s.a. plastics '011 10 smaller 1 by SA POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

by the way ... Conference bonanza Publisher: Martin Wells (martin@summitpub.co.za) Editor: Tessa O’Hara (tessa@summitpub.co.za) Editorial assistant: Heather Peplow (heather@summitpub.co.za) Financial manager: Lisa Mulligan (lisa@summitpub.co.za) Designer: Bronwen Moys (Blinc Design)

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GAUTENG: Lowrie Sharp Tel: (011) 793 4691 Fax: (011) 791 0544 Cell: 082 344 7870 lowrieplasticsmedia@absamail.co.za KZN: Lynne Askew Tel: (031) 764 2494 Fax: (031) 764 0676 lynne@leafpublishing.co.za Europe & UK Eddie Kania: RGH International High Peak, England Tel: +0944 1663 750 242 ekania@btopenworld.com Printed by: Tandym Print, Maitland, Cape Town SA Plastics Composites + Rubber Technology is published six times a year and focuses on these industries in South and southern Africa. We welcome news, articles, technical reports, information in general and photographs about events and developments related to the plastics industry. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Plastics Converters Association, Institute of Materials or Association of Rotational Moulders either.

Most of you think attending a conference is a pain in the neck but it’s actually quite good fun AUGUST and September are for some reason the months when many exhibitions and conferences take place in South Africa and the manne once again did not let us down. SAPPMA held its seventh Pipe Is this all you see Conference (pages 22-25) in Midrand and the standout point was the much better turnout. Jan Venter on a night drive? and the SAPPMA team succeeded in drawing far Surely not, but you’re more delegates from the civil engineering sector, admittedly not going to see much without a light. The picture is with many contractors (the people who specify what in fact of a rhino. Ou r guide during the nigh pipes are to be used) present. Pipe2011 drew over t drive in the Pilansberg during the ARMSA 200 delegates, a big increase on last year’s 120. Rotation 2011 confere nce informed us tha The main reason for the improved turnout was t poaching of rhino in the area started at the almost surely the visits that SAPPMA had arranged time of last year’s soc cer World Cup and to an estimated 50 of Gauteng’s most prominent hasn’t stopped since. Most of the manne at consulting engineering firms. It’s not just the fact the conference were far more interested in the pub than messin that more people attended, but that the quality of g around in the bush. But we actually saw quite a the delegates was of an appropriate standard, an lot of game on the drive, which was aspect which must have been welcomed by the top enjoyed especially by the international guests. international pipe sector specialists who visited SA Africa’s great for people from overseas, to give presentations at the event. no doubt Afrimold (18-20), held in Sandton towards the end of September, attracted an attendance of close to 3000, which was a good increase on the 2010 number. This event is for moulders of technical products where design and mould-making are massively important. This area has not received enough attention in South Africa before, so although the numbers are not huge by international standards, Ron McLarty and his team are on the right track. A parallel techni… and then, The Me n in Black – Yes, cal seminar ran alongside Afrimold and several when we demerged from Landcruiser, the re important topics were addressed. to meet us at the bra ai of course were the manne again, in the The SAPRO Recycling Design (28-31) awards form of team Pionee r Plastics – who were programme also drew a good response from the exceptionally well dressed that night. The industry. bosberaad type events are good fun Although attendance at the ARMSA Rotation , but – more importa ntly – if you look around (sometimes you nee 2011 (50-54) conference in the Pilansberg was a bit da torch) you will see wha t fantastic things are lower than in previous years, the event was a typihappening in SA! cal African affair with a lot of Bok tops around. Let’s be honest and admit that most of the local ‘ouks’ aren’t that wild about conference lectures: it can be a bit like having to study again, and then you always have the guys who wonder around outside the lecture halls ‘speaking expensively into a piece of black plastic’ (I quote from a top newspaper journalist who was fired for probably one of the most accurate statements ever – well, that was among some other stuff he conjured up). But, if you pay attention, you’ll find that a lot of important, relevant and useful information is often provided by researchers and well connected people at these events. Congratulations are definitely due to the organisers of all these events: these people, as well as the many delegates, are helping to portray the industry in a positive way and showing a welcome hand to international visitors – well done to all of you!

The clean-up activity at Muizenberg beach in False Bay on 17 September, International Coastal Clean-Up Day, was the culmination of the Clean-Up South Africa week (12-17 September) during which Plastics|SA coordinated clean-ups around the country. “We didn’t just focus our efforts on beaches, but encouraged the public to clean-up their areas where they live and work,” said John Kieser, environmental manager at Plastics|SA and national coordinator for the ICC.

Association of Rotational Plastics Institute

Moulders of South Africa

of Southern Africa

Plastics Converters Association

PET Plastic Recycling

Plastics Federation

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VOLUME 9 NO 5

Find out more at www.saplastics.co.za

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2011

Contents INDUSTRY NEWS Altech opens world-class factory manufacturing

plastic digital set-top boxes First Draw installs ﬁlm line from Quad of KZN

SES develops SA-made injection machine

Change in ownership of Fibre-Wound

Design for recycling

PEOPLE Plastics|SA launch

W. Fearnehough Africa/Zanogen Machine Knives relocates Cape Town ofﬁce

COLUMN Big polymer plants don’t automatically mean big

success for local converters. Niall Marshall reports

TECHNOLOGY Quality in PP-R pipes pays off

BOOKS Changing structure of injection moulding industry

SPORTS Objet’s printed skateboard as tough as

104

ABS-grade engineering plastics

ON THE COVER Masterbatch SA commissioned artist and Parlotones band member, Neil Pauw, to produce an art piece using masterbatch pellets. The piece is called ‘Feel the pressure’ and represents the essence of the plastics industry - heat, time, pressure and plastic.

www.masterbatch.co.za

THIS ISSUE New Kiefel 2200mm ﬁlm line at the Astrapak company Peninsula packaging which can produce 500kgs of LD an hour, and even more

Martin Wells

, Publisher

STRIKE SEQUEL SHOULD BE AN

OPPORTUNITY FOR INDUSTRY to work Best way to build momentum is, somehow, to incentivise people who want he recent strike left many employers in the industry with an unhappy feeling and, in discussions with a number of big employers around the country, we noticed a determination by several to get rid of trouble-makers. What appeared to happen is that strikers did not picket at their places of work, but tended to travel across town to protest at other plants, usually ones in the same industry which they knew about. This had an unfortunate effect because, swept up in the emotion of the moment, some of the guys ended up throwing halfbricks and stones and breaking things and so on, and even injuring chaps who just wanted to work. It’s possible that at least some of these guys would not have done so had they noticed their shift manager on the opposite side of the fence. Be that as it may, it’s no surprise that employers were disenchanted. A lot of workers have been laid off for their troubles: our estimate was that more than a 1000 could lose their work around the country, and the PCA’s estimate was even higher. Contrast that to investments in equipment by many companies (in this issue we cover big investments by Altech UEC in Durban, Eco-Pak in East London, First Draw and Peninsula Packaging in Cape Town and – although we don’t this time have news about new plant in Jozi, we know a lot’s going on there) and you can make the conclusion that workers are lucky to be able to work at these companies. We don’t mean that employers are doing anyone a favour. The labour arrangement is a contract between the worker and the employer, consummated by a ﬁnancial exchange. Employers are only interested in paying people more if they get better performance and production ﬁgures. Being forced to pay

COMMENT

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

a blanket increase does not fit easily into this, although you can be sure that many – and hopefully most – of the workers around the country actually believe in putting in a hard day’s work. Most employers find the process of laying off workers traumatic, and it is: it’s difficult to make such decisions, and one feels pity even for workers who have behaved poorly. But employing fewer could potentially create opportunity to incentivise retained workers to improve their production figures. That’s the kind of performance employers seek. For example, at Peninsula Packaging we met workers who appeared determined on only one thing during their shift: getting better performance out of the state-of-art piece of equipment they had been given the opportunity to operate. This is the type of professionalism everyone in the industry requires! Peninsula Packaging owner Astrapak operates many of the best equipped and neatest factories around the country and yet, ironically, has been hard hit by labour action. It’s possible, obviously, that mistakes were made along the way, but this isn’t right. Now, going into the last few months of 2011, let’s put that strife behind us and build for the future. Better performance on the shopfloor is the best way for the industry to build momentum, to the point where – possibly – we can possibly create more work for more people. Oh, and one last thing: you’ll probably only succeed at this if you have a good sense of humour!

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4 Newton Road, Hughes , Ext. 15 Boksburg P O Box 6250, Dunswart 1508 Tel: +27 11 823 5840/41• 823 4952/54 • Fax: +27 11 823 4969 Email: mail@pmsplastics.co.za • www.pmsplastics.co.za

JUST BRIEFLY

INDUSTRY NEWS

TIGER DROPS BIODEGRADABLE ADDITIVE TIGER Brands has ceased use of the biodegradable additive it was using in the bags for its Albany breads. It started using the ‘d2w’ additive in 2008, as a result of which it encountered major resistance from recyclers processing bread bags. Although it won a court case against the recyclers (on appeal, after initially losing), it subsequently lost a second case brought by a consumer earlier this year who contested that the inks used on the bags were not biodegradable. A spokesman for Tiger said “The challenge we faced was that recyclers of other plastic could not include the biodegradable bag in their process. We considered various options and decided to remove the agent in order to enable recycling. We remain committed for ﬁnding lasting and sustainable solutions to packaging.”

SONDOR ACQUIRES SGT SONDOR Industries has acquired SGT, a Cape Town-based manufacturer of non cross-linked foam. SGT was involved in the extrusion of non cross-linked polyethylene (NXPE) foam in a continuous process, as opposed to Sondor’s cross linked foam (XPE) buns produced in batches. “This is an ideal partnership because NXPE shares many characteristics with XPE and satisﬁes similar customer needs in thermal/acoustic insulation, protection, sealing and ﬂoatation applications,” Sondor group said in a statement. SGT’s bubble wrap extrusion plant was included in the transaction. SGT was previously owned by Cape Town entrepreneur Jimmy Papas. The entire business has been relocated, with its employees, to the Sondor factory in Parow Industria. ü Sondor is part of Zimco group, South Africa’s leading producer of industrial and base minerals; Zimco also owns Dutton Plastics of Johannesburg. www.sondor.co.za

DUPONT AFRICA SIGNS RESPONSIBLE CARE PUBLIC COMMITMENT DUPONT Sub-Saharan Africa has become the latest member of the Chemical & Allied Industries’ Association (CAIA) to sign the Responsible Care Public Commitment, committing the company to implementing the guiding principles of this voluntary initiative of the chemical industry. Carlman Moyo, regional director for DuPont Sub-Saharan Africa, said: “Chemistry, science and safety are at the root of our company’s history and safety is still one of our core values today. We believe that what is good for business should also be good for the environment and have set organisational goals that we take very seriously. The signing ceremony reﬂects a public commitment by DuPont to ensure the well-being of employees, the community and the environment.” DuPont Sub-Saharan Africa has demonstrated its commitment to these core values with the establishment of a ‘green ofﬁce’ in Melrose, Johannesburg, designed to provide a secure and safe environment for employees and visitors, and a sustainable business environment. www.caia.co.za/rescare

ALTECH OPENS

world-class factory manufacturing plastic digital set-top boxes AFRICA’S first high-tech global facility with the capacity to manufacture more than three million television set-top boxes per annum was opened recently in Durban by Minister of Communications, Roy Padayachie. The mould shop at Altech’s 13 Altech UEC, a leading developer of digital 500m² state-of-the-art factory technology for the international pay-TV at Mount Edgecombe industry, consolidated six buildings on two sites into a single, 13 500m² state-of-themould heaters and new moulders were art factory at Mount Edgecombe to boost purchased. innovation in information and communicaProfessional plastics moulding staff were tions technology (ICT) and heighten South brought in from the automotive sector to add Africa’s global competitiveness as it moves world-class manufacturing concepts to the to migrate to digital terrestrial television mechanics division. This led to Altech UEC (DTT). receiving a top five position from the NaWith demand for digital set-top boxes tional Productivity Institute of South Africa. (STBs) in South Africa expected to reach Altech UEC’s manager for manufacturmore than nine million as the country ing engineering and services, Brendan migrates to DTT, with a further 30 milMayer explained that this also provided the lion required for the rest of sub-Suharan technical know-how, Africa, Altech CEO improvements in deCraig Venter said the Today Altech UEC sign of new products, new factory would efficient production drive growth and job produces 12 000 decoders and cost reduction creation. a day and has a monthly factors that allowed Altech UEC has record of 353 000 units, all the DSD 1131 deadvanced significantly completely manufactured coder to move from a in the last three years steel base to a plastic from a high-cost inin-house. base. ternal supplier where “Tooling was China, India and Asia designed in China to best suit Altech’s were able to provide cheaper solutions. Tomoulding process. The tool room was also day Altech UEC produces 12 000 decoders equipped with the required CNC, wire cuta day and has a monthly record of 353 000 ters and spark eroders to ensure that all tool units, all completely manufactured in-house. maintenance and repairs can be done on site,” he added. Investment proves cost effective Altech standardised on Engel machinThe Altech Group invested in Altech UEC ery that would provide the highest uptime by modernising the mechanics division, eswith the best technical support and lowest pecially the plastics sector. Hopper loaders, maintenance costs. Raw material supply inline granulation, dedicated chiller units,

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

Frequently asked questions about Altech’s production of the set-top boxes What were the set-top boxes housed in before? In the past they had a steel base, rear panel and sleeve (top and sides cover) with separate fascia (front section). Over the past couple of years, as the decoders have reduced in size, the sleeve has become one with the fascia. The past models kept the steel base. Now the trend is to also mould the base in plastic. The entire enclosure has become two plastic components from typically 2 or 3 metal and one plastic part. A decoder sleeve – typical of the type of product manufactured at Altech’s new factory

Operator station

was reviewed to provide material that was the most suitable to provide a consistent processing characteristic. A further property of this material is that it is able to be recycled back into new product.

Engel injection moulder

When did Altech UEC decide to start moulding the housings in plastics? Altech UEC has been doing various aspects all along since decoder production started. This is not a new mould shop, Altech have just relocated the entire factory – moulding, painting, and electronics build, stores and assembly from three different sites to a single building in Mount Edgecombe. The signiﬁcant increase came two years ago when the press shop was closed down and the company tried to move as much to plastics as possible.

“This has ensured that the plastic components produced for the DSD1131 decoder were, dollar for dollar, cheaper to produce locally at Altech UEC, than to import. This was conﬁrmed by pricing obtained in Asia for the same components. The facilities to print on plastic and paint on plastic were also upgraded to provide for extremely cost competitive products. The new facility provides the capacity to process 12 000 painted and printed units per day at costs cheaper than Asia. “Altogether we have 15 machines, process about 18 tons of material a week and have about 35 different components we run for current and past models of set top boxes,” Mayer added. Altech UEC CEO, Peter Balchin said: “The building of the factory is not only to gear up for the anticipated demand for locally produced STBs, but also as part of a wider strategy to enable Altech UEC to extend its manufacturing capabilities and

What machines are being used and are there any special features of these systems? Altech UEC run mainly Engels but have a couple of Haitais and Ferromatiks. There are no special features on the machines as all the mouldings are run from a few standard grades of materials such as ABS, polycarbonate and acrylic. Machine sizes range from 30 tons to 220 tons. Are any new technologies being used? Post moulding Altech UEC paint (water based paints) and print the mouldings. Who designed the housings and who built the mould? Component design is either done in-house or with business partners overseas. The moulds are designed and built in China. Altech UEC is involved in the design process and input with regards to the number of cavities, with or without hot runners, whether to sub-gate or not, etc.

remain a world-class digital media manufacturing operation. Aligned to this is the fact that Altech UEC is in the process of evolving into a multi-media global business as the industry matures and converges between broadcast and broadband media delivery.” www.altech.com

The sleeve tool is ejected OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 7

INDUSTRY NEWS

First Draw installs ﬁlm line from Quad of KZN Machine make Quad gets quick on the draw!

Tony Burger of First Draw Packaging – in Saxenburg business park in Blackheath near Somerset West – with machine suppliers Byron Nunes and Neville Lategan of Quad Plastics of Tongaat, KZN

FIRST Draw Packaging, a blown ﬁlm processor and bag manufacturer in Cape Town, has expanded capacity with the installation of a new ‘Nevron’ extrusion line from Quad Plastics of KZN, continuing its successful use of locally made equipment. The new line enables First Draw to make wider ﬁlm, up to 1400mm width, which it requires for its downstream bagmakers. The system, with 75mm screw,

runs LD or LLDPE at 125kgs/hr. Tony Burger of First Draw, a ‘hands-on’ operator who’s still playing rugby part-time, was a happy man following the commissioning process in August. Some problems occurred during the set-up with the screw in-feed, but the Quad guys got this sorted quickly. With a name like First Draw, they had to be quick on the draw! “We base our business philosophy on service and friendship and will go the extra mile to ensure the machine runs 100%,” said Quad’s Byron Nunes. The Quad team in Tongaat has been building the range of Nevron extruders since 2007, using Nunes and co-director Neville Lategan’s practical experience gained from years in the ﬁlm manufacture and printing sector. Nevron extruders are available in mono and up to 3-layer coex format for LDPE, HDPE, polyprop and PVC. Besides its extruders for ﬁlm and sheet, Quad supplies slitter-rewinders and bag-makers as well as printing and recycling machines and ancillary equipment. • FIRST DRAW, PHONE 021 905 7813

The new Nevron FK/BFS 75-1400 blown film line at First Draw’s plant can produce film up 1400mm wide. It uses a ‘spider’ bubble control device, helping to achieve consistent film thickness and is considered versatile as it offers relatively high output (processes 125kgs/hr) with low electrical consumption.

www.quadplastics.co.za www.ﬁrstdrawpackaging.co.za

Latest system for woven bags at Polisak in Brits POLISAK of Brits, North-West, has recently installed one of the most sophisticated systems available for the manufacture of PP woven bags. The ‘Ad Convertex SL’ line, from Windmöller + Hölscher of Germany, can operate virtually unattended and yet produce a formidable 80 sacks/minute. The hot-air operated system provides increased output, improved sack quality, better ﬂexibility and greater ease of operation.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

It can produce bags up to 91cms long, 60cms wide and 18cms deep. Martin Bensch of Polisak says the machine is fantastic, but they are still trying to keep up with demand. Polisak, which supplies bags for the cement, fertiliser

and farm produce markets, has recently also purchased a bag making business in Zimbabwe. • POLISAK TEL: 012 250 2216

JUST BRIEFLY SEEKING THE OLDEST ALLROUNDER STILL IN OPERATION ‘FIFTY years of Allrounder’ will be celebrated in style at Fakuma 2011 in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and Arburg have come up with something special – the great ‘Economic Miracle’ anniversary competition. Arburg are looking for the oldest Allrounder that is still being used in production. The winner will receive an electric Allrounder 370 E. In 1961 the invention of the Allrounder principle revolutionised conventional ideas regarding injection moulding. For the ﬁrst time, production was possible in different working positions using a pivoting clamping unit and interchangeable injection unit. New, modern application processes were thus made possible. Because the anniversary competition is a Fakuma activity, it will close together with the trade fair on 22 October at 16h00. Entries can be sent to the Arburg headquarters in Lossburg or handed in at trade fair stand 3101 in Hall A3. Entry forms can be downloaded from www.arburg.com and are also available at the Arburg trade fair stand. www.arburg.com

TOPS & TAGS RECYCLED FOR DISADVANTAGED LISTED SA company Interwaste Environmental Solutions has adopted the ‘Tops & Tags’ initiative that gives back to the community and assists in the preservation of the environment. For every 10 000 bread tags or plastic bottle tops collected by Interwaste, one registered charity will receive a wheelchair. The staff of Interwaste have already collected their ﬁrst 10 000 tops and tags and have selected Hospice Soweto to receive the wheelchair. “Our request is simple: when you buy a loaf of bread or a bottled beverage, please keep the tops and tags and give it to us, and we will not only recycle these items but also give back to a needy organisation,” said Jason McNeil of Interwaste. Interwaste has drop-off/pick-up points in Richards Bay, Durban, Boksburg, Randburg, Nelspruit and Cape Town where these recycled materials can be placed. For more information about this initiative contact Rajas Pillay on 011 792 9330 or rajas@interwaste.co.za www.interwaste.co.za

Ecopak of East London produces ‘eco-friendly’ retail shopping bags Leader Packaging starts new operation to reduce carbon footprint DURING 2010, Leader Packaging of East London, one of the biggest ﬁlm extruders and bag-making operations in the Eastern Cape, made a decision to cap their existing operations and rather to expand heavily into the production of more ‘eco friendly’ products. The epicentre of Ecopak is a high-tech plastic recycling, compounding and mixing operation where factory plastic waste is recycled and a percentage of postconsumer plastic waste is compounded and mixed with organic ﬁllers and masterbatches into the new material

OCT / NOV 2011

‘Ecopak,’ a new and exciting division of the Leader group, was established with the express mission of lowering the group’s carbon footprint going forward. A new 6000m² factory facility, situated about 25km from the main plant was acquired and towards the end of 2010, production commenced. The epicentre of the new division is a

INDUSTRY NEWS The blown ﬁlm extruders as well as the recycling system at Ecopak in East London are from an equipment supplier which has specialised in the production of co-ex equipment speciﬁcally for processing recycled materials (left)

The fact that the Ecopak bags contain recycled materials, and recycled carriers for colours, makes them suitable for bags which promote environmental consciousness, such as this example from Britain

high-tech plastic recycling, compounding and mixing operation. Factory plastic waste is recycled and a percentage of postconsumer plastic waste is compounded and mixed with organic ﬁllers and masterbatches (also carried with recycled polymer) into the new material. A bank of magniﬁcent, high-output co-extruders then processes this recycled material in such a way that it is sandwiched between two layers of virgin material. By so doing, the carbon footprint of a normal vest carrier bag can be reduced by between 60 and 80%, dependent on the bag colour and

Ecopak’s new high speed bagging line

Charles Benn of Leader Pack has been involved in the industry for over 30 years and was one of the developers of the twin-layer milk sachet bag at Ultrapak, also in East London. Now, with the establishment of Ecopak, he is putting lessons learned over many years into practice

thickness required. bales of scrap plastic enter one door, are The unique attributes of bags produced in processed and the recycled pellets moved this manner are the strength of film achieved directly into the production line. Finished by using this co-extrusion system and also product is palletized and flows out of the ability to control another door into a the colour of the bags storage facility where Carbon footprint of more accurately, thus interlink trucks can a normal vest carrier allowing a bag with pull into a loading high recycle content bay for direct and bag can be reduced by to be suitably branded efficient loading. 60-80% for corporate retailer The group now use. The most important has capacity to produce aspect is the fact that post-consumer scrap in excess of 5 million vest bags per day, with is sandwiched between two layers of virgin more extrusion equipment on order to keep plastic, achieving maximum protection and up with increased demand of this exciting safety. new product from the ever-demanding retail These co-extruders produce jumbo rolls sector. of ‘Ecofilm’, which are in turn printed on new The other interesting aspect of the new high-speed flexographic presses where print division is its low reliance on labour as much quality is on par with gravure reproductions. of the operation is automated. Other downstream equipment includes multiple-lane vest bag and bag-on-roll • LEADER PACKAGING, PHONE 043 740 3312. machines. The operation is designed and built around a superb production flow where

The plant features high standard printing capability OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

SES develops

SA-made injection machine SA-made machine – The new ‘SKR’ injection moulding machine from SES provides exceptional functionality. This ﬁrst version of the system runs an 8-cavity closure mould at cycle times of 7.2 seconds; the mould was also designed and built by the SES team in Wadeville (left) Capping it all – Proﬁtable production of high-output items such as closures depends on machine speed, consistency and, more importantly now, reducing power requirements, criteria the new ‘SKR’ system meets (below)

Karl Seidel’s team put years of experience together to develop machine for local conditions dad’s ‘handlanger’. SES acknowledged Seidel senior’s role when it named its previous machine development after him: the ‘Gotty’ injection machine has proved popular with SA convertors. The new SKR machine follows on this success. It offers simplified but highly Karl Seidel and the team at SES, based reliable controls from B&R of Austria in Wadeville, Johannesburg, have put and achieves years of experience significant energy in the area of field 8-cavity closure mould savings. The first service as well as versions of the cycles at 7.2-sec using machine supply machine have to good use in the just 6-8 Amps been built on old development of Ferromatik frames the ‘SKR’ machine. (SES is the SA agent for Ferromatik Karl had a thorough ‘apprenticeship’ in Milacron), which provide the stable the industry: his father Gottfried Seidel platform. worked for over 30 years as a service One of the demo machines being run technician, mainly for Ferromatik in at SES’s Wadeville workshop, designed South Africa, and he gained experience with servo motor, runs an 8-cavity in the servicing of injection moulding maclosure mould at 7.2-second cycle times chines, even while still at school, as his

MACHINE supplier SES has developed a small injection moulding machine which meets all the requirements of the South African technical product manufacturer.

with a power consumption of approximately 6-8 Amps. Karl believes this is exceptional performance for what is a relatively simple machine. Other features of the SKR include: • hydraulic blocks designed in South Africa; • complete machines runs with only six valves; • panel control conﬁguration designed in conjunction with B&R Austria; • closed loop movement for all axes • robot interface; and • integrated mould hot runner control. SES is busy preparing a new factory to build the new machines. • SES: PHONE 011 902 1010

Servo – Use of servo motors has enabled SES to achieve quicker cycle times and reduced energy consumption on the ‘SKR’ machine (left)

Developer – Karl Seidel of SES has put years of experience as both a ﬁeld service technician and, over the past eight years, machine supplier to good use in the development of the machine (far left)

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

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INDUSTRY NEWS

High-output systems installed at Peninsula Packaging State-of-the-art film extrusion and printing systems give Astra company competitive edge ASTRAPAK group’s strategy to further lift performance in its flexibles division became clear recently at Peninsula Packaging in Cape Town, where it has installed state-of-the-art blown film and printing equipment in a multi-million rand project. With Astrapak appearing to have taken the decision to either invest in or exit businesses which are not 650kg/hr – The Kiefel ‘Evolution’ 3-layer film line can produce 2200mm wide film at processing rates up to a whopping 500kg/hr. Here we see Alan Booth, new GM of Peninsula Packaging, production manager Jan de Wet and logistics manager Gert Naudé

Standards, conformity & challenges discussed at Kenya plastic pipes conference FLO-TEK’S Mike Osry was invited to present for the third time at this year’s 3rd International Conference on Plastic Piping Systems for Transportation of Fluids in Nairobi, Kenya, from 14-15 September. The conference, whose theme this year was ‘Plastic Pipes for a Sustainable Future’, is organised by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), together with the Technical Committee for Plastic Pipes and Fittings composed of manufacturers and senior people from KEBS. One of their key initiatives is the Kenyan equivalent of SAPPMA, called KEPPA

(Kenya Plastic Pipes Association) who are drawing up the KEPPA constitution using the SAPPMA’s as a guide. A major topic of discussion at the conference was ‘Standards, Conformity and Challenges’. Several international speakers also occupied the podium. A special portion of the conference was devoted to ‘Quality Assurance of Plastics Pipes’. “There are no punches pulled when it comes to quality issues at the KEBS conferences: a key objective for KEBS is to improve the quality and image of plastics pipes in Kenya,” said Mike. The Kenyan Plastic Pipe and Fittings Conference is the brainchild of Clement Chomu Miheso, pictured here with Mike Osry, export manager for FloTek, who presented at this year’s conference. Chomu Miheso is the senior manager for engineering standards at KEBS and is well known in the international standards arena

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

Change in ownership of Fibre-Wound SPIRIT Capital (Pty) Ltd, a private equity company and consortium comprising key members of Fibre-Wound’s existing long serving top and second tier management, have bought out Fibre-Wound Holdings Limited through a new company, Theomac Investments (Pty) Ltd. Theomac and the FibreWound Holdings Limited Share Incentive Trust now own 100% of Fibre-Wound Holdings Limited (FWH). The transaction resulted in Theomac purchasing the total shareholdings previously held by the Carter Family Trust, Ray Sadie and Ron Smythe. No changes have taken place in the FWH group structure of operational companies, other than the disposal, by FWH, of Durban Plastics back to the original owner, Ray Sadie. Arthur Carter’s consulting services will be retained by FWH through his company Seeco (Pty) Ltd. There have been no changes in the operational management of the company. “All of our valued customers, suppliers and service providers can expect that the business relationships established over the past 37 years will remain unchanged,” said Hilson Wilmot, CEO and executive director. The new board of directors of FWH is: Ted van Heerden (chairman and non-executive director), Hilson Wilmot (CEO and executive director), Kevin Homann (non-executive

Printing at 372m/min – Just commissioned 8-colour ﬂexographic printer from Windmöller & Hölscher, with Alan Booth and Keith Watkins, regional chief executive of the Astrapak Coastal Division

achieving desired production figures and a blown film line from Reifenhäuser-Keifel margins, Peninsula Packaging (established and a flexographic printer from Windmöller in 1979 and part of Astrapak group since & Hölscher. Alan Booth, general manager 1997) has got the green light and been of Peninsula Packaging, accredited the one of the first beneficiaries of the upgrade hard work and dedication to the manageprogramme. ment team and staff Astrapak Coastal for successfully In order for the group’s Division, Regional commissioning the businesses to be Chief Executive new installations. Keith Watkins said He commented that competitive, it was that, in order for the Peninsula Packaging essential to run highgroup’s businesses is now well posioutput production to be competitive, tioned to service their it was essential customers with high machinery. to run high-output quality cost effective production machinery. products with superior Choice of equipment was determined by capacity in the Western Cape. the need for significant increases in output The Kiefel ‘Evolution’ extrusion line is rates, improved automation and reduced capable of processing 500 kgs an hour. maintenance. The bubble control system uses a new The installations completed recently, in technology utilizing a radioactive isotope an estimated R30-million project, include that is able to maintain gauge variation at less than 2%. A section of the roof of the Bellville plant had to be lifted to accommodate the director), Dustin Strydom (non-executive extruder’s tower. director), Johann von Caues (operations Downstream from there, the W&H ‘Miraexecutive director), Fathima Mansoor fl ex’ AM flexographic printer is an 8-colour (chief financial officer and executive system which uses enhanced technology to director). Wilmot said that year on year hold registration along with quicker changecompared results reflected a growth in over for switching print plates. The line can revenue and the un-audited management run LD films at up to 320m a minute, well accounts for the financial year ended 30 over twice faster than the machines used June 2011 reflect that the group achieved before. its budgeted profit. “The future outlook is positive with The Peninsula factory, in sync with the all divisions reporting a promising order new high-performance German equipment, book for the financial period July 2011 to must rate as one of the cleanest and most February 2012,” he added. impressive film plants in the country.

