S a plastics '014 10 for web (a)

PRESSURE TESTED / 25bar DesmopanÂŽ DP 1350D has a hardness of 50 Shore D and withstands the required bursting pressures, which can be more than 25 bar, depending on the diameter of the hose.

DesmopanÂŽ is a registered trademark of Bayer MaterialScience AG

Pressure control systems

Pipelines for transporting chemicals

DesmopanÂŽ DP 1350D is a thermoplastic polyurethane with excellent extrudability that has been custom-formulated for the production of hoses. The melt solidifies very rapidly, resulting in hoses with high dimensional stability. Tight wall thickness and diameter tolerances can also be maintained. The ester-based TPU is highly transparent, making it easy to keep a visual check on the media being conveyed.

And because DesmopanÂŽ is easy to colour, hoses can be produced in a wide range of different colours.

In addition to properties such as high flexibility, long-term folding resistance and low compression set, the material also boasts very good wear resistance and particularly high resistance to oils and a broad range of other chemicals.

ECONOMICAL BAGMAKING MACHINERY SOLUTIONS

Technimac ( Pty ) Ltd has developed its widest bottom seal bagmaking machine yet in South Africa.

The Gunter model BSM 1600 can produce bags up to 1600mm wide and a draw length of 3500mm.

Materials of up to 4x150 Îź can be sealed and when produced on two lanes can achieve a 70% increase in

tension control and output. At the same time keeping maintenance and down time costs at a low level.

Technimac has supplied the South African market as well as export markets with locally built equipment

customers satisfaction is our guarantee of consistent reliability and service to the industry.

35 YEARS BAGMAKING MACHINERY SOLUTIONS

www.guenter-kunststoffmaschinen.de

TIME TO GO GLOBAL

INNOVATIVE MACHINERY SOLUTIONS www.hettler-systeme.de

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BY THE WAY ...

AfriStar winner – African Closures, the Polyoak business, won a ‘Best in Household’ Award at the AfriStar packaging awards programme in Nairobi in September for its 38mm child-resistant closure. Another Polyoak company, Dairypack Tubs, won the best overall award for its Melrose Cheese Wedges Tub – see page 62

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: Jeanette Erasmus Graphic Design (jeanette.erasmus@lateraldynamics.co.za) Bronwen Moys Blinc Design (bronwen.clarke@gmail.com) Summit Publishing cc t: +27 (21) 712 1408 f: 086 519 6089 c: +27 (82) 822 8115 e: saplastics@iafrica.com Postnet Suite 42, Private Bag X16, Constantia 7848, Cape Town, South Africa 70 Newton Drive, Meadowridge, Cape Town

www.saplastics.co.za GAUTENG Lowrie Sharp t: (011) 793 4691 f: (011) 791 0544 c: 082 344 7870 e: lowrieplasticsmedia@absamail.co.za KZN Lynne Askew t: (031) 764 2494 f: (031) 764 0676 e: lynne@summitpub.co.za 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.

Copyright: All rights reserved.

ISSN number: 1684-2855 (ISDS Centre, Paris) Summit Publishing: CK 9863581/23 VAT reg: 4600187902

Plastics Institute

Association of Rotational Moulders of South Africa

of Southern Africa

Plastics Converters Association

PET Plastic Recycling

Plastics Federation

South Africa

of SA

Institute of Materials

Astrapak team positive THE jury may still be out on the chances of Astrapak’s turnaround being successful or not, but it doesn’t matter: the process is underway (it’s 18 months into the 2-year turnaround programme) and only time will tell whether Robin Moore and his team are successful.

In our last issue we mentioned that some observers believe Astra does not have sufficient managers to sustain the turnaround process and that ‘a gradual slide’ had taken place at some of the group companies over the past few years, since the original ownermanagers departed. That was unnecessary, and not surprisingly, some of the people concerned complained. It appears, however, that there are new managers at virtually all of the group businesses, and consolidation is taking place at some of the units where there’s been less change.

The salient fact is that Moore is optimistic and positive that the process will succeed. There can be few parallels for the Astrapak programme – of a group which built itself up through acquisitions, became overstretched and then had to again downsize dramatically – anywhere around, so watching the process is proving fascinating.

Dismissal upheld for retarding machine A CAPE moulder got into an unexpected situation at the MEIBC recently when an employee who was dismissed for retarding a machine challenged the process. The operator had decided to slow the machine down, contrary to the desire of the company’s management. He had ostensibly pursued this course of action since other machines at the plant were slower, and thought it was unnecessary for his machine to ‘out-perform’ the others, whereas his employer would have preferred him to increase production, and even undertake additional tasks if opportunity to do so allowed. The operator was warned about this behaviour, but the fact that he chose to ignore the cautions was not seen favourably at the Bargaining Council and his dismissal was upheld.

Fire at Plastop warehouse THE torching of a warehouse at Plastop in Bronkhorstspruit during the recent strike, although it’s not the first time such a thing has happened during industrial action, has got to rate as mind-bogglingly senseless. The strikers were demanding higher wages, but the loss of the stock and damage to the property directly impacts the entire business, jeopardises loyalty of customers to the business and, perhaps not as tragically, will result in the employer becoming even less favourably disposed towards them. Absolute craziness.

Direct Plastics of the UK supplied PA 6.6 rods used in artworks and graphics which are used in public spaces, creating interesting colour and lighting effects www.directplastics.co.uk

METHING HAVE SO … IF YOU TO SAY de: if you e bright si Look at th isdom to w of m e ge us at have som to te ri w ease m impart, pl co a. ic s@iafr saplastic

VOLUME 12 NR 5

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

Contents Find out more at www.saplastics.co.za

REGLOPLAS High-performance temperature control units ‌ for large injection moulds, extruders, rollers, autoclaves and other processing equipment

INDUSTRY NEWS Mpact to build R350m PET recycling plant Multiknit celebrates 50 years Big machine at Kwikot for overow trays Mudi goes from strength to strength Keeneyes Industrial Corp opens Jo’burg ofďŹ ce PIPES VIII highlights importance of investing in SA’s water infrastructure Safripol: HDPE pipes stand the test of time

6 8 10 24 27

40

Type 150 Smart Temperature control units for oil up to 150°C

42 46

Temperature control units for water up to 90°C UĂŠ ÂœÂ˜ĂŒĂ€ÂœÂ?Â?iÀÊ,/ĂˆÂŁĂŠ*

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62

72

47 48 50

74

PRODUCTS New products

53

28 32

ASSOCIATION NEWS PLASTICS|SA: Thousands join forces to clean up beaches PISA: Upbeat Gan Naicker just rolls on IOM³: Unbaking the cake – the chemistry of devulcanization POLYCO: Spreading plastics recycling message with Facebook competition PETCO: Celebrates 10 years PSPC: Prominent architect builds dream home with recycled polystyrene

Type 90 Smart

54

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DESIGN 2014 International Design Excellence Awards Polyoak takes top prize at AfriStar awards 2014

58 62

WORLD NEWS BMW closes the carbon ďŹ bre loop

76

88

s #LEAR ARRANGEMENT OF OPERATING AND indicating elements s 3OLID STATE RELAY 332 INSTEAD OF heating contactor

SPORTS Polycarbonate training device help swimmers win gold

s 3IMULTANEOUS READOUT OF TEMPERATURE set-point and actual value

96

88

ON THE COVER

Originally developed by Colour Tone Masterbatch in Wales, England, for use in PVCu, Vynacol polymer speciďŹ c masterbatches, incorporating heat reecting infrared pigment technology, offer temperature performance proďŹ les of up to 40% lower than conventionally coloured plastics.

Read more on page 70. www.colourtone-masterbatch.co.uk

s !LL COMPONENTS EXPOSED TO WATER ARE made of non-rusting materials, hence long service-life s !CHIEVES ESTIMATED REDUCTION IN REJECTS AND INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY

JENOWILL SERVICES #ONTACT n 7ILLY 4SCHOPP

4EL &AX # ,ILLY 0ARK 2AILWAY 2D

-ONTAGUE 'ARDENS #APE 4OWN JENOWILL IAFRICA COM WWW REGLOPLAS COM

THIS ISSUE Pipe dreams? – Certainly not. Two events in September looked at the huge and real potential offered by plastic pipe: Safripol hosted a seminar at which it reviewed its iMPACT100® HDPE material; and then at the SAPPMA Pipes VIII conference the industry’s ability to supply high quality pipe was again outlined. Poor or sub-standard water supply is a core problem for many people in southern Africa, yet municipalities talk about ordering pipe but then don’t … how are we going to overcome this serious shortcoming?

Production went UP in some cases Rise in production during the strike can’t solve the problem, maybe it is the problem RODUCTION actually increased in some cases during the recent strike … but that’s not going to solve your problem or THE problem for that matter.

COMMENT

P

The fact that production increased was mainly the result of owners and management getting involved in production, in many if not most of the cases simply to supply customers. The only relief was that just about everyone in the manufacturing sector was affected by the strike, but it certainly did not make for happy customers.

So what is the problem? To us from a distance (since we are not involved in employing production personnel) it appears that workers employed at plastics, composites and rubber converting companies around the country are generally treated well, but the confrontational nature of wage negotiations are undermining positive dialogue and even retarding development of the industry. We need to work towards improving employer-employee relations and, in our view, and most importantly, changing the racial polarization that continues, seemingly unchanged: there are very few black employers, yet all the striking workers are black.

Something has to change, or we may start going backwards … in which case everyone will lose.

We hope to report about this scenario in a forward oriented basis in forthcoming issues.

Water cut off is a serious matter In our article about the recent Pipes VIII conference (page 28), SAPPMA chairman Jan Venter mentioned the fact that although promises of orders for plastic pipe are made by government and municipalities, the process is often not carried through. Most of the country’s water pipe infrastructure needs to be replaced and upgraded, and the problem is possibly even more evident across Southern Africa.

Jan has been warning about this for some time, but he’d hardly finished his presentation on this occasion when residents in several suburbs in Gauteng ran dry.

Not because there isn’t water, but due to failure of the pipe distribution system.

Plastic pipe offers a very good solution for this requirement, but the country’s pipe manufacturers are sitting around waiting – which is costly. It’s worrying when high standard production machines are not

being utilised. Perhaps what we need is a multi-lingual task force to visit municipal procurement managers around the region and explaining the urgent need for proper maintenance of the infrastructure, and to urge them to complete the order forms.

Hats off to Venture

Venture success Plastics team for Our story about the cooperamaintaining the tion by Venture Plastics and confidence of their Kwikot, the hot water systems supplier, is a positive one customer over a (page 10). Geoff Watson of long period Venture has been moulding items for Kwikot for over 40 years and continuously since he formed Venture Plastics in 1988. Now the companies have taken their relations to the next level by Venture installing a machine as an ‘in plant’ unit at the Kwikot site in Benoni. Kwikot has managed the process in good faith, particularly by not continuously seeking to find cheaper suppliers. That course has been followed by numerous manufacturers around the world: in South Africa convertors have frequently had to face threats of orders being shifted to China, and sometimes only presented with the reality after the event.

We realise this scenario is more complicated than can be summarised here, but hats off to Watson and the Venture Plastics team for succeeding in maintaining the confidence of their customer over a long period – well done guys!

The publisher was on site, incognito in New York City recently, visiting some of the group’s business divisions. Actually, maybe that’s not correct … Wells Fargo dates back to the Wild West, stagecoach robbery era and is one of the world’s truly proven financial institutions.

New York, if you haven’t been, is an experience of note

Here are some product ideas from North America, including garden sheds produced in plastics (most probably by roto moulding mainly); Adirondack chairs, which are conventionally made in wood (dating back to their development in the Adirondack Mts in the USA in 1903), but here beautifully crafted in polyprop!; and the ‘Yaktrack’ minicrampons, which are simplified versions of the genuine ice climbing devices. The Yaktracks make use of elastomer strapping to hold the metal studs (which are joined by thin chains) on to the wearer’s feet.

Not that there would normally be much use for crampons in Africa, but a clever elastomer application nonetheless.

INDUSTRY NEWS

to build R350m PET 129 000 tons of PET bottles/yr to be diverted from landfill recycling was an exciting opportunity.

“Mpact is starting a new venture that will add an important dimension to our business. It is an excellent fit with our strategy and will enhance our position as a leading beneficiator of recyclables in South Africa.”

The new plant will He said the new business process about 29 000 will supply Mpact customers tons of PET plastic New plant to be with a reliable and high-quality bottles a year, generating commissioned source of raw material while 21 000 tons of new rPET during the providing waste collectors with directly from what was a committed buyer of used previously considered second half plastic bottles. Further, the waste material that would of 2015 benefits to the environment have been sent to landfill are substantial. sites.

The PET recycling plant will be part The collection and processing of 29 000 of Mpact Polymers, a newly formed tons of PET bottles amounts to a saving operating entity within Mpact Limited. of about 180 000m³ of landfill space a It will be built in Wadeville, Germiston, year, the equivalent of 75 Olympic-size close to one of Mpact’s existing plastics swimming pools. Mpact anticipates that manufacturing facilities. about 1000 jobs will be created directly The Industrial Development Corporation and indirectly to operate the new plant (IDC) has provided loan funding of R210and collect the bottles needed as input million in debt and R30-million for its equity material. stake of 21% in Mpact Polymers. The Bruce Strong, chief executive officer of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Mpact, said the group’s entry to plastic

MPACT Limited, the JSE-listed manufacturer of paper and plastic packaging and a major paper recycler, has unveiled plans for a R350-million state-of-the-art polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling plant.

has approved a Section 12I tax incentive.

“The plastics industry is a strategic focus area for the IDC. This project is a good fit with the IDC’s chemicals strategy in terms of downstream processing of chemicals, job creation and industrial development,” said Hilton Lazarus, head of chemicals and allied industries at the IDC. Strong expects the new plant to be commissioned during the second half of 2015. He says building the Mpact Polymers plant and making a carefully planned entry into plastics recycling is a good investment.

Planning for new plant done with key customers Development of the plan for PET recycling was done in close collaboration with key customers to ensure that the processed recycled material meets international standards. Mpact worked with Coca-Cola, its bottling partner Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI), SABMiller as well as with industry body PETCO to bring the project to fruition.

ABI will be the anchor customer for the rPET produced by the plant. Other

New packaging, especially for IML system used currently to manufacture polypropylene IML cups for export customer A R10-million investment by Mpact earlier this year in its fastmoving consumer goods (FMCG) plastics plant in Pinetown in KwaZulu-Natal has enabled the group to produce a new type of packaging, especially for the dairy industry.

The new machinery offers dairy producers high quality plastic containers of varying sizes for products such as yoghurt.

Neelin Naidoo, MD of Mpact’s Plastics division, said producers in the dairy sector have made it clear recently that they are looking for innovative ways to contain costs.

“Consumer spending is under strain and food producers say they cannot pass on all cost increases. Fuel, imports and packaging are the main contributors to cost increases of food manufacturers.

High quality packaging at a high speed The Engel high-speed moulding machine, together with a label robot from Illseman Automation, will ensure top quality output of a 150ml In Mould Labelled (IML) yoghurt cup, to start with.

Other sizes are to follow and will depend on market demand.

The machine has a high cavitation mould from Glaroform in Switzerland operating at a high-speed cycle time, producing 55 million cups a year. The equipment complies with European safety standards and can accommodate moulds with higher 6 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

cavitation. Cavitation will differ according to product size.

Producing 150ml yoghurt cups, which are relatively small, allows for a higher number of cavities to be used.

Reducing the risk of contamination The IML robot also reduces the risk of contamination by cutting down on unnecessary human contact with the cup, during the manufacturing process. The capabilities of the machinery have been tested and proven, said Paul Visagie, general manager of the Pinetown plant.

JUST BRIEFLY

recycling plant customers include Mpact Plastics operations and other external customers who will convert rPET directly into preforms, bottles, jars and food trays.

Alternative local supply of rPET Building the PET recycling plant will also enable Mpact to offer customers an alternative local supply of rPET. Strong said the sharing of expertise and mutual experience was vital to developing a PET recycling business that will be sustainable.

“Our people visited a number of plastics recycling operations around the world while developing Mpact’s plan to enter this business. The project team’s research included visits to Mexico, France, Germany, Bangladesh and Peru. Plants using different technology and facing particular challenges were examined. We drew important learnings about what is needed to establish a viable and sustainable plastics recycling business,” he added.

In developing the project, Mpact has also been supported by PETCO, the Ekurhuleni Metro, the IDC and the DTI.

“The IDC and the DTI both have a significant interest in supporting industrial development and job creation and are willing to share in managing the risks of the project,” said Strong. “The IDC is also an experienced funder of projects of this nature and we are pleased that the corporation has agreed to take up a stake of 21% in Mpact Polymers.

Krones selected as equipment supplier The plant will use sophisticated technology and equipment that will enable it to process PET bottles. Mpact’s extensive research into the rPET market and technology led it to select Krones as its supplier of plant equipment. Germanybased Krones is a leading global supplier of plant and equipment for the beverage industry, including for recycling.

“The South African market currently uses about 124 000 tons of PET bottles a year. Some 59 700 tons of PET was collected for recycling in 2013. So, our initial objective to collect and process 29 000 tons a year indicates a clear opportunity to expand PET recycling.” www.mpact.co.za

the dairy industry “Currently this IML system is used to manufacture polypropylene IML cups for an export customer. Four cameras measure each cup ejected from the mould for defects such as label displacement, label over-moulding and rim accuracy,” he added.

Small print and multiple colours can also be used on labels without compromising the quality. Changes to label artwork are less time-consuming than the more traditional decorating methods.

Specialised IML labels with benefits such as temperature regulation and O2 barriers are also available. Various substrates and thicknesses offer a variety of visual effects ranging from a foiled look to pearlised, matt, gloss and metallic finishes.

The new Engel high-speed moulding machine at Mpact’s FMCG plastics plant in Pinetown, together with a label robot from Illseman Automation, ensures top quality output of 150ml IML polypropylene yoghurt cups for an export customer. The machine has a high cavitation mould from Glaroform in Switzerland operating at a highspeed cycle time, producing 55 million cups a year

www.mpact.co.za

Venture plant closure is big setback for Eastern Cape THE closure of the Venture plant in Uitenhage at the end of July is a major setback for the industry in the Eastern Cape, although other auto component manufacturers in the region are rapidly picking up the lost contracts.

The short report in our last issue did not convey the seriousness of the situation: the Venture business was one of the top big injection plants in the country, with about six machines of over 2000 tons clamp force. Assembly of bumper and dashboard modules was handled at the plant, with some of the processes being semi-automated, and electroplating was offered. A large diameter PVC pipe extrusion line was also housed at the Uitenhage plant.

About 200 workers are affected by the closure.

Automotive manufacturers in the region expressed surprise about the Venture exit, but few businesses here – or anywhere in the world for that matter – would be able to operate with the 3% annual price reduction demanded by the automotive manufacturers. Management at the Uitenhage company had apparently had difficulty negotiating with the auto manufacturers for some time, resulting in an ever-deteriorating margins cycle.

Venture management refused to comment when we approached them.

Other plastic automotive component suppliers in the region, however, are busy – and their abilities to react quickly to lastminute orders from the auto companies appears to be an important difference.

Some of the component suppliers have also developed the ability to anticipate orders, and the best way to achieve that is to possess a good grasp of the automotive assembly process. Principle Plastics in Port Elizabeth, for example, believes in building up substantial stock of all regularly ordered parts, almost nullifying the risk of crisis orders.

Warehousing large quantities of stock is often seen by banks as money tied up, and many manufacturers see it that way too … but the big plus is that stock is virtually guaranteed to be available at any time. It also avoids the need to retain staff for production overnight or over weekends, sometimes unexpectedly; the latter also incurs additional costs.

Some of the equipment is to be relocated to the Venture plants in Durban and Rosslyn.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

7

Multiknit celebrates 50 years!

8

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS

Export to more than 65 countries worldwide TOGETHER with loyal and satisfied customers around the world, hundreds of Multiknit employees are celebrating the company’s 50th year in business.

Originally based in Kwazulu Natal, Multiknit commenced trading in 1964 with the import of hessian bags for the packaging of wattle extract and maize.

From these small beginnings, the company purchased and commissioned extrusion and knitting equipment, and in 1969 started producing its own synthetic knitted fabrics and produce bags.

Multiknit has since grown to be the market leader in the manufacture of these products in the southern hemisphere.

Through its international division, it exports to more than 65 countries worldwide.

Expansion and acquisition Multiknit has grown remarkably in its 50 years, through product expansions and the acquisition of a number of related businesses.

In 1982, Multiknit purchased the Mkhuhlu-based Sabie River Bag Company and two years later, Mkhuhlu became the chosen site for a new 17 000m2 factory. Upon completion of the factory, the Pinetown manufacturing operation relocated to Mkhuhlu.

In 1985, Multiknit purchased Alan

Nicoll, a Randfontein-based company specialising in knitted fabrics for underground support systems to the mining sector, as well as decorative fabrics to the industrial sector. And in the same year, Multiknit International was formed to venture into the international arena, initially focusing on the UK, Holland, the USA and Australian markets.

In 1989 the management of Multiknit bought the company from The Natal Chemical Syndicate, whereafter they purchased Sakpro, a knitted bag manufacturer based in White River. The bag manufacturing operation in Mkhuhlu was then relocated to White River in order to centralise all bag-producing operations.

The Randfontein manufacturing facility was later moved to and consolidated with the Mkhuhlu production facility, focusing on knitted shade fabrics and related products.

This strategic decision proved very successful in ensuring that both factories became dedicated and focused production units.

The two highly sophisticated, multi-million rand manufacturing plants, measuring 24 000m2, form the core of Multiknit’s production operations. The premises in Randfontein remain in operation as a central warehousing and marketing facility for Knittex.

Ongoing R&D The Multiknit Group comprises three marketing divisions, namely Knittex,

Multiknit manufactures Colourshade shade netting. This contemporary all-climate protection is the best solution for industrial, commercial and domestic applications and comes in a range of fade-resistant colours.

Colourshade is manufactured using virgin HDPE, UV stabilisers and high quality refined pigments with high light-fastness properties, which provide excellent faderesistant and strength properties for the individual yarns in the shade netting

Sakpro and Multiknit International, all of which are highly focused on the markets they serve. Their specialised approach has made it possible to produce customised products to meet the precise specifications required by a variety of clients.

Multiknit believes in client loyalty, and for this reason it dedicates resources and expertise to the specific markets it serves. An ongoing research and development programme forms a major part of its operating philosophy, allowing it to stay abreast of the latest technology and techniques – and able to deliver innovative needs-based solutions.

Its vast product range includes decorative and agricultural shade fabrics, as well as various produce bags. Other specialist products include recreational groundsheets, soil stabilization net, windbreak net, perimeter netting, frost protection membranes and ropes and twines.

Multiknit now employs 625 highly skilled and motivated people, in its factories and its 10 countrywide distribution outlets. One of the company’s core strengths is the average service record of the senior management team, which exceeds 21 years! In addition, Multiknit has the most experienced technicians in the knitted synthetic fabrics industry, meticulously applying exacting step-by-step quality control programmes, designed to ensure that every Multiknit product exceeds industry standards.

Congratulations Multiknit, it’s no wonder it’s known as “more than a shade better than the rest”.

Multiknit management – Deon Joubert (managing director), Tommy Rogers (chairman and CEO), Bruce Norris (chief financial officer) and Brian Hogg (financial director)

www.mudi.co.za

- passionate about the plastic industry.

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Big machine at

Venture for overflow trays

Venture Plastics takes service to hot water systems supplier to next level

INDUSTRY NEWS

VENTURE Plastics of Wadeville has installed a big Ferromatik injection machine as an ‘in-plant’ unit at Kwikot in Benoni where it is being used to produce overflow trays for hot water cylinders.

a space consideration as Kwikot needed to accommodate the machine in a relatively confined space.

