of the Institute of Functional Interfaces of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Together with an international team, he produced polymer films with functional groups as “anchor sites” for fluorescent dyes or biomolecules. For the first time, the researchers present a CVD (chemical vapour deposition) method to produce biodegradable polymers. Via special side groups, biomolecules or active substances can be attached. This opens up new potentials for e.g. coating biodegradable implants. Polymerization by chemical vapour deposition is a simple and widely used method to modify surfaces, by means of which also complex and irregular carrier substrates can be coated homogeneously with polymers. In CVD polymerization, the initial compounds are evaporated, activated at high temperature, and deposited onto surfaces, where they polymerize. However, so far it has been possible to coat permanent implants only. Coating has been impossible for materials that are to be degraded after fulfilling their tasks, such as surgical suture materials, systems for the controlled release of substances, stents releasing medical substances or scaffolds for culturing tissue. Biodegradable coatings could not be produced by CVD. Now, this gap is closed, as scientists of Karlsruhe Institute
Polymerization by chemical vapour deposition is a simple and widely used method to modify surfaces, by means of which also complex and irregular carrier substrates can be coated homogeneously with polymers.
Our new degradable polymer films might be applied for functionalization and coating of surfaces in biosciences, medicine, or food packaging. Professor Joerg Lahann, Co-Director of the Institute of Functional Interfaces of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) of Technology, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, USA), and Northwestern Polytechnical University (Xi’an, China) for the first time synthesized a CVD polymer with a degradable backbone. The team applied co-polymerization of two special monomer types: The para-cyclophanes usually used for this method were combined with cyclic ketene acetals. While classical polymers on the basis of para-cyclophanes are linked by carbon-carbon bonds exclusively, ketene acetal is repositioned during polymerization, such that ester bonds (e.g. bonds between carbon and oxygen atoms) are formed in the polymer backbone. Ester bonds can be cleaved in aqueous medium. “The degradation rate depends on the ratio of both monomer types and on the side groups of the monomers,” Lahann explains. “Polar side groups make the polymer film less water-repellent and accelerate degradation, as water can enter more easily. In this way, the degradation rate can be adapted to application.” Using cell cultures, the researchers already demonstrated that neither the polymer nor its degradation products are toxic. Source: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
60 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | December 2016-January 2017
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AUTOMOTIVE
High performance materials based on
high temperature polyamide FORTII ACE JTX8 IS SPECIFICALLY DEVELOPED FOR ELECTRONIC CONNECTORS IN AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
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oyal DSM, a global science based company active in health, nutrition and materials, is in extending its ForTii Ace family of high performance materials based on high temperature polyamide. Its latest innovation is a product developed specifically for electronic connectors in automotive applications that will not blister during high-temperature soldering processes—whatever the design of the connector. ForTii Ace JTX8 is currently the only polyamide grade in the world to have secured, in all product designs, the JEDEC MS L 1 (moisture sensitivity level 1) rating. This means that connector and component designers will be able to enjoy all the benefits of a polyamide material in creating a robust product, without worrying at all about blistering during assembly even after long shelf time.
ForTii Ace JTX8 is currently the only polyamide grade in the world to have secured, in all product designs, the JEDEC MS L 1 (moisture sensitivity level 1) rating. This means that connector and component designers will be able to enjoy all the benefits of a polyamide material in creating a robust product, without worrying at all about blistering during assembly even after long shelf time. Counters problems with blistering Blistering is the result of moisture rapidly turning into steam in a part and being unable to escape when the part is exposed to a high temperature. It is a problem often associated with normal high temperature polyamides, the most commonly used polymers for connectors suitable for reflow assembly. Temperatures in reflow soldering ovens can easily rise above 260°C. If not detected, blisters on connectors often causes assembly issues, and compromises the mechanical performance of the components. A better scenario is that the blistering is detected before the final assembly, which often results in scraping of the whole board. “The automotive industry is increasingly specifying a JEDEC MSL 1 rating in their requirements for reflow connectors,” says Rui Zhang, Marketing Manager, Connected Car, at DSM. “ForTii Ace JTX8, which meets these requirements whatever the thickness of the design, solves a long-standing dilemma in the industry.” The defect rate for wave or selective wave soldering is orders of magnitude higher than that of reflow soldering, resulting in a much higher touch-up and rework rate, as well as more failures in the field. As a result, reflow should be the obvious choice in automotive electronics where possible. While using a more reliable soldering technique, a more reliable material choice will improve the productivity and the reliability of the whole system even further.