Coca-Cola SA launches ‘PlantBottle’ 30% of new bottle made from plants COCA-Cola South Africa has opened its new Valpré plant and introduced PlantBottle™ packaging to Africa. The new state-of-the-art facility will fill Valpré Spring Water in Heidelberg, south-east of Johannesburg. The key difference between PlantBottle packaging and traditional PET plastic bottles is that, instead of using petroleum and other fossil fuels to produce a key ingredient in the plastic, PlantBottle packaging uses materials that are either up to 30% plants-based or recycled from post-consumer sources. PlantBottle packaging has revolutionized the beverage industry as the firstever recyclable PET plastic beverage bottle made from up to 30% material that is 100% recyclable. This is the 10th market to launch the bottle worldwide and the first in Africa. PlantBottle packaging is currently made through a process that converts sugarcane into monoethylene glycol (MEG), which represents 30% of the total composition of PET plastic by weight. Coca-Cola is working with its partners to ‘crack the code’ on plant-based purified terephthalic acid (PTA) – which accounts for the other 70% of PET. With a lighter footprint on the environment due to its reduced dependence on non-renewable resources such as petroleum, Coca-Cola had by the end of 2010 produced more than 2.5 billion PlantBottle packages, eliminating the equivalent of approximately 60 000 barrels of oil from its plastic bottles. www.thecoca-colacompany.com

www.astrapak.co.za The PlantBottle™ packaging has revolutionized the beverage industry as the first-ever recyclable PET plastic beverage bottle made from up to 30% plant that is 100% recyclable New Fibre-Wound board members include Johann von Caues (operations executive director), Fathima Mansoor (chief financial officer and executive director) and Hilson Wilmot (CEO and executive director) Arthur Carter’s consulting services will be retained by FWH through his company Seeco (Pty) Ltd (above right)

www.ﬁbre-wound.co.za

Better bubble – The gauge control system on Kiefel extruder uses a new control system that maintains thickness within 2%

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

26th International Coastal Clean Up OVER the past 25 years, the annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) has become the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean health. Since its inception, nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries and locations have cleaned 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers, and the ocean on just one day each year. This year’s International Coastal Clean-Up Day (an initiative of Ocean Conservancy, KZN Conservation Services and Plastics|SA), on 17 September was the culmination of the Clean-Up South Africa week (12-17 September). Plastics|SA coordinated clean-ups around the country throughout the month of September. “We didn’t just focus our efforts on ocean beaches, but encouraged the public to clean-up their areas where they live and work”, said John Kieser, Environmental Manager of Plastics|SA and national coordinator for the ICC. Volunteers clearing beaches were assisted by coordinators to record every item found, giving a clear picture of the manufactured items impacting the health of humans, wildlife, and economies. “We work closely with Ocean Conservancy to compile and analyze the data we receive after each year’s clean up. Ocean Conservancy then publishes the world’s only item-by-item, location-by-location snapshot of marine debris in an annual report (http://act.oceanconservancy.org/pdf/Marine_Debris_2011_Report_OC.pdf),” Kieser said. During last year’s South African clean-ups, more than 20 000 volunteers removed a total of 62 tons of litter covering a total distance of more than 1 000 km along the country’s coastlines, estuaries and rivers, inland water sources and even underwater. Putting its money where its mouth is, big businesses have also shown their commitment to this year’s clean-ups by donating money and other resources. Major contributors were, to name a few, Ocean Conservancy, Woolworths, Pick ‘n Pay, Tuffy Brands, Fima Films and Irvin and Johnson, Sasol and the Sustainability Council of Plastics|SA (which includes PETCO, POLYCO, SAVA and PSPC). www.cleanup-SA.co.za

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

“By understanding what litter is out there, we can work together on solutions”.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Afrimold attracts more 2011 edition of Africa’s specialist product show draws 30% more visitors With a good increase in visitor numbers – over 2850 attended as opposed to the estimated 2100 last year – Afrimold 2011 achieved its primary objective: namely that the popularity of the show would grow. AS a highly specialised event aimed at product designers and developers, speciﬁcally those in the mould making area, the organisers may have been somewhat apprehensive in the lead-up to the show, held at the Sandton Convention Centre from 27-29 September. The tough economic scenario could also have created pressure on attendance ﬁgures, but the fact that attendance increased must have been welcomed by exhibitors. The number of exhibitors was also up, 84 were present as opposed to 77 last year, another good sign for Afrimold.

Afrimold organiser Ron McLarty was happy with the 30% increase in visitor numbers at Afrimold 2011

Bob Bond (right), organiser of the technical seminar which ran in parallel with the show, with one of the speakers, Serge Bance, who gave a presentation about developments in highprecision die sinking

Ron Brown of Toolquip & Allied, Markus Funk of UTP and Dr Ebbe Dommisse; Markus gave a presentation about improving mould turnaround times in the SA toolrooms, using an example of an actual project that was completed in 2010

About AfriMold AfriMold is the leading trade exhibition for the tooling, design, application development and mould-making industries. It is afﬁliated to EuroMold – one of the most respected exhibitions of its type in Germany, which was introduced to the market in 1993. In addition, successful sister exhibitions include DieMould India, RosMould Russia, AsiaMold China, AmeriMold USA and EuroMoldBrasil. www.afrimold.co.za

‘Supabox’ CREATIVE Factory of Johannesburg, SA agent for Cimatron of Israel, introduced the CimatronE version 10 at Afrimold. The package has powerful enhancements for mould makers, die makers and manufacturers, providing exceptional value in a single integrated solution. The new version delivers new functionality and improvements across the entire CimatronE suite, in the areas of quoting, tool design, drawing and NC programming (including the brand new patent pending SuperBox). CimatronE 10 marks the ofﬁcial release of the 64-bit version, enabling users to take advantage of an unlimited amount of memory to perform any operation, no matter how complex. www.creativefactory.co.za

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

Hestico and its principal YUDO presented a joint stand at which they showed mainly the hot runner technology from Yudo. Here we see Kelvin Mills, Shaun Faria (Yudo Portugal), Juanita Stiehler-Brits, Antonio Quiterio (Yudo Portugal) and Monica Wolber and Victor Stiehler of Hestico. Yudo’s HQ is in Korea, but in the West it operates via its subsidiary in Portugal, a country with a reputation for high mould making skills

Top designers – Design is unquestionably a complicated area and there’s no doubt that the right design can be a real winner. Seminar delegates at Afrimold had the opportunity to listen to presentations by three of SA’s top plastic product designers, including Peter Dreyer of KM Product Design, Mike Wythe (ex-Nampak Megapak), who now lectures in design; and Brian Steinhobel of Steinhobel Design www.kmdesign.co.za; www.steinhobel.co.za

Serious system – Louis Avenant of Creative Factory and Roy Miller of Miller Methods, whose companies work together, kept a careful eye on the ‘Supabox’ in the corner of their stand. This is the meneer of computers (it’s actually an accelerator device) with a vastly bigger hard drive to generate the capacity to readily process design path generation and manage the process to steel cutting. The system’s capabilities enabled them to be in production with the sprinkler just two weeks after the client gave the go-ahead!

Tony Shrewsbury, Jim Plester, Anusha Ramadoss and Duncan Wolber of Machine Simulation SA stand. The company supplies machine simulation software for CNC work as well as all your CAD, CAM and CAE needs www. machsimsa.co.za

Mould engraving – Dave Bishop and Dan Dippenaar of Standex showed off some of the results of mould texturing work. Mainly automotive components were shown, although mould engraving can obviously be used on any plastic item that requires a surface texture, especially with the new technologies being introduced by Standex, which is an international group www.standex.com

Everything’s under control … was quite literally the situation at the Mattman stand, with Catherine Burgess and Charles Glieman in attendance. Charles is the control and machine communication fundi in SA. Besides the servo motors, and servo hydraulic drives, Mattman also showed equipment from its new principal Blue Air Systems of Germany, a supplier of new range of material dryers www.mattman.co.za

MDS – Steve Cooke of Cooke & Son of Durban visited the stand of mould accessory supplier Mould & Die Solutions, whose Linda and Richard Carter were there to host, along with John Wakeﬁeld of Progressive Components Europe, one of MDS’s principals

Team Advanced – Les Whittal and Darius Agenbag of Advanced Polymers were looking good in red. They hosted Anton van Niekerk and Morné le Roux of Lumotech, the Eastern Cape lighting manufacturer www.advancedpolymers.co.za

Margie and Russell Oosterlaak of 3D Solids Additive Manufacturing Technology showed off this scale model car, which is a ‘working product,’ that was built using their system and materials … it has no breaks!

Another Miracle – Brian Almanza of Miracle Moulds is putting lessons learned long ago from Andy Saunders (ﬁrst man in SA to develop a mould for an automotive tail-light) to good use. Here he shows changes he made to the slides for a chair mould that enabled faster production. He was assisted by lovely Nicci Goodwin at the show.

Uli Vögeli of UV Tooling, one of the Cape’s top tool makers, hosted Fred Link of Link Maschinenhandel of Germany (who was originally based in SA) on his stand.

Jacques Kleynhans and Grant Ravenscroft on Demaplastech showed off the Objet rapid prototyping system. Several others remarked that the Objet technology has become the benchmark in this area

AFRIMOLD 2011 The Maritime team of with Bart Schurink, Paul Ferreira and Marc Gerasimo hosted, on either side, Martin Wells of ‘SA Plastics’ and Pierre van Niekerk of Fluid Kayaks

Big preform mould – One of the highlights of the show was the 72-cavity preform mould exhibited on the PMS Plastics stand. The mould, for 15g PET preforms, was manufactured by Pass Card of Taiwan, one of PMS’s principals. Here we see Philip and Samantha Maye of PMS with the enormous mould, which drew much attention and several compliments during the show. Possibly due to the fact that such large multi-cavity moulds are seldom, if ever, seen in public, it attracted considerable interest. Pass Card specialises in the supply of preform moulds and cap moulds as well as moulds for thin-walled containers (such as yoghurt cups, ice cream tubs, margarine tubs). Besides the Far East, its moulds are in operation the USA, Canada and EuropePMS.

Juanita of Hestico hosted Werner Potgieter and Adriaan Ferreira of Adwill Plastics, which is now in operation in Brits. Adriaan and Willem Potgieter (Werner’s father) were originally at Consol Plastics and, after that business was sold, started up their blow moulding operation in NW province

www.pmsplastics.co.za

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

INDUSTRY NEWS

Barry Brown of the University of Johannesburg was congratulated on his winning entry by Ron McLarty of Afrimold. The ﬁrst prize was R5000

Brandon de Jager and Wessel Wessels’ entries were second and third, respectively

Judges – The esteemed judges in the pellet trap competition included Douw Steyn of PlasticsSA (who came up with the idea for the competition), Jan Visser (Deter-a-Dye), Annabé Pretorius of Plastix 911, Rowan le Roux of Polyoak and Mike Wythe of Tswane University of Technology

Top entries for pellet trap design competition ONE of the side shows at Afrimold was the Pellet Trap Design Competition presented by PISA. The event attracted a high standard of entries, with several of the students anticipating problems that many in the industry may even not foreseen!

Well oiled – Isaac David-Solomon and Sithsaba Xhala of Engen Petroleum were at Afrimold, marketing their new Mobil DTE 10 Excel hydraulic ﬂuid, which enables even better performance in high pressure equipment. Isaac is also selling the complete range of polymers from Petronas group

Make my day! – Dave Young is the new plastics machinery sales executive at Magnum Machine Tools of Durban and, just like Clint, he’s ready to make your day, although thankfully, not via the barrel of a gun. Here we see Dave ﬂanked by Cyril Francis and Giuliano Palumbo on the Magnum stand, with one of the Haitai machines they’re supplying

Toolquip – Bertrand van der Berg, Marius Van Aswegen, Maurice Lockwood, Ron Brown and Derek Hanslow were on the Toolquip & Allied stand. Toolquip is a national organisation which supplies a complete range of machine tools

Top service – Some of SA’s top machine support guys were at Afrimold, including Brett Shelley of MJH of Durban (mainly with Haixing machines), Umberto Favini of Maritime (Tederic machines) and Toni Goncalves, who has recently been working as a consultant at Treger Plastics of Bulawayo

AFRIMOLD 2011

Deon Joubert and Barend Labuschagne of Dry Ice International visited Annabé Pretorius and Douw Steyn on the PISA stand

AMT Composites – Dirk Nedderhoff of Necumer GmbH of Germany, a principal of AMT Composites, was on the AMT stand, with Jo Jacinto, Wynand de Winnaar and Paul Carnall. AMT Composites’ ‘one-stop composites shop’ was started in 2003, and at that stage catered mostly for amateur manufacturers, but now about 80% of its business is with the industrial market. Necumer supplies a range ‘Necuron’ casting materials www.amtcomposites.co.za

There’s another Haslam! – It’s hard to believe but, yes, Martin Haslam has a brother, Mark, who manufactures labelling equipment. Martin (on the right) trained originally as a shipping engineer/boat builder, but has been supplying machine tools and plastics processing equipment very successfully for years

20 OCT / NOV 2011

Ultra light foam – Victor Böhmer of Solvay Polymers & Chemicals showed some of his group’s high-tech material solutions, including Solvay’s Acudel® PPSU (polyphenylsulfone) foam, which is used for reinforcing structures like aircraft components, being light and exceptionally strong and durable

Richard Kuhlmann with his daughter Alison Kuhlmann of Kay Industries visited and Patrick Bracke on the Maritime stand

Michaella Janse van Vuuren of Nomili gave a presentation about creating technically complex art work

TopSolid – A Hoffmann and Arnaud de Boisboissel of TopSolid of France, supplier of CAD/CAM software www.topsolid.com

Star Tooling – Chris Schmid and Roxanne Pretorius of Star Tooling showed the range of tool accessories they supply www.startooling.co.za

Justine Fourie and Julie Naylor of the Rental Company promoted their company’s ﬁnancial services to the industry

ASSOCIATION NEWS

SAPPMA remains focused on encouraging local manufacturers to be even more efﬁcient and to further improve quality standards.

SAPPMA achieved something that few other professional associations have of late: a good turnout from the industry’s customers at its annual technical conference. The one-day conference, the fifth presented since SAPPMA# was established in 2004, attracted over 200 delegates to the Bytes Centre in Midrand on 6 September. Compared to the 120 or so who attended the 2010 event, the result was overwhelmingly positive. The fact that a large number of engineers and contractors attended must also have been satisfying for the SAPPMA management committee. Opening the conference, SAPPMA chief executive Jan Venter said the aim of the event was to “convey accurate and up to date technical information to people who have to design or procure plastic pipe systems”. The topic for the conference was ‘Why Plastic Pipe?’ and it wasn’t a rhetorical question: although plastic pipe has been around for over 50 years, and more than 50% of all pipe specified internationally is now plastic, SAPPMA remains focused on encouraging local manufacturers to be even more efficient and to further improve quality standards. In South Africa the rate of plastic pipe usage is higher than the global average: about 60% of pressure pipe and 75% of non-pressure pipe is plastic, but it’s been anything but plain sailing for the SA manufacturers over the past few years. Like almost all sectors of the economy, conditions have been tough. Keynote speaker, economist Mike 1

1. Man from Oz – Nico van Niekerk of Safripol hosted the visit by Dr Predrag Micic of Qenos of Australia. Micic gave a presentation about a close to 9000km pipe project in New South Wales 2. 8900km pipe project – Distribution channels for water used formerly in the mainly rural WimmeraMallee area of south eastern Australia, where problems associated with water loss are obvious, made the decision for installing pipe quite clear … 22

PIPE 2011 Schüssler said South Africa had comparatively high per capita income, but relatively low life expectancy. Japan is right at the top, with Zimbabwe and Afghanistan holding up the bottom – and SA is uncomfortably closer to the latter. The slowdown in the SA economy this year had been sudden, further exacerbated by the strike action in July, and some of the country’s neighbours are now achieving higher growth. Angola, for example, with projected economic growth of 7%, is one of the top international performers at present. Mozambique is also showing good growth, said Schüssler, who projects growth of 4.1% for the near future, adding that “inﬂation is going to be with us for some time”. Innovations in PVC pipe The show kicked off with a lecture about ‘Innovations in PVC Pipes and Fittings’ by Steven Tan of PVC4Pipes, the European association for the promotion of PVC pipes. 3

the only problem being the cost, which amounted to a whopping $A688-million. 3. Double-wall corrugated (DWC) pipe, produced in HD or polyprop, has a number of advantages, including the fact that they ﬂex more than solid wall pipe and break less easily. Maintools of Germany manufactures the machinery to produce DWC pipe 4. Andreas Pörnbacher of Agru (right) discussed the

Tan has been involved in the PVC sector for over 20 years and has since 2009 been director of Brussels-based PVC4Pipes. In the pipe sector PVC remains the star player … thanks in part to organisations like PVC4Pipes, who have successfully encapsulated the material’s many benefits for water transport. The mechanical and physical properties of PVC-U (unplasticised PVC) make it an excellent material for use in piping systems for both pressure (drinking water) and nonpressure (drainage and sewage) applications. Oriented and impact modified (PVC-O and PVC-A) materials are being used in heavy-duty applications such as in mines. A positive recent development is that of end-load resistant push-fit joints, allowing for trenchless installation. Twin-wall PVC pipes have been moderately successful in non-pressure applications, added Tan. www.pvc4pipes.com 5

Austrian company’s use of specialised polymers in the development of components for challenging environments such as in power, mining and chemical applications. Here we see him with colleague Alois Rieder 5. Large diameter pipe and ﬁttings, also in unusual polymers such as PVDF and ECTFE are supplied by Agru of Austria for the more challenging applications

Pipe panel – One of the features of the Pipe2011 conference was an open forum at which all the speakers ﬁelded questions from delegates in the audience

Australian application Dr Predag Micic of Qenos of Australia, an HDPE manufacturer and technology partner of Safripol, discussed a massive pipe project undertaken in south-eastern Australia which involved the installation of 8900km of pipe. A system of dug-out channels was used before, with about 85% of the water lost due to evaporation and seepage. Ironically, HD was at ﬁrst not considered for the project (cement-lined mild steel was speciﬁed for the large-diameter pipe and PVC-M and PVC-U for the remaining pipe). But the Plastic Industry Pipe Association (PIPA) of Australia and Qenos initiated a lobby for the consideration of PE and, after a testing process, managed to get the local government service to reconsider and eventually to specify HD for the trunk lines. In all, six supply systems, 1120km trunk lines, 7730km distribution lines, and 50 storage and 35 pumping stations were installed at a cost of A$688M (about R5-billion), jointly funded by the Australian national and state government. Originally planned for a 10-year installation, the project was hastened due to drought and reduced to just three years.

Keynote – The economist Mike Schüssler gave an overview of the SA economic situation which – although it wasn’t all good news – was important for both pipe manufacturers and suppliers, as well as the many engineers present at the conference. The graph tabled compared per capita income with life expectancy, and South Africa did not compare favourably … so a lot of work remains to be done

www.qenos.com Double-wall corrugated pipe Thomas May of Maintools of Germany gave a presentation titled ‘Double-wall corrugated pipes for sewer and drainage applications’. DWC pipe – produced in HD or polypropylene – offers some specific advantages, including the fact that, due to its high flexibility, the pipe deforms and is less likely to break. Other advantages are low specific weight, less connecting parts, low installation costs, high impact strength and high abrasion resistance. Because the pipes are relatively flexible, installation is simpler and less costly. Besides its production of pipe systems, Maintools also manufactures machinery to produce DWC pipe. It also makes machines to produce lines for spiral pipe and drip irrigation.

Jan Venter and Louise Muller of SAPPMA did a fantastic job of organising the 2011 conference and were heartened by the good turnout of over 200 delegates. Louise was presented with a bouquet for her super work

www.maintools.de 6

6. Mike Osry of Flo-Tek was at his best, regaling the audience with tales from his many experiences with plastic pipe. Here we see him with Trevor Moroney of material supplier Emeraude and Mike Smart, also of Flo-Tek, who did a great job as a session chairman 7. Not why plastic pipe, but why the correct plastic pipe – Ken Patrick is chairman of PHACT (Polymer Hot and Cold Technology Association), an organisation committed to the promotion of polymer

piping systems for water applications. He said it was frustrating that non-compliant products were available on the market, and their use seemingly condoned or ignored by local authorities www.phact.co.za 8. SA speakers – Bernard Reeksting of the Centre for Polymer Technology in Pretoria spoke about ‘short-term testing and long-term performance of plastic pipe’; Shaun Bouwer of Performance Colour Systems explained how liquid colours offer

Better fitting With virtually all areas of the pipe supply market receiving attention, AGRU of Austria’s field of speciality is that of the development of fittings. Besides the evolution in material quality, product range and installation techniques, Agru has also developed technology for the production of very large fittings for full-pressure rating for challenging installations in pipelines for power stations and mining and chemical plants. Agru is now producing components in unusual polymers such as polyvinylidenfluorid (PVDF) and Ethylenchlortrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), which provide high mechanical strength and chemical resistance respectively. These two polymers also achieve exceptional temperature performance. Agru’s Andreas Pörnbacher said there was a need for PE materials with outstanding slow crack growth resistance and/ or protection layer. Agru is now using PE 100-RC and PE 100-RC+PP grades to produce pipe and components which achieve such enhanced performance. Agru also supplies multi-layer pipes and components – including 3-layer HD and 2-layer PP – for transporting high abrasion materials. Agru’s fittings are supplied in South Africa by Astore Africa. www.agru.at Over 50 years of growth Mike Osry, export manager for Flo-Tek Pipes & Irrigation, gave a presentation titled ‘Plastic pipes: Their advantages and reasons for 50 years of rapid growth’. Mike pointed out that plastic pipe is in fact older: the first PVC-U pipes were manufactured in about 1950. What is certain is that there has been a lot of development since. Take # SAPPMA (Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association) is a voluntary, self-regulating association incorporated under Section 21 as a company not for gain. It represents plastic pipe manufacturers and other stakeholders in the Industry; its members include most of the major players in the market in Southern Africa.

several advantages for pipe extrusion, including lower addition rates! 9. Fiberpipe – Fiberpipe – Dawie Fick of Custom Plastic Products/IFPA was session chairman during the presentation by Heinrich Mostert of Fiberpipe, who gave a comprehensive overview of GRP pipe technology. To date, some 1800kms of GRP pipe have been installed in South Africa, the largest diameter being 2m and highest pressure 32 bar www.ﬁberpipe.co.za 23

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for instance, pipe grade HD, which has evolved from PE63 to PE80 and more recently the third generation PE100 material. Mike outlined how, parallel with the development of the materials, pipe production and design technology (particularly as regards wall thickness) also progressed steadily. The main objective for manufacturers was to make tougher pipe: “The worst ‘sin’ in an engineering material is not lack of strength or inadequate stiffness, but lack of toughness,” said Mike.

www.cpttech.co.za Liquid colours Shaun Bouwer of Performance Colour Systems gave a presentation about Liquid Colour Technology. Liquid colour technology is now the fastest growing system for the addition of colour to plastics, offering faster colour changeover time, less stock holding, improved production efﬁciencies, lower addition rates and smaller run ﬂexibility, all of which is of use in the pipe extrusion market. www.customcolour.co.za

Top exhibitors THE exhibition at this year’s SAPPMA technical conference drew attention from delegates from the pipe manufacturing business as well as its customers in the pipe specifying ﬁeld. Fourteen suppliers showed off new technologies and solutions this year.

Presentations were also delivered by Alaster Goyns of Pipeline Installation & Professional Engineering Services on the ‘Role SAPPMA could play in the technical training of pipe users’ – a most welcome topic. When pipes fail it’s frequently the pipe manufacturer who’s blamed, but faulty installation is more usually the source of the trouble, said Goyns. The proactive strategy he proposes could go a long way towards reducing the number of problems. Alaster said the total installed cost for a pipeline was possibly 10x or even 20x more than the cost of the actual pipe, so it certainly is in the industry’s interest that installation be handled professionally. Jürgen Allmann of Simona AG spoke about the range of polyolefin pipes and fittings manufactured by the German company and Andrew Wedgner of Borouge about the ‘Use of high stress crack resistant PE100 in the mining industry’. One of the most rewarding aspects of the conference was the number of questions from specifiers and engineering contractors present, fielded by speakers. This suggests the SAPPMA teams’ strategy is beginning to pay off.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Testing to achieve performance Bernard Reeksting’s topic, ‘Interpretation of short-term testing on plastics piping, and the inﬂuence of these results in long-term performance of pipe,’ would have been popular with manufacturers. Bernard runs the Centre for Polymer Technology in Pretoria, where testing of pipe is an on-going activity.

Properties of the polymer products tested include chemical type, molecular mass, formulation, reinforcement, processing and post-processing (welding fabrication). A complete range of tests – such as creep modulus, ductile behaviour, brittle behaviour, slow crack growth and so on – is offered at the centre.

www.sappma.co.za

SILVER – The runner-up in this year’s competition was Hydrodifusion. Here we see Michael Pretorius and Mikael Jonker in attendance on the stand. Hydrodifusion is a supplier of complete solutions for the plastic pipe market

SILVERD AWAR

GOLDD AWAR tems won the top prize. GOLD – Marley Pipe Sys Mathee made guests George Snyders and Ilke sional display fes pro a feel welcome with

BRONZE – DPI Plastics, winner of the ‘best exhibitor’ competition in 2010 year, had to settle for third place this year. Daniel ‘Vollie’ Brink, Kelly Wilson (of DPI subsidiary Incledon) and technical manager Renier Snyman were there to welcome guests, who included Heinrich Mostert of Fiberpipe www.stp-sa.com

ZE BRON D R A AW

Training team – Mark Malan and Manjary Subiah of PlasticsSA outlined some of the training solutions they provide for the pipe sector (far left) Sasol team – The fearsome foursome on the Sasol Polymer stand included Caroline Trimble, Annika Kilian, Beverley-Ann Manikum and Maria Stephanou (left)

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

MATERIALS

Colourful collaboration MASTERBATCH SA (Pty) Ltd (MBSA) food safety. is the first masterbatch manufacturer in The objective of ISO 14001:2004 South Africa to achieve ISO9001:2008, is to identify and control the ISO14001:2004, ISO18001:2007 and environmental impact of a company’s ISO22000:2005 accreditations for activities or products and to continually quality, environmental, health & safety improve the company’s environmental and food safety management systems. performance. “Our payoff line ‘we’ve earned MBSA enables its customers to our colours™’ now has even more reduce, reuse and recycle plastic significance”, components said Anthony van to fulfil the “You’ve gone green but Niekerk, managing consumer’s director. “One ever increasing still do millions of colours of MBSA’s core demand for in a Rainbow Nation” values has always greener plastic – Kahn Morbee of The been respect, for solutions. MBSA people and the offers tailor made Parlotones, South Africa’s environment. This masterbatch premier band, says achievement was solutions to the of MBSA made possible metallocene through the hard industry which work, commitment in turn is used to and focus of a remarkable team.” reduce packaging weight. Furthermore, ISO 22000:2005 is a standard MBSA ensures that plastic can be developed by the International reused by offering a wide variety of Organisation for Standardisation UV stabilized masterbatches as well for dealing with food safety and it as supplying specialized products to consists of a number of routines, improve the quality of the recycled systems and processes that must be plastic. followed to avoid potentially severe The Parlotones have represented health hazards. MBSA is the only local amongst others, the Carbon-free™ manufacturer of masterbatch to the project, in an effort to raise interest food packaging industry that, through in green initiatives. Inspired by the formal accreditation, ensures public band’s commitment to environmental

responsibility, MBSA is doing what it can to limit any negative impact on natural resources. The Parlotone’s drummer Neil Pauw is the talented artist behind ‘Four Seasons’ and ‘Goldﬁsh’, the artwork showcased in MBSA’s newest adverts. MBSA commissioned Neil to create vibrant and relevant works of art incorporating masterbatch pellets. In support of local artists and to highlight the importance of recycling plastic, MBSA is a gold sponsor of an exhibition taking place at the Johannesburg Art Gallery from 4 September. www.masterbatch.co.za

MBSA sourced plastic plectrums and button badges for The Parlotones

Talent: The Parlotones drummer Neil Pauw (2nd from left) – talented artist behind the artwork showcased in MBSA’s newest adverts – ﬂanked by MBSA managing director Anthony van Niekerk (left), and MBSA sales directors Phil Johnson and Brian Jensen on the right

Frontman: MBSA’s managing director Anthony van Niekerk with The Parlotones frontman, Kahn Morbee

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

“FOUR SEASONS” BY NEIL PAUW OF THE PARLOTONES TM

JHB 011 975 0222 PE

CT 021 552 0627

083 974 2074

KZN 031 700 2464 EL

083 282 8850

Manufacturers of masterbatches, pigments and additives for the Plastics Industry

ISO 9001:2008

OHSAS ISO 14001:2004 18001:2007

OHSAS OHSAS 18001:2007 18001:2007

www.masterbatch.co.za

OHSAS 18001:2007 ISO 22000 :2005

INDUSTRY NEWS

Best Recycled Product competition draws wide ﬁeld of excellent entries

DESIGN FOR RECYCLING THE second ‘Best Recycled Product’ competition presented by the SA Plastic Recyclers Organisation (SAPRO) attracted a greater number of entries from a wider ﬁeld than last year, presenting the judges with signiﬁcant dilemmas. Criteria considered by the judges included: • Life expectancy of product • Sustainability of product, i.e. long-term demand and market acceptance for product (will it still sell in 5 years’ time?) • Tonnage (potential tonnages) converted • Replacement of alternative materials • Technical achievements in manufacturing excellence to overcome recycled material challenges • Measures taken to ensure product consistency and customer satisfaction despite recycled material content