Both the machine and mould were produced in China. The machine was built at the Ferromatik plant in Jiangyin, China. It’s a two-platen The overflow trays are essential system with a unique ’pancake’ items for all geysers and necessary for tiebar-platen locking configuration that insurance cover. Up till this point the allows for optimum pressure dispersal trays had been produced by Kwikot in a across the mould, even in the event sintering process (using LDPE powders), of a mould occupying which was labour only a small portion of intensive and slow.

Use of hot the platen (which usually Kwikot is a market runners and causes the platen and leader and innovator Mucell nitrogen hence the mould to flex in domestic and marginally). industrial hot water technology The Mucell™ system storage systems which, allowed for allows for nitrogen to be impressively, has been ‘smaller’ machine introduced into the melt in operation since 1903. to be specified at the nozzle, achieving Venture’s Geoff Watson, a slight foaming of the who has been supplying polymer. This allows for a slight weight Kwikot for over 40 years, realized the reduction in the moulded part, as well trays – which are large mouldings up to as – importantly, improved melt flow and 1600mm long with wall thicknesses of better structural form of the final part. just 2.6mm – could readily be injection The result of these various initiatives moulded. With such extended flow paths, a high spec machine was absolutely necessary and a 3000-ton unit was first considered the minimum requirement.

This would have constituted a major investment, so Watson last year got together with machine supplier SES and began to look at ways of designing the mould and making the project most practical and feasible.

Karl Seidel of SES, the Ferromatik Milacron agent for southern Africa, loves a challenging project. With careful design of the mould, using hot runners and the use of Mucell nitrogen infusion technology, the parties were eventually able to reduce the machine size to an 1800-ton unit. That’s nevertheless a big machine, and the saving was also

is that the overflow trays are SABS approved, which was necessary for inclusion with the Kwikot cylinder systems and insurance cover standard.

Installing the machine at the Kwikot site has eliminated the need to transport parts from the Venture plant in Wadeville (the factories are 18kms apart), an important time and expense saving.

Kwikot and Venture Plastics have in the process further expanded their relationship with the formation of a jointventure, KV Products (KVP), which will see Venture moving 11 of its machines

The hot water cylinders as well as other heating system parts are made at the Benoni factory and, with the plastic trays and related items now being produced on site, Kwikot is achieving full control of all the plastic components required 10 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

NEWS-VENTURE.indd 10

2014/10/07 11:02 AM

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Ebor Automotive takes over where Visteon left off

Management, High Street Capital form a new company in PE

Big machine – Geoff Watson of Venture Plastics with Kwikot MD Piet Malan and technical director Herman Weber and the new 1800-ton Ferromatik machine at the Kwikot factory in Benoni. Kwikot and Venture have now embarked on a JV which will see more of the Venture machines operating from the Benoni site

to the Kwikot plant. A group of the Venture employees involved in injection moulding (the company also runs thermoforming, blow moulding and extrusion machines) were offered the opportunity to move to the new entity, and the offer was over-subscribed. www.kwikot.co.za

photos: J LOWRIE SHARP

www.venplas.co.za

www.sescc.co.za

Anton Nel and Karl Seidel of SES, supplier of the turnkey plant, examine one of the trays. Due to the long flow paths, these are difficult items to produce. Two sizes of the overflow trays are being produced – 1200 and 1600mm – with wall thicknesses of less than 3mm

THE 13 years of experience that was built up in Visteon SA, the automotive manifold and component manufacturer in Port Elizabeth, has been saved through the creation of a new company, Ebor Automotive Systems.

Local management and a Johannesburg-based private equity firm bought the assets from Visteon SA, secured a new lease over the same property and hired the majority of the management and several of the staff who had been retrenched by Visteon SA. The doors actually shut at the plant in Perseverance, PE, at the end of June before Don Searle (of Sagercy fame), introduced High Street Capital to management and jointly they pieced together the various parts of the new entity. The company has since reopened as Ebor Automotive Systems, operating the same plant from the existing premises.

Andy Dealtry, who led Visteon SA for more than 10 years, and who is the MD of the new Ebor Automotive Systems, explained: “When we met with the High Street team in late May, they immediately saw the value of the significant and proven production capacity at the plant as well as the high standard of maintenance which had continued throughout. The opportunity to acquire this capacity and be ready to take on new orders with immediate effect was hugely attractive.”

Injection moulding of various automotive components as well as welding and assembly are handled at what was a fully ISO 14001 accredited plant. The new quality accreditations are already underway and will be in place soon.

Visteon has been in operation in the USA since 1997, when it was created as a component manufacturer for Ford group. Visteon South Africa opened in 2001, operating from 2500m² premises in PE. The plant was extended by a further 2000m² in 2009, but the Visteon group began a global restructuring process that year and warning signs were already on the horizon in mid-2013 when the parent company announced that Visteon SA was no longer part of its core strategy.

This culminated in the closure of the plant on 30 June this year, but business setbacks also provide opportunities for investors and Searle immediately saw the opportunity and introduced High Street Capital who were quick to structure the Ebor plan.

According to Wesley Strydom, technical director of Ebor, the new company possesses a range of top-end injection moulding machinery in a high standard production plant which more than justifies the investment. He goes on to explain “we are looking to immediately add some presses in excess of 800 tons to complement the existing fleet and we hope to pioneer 2K moulding in South Africa in the near future.”

In addition to the sizeable equity stakes held by management, all staff have a share in Ebor through a staff and community trust that owns 25% of the new business. www.ebor.co.za OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

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Who’s who in PET at Hosaf indaba PET container and sheet market still showing good growth HOSAF’S PET conference in August was a virtual gathering of the who’s who of the PET industry in Southern Africa.

(PCI Xylenes & Polyesters)

Source: PCI Xylenes & Polyesters

And as Hosaf marketing manager Steven Bird pointed out at the start, the conference was “not about Hosaf, it’s about PET,” the event duly looked at the whole PET chain for the container www.pcixp.com and tray sector (but not for fibre, in which category the material is referred to as polyester).

Keynote – Leigh Pollard, the new MD of Hosaf, The comprehensive programme had just about everything, and keynote speaker David Swift of PCI, the starting with in-depth analysis of factors, dynamics and trends global polyester consulting group. Swift gave a presentation about international PET markets of the raw material upstream, from machinery (both Husky focusing on future developments and Sidel gave presentations); additives (ColorMatrix), finance (both RMB and the DTI had slots), waste management (CSIR) Polyester and PET global consumption in 2013 was close and the retail sector (Woolworths). to 70 million tons, with fibre manufacture constituting 43.8 The three presentations from PCI Xylenes & Polyesters, the million tons and container manufacture about half that, in the British consultancy specializing in the PET/polyester sector, region of 20 million tpa. As far as fibre is concerned, polyester provided considerable interest. With representation from just is indeed currently clothing the world, as it were, significantly about every PET container converting business outstripping competitor fibre materials for market in Southern Africa present, the show was an share. Production of both fibre and PET grades Industry ideal opportunity to inform delegates about the of the material, as well as for sheet, is growing at get-together dynamics that affect PET prices. And Hosaf about 6% annually, which is high in comparison certainly achieved that goal: delegates were left provides with other commodity materials. in no doubt about the many factors in play.

But capacity is at present outstripping demand opportunity to PET is a complicated material (well, more by a significant extent, and this not surprisingly explain just how complicated than most of the other commodity is placing downward pressure on PET prices. price of material polymers) involving three main source materials, PET prices are presently lower than those for namely paraxylene (PX), purified terephthalic is set the polyolefin group polymers, which is a rare acid (PTA), and ethylene glycol (MEG). Each of phenomenon. these is in turn affected by numerous factors, but the salient Even though there is over-capacity for Paraxylene, even characteristic as far as PET conversion in Southern Africa is additional capacity will enter the market from the Middle East concerned is that production capacity for these materials is in 2018. The PTA scenario is similar: global utilisation in 2013 mainly centred in the Far East, specifically in China and to some was just 77% of capacity. Some plant closures are expected as extent in Japan, Korea and Taiwan – and there’s current overa result, according to PCI Philip Marshall.

Continued on page 14 capacity globally.

Table shows that Asia-Pacific region accounts for by far the biggest share of global PET consumption 12 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

Table shows, interestingly, that PCI considers rPET to constitute a negative component of overall consumption

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Dimitrov provides ‘bridge’ between convertors, consumers Woolworths continues to lead in packaging innovation and condiments (in separate WOOLWORTHS’ foods compartments in a single pack) packaging manager Kiril Dimitrov as well as specialised solutions has honed his skills further such as seals which only open and has become something at certain temperatures. Plastic, of a master at balancing the and specifically PET, is well suited demands of consumers and to varied demands such as, and what’s achievable by packaging PET packaging suppliers have manufacturers. So, if anything, been quick to react and introduce he’s a bridge between the packaging manufacturers and the new solutions at short notice.

At the same time, however, wider consumer market. consumers frequently complain And Kiril’s presentations are that there is too much plastic becoming even more interesting packaging and have reservations from the industry perspective about the recyclability or since, dare one say it, few of the biodegradability of plastics, guys venture into supermarkets to yet the incidence of plastic find out what’s actually going on. packaging is still increasing, in Following its recent acquisition many cases continuing to replace of the David Jones chain in glass and metal.

Australia, Woolies has moved into the ‘Top 10’ of global retailers, so the audience began to take the www.woolworths.co.za man even more seriously.

PET is a major packaging material for Woolworths, with 16% of its products packaged in the material and up to 24% containing some PET. With this scale of dependency on the material, Kiril also cited the experience of PVC previously, where usage of the material was summarily terminated.

This was not a warning, but packaging suppliers do need to be mindful of the possibility of the entry to the market of a rival material.

The ‘megatrend’ in the sector at the moment is CONVENIENCE, said Kiril. Retailers are seeing an increasing Retailer reaction – Kiril Dimitrov of Woolworths demand for smaller provided one of the most interesting and relevant portions, microwaveable presentations at the conference, about consumer and resealable products, and retailer appreciation of packaging, and packaged products was duly thanked by the witty Hosaf marketing manager Steven Bird which include sauces

Bowler hives off Quality as SoftBev takes the stage QUALITY Beverages, the Bowler Plastics subsidiary, is to join forces with the MIF Holdings operation Shoreline Beverages of Durban. The businesses will become wholly-owned subsidiaries of SoftBev, a joint holding company.

Quality’s brands include ‘JIVE’ and ‘Vimto’ carbonated softdrinks and Shoreline manufactures the ‘Coo-ee,’ ‘Coo-ee AQUA’ and ‘SoccaCOLA’ CSD products.

With the formation of SoftBev, a substantial competitor in South Africa in the field of non-alcoholic beverages has been created. Quality Beverages’ CEO Sharief Parker and Shoreline’s MD Mahmood Ismail collectively bring more than 30 years of industry knowledge and experience to the table.

The “move will provide both entities with a national footprint, will add scale, impetus and essential critical mass to enhance their respective desires to expand and improve their ability to compete nationally,” the parties said in a statement.

The completion of the transaction is subject to due diligence and the approval of the Competition authorities. www.qualitybeverages.co.za www.shorelinebeverages.co.za

New improved Protea Chemicals under one banner WITH effect from 1 April this year, the individual Protea Chemicals businesses have been consolidated into a single, national, Protea Chemicals operating structure.

The distinctions between individual geographic or market segment based businesses have been eliminated. The industry-based history of specialised offerings will not be lost as each of Protea’s sales people will be focused on a particular region, on customers in a specific industry segment to ensure they receive the best possible industry-tailored service.

Local sales managers will support and guide the sales representatives. The local sales manager’s efforts will in turn be led by regional sales managers – one in the coastal and one in the inland region, both of whom are in turn led by head of sales, Richard Bailey.

For customers based outside of South Africa, Protea has also appointed a regional sales manager based in Nairobi, Kenya, with reporting sales managers and sales teams covering the east, southern (excluding South Africa), and western African markets.

Protea have also established eight industry-focused marketing units to provide customers with industry, market, product and technical support: Coatings, adhesives & sealants (CAS), polymers, water, oil and gas, food ingredients, animal feeds and agriculture, heavy manufacturing and consumer care.

To provide support for larger customers who operate multiple production sites, nationally or regionally in Africa, Protea have also established a national key account co-ordination team to ensure that national or regional business needs are served – from Khartoum to Cape Town. www.proteachemicals.co.za OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

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INDUSTRY NEWS From page 12

Part of the reason for the over-capacity is that China was until quite recently a major importer of raw materials, but when moving to counter that, a number of manufacturers put up plants simultaneously. By comparison, both the USA and Europe appear to have become ‘self-contained’ markets for both PET and polyester, whereas South Africa is still firmly in the Far Eastern sphere.

Sustainable raw materials According to Marshall, the use of ethanol from sugarcane to replace MEG (ethylene glycol) from the naptha or natural gas process results in an increase in total energy use, and this is the main factor behind the relatively low switch to ethanol or naturally-sourced glycol. At present just 1.5% of the material is bio-based, and PCI anticipates that this might increase only slightly.

Africa/Middle East market In his presentation about ‘Global PET markets, Future developments,’ David Swift of PCI reported that, although there is global over-capacity for both PTA and PET, additional capacity is entering the market in the Middle East/Africa region, with EIPET (Egypt) and Koksan (Turkey) having started production, and Polyplex (Turkey) and SABIC (Saudi Arabia) starting additional capacity in Q3. The result is expected additional capacity of over 1 million metric tons in 2014.

Swift nevertheless sees continued good growth for PET in the region of about 8.4% for the MEA region, with higher growth (9%) for water and about 7.1% for CSD containers.

Waste management situation Dr Linda Godfrey of the CSIR gave a comprehensive report about the packaging waste management situation in South Africa.

About 90% of all ‘general and hazardous’ waste generated in South Africa is landfilled in what is estimated to be a R15,3-billion industry! At the same, the value of resources lost through landfilling is estimated at a whopping R17-bn.

About 30 000 people are directly employed in the sector, with an informal sector estimated at double or even triple this, with as many as 90 000 involved in the waste collection and

reprocessing business. The picture is not that rosy for the plastics sector, however: we are lagging significantly behind rival materials as far as collection rates go. According to the CSIR estimates, just 18% of plastic material is being recycled at present (about 235 000n tons of the total 1.308 million tonnes converted). Compare that to metals, leading with close to 80% recycled; paper (57%) and glass (32%) and one can see why the Department of Environmental Affairs and the DTI (Trade & Industry) are looking closely at the plastics sector.

PET is, however, a shining light in the plastics sector with a recovery and recycling rate of 48%, which is effectively a massive achievement.

Linda and the team are following the global shift in waste management, in terms of resource scarcity, carbon economics and climate change. The ‘drivers’ in the sector in South Africa are slightly different, in the sense that job creation is seen as the main priority.

“Landfilling is in most cases cheaper,” said Linda. Waste tipping fees are in the region of R100-150 a ton, compared to R4000-5000 to recycle a ton of plastic. The criteria is that the value of the material must exceed the costs, she added.

Linda is involved in the development of a ‘roadmap’ aimed at growing recycling rates in South Africa, through research, development and innovation (RDI !) and people in industry will be following this project with interest.

Key factors include: reduce operating cost for plastic recyclers; improve process efficiencies; improve quality of recyclate.

Linda also reported briefly about the implications of the Waste Managed Act, gazetted on 2 June this year, which proposes the establishment of a waste bureau and the development of a national pricing strategy for waste charges.

Pricing of plastic packaging would have potentially costly implications for convertors. Linda and her department were advisors in the process, and she advised that an EPR (extended producer responsibility) scheme would most probably be introduced over the next year. www.hosaf.co.za

Dr Linda Godfrey of the CSIR gave a presentation about the waste management situation in South Africa. Although the PET post-consumer recovery rate is very positive, a bleak picture about post-consumer plastics overall emerged: 80% of metal, 57% of paper and 32% of glass is being recycled … compared to just 18% of plastics (see table right) 14 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS

Phillip Marshall, also of the UK-based PCI Xylenes & Polyesters, gave presentations on both days of the conference, focussed on upstream material capacity, supply and prices factors. Here we see him with Paul Schouten of KAP, the parent company of Hosaf

RMB team – Danie van Tonder and Mamello Matikinca of Rand Merchant Bank gave a thought-provoking address about ‘The SA Economy: The Rand, where are we going?’

The Afro is back! Tsepiso Lekitlane and Sandisiwe Mncube of Hosaf were in fine form at the conference

Chris Rossouw of Trio Plastics, which extrudes PET sheet, and Paul Visagie of Mpact Plastics, one of SA’s top PET preform and container producers, chatted at the show

Ashley Henry of Husky, Serge Kulapa of SAB-Miller and Eugene Barnes were able to meet on ‘neutral’ ground … Husky supplies machinery to Boxmore which in turns manufactures containers for SAB-Miller

Arabella estate on the Bot River lagoon near Kleinmond is one of the most impressive golf and leisure venues in the Western Cape, and provided outstanding services for the Hosaf conference

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NEWS JUSTINDUSTRY BRIEFLY

Extrupet to triple output of ‘PhoenixPET’ to 1600 tons a month

The Hosaf team, including with Tash Naidoo, supply chain manager; Rani Appalsamy and Evelyn Ingwe, who are both in sales, were in good spirits at the conference and provided a flawless service

Let’s do the Twizza! – Ken Clark of Twizza fame of Crickley Dairy of Queenstown in consultation with Louis Moodie of Wrapetfill

Victor Gomes of SNV Plastics (who some of you may know as a PSL soccer ref) of Johannesburg and Peter Barclay of Bottlemakers of Port Elizabeth were able to compare notes

Bertrand Cottard of Sidel, the specialist ISBM systems supplier, spoke about the lastest technologies from the French machine maker

Ronald Fairbanks of Mpact Plastics Atlantis and Mpact Plastics group CEO Neelin Naidoo were at the conference. Ronald is to manage Mpact’s new rPET bottle-tobottle plant going up in Wadeville

One of the leisure activities on the second day of the conference was a whale spotting cruise and several of the delegates embarked enthusiastically, and some even got decent photos of the behemoths

New line will boost output of food grade rPET IN A MAJOR expansion, Extrupet is to triple capacity for its PhoenixPET bottle-to-bottle grade rPET – with the additional material coming on stream during November.

The new Starlinger recycling extrusion line is to be installed at the Extrupet plant in Wadeville during October, enabling it to lift output of in its Phoenix food grade resin to about 1600 tons a month – a 200% increase.

A number of top brand groups have been using the PhoenixPET material, which is USFDA and EFSA approved for food grade application.

The Extrupet rPET resin is generally blended with virgin material at various inclusion rates. It can be readily used at rates up to 50% as well as, for that matter, for the total weight of a packaging container.

Extrupet has been producing food grade rPET since 2009, and its output of the Phoenix material has been fully subscribed at about 500 tons/month for the last two years, which was the reason for the expansion, said JMD Chandru Wadhwani.

The Erema ‘Vacurema Advanced’ system has been dependably producing about 500 tons/month of the Phoenix material for a number of years. PhoenixPET has been produced in two grades, one with a standard viscosity for thermoforming uses and the other a higher IV grade for PET bottles. It has more recently become evident that bottles for mineral water carbonated softdrinks require different IVs too, with bottled water needing an IV of 0,76and CSD containers of about 0,85, and the new Starlinger line will be able to readily produce materials with such fine differences, said Wadhwani.

Extrupet has also expanded its collection footprint: it now operates recycling operations in Cape Town, which are used for collection and preprocessing of material for the Gauteng plant. www.extrupet.com www.phoenixpet.co.za OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Plastics recycling rate up but exchange rate favours exports Recyclers believe largest growth in recycling will be post-consumer recyclables entering the waste stream. At the same time, the exchange rate favoured exports, seeing a total amount of 18 920 tons of waste plastics exported during 2013 to be recycled elsewhere, instead According to latest plastic recycling of being used to the advantage of the figures for 2013 released by local industry and economy.

Plastics|SA, the 280 000 tons of plastic Due to the lack of plastics that were from landfill and recycled during 2013 collected from households or businesses, equates to a 4.1% increase from the recyclers were forced to previous year’s figures. source larger quantities of Of this, 220 400 tons South Africa is recyclables from landfills were plastic packaging and other post-consumer amongst the (30.1% of all plastics sources; 66% compared to leading countries packaging) resulting in a the 59% in 2012. in the world year on year increase of Recyclers are still with regards 8.9%. of the opinion that “We were hoping to mechanical the largest growth see more impressive in recycling would recycling increases in the latest be in post-consumer recycling results, but the recyclables during the economic down-turn in the economy next few years. during 2013 had a direct impact Employment decreases on both the quantity and quality of The formal employment in plastics plastic packaging that were available recycling decreased by 10.6% to 4 510 for recycling,” said Anton Hanekom, formal jobs since 2012. Of these, only executive director of Plastics|SA. 7.7% were contract workers (i.e. workers According to Hanekom, both who were full time involved in the sorting recyclers and converters agreed of incoming materials for the recyclers, that shoppers spent less money on normally on site. These workers are consumer items during the reporting paid for their output rather than for the period, resulting in fewer recyclables

18 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

TWENTY percent of all plastics manufactured in South Africa were diverted from landfill and recycled during 2013.

time spent on the job).

At the same time, approximately 43 500 informal jobs were created in the collection industry. These collectors collect all recyclable materials and are not only limited to plastics. (The figures are based on 60 kg of plastics waste handled per person per day and 200 good collection days per annum.)

“We are glad to have seen that recycling and sorting companies invested in training and on-the-job skills enhancement to improve the productivity of their labour forces, as well as invested in having new and more efficient equipment installed at their premises,” Hanekom said.

As a result, there was a 15% increase in the formal recycling industry in the amount of tonnages processed per employee in the last year.

The state of the industry: A snap-shot The latest research shows that the South African plastics recycling industry continues to grow and that new entrants are joining the industry on a monthly basis.

South Africa currently only uses mechanical recycling and no commercial energy-from-waste plants are yet operational. However, small > 280 000 tons of plastic were diverted from landfills during 2013 and recycled, equating to a 4.1% increase from the previous year’s figures

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Assets of Hilfort purchased by Boxmore THE bell has tolled for Hilfort Plastics, the Cape Town blow moulding business in the

Astrapak group. The company closed in September, with Boxmore group purchasing most of the production assets.

“There is excess capacity in the Cape PET market as a result of filling moving out of Cape Town to Johannesburg and certain business going in-plant. Hilfort CT has a good customer base and equipment, but we just could not retain sufficient critical mass in the region,” said Astrapak CEO, Robin Moore.

Boxmore is taking over the customer base, who has indicated their support for the transaction, added Moore.

The bulk of Hilfort’s PET equipment has been purchased by Boxmore and moved to their plant in Somerset West. In addition, certain key personnel are to move to Boxmore as a consequence of the deal.

The remainder of the equipment, said Moore, is to be moved to the Astrapak site in East London.

The closure is a far cry from the time when Hilfort was a leader in the blow moulding sector in the Western Cape, particularly during the heyday of blow moulded PVC containers in the 1980s.

One of the features of Hilfort during its long successful period was MD Dave Balkwill, who strode the factory floor in his overall jacket and shorts and knew every machine and every worker by name. He was a cofounder of the company in 1983 along with the McGivern family. Balkwill focused only on the job at hand – a style he maintained right up until he exited the business in 2007.

The Hilfort Plastics operation in Bloemfontein remains unaffected; as does the satellite business in Upington. These businesses continue to form an integral part of Astrapet – Astrapak’s PET division.