More reliability in PCB assembly processes The electronics system in a car is becoming ever more important, not only for the comfort and entertainment of the passengers, but specifically also for their safety. It is vital to have the risk of December 2016-January 2017 | The Economic Times POLYMERS | 61
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AUTOMOTIVE
blistering during the reflow assembly process eliminated. Connectors rated as JEDEC MSL1 will bring more reliability for PCB assembly processes. Apart from ForTii Ace JTX8, several other types of thermoplastics (non-polyamide based) also comply with JEDEC MSL 1, but each has limitations. “With current solutions in the market, a connector designer always needs to make a compromise to carefully design around the brittleness of the material, the weak weld lines, or the low peak temperature resistance. This often means thick and bulky designs to cope with the low mechanics, or carefully specified the soldering conditions to reach a just acceptable end product performance,” says Zhang. “With ForTii Ace JTX8, a product can be designed towards the best performance, packaging can be optimized towards the lowest cost, and the assembly process can be optimised for highest productivity.”
The electronics system in a car is becoming ever more important, not only for the comfort and entertainment of the passengers, but specifically also for their safety. It is vital to have the risk of blistering during the reflow assembly process eliminated. Connectors rated as JEDEC MSL1 will bring more reliability for PCB assembly processes. Apart from ForTii Ace JTX8, several other types of thermoplastics (non-polyamide based) also comply with JEDEC MSL 1, but each has limitations.
For environments up to 200°C On top of the JEDEC MSL1 performance, DSM’s ForTii Ace JTX8 is also an ideal match for automotive electronics applications in environments of up to 200°C. Traditional solutions for these sorts of temperatures are typically materials stabilised with an iodide salt; but these additives can create corrosion issues on metal contacts. Removing the iodide-based stabiliser is possible, but the thermal stability of the compound is dramatically reduced, compromising its ability to withstand the thermal load
in the application. DSM ForTii Ace JTX8 can match the thermal stability of a standard copper iodide stabilised polyphthalamide (PPA) grade, even though it contains no halogen-based stabilization system—making it a truly “electrical friendly” material. At the same time, it also offers much better chemical resistance than most PPAs in the market, making this material an ideal candidate for electronics applications in harsh environment. Source: Royal DSM
MEDICAL
Non-phthalate plasticizer for blood bags
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loodCenter of Wisconsin and Eastman Chemical Company have announced the results of a recent clinical trial evaluating a new plasticizer for blood bags. While di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) has provided the medical industry with a stable ortho-phthalate plasticizer for many years, regulatory trends and consumer demands will inevitably drive the industry to non-phthalate alternatives. The clinical trial results demonstrate that Eastman 168 SG non-phthalate plasticizer, a sensitive-grade DEHT, is a viable alternative for medical applications. “Blood bags are one of the most challenging applications in the plastics market,” says Eastman Market Development Manager Mark Brucks. “BCW’s research is important because it demonstrates a viable alternative for those who have concerns around using DEHP in sensitive applications like blood bags, and it’s also a testament to the importance of material suppliers and institutions working together to find safer solutions.” The clinical trial findings were presented at the 2016 AABB Annual Meeting by Sharon Graminske, manager of applied research laboratory at BloodCenter of Wisconsin.Graminske’s presentation highlighted the trend driving the need for DEHP alternatives as well as the preliminary results supporting DEHP
replacement with DEHT. “Our work with Eastman has provided valuable results that will benefit the blood banking industry,” said Kathleen Puca, M.D., BloodCenter medical director and principal investigator who oversaw the findings reported by Graminske. “The DEHT trial results offer new insight about a well-established plasticizer that has now been proven to have an even broader application within health care — providing safer blood products.” Further work is being completed on plasma to validate performance. “Eastman 168 SG is a proven, tested, and toxicologically clean solution for the medical market,” says Brucks. “By working closely with BCW, we are able to extend the utility of Eastman 168 SG into this application, offering customers a costeffective alternative that performs to standard so that they can confidently make the switch from DEHP when they are ready.” BloodCenter of Wisconsin’s Clinical Trials and Cellular Therapy Services provide a full spectrum of services for clinical trials in a wide range of therapeutic areas. BloodCenter of Wisconsin has assisted pharmaceutical and medical device companies with regulatory studies, laboratory testing, assay development and a variety of other research needs for more than 30 years. Source: Eastman
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PRODUCTS
Recycling made simple POLYSTAR SHOWCASES RECYCLING MACHINE AT THE K 2016 SHOW. READ MORE TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
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t K Show 2016, POLYSTAR presented its latest recycling machine model Repro-Flex, which is extremely easy to operate, perform maintenance and work with different types of post-industrial material. With the slogan ‘Recycling Made Simple,’ POLYSTAR displayed live machine demonstration, processing various types of in-house waste including HDPE, LDPE, BOPP flexible packaging film as well as PP raffia and woven material with the same machine. Visitors were able to see how simple the operation is and how fast the machine can change from processing one type of material to another. Over the past 30 years, POLYSTAR has installed thousands of machines in more than 100 countries. Its main goal has been to make the machines more user-friendly and compact. With proven success, abundant experience and customer’s feedback, POLYSTAR has been able to re-engineer its machines towards that direction. “Many customers came to us in the last K fair in 2013, telling us that some of the European made recycling machines they have been using are too complicated and difficult to operate compared to ours,” said Jack Lin, POLYSTAR’s sales manager. “They want something simple and easy to maintain to teach their operators. Our primary goal is to simply the operation of the machine, making sure that our customers’ operators can learn
and work with our machines with ease. We provide a simple and practical solution.” POLYSTAR’s sales and engineers have been talking to customers in the past few years, discussing with them which features are extra and unnecessary, and which other features they need that are missing from a machine user’s perspective. It has also incorporated the ideas of Industrial 4.0 into its simple operation, launching the online spare parts system in 2015. A newly-launched POLYSTAR App is also available for customers to quickly acess trouble shooting, maintenance requirements, user manual and many more from a mobile device or tablet.