Aim of competition is to get brand owners and industrial designers to consider recycled plastics as a material of choice SAPRO chairman Douglas Greig said the aim of the competition was to “acknowledge products that are made from post-consumer recycled materials and encourage brand owners and industrial designers to consider recycled plastics as a material of choice”. The competition formed part of Clean-Up South Africa month, an initiative of Plastics|SA that encourages South Africans to clean-up and recycle in their communities, in their schools and where they work. To encourage even greater participation and entries by local converters and innovators, this year’s competition had three distinct product categories: Product made from 100% recyclate; product containing a certain percentage post-consumer recycled content; and product made from a mixture of post-consumer recycled materials. “We were thrilled with both the quality and quantity of the entries we received this year, proving that the plastics recycling industry is growing in size, sophistication and value,” Greig added 28

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

GOLD D AWAR

OVERALL WINNER Woolworths 1,5 litre juice bottle moulded by Polypet Category 2: Percentage recyclate mixed with virgin

The evening clearly belonged to Polypet who was awarded the Gold Award in the ‘Percentage recyclate mixed with virgin’ category and judged the overall winner of the PACSA Trophy for The Best Recycled Product 2011 for its 1.5 -litre cooldrink bottle manufactured for Woolworths which impressed the judges with its recycled contents and consumer acceptance. The 1.5-litre juice bottle is produced by Polypet using 25% post-consumer recycled PET (rPET) and is the outcome of a collaborative initiative that was started over 6 years ago with the establishment of PETCO through industry collaboration coupled with ongoing support, promotion and demand from Woolworths. Recycled materials for the bottles were supplied by Extrupet, the first recycler in the world to have received international accreditation by the Bureau Veritas Certification (BVC) for their recycling process for flakes to rPET for use in food packaging. “This bottle is an excellent example

of how major retailers can influence an industry when they make a commitment towards environmental responsibility and sustainability,” adds Cheri Scholtz, chairman of Plastic SA’s Sustainability Council and CEO of Petco. “In 2010 alone, 99 400 tons of PET was used in beverage bottles.” Greig said that Woolworths had embarked a few years ago on their ‘Good Business Journey’, and making use of recycled plastic in their food packaging was a major vote of confidence in the safety and quality of products manufactured in the South African recycling industry. “In our opinion, this year’s winner represents a significant step in the right direction with regards to the reduction of packaging waste material and providing additional economic benefits to society and the economy as a whole.”

www.polypet.co.za rPET – The 1.5-litre bottle entered by Polypet – now being used by Woolworths to package fruit juices – contains a percentage of rPET, marking the ﬁrst time (ofﬁcially in South Africa) that food grade packaging has contained recycled material

Anton Hanekom presents Plastics SA Executive Chairman ) with the overall award. aging Pack oak (Poly Roux Rowan le wani from Extrupet Wadh dru Chan by Rowan is ﬂanked

GOLD D AWAR

WINNERS

CATEGORY 1

100% Post-consumer recyclate

3-layer co-extruded damp- and waterproofing membranes from Gundle API Gundle API has developed a 100% recycled 3-layer co-extruded range of products used for damp proofing and waterproofing of buildings. This is a world-first because: • Nowhere else has a 3- layer recycled product been developed specifically for use in damp-proofing and waterproofing of buildings. • Because the product is a multi-layer extrusion the top layer has a different colour to the bottom layer. The colour of the top layer identifies the application i.e. green for use under concrete slabs, blue for use as a DPC in walls and orange for use as a basement tanking membrane. • Gundle have been working with the SABS to revise the SANS 952-1 specification to include 3-layer membranes with the existing mono-layer membranes. Gundle API currently produce 80 tons per month of the 3-layer products. The volume is expected to grow to 200 tons per month over the next 12 months. The product has been approved by the NHBRC and has a minimum life span of 20 years. The company has invested substantially in co-ex lines which normally are used only in manufacturing multilayer packaging membranes and has adapted these lines to run recycled membranes.

www.gundle.co.za

SILVERD AWAR

Gundle won the prize for products manufactured with 100% postconsumer recycled material for its 3-layer co-ex sheet for damp course and waterprooﬁng of buildings

• Runner-up: ‘Wood effect’ furniture feet from Firstform (material supplied by Hangerman)

Wood effect’ furniture feet from Firstform (material supplied by Hangerman)

www.ﬁrstform.co.za

OVERALL WINNER • 1.5-litre juice bottle containing rPET for Woolworths from Polyoak/Polypet (material supplier Extrupet) CATEGORY 1 – 100% Post-consumer recyclate • Winner: 3-layer co-extruded damp- and waterprooﬁng membranes from Gundle API

pts the award Gundle API’s Deon Enslin acce Greig from SAPRO chairman Douglas

Firstform manufactures and supplies high quality polystyrene feet, legs and facings to the furniture industry, locally and internationally. All their products carry a lifetime guarantee. Recycled polystyrene is a fully recyclable resource that costs signiﬁcantly less than natural wood. It will not crack and is dimensionally stable. Polystyrene products have high impact and abrasion strengths and are not subject to normal wood jointing problems, moisture related joint splitting and wood borer. Polymer coating is chemically bonded to the polymer substrate creating excellent adhesion. Process cost control is critical to stay competitive with imports, especially from the East. The base polymer is not made in South Africa and can be imported through local agents. The price depends on international commodity prices as well as the strength of the local currency. Recycled styrene is available in the local market and Firstform have established a good relation-

“In our opinion, this year’s winner represents a signiﬁcant step in the right direction with regards to the reduction of packaging waste material and providing additional economic beneﬁts to society and the economy as a whole.”

ship with a local recycler and managed to secure a steady supply of raw material at a relatively stable price. All Firstform’s products are coated to resemble wood. The recycler sources his material from a single product (coat hangers) and the product has a consistent melt ﬂow and does not create any signiﬁcant moulding challenges.

CATEGORY 2 – Percentage recyclate mixed with virgin • Winner: Woolworths 1,5 litre juice bottle moulded by Polypet • Joint runner-up: Decorative picture frame mouldings from Mouldings & Frames Int’l (material suppliers: Trinity Plastics, Hebcooler, Golden Rainbow Trading, Ecoworld) • Joint runner-up: Decorative picture frame mouldings from Supreme Mouldings (material supplied by EPS Reclaim) CATEGORY 3 – Mixed recycled materials • Winner: Sleeper bench from Tufﬂex Plastic Products • Runner-up: Two-seater storage bench by Ecology Plastics (material supplied by Extrupet)

‘Wood effect’ – Furniture feet from Firstform of East London are injection moulded entirely from recycled material

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 29

SPECIAL MENTIONS • Winner: ‘E’Yako Green’ ecofriendly corporate gifts by PVC Products (material supplied by KJR Promotions) • Runner-up: Bottle bar light entered by Heath Nash.

INDUSTRY NEWS

JOINT SILVERD AWAR

CATEGORY 2

Percentage recyclate mixed with virgin

Decorative picture frame mouldings from Mouldings & Frames Int’l (material suppliers: Trinity Plastics, Hebcooler, Golden Rainbow Trading, Ecoworld) Mouldings & Frames International Extrusion has produced polystyrene mouldings for the past seven years. Recycled materials are obtained from the company’s own off-cuts and wastage generated during the manufacturing process. Locally recycled PS, PS-HI and PS-E represents 56% out of a total 95% recycled material used. Imported PS and PS-HI regrind is used due to the shortage of sufﬁcient local regrind. The total tonnage per annum is about 400 tons. The total cubic meters of recycled material used equates to the saving of approximately 1500 trees per annum. The average lifespan of the end product is in the region of 10 years and can be recycled again. Eighty percent of the extruded mouldings are used by MFI and converted into ﬁnished product by the company’s divisional factory with the balance being sold in the open market.

JOINT SILVERD AWAR

Supreme Mouldings is a proudly South African owned company, employing 300 people. The product range is divided into picture frame mouldings, architectural products and curtain rods and accessories. All these products are manufactured using 60 to 100% recycled polystyrene. The combined monthly consumption of recycled polystyrene is about 150 tons or 300 000 to 400 000 linear metres of product. The significance of this is that the company would have used virgin material for this in the past while the waste polystyrene went to the landfills. Supreme Mouldings has invested a significant amount of money in setting up collection points around the country as well as in Lesotho, where the expanded polystyrene is densified into blocks and then transported to its factory in East London where the waste polystyrene is further processed in preparation for use in our extrusion plant.

Extruder polystyrene picture frame proﬁles from Mouldings & Frames Int’l was adjudged the joint runner-up in the ‘percentage recycled’ category

www.mﬁ-mouldings.co.za

GOLD D AWAR

CATEGORY 3

Decorative picture frame mouldings from Supreme Mouldings (material supplied by EPS Reclaim)

Supreme Mouldings’ entry of a curtain rod manufactured from recycled polystyrene was a joint runner-up in the percentage category

www.suprememouldings.co.za

Mixed recycled materials

Sleeper bench from Tufflex Plastic Products The product uses about 80 kg of plastics, a significant amount of which is 100% recycled. It is solid and lasts for years without any maintenance. Untreated hardwood timber rail sleepers are increasingly difficult to source for the manufacture of sleeper furniture thus plastic in a large moulded format is an attractive and cost effective replacement. It is simple to manufacture and can be transported in a knock-down form. It is easy to re-assemble using the coach screws provided in the predrilled holes.

www.tufﬂex.co.za

Harry Rombouts from Tufﬂex Plastic Products receiving his certiﬁcate from Douglas Greig

Tufﬂex Plastics Products, last year’s overall winner, won the ‘mixed recycled materials’ category with its sleeper bench

Two-seater storage bench by Ecology Plastics (material supplied by Extrupet)

SILVERD AWAR

Products made from recycled plastic offer a number of performance benefits in that they are extremely durable with an expected lifespan of at least 60 years with little wear. There are significant cost savings in labour and materials due to reduced maintenance and replacement requirements. No painting or treatment is required. The colour is consistent throughout the product. Recycled plastic products will not crack or dry out and are resistant to attack by insects and does not splinter. All of these performance benefits can be seen in the two-seater storage bench. Although the product has greater up-front costs, the longevity and

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

durability make it a more cost-effective option over the long term. Approximately 1500 plastic bottles are diverted from landﬁll for every meter section of a typical raised walkway. A wide range of plank proﬁles and assembled products are available from Ecology Plastics in a variety of colours. These include: benches, picnic tables, patio sets, swimming pool loungers, dustbins, decking, boardwalks, jungle gyms, bollards, pallets, signs and other custom made items.

www.ecologyplastics.co.za Ecology Plastics (Karen Maiden, d above) was runner up in the ‘mixe ge materials’ category with its stora bench. Material for the product was supplied by Extrupet

SPECIAL MENTION GOLD D AWAR

‘E’Yako Green’ eco-friendly corporate gifts by PVC Products (material supplied by KJR Promotions)

E’Yako Green produces a range of sustainable commercially acceptable recycled products, including permanent licence disk holders, key rings and smiley paper clips. These are made from recycled high impact polystyrene (PS-HI). The recyclate is obtained from factory waste as well as post-consumer sources like data reels, retail coat hangers, fridge drawers, etc. The choice of material has recently expanded to include ABS and PP. Overall, ‘green sales’ are increasing as a percentage of the company’s total turnover, from 9% in 2009 to 22% in 2010. The recycled corporate gift is rapidly replacing gifts made from virgin material and Chinese imports. All the products are recyclable at end of life. E’Yako is raising awareness and changing attitudes towards the environmental and ethical, sustainable purchasing in big corporates.

www.eyakogreen.co.za

SILVERD AWAR

manufacHeath Nash’s entry of lamp shade c containers tured from post-consumer plasti novel congot a ‘special mention’ award for at night!) struction and use (it looks far better

E’Yako Green received a special mention award for its corporate gifts made from recycled PVC cloth. The range includes laptop bags, conference bags, pencil cases, shopping bags, ladies sandals and sling bags, plus many more

Bottle bar light entered by Heath Nash

Heath Nash has been making a range of lighting products called ‘Other people’s rubbish’ from post-consumer plastic waste since 2004, using wire working skills. The winning entry is a full-colour bottleform ball, so-called because it is made from all the colours and shapes that many consumer goods are available in. The object is an exploration of plastic and the forms that we see every day and ignore. It is about showing us the beauty hidden in the most unexpected of places – the rubbish bin. “The simple fact that my work spreads is: by simply cutting a bottle, it is transformed magically from a simple redundant container into a material that can be used for many new purposes. This is something that I have been teaching through workshops and lectures at schools and design events around the world since having started the range. It is a fact that is easy to absorb, and can change a person’s perceptions about waste in an instant,” says Nash.

www.heathnash.com

Plastics recycling gala was who’s who of industry THE SAPRO Gala evening held to acknowledge the winners in the ‘Best Recycled Product’ competition was a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the plastics recycling industry! Superbly organised by SAPRO’s inimitable Annabe Pretorius, the evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all and is fast becoming a favourite on the SA plastics’ events calendar.

Douglas Greig expressing SAPRO’s gratitude to Annabe Pretorius for all her hard work and dedication in coordinating the awards

Adding some glamour to the SAPRO Gala evening were the ladies from Safrique – from left, Talia Moodley, Razina Ramautar and Pauline Muvirini

The 3 Stooges? Plastics SA’s Anton Hannekom and SAPRO’s Douglas Greig with Simon Gear, Master of Ceremonies

Maggie and Douw Steyn (Environment Director with Plastics SA) at the SAPRO Gala evening

Kobus Botha of Amec Plastics having a good time with Ulrich & Jutta Martin from Martin Plastiek

Fighting the good ﬁght! Belinda Booker of PETCO and Carmen Rayner of Mama She Waste Recyclers also attended the SAPRO Gala evening

Mervyn Moodley of Safrique at the SAPRO Gala evening, ﬂanked by Kamal Diaite and Vaibhav Rastogi of Extrupet Extruwood Division

Some of the entries in the SAPRO competition resulted in the judges – Martin Wells, Kobus Botha and Bernard Reeksting – getting into heated debate, although at this moment Bernie was only demonstrating how the cable was attached to one of the entries 31

PROPAK CAPE 2011

Propak Cape 2011 sold out www.propakcape.co.za

Exhibitors ready to showcase latest innovations

Pailpac group will show its range of paint containers as well as some of its other packaging products (far left) Local bottling company Serac will show its ‘BLOCK’ integrated system for blowing, ﬁlling and capping bottles at 6000 to 9000 bottles an hour for chilled storage products

PROPAK Cape has seen an overwhelming response with exhibition space sold out months before the show which takes place at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) from 25 - 27 October. Together with the co-located shows FoodPro, Pro-Plas Expo, Pro-Label Cape and Print Expo, Propak Cape brings exhibitors together across the various sectors and enables visitors to engage with the most progressive companies in the country and view new products, latest industry trends, product developments and on-site product demonstrations. Local bottling company Serac will be displaying the ‘BLOCK’, an ultra-clean integrated system for blowing, filling and capping bottles at 6 000 to 9 000 bottles an hour for chilled storage products. The H2F ultra-clean filling and capping machine which extends the shelf life of chilled products will also be on display at the show. Visitors to Propak Cape 2011 will get the chance to see the PailPac group’s new injection moulded pharmaceutical containers via its subsidiary PharmaPac. PailPac has also recently acquired the wide-mouth container business from Nampak Tubes & Tubs. Thermo Fisher Scientific will be displaying a range of equipment that aims to make

A new era of EPR! THE packaging sector is entering a new era, one of extended producer responsibility where market participants weigh very carefully the materials they choose for their packaging, considering the amount, its composition, and its end of life options because they will have to help pay for its disposal. At present, packaging accounts for less than 10% of mass to landﬁll in SA and 0,3% of solid waste generated in SA. SA’s per capita packaging

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

the world healthier, cleaner and safer. The range includes check weighers, metal detectors, x-ray foreign body detection machines, test and monitoring equipment, coding equipment, level control flow meters, belt scales, weigh belt feeders, loss-in-weight batching systems. International packaging suppliers exhibiting at Propak Cape 2011 include Printopack, a supplier of flexible packaging material from the Middle East. The company supplies Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola, Kraft Foods, Anchor, and Kerry Gold among others. Printopack manufactures and supplies high quality printed PVC shrink sleeves, OPP labels, and aluminium lids, laminated and single layer wrapping material for confectionary and biscuits, snacks, pasta, milk, juice, powder sachets, ice cream cone sleeves, exporting to more than 30 countries worldwide. Another international exhibitor is Guangdong Meilian New Materials Technology Company, based in Shantou, China. Meilian focuses on five main product ranges in the plastic pigmentation industry, namely white masterbatch, black masterbatch, colour masterbatch, additive masterbatch and PE compound. These products are widely used in film, injection moulding, tubing, sheet, en-

Agqpe’s Enviropack division’s latest compostable packaging. Enviropack sources and supplies sustainable recyclable, biodegradable and compostable packaging products made in China

gineering granulation, plastic modiﬁcation and environmental bio-based material. BMG is one of Africa’s leading distributors of dynamic engineering consumable products. The company’s range includes bearings and seals, motor and gear products, power transmission components, fasteners, oscillating systems, conveyor belting products and ﬁltration and hydraulic components. All these consumables are essential for the smooth running of the packaging equipment industry. Lite On International and GO Packaging will be exhibiting a range of air bubble packaging solutions. The range includes Win Bond bubble envelopes for postage, bubble bags, swimming pool covers, geyser blankets, roof insulation and other packaging types.

IPSA GOLD PACK AWARDS The Institute of Packaging South Africa (IPSA) Gold Pack Awards will run alongside Propak Cape at the CTICC, with a dinner banquet for 500 guests – bringing even greater focus and attention to the show. Also co-located with Propak Cape at the CTICC is the IPSA Western Cape region’s breakfast seminar ‘IntoAfrica’, which takes place on Thursday 27 October. For more information and to book, contact: Rosalie Duke at Rosalie.duke@telkomsa.net

consumption is about 25-30% of that in the first world. The Institute of Packaging South Africa (IPSA) encourages sustainable packaging and is again running the Gold Pack Awards for industry and students to acknowledge excellence in packaging and sustainability. For each category packaging attributes such as fitness for purpose, protection of contents, pack construction, suitability of materials, handling efficiencies and new materials used will all be considered.

Water-based paints made with our AcronalÂŽ ECO are easy to apply. And they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give off fumes, so a room can be painted and reoccupied in less than one hour. Fresh paint without a bad smell is no longer a contradiction: at BASF, we create chemistry.

BASF South Africa Anver Cassem Tel: +27 11 203 2481/2400 E-Mail: anver.cassem@basf.com www.basf.co.za

uppe marketing A05921

noses love fresh paint

PROPAK CAPE 2011

A new era of EPR cont’d Interesting products on show Interesting packaging products on show at Propak Cape will include Agqpe’s Enviropack division’s latest compostable packaging. Enviropack sources and supplies sustainable recyclable, biodegradable and compostable packaging products made in China. Robotic Systems SA will be exhibiting Motoman, a complete robotic solution to packaging needs. With a comprehensive line of material handling robots, infeed and out feed configurations, poly-bag vacuum stations, sheet dispensers and modular grippers, the Motoman provides reliable, low-risk solutions that deliver enhanced quality, productivity and return on investment. On the printing side, Pyrotec’s PackMedia and PackMark divisions will be showcasing their new products, the 9232 small inkjet printer and the X40 thermal transfer coder. The small character inkjet printer offers increased uptime, less waste, reduced costs and minimal impact on the environment. The new SmartDate X40 thermal transfer coder, with a range of eco-friendly benefits, is designed to print large amounts of complex information at high speed on flexible packaging films, with minimal loss of data and improved ribbon usage. Local packaging machinery supplier Future Packaging & Machinery will be launching a number of new products at Propak Cape this year, including the 2nd generation high speed fully automated seal packing machine; the X bagger; agricultural wrap; electronic gum tape machine and the EXP-600 robot pallet wrapper.

Robotic Systems SA will be exhibiting Motoman, a complete robotic solution to packaging needs

Pyrotec’s PackMedia and PackMark divisions will be showcasing their new products, the 9232 small inkjet printer and the X40 thermal transfer coder

Propak to highlight latest trends The demand for ‘green’ packaging will be greater this year than ever before Pantone will exhibit its recently launched ‘Pantone Plus’ series, which includes 566 new colours, including new neons and premium metallics – two of the latest colour trends in design, print and packaging. The new series also includes features like chromatic arrangement, a lightings condition indicator, digital colour correction targets and design software upgrades.

MANY innovations and hot new trends are being incorporated into packaging and these new trends will be showcased at Propak Cape at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) from 25-27 October. Technological innovations such as adding sound, light, colour and movement to packaging will allow marketers to capture significant consumer attention and sales. Another key trend is the rise of self-adhesive labels, replacing the glueapplied labelling lines with more modern technology. The new technology makes it possible to design, print and die-cut labels in complex shapes and sizes that were not possible before. Sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging The demand for ‘green’ packaging will be greater this year than ever before. A related trend is the rise of reusable packaging. Locally, one of the major trends in packaging is for local manufacturers to comply with the new labelling and advertising of Foodstuffs Regulations, which requires brands to amend their packaging and more honestly reflect the benefits of using the product. In addition, the space restrictions on food labels that the new legislation will cause will require brands to be more innovative with their packaging. The international RAKO Group will present the product portfolio of RAKO Labels Cape Town. RAKO Labels produces self-adhesive and wrap around labelsolutions for the personal care, home care, food and beverage market. Sareltech will be taking advantage of Propak Cape to launch its BST Super Handy Scan Digital 4000. The new digital camera sets the standard in Video Web Inspection with well engineered technology, a space-saving single-monitor concept, pin-sharp image quality, numerous image 34

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

monitoring options and comprehensive equipment. Local representative of the international Plasto-sac Group, OCC will be focusing on sophisticated features such as laser scoring in a variety of laminated products. Pantone will be exhibiting its recently launched Pantone Plus Series. The new Plus Series library explodes with 566 new colours, including new neons and premium metallics – two of the latest colour trends in design, print and packaging. The new series also includes features like chromatic arrangement, a lightings condition indicator, digital colour correction targets and design software upgrades. Specialist flexible packaging company Packaging World has recently purchased a new slitter and pouch maker enabling it to continue to provide quality printed flexible packaging solutions. It is one of only two companies in the country that can manufacture modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) products. MAP packaging extends a products shelf life allowing greater intervals between distributions drops, reduced wastage and improved product acceptance and choice. Local distributors Rubicon Electrical & Automation will be displaying the latest innovations from its range of manufacturers, including the latest in programmable shaft encoders, registration technology and active optical machine safety for the packaging industry, from Sick Automation. Also on show will be Rittal’s enclosure and cooling technologies, with working displays and active applications, LappKabel’s new portfolio display, Weidmuller’s terminal and tool range, Murr Elektronik’s cabling and connection technologies and Euchner’s mechanical machine guarding solutions. www.propakcape.co.za

MATERIALS

Access to potable water no longer a pipe dream for rural residents THOUSANDS of rural residents in Hluhluwe are set to beneﬁt from a new water supply line, which is being installed by the Department of Water Affairs, using a range DPI Plastics product manager for pressure of PVC pipes pipe systems, Renier manufactured Snyman by DPI Plastics. The Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Water Affairs is providing a water supply line for more than 12 000 rural residents with the assistance of DPI Plastics, a leading manufacturer of water reticulation, drainage and pipeﬁtting systems in South Africa. The Hluhluwe Project is a multiphase contract aimed at supplying potable water to the Hluhluwe rural community, and consists of water treatment works at Hluhluwe dam, a 5 Mℓ reservoir and a 400 km bulk and reticulation pipework. DPI Plastics product manager for pressure pipe systems, Renier Snyman points out that the company has delivered more than R12-million worth of piping to the project since 2009. “The project is currently in Phase V, due for completion in September 2011.

Freedom Challenge PAUL Gripper of MBT had to put in for extra leave to complete the Freedom Challenge, the bike race across South Africa. Although he’s done well at triathlons, Paul had to dig deep for this 2400km mountain bike event (and with wrong routes and so on, probably longer). The ‘race’ is from Maritzburg to Cape Town, and Paul realized after about two weeks that he didn’t have enough leave, plus his wife noted his continued absence. And, as you can see, the route didn’t always allow participants to actually ride. As it was held in June, snow was an additional problem. However, the man persevered and arrived at the ﬁnish after 22 days and a few hours. He did make use of some extra plastic components in the form of a reused PET container as a provisional mudguard of sorts and PVC sheet as a handlebar-mounted map board. Go to www.freedomchallenge. org.za: you’ll probably ﬁnd you don’t even know most of the places visited en route. Well done Paul!

To date DPI Plastics have delivered Despite DPI Plastics being awarded more than 4 000 6-m lengths of pipes a large number of high-profile contracts to the site,” he said. “Once the entire during the course of 2011, Snyman said project is complete, the pipeline will the future outlook for the South African provide potable water to a population of piping industry remained a challenge. 12 856, in an area spanning 146 km2.” “Supply is currently outweighing demand in the local industry, and this has Snyman said the products supplied prompted a number of manufacturers to the project are unplasticised polyvinyl to reduce product quality in order to chloride (U-PVC) pipes, with diameters minimise costs. This can harm the ranging between 160 mm and 400 mm. reputation of plastic “The DPI Plastics piping in general, U-PVC range of and can also have pipes was selected DPI Plastics has delivered a knock-on effect for this project more than R12-million on other industries owing to its high worth of piping to the too,” he continues. level of quality Snyman stresses and the fact that project since 2009 that as a Southern its manufacturing African Plastic process takes Pipe Manufacturers place under Association (SAPPMA) founding controlled conditions.” member, DPI Plastics remains committed to its main focus of delivering Logistics prove to be high-quality products to its clients. biggest challenge “DPI Plastics remains dedicated He does; however, admit that the to providing unrivalled value-added logistical aspects of the contract have service, by providing free training proven to be the largest challenge faced to contractors on its entire range of by DPI Plastics throughout the duration products. This service is offered as part of the project. “Safely transporting pipes of an all-in-one solutions package aimed of up to 400 mm in diameter to Hluhluwe at ensuring that contractors are provided from Johannesburg has been a logistical with comprehensive training in pre and challenge, due to the fact that pipe batch post-installation applications, ensuring details are approved prior to despatch, that all DPI Plastics products are being and specific pipes have to be loaded in used to their full potential,” he said. time to meet delivery deadlines.” Duroflo pipe stack – DPI Plastics has delivered more than R12-million worth of piping to the Hluhluwe project since 2009. Once the project is complete, the pipeline will provide potable water to a population of 12 856, in an area spanning 146 km2

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

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TRIBUTES

PEOPLE

DOUG FLETCHER DOUG Fletcher, who became involved in the industry almost by coincidence when he started publishing ‘Plastinews’ magazine, yet who was eventually very committed to the business, passed away in August. Born in Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 1930, Doug came to South Africa in 1956 by way of Canada. He worked in advertising with Lindsey Smithers in Johannesburg, but later moved down to Durban, duly becoming a passionate Sharks fan. In 1987, prompted by equipment supplier Mike Cook, he started Plastinews, working with his daughter Helen. Although of British origin, Doug was a true South African who enjoyed nothing more than a braai and an ice-cold beer. He enjoyed socialising and played golf off a scratch handicap as a younger man. With this sort of make-up, Doug became popular with many of Plastinews’ advertisers. Published from Durban and later Maritzburg, Plastinews was ﬁrst an A3 bi-monthly magazine, which format proved successful. Doug used to make the trip from Durban to Johannesburg by car on the N3 on a regular basis and with that interaction in the industry he became well-known. He was popular in PISA circles too, and served on the KZN committee and also as chairman of the branch from 1992-94. The KZN golf day was as a result a very popular event, but Doug’s commitment to a healthy and happy industry was always evident. Doug was elected as a PISA Fellow in 1997. Doug’s son Paul said he “was passionate about the plastics industry and developing it in South Africa”. “The most valuable lesson he taught me was that, if you are going to do something, do it properly. He was a perfectionist,” said Chris. Doug, who turned 81 in May, was a true ﬁghter and although ill health during his last few years deterred him, he got up and was ready for more. He was respected by many in the industry and will be missed. Article by Chris Fletcher.

SID BOTHA S.B. Plastics was founded by Sid Botha in 1983 with humble beginnings in his garage. His absolute determination, innovation and an attitude of “let’s do it”, never giving up on any project, is the reason that the business has grown to where it is today. Sid and Makkie, his wife, have managed the business together. The onset of Sid’s illness saw him take early retirement in October last year. His son, Pieter, joined the business and is now managing it with his mother. The dedication of the S.B. Plastics team insured that the company could still perform under very difﬁcult circumstances, as well as start new and exciting projects to ensure that Sid’s legacy will remain a strong competitor in the market. Sid contributed so much to the plastics industry and will be sorely missed. By Makkie Botha

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

Plastics|SA launch Phillip de Weerdt (Nampak) congratules Anton Hanekom (PlasticsSA executive director) at the Johannesburg launch

Chris Oberem (Hestico), Horst Seute (Gers Services), Rob Rodger and Phillip de Weerdt both of Nampak at the PlasticsSA Johannesburg launch

MEMBERS of the local plastics industry gathered at functions held in Johannesburg and Cape Town recently to celebrate the launch of the new Plastics|SA (previously the Plastics Federation of South Africa). PlasticsSA Executive Director Anton Hanekom and the Johannesburg and Cape Town teams entertained and informed guests at a cocktail function and information session where they introduced a season of new beginnings and growth in the local plastics industry.