Tyre importers form association A GROUP of tyre importers has formed the Tyre Importers Association of South Africa (TIASA), which aims to address the concerns of importers. It does appear, however, that the picture for tyre importers has not been as cushy as thought previously, with customs stoppages, tariff changes, unpacking/packing fees for container inspections and more difficulties creating a challenging environment. And, according to TIASA chairman Charl de Villiers of Tyrecor, South Africa’s four tyre manufacturers in fact constitute the largest group of importers. De Villiers said that TIASA was ready to cooperate with the SA Tyre Manufacturers Conference and SARS “to reduce or eliminate unscrupulous operators who are guilty of under-invoicing”.

20 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

280 000 tons of plastic were diverted from landfills during 2013 and recycled, equating to a 4.1% increase from the previous year’s figures

Source of recyclable waste in South Africa for the last three years

< private incineration and diesel-fromwaste plants have begun with trials, making use of materials that are not suitable for mechanical recycling.

South Africa is amongst the leading countries in the world with regards mechanical recycling.

According to the most recent data for Europe and Australia (2012 statistics), South Africa recycled 18.6% of all virgin polymer converted in 2013, compared to Australia’s 9.2% and Europe’s 14.2 %.

There is a very high demand for the top 5 plastic materials, i.e. PE-LD, PE-HD, PP, PET and PVC-P. Very little, if any, investment is focused on the other, less common materials. Historically, recyclers focused on the local market and no market research has been done for recycled engineering polymers in China and India, for example.

Looking ahead The South African plastics industry recently announced its Zero Plastics to Landfill by 2013 objective, and is engaging with all levels of government to achieve this target. Looking at the latest figures of the total tonnages of plastics that were effectively diverted from landfill, however, it is clear that we still have a long way to go.

The European plastics industry has stated that the maximum economic recycling rate for plastics is about 35%.

South Africa, however, has a number of things in its favour that will allow us to exceed that number. Not only do we have the availability of cheaper sorters, we also have a dynamic and inventive

recycling industry that can hold its own and develop its own end markets for recycled materials. One example is the recycling of thin films, where South Africa is far ahead of our European counterparts. Similarly, we are also developing a stronger non-packaging recycling industry for the polyolefins.

South Africa should be able to reach a 40% mechanical recycling rate if the following provisions are in place: 1. Access to the solid waste stream.

It is essential to implement Separation at Source in all the larger metropolitan areas.

2. The collection of recyclable waste in out-lying areas needs to be developed, along with better communication between the role players and consumers in these rural areas.

3. Improved communication channels between the various players in the value chain, including between the waste pickers, the collectors and the recyclers.

4. More consumer education with regards to what they can recycle and where to recycle.

5. New markets need to be developed for the materials that are traditionally harder to recycle.

“South African consumers need to realise that they have an important role to play by separating their domestic waste into recyclables and non-recyclables at home (i.e. at source). Higher recycling rates influence and benefit all levels of society. It creates more jobs, it results in a cleaner country and it contributes to a lesser carbon footprint,” said Hanekom. www.plasticsinfo.co.za

INDUSTRY NEWS

The Continental Compounders team together at a motivational talk by the inspiring Sibusiso Vilane

Continental Compounders committed to growth, industry health & community support Aims to be one of the first companies in SA to use SAVA’s mark of excellence label

22 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

BY GILL HYSLOP

AN original member of the Southern African Vinyl’s Association (SAVA), Continental Compounders supports the compelling drive towards international best practice for PVC products and processes. Aligned with this philosophy, the company has made good on its commitment to become heavy metal free and constantly encourages colleagues in the industry to follow suit.

Continental Compounders, a manufacturer of rigid and flexible PVC and thermoplastic elastomer compounds for the cable, footwear, moulding and Continental Compounders’ Slie Nene, Darren van Rooyen and Chantell Vieira take part in 67 minutes for Madiba and support The Open Door Crisis Centre

extrusion industries, was one of the first companies in South Africa to become wholly heavy metal free. The project, which began in 2009, supports SAVA’s Product Stewardship Programme (PSP) that addresses environmental and sustainability directives that have been adopted by the European and Australian vinyl’s associations.

Mark of excellence Recently, SAVA launched its Vinyl. product label that guarantees quality and the meeting of certain standards.

As explained by Delanie Bezuidenhout, CEO of SAVA, the label was created as a mark of excellence that gives customers peace of mind.

Managing Director of Continental, George Dimond, says that the company – also one of the first local companies to supply lead-free compound internationally, is aiming to be one of the first in South Africa to use the Vinyl. approved label and will push for suppliers to follow suit.

“Our partnership with French agents Snetor Chemie is really bearing fruit and continues to expand our customer base in the export market and currently consuming up to 30% of our capacity, pushing our annual tonnage to 30 000 tons per annum,” said Dimond.

“We have moved 100% of our export market across to lead-free despite the lack of urgency to move by Sub-

Saharan Africa. We see this as a feather in our cap. With such volumes we believe using the correct materials will keep Continental at the forefront of the compounding industry in leading South Africa’s drive to international best practices both locally and internationally.”

Contributing to the community Giving back is an important focus for Continental, which has a dedicated corporate social responsibility programme that assists those in need, like St Vincent’s Orphanage and The Open Door Crisis Care Centre for abused women and children; and the growth of small businesses, such as Eco-Smart.

Continental also recently completed their 67 minutes for Mandela and donated a further three sewing machines and cutting machine to Ecosmart for their manufacturing of crèche mattresses and dog beds from recycled PVC. In fact the bags distributed at the last Pro-plas exhibition in Gauteng were manufactured by Eco-smart.

Despite the company’s constant success, Dimond is not sitting back and has big plans for Continental’s future and a few exciting projects in the pipeline to take the company to the next level.

“We will be making a few announcements in the next couple of months,” he states. So watch this space for more details. www.compounders.co.za

INDUSTRY NEWS

MJH moving in new direction Sole member operation evolves into family partnership SINCE its foundation almost 30 years ago, Martin J Haslam has built MJH Machine Tools into a highly respected CNC machine tool supplier. Recently, the sole member operation has evolved into a family partnership, taking it to the next level.

Today, MJH Machine Tools is being successfully managed as a family concern, involving Haslam’s daughter Natalie, son-in-law Ricky Lazenby and their son, Dale, in the technical department. The company offers a wide range of CNC machining centres, lathes, surface grinders, wire cut EDMs and injection moulders, among other high quality equipment. Its suppliers – with the exception of Haixing, which is based in China – are all situated in Taiwan, which is fast becoming the leader in the export of quality machine tools.

MJH recently held its well-received annual customer event. For two days, representatives from more than 100 companies – including organisations such as Gap Plastics, Progressive Components, Principle Plastics, Bell Equipment and Gadore Tools – were given hands-on demonstrations of the extensive range of machinery housed in the company’s Pinetown facility.

Big investment Headquartered in KwaZulu-Natal – with 700m2 of showroom on its own premises

and a further 250m2 of warehouse Ricky Lazenby with the Haixing HXF 88J5 Servo energy-saving injection moulding machine which is EU rated, featuring servo space down the motor technology made in Italy road – Lazenby says there are injection moulding equipment. MJH no less than 30 machines on the floor at currently stocks two Haixing models, any one time. This obviously involves a including the HXF 88J5 (88 tons), which, highly trained technical department, with although fully assembled in China, is EU mechanical and electrical contractors approved, contains a German KEB servo available to assist customers with unit as well as an Italian servo motor. maintenance, services and parts.

“We have been the sole South African The company has a team of in-house agents for Haixing for 11 years, and engineers who maintain the machines during that time have sold around 300 or daily to ensure they’re always ready to so or these units,” explains Lazenby. perform at optimum level. The company MJH also stocks the Shuangsheng has agents in Johannesburg, Port servo energy-saving plastic injection Elizabeth and Cape Town and is in the moulding machines, ranging from 25 to process of founding a full office – with 118 tons. About 50 of these machines sales, warehouse, equipment and have been commissioned throughout maintenance divisions – in Johannesburg, South Africa already. expected to open later this year.

Specialising in high precision, upper-end A record month despite tough climate Despite admitting that the market is equipment, the company is an agent for exceedingly tough at the moment, Lazenby Ctek Technology Corporation, Akira-Seiki, Yida, Haixing and Shuangsheng (Haixing’s reports that MJH has just experienced a second record month this year. ‘sister’ company), among others.

“We saw massive growth of around 18 The Ctec CNC milling machines have to 20% over the 2011-2012 period, but been designed especially for small batch the rand/dollar exchange rate and strikes machining, mould making, tool rooms, in this country made 2013 a difficult year.

R&D workshops and maintenance However, things are definitely picking facilities. Operation and programme up,” Lazenby says. This bodes well for a input are greatly simplified through the company that’s moving in new directions advanced use of graphics. with new impetus from family members.

Ningbo Haixing Machinery Manufacturing Company is located in www.mjhmachinetools.com the Zhejiang province, specialising in OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

23

INDUSTRY NEWS Dan von Bargen with a tunnel-type metal detector

Mudi goes from strength to strength Company has supplied over 550 machines throughout SA and Africa

BY GILL HYSLOP

FORMERLY Mudi Plastics specializing in injection moulding machines, the company was renamed and now known as Mudi Applied Technologies. Dan von Bargen acquired the company three years ago and continues to specialise in supplying industrial metal detection for the plastics, food, pharmaceutical, wood and textile industries, and hasn’t looked back since.

The sole Southern African agency for Mesutronic in Germany, Mudi Applied Technologies has shown healthy growth even during the tough climate. In fact, we’ve doubled our sales this year already”, commented Dan von Bargen.

“Our focus is squarely on keeping our customers happy. Service is paramount.”

Metals are the most common form of contamination and, if undetected, could cause untold damage to equipment, resulting in expensive repairs and costly downtime.

“It can cost hundreds of thousands of rands in the plastics industry to replace the barrel and screw of a large injection machine,” explains Von Bargen.

The Mesutronic metal detectors, metal separators, spark detection and magnets detect even the smallest ferrous and non-ferrous metallic contaminants, including aluminium, brass, copper, stainless steel and many others.

“A ball-bearing is the most difficult shape for the detector to find and this 24

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2014

is used as a benchmark for explaining the sensitivity of a machine but our machines will pick up one that’s even 1mm in diameter”, Von Bargen adds.

Tailor-made solutions Based in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, with re-sellers, in Cape Town, Mudi provides a range of tailor-made solutions for each of its clients, listing such companies as Polyoak, Astrapak, Extrupet, Cinqplast and Mpact among them. Since its inception in 1989 the company has supplied over 550 machines throughout South Africa and Africa, including Malawi, Mauritius, Swaziland and Namibia.

Mudi Applied Technologies offers about 30 types of detectors in various shapes and sizes for a huge variety of applications. For example, the under-belt detector that sits under conveyor belts and used to protect granulators; free fall detectors; and split units for recyclers that clamps over the conveyor belt.

The made-to-order metal detectors are imported from Mesutronic’s factory based in Bavaria, although the company’s Pinetown facility build its own conveyors and carries out maintenance of all its equipment inhouse. Mudi also has technical support centres in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Namibia.

In 2011, Von Bargen purchased the company from, Heino Gentz,

who’d run it for 22 years and wanted to retire. With a background in electronics, it was a particularly good fit.

“It really suits my skills. I can do repairs, something very few competitors in Southern Africa do and we keep a full range of spares for the units. The other suppliers in the industry have to send faulty equipment back to the manufacturer,” says Von Bargen.

The fact that growth has been impressive, turnover growing and the company expanding its product range – doing some injection moulding of plastic jars and caps specifically for the pharmaceutical industry, manufacturing rare earth magnet systems for ferrous metal extraction and supplying the plastics industry with date stamps for moulds – is testament to just how well he has settled into the business to support the plastics industry.

www.multiknit.co.za Mesutronic’s Quicktron metal separators

INDUSTRY NEWS

Safrique exports to more than half of Africa Exports to over 30 African countries as well as the Indian Ocean islands THE Safrique team must be the busiest intra-African operators in the industry right now.

26

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

Mervyn Moodley and his Africa specialists are involved in exports to over 30 African countries as well as the Indian Ocean islands. Safrique is a regular exhibitor at trade shows and events across the continent: it has, for example, exhibited at plastics and packaging shows in Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco and China over the past year. These and other African markets are not necessarily favourite destinations for local businessmen, partly because business is conducted differently and there are language and communication difficulties and, besides, exporting into the continent presents very specific challenges.

Safrique founder Moodley was originally at SANS, where he was involved in PET sales into Africa. After he left and started Safrique in 1996, he continued as an agent for SANS. Gradually he built up the Safrique portfolio: besides PET virgin material, the Johannesburg-based company has been supplying colour masterbatch and additives, preforms; recycled materials (which have become increasingly popular), as well as a range of other products.

Recycled materials from South Africa have proved highly popular over the last few years too. In many cases, margins for manufacturers of film, containers, pipe, tanks and other products in Africa are especially tight, resulting in

increasing demand for recycled HD, PP, LD and even PVC from South Africa.

Safrique takes care of the entire logistics operation: transport of the goods from the manufacturing site in SA as well as the full cross-border documentation process is handled from the Safrique HQ in Rivonia.

Safrique solution “Due to the high demand for quality recycled material our South African recyclers are often not able to meet our needs and we have to source recycled material from Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia,” says Moodley.

The energetic and creative Moodley appears to have found solutions for developing markets in Africa.

“We spend more than half our time travelling to new markets around the world where we meet recyclers to source product, get our customers’ approval and then take it to market.

It means constant travel, but it’s important that we meet our customers’ requirements,” Moodley explains.

Safrique’s key markets are in West Africa, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria; in Central Africa, Cameroon, Gabon, DR Congo, Angola; in East Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia; and, in Southern Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and the Indian Ocean islands.

Unique strengths Moodley attributes the success of the company to, among other factors: the fact that the company has a

Safrique founder Mervyn Moodley with Asian suppliers at Chinaplas

The immaculately attired Mervyn Moodley and Morgan Naidu of Safrique have become a regular feature at trade shows across Africa and Europe (here at the K-show in Germany), and the gentlemen have succeeded in developing active markets in most of the countries where Safrique participates

highly motivated team and local representative in strategic areas who are passionate about doing business in Africa, despite the challenges they face; its staff complement of 12 includes French and Portuguese speaking individuals, which helps facilitate ease of communication with customers in regions across the continent; and the marketing and sales team travel frequently into Africa, aggressively promoting the products of the suppliers it represents.

“Over the years we have built excellent customer relations and market intelligence,” said Moodley.

“In the 20 plus years of travel for the company I’ve encountered many challenges, – being caught in the middle of a coup d’etat and political unrest when there is volatility in some countries!” he adds. However conditions are much more stable in many countries now, which has resulted in steady growth over the last 5 years.”

Moodley says that he is looking forward to seeing his existing and potential suppliers and customers at Propak where they will be show casing some new product developments, which will also be of interest to the local plastic convertors.

Safrique representatives and customers at Kenya Plast

www.safrique.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

Keeneyes Industrial Corp opens Jo’burg office TAIWANESE raw materials supplier, Keeneyes Industrial Corp, has opened an office in Johannesburg.

“Keeneyes opened the branch office in Johannesburg to expand the company and brand into Africa. The company wants to establish itself as a reputable and successful distributor in Africa,” said SA manager, Ed Searle.

Keeneyes Industrial Corp was founded in 1974 in Taiwan and is a reputable independent chemical distribution company with customers in over 40 countries.

The company is headquartered in Taipei with multiple offices throughout China and a network of associates around the world.

“We are known for providing first class services to our customers based on our business principles of service excellence and the best quality products with reasonable and stable prices,” said Searle.

The company supplies raw materials for: Polymer (resin, adhesive, plastic) Plastic additives (high performance antioxidant, UV absorber, anti-static agent and modifiers) Coating additives (paint and ink) Special intermediates for pharmaceutical, pigment, dyes Specialty fine chemicals

Ed Searle can be contacted at tel + (27) 11 510 0340, fax + (27)11 510 0001, mobile +(27) 72 427 7406, email: ed@keeneyes.com.tw www.keeneyes.com.tw MD of Keeneyes Industrial Corporation, Ming-Che Liao (centre) with local representative Rex Hsu local representative (left) and Keeneyes in SA manager, Ed Searle (right)

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 27

Visit us at

Stand D32 21-23 October 2014 CTICC Cape Town

VIRGIN POLYMERS & RECYCLED MATERIAL • HDPE • LDPE • LLDPE • PP • PVC • EVA • PET • Natural & Synthetic Rubber • Filler Masterbatch • Colour Masterbatch • Additives & Inks • Chemicals & Solvents • Purging Compounds

DISTRIBUTION AGENT INTO AFRICA Contact: Tel: +27 11 803 0333 • Fax: +27 11 803 0332 • Cell: +27 82 604 5926 • +27 76 890 5510 • Email: safrique@safrique.com • 50 Wessels Road, Rivonia, Gauteng, South Africa

ASSOCIATION NEWS

PIPES VIII highlights importance of investing in SA’s water infrastructure Local municipalities not investing in replacing, upgrading water infrastructure THIS year’s Pipes VIII Conference presented by the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers’ Association (SAPPMA) highlighted the important role plastic pipe has to play in ensuring a country’s infrastructure is able to provide daily necessities such as clean drinking water and a working sewage system to its people.

More than 200 delegates attended the conference at the Bytes Conference Centre in Midrand.

Sixteen local and international experts from as far afield as Abu Dhabi, Germany, Switzerland and the United States shared their views on matters relating to plastic pipe in general and water infrastructure specifically.

The audience consisted of experts involved in the manufacturing, installation and specification of plastic pipes as well as the development of pipelines around the world.

They included civil engineers, plastic pipe manufacturers, representatives of local and provincial governments and the media.

Gary van Eyk (Sun Ace) thanked Andrew Seidel of Underground Solutions for his presentation, in which he discussed how thermally fused PVC pipe has helped to accelerate the adoption of trenchless pipe installation techniques in North America

Supply of plastic pipes currently far outweighs demand Opening the annual conference, the eighth Pipes event in succession, SAPPMA chairman, Jan Venter, first looked at the challenging situation which South Africa’s pipe manufacturers are operating in.

“The Government has been making promises of massive expenditure (R800-billion) to improve the country’s infrastructure.

South Africa has a fixed investment target (NDP) of 30% of GDP by 2030 and, in the same breath, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is developing a strategic vision for the broader plastics industry. All of these plans certainly appear to be good news, but we are not seeing it translated into reality,” said Venter.

According to SAPPMA, the production capacity currently far outweighs the demand.

“The simple fact is that local municipalities are not investing in replacing or upgrading their water infrastructure. As a result, our industry is currently taking strain and is battling for survival, despite the fact that the country’s infrastructure is sorely lacking.

Many of our member companies are forced

George Diliyannis of Safripol thanked Kirtida Bhana of Plastics│SA for her presentation on how to ‘open the mind’ to nontraditional yet practical ways of making every plastics manufacturing workplace a learning space

28 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

to shift their focus to elsewhere in Africa, or to our neighbouring states to keep their doors open,” Venter said.

Pipelines are vital for a civilized society Water distribution, waste disposal, irrigation and telecommunications all rely on pipelines to function and an extensive network of

Team Protea Chemicals – Mario Andrade and Andrew Wedgner of Borouge with Protea Chemicals’ Sarah Zaloumis, Harry Leitch, Bernard Tennant, Philip Morkel, Rob Shimmin and Rudi Verwey (Protea supplies the Borouge range of PE100 pipe materials)

“The two major causes of water loss reliable water and sewage pipelines are are corrosion and poor jointing. For this essential for establishment and growth of reason, old steel or asbestos pipes should civilization. be replaced with plastic pipes, because they “South Africa is experiencing a great need in this regard, and one would therefore do not corrode and the joints are leak-proof if done correctly. We are therefore urging expect our industry to flourish. Ironically, municipalities to realize that pipelines lie though, the South African plastics pipe at the heart of South Africa’s infrastructure industry repeatedly finds itself in a situation and should be replaced before they fail,” he of low demand and we find this scenario added. simply unacceptable,” reiterated Venter.

SAPPMA represents more than 80% of Taking a long view on SA’s future the plastic pipe produced in South Africa Following on Venter’s opening presentation, and focuses its efforts on ensuring pipe was analyst and author of ‘The Long View,’ systems that are leak-free and durable JP Landman, who managed to lighten the for long-term use. It also focuses on the mood by convincing the industry that all was rehabilitation of old pipelines. According to not doom and gloom.

SAPPMA, both the quality and quantity of Landman’s presentawater are under severe tion, entitled ‘No miracle, pressure in South Africa, Industry not seeing but no apocalypse either,’ aggravated by rapidly the ‘good news’ of focussed on how the increasing demand, severe promised State orders country’s economy is pollution and huge losses translated into reality growing and how industry in distribution. … and industry hence is succeeding in moving repeatedly finds itself forward.

Replace old and “South Africa is on a outdated pipes in a situation of steady trajectory forward. before they fail low demand It will take consistent, Venter explained that the hard toil and working together, but our majority of the country’s existing pipes were country has a bright future that beckons,” he installed in the early 1960s. told the audience.

“They have undoubtedly reached the end Other highlights of the day included the of their effective life span and have begun presentations by Manglin Pillay, CEO of the to corrode. Unless urgent attention is given South African Institution of Civil Engineerto the replacement and maintenance of the ing (SAICE), Colm Lyons (Georg Fischer water infrastructure, the end result is preSchaffhausen, Switzerland), Ulrich Schulte dictable: bursts will start occurring on a daily (PE100+ Association, Germany), Andrew basis, followed by catastrophic component Wedgner (Borouge, UAE) and Andrew failure and regular and prolonged disrupSeidel (Underground Solutions Inc, USA) tions in service delivery,” Venter warned, “South Africans are finally waking up to alluding to recent violent protest actions by the fact that water is fast becoming a critical angry residents who were left without water problem as they begin to experience the or sanitation in the North West Province.

Francis Mukototsi of DPI with Tapiwa Charumbira and Ransom Watungwa of ProPlastics (Harare) and Jan Venter of SAPPMA

Andrew Wedgner of Bourouge and Bernard Tennant, the new MD of Protea Chemicals

Manglin Pillay, chairman of the SAICE, was a welcome guest at Pipes VIII … civil engineers are at the heart of the specification process leading up to the use of plastic pipes

MCs – Jan Venter enjoyed a good laugh with the three ‘Master of Ceremonies’, Ralph Mosikidi, Gary van Eyk and George Diliyannis.

The trio were outstanding on the day

impact of failing water infrastructure first hand. We can only hope that decision makers pay attention to the warning signs by implementing a pipe-replacement project and to invest in developing the necessary technical skills required to for such a project, but which are greatly lacking in our country,” Venter concluded.

“As an industry, we are appealing to

Plastics|SA’s online editor, Dianne Blumberg, with PSA technical trainers Isaya Mtshweni and Amos Mkhonto

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 29

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Government to preserve and distribute scarce water resources effectively, to put the promises into practice by investing in infrastructure and rolling out of the much talked about project, and to no longer tolerate incompetence and inefficiencies”.

Sponsors and winners Thanks to Protea Chemicals, DPI Plastics, Marley Pipe Systems and Fiberpipe, the sponsors of the 2014 conference.

The winners of the lucky draw prizes, sponsored by DPI and Borouge, were Joe Majorobela of Sasol and Ockie Nel of Capital Polymers.

The winners of the best stands competition were Marley Pipe Systems (Gold Award); DPI Plastics (Silver) and Nu Flow/ SA Leak Detection (Bronze).

Well done and thanks to all concerned!