More wear comfort, less weight A LIGHTWEIGHT & TOUGH OPTICAL FRAME WITH A UNIQUE PATENTED PLASTIC RIM LOCK DESIGN
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ogether with Evonik, Mentor Optical Ltd, an eyewear manufacturer based in Hong Kong, successfully developed its new brand model Plasteel using Evonik’s high performance plastic VESTAKEEP PEEK.
Plasteel Eyewear Innovation at Evonik with VESTAKEEP PEEK supported the creation of the Plasteel Eyewear at Mentor Optical which is a lightweight & tough optical frame with a unique patented plastic rim lock design. The Eyewear weighs just 9 grams whereas traditional frames weigh as much as 23 grams, thereby offering the greatest wear comfort. In addition, Plasteel frames’ rim height can be designed to be as low as 1.6mm while the thickness at the temple can be as thin as 0.9mm. The frames are ultrastrong and can sustain a 360 bending test without breakage providing performance & protection against broken eyewear especially
in sport activities. With a patented plastic rim lock design, the frames allow prescription lenses to be mounted easily and eliminate damages associated with traditional ‘push through’ method.
VESTAKEEP for Plasteel Plasteel inherits its excellent mechanical properties and performance from VESTAKEEP® Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) produced by Evonik Industries. VESTAKEEP PEEK is a highperformance thermoplastic polymer ideal for producing reliable & long-lasting components for use in the toughest conditions. It is characterized by its superior resistance to stress cracking making it suitable for injection molding very thin components. VESTAKEEP PEEK has a high energy absorption and its ductile behavior can prevent any premature deformation and cracks in the frames. Furthermore, VESTAKEEP PEEK has excellent biocompatibility and biostability due to the polymers’ high chemical resistance and thermal stability. Source: Evonik
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PRODUCTS
3D-printed injection moulding tools PRODUCE SPECIAL PARTS, QUICKLY AT LOW COST AND IN LARGE NUMBERS.
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njection moulding is an efficient method for production of highperformance plastics in moving applications. The injection moulding tools required in this regard are usually manufactured from steel, at costs that reflect this. With the first 3D printed injection moulding tool in plastic, igus has now developed a cost-saving alternative for production up to 500 pieces. As an injection moulded part, machined from bar stock, or printed in the additive manufacturing – igus offers users a wide variety of ways to get its lubrication-free and maintenance-free plastic plain bearings in the required form quickly and without huge costs. Therefore every manufacturing method has its own advantages: Whereas large quantities of any iglidur material can be produced in the injection moulding process, cheaper special forms can be made from bar stock. With additive manufacturing cost-efficient, smaller batches can be produced with special iglidur 3D print materials. Now, the motion plastics specialist has combined the two methods to offer the customer the freedom in the choice of materials, and at the same time to enable the production of special forms in larger quantities.
The best of both worlds By using 3D printing igus is now able to produce customer-specific injection moulds made of high-performance plastics in a short time. With the SLS process the appropriate tool can be produced quickly and used in the existing injection moulding machine. The prerequisite is that the injected moulded parts must have simple geometries. To make injection moulded parts the customer has a
To make injection moulded parts the customer has a wide range of iglidur materials available that are tribologicallyoptimised and predictable online: from chemically and temperature resistant up to the highest performance materials for almost any movement. With the printed mould tools, the customer gets the possibility of obtaining the required special part quickly and cost effectively even in larger numbers whilst maintaining application suitability.
With additive manufacturing cost-efficient, smaller batches can be produced with special iglidur 3D print materials. Now, the motion plastics specialist has combined the two methods to offer the customer the freedom in the choice of materials, and at the same time to enable the production of special forms in larger quantities. wide range of iglidur materials available that are tribologically-optimised and predictable online: from chemically and temperature resistant up to the highest performance materials for almost any movement. With the printed mould tools, the customer gets the possibility of obtaining the required special part quickly and cost effectively even in larger numbers whilst maintaining application suitability. Distinct advantages arise therefore, especially in the test phase. Users who want to test samples for subsequent batches are often faced with the challenge in terms of bar stock or 3D printed products, because these parts clearly differ from the moulded parts. For this reason, the final endurance test is often done with injection moulded parts. Due to the 3D-printed injection mould, the special part is very close to the series product in the test phase and the costs are reduced considerably at the same time. For more details, igus (India) Pvt Ltd Call : +91-9341252949 E-mail: frijo@igus.in www.igus.in
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