Leon and Ida Durie (Lomotek) and Zirk du Toit (Lomold) enjoying the Cape Town hospitality

PETCO AGM serves up adventure & history!

PETCO CEO Cheri Scholtz ﬂanked by guest speakers Braam Malherbe of Beyond Boundaries on the left and Bertie Lourens of Wasteplan on the right

Lynn du Plessis, Cheri Scholtz and Belinda Booker keeping the show on the road at PETCO

Lorita Diem (Novara) enjoying the beer

PETCO’s AGM on 31 August, held at the SAB World of Beer in Newtown, Johannesburg, saw members enjoying the motivational presentation by guest speaker Braam Malherbe, conservationist, extreme adventurer, international motivational speaker, youth developer, TV presenter and best-selling author. And just when everyone thought the fun was over, guests were taken on a tour through 6000 years of magical beer brewing history!

W. Fearnehough Africa/Zanogen Machine Knives relocates Cape Town office W. FEARNEHOUGH AFRICA (PTY) LTD / ZANOGEN MACHINE KNIVES celebrated the opening of its new Cape Town office in September. The new offices are located at Unit 52, Gold Street, Northgate Business Park, Northgate Estate in Brooklyn, near the Koeberg Interchange, Cape Town. The company manufactures, supplies, re-grinds, sharpens and reconditions

industrial machine knives and blades as well as related products for the steel, paper, plastic, timber and leather Industries. Their Zanogen products are manufactured at the company’s head ofﬁce in Gauteng. The Cape Town ofﬁce stocks popular cutting sticks, blades and offers a sharpening service to customers in the Cape Town and surrounding areas.

www.zanogen.co.za

Celebrating the opening of their new ofﬁces in Cape Town were W. Fearnehough Africa (Pty) Ltd/Zanogen Machine Knives staff members Keven Jupp (Production Director, Johannesburg), Bruce Hains, Carrie-Anne Cleworth (Marketing Strategist, Johannesburg), Edwina Payne (Internal Sales, Cape Town), Lynn Stierlin (Sales Executive, Cape Town), Caireen Hains (Managing Director), Graham Jupp (Owner) and Alﬁe Powell (Machinist, Cape Town).

TRIBUTES NORBERT AHRENS

Top management of the SA plastics industry were well represented at the Johannesburg launch – Quentin Tomeselli (Transpaco), Johann van Heerden (Bumbo), Ian Pepper (Pepson Plastics) and Andrea Protti (Crystal Pak)

Andy Pani (HIC Straws), Monya Vermaak (PlasticsSA marketing & communications executive) and Anton Hanekom (PlasticsSA executive director) at the Cape Town launch

Graham Blyth (Aerontec) and Dave Roberts (Alpine Injection Moulding) catch up at the Cape Town launch

John Petersen, Ismail van der Schyff (Van Der Schyff Plastics) and Wayne Isaacs (CK Moulders) at the Cape Town launch

SAPRO AGM tackles law & more BESIDES the usual recycling issues, SAPRO’s AGM on 24 August in Midrand also introduced members to Johan Pieterse, CEO for the Plastics Convertors Association and Mahlatsi Mgid, communications manager for The Enterprise Organisation (TEO) of the DTI. Johan discussed labour law in SA and how it inﬂuences the recycler. Mahlatsi talked about the ﬁnancial incentives that are available from TEO for capital investment, technology upgrading and plant expansions. All in all, a particularly interesting and informative meeting!

SAPRO committee members, Peter Waldburger of Enviroserv, Chandru Wadhwani of Extrupet, Rudi Johannes of Polymark, Annabè Pretorius and Douglas Greig

BNR Agencies host great charity golf day ACCOLADES to BNR Agencies who raised more than R45 000 at its charity golf day on 19 August at the Mount Edgecombe Country Club. Recipients of the funds raised are Verulam Frail Care Centre, Witteklip Seconday School, Saiva Sithantha Kazhagan and Phelezela Children’s Home. “Bringing a smile to some underprivileged and destitute people, even for a day or a week, makes me feel proud,” said BNR’s Bobby Pillay. The turnout of players and sponsors on the day was excellent with a ﬁeld of 144

players participating. The winning team was President Plastics, with Kairos Projects and GS Buildings in second and third place respectively. The sumptuous dinner and prize giving was attended by at least 210 people, with David Rule of Plasticolors doing the honours as guest speaker. The main sponsor was Pak Petro Chemicals (Pakistan). Master of ceremonies was Alain Berichon, national chairman of PISA. BNR Agencies thanked all the sponsors who helped to make the event the success it was. BNR’s Bobby Pillay with Sari Moodley, Seelan Venga, Keshendri Chetty, Thirusha Govender and Roshnee Pillay (BNR) and Keenan Venga (in front)

NORBERT Ahrens of Ahrco International of Durban passed away in September after a long battle with his health. He was 69. Born in February 1942, Norbert spent many years in the plastics material supply market, importing a variety of polymers and additives and servicing the KZN region as well as customers in several other countries. Norbert was well-known in the 1980s and ‘90s as a supplier of EVA from Leuna Germany, to the shoe industry in KZN. He was the most prominent supplier of EVA during that period, and in fact supplied Leuna’s Miravithen EVA all over the world. After that, and especially during the early 2000s, Norbert was an agent for Affirm Marketing Services in the KZN region, supplying polyolefins to a wide section of users. Affirm later ceased activity in KZN, following which he represented Samchem Corporation, marketing its range of imported polymers to the pipe and film Industry in KZN. Norbert was a hard working and reliable colleague and was always prepared to go the extra mile. He was known for his attention to detail and an ability to be on top of shipping and arrival times, as would affect the delivery of material orders to customers. He prided himself in trying to offer the best possible service to his clients at all times. He loved horses and spent many an hour on horseback in the KNZ hills until his health limited this pastime. Norbert lived in Pinetown for many years and leaves behind two sons and a devoted friend, Rita. Our condolences to his family and friends – he will be sorely missed.

JAN FRYLINCK A BIG man, Jan Frylinck of Ultra Polymers was a ‘gentle giant’ and his death at age 53 in July came as a surprise to all. He was a good sportsman and widely popular. Jan began his career in the steel industry with Iscor, but he must have known something most others didn’t when he completed the plastics technology diploma at Pretoria Technikon. He subsequently joined Plastamid as a technical representative in Gauteng in June 1989. Jan soon showed his customer focused enthusiasm together with his polymer application understanding. He built lasting relationships with customers and was responsible for exceptional business growth for Plastamid in the Gauteng region. In the mid 1990s he was promoted to manager for the Gauteng region for the company. In 2005 Jan left Plastamid and, after a brief stint at Lomotek, joined Ultra Polymers where he stayed until his untimely death. Jan loved his sport: he played ﬁrst team league tennis for his club in Pretoria and was also strong in the administration of the game, where he was both club captain and chairman during his competitive playing time. After a heart attack in the late 1990s, Jan took up golf more seriously in place of tennis. It was not too long before he had a single ﬁgure handicap. This love for sport resulted in Jan setting up a number of customer-supplier sporting events, which proved very popular. Jan will be sorely missed in the industry. Article by Stephen Mountain, ex-MD, Plastamid OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 39

Dr Niall Marshall: was formerly based in Johannesburg where he worked with Sasol and Ciba. He subsequently moved to Bahrain in the Middle East and joined Everspring Middle East, one of the largest manufacturers of polymer stabilisers and X-ponent Three, which supplies a complementary range of additives and pigments and provides technical and business consulting services.

The roads in most of the region are potholes full of asphalt!

TS AN PL R ME LY PO G BI don’t automatically mean big success for local converters

FEATURE

Niall Marshall, our man in Bahrain, reports that convertors in the Middle East appear to have many problems BY NIALL MARSHALL similar to those encountered in SA IT IS a common human tendency to see the grass as greener on the ‘other’ side but, as many have later discovered, it’s not always the case. Hearing about the number of petrochemical projects, polymer producers, technical centres, converter parks and investment incentives offered in the Middle East, one can easily be led to believe that the region’s grass really is greener. In fact, for all its ambitions and the advantages offered to the industry, it is not a lush green utopia. Firstly, although there are a number of polymer plants in the region producing millions of tons of polypropylene and polyethylene using the latest technologies, most of this material is destined for the high-volume export markets of Asia. For converters using the grades that are produced in the Gulf, excellent quality material is available; however, for converters who need anything else, it is unlikely to be manufactured locally (unless their demand is in the tens-of-thousands of tons). There is a general unhappiness among converters here that the raw material cost benefits enjoyed by the polymer producers are not passed on to them. A common complaint among converters in the region is that the polymer producers are inflexible and that there is no benefit for converters on having local polymer production. One polymer producer only accepts orders in the third week of the month for delivery the following month! No opportunity to order additional material in the middle of the month? Having said that, it is also true that there is increasing competition between polymer producers in the Middle East market (not all polymer producers sell material locally) and while it does not seem to change pricing 40 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

policies, it is improving service and flexibility. Arabian Peninsula is massive The second challenge faced by polymer converters in the Middle East is the size of the region. Geographically, the Arabian Peninsula is about two-and-a-half times the size of South Africa, but the population is about half that of SA’s, living mostly along the coast or in a few interior cities like Riyadh. Until recently, the region’s infrastructure has lagged behind that of the developed world, with no rail network and poor roads. The roads in most of the region are potholes full of asphalt! As a result, about 80% of plastic converters manufacture only for customers in their immediate region. These small converters are now under enormous pressure from the larger regional manufacturers benefiting from the improved infrastructure and GCC common market. The large, efficient converters manufacturing for export markets are still the exception. The new plastics conversion parks are being established to encourage more manufacturing for export markets, which may revolutionize the industry, but it is still a work in progress. Labour is expensive Thirdly, labour is expensive. In the same way that the advanced economies of Europe and America complement their workforce by recruiting foreign skilled workers, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries rely on expatriates. Working and living in the Middle East does not lead to residence or citizenship, so expatriate workers are always temporary. At some point they will return ‘home’. Therefore, in addition to having to offer salary packages that entice families to

Desert golf course with pipeline in Bahrain

relocate to a culturally alien and climatically challenging region and cover expensive housing and schooling, companies experience additional costs associated with high staff turnover. It is not only the highly qualified and experienced workers who need to be recruited from outside the region: unskilled and menial workers are also expatriates. Companies need to arrange work visas for all their ‘expats’, but the number of visas they qualify for depends on meeting localization targets: that is, on how many local citizens are employed. Bureaucracy Typically companies are required to employ a certain percentage of local citizens. Plastics converters who are unable to recruit locals with the necessary skills (technical skills specifically are in short supply) need to employ sufficient locals in other positions to qualify for the number of visas required to fill their vacancies. For a manufacturing company operating with shifts, the number of expatriate workers required can be sizeable and can result in bloated organizations to qualify for visas. Fourthly, there is the bureaucracy. From manufacturing licenses to work visas, from import permits to environmental certificates, everything is a multi-step process with the additional complication of regulations changing often and approvals having to be renewed regularly. The grass may be greener in the Middle East, but sometimes it’s important to realize that most of it is artificial grass covering a sandy desert! NIALL CAN BE REACHED AT: NIALL.MARSHALL@EVERSPRINGME.COM

EQUIPMENT

Recent Recycling Machinery achieves top results in output ratio RECENT Recycling Machinery has achieved yet another top accolade. The specialist in plastic recycling technology based in Pucking/Linz, Austria, focuses on manufacturing and developing highly efﬁcient recycling equipment for a wide range of thermoplastics. Although the company was only founded in 2009, it has already supplied several plants to a worldwide range of notable customers and received a substantial reputation within the market. Thanks to the solid background and expertise of the international KUAG Group, Recent’s innovative plants are able to achieve hourly outputs of e.g. 600 kg pelletizing HDPE and 700 kg/h pelletizing LDPE, using a 95 mm single screw extruder with only one degassing unit. This excellent kg/h ratio is a result of the specially designed ideal screw geometry which guarantees perfect plastiﬁcation and homogenization of the thermoplastic feeding material. The Recent plant consumes less energy compared to

Speedy production!

common recycling systems while offering easy handling and a high safety level during operation. • ADEX PLASTICS & MACHINERY CC IS THE SA AGENT www.adexplastics.com www.recent-recycling.com

Using Swesy die heads, changing sizes on the die heads can be performed fast and gently as the die is exchanged as a complete unit

Recent Recycling Machinery’s Erwin Forstner (right) visited South Africa recently where he met with local agent Adex Plastics & Machinery cc’s Paul Clarke

UNICOR, the German manufacturer of corrugated pipe extrusion lines, manufactures premium corrugator and extrusion heads for continuous production processes with a high output. With corrugators for the continuous and

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

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KwaZulu Natal Tel: 031 701 1053 /63 Fax: 031 701 1062 ashwan@hi-techelements.co.za www.hi-tech.edx.co.za

HEATING ELEMENT DESIGN & MANUFACTURE

Erema customers count on ecoSAVE and the environment Since the beginning of 2010 Erema’s customers have had the beneﬁt of high recycled pellet quality and have been able to reduce CO2 emissions and power consumption through ecoSAVE® technology. EcoSAVE is a complete package of design and process engineering measures that reduce energy consumption by up to 10%. To reduce losses through heat radiating to the outside and optimise thermal output even further, melt ﬁlters on new recycling systems will now feature added insulation. Systems featuring ecoSAVE technology and using the option of the

speedy production of corrugated pipes and with short downtimes for retooling to other sizes, Unicor has established itself as a leader on the world market. The Unicor Corrugator FDC 160 is successfully in use worldwide and can produce all current sizes that are relevant for cable protection. Single and doublewalled corrugated pipes from 32 to 175 mm can be manufactured on this machine at high speeds of up to 28 m/min. A proven all-rounder for the production of corrugated pipes is the UC 250 and also the UC 315. This machine can produce cable protection pipes in all sizes as well as sewage pipes with diameters of up to 250/315 mm. Fast retooling times are required to continuously maintain high production levels on a corrugator. Using Swesy Die Heads, changing sizes on these die heads can be performed fast and gently as the die in the Swesy model is exchanged as a complete unit. The maintenance of the die heads is also minimal.

process control system, give the plant operator information on current energy requirements, enabling active energy optimisation throughout the ongoing production process. Erema’s technology has become established as a global, leading standard for a wide variety of recycling tasks, ranging from the recycling of polyoleﬁnes to polyester (PET).

Thermographic images taken from ecoSAVE® test runs

• Relloy is the SA agent for Erema

www.Erema.at

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 43

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MATERIALS

PC material of choice for innovative lighting concepts Bayer MaterialScience joins forces with Audi and Hella to promote use of polycarbonate for LED lenses in automobile headlamps THANKS to their low energy consumption, low maintenance requirements and long service life, *LED (light emitting diode) light technologies will soon supplant traditional lighting systems. Bayer MaterialScience has developed customized polycarbonates for this ﬁeld which are now proving their mettle in initial series applications. Some examples from the automotive industry include LED lenses for low-beam and fullbeam headlights and ﬁbre optics for daytime running lights in the front headlamps of the new Audi A8. The 10 plastic lenses used in the Audi A8 headlamp are made from Makrolon® LED 2245, which boasts high transmission for long light paths, high thermal resistance and excellent yellowing stability to LED light. The Bayer material meets the high optical requirements for exposed headlamp parts and is within the narrow colour tolerance range. It also enables enhanced design freedom and a considerable weight reduction. LED lenses are around 50% lighter than their glass counterparts. To ensure that small vehicles, too, can be powered by batteries that are still very heavy, the cars themselves have to be lightweight, which forces manufacturers to cut down on weight wherever possible. With small vehicles, interest in lightweight LED headlamp lenses and other optical headlamp components made of polycarbonate is soaring. What’s more, the weight reduction from these components is achieved ahead of the front axle, a fact that

Audi headlight lens cover – LED lens system

has a positive effect on vehicle dynamics. LED headlamps also use less energy, which places less load on the battery. The rectangular, slightly curved LED headlamp lenses for the Audi A8 are 4cm long, 2cm wide and 1cm thick. Because of the complex shape and thick walls of the optical components, it is no longer economically viable to produce them by the standard injection moulding process. Bayer MaterialScience therefore set about improving its multi-layer injection moulding ability. This and other techniques for mould temperature control are now so sophisticated that high-precision LED lenses with walls of greatly varying thickness can be manufactured in short cycles while achieving a high degree of dimensional stability for the components. New concept – LED street lights Bayer MaterialScience’s experience in the field of polycarbonate LED lenses has also been incorporated into a study on street lamps using LED lenses made of Makrolon. The concept was drawn up in conjunction with Cologne-based agency DESIGNquadrat GbR. It came about as a result of public-sector efforts in many European countries to reduce the high costs of powering traditional street lights, of which there are 27 million in operation throughout Europe. The defining feature of the study is the futuristic design of the lamps with their two-leaf floral shape. A photovoltaic cell integrated in the leaf pointing towards the

LED solar lamp with polycarbonate lens cover

sun further reduces the amount of energy drawn from the public electricity grid to power the lamps, which is already low thanks to the LED technology. The other leaf incorporates six LEDs with one lens each. The design of the LED lenses shows that compared with glass, polycarbonates offer much greater design freedom for precision optical parts. Other advantages include polycarbonate’s high heat resistance and high break and shatter resistance. Bayer MaterialScience also offers LED lenses made of ﬂame-retardant polycarbonate grades. It also has a wide range of customized polycarbonates and polycarbonate blends for LED lamp covers and housings. These range from transparent and opaque (e.g. light-diffusing) materials to non-transparent (e.g. highly reﬂective) materials. • BAYER’S MAKROLON IS SUPPLIED IN SOUTH AFRICA BY PLASTICHEM: FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT PLASTICHEM TOLL FREE ON 0800 006 772. www.plastichem.co.za

*LED: An LED is an electronic device that emits light when an electrical current is passed through it. LEDs are commonly used for indicator lights (such as power on/off lights) on electronic devices. They also have several other applications, including electronic signs, clock displays, and flashlights. Since LEDs are energy efficient and have a long lifespan (often more than 100,000 hours), they have begun to replace traditional light bulbs in several areas. Some examples include street lights, the red lights on cars, and various types of decorative lighting. You can typically identify LEDs by a series of small lights that make up a larger display. The energy efficient nature of LEDs allows them to produce brighter light than other types of bulbs while using less energy.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

PVC industry takes responsibility for sustainable future Constructive engagement in SAVA workshops in Durban and Johannesburg THE Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) is well on its way to building a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;best practice PVC brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for the local vinyls industry with two workshops held during September in Johannesburg and Durban at which industry role players were invited to engage constructively on SAVAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans for a Product Stewardship Programme (PSP) to develop â&#x20AC;&#x153;best practice PVC products.â&#x20AC;? Industry stakeholders, met to take responsibility and debate the draft PSP which uses European best practice as a barometer for

Joe Majorobela from Sasol Polymers and George Dimond in conversation 46

November. SAVA CEO Delanie Bezuidenhout explained that, at the inception of SAVA, two speciďŹ c technical steering groups (TSGs) were created, one focusing on the responsible and sustainable use of additives and the other on the recycling of PVC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The members of these TSGs have worked very hard to create a list of realistic, achievable and sustainable commitments that will form part of the SAVA Product Stewardship Programme, she explained.

local industry. Tough debate and constructive critique was the order of the day, particularly in Durban. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The workshops demonstrated that SAVA is on track and the local vinyl industry will assume responsibility for their future by addressing core issues that has marginalized the vinyl image for twenty years,â&#x20AC;? said SAVA chairman Gary van Eyk. Van Eyk conďŹ rmed that SAVAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PSP voluntary commitment will be ďŹ ne-tuned and presented to industry for signature in

Nico Scheepers of Associated Additives, Ilze van der Walt of South Ocean Electric Wire Company and Pranesh Sanjith of NCP Chlorchem

Sarah Laybourne of Isegen South Africa and Frank Lovell of Arengo Plastics

Mark Holtes of Isegen, Steve van Rensberg of Alpha Plast and Rishi Madho of Sasol Polymers

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

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These suggested milestones and commitments were the topic of comment and discussion at the workshops before being accepted as part of SAVAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Product Stewardship Programme. Bezuidenhout explained that a product stewardship â&#x20AC;&#x153;is a principle that directs all participants involved in the life cycle of a product to take shared responsibility for the impacts to human health and the natural environment that result from the production, use and end-of-life management of the product. The greater the ability of a party to inďŹ&#x201A;uence the life cycle impacts of the product, the greater the degree of that partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibility.â&#x20AC;? The principles involved include: â&#x20AC;˘ Shared responsibility â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for all stakeholders/ partners in the supply chain; â&#x20AC;˘ Lifecycle thinking â&#x20AC;&#x201C; reduce risk and increase sustainability (redesign, replace, withdraw); â&#x20AC;˘ Knowledge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; understand the potential risk

of your actions; â&#x20AC;˘ Supply chain communication â&#x20AC;&#x201C; share information in entire supply chain; â&#x20AC;˘ Stakeholders â&#x20AC;&#x201C; understand the concerns of all stakeholders; â&#x20AC;˘ Teamwork â&#x20AC;&#x201C; product stewards work with experts; â&#x20AC;˘ Awareness â&#x20AC;&#x201C; watch for information about new risks, safer products, respond to changes; â&#x20AC;˘ Innovation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; commitment to PSP stimulates innovation; â&#x20AC;˘ Management â&#x20AC;&#x201C; implement practices that will continually move product stewardship forward; â&#x20AC;˘ Integration â&#x20AC;&#x201C; product stewardship programme must be integral to how a business operates.

Shaun Bouwer of Custom Colour/Performance Masterbatch, Mark Gibson from MyWaste and Ian Edwards of Cibapac who is also Chairperson of PSPC

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Ian Clark of Keniplas, Alistair Calder of SunAce and Pierre Mans of Capital Polymer Additives

Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) Chairman Gary van Eck p. 011 552 6200 c. 082 882 3333 e. gary@sunace.co.za

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AnnabĂ¨ Pretorius (SAPRO), Blythe Dookhoo of PolyďŹ&#x201A;or, SAVA CEO Delanie Bezuidenhout and Tandy Coleman-Spolander of PolyďŹ&#x201A;or OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 47

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Many plastic pipes still donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t meet Tests conducted to ascertain if manufacturers adhere to quality standards non-SAPPMA samples tested (from companies which are not members of the association), 17 failed (79%). Of the 11 SAPPMA accredited pipes tested, 2 failed (18%). Louis explained that the SAPPMA members, who were committed to maintaining high quality standards, found it extremely difďŹ cult to compete with According to Louis Albertyn, managing manufacturers who produced poor quality director of Marley Pipe Systems, who and were thus beneďŹ tting from an unfair was guest speaker at the SAPPMA cost advantage. AGM on 11 August, the testing exerAll of the pipes which failed carried the cise was conducted to ascertain if pipe SABS mark. Louis said it was possible manufacturers were adhering to quality that some manufacstandards. Louis turers abused the explained the critical Another achievement SABS logo on their role of the pipe manpipes while not by SAPPMA was the ufacturing industry: actually meeting the publication in February â&#x20AC;&#x153;This industry is a SABS standards. of the third edition of its strategic asset of the The improved policcountry and plays Technical Manual, after ing of standards was a pivotal role in the of utmost imporsome signiďŹ cant additions establishment and tance to protect the and minor amendments. provision of esseninterests of quality tial basic services producers, as well such as potable waas the brand value of the SABS. He ter and waste systems which ensure the added that a substantial proportion of low health and safety of the people as well quality product probably ends up on lowas the environment. Product is designed cost housing projects, thus harming the for a life cycle of 50 to 100 years and neediest portion of our society. it is critical that the standards set and The quality compromise in the market developed are adhered to, enabling the poses a severe threat not only to end product to serve its full life span.â&#x20AC;? customers and the quality producers, The results of the testing process but to the entire industry â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and SAPPMA were not good (both pressure and called for decisive and immediate action gravity pipe were tested): of the 19 to rectify the serious situation.

QUALITY testing of plastic pipe by SAPPMA over the past year has revealed some shocking results: more than 75% of the non-SAPPMA pipes and even a few SAPPMA accredited pipes failed the tests.

Jan Venter addressing the members present at the SAPPMA AGM

Louis Albertyn of Marley was the guest speaker at the AGM

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

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SAPPMA standard â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the main challenges lying ahead, said Jan, was the insufďŹ cient appreciation in the market of the critical importance of plastic pipes in the infrastructure of the country.â&#x20AC;?

SAPPMA team â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Members of the SAPPMA management committee at the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AGM in August included AndrĂŠ Botha (Sasol), SAPPMA chairman Jan Venter, Tony Dean (Flo-Tek), Darryl Bowden (Johnson Screening), Hein Momberg (Fiberpipe) and Louis Albertyn (Marley Pipe Systems). Gerhard Kotze of DPI, who is also on the committee, was not able to attend

Seventh year SAPPMA director Jan Venter, delivering his annual report at the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seventh AGM (SAPPMA was formed in 2004), said the past year (ďŹ nancial period July 2010 to June 2011) had been exceptionally difďŹ cult for the plastic pipe industry, with big decreases in volumes and increasing pressure on manufacturersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; margins. It even resulted in the demise of one of the biggest pipe producers in South Africa, the Petzetakis group. Jan thanked the members of the SAPPMA management and technical committees for their work over the past year. The technical committee had overseen the development of SAPPMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

own internal pipe standards, which are intended for use where no suitable national standard exists or where such standards are vague or inadequate. The development of the standards structure became necessary because of customer uneasiness due to serious product failures in the market. Much investigation and discussion went into this project and the ďŹ nal document was eventually adopted towards the end of 2010, said Jan. Another achievement by SAPPMA was the publication in February of the third edition of its Technical Manual, after some signiďŹ cant additions and minor amendments. The book is popular with

design engineers, and hence is an important interface between pipe manufacturers and their customers. Jan said this was something SAPPMA could be proud of. On this front, SAPPMA representatives had also undertaken a project to visit 50 prominent consulting engineering ďŹ rms in Gauteng, which was very well received and boded well for the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-term future. One of the main challenges lying ahead, said Jan, was the insufďŹ cient appreciation in the market of the critical importance of plastic pipes in the infrastructure of the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to continuously emphasize that a plastic pipe is not just another plastic product, but is a crucial element in the conveyance of water and sewage and that it needs to last at least 50 years,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA) Director Jan Venter p. 012 548 0149 c. 079 506 0484 e. janventer@3gi.co.za

Secretary Louise Muller p. 012 548 0149 c. 082 417 2977 e. admin@sappma.co.za

www.sappma.co.za

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 49

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Rotation 2011 Focus remains on reducing cycle times, cutting energy costs

Fiery Irish – Mark Kearns of Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, who has attended a number of the ARMSA ‘Rotation’ events previously, was the keynote speaker at this year’s conference

WITH close to double-digit growth in the rotational moulding sector over more than a decade up till 2007, the economic crunch over the past few years presented previously unexpected problems for roto businesses. Coming to terms with the new challenges presented since – like improving production rates and cutting energy costs – was not surprisingly at the core of ARMSA’S ‘Rotation 2011’ conference at KwaMaritane in the Pilansberg, NorthWest, in September. Keynote speaker Mark Kearns of Queen’s University of Belfast, who has given presentations at previous Rotation events in SA, focused exactly on this area. He outlined some of the projects underway at the Northern Ireland research centre, which has dedicated considerable R+D to roto moulding and become a world leader 1

in this specialised area. Besides a proven ability to mould large, hollow parts such as water tanks with nearly uniform wall thicknesses, roto moulders need to improve performance in several areas, Kearns suggested, including: • reducing cycle times; • making efficient use of energy; • using pressurised moulds; • holding close tolerances; and • making quality foamed parts. Other challenges facing the sector include the need to mould non-PE materials (such as PP, PA) as well as engineering plastics (ABS, PC); decorate in the mould; and the need to use robotic finishing techniques. Kearns said roto moulding faced competition from a number of other processes, including blow moulding, thermoforming, gas-assist and ‘lost core’ injection moulding, filament winding and slush moulding. The industry’s best possible reaction to this scenario was to improve monitoring of production in order to enhance control and aim towards the development of technology innovations, he suggested. This process is underway at Queen’s University, where its ‘Future Proofing’ projects (to anticipate future potential) include the use of anodized aluminum moulding tools and the use of natural fibres from food production scrap (in this case from banana farming on the Canary Islands). Queen’s has managed to obtain funding from the European Union for some of its projects, and Kearns and his team have during their research work been collaborating with many of Europe’s estimated 350 roto moulding businesses in this process. 3

In the bush! … Well, not quite. The auditorium at KwaMaritane in the Pilansberg, venue of ARMSA’s Rotation 2011 conference, was well appointed

‘Rotoflex’ project One of the main focusses at Queen’s at present is the ‘Rotoflex’ project which is focusing on the development of a ‘universal’ automatic feed system in order for materials to be fed into the mould at any stage of the cycle. Development of material feed pipe along a robotic arm is at the heart of the programme, with an ‘Auto-Park’ system designed to allow the positioning of the mould in the correct orientation. The goal is to facilitate the accurate, controlled delivery of resins, reinforcements, additives, inert gas and coolant media into the mould and maintaining mould pressurization. The intention is to develop a system that can be configured to fit existing roto machines. Water spray cooling Another development by Kearns and his team is the ‘Micromelt’ technology aimed at reducing processing times and improving surface quality – and hence cutting product cost. The process involves a microwave tool heating process used in tandem with an internal mould water spray cooling system. Micromelt could achieve a 24% reduction in energy cost and a similar rate of reduction in cycle times. Cooling remains one of the main problems for roto moulding: the moulder is usually obliged to employ relatively slow cooling of the outer surface of the mould up to the point when the plastic has solidified. If a molten plastic is subjected to fast cooling 5

6 1. The joker! – There’s no conference without someone who’s prepared to stand up and get the show on the road, and Rod Cairns of Jo Jo Tanks had quite a few tricks up his sleeve in this regard. Funds for a selected charity were collected too and, thanks to Rod, contributions exceeded expectation and, besides that, he made sure everyone knew what was going on 2. International speakers at Rotation 2011 included George Padioussis of Ingenia Polymers, out from Greece, and Alain St 50

Pierre of Reduction Engineering of the USA 3. Dhanu Patell of Reinhardt Roto Machines of India continued his long association with the ARMSA Rotation conferences – he hasn’t missed one over the past 12 years! Here we see him with Jack Wiid of Pioneer, which has installed a number of the Reinhardt systems. Reinhardt’s new ‘RSX’ series machine has ‘cooked’ at 5000-litre tank (shotweight 85kgs) in just 10 minutes! 4. Wayne Wiid and Clive Robertson of the ARMSA committee

5. Exhibition – SCG of Thailand, supplier of roto powders, exhibited on a joint stand with its SA agent, MBT. Here we see Chayut Pihakaendr, Parichat Suksuphak and Voravut of SCG with MBT’s Lance van der Merwe. 6. Looks like wood – A component manufactured with a material developed by SCG which shows a wood ﬁnish, for applications such as planter boxes

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ARMSA ‘Product of the Year’ winners WINNER!