BECAUSE of the increasing need for better sewerage facilities in South Africa and the expected growth of new developments in the Springs area, additional pipe infrastructure needed to be built at the Welgedacht water care works to cater for the resulting rise in sewer levels. As the specialists in thermoplastic pipe installation and providers of internationally accredited welding services, Rho-Tech was contracted by Group 5 for the project with the ultimate goal of increasing the volume of sewerage that could be discarded through the current sewerage plant.

Rho-Tech appointed Marley as the primary supplier of HDPE pipes. RhoTech general manager, Mike Schutte, emphasised the importance that RhoTech places on partnering with ISO9001

compliant suppliers. “At Rho-Tech, quality is not compromised. A key consideration factor when choosing to partner with Marley was the fact that their HDPE pipes are manufactured to and carry the SABS mark of trusted quality for SANS ISO 4427, which is in keeping with the standards Rho-Tech complies to, with specific reference to pipe extrusion and fabrication”.

Marley manufactured and supplied approximately 600m of 900mm PE100 HDPE pipe for the project within the stipulated timelines. The flexibility of Marley HDPE pipes, coupled with RhoTech’s state-of-the-art McElroy TracStar® 900 fusion machine with a built-in data logging feature that keeps a record of each fusion joint to verify joint integrity, are key factors contributing to the success of the project.

www.sappma.co.za SAPPMA’S Louise Muller with chairman, Jan Venter, who presented Ralph Mosikidi of Marley Pipe Systems with the gold trophy for the best exhibition stand

30 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

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#/.4!#4 53 #HINA -OBILE 0086 151 685 69018 -OBILE +27 (0)82 821 4775 %MAIL brian.miraclemould@gmail.com

Marley supports innovative water loss research Investigating pipe behaviour, particularly how pressure affects leakages AN UNWAVERING commitment to advancing the civils industry for the beneďŹ t of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water infrastructure has seen plastic pipe manufacturer Marley Pipe Systems invest in educational and development projects that contribute to water conservation efforts. More recently, Marley donated PVC pipe materials to the University of Cape Town (UCT) to help students conduct instrumental work for a signiďŹ cant project that seeks to study water loss in pipes.

The main objective of this on-going research project, which is being conducted as part of the Honours Level studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ďŹ nal year thesis, is to investigate pipe behaviour, particularly with regard to how pressure in the system affects leakages in pipes.

So far, the research has focussed on three main concepts: why leakages caused by holes or cracks are sensitive to pressure in the system, plastic deformation as a result of leakages expanding with pressure, and the interaction of leakages with surrounding soil â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which deals with a

relatively new phenomenon that has been discovered whereby a leakage in a pipe creates a vortex in the surrounding soil, generating a scouring action that results in the outer surface of the pipe wearing away.

According to Kobus van Zyl, Professor of Hydraulic Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering at UCT: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The better we understand how pipes and leaks behave, the better we are able to counteract those actions and better design pipes and pipe materials as well as develop techniques and inform installation practices for the future.â&#x20AC;?

Marley supplied PVC pipe materials to allow the students to take the theories that they have developed over the years and perform experimental tests by cutting cracks and holes into the pipes and exposing them to different pressures to see how the leakages respond, and then comparing this data with their theories. www.marleypipesystems.co.za

Professor Kobus van Zyl of the Department of Civil Engineering at UCT with engineering students (front) Stefan Pike (erosion of pipes) and Simon Bergman (pressure-leakage relationship); and (standing) Rene Nsanzubuhoro (ďŹ nite element modelling of creep), Nishalin Govender (ďŹ nite element modelling of creep) and Timoteus Negonga (erosion of pipes)

DPI gives insights into ďŹ eld pressure testing DPI PLASTICS sponsored and exhibited at the 2014 SAPPMA Pipes VIII conference, with DPI Plastics technical and product manager, Renier Snyman, presenting on ďŹ eld pressure testing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When piping is installed, it is important that a ďŹ eld pressure test is conducted to ensure that the pipeline integrity is up to standard,â&#x20AC;? he said.

According to Snyman, who boasts 16 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in this ďŹ eld, a major

challenge with the ďŹ eld pressure test is that the standards are often misinterpreted, or there is a lack of information and understanding among engineers, installers and manufacturers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Common misunderstandings are encountered with regards to the correct pressure at which a pipeline should be tested, and the period of time that testing should last. These two points can affect the performance of the pipe, as well as the outcome of the test,â&#x20AC;? he

explained.

Snyman said the SAPPMA Pipes VIII conference was the ideal platform to highlight the numerous beneďŹ ts that plastic pipes boast over their concrete and steel counterparts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sceptical engineers had the opportunity to learn ďŹ rst-hand how plastic is a lighter, more robust and environmentally-friendly alternative to older materials,â&#x20AC;? he said. www.dpiplastics.co.za OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 31

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350%2 15!,) )/2 49

INDUSTRY NEWS

HDPE pipes stand the test of time

Regulatory standards give greater confidence in latest generation pipe materials SAFRIPOL’s technical seminar in September reviewed the performance of pipe resins, providing delegates with unequivocal proof that HDPE pipes stand the test of time. One of the first applications for HDPE pipe was for transporting drinking water, developed more than 50 years ago by Hoechst (now Basell) – and many of these pipes are still in service today.

Guest speaker, Ulrich Schulte, presented interesting case studies as well as some history of the evolution of pipe resins over the years. Schulte, a world authority in this field, was Basell’s HDPE pipe specialist until mid-2012 and has also served as chairman of the PE100+ Association in Europe.

Hoechst launched their pipe resin at the K show in Germany in 1955 and the first DIN draft standards for HDPE piping were issued in 1959. By 1961 more than 2000km of HDPE piping had been laid in Germany and by 1977 this had increased to 20 000km of pipe mains.

Although these were first-generation resins with relatively low slow crack growth performance by today’s standards,

Safripol’s sales, marketing and R&D team, including Quinton van Rensburg, Danelle Kok, Robert Hendry, Jean Madurai, Richard Archer, Anli Smith, George Diliyannis and Mark Berry

testing carried out by DVGW (German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water) did not show any signs of premature degradation.

Today’s strict regulatory standards for HDPE piping, including the ISO 4427:2007 standards which have been adopted by the SABS as SANS 4427:2008, give users and specifiers even greater confidence in the latest generation pipe materials such as Safripol’s iMPACT100 resin.

Excellent resistance to slow crack

Shawn Thompson (Plastomark), Mike Smart (Genesis Consulting), Morne van der Merwe and Roy Wilson (both from Rare Plastics) 32 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

Stan Whiting and Mike Schutte from RHO-TECH, Tony Dean (Rare)

growth and hydrostatic pressure provides today’s users of HDPE pipe with long trouble free service and lifetime expectancy in excess of 50 years.

• Safripol is a Basell licensee and is a local producer of modern generation PE100 pipe resin under the iMPACT100® trade name.

www.safripol.com

Bernard Mahl (Safripol) and guest speaker Ulrich Schulte

INDUSTRY NEWS

Bowler pioneers digital printing of tubes Speed to market times slashed with new technology BOWLER Plastics is introducing digital printing on laminated tubes, a first for the industry both in South Africa and internationally.

Already one of the leaders in the manufacture of cosmetic tubes in South Africa, and particularly in the area of tube decoration, Bowler was eyeing this new potential market after it observed an increasing demand for short-run tube orders with printing.

In fact, a tube of any form without printing is effectively a ‘non product’!

So the Bowler team, led by Friedel Sass and Mike Olds, began researching possibilities and discovered that digital printing on to plastic substrate or laminate sheet for tubes was possible, but no one was doing it … yet. Eventually Sass managed to get a German printer manufacturer to configure a machine to his specs, which included the ability to print on to layflat web.

Various small adjustments were made to the system, and – walla! – the machine now at Bowler is able to achieve a high standard print. Given that the printer is a new development, relatively high speeds are already being achieved, according to

Olds and Sass. A coextruded LDPE tube substrate up to about 300 micron thick is used, with a barrier layer such as EVOH or aluminum to protect the integrity of packaged substance. The system is able to print simultaneously on two separate layflat webs, and such is the versatility of the system that it is even capable of printing completely different designs successively – at high speeds, something which is obviously impossible for litho or offset print.

Set-up cost for the new digital tube solution are attractively lower, meaning that printing on relatively short runs down to 2500 units is feasible – i.e. not priced through the roof.

The other big advantage is that speed to market is significantly reduced, with plates and print set-up no longer required.

Once the print artwork is approved, the setter is able to rapidly prepare the print run by loading the substrate reels and simply positioning the digital design material and colour specs.

The printed substrate is then formed into a tube and sealed by either ultrasonic

High quality digital printing on to tube laminates or substrates is possible with the new technology at Bowler Plastics

welding or heat sealing. Both the closures and tube necks are injection moulded on site at Bowler, with the necks fitted either ultrasonically or by heat fusion.

“South African packaging is lagging considerably behind to the international market in the use of tubes and even more the use of laminate tubes as a medium for marketing products,” said Olds. www.bowler.co.za

Astrapak duo confident turnaround will succeed Turnaround project that’s never been done before ASTRAPAK CEO Robin Moore has done some impressive dancing during the 18 months of the group’s two-year turnaround programme, and in spite of the intense pressure the man’s done well: contrary to what most other businessmen in the industry believe, Moore is convinced and confident that the turnaround will succeed.

He and Astra chief financial officer Manley Diedloff have had no choice: they simply have to return the group to profitably.

Everyone knows the details of the challenging situation, with the figures of the listed business published widely in the financial media. Astrapak has about 16 converting operations (at time of going to press) and approximately 4000 employees around the country. The positive announced in the group’s interim results for the six months to the end of August was that net debt has come down from R342,6-million in February to R325,8-million. That’s after the group 34 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

suffered an ‘unrecoverable’ loss estimated at R30-million during the recent strike.

The bottom line is blunt: “Any business that does not or has no prospect of meeting our criteria for future optimal results will not form part of the Astrapak portfolio,” said Moore.

Moore and Diedloff have had to mix financial sense with business intuition.

Overall, it looks like Astrapak is focussing on developing its rigids businesses while reducing its involvement in the very competitive flexibles sector, but even some of the rigids companies have had to face high noon. Hilfort, the Cape Town blow moulding business, has been shut with most the production assets sold to Boxmore (see adjacent article). Retrenchment costs of R7,4-million were accounted for in the current results.

Plastop Denver in Johannesburg appears to be the next to go, although the

Cinqpet operation trading from adjacent premises on the same site is being retained. The Plastop Denver business is seen as tenuous due to the expected entry of Sieroplast of Italy to the market in Gauteng. Sieroplast is expected to take over a lot of the Unilever work in the region.

But Plastop KZN at Prospecton in Durban is being retained: it is running a lot of the Unilever work in the province.

Rationalisation is also underway in East London, where the Plastech and Elvin blow moulding operations are to be merged on one site.

Besides strategic decision making, and tough retrenchment settlements, Moore and Diedloff have been dealing with issues such as relocation of machinery, property leases, tender negotiations and the like, but given that sales by the rigids division increased by 11% and flexibles fell by 4%, it looks like the future of Astrapak looks very rigid. www.astrapak.co.za

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

The important thing is not to stop questioning.â&#x20AC;?.

Albert Einstein

INDUSTRY NEWS

Attempting to remould the market

36

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

More distributorship agreements and new products added to portfolio DAVE Moore knows a few things about moulds and injection moulding machines, having notched up more than 25 years in the converting business.

After closing Contractools – which made components specifically for the white goods market, such as fridges and freezers – Moore secured the agency for LKM Mould Bases, a Chinese manufacturer of a wide range of mould bases, and set up Mould Base SA in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal in October 2012, supplying precision injection moulding machines, a wide range of mould bases and mould components for the moulding industry in South Africa.

The company’s head office is based in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal and retains a large warehouse in Pietermaritzburg, housing a variety of mould bases and components in stock for immediate delivery to local clients. Over the past two years, the company has signed further distributorship agreements with other partners and added new products to its growing portfolio.

and the KMB5. Both models feature Hitachi controllers with touch screen interface, Yaskawa servo motors and drives, and Sumitomo hydraulic pumps.

Other agencies held by Mould Base SA include Yoke Industrial, a Taiwanese concern that specialises in lifting points for the moulding industry; Suresee from China, producing vision systems for mould inspection and protection; Forwell Tech from Taiwan, which specialises in hydraulic quick mould change systems; and two other Chinese manufacturers, Real Power Magnetic (magnetic platens) and Topstar (for ancillaries for the injection moulding industry, such as robots, loaders, dryers, mould temp controllers, and centralised material feed systems, among others.)

Topstar specialise in factory automation and can tailor make equipment to automate processes which normally require labour.

A range of spare parts for all the ancillaries are kept in stock and service to customers is a high priority.

Retaining its competitive edge Last year, Mould Base SA became a distributor for Kawaguchi, a Japanese manufacturer of injection moulding machines. Like most other Japanese machine builders, Kawaguchi moved its production facility to Shanghai 10 years ago in order to become competitive again as the mainland Chinese companies were dominating the market. The company manufactures a range of machines, each virtually hand built by a team of Chinese workers overseen by Japanese engineers and technicians.

The end result is a high quality machine that’s a lot more affordable. Two models of Kawaguchi’s machines are locally available – the KME full electric machine,

Lower priced option “We recently made a decision to represent Yizumi Injection Moulding machines and believe they will be readily accepted by the local market as they come in at a more competitive price than the top end Kawaguchi machines,” said Moore.

Yizumi was established in 2002 and has become a major global player on the injection moulding machine scene as the third largest moulding machine maker in China. They also specialise in rubber moulding machines and die casting machines. America is one of their biggest markets and a few years ago they bought all the intellectual property of HPM, the century old, injection moulding machine manufacturer. Anyone visiting Chinaplas

Dave Moore welcomes Danni Uncini to the Mould Base SA team

and any of the other larger exhibitions will have seen the presence which Yizumi commands. Topstar and Yizumi are located close to each other and this also simplifies the testing of robots and related equipment before shipping takes place.

“The A2-SM model is the most suitable for our market,” said Moore, adding that the machine features the popular servo motor system with a Yuken dualdisplacement piston pump. Moore has already commissioned several of these machines locally, and has another on its way for a large customer.

“However,” he admits, “the market is very depressed at the moment and it’s a hard sell. Thankfully, I have received a number of good enquiries. Ancillary equipment continues to sell and we always have most of the popular equipment such as dryers, loaders and granulators in stock. Robots have become very popular with a lot of customers trying to improve productivity and reduce costs during these tough times.”

Moore has recently employed Danni Uncini to assist him with administration and marketing, with an eventual move into sales. A qualified teacher who is fluent in English and Afrikaans, Uncini has been well received by clients, and sees a good future for herself in the business. www.mouldbasesa.co.za

Extrupet lends helping hand to Maubane community AS part of recycling week and Heritage month, Extrupet took on the task of helping the Maubane community by sponsoring and constructing an Extruwood jungle gym for the approximately 250 orphans and vulnerable children in the community.

The jungle gym is made from recycled PE. It is splinter free, less flammable than wood, environmentally friendly, maintenance free and can last more than 50 years.

www.extruwood.co.za

Book earl y e befor as tm Chris own! shutd

TRAINING

DPI invests in tomorrow’s leaders through HR internship programme UP-AND-COMING human resources (HR) trainees in Cape Town are being provided with practical workplace experience through a three-month internship programme sponsored by DPI Plastics.

DPI Plastics’ HR human resources manager Charles Jullies says the company’s Bellville-based regional office has been offering the internship to students majoring in HR studies for the past three years.

“Our objective is to make a meaningful contribution to the development of the community, by upskilling the HR professionals of tomorrow,” he explains.

Two students are currently undertaking their internship, which ended in June.

“The internship provides the students with the opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners, while experiencing the dynamics in real life situations.

All aspects and functions of HR are covered, ranging from general documentation and administration, to HR planning, recruitment and selection as well as performance management and dispute resolution processes. This is hands-on participation that cannot be taught in the classroom,” said Julies.

The DPI internship programme also boosts confidence.

“This type of practical experience gives the students a better understanding of the functioning of a business, which ultimately leads to a competitive edge when searching for employment,” he continues.

Commenting on the internship, participating students Chwayita Kalipa and Simone Trouncelle say they have been treated as colleagues at DPI Plastics, and were involved in every HR decision made.

“This impacted immensely on our confidence levels and helped us to think beyond what we learnt theoretically in class. As individuals, we became more creative and

Charles Jullies, HR manager at DPI Plastics, with two of the trainees, Simone Trouncelle and Chwayita Kalipa, who recently completed their internships

innovative in our thinking and realized the potential we have as future leaders in the HR field. We would like to thank DPI Plastics, especially Mr Jullies for the great opportunity,” said Chwayita.

Jullies believes the internship programme is beneficial to the students as well as his company, and says: “We have gained recognition from a number of educational institutions for our contributions to furthering skills development, and that is something that we are immensely proud of.”

DPI Plastics is a leading manufacturer of water reticulation, drainage and pipe-fitting systems. www.dpiplastics.co.za

Raw materials abilities on the up at Aberdare in PE Andrew Murray of Plastics│SA (third from left, back row) recently conducted the basic raw materials course at Aberdare Power Cables in Port Elizabeth. The objective of the course is improve the abilities of staff to collect, use, store and care for materials during and after the production process. The course looks at the basic makeup of plastics materials, common types of materials and key properties which influence storage, transport, processing and – of course – the end product. Aberdare, which is part of the Altech group, uses highly specific material formulations in the wide range of power cables it manufactures, so it is vital for production staff to possess the requisite knowledge and abilities in this regard

www.aberdare.co.za 38 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS

Thousands join forces to clean up beaches Mobilisation efforts around country exceeded expectations THOUSANDS of volunteers, numerous volunteer organisations and umpteen kilograms of garbage removed from beaches around South Africa signaled another successful annual International Coastal Clean-up Day, coordinated by Plastics|SA, Ocean Conservancy, KZN Wildlife and other strategic partners on 20 September.

Director of Sustainability at Plastics|SA and Chairman of the National Recycling Forum (NRF), Douw Steyn, said this year’s turnout proves that residents, businesses and civic

organisations are dedicated to ensuring trash free beaches and oceans for future generations.

“More groups participated and adopted beaches to clean than any previous year. The mobilisation efforts around the country exceeded our expectations. We are thankful to all who sacrificed their day for the betterment of the nation,” Steyn said.

This worldwide event is the biggest volunteer effort for ocean health and takes place annually in over 130 countries worldwide. It is coordinated

globally by Ocean Conservancy and is dedicated to cleaning up beaches and raising conservation awareness. This was the 19th year that South Africa participated in the event.

Highlights of the week included a Clean-up and Recycle week project that took place at the Barona Child Care Centre in Soweto, where Plastics|SA teamed up with ABI and Emeraude to educate the students and community members about recycling and what type of products can be made from recycled and upcycled plastics, as well as an

New study reveals less plastic than expected on ocean surface

BY STEVE TOLOKEN, ASIA BUREAU CHIEF, PLASTICS NEWS

THERE IS as much as 100 times less plastic floating on the world’s oceans

education day with Durban Solid Waste (DSW), aimed at educating the informal collectors with information on recycling of plastics. Plastics|SA also teamed up with KZN Wildlife and the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) to clean up Reunion Park at Isipingo Estuary Mouth and Cutting Beach at Merebank. The first clean-up also took place on the shores of the newly proclaimed Helderberg Marine Protected Area (Western Cape), where a total of 400 bags of garbage and 2 tons of larger pieces were removed on this small stretch of beach alone.

than would be expected given the escalating use of the material in recent decades, a new study has found.

But what’s happened to the missing material is not at all clear – it could be ingested by sea creatures, quickly disintegrated into microscopic particles, washed ashore or attach to other objects and sink, according to researchers at the University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute.

“A conservative first-order estimate of the floating plastic released into the open ocean from the 1970s (106 tons) is 100-fold larger than our estimate of the current load of plastic stored in the ocean,” the UWA report said. “Our study reports an important gap in the size distribution of floating plastic debris

• THE RESULTS OF THE 2013 INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN-UP DAY CAN BE VIEWED AT WWW.PLASTICSINFO.CO.ZA/ IMAGES/4908.PDF

www.recycling.co.za www.cleanup-sa.co.za

as well as a global surface load of plastic well below that expected from production and input rates.”

UWA said that the biggest gap was in particles smaller than 1mm in diameter, and said that an “unknown mechanism” is removing smaller particles at a faster rate than larger particles. The study estimated there are between 7 000 and 35 000 tons of plastic floating on the ocean surface now.

While it admits that measuring plastic in the ocean is a complex task, the study said that the amount of plastic on the surface has not kept pace with the rapid increase in plastic production in recent decades.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 41

Trendy Tsitsikamma style!

INSPIRED by Clean-Up & Recycle week in September, Tsitsikamma Crystal Spring Water staff designed and made this fabulous outfit entirely from recycled material (labels, caps and bottles). About 230 caps, 100 labels and 10 PET bottles were used. The company entered the dress in the Algoa FM Heritage Day Competition and won a prize. They also plan to use it for future promotional events and hope that a celebrity may see it and offer to wear it at the J&B Met next year! Recycled PET is used in the preform and bottle manufacturing process which takes place at source, reducing transport and related carbon emissions. Tsitskikamma’s new lightweight 500ml bottle uses 30% less plastic than its 2013 bottle and they’ve also reduced the size of the label. The caps are given to Interwaste who uses them to make wheelchairs. www.interwaste.co.za/ www.tsitsikammacrystal.co.za

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Upbeat Gan Naicker

just rolls on

42 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

While many would consider slowing down after four decades of dedication to an industry, Idwala’s Gan Naicker has no such plans IN THE early 1980s Gan Naicker was given a chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to start as a trainee technical sales representative at Lewis & Everitt, then the industry’s top materials supplier to the polymers, rubber and paint sectors. After the two-year stint as a trainee, Naicker emerged as the first fully-fledged Indian technical sales rep in what was back then a predominantly white-run business sector.

The confidence of Ray Everitt, MD of Lewis & Everitt, was not misplaced: Gan has been one of the most reliable and positive reps since. His role was recognised last year when he was elected an Honorary Life Fellow of the Plastics Institute of Southern Africa, becoming only the tenth person to receive this accolade since PISA’s formation in 1970 (the others being Don Baxter, Bob Bond, Mike Bullock, Maurice Curtis, Trevor Evans, Greg Houghton, Peter Rose, David Rule and SA Plastics’ own Lowrie Sharp).

“It is quite an honour,” said Gan, who has been actively involved in organising PISA events since he joined the institute in 1988.

He’d originally studied to become a teacher, and his philosophy still entails “giving back – by uplifting young, up-and-coming members of the industry; by sharing my knowledge; and especially, to give keep Idwala in the limelight. The company was behind me in every step of my growth, from crawling to walking to running. I want to be able to give others the same opportunity I had.”

The effects of CaCo on plastics A year after Gan joined, Lewis & Everitt was acquired by Anglo Alpha Cement and, a decade later, in a R500-million MBO, the company’s industrial minerals and lime division was renamed Idwala, which is a Zulu word for stone or rock. A leading producer of lime and industrial minerals such as calcium carbonate (CaCo), the company’s presence today includes its production facility in Port Shepstone on Natal’s south coast as well as seven locations around the country.

CaCo is used as a filler due to its benefits of adding strength, being recyclable and reducing costs and is added to plastics films and other mouldings.

“Almost 95% of our products are produced locally,” said Naicker. Idwala supplies the likes of Aberdare Cables, Continental Compounders, President Plastics and SA Leisure (a manufacturer of garden furniture).

According to Gan, the company is currently working on the development of a new additive for plastic packaging applications which it will be launching next year.