SILVER & BRONZE!

Nico Hickley of CHM Plastics of Johannesburg repeated his winning success with the ‘Go-Line’ turf marker last year when he again received the ARMSA ‘Product of the Year’ Award at Rotation 2011. On this occasion he entered a cable runner board, a component used to run electrical cables across thoroughfares to protect against damage from passing vehicles or, in the case of pedestrian trafﬁc, for the safety of humans or animals. An additional challenge for Nico was to mould the base of the component in a PVC plastisol, to give it ﬂexibility.

Accelerate Design of Pretoria won both the runner-up and bronze awards this year. Adjudged the runner-up, Accelerate’s design of a bottle bank for collecting glass containers for recycling – besides being designed in the shape of a bottle – offers simple improvements from earlier designs, notably with the lifting device: the one anchor is used to lift the container for transport to depot, with the lower anchor being conﬁgured to open the chute to empty the containers.

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Beehive yourself! – Piet van Niekerk of Accelerate Design (seen here with Mark Kearns) was a happy man after his company’s roto moulded beehive received the bronze award.

On tot! – Pioneer Plastics of Rosslyn entered a mini jerry can, intended for use as a tot measure or for specialized beverages. Pioneer already manufactures jerry cans, but the full-size variety, among its range of products for the truck accessory/outdoor adventure markets.

www.hickley.co.za www.pioneerplastics.co.za

on one side and slow cooling on the other (slow cooling tends to produce more crystalline structures, faster cooling will result in less crystallinity), the result will be a difference in the structure across the thickness of the plastic once it becomes solid. Warpage, distortion or changed dimensions usually result in the moulding being regarded as a reject. The Queen’s team came up with a Rotocooler© system for spraying a controlled water jet into the centre of the rotating moulding. The results of the project suggested that this achieved: • reduction in cooling time; • reduction in warpage/shrinkage; • balanced internal/external cooling; • no detrimental effect on part quality; • no detrimental effect on mechanical properties. More info at: www.rotoﬂex-eu.org

Design registration Rina Gunter of Gunter Attorneys gave a presentation about the complicated area of intellectual property and patent design 1

1. Micromelt development – Research work using microwave heating of the mould and an internal water spray system to hasten cooling of the component being conducted at Queen’s University in Belfast 2. Registered designs – It is possible

registration. The main aspect of interest for product developers present was that of preventing others from gaining commercially by copying designs and developments. Intellectual property includes patents; registered designs; trade marks; copyright (cinematographic ﬁlms); domain names; conﬁdential information; know-how and trade secrets. And the design registration process can be confusing: on occasion, even minor alterations from the original design have been regarded by patent registration authorities as acceptable. In South Africa, you can protect ideas regarding process, method, product or apparatus that are “industrially realisable,” and this does apply to the roto moulding area, added Rina. The international Patent Cooperation Treaty, which has over 140 member countries, oversees the process globally. Costs for design registration range from R6000-R10 000, so it’s feasible to take such precautions. www.gunterattorneys.com

to protect the outward appearance of industrially produced articles (shape, pattern, conﬁguration, ornamentation), according to patent authority Rina Gunter 3. The ‘RSX’ machines from Reinhardt include a moving oven which, together with the

Reinhardt machines Another man who has focused huge energy into roto moulding is Dhanu Patell of Reinhardt Machines of India. It has been making roto machines for Reinhardt of Germany since 2000 and is now handling all roto machine manufacture for the German parent. Several of SA’s top rotation companies use Reinhardt machines. Dhanu outlined special features of Reinhardt’s latest ‘RSX’ series machines, including: • 4 cooling stations, with 3 load-unload stations; • any arm can be taken into the oven, irrespective of its position (effectively translates into ‘overtaking of arms’); • multi-layer feeding inside or outside the oven through pneumatic assistance, without any loss of heat; • option to vary the speed ratios of major and minor axis during the cycle; • new air ﬂow system eliminates the need for preheating in almost all products. Recent achievements with the RSX system include the production of 5000-litre tanks with 85kg shotweight in 10 minutes. 3

systems other capabilities, achieve a more dynamic solution … and allow for the faster production of large and even complicated products 4. Containers such as this large mobile ‘skip’ are being easily moulded on these machines.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Winning student designers Roto student design competition continues to build on success WITH a growing reputation as one of the top student design competitions in the industry internationally, ARMSA’s ‘Sasol Student Design Awards’ received a relatively large number of entries again this year. The ﬁgure of 33 entries may not seem signiﬁcant to you, but you would have been impressed by the amount of work and attention to detail put in by the students from the University of Johannesburg and Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The topic for this year’s competition

was to design a chair for relaxing with additional features. If anything, the judges were taken aback by the quality of the entries and particularly by the winners’ ability to include extra capabilities in their solutions. Bearing in mind that the young designers mostly have limited experience of designing in plastics, the standard of the winning entries was fabulous – as indeed, were those of almost all the entries. Nick Aggett of Sasol Polymers is to be congratulated for successfully coordinating the awards programme once more; the awards have been presented annually since 1999. Bronze – Francis Birkenmeier’s chair design was among the top entries

Runner-up – The ‘Radiance’ chair from Melissa Yeatman – which used natural forms, possibly of a sea shell, as reference – was adjudged as the runner-up

s, who has been organising Nick Aggett of Sasol Polymer for over 10 years, with the ion petit com ign Des ent the Stud , Francis Birkenmeier man Yeat ssa Meli , ents winning stud of the 2011 event er winn ate and Myles Day, the ultim

Development in machines, moulds Even though Gary Lategan of Roto Solutions has outlined strategies for process improvements at previous Rotation conferences, he feels SA roto moulders are not utilizing such strategies. Gary is in a unique position: as one of the ﬁrst to realize the potential advantages of temperature control systems for roto moulding, while still at Atlas Plastics in Klerksdorp, he has over the past decade pursued his passion for roto moulding internationally. In the process, with his ‘TempLogger’ system and through his work with global roto solutions, he has visited numerous roto plants around the world and seen ﬁrst hand what works, and what doesn’t! Most of the solutions Gary recommends are simple: the ‘right’ machine is a 3-arm system (stations for heating, cooling and demoulding) and he believes that many of the machines in use are still too big (machines should be smaller and smarter, he suggests). The chief objectives for all manufacturers are to achieve consistent quality, reduce energy and reduce scrap, he proposed. One of the main problems in the 54

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

industry, he contends, is that roto machines either don’t have enough controls or the correct controls. Release Cliff Morrison of Tega Marketing gave a presentation about the range of mould release agents his company supplies. A surprisingly wide variety of mould release agents are available, from ‘sacriﬁcial’ to long-lasting types. Tega supplies materials from Productos Concentrol SA of Barcelona, a world leader in this particular area. www.tega.co.za

Ingenia Polymers George Padioussis of Ingenia Polymers gave two presentations: the ﬁrst being about Ingenia’s soon-to-be-commissioned petrochemical plant at Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia. Established in Canada in 1990, Ingenia manufactures roto moulding compounds, additives, white and black masterbatches for ﬁlm and general moulding and compounds and masterbatches for pipe extrusion. All these will be manufactured at

Winner – The ‘Shade Pod’ design from Miles Day of UJ was a clear winner of the competition; the ability of the canopy to be adjusted through 180° as well as its possible use for branding (around the hotel swimming pool, for example) was highly regarded by the judges

the major new Saudi operation. In a second presentation, George outlined the advantages of Ingenia’s ‘Superlink’ crosslinked polyethylene materials for roto moulding. He compared XLPE to the LLDPE and MDPE materials used conventionally. Advantages of the crosslinked materials include improved toughness and impact resistance as well as better stress crack resistance, which are important for rotationally moulded products. Anticipated applications for Superlink XLPE include fuel tanks for gasoline and diesel; large chemical tanks, road barriers, waste bin covers, go-cart bodies, high impact doors and nuclear waste containers.

Conclusion: Attendance at Rotation 2011 was lower than in previous years, possibly due to the economic situation, but that didn’t detract from the atmosphere in the Pilansberg! www.armsa.co.za

Association of Rotational Moulders of Southern Africa Chairman Clive Robertson E-mail: cliverobertson@ iburst.co.za Tel: 082 880 4976 www.armsa.co.za

Secretary Anlé van Niekerk Tel: 082 782 0413 Fax: 012 666 8062 E-mail: anle@accelerate.co.za

ASSOCIATIONS AFFILIATED TO ARMSA THROUGH ARMO Association Francophone du Rotomoulage Associazione Italiana Stampaggio Rotazionale Association of Rotational Moulders Australasia Association of Rotational Moulding Central Europe Association of Rotomoulders Ireland The British Plastics Federation Rotational Moulders Group

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Strategy of German supplier proves relevant Presentation by Frötek man in SA shows how to partner with local market THE PISA national AGM was held in East London on 28 July and fears that a quorum wouldn’t be achieved, as the Institute has not been active in the region for some years, were allayed by a fairly good turnout by the locals. Due to industrial action at the time, still others were unable to attend. The gathering was held at the Blue Lagoon Hotel at the mouth of the Nahoon River and as was to be expected at such functions, the proceedings of the AGM were handled expeditiously, most expeditiously in fact. Activity in the ‘Border’ branch has been at low ebb for several years, and the branch does not currently have a chairman. It was a pleasant surprise therefore to see a number of stalwart members present, as well as to host a number of other younger people from the industry.

New Fellows The East London AGM also presented an opportunity to upgrade a number of stalwart PISA members to Fellows of the Institute. Brian Etter and Wayne Dunn of Industrial Services Group (ISG) Engineering have both been members for over 15 years. They joined when still at Mega Hitec, which was subsequently bought by Venture group. ISG is in fact also part of Venture group, but the Venture auto component manufacturing operation has since been moved to Port Elizabeth. The other new Fellow, Andy Halls, is operations director at FloorWorX Africa, the vinyl ﬂooring manufacturer at Wilsonia. Andy has had a life-long career in plastics, staring at ICI (Imperial Chemical Company) in the UK in the ﬁeld of PVC research. In 1982 he moved to South Africa and

joined the AECI group in Sasolburg, where he was involved in the manufacture of PVC. He moved to Marley Flooring in 1986 where he has held a number of positions in the technical and production arenas. In 2004 Marley became FloorworX.

1. Good fellows – The trio of East Londoners – Brian Etter of Industrial Services Group, Andy Halls of FloorworX Africa and Wayne Dunn, also of ISG – who were elected as Fellows of the Institute at the PISA AGM 2. Guest speaker – Werner Bendisch of Frötek SA, who gave a presentation about this company’s strategy, and PISA national chairman Alain Berichon

3. NEC team – Members of the PISA national executive committee present in East London included Pixley Makhubo (Northern), Garth Taylor (new KZN chairman), Alain Berichon (national chairman), David Rule (national secretary), Martin Wells (national vice-chairman) and Moses Mynakeni (ex-KZN chairman) 4. Haisman Trophy – Western Cape branch won the Hais-

man Trophy as the ‘most improved branch’ over the past year. Martin Wells accepted the trophy from Moses Mnyakeni, who was chairman of KZN branch which had won the trophy for the past three years. This was only the second time that Western Cape had won the trophy since it was introduced in 1994, which is probably why Wells was so happy!

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

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Frötek presentation After the AGM, Werner Bendisch of Frötek SA gave a presentation about his company’s work in South Africa. Frötek, which has its HQ in Germany, is a supplier to the automotive and battery industry internationally, with a speciﬁc focus on the development of plastic parts. Established in 1985, it manufactures accessories for batteries and emergency power supply as well as ﬂexible connector systems. Besides Germany, it operates plants – which are effectively satellites to

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KZN golf day the best yet! automotive manufacturing operations – in the USA, China, the UK, Belgium, Spain, Ukraine and Hungary. The interesting aspect was the simple strategy followed by the Frötek management. Globally it employs just 240 people and its goal is to “supply the most suitable power solution in the shortest possible time,” said CEO Bernhard Fröhlich, in a video. It came as a surprise to see the high level of manual assembly at its plants, particularly in Eastern Europe, where lower labour costs appear to apply. Frötek decided in 2006 to open a plant in South Africa, which process Werner was tasked with, and it started supplying components in March 2007. Born in Johannesburg but having returned to Germany with his parents at age seven, Werner was keen to return to South Africa, but the undertaking of getting the injection moulding/vibration welding plant up and running has, not surprisingly, been challenging. His commitment has persevered, however, and the local operation is now employing 12 individuals and is moving to new premises on East London’s West Bank. The lack of qualiﬁed and skilled setters has presented problems, but Frötek plans to bring out an experienced setter from Germany to train the local production team.

PISA KZN’s bi-annual golf day at the Mount Edgecombe Country Club on 27 May saw 132 players teeing off smartly in their blue and white golf shirts sponsored by MJH Machine Tools. Winning team, Nampak Flexibles 2 with Nawaaz Khalik, Randall Davids, Anand Padayachee and Praveen Padayachee, scored 111 points. In 2nd place was Plastomark 1 with 108 points and 3rd was Flowe-pac. The day’s proceeds were donated to Amelia Peters who suffers from neurogenic bladder condition. Amelia has had three spinal and ﬁve bladder operations and is a candidate for a kidney transplant. The KZN PISA committee thanks sponsor MJH Machine Tools for going out of their way to make the day successful. National PISA Chairman Alain Berichon thanked the golf committee for the great work done - the best-run golf day yet. Well done KZN!

National Chairman Alain Berichon p. 031 461 2990 c. 082 888 2429 e. alain@neupack.co.za National Vice-Chairman Martin Wells p. 021 712 1408 c. 082 822 8115 e. martin@summitpub.co.z National Secretary David Rule p. 011 452 6940 c. 082 552 0726 e. david@plasticolors.co.za

KwaZulu-Natal Garth Taylor c. 084 924 4551 e. garth@pcasa.co.za Northern Pixley Makhubo p. 011 458 0719 c. 083 628 5215 e. pixley.makhubo@sasol.com Western Cape Billy MacMillan c. 082 453 7070 e. billy@superthene.com www.pisa.org.za

KZN winners! The ‘MC’ of the PISA KZN golf day Garth Taylor and Martin Haslam of MJH Machine Tools, the main sponsor of the event, with the winning Nampak Flexibles fourball, including Nawaaz Khalik, Randall Davids, Anand and Praveen Padayachee

Fire safety standards – the burning issue PISA call for papers for technical conference PISA’s Northern region has issued a call for papers for a technical conference ‘Flammability of plastics – the burning issue’ which it will host in Johannesburg on 22 February 2012. The objectives of the conference are to create greater awareness of the issues surrounding flammability of plastics in fires, provide opportunities for networking and to give all interested individuals , associations and organisations the opportunity to form a united national organisation concerned with the Flammability of Plastic Materials. Probable conference attendees will include academics, specifiers, buyers, mining engineers, architects, insurers, municipalities, fire chiefs, fire protection associations, manufacturers of plastic items,

suppliers of plastics materials and additives and people having a general interest in plastics applications. Probable topics to be covered include: • General: Fire statistics, global trends • Applications: Building and construction, electrical and electronics, mining, transport and automotive, packaging • Legislation: Regulations, standards, compliance • Additives: Performance, new developments • Testing: Methods, certiﬁcation If you have a paper you would like to present at the conference, contact Elmarie at tel: 011 314 4021, fax: 086 515 4253, or email: elmarie.botha@plasfed.co.za

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 57

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Disposal of tyres still poses tricky problem Support for using old casings as fuel for brick manufacture Continental Tyre KERRY Davis and I were invited to attend an IOM³ presentation about the new tyre regulations in Port Elizabeth on 27 July. We were excited and Alison Rademan, industrial engineering keen to learn, parmanager at Continenticularly about how tal Tyre in Port Elizathe new regulations beth, was called on impact the disposal unexpectedly to give of tyres. However, the presentation about due to unforeseen tyre disposal, and excelled in the role circumstances, the guest speaker was unable to attend and guests had to listen to an unprepared me. The basic strategy covered in my presentation was the ‘cradle to grave’ concept, in so far as that we cannot damage our environment and not be held responsible. Tyres are extremely difficult and expensive to dispose of safely. Tyres, especially uncut tyres, move around in landfills and eventfully work their way to the surface. Uncovered tyres also cause a health hazard as water collects in them. There are numerous instances of huge – almost mountains! – of disposed tyres. Methods of tyre disposal The main methods of tyre disposal include: • cutting up of the carcasses and disposing of the material in landfills; • freezing of the tyres: this involves crumbing the rubber and separating the metal components which can be sold off separately. The process is expensive, which is a drawback. Applications for the crumb include race courses, driveways, sports fields (as ‘astroturf’), as well as in the construction of municipal roads. The market for these materials in South Africa is, however, not very large at present; • using the tyres as a fuel, which the IOM³ is supporting in the Eastern Cape. Tyres used as a fuel A brick manufacturer in the Eastern Cape was granted a permit to use tyres as a

NEW EASTERN CAPE IOM³ COMMITTEE THE recently elected committee of the Eastern Cape section includes Deon Riekert (chairman), Coen Burger (vice-chairman), Christie Olivier (treasurer), Fourene Smith (functions/events), Kathy Garde (education/publicity), Diane van Rooyen (secretary) and Tertius de Ridder (membership).

BY ALISON RADEMAN

fuel in place of coal. It should be noted that costs for coal in the Eastern Cape are probably higher than in Gauteng and surrounds as the transport cost is higher. I visited the brickfield operation where burning of tyres had already commenced. The ESH consultant accompanying us carried out an air emission survey and discovered that extremely toxic chemical fumes were present. However, we were able to confirm that these fumes were not from the tyres. We then sent two days’ supply of scrap tyres to the brickfield. They burnt our tyres, and only our tyres, for a full two days. On the second day our consultant took more samples. This time the results were according to specifications and the results were well within the legal requirements. A contract was then established with the brickfield and a long-term relationship between us has begun. We have ensured that we have their updated monitoring and permits. SATRP company The South African Tyre Recycling Process (SATRP) company was established to represent tyre manufacturers, tyre fitment centres and retreaders. The concept is that a levy will be placed on each tyre, shown as a separate line item on an invoice, and used for the payment of the transporter and the company that will dispose of the tyres safely and in an environmentally friendly way. The levy will begin on certain size tyres, but the idea is to ensure that all tyres are disposed of safely. Subsequently, we also visited a tyre recycling company in Pretoria where the metal, oil and carbon are separated by placing the tyres in a boiler/autoclave and heating them. The oil is captured and used as a fuel for their process. The metal is sold to scrap merchants and the carbon is used as a fertilizer. In the Eastern Cape we do not have a tyre recycling company, but we represent approximately 6% of all used tyres in South Africa. I do not believe a tyre manufacturer can justify installing a recycling plant to dispose of their own tyres. The cost is too high and the market for the by-products still needs to be developed. • THE FUNCTION WAS SPONSORED BY THE IOM³ EASTERN CAPE BRANCH.

Fanus Gerber, lecturer in polymer chemistry at NMMU (back left) and NMMU student Sonwabo Bambalaza (centre), who gave a presentation ceramiﬁable polymers, at the education evening with IOM³ committee members Fourene Smith (Continental Tyre), Kathy Garde (Carst & Walker) and Christie Olivier (also Continental Tyre)

Education evening proves popular again Comprehensive polymer education at NMMU THE Eastern Cape branch of the IOM³ held its annual Education Evening on 30 August, which featured two speakers from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Fanus Gerber, a lecturer in the Polymer Chemistry Department, started off with a presentation on the nonformal tertiary qualification in Rubber Technology, which is currently offered at NMMU. Theory course content includes history of the rubber industry, raw materials commonly used, theory of vulcanization and reinforcement, processing equipment and techniques, quality and testing methods. Basic textile technology is also included, due to its significance to polymers, particularly in the tyre and belting industries. Practical course content includes all aspects of compounding, curing and testing. Following this, Sonwabo Bambalaza, an honours student in Physical Chemistry, presented a paper on ceramifiable polymers (polymers which become ‘ceramic-like’ upon combustion; the chemical structure (polymer backbone) combusts and becomes glass-like or ceramic-like). This event was sponsored by the IOM³ and, as is customary for the annual education event, was well-attended and thoroughly enjoyed by all. For more information on this and other courses offered at NMMU, please consult their website:

www.nmmu.ac.za 58

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

where quality is action

A-PET

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Compression moulded rubber liners Cyclone liner can be compression moulded in a single process

Alex de Andrade (centre) of Multotec following his presentation in Benoni with Darrell Olivier, GM of Multotec Process Equipment (MPE) Cyclones, and Spike Taylor, MD of Multotec Rubber, who is also chairman of the IOM³ Northern branch

COMPRESSION moulded rubber liners and recent technological advancement in this area was the topic of an IOM³ presentation in Johannesburg on 24 August. Guest speaker Alex de Andrade, who is the technical manager of the Multotec Process Equipment Division (MPE) in Johannesburg, focussed on at cyclone applications. Alex has an engineering background, having graduated with a (B-Tech) Mech Eng from Wits University, and holds various patents, including one in underground hard rock machinery. Following his studies, he continued in

the field of engineering design with six years in managerial positions involving engineering and project management. Cyclones are used in mining operations to separate different particle size materials. This is done by subjecting the material to a centrifugal force within the cyclone. There are a number of wear lining alternatives for cyclones, including: • Solid cast iron • Solid polyurethane • Shells with fixed rubber liners • Shells with loosen rubber liners • Shells with fixed alumina ceramic tiles In 2007 cyclone stocks were in great demand and at that time most cyclones were hand-built with sheets of rubber. This method is slow and often results in thickness variations. The material flow that occurs during vulcanisation also leads to further variations in material gauge and involves postcure controls and autoclave curing. To overcome the problem, MPE and the Multotec Rubber Division put their resources and expertise together to design tooling for a cyclone liner which could

be compression moulded in a single process. The chosen designs were moulds which produced the cyclone in segments, necessary due to the scrolled evolute shape of the cores. To facilitate the joining of the cyclone components, alignment jigs were designed. The separated parts of the cyclone had to be glued together and extensive trials were carried out to find which bonding agent gave the highest bond strength. Other parameters which had to be defined included the colour stability of the compound, acceptable repair criteria, the post cure time to minimise product shrinkage variations and mould flow characteristics of the compound used. A single piece inlet head liner was subjected to in-house testing to prove joint strength and

MPE and the Multotec Rubber Division put their resources and expertise together to design tooling for a cyclone liner which could be compression moulded in a single process

Complex TPR technology explained Changing of formulations and processing yields wide variety of properties THE inimitable Dr Kathy Garde gave presentations about thermoplastic rubber technology to IOM³ functions in Durban and Johannesburg recently. Her topic, ‘Thermoplastic Rubber – Its Role, Past and Present,’ was especially relevant due to the increased popularity of these materials, frequently in niche and specialised applications, in recent years. Kathy, of Carst & Walker, has a PhD in polymer chemistry and has become well-known in the industry for her ability to explain complex scientiﬁc terminology and formulae in a way that average people can understand.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

BY DAVE HUNT

A thermoplastic rubber (TPR) is a ‘cross’ between a thermoplastic and an elastomer/rubber, which yields a combination of properties, namely that they have the end properties of the elastomer and the processing properties of the thermoplastic. There two basic TPRs, namely block co-polymer and physical blend classes. A styrenic block co-polymer, as implied by its name, is a block co-polymer, whereas SBR rubber is a random co-polymer. Kathy explained the morphology of the material, stating that the PS and PB blocks are not

Kathy Garde received a welldeserved gift from IOM³ Northern chairman Spike Taylor following her presentation at the Benoni Country Club on 27 July; she also gave the TPRs lecture in Durban in June

any high wear points. The test pressure was twice the normal operating pressure and test results were recorded after three days, three weeks and three months. After the tests, there was no excessive liner wear and no evidence of the bond breaking or showing signs of abrasion. Field tests were then carried out using various lining materials on steel and ďŹ bre reinforced cyclone shells: â&#x20AC;˘ Chemically cured bonded sheets â&#x20AC;˘ Vulcanised ďŹ xed rubber lining â&#x20AC;˘ Autoclave cured loose liners (hand-built) â&#x20AC;˘ Ceramic tiled â&#x20AC;˘ Compression moulded loose liners At one installation where a hand-built liner normally had a life of 4-6 months, the compression moulded liner showed no wear after four months and only 1 mm wear on the diameter after 10 months. Where ceramic spigots had a normal life of four weeks, the moulded rubber spigots had only worn 2 mm after four weeks and only had to be replaced after 16 weeks. The longer life cycle signiďŹ cantly reduces downtime of the processing plant, a key economic consideration. As a result of the success of the moulded rubber process, more products are to be switched over, the high mould cost (approximately R400 000 each) being offset by improved life and lower production costs. Spike Taylor, the MD of Multotec Rubber, gave the vote of thanks. Multotec also generously sponsored the food and liquid refreshments.

www.multotec.co.za

compatible. The PS sections coalesce into discrete domains and the rubbery mid-blocks are entangled and form the matrix. For a truly rubbery material, the PS blend ratio needs to less than 40%. Block co-polymers can be used in footwear, adhesives, rooďŹ ng membranes and also for polymer modiďŹ cation of other material â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example, asphalt and bitumen. The development of physical blend TPRs in the 1970s resulted in a great variety of possible polymer combinations and the ability to control the morphology. The mechanical and physical properties are more dependent on the morphology than they are in block co-polymers.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 61

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Complex TPR technology continued This enables the properties of the end phenolic based system is able to give very product – for example, oil resistance, heat soft blends (35 Shore A) with excellent ageing, mechanicals or low gas permeabil- physicals. ity – to be determined by the material and As with block co-polymer TPRs, there ratio of the blend. are numerous applications for physiDynamic vulcal blend TPVs. canisation was a Industrial uses inThermoplastic rubbers significant step in clude casters, belhave the end properties the development of lows, diaphragms, of elastomers and the TPRs: in this case, gaskets and seals. processing properties of vulcanisation occurs Physical blends thermoplastics during mixing using TPVs are also used a high shear mixer. in automotive hose, The high shear causes the rubber compoboots, extruded profiles and trim. Further nent to break into small spherical zones as applications are for electrical wire and it cures. This results in small rubber zones cables, connectors and in the and good dispersion of the components medical field. and improved properties compared to a static vulcanised product. Eastern Cape Institute of The smaller the size (1-2 microns) of Deon Riekert Materials: p. 041 360 2084 Southern Africa the dispersed rubber zone the higher the c. 082 940 3109 Region deon@dschem.co.za ultimate tensile strength. Eastern Cape Secretary National Chairman Different curative systems can be Diane van Rooyen Hans Strydom p. 041 486 1505 p. 011 425 3241 used to achieve different properties. For c. 083 255 0725 c. 082 449 5920 example, a sulphur/accelerator system diane@snrubber.co.za hans@rubbernano.co.za will give good heat ageing, whereas a

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

As usual, Kathy’s presentation was something special and was gratefully appreciated by the 30 members and guests present at the Johannesburg event. The Durban event on 23 June was held at a new venue, the Westville Country Club, which proved popular with members and guests.

• At the Johannesburg function on 27 July, chairman Spike Taylor apologised that so few meetings had been held this year. This was primarily due to the fact the committee member responsible for the organising the programme had emigrated to Dubai.

KwaZulu-Natal André Cornelius c. 071 682 9885 andre.cornelius@ karbochem.co.za Northern Spike Taylor p. 011 928 4172 c. 082 456 5734 spiket@multotec.co.za

www.iom3.co.za www.iom3.org

ASSOCIATION NEWS

High speed 5-axis machining for tooling applications BY M. SAXER (INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED TOOLING), N. DE BEER (LABORATORY FOR RAPID PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT), AND D. DIMITROV (INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED TOOLING AND LABORATORY FOR RAPID PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT), DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING, STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY

IN THE modern metalworking industry tools are becoming more complex to manufacture. Production moulds often have complex geometry, undercut regions, small corner radius areas, sharp edges, deep cavities or large cores. The conventional manufacturing process chains to machine these complex features are lengthy and require multiple steps and high demands on quality and lead time constrain the increase in efﬁciency of conventional production technologies. Substantial savings on operating time and costs can therefore become possible only by shortening the process chain. The Rapid Product Development Laboratory (RPD Lab) of the Department of Industrial Engineering at Stellenbosch University, in cooperation with the Institute for Advanced Tooling (IAT-WC) has accumulated substantial experience of computer modelling, Rapid Prototyping and machining of complex geometries using state-of-the-art CAD/CAM packages. With this experience, they have been able to undertake a variety of industry related and research projects to use the advantages of 5-axis simultaneous HSC and to transfer this knowledge to industry and interns. This has highlighted the new productivity potentials that simultaneous 5-axis high speed machining can offer to various South African industries, increasing quality, reducing lead times, and decreasing development and production cost. This is of particular importance for South African manufacturing companies, where the multi-axis HSC technology – although not totally unknown – is under-used due to insufﬁcient technological and organisational knowledge. Characteristics of 5-axis machines Not more than 20 years ago people were wondering why they should move from

The 5-axis machining of the visor mould cavity section

conventional machining to 3-Axis CNC machining. The same can be said about 5-Axis machining. Most companies claim the work they produce does not require 5-Axis machining. Most parts need to be machined on all sides of the component. Thus not only simultaneous 5-axis machining is important but also 5 sided machining – i.e. the ability to access the part from all available sides. The main building blocks of 5-Axis machines can be divided into three main areas: • The physical properties of the machine, which describe the way the axes are stacked, stiffness of the machine, torque and maximum speed of the spindle motor, quality and workmanship of the guides/slides, and the rotary bearings. • The CNC drive system. These are the components that make the machine slides and spindles move: the servo motors, drive system, ball screws, the way positioning is controlled and monitored and the rapid-traverse and feed capabilities. • CNC controller capabilities, the ‘brain’ of the machine which controls data handling, available onboard memory size and dynamic rotary synchronization controls. Machine configurations There is no such thing as a standard 5-axis machine. The machine can have various configurations depending on the parts being manufactured and the build of the machine. The most common machine configurations are divided into three groups: • Head/Table - multi-axis machines execute the rotary motions by the table, which carries the work piece. The spindle head articulates the tool with tilting motions

The core holder plate reveals the quality of the surface ﬁnishes obtained

Multi axis tooling – Mike Saxer (right) of the Institute for Advanced Tooling at Stellenbosch University following his presentation a while ago at a TASA function in Cape Town with Grant Stevenson, (then) CEO of the Western Cape Tooling Initiative

• Table/Table - multi-axis machines execute the rotary motions by a dual rotary table. The primary rotary table carries the secondary rotary table, which in turn carries the ﬁxture and the part • Head/Head – multi-axis machines execute all rotary/pivoting motions by articulating the spindle head of the machine. CAD/CAM systems The appropriate CAD/CAM systems are probably the most important aspect when considering 5-axis machining. The CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) modules are often referred to as a combined system as many of these packages offer both CAD and CAM capabilities. However, very few systems excel in both equally well. Certain shops in the mould and die industry use CAM systems that have virtually no CAD capability, but they can import large, complex, multi-surface ﬁles quickly. It is easy then to simply choose the right cutting tools and select one of many automated cutting strategies. A tool path is generated and post processed quickly, ready to use on the machine.

Blade machining use 5-axis

Injection mould for caps

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 63

ASSOCIATION NEWS

However when engineering changes need to be made, these changes often need to be made in a separate CAD package and then imported back into the CAM software. Another important feature of a high end CAM system is to dynamically change the feed rate throughout the cutting process. This is very important in tool and die making where large amounts of material need to be removed. The topography of multi-surface moulds is often very complex and it can be difﬁcult to maintain a constant step-over or even constant depth of cut. Therefore the cutting forces on the tool vary greatly throughout the machining process. Simulation is another important feature of a high-end CAM system when considering multi-axis work. This includes simulation of the actual cutting strategy as well as simulation of the actual movements on the machine. The movements of the machine must be checked for possible collisions or gouging before any cutting takes place. The simulation should be able to show collisions between the machine, work piece, ﬁxtures, cutting tools and tool holders to ensure the safety of the process. A high-end CAM system should have the following tools to ensure this [1]: • Cut pattern control: It is important to have more than one way to control the 64

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

pattern that will be followed by a cutting tool. These patterns can be anything from a simple wireframe to complex surface patterns. • Stock recognition: This feature will save a lot of time during 5-axis tool paths. This is the ability of the software to detect the initial stock size of a part or after a tool path has been cut. • Tool axis control: Through tool axis control the centre axis alignment of the tool can be set and manipulated during the cutting process. • Tool tip control: The tool tip control targets the precise area of the tool tips engagement with the part. • Collision avoidance: When 5-axis tool paths are being generated special attention must be given to avoid any collisions especially between the cutter, arbour, tool holder and the work piece ﬁxture assembly. Any collisions between moving components must be avoided when generating tool paths with 5-axis movements. • Post processor: Post processing is vital as this is what generates the code that drives the movements of the axes on the CNC machine so that the part can be machined. The native CAM language must be translated to match a machine’s speciﬁcations. It is essential to know how

the post processor works especially when machining in 5 axes. Tool holding systems and cutting tools To achieve the desired results from 5-axis machining not only the machine and CAM software are important but also the actual cutting tools and holders. One would rarely see that on a 5-axis machine anything other than solid carbide is used as a cutting tool material. Only with these tools can the possible high feed rates and spindle speeds be used. The tool must both withstand the high temperatures created during the milling process but must also deliver the desired surface ﬁnish and accuracy that is vital in tool and die making. Tool holding systems also play a huge role in 5-axis machining applications. Machines can achieve spindle speeds of up to 50 000 rpm and require the tool holding system to be very accurate. This means tool holders must be precisely balanced to prevent any run out accuracy of the cutting tool. This will directly inﬂuence the result of the 5-axis machining strategy. Challenges for the South African tooling industry The SA Manufacturing sector procures on average in excess of R6 billions of tooling

annually. The SA TDM sector has declined over the last 20 years from a position of 80% to now less than 20% local supply [2]. The international consumption of tooling amounts to â&#x201A;Ź64 billion per annum. Manufacturing represents 16-17% of SAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP, making it a key focus area of the Department of Trade and Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (DTI) Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) to develop sustainable jobs through manufacturing localization [2]. The National Tooling Initiative (NTI), a partnership between industry and government, is the turnaround intervention programme aimed at the rehabilitation and growth of the TDM Sector and has been identiďŹ ed by the DTI as a key programme to support the development of SA manufacturing competitiveness as the stimulus for sustainable economic growth and job creation. Within this context, the Institute for Advanced Tooling is involved to improve these conditions, and has set as its main objective the increase of the competitiveness in the SA tooling industry by increasing the toolmakers share in the total added value chain, measurable in added value per employee per hour. The aim is to change tool manufacturing from a resource driven to a knowledge driven process by offering a well balanced combination of technology enablers for all steps of the extended

The Hermle C40U Dynamic Machining Centre

Figure 9: Time and cost comparison for ďŹ nishing of Large Cavity 3-Axis Machining

5-Axis Machining

Process

Hours

Cost@R420/hr

Process

Hours

Cost@R500/hr

Create CNC Toolpaths

420

Create CNC Toolpaths

500

Semi-Finish Inside Cavity

4200

Semi-Finish Inside Cavity

1000

Finish Inside Cavity

8400

Finish Inside Cavity

2500

CAD Design of Electrode

840

Finish Inside Radius Areas

0.75

375

Polishing

240

4800 (@R20/hr)

Total Lead Time

248.75

Graphite Material

50000 (2 pieces)

Machining of Electrode

3360

Setup and Spark Eroding of Cavity

10080

Polishing

320

6400 (@ R20/hr)

Total Lead Time

385

Total Cost

R 83 700.00

Total

R 9 175.00

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 65

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ASSOCIATION NEWS life cycle to SMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the tooling sector. By facilitating the training of individuals through internships in the use of advanced technologies such as 5-axis High Speed Machining, the IAT endeavors to help in the development of the SA tooling industry. 5-axis machining of deep cavity and tall core for an injection mould In this example the ďŹ nal machining of a cavity, core and core holder plate was done to produce a mould for a visor mask. The Hermle C40U dynamic HSC milling centre was used and the CAM programming done by Delcamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PowerMILL. Due to the large depth of the cavity and the required surface ďŹ nish of the ďŹ nal moulded part, 5-axis cutting strategies were implemented. It would be possible to utilise a 3-axis CNC machine but then long small diameter tools would need to be used. The depth of the cavity is almost 200 mm and the shape within the cavity has small corner radius sections up to 3mm. To machine this on a 3-axis machine, a very long ball nose type cutter would be needed to ďŹ nish the radius sections. To use a diameter 6mm ball nose with a neck length of 200 mm would simply not work. The feed rate would be incredibly slow and the tool would chatter so much that it would

more than likely snap off. Applying a 5-axis cutting strategy from Delcamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PowerMILL software known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;from pointâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the radius could be machined with a very short rigid tool. The machine axes simply tilt away to prevent any collision. High feed rates could be run up to 3000 mm/min and a spindle speed of 18000 rpm. The result is an accurate radius area with a very smooth surface ďŹ nish. The same strategy was applied to the machining of the main cavity area. Again a very long tool would be needed to machine the large depth of the cavity. The feed rate would have to be slowed down considerably to prevent tool chatter or breakage. Using a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;from pointâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strategy as before, a short series 10 mm ball nose type cutter was used. A feed rate of 3000 mm/min and a spindle speed of 16000 rpm were used, which rendered a very smooth surface ďŹ nish. Similar tools and strategies were used for the core section and core holder plate. Conclusions and recommendations The challenges that face the South African TDM industry are indeed many, especially in the context of growing international competition and a decline in skilled labour. However, with the increasing availability

of advanced manufacturing technologies such as 5-axis simultaneous High Speed Machining, in combination with initiatives to invest in human capital and training to re-establish a high level of skilled labour, these challenges can be overcome. This paper highlights a number of these challenges and focuses on the beneďŹ ts that can be obtained from using 5-axis HSC strategies as opposed to conventional 3-axis machining. Though this technology may seem very expensive at ďŹ rst, the beneďŹ ts in improving productivity would eventually far out way the time consuming conventional methods. Within this context, the Institute for Advanced Tooling has been established to support the local tooling industry of South Africa, to provide both technology and capacity solutions for challenging projects that would otherwise not be undertaken, as well as introductory and advanced training. Such training is in the process of being accredited by the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA). FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT MIKE SAXER AT (021) 808 4241, E-MAIL: MIKESAXER@SUN.AC.ZA

References: [1] Apro, K, 2008, Secrets of 5-Axis Machining, Industrial Press, New York. [2] National Tooling Initiative Programme, n.d. Overview, viewed 30 August 2011, from http://www.ntipweb.co.za/index_ntip.php

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

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lastiColors’ reputation for producing perfectly consistent colour is well known, but no less difﬁcult to emulate. With computerised colour matching, industry-leading expertise and more than 35 years experience in the plastics industry, we set the standard in the manufacture of masterbatches, pigments, liquids and additives. Anything else just won’t ﬂy.

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Tel: +27 11 452 6940 | Fax: +27 11 609 5960 | email: info@plasticolors.co.za | www.plasticolors.co.za

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Action plan for plastics industry THE Plastics Unit within the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and PlasticsSA have concluded a series of workshops with key stakeholders in the local plastics industry, aimed at finalizing a draft strategy and action plan for the development of the plastics industry as identified in the National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF). According to Claudy Steyn, Chief Director of Chemicals, Plastics, Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics at the DTI, the NIPF clarified government’s approach to industrial develop-

ment of the South African economy. An Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) was developed as a means to outline key action programmes that will be implemented to achieve the objectives of the NIPF. Government to focus on plastics industry “The plastics industry was identiﬁed as one of the growth areas on which government is planning to focus its resources and attention,” Steyn said. “However, in order

to become truly globally competitive, we need to address certain challenges, such as technology upgrading, proximity to markets, a relatively small local and regional market, skills development, as well as inland location of production facilities in the case of exports”. It appears that not enough specialist engineers (beyond ﬁrst degree) are produced for the growth of the industry. At an operations level, mould-setters and plant operators are also in short supply. Plastics manufacturing contributes between 0,5% to the GDP of South Africa and 3.2% to the manufacturing sector. The sector has an estimated turnover of R35 billion per Members of the plastics industry and DTI during the draft plastic strategy workshop held in Cape Town – front from left: Anton Hanekom (Plastics|SA), Claude van Wyk (Huhtamaki), Claudy Steyn (DTI), Annabe Pretorius (SAPRO), Zodwa Mondlane (DTI), Jerome Lombard (Huhtamaki). Back from left: Arik Baruch (Gold Sun), Jo Fitzell (Plastics|SA), Mervin Damondse (Huhtamaki), Chris Rossouw (Trio Plastics), Brad Page (USABCO), Mlungisi Mthimunye (DTI), Nombali Makhanya (DTI), Thokozani Masilela (DTI), Meshek McKuchane (Huhtamaki).

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

annum. Growth of the industry has been impressive, with an annual average rate of 5.5% recorded over the five-year period to 2008, which resulted in cumulative total sales of R175 billion for the period. Polymer consumption/conversion decreased in 2009 due to recessionary impacts and showed slow recovery in 2010. Growing the plastics industry across the spectrum is high on the DTI’s agenda. “This will enable downstream development and beneficiation of abundant feedstock to meet the economic goals such as competitiveness, investment, exports, job creation and equity,” Steyn added. Following the workshops in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, the DTI delegates returned home, armed with the industry’s lists of wishes, grievances and suggestions which will be compiled in a detailed report and action plan that will be submitted to the Trade and Industry Executive Board for input and approval. “We are confident that the feedback we have received from the key role-players in the local plastics industry will help us to address key challenges and opportunities that the plastics sector faces in order to create a vibrant and globally competitive industry,” said Steyn.

Jo Fitzell of PlasticsSA thanked Lydia van Rensburg of Absolute Rigging for a job well done: Absolute transported the machine at no cost

Ready for training – The reconditioned Seecor machine donated by Mpact Atlantis at its new ‘home’, the training ﬂoor at the PlasticsSA ofﬁces in Cape Town. Among those at the presentation on 19 August were Jo Fitzell (PlasticsSA’s Cape manager), Bennie Petzer (factory manager at Mpact Atlantis), Marthinus du Toit (PlasticsSA trainer) and Jo Klip of Maritime Marketing/PISA Western Cape

Mpact donates blow moulding machine for training THE training ﬂoor at the PlasticsSA ofﬁces in Cape Town is looking much busier today, thanks to the donation by Mpact group of a blow moulding machine. The Seecor 2-litre machine had been in operation at the Mpact factory at Atlantis (formerly Elvinco) until recently. The ‘SC2’ model machine, built in 1997 by Seecor in Cape Town, was designed originally for PVC bottle production, and used to run 2-litre cooking oil bottles. Benny Petzer, factory manager at Mpact Atlantis, said the machine had been fully refurbished, including the installation of a new screw and reconditioned barrel. It was converted from PVC to run HD by

Mpact Atlantis. Absolute Rigging managed the transfer of the machine from Atlantis to the PlasticsSA premises at Olympic Park in Maitland at no cost. Most of PlasticsSA’s blow moulding training has up until now been conducted at factory premises, so the machine will make it far easier for the training staff to demonstrate the blow moulding operation and give would-be setters the opportunity to get ﬁrst-hand experience. And to cap what has been a highly cooperative venture, Seecor, the machine manufacturer, offered to show PlasticsSA staff how to operate the machine.

www.plasticsinfo.co.za OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 69

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Additive manufacturing is coming of age in SA BY DEON DE BEER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND INNOVATION, VAAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

RAPDASA and its annual conference

ADDITIVE Manufacturing (AM) and science institution ownership by far, Rapid Prototyping (RP) has been active indicating a high level of acceptance in South Africa for 21 years, starting by SA industry. Furthermore, only from a humble beginning of just one 3D two-thirds of universities in SA Systems SLA 250/40 stereolithography have AM equipment in-house, machine. By mid-2011 the market has whilst approximately 25% of these grown to more than 270 machines and universities pursue AM as a research it is estimated that machine sales will field. reach 300 units by December 2011. During the 2009/2010 audit it As can be seen in Figure 1, it is became evident that Stratasys (through evident that system sales experienced mainly Dimension / U-print sales) considerable growth in the last two had the majority of systems in the years. The numbers shown in Figure 1 country – approximately 47% of system are the results of an annual audit (done sales. The current figures show that by the author), 3D systems are and the 2010 – ranked second, Industry ownership has 2011 upswing is mainly due to the connected to the high number of overtaken institutional impact of entryRAPMAN and ownership by far. level AM systems. BFB 3000 sales. Approximately The current surge 94% of all machines sold are in the 3D in sales is definitely caused by lowprinter category. Whilst this represents priced entry level systems, available a staggering majority, one should from just over R10 000 up to R35 000. keep in mind that according to the While these systems have 2009/2010 data, it also means that limitations, they allow small companies, although 3D printers are being sold in universities, schools and individuals to high quantities compared to the highget involved in AM. Once these entities end systems, it probably shares the have reached a point of satisfaction investment made in AM platforms on a (from a user and machine capability 50:50 basis, if one compares the price point of view), it is my opinion that they per system sold. will start looking at high-end machines, rather than necessarily investing in the Industry ownership of AM 3D printer market as before. Another A further worthwhile analysis made new ‘kid on the block’ is the UP! on the 2010 data is that industry PP3DP (personal portable 3D printer), ownership has overtaken university/ selling for approximately R25 000.

Figure 1 - SA additive manufacturing landscape: 1991 - 2011

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

A miniature skateboard memory stick, manufactured for the Maloof Cup Skateboarding Championships in Kimberley at the end of September - manufactured in batch production to produce 1000 pieces!

No discussion of Rapid Prototyping or Additive Manufacturing establishment in South Africa would be complete without reference to the Rapid Product Development Association of South Africa (RAPDASA). RAPDASA was formed in 1999 to act as the representative organisation for those involved in the RP and the wider rapid product development (RPD) community in South Africa. It has members from research organisations and industrial companies and since its inception its mission has been to ensure that the organising committee be composed in a manner that reflects this diversity. RAPDASA is involved in a range of activities aimed at encouraging the further development and usage of RPD technologies. Most important of these is the annual conference that was first held in 2000. The conference offers a platform for researchers and practitioners to share their knowledge and experience with others. It has benefited from international participation from the start, allowing attendees the luxury of discovering what is happening in the international RPD world. This year’s conference, from 2 – 4 November, at the Riverside Hotel in Vanderbijlpark, will focus on the impact of AM on the complete product development process and value chain. Top national and international experts have been secured as part of the invited speakers to form the basis of the programme. The conference has also become a hub for networking opportunities and many national and international collaborative projects and partnerships have in fact been grown from the various RAPDASA conferences. A further consequence of this international participation is that the conference has become an international information source for RP developments in South Africa. RAPDASA is a member of GARPA (Global Alliance of RP Associations) and first hosted a GARPA international summit at the conference held in 2001. The role that RAPDASA has undertaken has contributed much to the progress of RP&M in South Africa. A particular strength is that it is not limited to RP and so relationships with other RPD technologies and the product development process feature widely in its activities. Details of the 2011 conference can be found at www.rapdasa.org

Figure 2 – Investment in additive manufacturing platforms: 1991 - 2011

Rapid Ra R apid ap pid P pid Product Pr roduct ro roduct du t Development duct D De Dev evelopmen ve elo opment pme m nt t Association As A Associat ss s so ocia oc ciat ation t on of o South S Sout Sou outh th h Africa Afr Africa A ic ca 2011's conference will focus on the impact of AM (Additive Manufacturing) on the complete product development process/value chain. Local and international experts in design, product development and AM are lined up to share best practices in related application fields; Speakers include: Mr. T Heller (Stratasys) Dr. T Wohlers (Wohlers Associates Inc.) Mr. W Van Straaten (CEO InvenTec) Mr. B Steinhobel (Steinhobel Design) Dr. L Dean (Future Factories, UK) Dr. M Janse van Vuuren (Nomili) Suggested topics include design, simulation, modeling, virtual prototyping and digital sculpting, direct manufacturing of consumer, artistic and industrial products, tooling, medical applications, business models, business cases and educational development. A Mimics Innovation Workshop will be presented from 31Oct - 1Nov by Materialise (Leuven, Belgium). Enquiries: www.rapdasa.org jvrens@cut.ac.za rynettec@vut.ac.za ddebeer@iclix.co.za

Vaal University of Technology is proud to announce the 12th annual RAPDASA conference on 2 & 4 November 2011at the Riverside Hotel, Vanderbijlpark

VUT

Vaal University of Technology

PRODUCTS

Insert moulded thermoplastic needle guide

new TargetScan Touch® System for prostate imaging and biopsy contains a dual-channel prostate biopsy needle guide composed of two 13-gauge stainless steel tubes which are insert-moulded with ABS resin

ENVISIONEERING Medical Technologies, developer and manufacturer of healthcare diagnostic and guidance systems, has introduced the TargetScan Touch® System for prostate imaging and biopsy. The technology features a dual-channel prostate biopsy needle guide, which is insert moulded by Plas-Tech Engineering Inc., a leading custom moulder of medical www.envisioneeringmedical.com

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devices based in Lake Geneva, Wis. Envisioneering’s new diagnostic and treatment system combines robotic ultrasound technology with the capability to perform precise, targeted prostate biopsies and treatments in order to add confidence to patient care. The TargetScan Touch System is the only stereotactic prostate biopsy system to employ mapping technology combined with 3-D image acquisition. The dual-channel prostate biopsy needle guide is a key component which is mounted to the biopsy system hardware. It is composed of two 13-gauge stainless steel tubes which are insert-moulded with ABS resin. The tight-tolerance part is 15cm long and has an inner diameter of 0.18cm. The disposable needle guide serves as the pathway for the bendable biopsy needle to the target tissue. Among the key processing challenges was positioning the parts correctly in the mould and filling completely without blowing the stainless steel tubes out of position and creating flash across the holes. The ABS grade is FDA approved, offering strong dimensional stability and compatibility with ethylene oxide sterilization. www.plastechengineering.com

Comfort is protection AT the forthcoming A+A safety and security trade fair which takes place in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 18 – 21 October, a number of companies will be introducing protective gloves featuring the latest Dyneema® Diamond Technology. This latest fibre innovation is allowing DSM Dyneema’s licensed partners to develop gloves with impressive cut protection, yet without compromising on light weight or comfort. In fact, by combining Dyneema Diamond Technology with polyamide and elastane in a fine knitted (13-gauge) glove construction, EN388 Level 4 cut resistance can be achieved – with no need for glass fibres or thin steel wires that can often cause stiffness and sometimes skin irritation. The comfort factor is critical here – too often accidents can happen when workers in hazardous occupations take off their gloves, either because the gloves are restricting what they’re trying to do with their hands or they’re just irritated by constantly wearing them. Real comfort is the assurance that the gloves will be worn. “A market study is being carried out with the help of focus groups as part of the collaborative process,” explained Edwin Grootendorst, Regional Manager DSM Dyneema. “The aim is to identify where the new product best fits into a licensee’s range, its potential target market and likely price point. The next step is to take the idea to the R&D team.” The R&D team will test different yarn combinations and coatings in order to achieve the specific feel and touch, as well as the required colour and technical properties. Prototypes are then produced and sent to a certified laboratory for testing.

By combining Dyneema Diamond Technology with polyamide and elastane in a ﬁne knitted (13-gauge) glove construction, EN388 Level 4 cut resistance can be achieved

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

PEI fibre in high-end work gear SABIC Innovative Plastics’ versatile, high-performance Ultem polyetherimide (PEI) fibre has found an important new application in high-end work wear and protective clothing. Japan Wool Textile Company, a division of NIKKE Group, is now blending Ultem fibre with wool and other materials to produce yarn, fabrics and garments that offer a unique combination of comfort and protection, including permanent, non-halogenated flame retardance (FR) and excellent ultraviolet (UV) resistance. Unlike traditional aramid materials, Ultem fibre can be easily and costeffectively coloured in a wide range of shades using conventional polyester dyeing processes, enabling Japan Wool Textile Company to enhance the aesthetic appeal of its new line. “The work wear and protective clothing sector has outgrown traditional materials, and our Ultem fibre offers a significantly better option,” said Kim Choate, global product marketing manager, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “This flexible, soft and colourable fibre provides superior comfort and aesthetics, plus sustainable FR technology and the highest level of protection and durability for workers in safety-focused industries such as oil and gas and chemicals. We foresee many other uses for this versatile fibre, which has already broken new ground in composite aerospace boards for aviation interiors, filtration media and other demanding applications.” Ultem fibre is inherently and permanently flame retardant. It utilizes proprietary technology that avoids the addition of environmentally hazardous halogens and cannot wash out of the garment, as many FR agents in low-end fabrics can. This material offers excellent heat resistance meeting the European Union (EU) EN 531/ISO 11612 and U.S. National Fire and Protection Association (NFPA) 2112 standards, and provides low smoke and toxicity performance. Japan Wool Textile Company’s new work wear line is made using SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Ultem* polyetherimide fibre

www.sabic-ip.com

Plastic recycling system for processing heavily printed materials

Your economic way to top pellet quality: EREMA TVEplus

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TECHNOLOGY

Quality in PP-R pipes pays off Bänninger relies on highly innovative extrusion equipment technology from battenfeld-cincinnati to connect, since the outer layer must be peeled off at the joints first in order to do so. By contrast, glass fibre reinforced PP-R pipes can be connected with each other by socket welding following simple, short heating-up. The crucial advantage in laying glass fibre reinforced PP-R pipes is that they have an extremely low expansion coefficient. Thanks to their high stability, the distance between clamps can be increased compared to conventional plastic pipes, which saves both fastening clamps and labour.

Bänninger and battenfeld-cincinnati are jointly developing a highly innovative multi-layer PP-R pipe

particularly sturdy and resistant to heat, QUALITY starts with the selection of suitchemicals and pressure. PP-R pipes able materials and ends with the choice of made of a special compound can even appropriate extrusion technology, accordbe produced with thinner walls than coning to Hans-Ulrich Stamm, MD of PP-R ventional pipes. pipe manufacturer Bänninger Kunststoff“We have been using the new PP-RCT Produkte GmbH, Reiskirchen, Germany, compound from Borealis since 2005. whose company relies entirely on extruIt allows material savings of 17% sion equipment from battenfeldcompared to the types of matecincinnati. rial we have used previously, Stamm not only appreciand the pipes have been apates the machine technolproved for a higher pressure ogy, but also the excellent class as well, in spite of their service and long-standing thinner walls”, Stamm expartnership which is curplained. Thinner walls with rently manifesting itself in the same outer diameter a joint development project. also offer a 17% increase Battenfeld-cincinnati is in the flow volume together working with Bänninger to with a reduced sound level. develop a highly innovative PP-R pipe on a 7-layer pipe Glass fibre reinforcement extrusion line which battenfeldGlass fibre brings additional benefits cincinnati supplied and installed reinforced PP-R The mechanical strength of at the Stassfurt production pipes with a layer thickness PP-R pipes can be further facility. distribution of improved significantly by incorPP-R pipes are manufac25-50-25 porating a glass fibre reinforced tured from a special polypropylene middle layer in multi-layer pipes. random copolymer and mainly used Conventional ‘stabi’ composite pipes for transporting hot and cold drinking could be entirely replaced by glass fibre water and for heating systems. Additional reinforced pipes, as their longitudinal therapplications are found in apparatus and mal expansion rates are almost equal. plant engineering, in greenhouses and Stabi composite pipes have comparable rainwater harvesting. properties, thanks to their aluminium Thanks to their high molecular weight layer, but they are much more difficult and thermal stability, PP-R pipes are 74

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

Extrusion technology made to measure All extrusion lines at Bänninger have been supplied by battenfeld-cincinnati and are optimally geared to the requirements of PP-R pipe production. Single-screw extruders of various sizes are used, which, thanks to maximum wear resistance of the barrels with grooved feed zones and the barrier screws with special, customized screw geometries, are extremely durable even when processing glass ﬁbre reinforced materials. Another vital component of every extrusion line is its special helix WPO pipe die with a multi-layer spiral mandrel distributor. All surfaces which come into contact with the product are provided with a special coating to minimize wear and prevent damage to the ﬂow areas. The helix WPO spiral mandrel distributor ensures high throughput, exact wall thickness distribution and a long service life thanks to low dwell times of the melt in the die. • BATTENFELD-CINCINNATI IS REPRESENTED BY MARITIME MARKETING SA. www.baenninger.de www.battenfeld-cincinnati.com Hans-Ulrich Stamm, Managing Director of Bänninger, and Heinrich Dohmann, Head of Mechanical Engineering Pipe Heads at battenfeld-cincinnati are proud of the excellent cooperation between both companies

EQUIPMENT

Austria’s Greiner invests in ‘cleanroom’ production

With a state-of-the-art cleanroom at the German location in Rastatt, Greiner Packaging International continues to upgrade its technological standard (PHOTO: GREINER PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL)

THE Austrian packaging producer Greiner Packaging International is investing in a cleanroom, class ISO 8 according to EN ISO 14644-1 with an area of 205m² at its Rastatt (Baden-Württemberg) facility. If required, it can be upgraded to class ISO 7 within just a few days. Greiner Packaging International has many decades of experience in the sector of the production of packaging using multi-layer technology, which due to its barrier properties offers a multitude of applications. This is also true for the market segment of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, for which cleanroom production is decisive. In order to achieve the best market opportunities in the future, Greiner Packaging International has opted to invest in cleanroom technology. The new cleanroom at Rastatt – including cleanroom class qualiﬁcation – was

built in just 20 weeks. The construction provides for the maximum degree dustfree and germ-free working atmosphere. Continuous measurement of particles and germs in the cleanroom air always ensure compliance with the required cleanroom class. The machine pool at Rastatt is located outside of the cleanroom. Conveyor belts are housed and transport the containers through adjustable wall openings into the cleanroom using laminar flow (low-turbulent displacement flow). Visual control is performed on packing tables. The containers are placed in special cleanroom bags and are then vacuum sealed. These are then transported into the material lock for final packing through an opening which is opened and closed at high-speed. www.greiner-gpi.com