Idwala has since 1976 had a technical agreement with Swiss concern OMYA International, which is one of the leading producers of CaCo worldwide. The negotiations were based on OMYA assisting Idwala with R+D, resulting in a wide range of applications, including the ‘Kulucote’ range of ultra-fine, white, stearic acid coated CaCo powders with excellent dispersion properties which have proved very popular. Offering excellent mechanical properties, clients

swiftly realized higher productivity and better performance results by using these fillers. With increasing polymer prices, the incorporation of Kulucote made the savings more significant.

Idwala also represents other international suppliers, including certain materials from BASF, DuPont and Albemarle.

Dumping ground for CaCo “Unfortunately, like the textile and footwear industries in South Africa have experienced over the years, we are seeing the unabated dumping of calcium carbonate onto the local market,” comments Naicker. “The governments of some countries who are dumping the material here are actually subsidising their factories – in some cases up to 100% – just to keep them in production. I have heard some horrific stories of customers receiving and approving samples of calcium carbonate, but have had their fingers badly burnt when they place their order for a couple of containers. The product is far different to the original sample submitted.

Then the supplier is unreachable; you get the run-around, or even when you make contact, the cost of shipping the product back to the source is just not worth it.”

This untenable situation does not need to be tolerated as, says Naicker: geologists have confirmed that there is enough product

KZN team winners at PISA AGM Trophy winner – Clement Makhoro, the PISA KZN chairman, was happy to receive the Haisman Trophy for 2014, the accolade for the ‘most improved PISA branch’, from out-going national chairman Martin Wells. The KZN branch has been social and active, with regular attendances at events and the biggest golf day in the industry, by far!

New national chairman – Garth Taylor (right) of KZN is the new national chairman of PISA, and was congratulated on his election at the AGM in Cape Town on 31 July by Martin Wells, who was chairman for the past two years. Garth is a consultant to the industry dealing with issues such as training, labour and strategic matters, was most recently the PCA’s representative for KZN

Did you know: over 90% of company fraud is ‘internal’?

Presentation by private eye shocks Durban businessmen

BY GARTH TAYLOR

The Idwala’s quarry and mine in Oribi Gorge near Port Shepstone, with the Umzimkulu River running alongside, has CaCo reserves that will last for at least another 100 years says Gan Naicker, who was recognised for his contributions to PISA and the industry through his election last year as an Honorary Life Fellow of PISA

in the Oribi Gorge hills where the Idwala mine is situated to last at least another 100 years – even taking into account, the rise in population, the demands, and so forth.

It’s these kinds of messages that Naicker will continue to convey to the industry. The man has no intention of sitting on his laurels!

He plans to continue his active involvement with PISA and the industry, to ensure the local industry remains vital on the global stage.

“We are at the forefront at the moment, and I want to make sure it remains that way,” adds Gan.

‘PROTECTING Your Assets’ was the title of the presentation by Peter Kitzoff to a PISA KZN branch meeting on 30 September. What an eye opener! Most of us tend to think that company fraud is mainly carried out by outsiders, but according to the Durban-based private investigator, that’s totally wrong! A shockingly high percentage – 93% – of fraud activity is internal, possibly with outside assistance. This was mind boggling.

Peter runs Kitzoff Consulting, a results-orientated detective and specialist corporate and VIP security agency specialising in the manufacturing industry. Kitzoff Consulting carries out surveillance, placing informers in companies where there is a suspicion of fraudulent activity, vetting the placements for criminal backgrounds.

All and all, this was one of the better talks we have had in Durban lately.

Kitzoff engages the audience to come forward with cases and then explains how he handles the problems. The dialogue kept all of us on our toes. I suggested that all present should have been given a sleeping tablet to take

when they got home as what Kitzoff said, which he backed up with facts, would definitely not let some sleep that night.

Unfortunately, a smaller than usual audience attended the presentation: partly a result of a weather warning on East Coast Radio earlier in the day. A major storm with hail and very strong winds was predicted to hit the Pinetown/Westville area. PISA KZN region will reschedule this meeting so even more PISA members can attend. It will be worth it.

Undercover agent – Peter Kitzoff’s presentation about company fraud proved very interesting … but don’t expect to see him snooping around your business soon: he hires informers for the task

www.idwala.co.za OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 43

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PISA Student Design competition at Auto Week, on 15 October THIS year’s PISA student design competition will reach its climax at Gallagher State in Midrand on Wednesday 15 October, during SA Automotive Week, when judging and the awards presentation function will be held.

The brief for the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and Technical University of Tshwane (TUT) design Good Fellow – Garth Taylor presented the Honorary Life Fellow certificate to Greg Houghton at the PISA KZN golf day in June. ‘We’re proud to have you as one of our members,’ said Garth

KZN member Greg Houghton received acknowledgment for his work for PISA over the past four decades when he was upgraded to Honorary Life Fellow recently.

Greg joined PISA in 1974 and virtually immediately got involved in many aspects of PISA’s activities. . It was not long before he became a committee member: over the next 15 years, he was involved mainly in the training area as well as other portfolios of the KZN branch.

He was a KZN representative on the PITB (Plastics Industry Training Board) for 10 years and was also very active with the Natal Training Centre with Henk Asink (Mega Plastics) and John Powell (Modern Plastics): Henk and John handled the tooling and management responsibilities respectively while Greg specialised in production. These three persons were directly involved in the first plastics training courses offered in KZN in the 1970s, which says a lot for their foresight.

The trio had the vision that plastics was the product of the future – how right they were! All three were accordingly elevated to the grade of Fellow.

Henk and John have since retired, but Greg remains a stalwart of the KZN branch, par excellence in fact. He is a wealth of knowledge, and fledgling as well as established companies have at times called on him to assist with problems – and he’s always willing to share his knowhow. This knowledge is sometimes shared with a lot of mirth, but it’s always usable info!

44 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

PISA conference at SA Automotive Week PISA’S Northern branch was also closely involved in the organisation of the ‘Manufacturing & Tooling Innovations’ seminar being held during SA Automotive Week at Gallagher Estate in Midrand on 15 and 16 October (Wed-Thurs).

Presented every two years, the Auto Week is Africa’s automotive intellectual gathering and focuses on stimulating trade and partnership opportunities in the manufacturing and related sectors.

The seminar was originally due to be held during Afrimold in June, but its staging at the automotive indaba will possibly make it more accessible to the design and tooling sector.

Bob Bond of the PISA Northern

branch has again been very active in the formulation of the programme.

A range of speakers, including presenters from the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Aachen University of Applied Sciences, will provide a view on European best practise, highlighting recent successes.

Several new processes will be covered in the presentations over the 2-day programme, particularly in the area of lightweighting, including localised components and processes such as aluminium skin panels; complex laser welding; roll forming for complex structural profiles; advanced rear axle assembly and natural fibre pressings.

www.saaw.co.za National Chairman Garth Taylor c. 084 924 4551 e. garthtaylor42@gmail.com

National Secretary David Rule p. 011 452 6940 c. 082 552 0726 e. david@plasticolors.co.za

Northern Jacques Lightfoot p. 011 653 4783 c. 078 460 0044 e. jacques.lightfoot@plasticssa.co.za

National Vice-Chairman Martin Wells p. 021 712 1408 c. 082 822 8115 e. martin@summitpub.co.za

KwaZulu-Natal Clement Makhoro p. 031 702 7222 e. Clement.Makhoro@plasticssa.co.za

Western Cape TBA www.pisa.org.za

Plastics Institute of Southern Africa

Californian governor signs plastic bag ban into law SINGLE-USE plastic bags are to be banned across California in the USA from next July after the state’s governor signed a law prohibiting such carriers from being handed out at retail stores.

Under the new law, single-use plastic bags will be prohibited as of 1 July 2015, and Californians will pay a minimum of 10c for each reusable plastic or recycled paper bag at supermarkets. In 2016, the ban will extend to pharmacies and off-licences.

‘Reusable’ bags are defined by the law as those designed for at least 125 uses and made of at least 25% recycled plastic. Eventually, the recycledcontent requirement will go up to 40%.

But opponents of the law still have some fight left in them. The American Progressive Bag Alliance (APBA), one of the key opposition groups which has cast the bill as a job killer and cashgrab by grocers’ groups, plans to take the matter to the voters themselves next November.

American Progressive Bag Alliance (APBA) launched an online, television and radio ad blitz in Sacramento, building on an ad campaign begun in May to oppose the Senate Bill 270, the latest in a years-long string of bag ban attempts … but the legislation was ultimately passed the Californian state government

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Greg Houghton complimented for 40yrs of work for PISA, industry

students involves designing a product that is made from 100% recycled plastics.

The product can be made from any recyclable plastic material and by any plastic manufacturing process, according to PISA Northern branch’s Jacques Lightfoot and Douw Steyn, who drew up the guidelines (and who have for each of the recent design competitions too).

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Unbaking the cake – the chemistry of devulcanisation

BY KATHY GARDE

IN EXCESS of 11 million tyres are produced annually in South Africa and, although some are reclaimed for secondary uses, a significant fraction of these end up in landfill or are simply discarded or burnt. This is clearly a major issue, and if allowed to continue, this situation will soon pass its tipping point, so to speak. Current reclamation pathways include retreading, pyrolysis (to produce

Coen Burger of the IOM³, Stuart von Berg, the NMMU student who gave the presentation, and Prof Chris Woolard of the Polymer Chemistry Department at NMMU, which is researching the topic of recycling rubber, focusing on devulcanization … which, if you didn’t already know it, is a very difficult process to undo

fuels, oils and carbon black) and the crumb and reclaim processes.

Karbochem annually sponsors the IOM³ Education Evening, which showcases research ongoing at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth and this year Stuart von Berg, an MSc student in the Polymer Chemistry Department at NMMU, had the honours.

Stuart started off with a brief history of rubber vulcanization and went on to explain some cure mechanisms which would lay the foundation for understanding the process and issues of devulcanization.

It is no easy task to undo the effects of vulcanization, as described by Charles Goodyear in his 1844 patent – “No degree of heat, without blaze, can melt it. It resists the most powerful chemical reagents: Aquafortis (nitric acid), sulfuric acid, essential and common oils, turpentine and other solvents”.

Stuart discussed the various methods of rubber reclamation and highlighted the inherent problems associated with each, for example changes in chain structure due to excessive shear, heat build-up, specificity to certain polymers only, toxicity and environmental issues and the production of merely surface-modified rubber powders, as opposed to properly devulcanizing the

Young scientists impress yet again IOM3 Southern Africa young persons’ lecture competition 2014 CONGRATULATIONS to Raphael Smith, of Cape Ray Medical in Cape Town, on winning the IOM3 Southern Africa Young Persons’ Lecture Competition with his presentation titled “The Design, Construction and Testing of a Hermetically Sealed Breast Platform for Dual-Modality Mammography”.

This prestigious competition is aimed at young scientists and engineers, aged 28 and younger, in the disciplines of materials,

minerals, mining, packaging, clay technology and wood science.

Thanks to the judges Associate Professor Chris Woolard (Nelson Mandela Metro University), Dr Kathy Garde (Carst & Walker) and Wendy Knott-Craig (IOM3 Southern Africa).

Raphael will represent South Africa at the IOM3 Young Persons’ World Lecture Competition in California, USA, in October.

The judges and finalists, from left, Associate Professor Chris Woolard (judge), Kristian Kruger (University of Pretoria), Monica Kalichini (UCT), winner Raphael Smith, Dr Robert Pott (UCT), Dr Kathy Garde (judge)

polymer chains.

The Polymer Chemistry Department at NMMU, led by Associate Professor Chris Woolard, is researching the topic of recycling rubber, with devulcanization as a focal point. Devulcanization methods include chemical and mechano-chemical processes, some of which date back to WWII, but there are also some newer methods which utilize chemicals based on disulfides, thiophenols, phenol disulfides and alkoxy disulfides, for example diallyl disulfide, which is a flavour component of garlic!

Although a relative advancement, these newer devulcanization chemicals and their mechanisms are poorly understood, and it is an objective of Chris’s team to understand them and their influence on the properties of the ‘new rubber’ that is produced. Topics of interest are effects on scorch and other cure characteristics, ratio of sulphur-sulfur breakage (favourable) to rubber chain scission (unfavourable), the effect of residual curatives and the influence of cure retarders and anti-reversion agents. Some environmental aspects are also being studied, including the use of waste rubber crumb as an adsorbent for organic waste streams.

A huge thank you to Karbochem for sponsoring the evening!

IOM³ Conference at Cathedral Peak, June 2015 PACK your winter woollies and be prepared to experience the annual IOM³’s National Rubber Conference in the Drakensberg during the South African winter. Who knows, you might even enjoy some snow!

The conference will take place from 1821 June 2015 at the Cathedral Peak Hotel in the Drakensburg, KwaZulu-Natal.

Cathedral Peak is approximately four hours from both King Shaka Airport in Durban and OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. But why not save costs, go green, grab a group of colleagues and travel to the Berg in one vehicle?

FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT WENDY KNOTT-CRAIG AT EMAIL: WKNOTTCRAIG@ VODAMAIL.CO.ZA OR IOMSA@MWEB.CO.ZA www.iom3.co.za

Cornelis, the winning lecturer, with IOM³ South Africa secretary/PRO Wendy Knott-Craig and Grant Rossettenstein (IOM³ committee)

World title winning lecture in more accessible terms THE winner of the IOM³’s World Lecture Competition, Cornelis van Niekerk, gave his award-winning lecture at a meeting of the Institute’s KZN branch at the Victoria Country Club in Maritzburg recently.

The title of the presentation, ‘Novel Technique for In Situ Laser Alloying of AISI 410L Stainless Steel with Nitrogen during Laser Cladding,’ was somewhat beyond most of the IOM members present, but the University of Pretoria student didn’t win acclaim for no reason: he simplified the topic and made it at least partly accessible to the audience.

Cornelis represented South Africa at the IOM³ Young Persons’ World Lecture Competition in Hong Kong in October last year, and won it. He had competed against eight competitors, who had all won their national finals, in this prestigious international competition – fine achievement!

POLYCO spreads plastics recycling message with Facebook competition POLYCO will be harnessing the power of social media to educate the South African public about plastics recycling in an online Facebook competition which will run from the middle of October to the end of November this year.

Aptly entitled, the “Thank You campaign”, POLYCO has put together a fun and easy-to-understand animation video that not only explains the process of plastic recycling, but also how plastic recycling helps and improves the lives of everybody who is involved in the process.

“We tried to make an often complex message, simple and fun to watch, so that even children will be able to understand it. By recycling your plastics, you help the environment, create jobs, support a dynamic industry and generate a great many thank you’s in return,” explained POLYCO CEO, Mandy Naudé.

Facebook users will be encouraged to watch the short animation, answer one

easy question about plastic recycling (the answer is in the video) and share the link with their friends. In return, they will be entered into a competition where they can stand the chance of winning their share of R50 000 in cash.

Explains Mandy: “We’re excited to offer eight people the chance of winning R5000, and one grand prize of R10 000.

With Christmas just around the corner, we hope as many people as possible will enter the competition”.

The campaign will officially kick off on Monday, 13 October and will end on Friday, 28 November 2014. The names of the winners will be drawn on Tuesday, 2 December 2014.

• TO VIEW THE CLIP OR ENTER THE COMPETITION, VISIT WWW.FACEBOOK. COM/POLYCO2012 OR VISIT WWW. POLYCO.CO.ZA

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 47

Celebrating 50 years of rubber production in South Africa As we celebrate our golden anniversary, we remain committed to being a leading and innovative rubber company. We will continually strive to achieve customer service excellence and we thank you for sharing in our success.

SALES AND MARKETING

Eastgate Office Park, Ground Floor, Block A South Boulevard, Bruma 2026, South Africa

T +27 (0)11 601 1660 F +27 (0)11 616 6651 E kbcinfo@karbochem.co.za

ASSOCIATION NEWS PETCO CEO, Cheri Scholtz, was presented with a gift by PETCO vice chair, Greg Morse and PETCO chair Casper Durandt (Coca Cola)

PETCO celebrates

48 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

On track to recycling 70% post- consumer beverage PET by 2022 will be helping to close the loop in 2014 with Extrupet’s new plant THIS year marks PETCO’s 10th anniversary – a decade of remarkexpansion and approved carbonated soft drinks (CSD) grade able results driving post-consumer PET recycling in South Africa.

Bottle-2-Bottle using the Starlinger technology. Another notable During this time PETCO has provided millions of rands worth innovation during the past year was the introduction of a formulaof financial support to the PET recycling chain, created income based approach for Bottle-2-Bottle subsidies. opportunities for an estimated 41 000 people, helped establish over “The PET industry has an impressive track record of achieve700 plastic recovery stations throughout South Africa, introduced ment in terms of EPR in action. We’ve grown the economy, develbottle-2-bottle recycling and provided the feedstock for the local oped and expanded from community to community, town to town, polyester staple fibre industry. and even made our presence felt from country to country and from “It’s been 10 years of tremendous dedication by our members, continent to continent,” said Scholtz. whose voluntary contributions via the recycling levy and grants“We are on track towards recycling 70% of post- consumer bevin-aid enable PETCO to expand its collection network, fine tune erage PET by 2022 and this is in no small feat!” its programmes and strive for ever-increasing recycling tonnages,” said Cheri Scholtz, CEO ‘PETCO entrenched The outlook for 2015 and beyond of PETCO. “From the resin producer through to as a successful model Scholtz said that the Government’s National Enthe convertors, bottlers, brand owners, retailers for voluntary EPR in vironmental Management Waste Amendment Bill and consumers – all of whom enable us to sup(NEMWA) gave a good idea of what is to come port the entire PET value chain and to entrench South Africa’ in the future.

PETCO as a successful model for voluntary EPR To increase recycling rates across all waste streams, there will be in South Africa. It’s testimony to the vision of our partners, collectors waste management charges which include an array of economic and recyclers and the commitment of Government that PETCO is instruments about which the details are not yet clear. Another enjoying such success in a relatively short time.” important addition to the Bill is the addition of Clause 6, which inserts a new Chapter 3A empowering the Minister responsible for Renewed contracts environmental affairs to publish a pricing strategy to achieve the PETCO has recently renewed a number of five-year contracts with objectives of the NEMWA. its recycling partners Extrupet, Sen Li Da and Kaytech and has The new section 13B stipulates that an Act of Parliament is to signed up new Category A partners, SAfrepet and Mpact. PETCO

Awards were handed out to top achievers in PET recycling. Back, from left: Vicky du Toit (The Waste Trade Company), Winnie van der Merwe (Kaytech), Peter Steyn (Kimberley Recycling), Thabang Madimabe (World Without Waste Recycling Stokvel), Jakkie Stols (Seabatt Properties cc), Jabulani Sithole (Sithole & Sons), Thulo Edwin Magudulela (Vuk’uzenzele & Nkoza Recycling Secondary Cooperative Limited). Front, from left: Somesh Rastogi (Extrupet), Chris Whyte (USEIT), Allen Gu (Sen Li Da), Hannelie Pienaar (Bonke Abantu), Cheri Scholtz (PETCO CEO), Colin Devenish (V&A Waterfront), Chandru Wadhwani ( Extrupet) and Vijay Naidoo (Extrupet)

give effect to necessary elements of the pricing strategy contemplated in section 13A. There will also be a new structure, the Waste Management Bureau, to provide capacity for the processing, monitoring and evaluation of Industry Waste Management Plans as submitted to DEA. “Whilst this is consistent with good practice around the world, PETCO would like the DEA to commission a study on the possible impact on the economy of such a pricing strategy and to ensure that it does not jeopardise the current recycling value chain and the significant number of jobs that have already been created,” said Scholtz.

Industry waste management plans now have to be developed in accordance with the pricing strategy.

Scholtz added that the PET industry has an impressive track record of achievement in terms of extended producer responsibility in action and PETCO are hopeful that they will be supported and strengthened by new partnerships and new services in the future.

Research and international cooperation The CSIR and Mutualfruit are currently preparing the Waste Research and Innovation Roadmap for the Department of Science and Technology (DST). This roadmap provides opportunities for job creation and economic development, particularly in areas of waste collection and processing. Further dialogue and discussion will take place before it is finalised and presented to DST. Some significant thinking which will have an influence on South Africa, stems from the EU Directive focusing on resource efficiency and the circular economy, as well as the BIO IS study on the Development of Guidance on EPR. Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik presented the package, stating that the proposal intends to create a Europe without waste. He emphasised the importance of putting the right instruments and measures in place, including separate collection, landfill charges and EPR schemes, adding that the legislative proposal includes monitoring and early warning mechanisms to ensure that member states continue on their path to reaching the set targets.

Scholtz said that bio-based bottles will be an avenue to watch in the future. They have the potential to contaminate the recycling stream and accordingly would need to be clearly identifiable so as to be separated out for treatment.

“PET is already the world’s most widely recycled plastic and can further strengthen its position by taking what is currently in the waste stream and putting it in the resource stream as rPET for the textile industry, or for new bottles and allowing us to reach our ultimate objective – a closed-loop packaging supply chain. In this regard, we are on the brink of obtaining approval for CSD Bottle Grade PET from one of our larger brand owners in South Africa and can indeed look forward to closing the relevant manufacturing loop – a 1st in PET recycling for the African continent,” she added. www.petco.co.za

Mike Olds (Bowler Plastics), Charles Muller (PACSA), Lowrie Sharp (SA Plastics magazine) and Tom McLaughlin (Woolworths) were just a few of the guests who gathered to celebrate PETCO’s 10th anniversary

PETCO’s road to success 2004 2005

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The PET Recycling Company (Pty) Ltd, trading as PETCO, established.

Recycling levy introduced and Extrupet and Hosaf Recycling sign contracts with PETCO. PET recycling achieves 9 840 tonnes (16% post-consumer PET bottles ).

Kaytech Engineered Fabrics sign contract with PETCO. PET recycling grows to 14 571 tonnes (21% post-consumer PET bottles).

PETCO doubles tonnage of PET recovered and collected since establishment to 18 734 tonnes (24% post-consumer PET bottles).

Sen Li da Chemical Fibre Company becomes 4th PETCO recycler with an integrated fibre plant in KZN. Tonnes of PET recycled: 22 737 (28% post-consumer PET bottles).

PETCO model proves its worth and PET recycling in South Africa survives global economic crisis. National Waste Management Act comes into effect; Extrupet expands capacity and invests in a Bottle-2-Foodgrade plant. Tonnes of PET recycled: 29 048 (32% post-consumer PET bottles).

PETCO shares its business model with polyolefin recycling company (POLYCO) set up to facilitate recycling of polyolefins (resin ID code # 2,4 and 5). Woolworths uses 25% food grade rPET in their sandwich containers; and South African Waste Pickers Association formed in Gauteng. Tonnes of PET recycled: 37 361 (38% post-consumer PET bottles).

Light weighting implemented by Coca-Cola. Valpré Plantbottle™ introduced with 30% bio MEG content. Bottle-2-Foodgrade resin innovation provides industry with recycled resin – the biggest beneficiaries being the sheet/thermoform industry. PETCO provides support to the export of fibre made in South Africa from recycled bottles. Tonnes of PET recycled: 42 562 (42% postconsumer PET bottles).

Sen Li Da grow their collection by 17% year on year and support bottle suppliers with machinery and equipment to increase collection and supply of bottles by 2 000/2 500 tonnes in the Gauteng region. Extrupet reaches a significant milestone with 50% Phoenix PET (recycled PET resin) usage content in a juice bottle for the first time in South Africa, and goes on to conduct trials at 100% usage. Extrupet also start the first “bottle MRF” at their dedicated Cape Town operation. A total of 404 000 households are now receiving a kerbside recycling collection service.