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

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EQUIPMENT

Conair doubles capacity of material-handling control

New Lifter Blades™ expand undercut release options MOULD designers now have even more options for achieving undercut release with new Lifter Blades & Lifter Cores from Progressive Components. Mould & Die Solutions represents Progressive in South Africa. While Lifter Blades are a solution for very small details moulded in restricted spaces, Lifter Cores are a midsize solution for more common applications. Both Lifter Blades & Lifter Cores offer these beneﬁts: • Compactly designed to be utilized where other approaches cannot be used • Provide parallel lift and a positional hold of the moulded part prior to release • Straightforward to machine, easy to install and removable from the parting line • Patented Stop feature is included to prevent the Lifter Blade from being pushed back under injection pressure. Progressive’s Lifter Blades and Lifter Cores are a complement to an already extensive line of undercut release solutions, including the recently expanded line

of FlexiCores and the exclusive UniLifter and VersaLifter. Lifter Blades are available in four styles and eight sizes, beginning with an unmatched 1.8mm width, while Lifter Cores are available in sizes ranging from 6mm to 12mm. • MOULD & DIE SOLUTIONS AT TEL: 021 555 2701

www.procomps. com/Animations/ Default.aspx

Simple package offers high-end capabilities THE FLX material-handling control system from Conair – developed for plastics processors who want a simple, entry-level material-handling system that can grow with them – is available in a larger conﬁguration to serve up to 64 loaders and 20 vacuum conveying pumps. This top-end capacity is double that of the original FLX system. Affordable and easy to install and expand, a processor could start with an FLX system to manage just 8 loaders and 2 pumps (one primary pump and one back-up pump), and then increase capacity and capabilities in manageable increments by adding input and output cards. The system can include high-level functions like multi-source/multi-destination loading, purge, ratio loading, ratio loading with purge, reverse conveying for regrind recovery, loader ﬁll sensing, output sharing between FLX control panels, Ethernet communication and much more.

www.conairgroup.com

The FLX materialhandling control system from Conair

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 79

FAKUMA 2011

Thorough drying, resin for resin New RDX-Series provides high efficiency, performance in material drying with compressed air BLUE Air Systems will present a new series of dryers based on the 3D-compressed-airprinciple at Fakuma 2011. The new RDXSeries is completely modularized and offers the option to create 38 different hopper sizes. This innovative modularity allows the processors to adapt the drying performance to the individual production requirements with only a few base modules. The modular RDX-series consists of four main components: compressed air module, material hopper, dryer lid and hopper extension. This allows very quick changes of the hopper sizes and superior accessibility for maintenance. 3D-Compressed-Air-Principle The 3D-principle deals with three process parameters: isolation or contained conditions of material and environment through thermal decoupling, homogeneous temperature control through consistent air-distribution via a ring-jet system and an intelligent, and sensor-controlled compressed air flow. The aim is to dehumidify every single resin particle. The integral part of the new development is a ring jet system which allows a multi radial air stream for the resin. All-rounder in principle The RDX-series has an intelligent compressed air module for the drying process with display and control function. This module provides effective handling of the material during the whole process. Users can choose between two modes, normal and expert. The expert-mode is better able to manage challenging materials like TPE, high-temperature thermoplastics like PEEK, or filled materials. Significant improvement in ergonomics/ user-friendliness has been achieved with new swivelling and removable display elements. Large displays which are readable from a 15m distance allow efficient and secure process monitoring. 1

The compressed air module is docked to the material hopper via a centralized compressed air coupling. Adjustable sensors inside the material hopper ensure exact process monitoring. With this feedback option the compressed air amount is optimally regulated to the actual material amount during the whole conveyor period. Through a multiport-I/O-interface the contact of the RDX compressed air module with its process environment is guaranteed. Perfect process area isolation is provided by a new temperature barrier for thermal decoupling between the interior and exterior of the hopper. The homogeneous distribution and circulation of compressed air is one of the special attributes of the RDX-series. An integrated ring-jet system ensures the ideal process air distribution in the hopper and dehumidifies the particles from any residual moisture – effectively and fast. RDX-modularity an economical solution The RDX-series offer the opportunity to simply and economically change to different sizes and drying performances. The processor is thus not forced to decide on one size and is able to react to changing production conditions, different materials or shot weights whenever needed. With 5 basis sizes and 4 extension units – only 9 standard elements – 38 sizes with process volumes between 0.5 l and 82 l are feasible. This covers the complete performance range for small dryers which have a maximum technical process performance of 100 litres. The trick is an express-exchanging-system using an extender, allowing the quick and flexible change of material hoppers to adjust the volume of the hopper to the production. The volumes of the RDX-material hoppers reflect production between 0.5 l (RDX 005) and 82 l (RDX 82). The 2

The new all-rounder on the dryer market: RDX-series by Blue Air Systems based on the 3D-principle

processor can choose between 38 different hopper sizes – drying times and temperatures vary due to volume and material type. Standard data is programmed in the RDX-series which can be adjusted to individual requirements. • MATTMAN TRADING IS THE SA AGENT FOR BLUE AIR IN SOUTH AFRICA. www.blue-air.at

1. 3D-Principle: Highly insolating, temperature barrier, to separate material from environmental impact 2. 3D-Principle: Sensors controlling the process air volume and stepless adjustment to changing material throughputs 3. RDX in production

FAKUMA 2011

Fakuma 2011 THE Fakuma international trade fair for plastics processing has lived up to its reputation as Europe’s most important plastics trade fair, especially in the ﬁelds of injection moulding, extrusion and thermoforming technologies are concerned. The experts will meet again for Fakuma at the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Centre from 18 – 22 October. Fakuma has evolved into the mecca of the European plastics industry in the non-K years. Located in Friedrichshafen, it’s held at the heart of the European plastics industry and presents world class, comprehensive offerings covering all aspects of injection moulding and extrusion. Whether raw materials, processing machines, peripherals, automation solutions or C technology are involved – Fakuma functions as a source of information and ideas, and as a trend barometer, at the same time retaining its very special, personal and relaxed atmosphere. www.fakuma-messe.de

Solutions for global megatrends from Bayer BAYER MaterialScience will be showcasing innovative and sustainable developments for plastics processors under the motto ‘From Megatrends to Business’ at this year’s Fakuma trade fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Bayer MaterialScience is offering a new ‘green’ high-tech material blend of polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate (PC+PET) for both large-area vertical and horizontal automobile bodywork parts. The Makroblend® GR 235M premium material is made from the highest-quality recyclates. Thanks to its excellent raw material basis, it compares extremely well with virgin material. Possible applications are bodywork parts, Continued on page 84

More colours, integration, energy efﬁciency with Engel

Sensor housings for control electronics made of ﬁbreglass reinforced polyamide with metal insertplace parts will be produced on an Engel e-insert 310V/100 using a 4 -cavity mould

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

ENGEL will be demonstrating efficient and economic production of premium quality moulded parts based on solutions tailored for a variety of applications at Fakuma. For injection moulders in the telecommunications and electronics industries, Engel will be exhibiting an Engel e-insert machine, the electrified variant of the vertical Engel insert machine with a servoelectric rotary table and fully electric injection unit. The clamping process and ejection both rely on the servohydraulic Engel ecodrive. Sensor housings for control electronics made of fibreglass reinforced polyamide with metal insert-place parts will be produced on an Engel e-insert 310V/100 using a 4 -cavity mould. The electrical injection unit guarantees an extremely high level of precision in insert-place part overmoulding, while the servo-electrically driven rotary table time ensures excellent positioning accuracy and ultra-short rotation times. Automation is another highlight of this production cell. The sensor housings are

removed by a Stäubli six-axis robot whose control unit is fully integrated into the Engel injection moulding machine’s CC 200 control unit without needing a Euromap 67 interface. An Engel victory 330H/200V/120 combi will be producing bottle openers in two-component injection moulding with in-mould labelling and insert technology. An Engel viper 12 type linear robot insert-places both the metal part and the decorative foil into the mould. The basic body of the bottle opener is ﬁrst injected in polycarbonate. In a second step, the edge is reinforced with TPE to achieve a better grip. • ENGEL IS REPRESENTED BY MARITIME MARKETING IN SOUTH AFRICA. www.engelglobal.com

An Engel victory 330H/200V/120 combi will be producing bottle openers in two-component injection moulding with in-mould labelling and insert technology

Financing of Equipment

Insurance

Forwarding of Goods & Customs Clearing

Forex

Funding of Debtors

Finance to Pay Supplier

Forex

Insurance

Forwarding/ Shipping

Funding of Imports

Customs Clearing

Warehousing

Distribution

Sales

Payment from Customer

Continued from page 82

FAKUMA 2011 such as spoilers, trunk lids and skirts, covers for antennas and convertible top compartments. Two new technologies enable automotive interior and bodywork applications to be efficiently manufactured from high-grade materials in a single process step. Direct-Skinning is a cost-effective process for the finishing of parts with coloured decorative polyurethane surfaces, including surfaces with light shades and tactile textures. DirectCoating technology enables the efficient application of coloured coatings, soft-touch coatings or clear coats, including the high-gloss surfaces currently in vogue. With both technologies the coating is applied while the part is still on the injection molding machine. The surfaces are UV and light-stable as well as abrasion-resistant. High-quality surfaces play an important role in numerous applications, and thermoplastic polyurethanes from the Desmopan® range

The “i-mode” exhibits many outstanding features which are the result of close development partnership between Hyundai and Bayer MaterialScience AG. Thus the Makrolon® roof module underscores as a styling element the dynamism of the vehicle.

have proved to be economical, multipurpose materials here. Their surfaces are resistant to scratching and wear, and can be imbued with various haptic properties as required. This is done primarily by combining soft Desmopan® grades with suitable hard substrates from the

Bayblend® range. Some products have been optimized to such an extent that manufacturing cycle times could be shortened, enabling more efﬁcient production. www.bayermaterialscience.com

Kreyenborg solutions for extrusion & polymerisation

Michael Hehl of Arburg is pleased with the success of the electric Allrounder Edrive series

Arburg has something for everyone ARBURG will once again have a high-profile presence at this year’s Fakuma. The complete range of machines will be on display: from the smallest member of the Edrive series, the Allrounder 370 E with a clamping force of 600 kN and a size 170 injection unit, to the largest machine, the Allrounder 570 E with a clamping force of 2,000 kN and a size 800 injection unit. The new electric machines enable economical, cost-effective entry into the world of Arburg electric machines and are an alternative to conventional basic hydraulic machines. The Allrounder E machines offer advantages in terms of cycle times, thanks to the rapid and simultaneous execution of the most important machine movements and in terms of energy efficiency. On all electric Arburg machines, the high efficiency of the servo-electric drives and the toggle-type clamping unit ensure extremely energy-efficient operation. Servo motor energy recovery during braking also has a beneficial effect on the machines’ overall energy consumption. Together, these factors combine to reduce energy consumption by 25 to 50% in comparison with standard hydraulic machines. • Arburg is represented by Hestico in South Africa.

www.arburg.com 84

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

KREYENBORG offers the appropriate machine for each filtration application with a spectrum ranging from discontinuous and continuous systems, to fully automatic backflush screen changers. On show at Fakuma 2011 and unique to the market are the company’s screen changers with constant process-, pressure- and volume-flow and enable the processing of highly contaminated material to high-quality products in very sensitive applications. The Kreyenborg Infrared Drum IRD is of special interest for PET recycling. By means of infrared radiation an extremely efficient drying and crystallisation of PET is guaranteed in a continuous process. It is also suited for the thermal treatment of almost all free-flowing bulk goods. The Underwater Pelletizing Systems of BKG Bruckmann and Kreyenborg Granuliertechnik GmbH have proved their excellence worldwide. These systems are supplied with drying, water system and control ready for

use and are suited for all thermoplastic materials, as well as for the production of micro pellets. Relating to throughput, the scope ranges from 2 to 80 kgs/h (Labline 100) to systems with 35 000 kgs/h. For particularly economic processing of PET, BKG has developed the Inline Crystallization System CrystallCut®. With this system, pelletizing and crystallisation are effected in one step, without the supply of additional energy. • KREYENBORG IS REPRESENTED BY PLASTIC & CHEMICAL TRADING IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Kreyenborg Gear pumps

www.kreyenborg.de

ecoSTAB

LEAD-FREE STABILISERS Tomorrow’s PVC Solutions Today from Sun Ace

FAKUMA 2011

Ferromatik energy-efficient, all-electric machines FERROMATIK Milacron will illustrate the versatility of energy-efficient, all-electric injection moulding machines for standard and high performance applications at this year’s Fakuma. The company will also demonstrate the advantages of its own mono-sandwich process, which combines different core and skin materials. The five single axes of the new F-Series can be powered by any combination of electric or hydraulic drives, so that every user can configure their own custom machine. Once the complete F-Series has been introduced, there will be models in 10 clamping force sizes from 500 to 6,500 kN with 13 injection unit sizes. Ferromatik Milacron will present an F 160 with a clamping force of 1,600 kN in a production cell with electrical drives for clamping, ejection, injection and plasticizing movements. The machine is equipped

with a GP 50 injection unit with an injection speed of 330 mm/s and a screw length of L/D 22. The F 160 offers tie-bar spacing of 570 x 570 mm and will be shown producing transparent thin-walled containers of polystyrol on a 4-cavity mould. Automation introduces the labels via side robots from a magazine into the mould cavity, while simultaneously removing the previous set of ﬁnished, labelled parts and stacking the containers on a conveyor belt. The cycle time for the whole operation is a speedy 3.2 seconds. Advantages of the proven mono-sandwich process Ferromatik Milacron will also demonstrate the advantages of the proven

F 160: All-electric machine from the new modular F-Series with a clamping force of 1,600 kN

mono-sandwich process with the successful K-TEC high-performance machine series. A K-TEC 200 MSW with a clamping force of 2,000 kN outﬁtted with an international size 1,000 injection unit and a second vertically-mounted size 265 mono-sandwich injection unit will demonstrate the production of auto parts. Part removal is done via an FMR 8-5 High-Speed Ferromatik Milacron Robot. FMR models are available in six sizes, each with two versions (Basic Flexible and High-Speed). • FERROMATIK IS REPRESENTED BY SES IN SOUTH AFRICA. www.ferromatik.com

Application-relevant solutions

The Mercury mould plate

Future trend all-electric, says Haitian HAITIAN International will focus on its all-electric products from Zhafir Plastics Machinery at Fakuma. The efficient Venus Series and the innovative Mercury Series serve the increasing market trend in Europe for all-electric machines which offer high performance and are cost effective. Zhafir will display a Venus 1200 kN with a 4-cavity-mould for the cosmetics industry and a cell with a Mercury 1500 kN and a mould for the automotive industry. The new Mercury Series sets new standards not only in speed and precision. It also creates opportunities for the processing of complex and new materials and can thus be used in difficult areas of application. Zhafir will display a Venus with 120 tons clamping force, producing a cosmetics dosing cap. • Haitian is represented by GF Plastic Machinery Services in South Africa.

www.haitian.com

MOTAN will exhibit a cross section of product enhancements in drying, conveying, blending, dyeing and dosing at Fakuma this year. The dry-air generators have been expanded by three more sizes: the Luxor 80, 120 and 160. The range now includes 10 models, all suited for centralized drying of all types of plastics granulates, particularly of high-end materials and engineering plastics. Conveying to up to 16 drying bins and 24 machine material loaders have been added. Up to three conveyor blowers can be used. The drying bins in the 100 to 2400 litre series have been expanded by the LBA system bins with a capacity of 15, 30 and 60 litres. The Luxor 80/120/160 models have an authentic dual-circuit process with two blowers and a closed-loop heat regeneration system. The models generate either 80, 120 or 160 m³/h dry air with a consistently low dew point of up to -40° C. The three new models are designed for material throughput of up to a maximum of 70/100/140kg/h. The Spectrocolor G, in the blending and dosing systems, enters the extrusion market building on the Spectrocolor V volumetric version. Traditional applica86

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

Adding to motan’s know-how in the blending and dosing systems with its Graviblend and Graviplus units, the Spectrocolor G now enters the extrusion market building on the Spectrocolor V volumetric version

tion areas are flood-fed single screw and starve-fed twin screw extrusion. This means that the entire production bandwidth, including pipes, profiles, flat film, cast film, and plastic sheet materials is covered. The Spectrocolor G is suited for the addition of six components with a respective throughput range of between 0.2 to 1200 kg/h per dosage axis. • MOTAN IS REPRESENTED BY PLASQUIP www.motan-colortronic.de

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EQUIPMENT

REGLOPLAS High-performance temperature control units

Automation solution for direct extrusion lines Software developed for twin-screw, co-extrusion lines used for ﬁlm extrusion

... for large injection moulds, extruders, rollers, autoclaves and other processing equipment

Type 90 Smart Temperature control units for water up to 90ºC or oil up to 150ºC Outlet

temperature maximum 90ºC or oil up to 150ºC

Heating

capacity:

6-18kW Cooling

capacity: 28-90kW

Pump

capacity: 60 litres/min: 3,8 bar

ACHIEVES 24% reduction in rejects and 20% INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY

Type 150 Smart Controller RT60-PID yields: Simultaneous readout of temperature set-point and actual value; Clear arrangement of operating and indicating elements; Solid-state relay (SSR) instead of heating contactor.

THE automation company, BSG from Uedem in Germany, has increased its software capability with an additional software module for direct extrusion lines. The recently completed software can be used for all types of equipment lines in the direct extrusion procedure. The software was developed for twin-screw, co-extrusion lines as used for film extrusion. Typically, such equipment lines consist of conveyors and feeders in combination with two, twin-screw extruders. Downstream of each extruder, a double screen changer/melt pump assembly is installed in tandem. Both lines converge together at a single flat film die. The programme has the capability of controlling the complete equipment line from a common operator panel. The special software was developed to meet the challenge of programming the reverse control procedure. This procedure maintains a consistent material throughput at the flat film die, even during the screen changing procedure. This is a basic requirement of film production. The further development of the software was initiated by an order placed with a German equipment manufacturer. The project was for a PET thermoforming line which has since been installed in Turkey. With the direct extrusion procedure, the manufacture of films, for example, is possible in only one process step. The typical intermediate pelletizing step for polymers and other products is no longer necessary with direct extrusion. Thus, the investment and operating costs together with the energy requirement for the production process decrease considerably. www.bsg.de

Outlet temperature max: 150°C Heating capacity at 400V: 6kW Cooling capacity: 28kW Pump capacity: 60 litres/min: 3,8 bar All components exposed to water are made of nonrusting materials, hence long service life

JENOWILL SERVICES Contact - Willy Tschopp 28C Lilly Park, Railway Rd Montague Gardens, Cape Town

Tel: 27 21 551 7241 Fax: 27 21 551 7243 E-mail: jenowill@iafrica.com

www.regloplas.com

BSG switch panel for direct extrusion line

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

EQUIPMENT

Clariant calls on Pallmann mills for masterbatch production CLARIANT Masterbatches is a major producer of masterbatches, with a strong reputation in safety and process excellence. Grinding equipment from leading producer Pallmann provides important assistance in this task. Pallmann mills are different from the competition: they can easily and efﬁciently handle all the main polymers by Clariant Masterbatches without the need for special cooling with liquid nitrogen. This decrease substantially boosts efﬁciency, without negatively affecting the quality for the application needed. With a production volume of several thousand tons per year, polyethylenes are by far the predominant proportion of high-quality powders it makes at its Italian plants Merate and Pogliano just outside of Milan. Clariant also grinds PET, PP and PA for masterbatch applications. “Our most important machines are six Pallmann PKM 600 and 800 mills, with capacities of 450 to 1200 kg per hour”, says Clariant Masterbatches production manager Maurizio Brzuszkiewicz.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

Quality is what matters above all else for Clariant, with it and its customers placing high demands on the masterbatches. Brzuszkiewicz says: “For PP and PA, very often particle sizes of less than 400 microns for special applications and very narrow size distributions are needed.” In order to meet the stringent requirements – as well as to guarantee optimum quality and throughput of new materials without additional cooling - Clariant used the world’s largest size reduction testing centre, in the technology laboratory at Pallmann’s headquarters in Zweibrücken. Various preliminary tests were carried out, especially on blade shapes and blade clearance settings, to optimize them for specific customers and materials. Bulk density, fineness, particle shape and flowability of the milled material can exert a decisive influence on the quality of the final product. Now, with its new Polygrinder, Pallmann has also launched a new mill onto the market that offers a variety of additional appli-

Clariant calls on Pallmann mills for masterbatch production (PHOTO THE PALLMANN GROUP)

cation advantages. In particular, the range of materials that can be ground to a high quality without nitrogen cooling has been extended to include such complex materials such as ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVA) with high VA content. The Polygrinder can also handle a polypropylene copolymer that cannot be processed on any other commercially available mill. • CABLETECH IS THE SA AGENT FOR PALLMANN www.pallmann.eu

Improved slide retention capabilities CAMACTIONS from Progressive Components provide standard solutions for moulding and releasing external undercuts. Now, through Mould & Die Solutions, the channel partner representing Progressive in South Africa, the CamAction 300 Series is offered with Progressive’s SRT Slide Retainers installed, providing a reliable method for maintaining the slide position during the ‘mould open’ stage. Progressive’s exclusive SRT reliably holds side actions from 4 to 36 kg. Very compact, it provides the maximum amount of holding power in the minimum amount of space. The CamAction-SRT combination provides the following beneﬁts:

• Ease of installation versus traditional slide assemblies with angle pins • CamAction 300 provides 6.35mm travel • SRT’s feature engineered springs that provide consistent holding performance • Grease-free operation of SRT, while not galling as other systems are prone to do The CamAction 300’s are available off-the-shelf and are a proven standard that is economical in both time and cost versus making them in-house. Progressive’s complete range of CamActions is available in ﬁve off-the-shelf sizes with travels ranging from 4.0mm up to 25.0mm. English and Metric sizes are offered in all series except the 400.

• MOULD & DIE SOLUTIONS AT TEL: 021 555 2701

www.procomps.com/Animations/Default.aspx

‘Tiger’ shredder a multitalented all-rounder Extreme lifetime even with difﬁcult materials

The new Pallmann ‘Tiger’ shredder – a multi-talented all-rounder

ORIGINALLY developed for reprocessing tyres, Pallmann’s ‘Tiger’ single-shaft shredder is turning out to be a universal machine for numerous applications. The lifetime of the cutting tools, as well as the output, exceed all original expectations. The Tiger-type singleshaft shredder was originally developed to separate the rubber in tyres from the steel reinforcement. Only after getting through over 8000 tons of material (depending on the type) do the rotor blades need replacing. The wear segments on the rotors cope with even more than 80 000 tons. Tyres can be cut into strips in a single step. There is no need for any time-consuming, wear-intensive pre-cutting of the tyre into the normal shreds of 100 by 100 mm or 150 by 150 mm. The standard sized Tiger, the PSRT 1000 x 1250,

achieves an average throughput of 3.5 tons per hour with a ﬁnal particle size of 15 mm. The unit’s patented construction enables the direction of rotation of the rotor to be changed regularly. In this way, the blades keep themselves sharp, contributing to a uniform product quality and further reduced maintenance. The particular shearing and cutting action results in a purity of the steel fraction of more than 97% in a single process step, doing away with the need for a separate machine for subsequent cleaning of the steel fraction. In addition, more than half of the material has a particle size of 0 to 8 mm, which means that downstream size reduction technology can be designed to be considerably more cost-effective.

www.pallmann.eu

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 91

EQUIPMENT

CO2 snow jet system cleans high-gloss plastic parts at VW Optimised pre-treatment of interior components before painting

Component-speciďŹ c cleaning programmes are ďŹ led in the robot controls for approximately 20 different work pieces A single layer of semi-transparent paint is applied to an injection-moulded panel which already has a high-gloss ďŹ nish. This demands an absolutely particle and ďŹ lm-free surface

FOR the past year Volkswagen Plastics Technology in Braunschweig, Germany, has been using the CO2 snow jet technique developed by Advanced Clean Production GmbH to clean interior components before painting. The main reasons behind the investment were cost-efďŹ ciency, sustainability, ease of automation and the low space requirements of the cleaning system. The process also enables high-gloss injection moulded components to be cleaned gently and efďŹ ciently before a single layer of metallic paint is applied. One of the components produced by Volkswagen is a decorative panel made of ABS-PC blend. Although the part already has a high-gloss surface on leaving the injection-moulding machine, it is subsequently coated with a layer of high-gloss metallic paint to give it a sophisticated ďŹ nish. As the paint is applied without an undercoat, the tiniest dust particles or water marks would cause rejects. A cleaning solution was needed which was not only fast, economical and reproducible, but also dry and gentle

on materials. At the same time, the cleaning system had to ďŹ t into a small space and be integrated into the painting process. Thanks to the supersonic twocomponent ring nozzle located in the compact cleaning head, the modularlyconstructed CO2 snow jet system has a high cleaning power despite relatively low carbon dioxide requirements. Liquid carbon dioxide expands on exiting the nozzle to form a mixture of snow and gas which is the core jet. Oil-free compressed air is fed to the core jet as a jacketed jet, accelerating the non-toxic, non-combustible snow crystals to supersonic speed. When the easily-focused jet impacts on the surface of a component, the combination of mechanical, chemical and thermal forces cleans off particles and contamination without leaving any residue. The CO2 snow jet cleaning has enabled reject rates to be lowered by around 3%. www.acp-micron.com

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

CPE

WEIFANG

FLUORO ELASTOMERS

CHENGUANG

PER FLUORO ELASTOMERS TPE ,TPV AND TPR

ELASTRON TURKEY

EPS

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PS & HIPS

HYUNDAI ENGINEERING PLASTICS

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BOOKS

Changing structure of injection moulding industry A SERIES OF NEW REPORTS FROM PLASTICS INDUSTRY CONSULTANTS, APPLIED MARKET INFORMATION LTD.

(AMI) illustrate how the injection moulding industry in Europe is changing. It has recently completed a comprehensive update of its databases of injection moulders for France, the UK and Spain and Portugal. For France and the UK there has been a notable drop in the number of businesses operating. Over 300 UK companies listed in the last edition of AMI’s guide to the injection moulding industry in the United Kingdom have either closed down or gone out of business, while in France 279 businesses have gone. This has resulted in a net decline of 14% in the number of sites listed for France and a 21% decline for the UK. In Spain and Portugal AMI’s research-

ers found nearly 200 companies to have gone since the previous edition of AMI’s guide to the injection moulding industry in Spain and Portugal. The contraction of injection moulding activity in these countries is also illustrated by the decline in polymer demand during the recession. Hitting a peak of nearly 3 million tons of thermoplastics injection moulded in these countries in 2007, over half a million tons of volume was lost in the two year period from 2007-2009. The UK injection moulding sector was the worst affected with a 21% decline in polymer demand from injection moulders over these two years. Moulders in the UK are now processing only around 600 000 tons of polymer/year compared with 840 000 tons some ten years earlier. AMI’s guides allow users to identify which polymers companies are buying and also allow users to identify the end use segments they operate in. The three reports list the activities of over 3 200 injection moulding operations in France, Spain, Portugal and the UK. The information can be accessed either as a printed report or as a searchable Access database. www.amiplastics.com

Report on world PA supply/demand now out

THE just-released ‘World PA6 & PA66 Supply/ Demand Report 2011’ by PCI Nylon, also referred to as the ‘Yellowbook’ among industry experts, once again presents comprehensive current data on the global PA6 and PA66 market, broken down by product classes and countries worldwide. Published by the market research and consulting ﬁrm PCI Nylon of Bad Homburg/ Germany, the 2011 Yellowbook surveys the 94

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entire process chain across polyamide production – including the requisite raw materials and intermediates, production plant capacities and end-uses – segmented into six fields of application: textile filaments, industrial filaments, carpet filaments, staple fibres, engineering plastics for the production of diverse components, and films. These applications currently account for a global consumption of around 6.8 million tons of PA6 and PA66. A total of 66 countries around the globe are examined in this detailed market study. The report is in English and includes a forecast until 2020 based on the 2010/2011 survey figures. The facts compiled in the 2011 Yellowbook reflect an altogether positive trend in the global polyamide market. The massive demand slump experienced in 2008/2009 in the wake of the global financial and economic crisis has been all but overcome in the course of 2010 and early 2011.

High performance engineering plastics explained

A ‘PRACTICAL Guide to High Performance Engineering Plastics’ has been released by iSmithers Rapra. High performance engineering plastics are used in a vast range of applications and environments. They are becoming increasingly important because of trends towards more reliable and higher performance machines and devices. This book gives readers a working knowledge and understanding of high performance engineering plastics. It starts with a simple, practical overview of key properties and principles. In each of the chapters there are sections on production chemistry, product forms, properties, processing and applications. There is a strong bias towards materials and concepts which are used in practice. The materials covered include high performance polyethersulfones, polyetherimides, polyphthalamides, polyphenylene sulﬁde, polyaryletherketones, polyamideimides, polyimides, polybenzimidazole, liquid crystalline polyesters and perﬂuoropolymers.

www.pcinylon.com www.polymer-books.com

The Jetmaster Ai-series of injection moulding machine with intelligent controls is the new flagship product line of the Chen Hsong Group. The high-end series combines the superior performance Ai-11 intelligent computer controller

(built-in networking, intelligent diagnostic and on-line assistance) with hydraulic circuit optimised by the best European and Japanese expertise, resulting in even greater speed, shorter cycle times, significantly better precision control and unmatched ease-of-use.

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New Shipment Arrived!

JUST BRIEFLY INTEGRATION IN RECYCLING AMUT recently acquired Comer Engineering, a company headquartered at Maserada sul Piave (Treviso, Italy) with high level experience in a number of sectors and speciﬁc competence in lines and plants for sorting and treatment of plastics and tyres; composting and bio-stabilization; treatment of dry fraction and treatment and transport of inert materials. The operation has technical and commercial synergy provided by the many years of cooperation between the two companies and aims at exploiting the upswing in plastics recycling market and growing social sensitivity environmental sustainability. The new company will be called AMUT Ecotech and will focus on 360° management of recycling urban solid waste, reinforcing the company’s position in the ﬁeld of plastics washing and recycling. The new company has started its activities and has already received orders for 10 million. www.amut.it

BAYER AMONG FAVOURITES FOR GERMAN SUSTAINABILITY AWARD A novel process for the production of plastics using carbon dioxide has made Bayer AG a favourite for this year’s German Sustainability Award. The company is among the top three candidates in the category ‘Germany’s Most Sustainable Initiatives’. Bayer was nominated for the Dream Production research project, which aims to turn the greenhouse gas CO2 into a useful raw material. This could ultimately provide the chemical industry with an alternative to increasingly scarce resources such as petroleum. According to Patrick Thomas, CEO of the Bayer MaterialScience subgroup which has overall responsibility for the project, “Dream Production has the potential of triggering a signiﬁcant change in the raw material base of the chemical industry thanks to the exemplary combination of intercompany collaboration and applied research.” The new process is currently undergoing thorough testing with the objective of beginning industrial production in 2015. A pilot plant brought on stream by Bayer in Leverkusen in February is using carbon dioxide from the power generation industry to produce a chemical precursor for the production of polyurethanes. www.bayer.com

WORLD NEWS

First UK patient gets plastic heart

The SynCardia plastic heart has a portable external power supply which is small enough to allow the patient walk around, whereas earlier models did not allow that

A 40-YEAR-OLD man with a fatal heart condition is the recipient of a plastic replacement organ, the first UK patient to receive an artificial heart. Matthew Green was treated at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge. Some 900 similar operations have been carried out around the world. The ‘SynCardia’ artificial heart he received is used as temporary a bridge-to-transplant for patients dying from biventricular heart failure. “Patients with mechanical hearts must remain permanently linked to a power supply via tubes that pass through the skin, which is a potential source of infection. With this artificial heart, the power supply is small enough to fit in a shoulder bag, so patients can walk around and go home,” said Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation.