PETCO employs a dedicated “Category A” manager to manage the growing number of projects with contracted recyclers. Tonnes of PET recycled: 50274 (45% of post-consumer PET).

PETCO initiates drive to find new projects and partners, and shift from a partner-based model to a project-based model. Extrupet, Kaytech and Sen Li Da continue to receive support from PETCO. SAFrePET identified as a new partner to be signed up in 2014. Extrupet confirmed plans to produce the first carbonated soft drink (CSD) Bottle-2-Bottle grade rPET in Africa in 2014.

Unilever tests a 100% rPET bottle. Collections grow by just over 18% year on year, and PETCO achieves lowest-ever cost-per-kg subsidised collection rate. A successful international colloquium is hosted by PETCO in November 2013, attracting almost 200 delegates from 14 countries, and strengthening local and international networks. Two of our recycling partners, Extrupet and Sen Li Da, confirm plans to expand Gauteng bale collection capacity in 2014. Propet increases its capacity considerably, and installs a wash plant in Cape Town. PETCO awarded joint winner of the business award in recognition of embracing extended producer responsibility in the Mail & Guardian’s annual Greening the Future awards. Tonnes of PET recycled: 59 691 (48% of postconsumer PET).

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 49

Prominent architect builds dream home with recycled polystyrene

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Stumbelbloc’s cost-effective, environmentally friendly, energy efficient way of building using interlocking blocks “I BELIEVE that every building must have its own soul. When I started dreaming about building my own home, I knew I wanted the building to reflect our passion for innovation, thinking outside the box, and caring for the environment”.

This was the sentiment of leading Pretoria senior architectural technologist and owner builder, Jan Minne, who is currently in the process of completing his 400m2 home in the Six Fountains residential estate, adjacent to Silver Lakes in Pretoria.

Despite having built numerous residential and commercial building projects using traditional brick and mortar over the course of his career, Minne decided to use the revolutionary new Stumbelbloc building method which was developed by André Esterhuizen and Riedewaan Jacobs.

Each block is pre-formed in a mould at a factory and is equal in size to eight standard bricks. Once the walls are at roof-level, the cavity walls are filled with polystyrene regrind (chipped up waste polystyrene), which acts as an insulator.

“I was very impressed when I first saw Stumbelbloc’s cost-effective, environmentally friendly, energy efficient and convenient way of building that uses interlocking blocks,” Minne said.

He undertook a fact-finding trip to Stumbelbloc’s factory in Cape Town and carefully inspected buildings that were built using this new approach, before making his final decision.

“I could see no difference between the Stumbelbloc homes and homes built with bricks and cement five years after they had been built. However, the significant savings in cost, time and effort convinced me that this would be the route to go for my own home, and also quite possibly for future commercial building projects I undertake,” Minne added.

Numerous advantages to building with Stumblebloc No need for electricity – Stumbelbloc’s innovative building method allows you to build a house without electricity in the middle of nowhere and it acts like a ‘cold room’.

Thermal properties – Using Stumbelbloc you don’t have to fill the cavity walls with the One of polystyrene’s key polystyrene regrind during construction. You complete the house to attributes is its excellent roof height and then simply fill the walls from the top! insulation properties. blocks are pre-formed in the factory, the Stumbelbloc puts these inherent qualities entire building process is simplified. An to good use by using recycled polystyrene entire house can be core-filled by two in its construction projects. labourers in one day at a total material cost Convenience – While conventional of R600. The cost of the blocks is about building methods are efficient, they can R7.50 each (if you make them yourself) be arduous in their execution. Using or R14 each if purchased directly from an Stumbelbloc you don’t have to fill the approved block producer. cavity walls with the polystyrene regrind Reduces waste – In South Africa during construction. You complete the the Polystyrene Packaging Council house to roof height and then simply fill the is actively working with recyclers and walls from the top! innovators to develop new uses for Cost savings on electrical and water recycled polystyrene to prevent the services – Because Stumbelblocs are product from being sent to landfill. modular the entire building process is To date, approximately 230kg of simplified and faster. “I have saved a lot recycled polystyrene has been used in of money with the plastering, for example, Minne’s home, collected from households because the blocks are straight and and businesses in Pretoria by WastePlan. self-aligning and self-levelling – much like Says Linda van Niekerk, MRF Manager when building with children’s Lego blocks,” for WastePlan in Pretoria: “Polystyrene is explained Minne. highly recyclable, but developing end-uses “With the traditional way of building, for the product has proven to be difficult. the task of fitting electricity conduits and Currently our ability to supply recycled water pipes in a new building after the polystyrene exceeds the demand. We walls are built is often arduous, messy, are hoping that projects such as these time consuming and expensive. However, will grow the demand for a product that is because the cavities in the walls are kept versatile and readily available”. empty until after the power plugs and plumbing have been installed, it is a much A solution to housing backlog in SA? easier and quicker process. You can Experts agree that Stumbelbloc and decide exactly where you want your power other construction projects that make plugs and points,” he added. use of recycled polystyrene have Cheaper way of building – Because the application value for various construction

Architectural technologist Jan Minne’s 400m2 home in the Six Fountains residential estate in Pretoria Each block is pre-formed in a mould at a factory and is equal in size to eight standard bricks. Once the walls are at roof-level, the cavity walls are filled with polystyrene regrind (chipped up waste polystyrene), which acts as an insulator

requirements, ranging from chill rooms on farms and greenhouses to chicken batteries and hunting cabins.

“This is the ideal solution for government to reduce the huge backlog that currently exists in the building RDP houses.

Only the external wall of a RDP house needs to be constructed with Stumbelbloc as the system allows normal bricks to be tied into it. These houses will be warm in winter and cool in summer,” Minne explained.

“I am convinced that Stumbelbloc offers a workable, cost effective way of ‘green’ building. Building with recycled polystyrene is innovative and new, but it has been proven in numerous independent tests to be stronger, cheaper and safer than any other way of building. Making this small change will ultimately make a big different in reducing the size of our environmental footprint,” he added.

Stumbelbloc tel: (O83) 228 8036, Jan Minne (JJ Designs): 082 783 8127 www.stumbelbloc.com www.polystyrenepackaging.co.za

Plastics|SA’s first ever TV commercial PLASTICS|S’s first-ever TV advertising campaign went live on 18 August and ran throughout September as part of its annual Clean-Up and Recycle month.

“We have searched for other plastic recycling adverts elsewhere and as far as we can tell, this is the first advert of its kind anywhere in the world,” said Monya Vermaak, marketing & communications executive at Plastics|SA. The 30 second commercial, Dianne Blumberg (Online Editor: Plastics|SA), Phumzile Mlangeni entitled ‘Material of Hope’ is (actress), Monya Vermaak (Marketing & Communications based on the true-life story of Executive: Plastics|SA) and Julia (Make-Up artist) Dorah Mbuli, a mother of two who earns a living by collecting collection and recycling on a daily basis. plastics in neighbourhoods and selling the The TV commercial was also adapted for valuable waste to a buy-back centre. a three-month radio campaign on national The advert was filmed in Melville in radio stations (5 FM, RSG and SAFM) Gauteng and at the Gugu Buyback Centre broadcast during the last weeks of August in Jeppestown, Johannesburg. It follows and September and will be broadcast again a typical day in the life of one of the many near the end of October. A printed version plastics collectors. of the advert also appeared in selected The advert aims to explain how recycling publications. plastics has a profound impact on the lives of www.plasticsinfo.co.za more than 43 500 people involved in informal

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Associated Additives held their PVC Conference on the 11th of September in Durban, at the Suncoast Conference Centre.

The conference, which serves as a platform for technical seminars, was thoroughly enjoyed by the attendees.

Experienced speakers from various companies within the PVC industry addressed the delegates. The keynote speaker, Mr. Henk Van De Paal, from Chemson Holland, who has more than 35 years of experience in the industry, discussed the global trends of stabilizers in Europe as well as new developments in Heavy Metal Free Stabilisers. He also offered expert advice on how to overcome certain difficulties during production.

Also presenting at the conference were Zak Du Preez of Aberdare cables, Renier Snyman of DPI Plastics, Darren Van Rooyen of Continental Compounders, Annabe Pretorius of SAPRO, Dr Eric Sydenham of Lasec, Thando Madlala and Robin Reeve of Associated Additives.

Associated Additives thanks the speakers for their educational presentations and their customers for their valued attendance.

PEOPLE

Harry Rombouts

Leigh Pollard

Xolani Mdletshe

Lourens Erasmus

Deon Riekert

On the move Ronnie Kruger (ex-Powertech group) has been appointed managing director of Marley Pipe Systems, where he takes over from Louis Albertyn.

Nampak L&CP after he was nominated for the company’s ‘Tomorrow’s Leader Programme’, as well as a research and development technician at Chemserve Polymer Sciences.

Harry Rombouts, one of the most experienced individuals in the recycling industry in South Africa, has retired.

Lourens Erasmus has joined Hestico as a service technician. Lourens brings with him 10 years’ experience and holds a Merseta recognised diploma in electrical engineering.

Leigh Pollard has been appointed managing director of Hosaf. Leigh is a Canadian national and has spent the last 25 years producing various types of resins for the building industry. He arrived in South Africa in 2003 to erect a formaldehyde and resin facility for PG Bison, a member of the KAP group of companies. In addition to his new responsibilities at Hosaf he will remain on the PG Bison and KAP Manufacturing boards. Leigh says he is really looking forward to this new challenge at Hosaf, PET is an exciting product that has great growth opportunities.

Peter White, his predecessor, has after some 30 years at Hosaf, gone on retirement.

Xolani Mdletshe has joined Plastics|SA as the new technical trainer at the KwaZulu-Natal office. Xolani has a national diploma in Plastics Technology from the Pretoria Technikon.

Prior to joining Plastics|SA, Xolani worked as a sales consultant at Metropolitan Life, a production technician at

Toolmaker Kieran White has moved over to Principle Plastics in Port Elizabeth, reuniting with his father Bob White and brother Niko. Kieran is managing the toolroom, which is fully equipped to manufacture new moulds and also to do modifications and repairs to existing moulds.

Principle Plastics is an award-winning manufacturing plant involved mainly in the production of automotive injection moulded components

www.principleplastics.co.za 52

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Deon Riekert has joined RubberChem, strengthening the business’s representation in the coastal areas. RubberChem is a supplier of a complete range of raw materials for the adhesives, rubber and polyurethane industries.

Deon was formerly with Rhein Chemie (a subsidiary of Lanxess) and more recently Durban Specialty Chemicals; during the latter period he was the SA representative for Rhein Chemie of Germany, a global leader in rubber chemicals. The appointment of RubberChem as the new agent for Rhein Chemie as well as Deon’s move to the company will broaden their offering to the local industry.

Incidentally, Rhein Chemie is celebrating 125 years in operation this year, making it one of the oldest businesses active in this area. www.rubberchem.co.za

Bert Green has been appointed factory manager at Joluka in Midrand. A manufacturer of concrete and plastic spacers for the construction industry, Joluka was established by Hans Berger in 1982. It is involved in exports to Africa, Australia and Europe. Joluka operates injection moulding machines and profile extruders

www.joluka.co.za

Christo Spies has joined Extrupet’s marketing department as national key accounts manager responsible for sales of PhoenixPET, the company’s food grade rPET material. Christo has experience in the plastic packaging and label industry and will greatly benefit both Extrupet and its customers with his knowledge and expertise

www.extrupet.com

PRODUCTS

Extremely flat – LED lamp in CD format Bayer PC enables precise manufacturing with printed electronics AN innovative, extremely flat LED lamp from EDC GmbH opens a whole new range of possibilities for energyefficient light design. The ‘F | limyé Flat’, for example, is perfectly suited to those situations where there is little space for lamps or when special design solutions are needed. Based in Langenhagen, near Hanover, the company manufactures this product using Makrolon® OD2015, a special transparent polycarbonate from Bayer MaterialScience.

The special feature of the LED lamp is a flat substrate made from this highperformance plastic. At just 1.8mm it is as thin as a CD and can be round or square. During injection moulding, tiny dimples 1.4mm wide and 1.2mm deep are incorporated into the substrate.

These then take the numerous little LEDs. “The polycarbonate’s outstanding reproduction accuracy enables much higher precision in forming the dimples than can be achieved with other transparent plastics,” says Axel Wetzchewald from the LED programme at Bayer MaterialScience.

Breakproof and dimensionally stable This material grade was specifically developed for light conductors, optical

systems and lenses and provides a very high level of light transmission even with greater coating thicknesses. It is also shatterproof and boasts excellent dimensional stability across a wide range of temperatures. This enables the finely structured lights to be manufactured with great precision.

ECD has opted not to use conventional circuit board technology in the construction of the LED lamp. All of the electronic elements required to operate the tiny LEDs, such as resistors and conductor tracks, are thinly printed onto the transparent substrate. This is where the excellent print quality of Makrolon OD2015 really pays off. It is also possible to add microstructures for routing the light. This special design even allows light to escape at the edge – an additional optical effect that has great appeal.

The lighting disk can also be fitted with flat auxiliary lenses or integrated optical systems that focus or diffuse the LED light as required. Diffusers, lens plates or reflectors can be combined or integrated to achieve uniform illumination.

An innovative, extremely flat LED lamp made from Makrolon polycarbonate from Bayer MaterialScience opens up whole new possibilities for energy-efficient lighting concepts

The lighting disk of the LED lamp can be fitted with flat auxiliary lenses or integrated optical systems

www.bayer.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

Contact: Derick Labuschagne Tel: 011 979 2766 Fax: 011 979 2424 Email: annecatsales@mweb.co.za www.annecat.co.za

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PET bottles for new spritzers Ready-to-drink barrier PET container from Amcor provides convenience, portability ANDREW Peller Limited, a leading producer and marketer of quality wines in Canada, has introduced skinnygrape spritzers, a popular low-calorie spritzer in a sleek-looking premium 330ml barrier PET bottle from Amcor Rigid Plastics.

The ready-to-drink premium PET container is convenient and portable due to its light weight and shatter-resistant characteristics. skinnygrape, previously only available as a low-calorie wine in a 750ml glass bottle, is a naturally-flavoured winebased cocktail. The highly attractive, custom PET container with eye-catching graphics differentiates skinnygrape from other products in this highly competitive RTD category, according to Sarah Ripley, National Brand Manager for Andrew Peller Limited.

Along with unique design capabilities, shatter resistant and portable PET bottles with a twist-off plastic cap provide an entry into new venues that do not allow glass because of the potential for breakage, opening up new sales opportunities. “The great thing about PET is that it travels well for summer weekends,” said Ripley.

Unique barrier coating technology used Another key feature is a unique barrier coating technology developed by

Germany’s KHS Plasmax GmbH which provides extended shelf life. The 330ml PET bottle features KHS Plasmax’s Silicon Oxide (SiOx) barrier coating which seals the container from the inside to protect the contents from oxidation and carbonation retention.

Plasmax is an FDA and Canadian compliant passive barrier technology providing extended shelf life. This ultrathin (less than 100nm) material is transparent and resistant to cracking, abrasion, and delamination. Moreover, it doesn’t degrade over time or have an activation time constraint nor limit the storage time for empty bottles. The barrier coating is easily removed during the recycling process without any contamination to the recycling system.

concepts and followed the project from development to execution with a high attention to detail,” said Ripley.

“Their technical expertise and market knowledge helped to quickly take the design from concept to store shelf.” www.andrewpeller.com www.amcor.com

‘Cradle to grave’ development leads to speedy product introduction Amcor’s ‘cradle to grave’ development process played a key role in a speedy product introduction. From design concept development, to unit mould sampling and third party filling assistance, Amcor was able to help with a successful product launch.

“Our new product launch was highly successful because Amcor brought us a full range of design

3D printing creates unique geometric jewellery

The intricately-detailed Tangens necklace has interlocking elements 3D printed using the Stratasys Fortus 400mc 3D Production System 54 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

STRATASYS, a global leader of 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions, has collaborated with architect and designer Jenny Wu, of Oyler Wu Collaborative, on her first 3D printed jewellery collection.

Entitled, ‘LACE’, the collection comprises a line of 3D printed wearable designs including necklaces and rings inspired by line-based geometry and intricate, organic movement, standing-out as a bold statement on the body.

“I wanted to design a range of jewellery that could be avant-garde yet wearable, and approached it from my architectural heritage of spatial and linewww.jennywulace.com

based geometries to form a bold but soft spectacle for the body,” Jenny Wu explains.

“From my 15 years’ experience with 3D printing for architectural projects, I knew it would deliver the capabilities to realise my creative vision for jewellery. 3D printing offers an elegant aesthetic and enables different layers and densities of fine and detailed pieces to be intertwined and produced within hours instead of months.”

The leading LACE design is the Tangens necklace. The intricately-detailed necklace has interlocking elements created with the Stratasys Fortus 400mc Production System and was manufactured using ABS-M30. www.stratasys.com

PRODUCTS

Largest-ever

DPI Plastics launched the 630mm Durodrain uPVC sewer pipe range in early 2014

locally made sewerage pipe DPI only plastic pipe manufacturer in sub-Saharan Africa capable of producing 630mm bore PVC pipes A STATE-of-the-art extrusion line has enabled DPI Plastics to increase the maximum external diameter of its range of Durodrain uPVC sewer pipes to 630mm - making it the largest product of its kind manufactured in Africa.

DPI Plastics is a leading manufacturer of water reticulation, drainage and pipefitting systems. Following the installation of the German-engineered Krauss Maffei extrusion line in mid-2013, it became the only plastic pipe manufacturer in subSaharan Africa capable of producing 630mm bore PVC pipes.

The Krauss Maffei extrusion line at the DPI Plastics factory in Johannesburg is capable of producing up to 22tons of PVC piping products per day, including SANS 791 approved underground sewerage and drainage pipes available in standard duty and heavy duty options,

and SANS 966 approved uPVC and mPVC pipe with pressure ratings up to 12 bar.

DPI Plastics product manager Renier Snyman reveals that the company officially launched the 630mm Durodrain uPVC sewer pipe range in early 2014.

“The larger bore ensures that a greater volume of sewerage is conveyed in gravity sewers. This improves efficiency when compared to 500mm sewer pipes, which was until recently the largest size available locally,” he explains.

Snyman reveals that PVC is more cost effective and boasts a longer life expectancy, when compared to industry standard steel, concrete and high density polyethylene (HDPE), which is often prone to corrosion damage caused by methane and chemicals over extended periods.

“A smooth inside wall results in a low

friction LED coeffi cient, thereby trunking ensuringsystem low illumination resistance to algae growth, which is a common cause of blockage in sewerage systems. Integral joints with rubber seals result in effective sealing and resists root ingress,” he continues.

Another major advantage of the Durodrain range is the fact that it employs ‘Best Practice PVC’ methods. The pipes are manufactured in an ISO 9001 accredited factory that minimises wastage by recycling materials, which ensures a reduction in the overall carbon footprint during the production process.

Snyman reveals that a multi-million rand order for 560mm Durodrain pipes was placed in May 2014 for a municipal sewerage upgrade project making it the largest locally manufactured sewerage pipe supplied to a project. www.dpiplastics.co.za

Plastic V-pump INTASAFETY, a Johannesburg-based company, is importing an innovative and patented plastic submersible pump – the V-Pump. Traditionally, pumps have been manufactured from metal and are powered by electricity. A Canadian company, CPA Pools, has created a pump made with 100% plastic, with no moving parts and no electricity required. The V-Pump is remarkably powerful and can move unwanted water, mud and other liquids at a rate of up to 4,500 litres per hour with optimal water pressure. The average output is 3 025 to 3 400 litres of water per hour. It’s portable, powerful and easy to use.The pumps are available at Builders Warehouse stores throughout the country.

www.v-pump.com/home

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PRODUCTS

DLP LED hotel passageway installation using trunking with white LED covers

Illuminated,

LED low illumination trunking system

mini-trunking plinths & columns Efficiently combines distribution of high and low currents and LED illumination LEGRAND has extended its DLP trunking range to include new illuminated, low energy consumption mini-trunking, plinths, trunking and columns. The new multifunction illuminated DLP range is used to efficiently combine the distribution of high and low currents and LED illumination in a single product. Features of this system include cost efficiency, low energy consumption, enhanced safety and modern aesthetics.

LED lighting, which enables energy consumption to be controlled, also meets new requirements for ‘Green Buildings’.

LEDs, which are integrated in the DLP lighting module, continuously diffuse a

soft light, providing standby lighting less than 5 lux, which is easy on the eye.

This illuminated PVC trunking is designed for comfort, safety and aesthetics in reception areas and passageways of non-residential buildings, like hotels, offices, hospitals, exhibition halls, shops and museums and for specific needs in the residential sector. LED system covers can be installed in place of standard covers that are already fitted on mini-trunking, plinths, trunking and columns.

LED lighting modules are available in lengths of 0,5 m,1 m or 2m, with standard light of white or blue. Other LED colours are also available. A two

colour system in red and green for snap-on trunking can be used to indicate whether areas, like offices and meeting rooms, are vacant or engaged.

This system has been designed for simple surface mounting installation and easy connection with pre-wired connectors located at the end of the LED modules. ECG ballasts are integrated into these modules on dedicated supports for surface or flush mounting, or combined with the wiring accessories.

The power of the LED supplied – 10 W, 35 W or 60 W – depends on the length of the module. www.legrand.co.za

Resealable barrier tub GREINER Packaging International has developed the first resealable barrier packaging for meat and fish pâté for south-eastern

Europe markets.

Patelina meat and fish pâtés will be packaged in stylish, resealable cups from Greiner Packaging International.

Previously, Patelina meat and fish pâtés were packaged in aluminum containers or cans and had to be consumed very soon after opening the packaging. The new packaging makes it possible to reseal and preserve the product.

56 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

The barrier packaging, which holds 90g of content, offers excellent protection against oxidation and prevents the contents from drying out.

These properties are made possible through the use of modern plastic material combinations and wellengineered production technology.

Cups are produced using thermoform technology and lids are produced through injection moulding. www.greiner-gpi.com

DESIGN

2014 International Design

Excellence Awards Design innovation, benefits, sustainability, visual appeal

BY ROGER RENSTROM, CORRESPONDENT FOR PLASTICS NEWS

PRODUCTS with polymer content received multiple gold recognitions in the 2014 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEAs). A power charging device, a bicycle helmet, a computer tablet, lounge chair and a humidifier were among the winners.

The Industrial Designers Society of America organizes the annual contest. A 24-person panel of design experts from

Tesla Motors: Supercharger Post Product designer Josh Ferguson of Tesla Motors Inc. in Palo Alto, Calif., won a gold IDEA in the design strategy category and a bronze IDEA in the automotive and transportation category for a power charging device. Tesla’s Supercharger Post is the point of user interface for rapidly charging a vehicle via high-voltage direct current.

Supercharging, available free to Tesla customers, enables a battery to be charged to 50% capacity in as little as 20 minutes. The electric car company’s supercharging network has more than 86 stations available in the US and 14 in Europe.

Sabic Innovative Plastics and Bayer MaterialScience supplied commodity and engineering thermoplastics for numerous applications within the product. The outer cosmetic fascia is pressure formed using custom-tinted extruded sheets of Bayer Bayblend FR3030 PC/ABS blend, chosen for its high-impact resistance over a wide temperature range, and compliance with stringent European environmental directives. Complex part undercuts were achieved via cutting-edge tool articulation.

A custom resin was developed for the prominent logo on the Supercharger Post. When not illuminated, the logo is a rich opaque red. When backlit at night, the logo glows a vibrant and uniform red thanks to a custom diffuser package that Sabic engineered into its wide-temperature high-impact ultraviolet-lightstabilized Lexan-brand EXL1433T PC copolymer formulation. www.teslamotors.com 58 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

www.idsa.org/awards consultancies, corporations and universities judged nearly 2,000 entries and named 27 gold, 58 silver and 91 bronze IDEA winners from among the 514 finalists.