Aquaculture cage nets made with ultra-high INCREASING international demand for all types of sea food is driving the aquaculture industry to develop more economic and extensive operations. (Aquaculture encompasses not only ﬁsh farming but also farming for shrimps, oyster, seaweed and other species.) Greek aquaculture company Andromeda is using nets and cages with Dyneema® ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) ﬁbre to

sustain healthy growth and above-average proﬁtability. Andromeda started using netting made from Dyneema in 2005. Today it has over 80 nets with Dyneema installed, accounting for almost 25% of all nets Andromeda uses for sea bream farming. Dyneema is helping Andromeda cut maintenance costs. “We are conﬁdent that with Dyneema, we can reduce diving inspections by 50%” says George

www.dyneema.com

Greek aquaculture company Andromeda is using nets and cages with Dyneema® ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) ﬁbre to sustain healthy growth and above-average proﬁtability

Tesco drops degradable plastic bags BRITISH food store and retail chain Tesco has opted to revert to standard polyethylene carrier bags and stop use of bags containing an additive that can help plastics oxo-degrade over time. Tesco says its decision is based on data showing these biodegradable bags actually are not very environmentally sustainable. For Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc, a supplier of such additives, the move appears driven more by concerns of proﬁtability and less over environmental worries. And EPI, another supplier of these additives and the company 96

whose additives had been used in Tesco’s shopping bags, says Tesco’s reasoning — that the additives were weakening the bags’ strength — doesn’t hold water. Tesco began offering its customer degradable plastic bags in late 2005, and last year gave away about 2 billion of them. An additive in the polyethylene used to make the bags helps them degrade into water, carbon dioxide and biomass in 18 months or so, depending on conditions. The bags can be re-used as well. But a number of recent studies have questioned the environmental

friendliness of oxo-degradable plastics, among them England’s National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC), which has posted papers of the negative impact of the oxodegradable bags such as that these do not degrade in composting centres. Symphony, which supplies the d2w additive for oxo-degradation of plastics, was not the supplier of the additives that had been used in the Tesco bags, thinks Tesco should have called it and asked for its additives. “We cannot see that recyclability has anything to do with it. Our d2w bags can be

Plastic fashion? PROVING that plastics can be recycled into ‘something of beauty’, is this lineup of female attire made of recycled materials by students at the La Salle College International in Manila.

EVONIK COMPLETES EXIT FROM CARBON BLACK BUSINESS EVONIK Industries completed the divestment of its carbon black activities on 29 July. The new owners are Rhône Capital and Triton Partners. The transaction is valued at over 900 million. The carbon black business generated sales of around 1.2 billion in ﬁscal 2010. The business has been acquired intact as a whole, with its 1 650 employees and renamed Orion Engineered Carbons. www.evonik.com

LONDON BANS PLASTIC BAGS BEFORE OLYMPICS BORIS Johnson, Mayor of London, has added fuel to the plastic bag debate with talk of banning free carrier bags from the capital by the start of the 2012 Olympics. “Plastics bags are an unnecessary scourge on our environment and I’ve set out my ambition to make London a plastic bag-free city,” he told the Daily Mail. “Whilst London doesn’t have the powers to implement bans or charges, I am keenly following Wales’s efforts to solve this problem.”

molecular weight PE Tzamalis, production supervisor at Andromeda. “Furthermore, nets made from Dyneema only need cleaning every 12 months, while nylon nets have to be cleaned after 7 months. Netting with Dyneema has a smaller diameter meaning up to 30% less surface area to catch dirt.” Andromeda expects the beneﬁts to last over time too. “They are worth the investment as they lead to overall savings of 10 to 15%,” he adds.

INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY

A 60s mini-dress is fully embellished with discs cut from plastic soda bottles

A bustier of rubber tyre interior contrasts with a skirt of patchworked orange sack bags

made with recyclate and can themselves be recycled together with normal plastics during their useful life which, in the case of a shopping bag is normally 18 months. By contrast bio-based plastics cannot be recycled,” a statement by Symphony said. This last has been a sore point for Symphony and its competitors, who face competition from suppliers and processors of bio-based plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) as both sides strive for approval from customers, consumers and legislators. Indeed, the European Bioplastics trade group published a position paper in which it distanced itself from oxo-degradable plastics, claiming

WITH the introduction of a new industrial manufacturing process, Bayer MaterialScience is poised to signiﬁcantly reduce energy consumption and cut CO2 emissions. At the Chempark Krefeld-Uerdingen site, a demonstration plant with an annual capacity of 20 000 tons of chlorine has gone on stream. The oxygen depolarized cathode technology used for this has been incorporated into the new electrolysis technology from Uhde/UHDENORA. The combination of the two technologies was developed at Bayer in Leverkusen over the past eight years. Provided the two-year large-scale trial is successful, Bayer will gradually switch its chlorine production to the new process. Experts have calculated that were the technology used throughout Germany, it would save enough electricity to supply a city as large as Cologne. This corresponds to the power generated by a 700-megawatt power plant. Chlorine is used for the production of plastics in particular and also e.g. for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. www.uhde.eu www.bayermaterialscience.com

these did not function as promised, left potentially harmful residue and could encourage littering. “We think that the real reason why Tesco have taken this action is to save money. This is a pity, because the on-cost is very small, and Tesco had set an example to supermarkets around the world by supplying their customers with degradable carrier-bags,” Symphony added. Tesco now supplies shopping bags that have about 15% recycled plastics content in them. Dumped: Tesco has stopped using its biodegradable bags after it was discovered they could actually be worse for the environment than the conventional type 97

(PHOTOS BY LOWRIE SHARP)

The Prosper stand with Richard Endean of Truco (Transvaal Rubber Company) agents for Prosper products

Charles Muller of Astrapak (right) with Mane’ Shalam of Shalam Packaging Ltd of Israel in front of products that are marketed by Astrapak under license. Astrapak and Boxmore were the only two local manufacturing companies exhibiting at SAITEX.

Huge growth for Africa’s biggest opportunities expo IN July this year, the 18th Southern African International Trade Exhibition (SAITEX) reafﬁrmed its position as Africa’s leading business opportunities trade exhibition, attracting business people from around the world for almost 20 years. The Expo recorded its highest attendance since the recent global recession, visitor numbers increasing by 16% to 6 141. Exhibitors increased by 30% to 479, with participants from 54 countries - a staggering 57% increase over SAITEX 2010. Over R11-million worth of transactions were negotiated with exhibitors on the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusam-

menarbeit (GIZ) stand at SAITEX, with an additional R6,7-million in orders under negotiation. GIZ is a federally owned German organisation which helps people and societies around the world to create sustainable enterprises and build better futures. “Our participating companies found SAITEX very useful in promoting their products,” said Annemarie Grobler, a representative from GIZ. “Over 30 orders were placed with our exhibitors on the GIZ stand, with another 55 orders under negotiation.” The Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry made its début at this year’s show. It brought 12 companies to SAITEX,

representing the food, distillery, scientiﬁc, and agricultural sectors amongst others. “We have attended many exhibitions worldwide, and the SAITEX expo measures up to the best in the world in the quality of exhibitors and visitors taking part,” said Yuri Lositsky, the organisation’s Deputy Chairman. “Belarus exports to more than 150 countries worldwide and we are exploring Africa as a new market for our goods. Because of the variety that SAITEX has to offer, we chose it as the initial introduction to showcase our products to the continent.” www.exhibitionsafrica.com

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EuroMold to showcase innovation through mouldmaking & tooling THE 18th EuroMold, World Fair for Mouldmaking and Tooling, Design and Application Development, will take place from 29 Nov 2011 to 2 Dec 2012. The show expects about 1 500 exhibitors from 45 countries and approximately 60 000 trade visitors. With the partner country Korea and many innovative special shows, EuroMold once again will present several highlights. The unique EuroMold fair concept ‘From Idea to Prototype to Series Production’ clearly illustrates the entire process chain. Here all parties involved in product development will be united – from designers, to mouldmakers, machine tool producers, and subcontractors to users. Mouldmaking and Tooling sector makes up for 40.3% of all exhibitors at EuroMold, followed by rapid prototyping and tooling (16.8%) and tools (15.5%) Other important areas of the process chain are the areas of machine tools (15.3%), patternmaking + prototypin (15%), software & hardware (13.9%) and engineering (11.6%). Highlights ‘E-Production for Everyone’ has become a 98

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spectator magnet since its premiere, will this year provide insight to trends and future applications of additive manufacturing. ‘House of Creation’ will comprise the sectors ‘Design + Engineering’, ‘Materials’, ‘Simulation + VR’ and ‘Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing’ creating a unique market place for modern product development. In 2011, EuroMold highlights several international conferences as well as numerous forums and workshops. The 13th consecu-

The unique EuroMold fair concept ‘From Idea to Prototype to Series Production’ clearly illustrates the entire process chain

tive Wohlers Conference’ entitled ‘Design Innovation from Additive Manufacturing’ will be conducted at EuroMold on 1 Dec. New conferences include ‘Injections Moulds’ (29 – 30 Nov), ‘Developing with Plastic Materials’ (30 Nov) and the ‘Pre-calculation of injection moulding’ (1 Dec), ‘Strategies and Trends in Mouldmaking and Tooling (30 Nov).

www.euromold.com

Complex medical disposables

PLASTIC ELECTRONICS CONFERENCE: 11-13 Oct Dresden, Germany www.plastic-electronics.org FAKUMA 2011: 18-22 Oct – Friedrichshafen, Germany: www.fakuma-messe.de

FINNISH company Medisize Corporation will present versatile solutions for plastics products in the medical technology and diagnostics sectors at the Compamed trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany, between 16 – 19 November. The company will demonstrate a wide range of products from peristaltic pumps, titration plates and mixing-injectors to complete sets for MDD-applications. “From the initial idea to the finished product, from the design to the medical product in sterile packaging ready to be used, we present the complete value chain. Our market and our strength are complex disposables in particular, controlled throughout by highly prioritized quality assurance according to ISO 13485 and FDA-Standards or by CGMP (current good manufacturing practice)”, emphasizes Ulrich Schmid, business development manager at Medisize. The company has five production centres worldwide providing state-of-the-art clean room facilities and concentrating on four market segments: medical & diagnostic devices, drug delivery devices, primary pharmaceutical packaging, and airway management. Medisize can create product prototypes in their in-house mould making facility in Finland. Exhibits will include a bone cement mixing gun with a plastic attachment for various transfer systems, an assembly device for hip replacement procedures using a specific high temperature tolerant polyetherimide (PEI), and a cutting template produced for cochlear implant operations using thermoplastic elastomers approved for medical technology applications. www.medisize.com

KENYA TRADEX 2011: 21-23 Oct – Kenyatta International: www.eastafricatradex.info, Convention Centre, Nairobi PROPAK CAPE 2011: 25-27 Oct – Cape Town Int’l Convention Centre: www.propakcape.co.za MULTILAYER PACKAGING FILMS 2011 – EUROPE: 25-27 Oct Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics-na.com PLAST EURASIA: 27-30 Oct – Istanbul, Turkey: www.plasteurasia.com ROTOPLAS 2011: 1-3 Nov – Chicago, USA: www.rotoplas.org PLASTICS CAPS AND CLOSURES 2011: 2-3 Nov Le Plaza Brussels, Belgium: www.plasticscapsandclosures.com AIRTEC 2011: 2-4 Nov – Frankfurt, Germany: www.airtec.aero AGRICULTURAL FILM 2011: 7-9 Nov – Barcelona, Spain: www.amiplastics.com/Events PETNOLOGY EUROPE 2011: 7-8 Nov – Nuremberg, Germany: www.petnology.com WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITES: 8-10 Nov – Vienna, Austria: www.amiconferences.com M-PLAS: 9-12 Nov – Kuala Lumpur: www.mplas.com EQUIPLAST BARCELONA: 14-18 Nov – Barcelona, Spain: www.equiplast.com PLASTIC PACKAGING AFRICA 2011: 15-16 Nov Sandton Sun, Johannesburg: Eric.Motloung@iqpc.com SPF (SPECIALTY FILMS CONFERENCE): 15-16 Nov Zurich, Switzerland: www.mbspolymer.com/spf WATERPROOF MEMBRANES CONFERENCE: 15-17 Nov Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics.com COMPAMED 2011: 16-19 Nov – Dusseldorf, Germany: www.compamed.de CEPLAST HUNGARY: 22-24 Nov – Budapest, Hungary: www.plasportal.com GLOBAL EXPO BOTSWANA 2011: 23-26 Nov Gaborone Int’l Showgrounds, Botswana: www.globalexpo.co.bw FIRE RESISTANCE IN PLASTICS 2011: 29 Nov-1 Dec Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics.com EUROMOLD: 29 Nov-2 Dec – Frankfurt, Germany: www.euromold.com TANZANIA TRADE SHOW: 2-4 Dec – Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania: marketing_4@growgrp.com WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURE: 6-8 Dec Dusseldorf, Germany: www.amiplastics.com/Events THIN WALL PACKAGING 2011: 6-8 Dec – Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics.com 2012 INTERPLASTICA: 24-27 January – Moscow, Russia: www.interplastica.de PLASTINDIA 2012: 1-6 Feb – New Delhi, India: www.plastindia.org PLASTEX 2012: 26-29 Feb – Cairo-Egypt: www.plastex-online.com

A respiration tube produced by Finnish company Medisize and on exhibit at the Compamed trade show

TYREXPO AFRICA 2012: 6-8 Mar – Sandton Convention Centre, Jhb: www.eci-international.com PVC FORMULATION 2012: 20-22 Mar – Dusseldorf, Germany: www.amiplastics.com/Events

Medisize will show a peristaltic pump, where a tube is being actuated by contraction to inject a contrast medium into a patient’s vein. The material used for the pump casing is polycarbonate, the material for the tube is PVC.

NPE 2012: 1-5 Apr – Orlando, Florida, USA: www.npe.org INDONESIAN SHOWS: 11-14 Apr – Jakarta, Indonesia: mdafairs@singnet.com.sg 4TH PAINTEXPO: 17–20 Apr – Germany: www.paintexpo.com CHINAPLAS 2012: 18-21 Apr – Shanghai, China: www.chinaplasonline.com DIEMOULD INDIA: 19-22 Apr – Mumbai, India: www.demat.com POLYMERS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS 2012: 24-26 Apr Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics.com SPE 8TH THERMOFORMING CONF: 25-27 Apr – Venice, Italy: www.e-t-d.org DRUPA 2012: 3-16 May – Dusseldorf, Germany: www.drupa.com AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURE: 8-11 May ExpoCentre, Johannesburg: www.africainfrastructure.co.za PLAST 2012: 8-12 May – Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy: www.plastonline.org EUROMOLD BRASIL: 20-24 Aug – Joinville, Brazil: www.euromold.com 2013 PROPAK AFRICA 2013: 12-15 Mar 2013 MTN Expo Centre, Nasrec, Johannesburg: www.propakafrica.co.za K2013: 16-23 Oct 2013 – Düsseldorf, Germany: www.konline.de

Collected processing scrap temporarily is stored at the NPE2009 recycling centre

A member of NPE2009 Recycling Programme staff is shown with reusable plastic items generated from an injection moulding machine in operation on the exhibit ﬂoor

NPE2012 will be big! NEXT year’s NPE2012 international plastics exposition will be so big that the reusable scrap generated in just one day by equipment operating on the exhibit ﬂoor will amount to tens of thousands of kilograms. To prevent the waste of this valuable material, SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association has appointed Maine Plastics, Inc. as the ofﬁcial recycler for NPE2012. The company is charged with the collection, separation, transportation, and repro-

cessing of production-line scrap, as well as such other waste as the PET bottles left behind by more than 60 000 visitors. NPE2012 is the ﬁfth consecutive edition of the triennial NPE for which Maine Plastics has provided these services. Organized by SPI, NPE2012 will take place from 1 – 5 April 2012 at the Orange County Convention Centre (OCCC) in Orlando, Florida. Chances are good that the 2012 recycling program will surpass that of 2009

by a large margin, according to Gene Sanders, SPI’s senior vice president of trade shows and conferences. “We expect to see a lot more scrap being produced on the NPE2012 show ﬂoor, and that will be a good thing,” said Sanders. “It will be the result of a substantial increase in the number of machines being shown in full operation, enhancing the value of attending NPE2012 while yielding everything from caps and closures to blown ﬁlm to automotive components.”

www.npe.org www.plasticsindustry.org

Innovative value creating solutions for Turkish market BOREALIS and Borouge, leading providers of chemical and innovative plastics solutions, will showcase some of their innovative and value creating solutions for the Turkish market at Plast Eurasia in Istanbul, Turkey from 27 – 30 October. Underlining Borealis and Borouge’s ability to turn market needs into new products with an improved environmental footprint, the various products, applications and solutions to be presented include: BorSafe™ PE100 LS-H for water transportation and BorECO™ BA2000 for sewer networks offer durability and reliability for pipe systems with a long, low maintenance service life. Innovative installation methods allow for faster, more efﬁcient pipe-laying with less

environmental disruption. Other innovations on exhibit will be BorShape™ – a new generation of ﬁlm materials, BorLite™ linear low density polyethylene, Bormed™ – dedicated polyoleﬁns for healthcare applications, BorcomTM BG055AI – a polypropylene (PP) capable of matching the glossy aesthetics of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymers, BorPure™ MB6561, MB6562, MB7541 solutions for caps and closures, Borealis RJ900MO and Bormod™ BJ998MO for thin wall packaging, Daplen™ EH104AE and Daplen™ VB4411 for automotive solutions, and Supercure™ LC8205R, Visico-Ambicat™ and Borstar bimodal PE for wire and cable applications www.borealisgroup.com BorECO™ for sustainable pipe infrastructure solutions

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Events coming up 2011 – 2012 7TH PLASTIC ELECTRONICS CONFERENCE 2011 THE 7th Plastic Electronics Conference 2011 will be held from 10 – 13 October in Dresden, Germany. The Plastic Electronics 2011 Conference has grown into the annual focal event for professionals from academia, research institutes and industry in the emerging area of large area electronics. For the second year these professionals from OLAE science and industry will meet their peers from the CMOS micro-electronics technology area. The event is focusing on the most promising application areas in OLAE, which have entered or which soon will enter the industrialization phase. For the full conference programme visit the conference website. www.pe2011.org

PLAST EURASIA ISTANBUL 2011

CAPS AND CLOSURES WORKSHOP AND CONFERENCE THOSE hungry to learn about the growing plastic caps and closures market, as well as the issues surrounding the recycling and environmental handling of such products, will ﬁnd a smorgasbord of information during the two-day Plastic Caps and Closures 2011 Conference from 2 – 3 November in Brussels, Belgium. This Plastics Caps and Closures Conference has been run seven times in Brussels, Belgium with a focus on the European market, and other world regions. It is a highly successful event that regularly receives 150 – 175 attendees. The conference is relevant for senior executives and technical leads, it is popular with brand owners and supermarkets who are responding directly to consumer needs and demands, as well as the plastics supply chain from resins and additives to processing The conference has typically focused

THE FUTURE OF PET PETNOLOGY Europe 2011 from 7 – 8 November at the Congress Centre in Nuremberg, Germany, will shed light on the future of PET. Looking back on several decades of research, experience and knowledge acquisition, the industry is now able to explore new ﬁelds of creative, inventive and yet realistic PET engineering concepts. This will be reﬂected in the presentations from more than 30 companies, in the exhibition and in numerous one-to-one discussions among participants. www.petnology.com

AGRICULTURAL FILMS THE Agricultural Film Conference will be held from 7-9 November in Barcelona, Spain. In South Africa, Greencult has developed netted mulch for use with cucurbit crops like melons and butternut squash. Wind stress causes a lot of problems with these crops, tearing leaves, exposing fruit to excess sunlight and twisting the stems. Conventional mulch ﬁlms are too smooth and don’t provide anywhere for the vine tendrils to hold on, so nets over the mulch can provide more stability for the plants and also reduce tearing of the ﬁlms. The system is patented and was tested on a farm in Worcester, where melon yield was raised around 15-20% by using netted mulch compared to conventional material. www.amiconferences.com

EQUIPLAST 2011, BARCELONA EQUIPLAST 2011, the international plastics and rubber conference will be hosted from 14 – 18 November in Barcelona, Span. Equiplast is hosted every three years and this year will present the latest innovations in the national and international plastics and rubber sector. Sectors on exhibition will include raw materials and additives, machinery, equipment and automation systems, peripherals, parts and components, moulds and dies, semimanufactured and ﬁnished products, measuring, control and automation, hardware and software, environment, recycling, industrial and occupational safety, research, development and innovation, and subcontracting and services. www.equiplast.com

FOCUS ON KOREA AT EUROMOLD 2011 SOUTH Korea - an emerging country that plays a signiﬁcant role as an Asian industrial nation - is the partner country at EuroMold 2011 which takes place from 29 November to 2 December at the Exhibition Centre in Frankfurt, Germany. Korean companies, Korean research institutions and relevant trade associations will present themselves at EuroMold 2011 with additional opportunities for collaboration at the one-day Forum Korea. Korea is Germany’s third largest Asian trading partner after China and Japan, nevertheless, still well ahead of India. Korea is considered as one of the advanced industrial countries with a GDP per capita of $17,175 (2009) and also demonstrates a continuous high level of growth rates: 2010 GDP grew by 6.1%. The ﬁgures for the year 2011 and 2012 are expected to grow by 4.5% per annum. www.euromold.com

TANZANIA TRADE SHOW THE Tanzania Trade Show and International Trade Exhibition will be held from 2 - 4 December at The Diamond Jubilee Halls in Dar-Es-Salaam. The event is divided into multiple sectors including Building & Construction, Agriculture & Machinery, IT & Electronics, Food, Hotel & Kitchen, Industrial & Machinery, Consumer & Houshold and Plastics, Printing & Packaging. www.grow-expo.com/ ca_cal_11/frm_enq.html

RELIABLE ROTORS FOR THE WIND INDUSTRY WIND Turbine Blade Manufacture 2011 is scheduled again for 6 - 8 December at the Maritim Hotel in Dusseldorf, Germany. The exhibition provides leading suppliers with the opportunity to demonstrate their products to decision makers and R&D experts. Quality control and testing can cut maintenance costs to energy companies, and there are a variety of properties that can be measured. Germanischer Lloyd is a world-leading certiﬁcation body and will be outlining the performance requirements for blades. A wide range of testing equipment and protocols will be discussed at this conference from expert institutes (the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) and Stuttgart University) and wind blade manufacturers like Euros Entwicklungsgesellschaft Fuer Windkraftanlagen. Several papers cover non-destructive testing (NDT) including

the work by Force Technology. www.amiconferences.com

PLASTEX 2012 PLASTEX 2012 from 26 – 29 February 2012 in Egypt is the leading international trade fair dedicated to the plastic machinery, components, raw materials and chemicals in the Middle East & North African regions. The fair presents products and services, technologies and innovations, trends and tendencies for trade markets. Since its launch in 1993, Plastex has held 12 successful versions and the 13th is expected to attract even more exhibitors, visitors, and international attendance in addition to increasing space. www.plastex-online.com

PAINTEXPO THE 4th PaintExpo, leading international trade fair for industrial coating technology, will take place in Germany from 17 – 20 April 2012. For companies with in-house painting facilities as well as job-shop coaters, increasing material and energy efficiency in coating processes has top priority. The exhibition will be held at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre. Regardless of the industry sector for which metals, plastics, glass, wood, wooden materials and other materials need to be coated – strong demand for improved efficiency and, at the same time, enhanced quality and ecology is being felt in all market segments. Increased flexibility is an additional issue which concerns companies with in-house painting operations. On the one hand, this involves smaller and smaller manufacturing lot sizes in many areas. On the other hand, painting systems are in demand which can be flexibly expanded and set up for various processes. www.paintexpo.com

THERMOFORMING CONFERENCE 2012 THE European Thermoforming Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers will host the 8th Thermoforming Conference in Venice, Italy from 25 - 27 April 2012. The conference will offer a unique opportunity to congregate with Europe’s leading thermoforming companies and to actively participate in drafting a long-term strategy for the industry’s recovery and future success. The main programme is near completion and promises to be the best ever with a number of eminent speakers already agreeing to participate. www.e-t-d.org OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 101

DIARY

PLAST Eurasia Istanbul – the 21st International Istanbul Plastic Industries Fair - will be held from 27 – 30 October at TÜYAP Fair Convention and Congress Centre, Buyukcekmece, Istanbul, Turkey. Attended by 755 companies and company representatives from 38 countries, the Plast Eurasia Istanbul 2010 fair was visited by 29,684 professionals, including 3,941 foreign professionals from 73 countries. As in the previous years, Plast Eurasia 2010 succeeded to meet the true needs and expectations of the plastics industry. www.plasteurasia.com

on the beverage and food markets. This year the programme will go much wider to cover personal care, toiletries, cosmetics, medical, automotive and chemical market caps and closures. www.plasticscapsandclosures.com

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How to advertise To place a classiﬁed advert please Fax: 086 519 6089 or Tel: 021 712 1408 or E-mail: saplastics@iafrica.com www.saplastics.co.za

Advertisers: OCT / NOV 2011

Advanced Polymers BASF Carst & Walker Creative Factory Dema Plastech DH Polymers Hestico Hi-Tech Elements Hosaf Hume Machinery Jenowill Karbochem KR Polymers Libcor Magnum Machine Tools Maritime Marketing Masterbatch SA MBT MDS Mercury Plastics MGMW Trading Miracle Mould MJH Machine Tools Mouldplas Performance Colour Systems Perspex South Africa Plasquip Plastamid PlastiChem Plasticolors Plastindia Plastomark PMS Plastics Polysaf Polywhiz Trading Progetto International Protea Polymers Quad Plastics RAPDASA Rawmac Recent Recycling Machinery Reichmans Capital Relloy (Erema) Safrique International SAPY Colours Sasﬁn SES Standex Engraving SA Sun Ace Tecnova Italy Unicor UTP Mould & Die West African International 102

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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

GREENLAND OILS Michael Engels 072 125 4323 Tel: (011) 903-8084 Fax: (086) 665-4323 email: mengels1@ telkomsa.net PO Box 1220 Walkerville 1876

Clench-it

Factory upgrade

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PLASTIC WANTED JCL Plastic Enterprises requires the following post-industrial materials for recycling: PP ABS HIPS HDPE PC PVC-P PA POM PE/PA Contact: Colin Ph 011 894 3520 | Fax 011 894 7284 | E-mail jcl@jcl.co.za or visit us at www.jcl.co.za GPPS PVC-U PMMA

/ RECYCLING High-quality recycled HDPE, LDPE, PP, HIPS phone Steve tel: (021) 931 9658 fax: (086) 212 7270

For Sale K\Z_efmX i\ZpZcè^ cè\ @kXcp -'dd jZi\n n`k_ jè^c\ mXZlld [\^Xjjè^ ;`\ ]XZ\ Zlkk\i n`k_ nXk\i iè^ Flkglk ()' B^&_i ]fi CC;G<&C;G< :fe[`k`fe ^ff[ P\Xi f] dXel]XZkli\$ (000 Gi`Z\1 I+''#''' " M8K :fekXZk1 DXikè :Xi\n fe '/* -)/ *)))

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www.galloti.co.za

SUBSCRIBE TO SA PLASTICS, COMPOSITES & RUBBER

SES develops SA-made injection machine.

SA Plastics, Composites & Rubber is published six times a year and is available to people involved in the plastics and polymer industry in South Africa on a subscription basis at a cost of R200 a year. It is available in other countries in Southern Africa at a subscription cost of ZAR400 per year. International subscription, supplied by airmail, is ZAR600. If you’d like to subscribe, email your details to saplastics@iafrica.com or visit our website at www.saplastics.co.za

Be surprised

For Sale

TWIN ROLLER MIXING MILL z

Rollers size: 457mm dia x 1220mm long;

Independently driven, infinitely speed adjustable rollers driven by 2 x Hagglunds hydraulic motors powered by 2 x 37kW Zest electric motors;

Adjustable nip gap and shear speed;

Steam heated rollers with independent electronic temperature control;

Built in 2003

(see page 12)

A glistening dagger seemingly trapped within a solid transparent rock - just one of the many surprising visual effects achievable with DuPont™ Surlyn® that will be presented by DuPont at Luxe Pack 2011 in Monaco from 19-21 October. The striking application of Surlyn is provided by the 50 ml and 100 ml bottles for a new fragrance from Cesare Paciotti. The distinguishing hallmark of the Paciotti brand is a sparkling dagger that has been faithfully reproduced in the caps moulded from Surlyn PC2000. The challenge of this design is to have the dagger, made of PC/ABS, perfectly suspended in the centre of the solid Surlyn cap. (Plastamid is the SA agent for DuPont)

Price: R250 000 (excl VAT) Contact: Wouter Olivier on 021 959 5930 or 082 444 8471

www.dupont.com

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

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