The jury’s focus was to identify excellence in design innovation, benefits to user and client, sustainability and visual appeal.

Smith Optics: Forefront bicycle helmet Four designers won for the Smith Optics Inc. low-profile fullcoverage Forefront-model bicycle helmet for mountain bike riding or racing.

A propriety adhesive is used to bond open-cell-construction panels from Koroyd SARL to Smith’s expanded polystyrene helmet structure.

Koroyd co-extruded PC and a proprietary material creating a tube that Koroyd thermally welds into an engineered honeycomb core structure. Each tube has a diameter of 3.5mm and a density to optimise energy absorption on impact.

Incorporating Smith’s Aerocore-brand construction and assembly method, the Koroyd design allows cool air via multiple channels to enter the helmet and hot air to escape.

Smith Optics placed more vents throughout the helmet without sacrificing protection and comfort.

A VaporFit system relies on the integration of rotary-dial adjustments with a tuned elastic fit allowing a movement range of 5cm and the ability to position the system at multiple attachment points for a rider’s comfort.

The helmet’s ventilated protection can integrate with sunglasses or goggles or with an optional mounting kit for a light or a video camera. The goggle strap retention system is made of Hytrel thermoplastic elastomer from DuPont. Nylon webbing is used in the chip strap and nylon 6/6 in the standard buckets and snap baskets.

www.smithoptics.com

Nokia Oyj: Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet Creative staff in the Calabasas, Calif, design centre of Nokia Oyj won for development of a computer tablet. The product was designed to compete with the iPad lineup from Apple and Surface devices from Microsoft Corp.

The Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet features a hard-coated PC unibody and a 10-diagonal-inch ClearBlack glass liquid-crystal-display screen with in-plane switching technology. The toughened display is coated in Corning Inc.’s alkali-aluminosilicate sheet known as Gorilla glass. Other materials include polyurethane, stainless steel and cast magnesium. Designers avoided use of materials with PVC and brominated flame retardants and excluded nickel from the product’s surface.

The battery can charge to 80 percent of capacity in an hour. The minimized packaging of renewable materials is 100% recyclable. An optional Nokia Power Cover can transform the tablet into a mobile personal computer. www.nokia.com/Lumia

Haworth: Windowseat Industrial designers with the Mike & Maaike Inc studio won for creation of Haworth Inc’s fully upholstered Windowseat lounge chair.

Furniture manufacturer Haworth works with Grand Rapids Foam Technologies in creating the Windowseat’s shape.

The custom polyurethane foam fabricator uses a diphenylmethane diisocyanate process in overmoulding foam padding onto the Windowseat’s rigid steel frame.

The chair is suitable for a public or private space and incorporates elements exploring the idea of a sub-architectural space by creating a room-within-a-room. The powder-coated steel base swivels with a return-to-centre feature. www.haworth.com

FiftyThree: Graphics pencil and packaging Design and engineering firm FiftyThree Inc won a gold IDEA for the packaging and graphics of its Pencil stylus and a silver IDEA for the product itself in the computer equipment category. The product takes the form of a traditional carpenter’s pencil.

Some internal parts of the Pencil are injection moulded of fire-retardant ABS. The rubber tip and eraser are moulded of conductive silicone elastomer. A tapered tip allows for a range of writing, drawing and shading angles with the Pencil’s point being useful for fine details and the edge available for broad strokes.

The materials in the packaging include Mylar-brand polyester film from DuPont along with raw pulp, raw cardboard and coated and non-coated papers. www.fiftythree.com

Brooks England: Cambium saddle Designers from the IDEO consultancy and Brooks England Ltd won for a bicycle road-racing saddle.

The saddle is made of vulcanized natural rubber and woven organic cotton canvas along with a thin layer of structural textile for resilience and longevity.

Brooks applies a treatment of Numac to the cotton to make the top waterproof and protect against other elements.

With tubular stainless steel rails on a die cast aluminum frame, the construction works like a hammock, absorbs vibration and shock and, with the flexible top, follow a rider’s movements. The performance is usually found only with natural leather saddles. www.brooksengland.com

DESIGN

Square: Square Stand Designers for Square Inc and Ammunition LLC won for the Square Stand communication tool, which can transform an iPad tablet computer into a point-of-sale device.

The exterior housing of the Square Stand is an injection moulded plastic. The internal skeleton has aluminium and zinc content, and steel fasteners hold the product together.

A user can plug hardware devices such as receipt printers, cash drawers and barcode scanners into Square Stand via a universal-serial-bus accessories hub. The Square Stand accepts all major credit cards and provides the tools businesses need to run daily operations. Software is free to download. www.squareup.com

Cretoy: accordian playhouse A designer for Cretoy Co Ltd won for creation of a hand-made playhouse that incorporates the traditional paperfolding principles of the art of origami.

For changes in form and size, the folding body shrinks and stretches like an accordion with that name being applied to the product.

The space-saving Accordion Play House has PET components, polypropylene fluted boards, non-woven felt and, for hook-and-loop fasteners, Velcro fabric.

60 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

Logitech’s Ultimate Ears Boom wireless speaker Two designers with the Nonobject studio won for a durable water-resistant speaker system for Logitech Inc of Fremont, Calif.

Logitech’s Ultimate Ears-brand Boom wireless Bluetooth speaker system has a housing of the commodity thermoplastic ABS; a colourful plasma-coated acoustic skin of a synthetic fabric from Schoeller Textil AB of Sevelen, Switzerland; and an elastomeric strap of cross-linked silicone thermoplastic vulcanizate from Dow Corning Corp.

TEL: +27 (0) 11 462 2990

SOLUTION

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Color and material combinations that make you say “Wow!”

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TEL: +27 (0) 11 462 2990 FAX: +27 (0) 11 462 8229 e-mail: jacques@demaplastech.co.za

DESIGN

Polyoak takes top prize

at AfriStar awards 2014 AfriStar Awards showcase packaging excellence in Africa THE inaugural AfriStar Awards, run by the African Packaging Organisation (APO), featured over 25 participating companies from eight different countries, with a number of South African convertors among the winners.

The AfriStar Awards promote innovation, identifying the best solutions to Africa’s packaging challenges, maximising exports and minimising imports. They’re also about

benchmarking and keeping pace with global technological developments, as well as applauding outstanding design – including construction, graphics, convenience, product protection and ecological impact.

The AfriStar Award winners automatically qualify for entry into the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) WorldStar Awards. Here we feature some of the award-winning plastics entries.

BEST OVERALL, AND BEST IN PLASTIC, BEST IN FOOD AND SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

Melrose Cheese Wedges Tub 200g Entered by Dairypack Tubs & Parmalat

This entry by Polyoak Packaging won the top prize in four separate categories, including Best Overall Trophy.

The AfriStar Trophy for Best Overall Packaging was awarded to Dairypack Tubs for the Melrose Cheese Wedges Tub, developed in conjunction with Parmalat SA (Pty) Ltd. The 200g tub was also declared the winner in three other separate categories: Best in Plastic, Best in Food and Sustainability.

The compact tub achieved a significant weight reduction compared with the previous version, while simultaneously improving branding on pack through advanced in-mould labelling (IML).

The IML on parallel sides of the tub required precision equipment for accurate positioning of the label to perfectly align the tamper tab to match the design on the label and to avoid obscuring the breathing holes on the lid.

With the nutritional information reverse-printed on the lid, the bottom is left unlabelled and is clear to view the product through.

The slimmer tamper evident tab is stylishly shaped to blend in with the design, and enables the tub to be displayed flat on its base or upright on its side for easy merchandising in store.

Best of all, this Melrose Cheese Wedges tub is made from mono material (polypropylene) for easier recycling to reduce its environmental footprint.

t Bes all r Ove

“It looks good and it works. The pack has a positive environmental impact - with material reduction and the use of mono material making for easy recycling. The design and positioning of the label is brilliant,” said the judges.

Karl Lambrecht, chief executive: Dairypack Tubs added: “This is a great example of what can be achieved using IML on tubs to lightweight the pack while optimising display with highly appetising, photo quality graphics.”

Judges’ comments: This is a simple way of enhancing an established brand leader. It looks good and it works. The pack has a positive environmental impact – with

material reduction and the use of mono material (polypropylene) making for easy recycling. Material ID is perfect.

Graphics clearly differentiate varieties and the design and positioning of the label is brilliant.

• TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT POLYOAK’S AWARD WINNING PACKS AND LATEST INNOVATIONS, VISIT THEM AT PROPAK CAPE EXHIBITION ON STAND B32.

www.parmalat.co.za www.dairypacktubs.co.za www.polyoakpackaging.co.za

62 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

BEST IN HEALTH, BEAUTY, MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Range Entered by SilAfrica Plastics & Packaging International & Unilever, Kenya

SilAfrica manufactures jars and closures for Vaseline products to global design specifications. Investment in machinery and moulds has enabled cohesive branding, increased production efficiencies and savings through component rationalisation. The pack sports a new flip-top lid, improved www.silafrica.com

BEST IN BEVERAGES

Riham mineral water and soft drink bottles Entered by Sidel, convertor Harris International, Uganda

A single mould, several bottle shapes and minimal set-up – this groundbreaking technological innovation combines productivity and flexibility in a bottle made for success. The bottles were blown using Sidel’s Modulomold technology, and their design was optimized and tested by Sidel’s packaging experts Judge’s comments: This exciting design is delivering consumer interest, with brand equity maintained through consistency of ‘look and feel’ throughout the range. www.sidel.com

functionality and improved ergonomics.

Judges’ comments: Manufacturing to global specifications is an achievement, with quality and appearance enhanced by new production techniques. The flip-top cap improves userfriendliness, and a household brand has become easier to use. www.unilever-esa.com

BEST IN TRANSIT

Lightweight Sorghum Beer Crate Entered by Nampak Zambia, brand owner National Breweries

Through clever engineering and redesign, the lightweighting of this secondary 15-pack HDPE crate has enabled a 19% reduction in material (from 1.65kg to 1.3kg), while carrying the same amount of product and maintaining its original top-load strength.

Judges’ comments: This is a remarkable reduction in material usage while maintaining original strength. It’s a strong sustainable and commercial solution. www.nampak.com/Zambia.aspx

BEST IN HOUSEHOLD

Child-resistant Closure 38mm Entered by African Closures, SA

African Closures won Best in Household with its popular Child Resistant Closure 38 mm which also won a gold medal in the Household category at last year’s Goldpack Awards.

This ISO approved child resistant closure passed stringent ISO tests as required by SABS, making it a reliable and technically advanced solution that is low cost, simple to assemble and to use, with a tamper evidence band that is easy to remove before first use.

The brightly coloured base cap and transparent overcap have a contemporary industrial feel to the design where inner workings are exposed.

The knurl detail and angular lines gives it a robust appearance, while the internal ratchet provides audio confirmation if the cap is slipping.

The closure has been optimised to fit a wide range of 38mm industrial neck bottles, and can be supplied assembled or as individual components.

The closure is available in a range of colours with seal options: Expanded polyethylene, induction heat seal, pressure seal and osmosis seal.

African Closures’ Child Resistant Closure is ISO8317 approved in accordance with SABS0265.

The Child Resistant Closure is readily available to fit 38mm neck bottles. Due to its success and popularity, African Closures will soon be launching a smaller version for 28mm neck bottles, enabling safer packaging across a wider range of products.

Judges’ comments: This product plays an important role in protecting children/consumers and provides brand owners with peace of mind.

Although it’s an industrial closure, it’s bright and cheery. www.africanclosures.co.za

MATERIALS

Erema & Herbold join forces to produce 100% film made from post-consumer waste Recycling equipment copes with highly contaminated film and extremely thin-walled film HERBOLD Meckesheim GmbH in cooperation with Erema has designed a model plant for the production of film made from post-consumer waste for Poligroup in Bulgaria. The plant has been in operation since September 2013. High quality film is produced there, with thicknesses down to 30my made from plastic waste only.

The plastic waste is a mix of LDPE agricultural silage film waste, LLDPE film agricultural wrapping bale waste, and film from household waste.

Why this film mix? The principal material is agricultural LDPE that, to a large extent, forms a homogeneous material with an unchanging melt flow index (MFI). The LLDPE improves the physical properties of the film produced and films from household waste are well-priced.

Agricultural film is highly contaminated with up to 50% of the film, which means that as much contamination enters the film washing line as film. The main contaminants in agricultural film are sand and pebbles, as well as small screws. To separate

this type of contamination from the film, Poligroup have installed a pre-washing unit, downstream from the main washing line.

Separation by hydro-cyclone Film from household waste is a different issue as it is a mix of several different plastics. The real challenge here is the separation of unwanted plastics. To achieve this task Herbold is the only operator in the field of wet film recycling who opts for separation by means of a hydro-cyclone separation step. Plastics that are heavier than water will be separated from plastics that are lighter than water. This process ensures that heavier plastic components can be separated from the polyolefin.

A further advantage of hydro-cyclone separation is the high amount of water present in the water circuit, ensuring an excellent washing result. Deposits of organic substances, a frequent feature of film from household waste, are easily removed by washing. In contrast, films from supermarkets often have a high percentage of paper in the form of labels. It is a challenge to separate this

paper from the film since the LLDPE films from supermarkets are ideal as a feeding material for recyclate used for the production of new film.

Quality of the end product depends on the washing process The most important question is the one concerning the required quality of the end product. Economically speaking, only certain waste can be used for recycling. Operators increasingly turn to materials that are available on the market at a reasonable price.

That is one of the reasons why plant manufacturers and operators should work hand in hand. The more precise the specification of the input material is, the more cost-efficient the design of the plant can be since unnecessary process steps or room for misinterpretation can be avoided. The operator of a washing plant will also have to find a solution for the collection of film waste.

The washing line at the Poligroup site transforms agricultural films and films from supermarkets into recycled material that is used to produce bin liners, protective sheeting and construction foils. No virgin plastic is used and the products are made of 100% recycled plastic material.

Economic operation of a washing plant Many basic conditions for the economic operation of a washing plant for plastics waste are set by the market, such as the costs for the procurement Contaminated agricultural film

64 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

Herbold film washing line

and the transport of the input material, or the prices that can be charged for the finished product. With an optimal machine configuration, the operator will be able to process poor quality input material and obtain a high-quality end

product. It is also extremely important to have well-trained personnel for the operation of the plant.

The overall cost effectiveness of a washing line for the recycling of film is determined by the recycling costs.

Schematic diagram of a hydro-cyclone

The greatest cost is the energy cost.

An economic, efficient plant design can reduce its energy costs.

The power demand of the film recycling plant installed for Poligroup is 0.8 to 1.0 MW per ton produced of end > OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 65

INTAREM MA The new w syst sy tem e gen neration from EEREMA.

Self-service. Redefined.

Reaching perfect pellet quality at the press of a button: the new INTAREMA® features the intelligent Smart Start operating concept, bringing together production efficiency and remarkably straight-forward operation. This is all about usability. Including an ergonomic touchscreen, practical recipe management and automated standby mode.

CHOOSE THE NUMBER ONE.

Relloy S.A. (Pty) Ltd / 27 Mopedi Road Sebenza / Evendale, 1609 / Gauteng Tel: +27 11 452 3724 / dean@relloy.co.za www.relloy.co.za

MATERIALS

< product which corresponds to 0.8 to 1.0 kW per kilo of end product.

The system uses as little as 1 to 2m³ of fresh water per ton of input material.

The plant can cope with highly contaminated film as well as with extremely thin-walled film. The prewashing unit and hydro-cyclone separation step that are part of the washing line are the outstanding construction features of the plant.

The plant provides washed homogeneous high-quality film flakes that are ideal for further treatment in an Erema extrusion system.

With Poligroup, downstream of the Herbold washing line, the washed and recycled film flakes are then treated with the reliable plastics recycling technology from Erema. The Poligroup plant system consists of an Erema TVEplus® (throughput: 1,100 – 1,200 kg/h) with laser filter LF2/350 (fineness of filtration: 110 μm and the die-face granulating system HG 244.

The extrusion system with the patented TVEplus technology has been optimized for the treatment of materials that are difficult to process, such as washed mixed post-consumer film waste with a high percentage of residual humidity of 8 to 12% and a high degree of contamination. Poligroup GmbH is thus able to recycle the PE washed film flakes (from LLDPE stretch agricultural film and LDPE industrial

Film flakes

waste) into high-quality granulates.

At the core of the plant on the multifunctional cutter compactor with patented air flush module, the material, still containing a small amount of residual humidity and contaminants, is optimally recycled. Cutting, homogenizing, heating, degassing, densifying, buffering and dosing – everything in one single step.

Melt filtration BEFORE degasification The well-proven principle of the whole TVEplus system is the arrangement of the melt filtration BEFORE the degasification of the extruder with two important advantages: one is that the minimal shearing impact during the melting process prevents a further size reduction of the contaminants before the filtration and thus increases the efficiency of the filtering process.

Another advantage is the fact that

contaminants due to their early removal from the recycling system cannot prematurely outgas and thus additionally reduce the accumulation of odours to a minimum in the produced regranulate.

The optimized threefold degassing process of the TVEplus plant additionally ensures an efficient degasification of the filtered fusion.

A close cooperation of the two companies ensures the information exchange between plant operator and plant supplier, crucial for the further development of plant technology and paves the way for the successful conclusion of future joint projects.

Herbold is represented in SA by Valozone 132 cc on tel: 011 742 1812 Erema is represented in SA by Relloy SA www.herbold.com www.erema.at www.relloy.co.za

The well-proven basic principle of the TVEplus technology is: the melt filtration is before the degasification of the extruder

www.herbold.com www.erema.at www.relloy.co.za

66 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

Book ance n ainte nt m r you uireme e req befor , Y L EAR mber e c e D down shut

candice@relloy.co.za

MATERIALS

Freshness Plus masterbatch-based new generation packaging Extends storage and transit life of fruit, vegetables ROUGHLY one-third of the world’s food produced for human consumption every year (approx. 1.3 billion tons) is wasted.

Food losses and waste amounts to roughly US$680 billion in industrialized countries and US$310 billion in developing countries. Of this waste, fruit and vegetables account for the most wastage, almost 40-50%.

In developing countries, 40% of losses occur at postharvest and processing levels, while in industrialized countries more than 40% of losses happen at retail and consumer levels.

Freshness Plus masterbatch 08 Freshness Plus Masterbatch-based packaging increases the shelf life of fresh produce by almost 100%, controls and reduces wastage of fresh produce and reduces transit cost in absence of cold chain

How can we prevent these losses? Multiple, innovative solutions are emerging in the market to enhance the shelf life of fresh produce. A packaging which is cost-effective, food safe, easy to use and enhances the shelf and transit life of fresh produce by ethylene control, both at ambient and low temperature is an ideal solution.

Freshness Plus Masterbatch One cost-effective solution is Freshness Plus Masterbatch.

Freshness Plus Masterbatch is a premium additive based on nanosilver and micro-silver technology. It is a new-generation packaging available in the form of bags, cling film, containers, punnets, crate liners, zip bags, etc, which can be used for storage of fresh produce at both ambient and low temperature.

Freshness Plus Masterbatch is made from food-grade polyethylene resins and does not leach any harmful residues.

Since the nanosilver gets embedded into plastic permanently during processing, it effectively performs the ethylene control action. Nanosilver converts ethylene to ethylene oxide. Once ethylene is removed from the atmosphere near the fruit and vegetables, their ripening slows down. Silver helps to keep ethylene concentration below threshold level. Even at very low concentration, ethylene oxide disrupts life cycle of bacteria and fungi.

Silver on its own is also a known bacteriostatic medium, ensuring prolonged life, intact nutritional values and original taste of the commodities stored in them. It remains unconsumed as it is embedded in the polymer matrix, while constantly working a as catalyst.

Freshness Plus Masterbatch is sold in South Africa via Ziva Trading. Contact Roelof Walters at tel: +27 82 8509483, or by fax: +27 865 469 016

Engineering plastics to meet rail industry needs Quadrant introduces flame retardant PA66 for large plastic parts production QUADRANT Engineering Plastic Products (EPP) introduced its range of railway industry specific high performance plastics materials at InnoTrans 2014 in Berlin in September.

With this launch, Quadrant offers the first and largest portfolio of EN 45545-2 tested plastics for the railway industry, suitable for exterior and interior applications of rolling stock. Thanks to enhanced properties like optimised gliding (self-lubrication), light weight or impact strength, the materials cannot only be used for the improvement of rolling stock, but also in infrastructure applications such as rail tracks.

Nylatron 66 SA FR – a newly developed flame retardant PA66 – meets 68 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

the requirements of EN 45545-2 and UL94 V0, yet it does not contain any hazardous materials. ts flame retardant properties fulfil the requirements of electrical applications in rail and for general functional components below 2000 grams weight.

In addition to its superior flame retardant properties, new Nylatron 66 SA FR provides all the advantages of a PA66 vs. standard nylon, making it possible for the first time to extrude even large diameter shapes of flame retardant Nylon, and replacing existing Nylon applications with step-changing Rail industry secondary air suspension system protector made of Quadrant’s Nylatron® RIM 3000

flame retardant technology material. This material will be available in rods and plates all coloured black. www.quadrantplastics.com

liam.chegwidden@polysaf.com and alan.wassung@polysaf.com (Cape Town) (Cape Town) www.exxonmobilchemical.com liam.chegwidden@polysaf.com, kelly.dewet@polysaf.com and alan.wassung@polysaf.com

MATERIALS

Cool plastics reduce heat on the street HISTORICAL problems with fading colours, increased thermal expansion, physical degradation and the limited service life of plastics products used outdoors are now being solved with a new generation of heat reflective masterbatches.

Originally developed by Colour Tone Masterbatch in Wales, England, for use in PVCu, Vynacol polymer specific masterbatches, incorporating heat reflecting infrared pigment technology, offer temperature performance profiles of up to 40% lower than conventionally coloured plastics.

The masterbatches deliver the whole spectrum of colours and significantly reduce end product surface temperature. Less retained heat converts into fewer product failures due to distortion or joints and seals shifting out of line. Combined, these benefits amount to dramatically improved product service life.

While these heat reflective masterbatches work in any polymer, their biggest potential is in exterior applications where PVCu is generally recognised as having superior performance properties compared with other polymers. As such they are widely specified for building profile products such as window frames, fascias and guttering. In recent years PC has also enjoyed success in externally applications and grades featuring heat reflecting qualities are being used for conservatory roofing.

As our planet continues to heat up the performance of traditionally coloured outdoor building products will be undermined. Equally serious is the impact of this additional heat on our immediate environment. As

New generation of heat reflective masterbatches especially for shades with L* values of 75 or less, by up to 10°C or more.

This was achieved without in any way compromising the range of shades, brightness or light fastness properties of the colours.

Pigments with these superior qualities can be organic or inorganic. Being specially constructed they carry a premium price, although this is largely offset by more durable colours and extended service life. However, cost effective colour and performance properties can only be achieved through expert selection of the right pigment package.

Typical colour tone

temperatures increase we consume more energy to cool things down by boosting air conditioning, setting refrigeration equipment at higher levels, chilling water and manufacturing more ice.

Colouring technology Traditionally the solution to heat dissipation has been to colour everything white. While this works quite well it stifles design options and limits consumer choice which is becoming increasingly colourful.

Development of the colouring technology involved plotting the colour space value L*(which represents depth of shade) against average service temperature build-up (in a European summer climate) caused by infrared radiation for colours from conventionally matched white (47°C) to black (70°C), across a wide spectrum of colours (Figure 1). Using infrared reflecting pigments temperatures were reduced,

100°C 100°C

Potential Heat reflective plastics are considered to have great potential for many reasons. They reduce the build-up of heat in the environment and this reduces local temperatures and hence demands on energy. Product colours do not fade and service life cycles are extended.

Typical applications include roofline products, outdoor furniture, leisure and agricultural goods as well as automotive industry components, especially in countries where temperatures and light energy are high.

Colour Tone Masterbatch is seeking agents in South Africa for its heat reflective colourants as well as its range of bespoke colours in engineering polymers, polymer specific, universal and custom additive blend masterbatches.

www.colourtone-masterbatch.co.uk

70°C

Conventionally coloured PVCu

50°C Average Average service service temp temp

Maximum target temperature

30°C 30°C

White White

L* L* value value

Figure 1

70 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

Black Black

Light is energy. Ultra violet light has an abundance of energy while infrared light contains significant amounts of solar energy. Both sources do not directly affect colour but any object that absorbs light is warmed by it – the amount of solar energy absorbed determines the level of heat generated.

Conversely, the capability of an object to reflect light energy acts to reduce heat build-up. In simple terms the solution to producing cool plastics products is to use pigments that reflect as much energy as possible. This way any colour can be used, including black, while minimising heat degradation.

716C 4C

21

637

C

2726C

279C

116C

374C

368C

MATERIALS

MBSA using education and knowledge to innovate Optimising dedicated laboratory, scientific engineering, software development, sales team & staff training

72 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

MASTERBATCH SA embraces constant changes in the business environment as pivotal opportunities to implement innovation as the basis of its continuous improvement. This strategy simultaneously satisfies the customer-centric drivers, which are superior products and services while constantly remaining an industryleading high-tech company.

specific problems, be it colour matching, product engineering and processing including food contact safety, traceability, packaging; documentation exchanges or any other requirements, in the shortest possible time.

Staff training and education Through a culture of constant improvement, all MBSA team members receive extensive training to ensure the highest competency levels within the individual’s function and works instructions.

“MBSA’s competitive advantage This translates into is ingrained in everyone making a the harmony of a A specialist capability valuable contribution passionately dedicated of MBSA is the to products, customer laboratory, scientific, care, problem solving complex process engineering, software or laboratory and of matching laser development and sales technical knowledge. team and with this marking technologies MBSA is a learning the possibilities are with laser marking organisation at endless,” said Anthony all levels and additives, without van Niekerk, managing employees are compromising colour director of Spartan, actively encouraged Kempton Park-based integrity to broaden their MBSA. academic knowledge.

The company’s open door policy MBSA has advanced training policies keeps their technical experts close to and education opportunities for all staff, real-life complexities, challenges and including in-house classrooms and a problems via their customer networks. full-time dedicated learning facilitator.

MBSA’s laboratory and technical Training policies covering everything support can then effectively deliver from literacy, works instructions, tailor-made solutions to customer

competency certificates and life skills are offered to all staff as well as Grade 12 and tertiary education opportunities.

Award ceremonies are frequently held to recognise staff members who have received their qualification.

ABET (Adult Basic Education and Training) is an education and training programme that provides general education to adults. ABET educates participants in the areas of numeracy and literacy. MBSA recognizes the importance of creating access to life-long learning in the country and therefore is committed to the meaningful development and implementation of adults basic education and training that will be realised through a focused, deliberate, integrated ABET positioning strategy.

In the words of one MBSA employee: “Since I joined ABET my work has improved so much because I can read and understand work instruction and work procedures. I can also use computers to do my work. At home I can prepare my family budgets and when buying on credit I can read and understand the terms of the contracts on my own.”

Another says, “ABET has helped me a lot, it has taught me things that I was not taught at school, even mind maps.

I can fill any forms in without being helped by someone and I will be able to help my grandchildren with their school homework.”

Capacity expansion and use Shorter machine cycles, lean manufacturing and operational efficiency are primary objectives for converters wanting to stay competitive in the market. The goal of capacity optimization is to achieve the maximum possible output from all available resources in order to satisfy customer demand.

MBSA assesses and evaluates the contribution and optimal efficiency of all resources and maintains a manufacturing plant that is modern and dynamic, ensuring that capacity is in line with both customers’ demand and lead times.

Lourens van der Linde, Anthony van Niekerk and Emison Magombedze with MBSA’s most recent ABET graduates

Colour and additives MBSA supplies an extensive range of masterbatch solutions including a broad spectrum of general additives including anti-block, anti-oxidants, anti-static, flame retardants, processing aids and UV stabilisers, as well as thermochromatic, laser marking, antimicrobials and desiccant specialised additives.

MBSA has nurtured strategic alliances with international pigment and additive suppliers to provide the local market with the highest quality products. Unconditional approval has been awarded to MBSA by several globally respected brands.

A specialist capability of MBSA is the complex process of matching laser marking technologies with laser marking additives, without compromising colour integrity. Applications include direct printing of promotional and legislative information – for example, expiry dates.

Laser marking is also an easy way to enhance the traceability of a product by uniquely identifying it.

To aid the process of recycling, desiccant masterbatches remove excess

moisture and volatiles in raw material, thereby enhancing the ease of processing and quality of regrind polymers.

Fluorination is the process by which the molecular structure of polymer is altered to significantly enhance the non-permeation characteristics of the final plastic packaging. This process allows volatile solvents or aggressive substances to be stored in plastic containers. Fluorination is a cost effective alternative to metal and glass containers for storage of volatile solvents such as paraffin, xylene and thinners. MBSA is an officially approved manufacturer by Fluoro Pack (Pty) Ltd. Traceability and food safety MBSA actively uses traceability in its QA systems by tracing the origin of all ingredients and tracking the finished product through electronic data management ,thereby enhancing trackback, recall and root-cause analysis capabilities. MBSA’s orange product label contains all relevant information, enabling effective product recognition and batch traceability, up to individual bag resolution.

A ‘wine glass & fork’ symbol displayed

on MBSA’s distinctive product labels provide assurance that products are heavy-metal free and can be used for direct food contact packaging. Through a strictly-controlled restrictive substance list and tightly-monitored production and testing procedures, products that are safe for direct food contact are ensured.

MBSA uses the frameworks established

by European Food Contact Materials & Packaging legislation and by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

MBSA continues to maintain the highest industry standards as validated by ISO 9001:2008; 14001:2004; 22000:2005 and OHSAS 18001:2007 certifications for quality, environmental, food safety and occupational health & safety management systems.

“At MBSA we enforce our commitment to excellence by constantly improving an industry throughout all systems and processes. We understand and accept MBSA’s critical role in the supply chain and maintain our strong core values based on respect and integrity,” concludes Van Niekerk. www.masterbatch.co.za OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

2014

DESMA Open House

73

COME AND SEE US AT THE OPEN HOUSE, 15 & 16 OCTOBER

Soul & Solutions for Global Success

THE NEW BENCHMARK S3

24/7

Your experts in rubber and silicone injection moulding.

THIS IS WHAT THE ENERGY AND MATERIAL EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE The DESMA S3 generation now also available with the innovation ZeroWaste ITM for an article production without losses and other technical features setting standards:

• Energy-saving drive and reduced noise emission by means of the hydraulic system ServoGear • Safe feeding of material strips of larger dimensions with the feed roller ActiveFeed

• Ease of operation through intuitive user prompting by way of 19˝-haptic-touch display of the DRC 2020 HT control system

• Raised injection accuracy by the non-return valve PlastControl

• Higher availability also thanks to the injection unit FIFO-Advanced

• Effective cure time reduction through the patented nozzle technology FlowControl+ www.desma.biz

MATERIALS

Pneumatic hoses out of Desmopan Melt solidifies rapidly, resulting in hoses with high dimensional stability BAYER MaterialScience’s Desmopan® DP 1350D is a thermoplastic polyurethane with excellent extrudability that has been custom-formulated for the production of hoses.

The melt solidifies very rapidly, resulting in hoses with high dimensional stability. Tight wall thickness and diameter tolerances can also be maintained. The ester-based TPU is highly transparent, making it easy to keep a visual check on the media being conveyed.

And because Desmopan® is easy to colour, hoses can be produced in a wide range of different colours. The product has a hardness of 50 Shore D and withstands the required bursting pressures, which can be more than 25 bar, depending on the diameter of the hose.

In addition to properties such as high flexibility, long-term folding resistance and low compression set, the material also boasts very good wear resistance and particularly high resistance to oils and a broad range of other chemicals.

The new material is an excellent candidate for applications such as fuel and lubricant hoses, pressure control systems and pipelines for transporting chemicals.

Bayer MaterialScience is represented in SA by Plastichem For more information, email pur@bayer.com www.materialscience.bayer.com

Plastichem awarded

Supplier of the Year

PLASTICHEM have been awarded Supplier of the Year in the raw materials category

by GUD Filters. Here, Janine Santo, Plastichem portfolio manager for KZN and Helmut Oellermann, Plastichem MD (2nd and 3rd from left) accept the award from Anthony Trickey, GUD director (Group legal, purchasing, HR) and Red Shuttleworth, CEO of GUD Holdings (Pty) Ltd. Hard work these days is seldom rewarded, so it was a very proud moment for Plastichem to receive this recognition. GUD presented awards in a number of categories. ‘Raw materials’ is the fifth largest category and Plastichem competed against seven other companies. GUD uses a rigorous scoring process to determine who the winners are, and even there are minimum requirements that have to be met. This year the minimum requirements were not met in two categories by any of the suppliers 74 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

www.plastichem.co.za

www.plastichem.co.za

New successes for Bayer’s CO2 research BAYER MaterialScience’s research into carbon dioxide as a new raw material for making plastics is delivering further successes. In laboratory tests, the company has succeeded in significantly further reducing the need for petroleum at precursor level through the incorporation of CO2. The new process also extends the range of plastics that CO2 can be used to produce. This is the result of the Dream Polymers research project in which Bayer MaterialScience is continuing its activities to find new uses for CO2. A technology using the greenhouse gas to produce a key component for high-quality foam (polyurethane) is already moving toward commercial use. The proportion of petroleum in this chemical is 80%. Carbon dioxide is used twice in the new process.

First, the greenhouse gas is incorporated directly into a new kind of precursor (polyoxymethylene polycarbonate polyol), replacing 20% of the petroleum. Second, it is also used indirectly, producing a chemical that is also incorporated into the precursor for a further 20% saving in petroleum. www.materialscience.bayer.com

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ANCHOR CHEMICALS Batch Off Bonding Systems Coated Powders Factice Masterbatching Process Aids Toll Mixing

P O LY M E R S D I V I S I O N

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www.carst.co.za

Port Elizabeth Kathy Garde (T) (T)041 041399 3979529 3600 (F) (F)041 041399 3979401 3601

MATERIALS

BASF in SA promoting partnerships in construction industry BASF’s first manufacturer to get certification for Elastospray® PU foam BASF Polyurethanes South Africa recently held a spray polyurethane foam workshop at their performance materials division in Elandsfontein, Johannesburg.

The ‘Sustainable Construction Applicator Workshop’ was aimed at the company’s current spray foam applicators as well as new applicators and members of the broader construction industry. This was the first workshop of its kind to be held in South Africa, following BASF’s position as the first manufacturer to obtain certification for its Elastospray® polyurethane foam system.

“This workshop cements our commitment to being a catalyst in promoting partnerships within the construction value chain”, said Markus Kropp, managing director of BASF Polyurethanes South Africa.

The format of the one-day workshop ensured dialogue between the presenters, industry leaders and the audience. keynote speaker, Friedhelm Lehrich, vice president, BASF business management construction. He reinforced the theme for the day which was ‘partnerships’ and how this applies to the various players in the value chain.

An industry overview and analysis was presented by Brendan Lowen, market development specialist in construction, BASF Polyurethanes South Africa. He discussed contemporary industry topics including the development and benefits of the various Elastospray systems available to the market.

The ability to apply the product both internally and externally to any structure The ability to apply the product both internally and externally to any structure Elastospray prevents leakage around any opening, fenestration or junction point, It has a moisture barrier characteristic, The product does not require support for its installation as it adheres to all substrates,

Keynote speaker, Friedhelm Lehrich, vice president, BASF Business Management Construction, reinforced the theme for the day which was ‘partnerships’ and how this applies to the various players in the value chain

Has one of the best K-values in comparison to traditional materials, and It is rigid in its finish thereby enhancing the structural integrity of the surface it has been applied to.

The event also saw a panel discussion with Q & A sessions between the applicators and local media. Live demonstrations of the application of spray foam by equipment manufacturer, Hendrik Papenfus, GRACO, sales manager Africa and his team from Industrial Spray Solutions were well attended.

Follow-up workshops are being planned for other major centres in South Africa. www.basf.co.za

Guests at the BASF workshop were treated to a live PU spray foam demonstration

New Neo plant for Perstorp Capa, the unique performance and property enhancer PERSTORP, a world leader in specialty chemicals, such as Capa™, highlighted its growing commitment to China at UTECH Asia/PU China 2014 in September, as the company’s production platform in Zibo is being expanded to include a new Neopentyl Glycol (Neo) plant. The investment represents a triumph of Chinese and Swedish engineering not only in the production of high quality Neo, but in terms of plant and environmental safety.

As a well-established brand in the Chinese market for more than 25 years, Perstorp has been producing TMP (Trimethylolpropane) in China since 2008.

At UTECH Asia/PU China 2014, Perstorp focused on the innovative developments and key benefits of its extensive range, marketed as Capa™ caprolactones 76 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

At UTECH Asia/PU China 2014, Perstorp focussed on the innovative developments and key benefits of the company’s extensive range of caprolactones, marketed as Capa – the unique performance and property enhancer. Perstorp has over 50 grades of Capa available in the Asian market.

Capa is a very versatile specialty polyol with a focus on demanding TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), polyurethane coatings and cast elastomer applications such as automotive seals and gaskets, synthetic leather and textile coatings, and wheels and rollers.

Capa polycaprolactones are flexible and versatile in both product applications and production. It offers excellent mechanical properties and easy processing for faster cycle times in injection moulding. They also possess low viscosity, resulting in improved processability and lower VOC levels together with improved UV and chemical resistance. www.perstorp.com

MATERIALS

Bada portfolio of highly reinforced compounds to substitute metal Can also be coloured individually GOOD capabilities for moulding, lower production costs and weight savings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these are only three good reasons for substituting metal for plastics components. However, due to the excellent properties of metals, these plastics also have to meet the highest demands in terms of strength and heat resistance.

For this purpose, Bada AG offers a range of highly reinforced compounds which can also be coloured individually.

Badamid A70 GF60, based on PA66 and reinforced with a glass ďŹ bre content of 60%, has excellent rigidity and a tensile modulus of about 20,000 MPa and presents a heat distortion temperature of approximately 250°C. If a part has to be exposed to even higher temperatures, the semi-aromatic Badamid T70 GF60 HH is ideal. It can also be processed with water-cooled machines, something not possible with compounds based on polyphtalamide.

The heat distortion temperature is 270°C, very high for polyamides.

For parts which are permanently exposed to temperatures higher than 150°C, Bada AG offers Badatron PPS GF40 (based on polyphenylen sulďŹ de) as well as Badamid PPA GF50 H, a polyphtalamide. Here, through tensile modules of about 17,000 MPA, high rigidity and heat resistance are combined. PPS is also inherently ďŹ&#x201A;ame resistant (V-0 @ 0.8 mm according to UL-94) and presents highest shape stability of the component due to the negligible water absorption.

Badamid A70 GF30 H E black was developed for applications in engine coolant circuits. Through a special formula, the compound is hydrolytically stable against water-glycol mixtures.

Bada is represented in SA by Composite Plastics CC www.compositeplastics.co.za

Bada AG offers a range of highly reinforced compounds which can also be coloured individually and are suitable for metal replacement

www.bada.de

Tailored engineering polymer compounds

Material compounds are exclusive to customers Formulations include colour, UV, impact or any other required additives Tailored solutions in consistently outstanding quality We offer polymer selection, mould design and mould trials on a proprietary and inclusive basis

Polyamide, polythalamide, polyester and acetal compounds from

of Spain; Polyamide, polythalamide and polyester compounds from of Germany; Compounded polycarbonates, acrylics and various polymeric alloys from of England; Long ďŹ ber reinforced polymers and Heat dissipative and conductive compounds from of USA;

TDI low-VOC foam for auto seats FAURECIA has developed a new type of TDI foam pad for vehicle seats that eliminates 99% of volatile amine emissions which concur to a reduction of global VOC emissions by 60% â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a breakthrough solution in the automotive seating industry.

Volatile amines can have a harmful impact on the health of passengers, produce an intensely unpleasant odour inside the vehicle and cause windshield fogging, but these issues disappear with the new foam developed by Faurecia

Automotive Seating in collaboration with Dow Automotive Systems.

The Faurecia volatile amines-free foam pads, using Dowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SpecďŹ&#x201A;ex Activ polyurethane solution, will begin to be used soon by French automakers.

Other premium automakers in Europe are also currently investigating the new Faurecia foam. While the foamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial use plan is in rear backrests, it is appropriate for use in backrests and cushions in rear and front seats alike.

www.faurecia.com

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 77

Craig Paterson

Allan Paterson

Composite Plastics cc p. +27 11 314 1035 e. craig@compositeplastics.co.za | Craig: 083 680 9793 allan@compositeplastics.co.za | Allan: 082 886 6058

XFORM preform system from SIPA

EQUIPMENT

The XFORM 500 is capable of handling moulds with up to 144 cavities. Not only will it accept moulds from any supplier, but the moulds can also be changed over quickly: SIPA quotes a downtime of just 3.5 hours

SIPA recently supplied one of its XFORM 500 perform production systems to a major South African player.

“Many South African convertors are looking for a reliable partner who understands packaging development. They do not just want a simple manufacturer of preforms systems,” said Giovanni De Rosa, Southern African area manager at SIPA. “PET preforms and containers are our business, we have in-depth design and production expertise in machines and moulds, and we know the market inside out,” added De Rosa.

XFORM is capable of handling moulds with up to 144 cavities. Not only will it accept moulds from any supplier, but the moulds can also be changed over quickly: SIPA quotes a downtime of just 3.5 hours.

The XFORM has been designed to be robust as well as versatile: SIPA guarantees it for up to eight million cycles, with toggle pins and rail bearings designed to last for the lifetime of the machine.

Energy efficiency is another important feature of the system: moulds can be cooled with water at 14°C rather than the traditional 8°C, for example. Post-mould cooling is carried out in three or four cooling cycles. Continuous low-speed screw rotation minimizes the stress on the PET to ensure minimal generation of acetaldehyde. Furthermore, XFORM performs very well with recyclate in flakes, thus keeping an eye to the environment.

SIPA has several on-going projects, in connection with injection moulding, stretch-blow moulding as well as legacy tooling supply and mould refurbishment to increase injection moulds life cycle allow-

78 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

ing the customers to reduce the investment on new tooling. SIPA is today the world largest mould producer. The company’s aim is to increase its involvement in the continent, adding sales personnel and increase after sales service technical staff in the next months.

• SIPA IS NOW SUPPORTING ITS CUSTOMERS ACROSS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA FROM ITS OFFICE IN CAPE TOWN.

www.sipa.it

EQUIPMENT

CMD flexible, high-speed bottom seal bag converting system Compact, integrated bag making and winding system ADEX Plastics & Machinery recently held a series of demonstrations showcasing their latest CMD flexible, high-speed bottomseal bag converting system.

The CMD 864GBM global bag machine and winder is a compact, high output system for making bottom-sealed bags on a roll. The performance of CMD’s powerhouse products is captured in this compact, integrated bag making and winding system that is affordable, long-lasting and easy to operate.

The continuous motion drum gives more dwell time, allowing the film to be in contact with the seal bars longer and opening the ‘processing window’ for quality sealing on a wide variety of film. Unlike the wear caused by start-and-stop intermittent motion, CMD’s continuous motion is a smooth process for long-lasting durability and fewer parts changes. And, continuous motion is more energy efficient, for reduced utility costs.

Essential operations are integrated into a significantly reduced machine footprint.

Key devices are strategically located to

serve more than one purpose and minimise the number of parts and components. The integrated winder ensures excellent tension control because the web doesn’t have to travel more than 3m from the moment it enters the machine until it exits as a roll of bags.

The CMD 864GBM includes a number of energy-saving and sustainability features, including a regenerative drive system that takes energy that could be wasted and allows other parts of the machine to use it.

“Because CMD specialises in rotary technology with continuous motion, this system can produce up to 300 bags each minute. Aging machines in Africa offer only a fraction of the speed of the CMD 864GBW. Simple to own and easy to operate, the CMD 864GBW offers excellent production efficiency for the emerging markets of Africa,” said Shaughn Hanley, CMD international sales director, who demonstrated the machine.

Adex Machinery’s demonstrations of a CMD bag making machine at their premises in Edenvale have been very successful. One group of interested visitors was Constant Marais (Tuffy), Shaughn Hanley (CMD international sales director who demonstrated the machine), Douglas Greig (Tuffy), Paul Clark (Adex) and Larry Larsen (Tuffy)

www.adex.co.za

• CMD IS REPRESENTED IN SA BY ADEX PLASTICS & MACHINERY OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 79

EQUIPMENT

Smart air flow control technology from Shini SHINI, a global leader in the plastics auxiliary industry, showed its product development and innovation, as well as its ‘one-station experience’ at Chinaplas earlier this year.

Among the latest products and innovative technology on show was Shini’s Smart Modular Dryer (SSMD). This machine can centrally dehumidify and dry multi materials using the convenient and fast assembly of standard parts.

Auto allocation technology ensures that a drying temperature of -40°C is allocated to each drying hopper automatically; making sure that energy is conserved and avoiding over or under drying of materials.

The Smart Modular Dryer SSMD consists of a rotary dehumidifier and three sets of modular drying hoppers.

The drying air from the outlet of the rotary dehumidifier travels out through the main hose and is sent to the different drying hoppers. After drying is completed, the hot air is expelled through the exhaust outlet and travels back to the air return pipe.

Finally the hot air is directed back to the rotary dehumidifier.

During the entire process the machine can auto adjust and re-allocate the air as is needed using the air flow transmitter and air regulator located at each of the three hoses entering the drying hoppers. The

air flow transmitter detects air capacity changes and sends the related information to the central control unit which instructs the air regulator to make an automatic adjustment and allocation.

• SHINI IS REPRESENTED IN SA BY CABLETECH MARKETING

Smart modularization and air flow control technology characterise the latest ancillary systems from Shini

www.cabletech.co.za

Athena ‘next-generation’ machine platform is now ready ROBERT Schad, formerly CEO of Husky Injection Moulding Systems of Canada, recently confirmed that the nextgeneration machine platform of Athena Automation, the business he set up in 2012, is now ready for the market.

Schad is by all accounts anything but retired. That’s what the market thought after he sold his shares in Husky, which was the global leader in the PET preform machine and mould market. But he then became one of the founders of Athena, which cooperates with SIPA of Italy.

During a recent trade show, SIPA staff were surprised at the vigour with which Schad discussed technical development 80 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

issues for the Athena machines. At last year’s K in Germany, Schad apparently spent the entire eight days of the show on the Athena stand and was actively involved in machine demos throughout – which says something for a man who’s over 80!

The man’s experience cannot be taken

lightly: Schad says the Athena machines are achieving energy consumption equivalent to all-electric systems; smallest footprint with largest daylight; increased mould life and exceptionally low maintenance.

The XFORM 300 – the nextgeneration machine platform of Athena Automation

www.athenaautomation.com

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“Our customers have always stressed how happy they are with the reliability, superior design and build quality of their Rapid granulators,” says Frank Blues, sales manager at Eder Design (middle) with Rapid Granulator’s Bengt Rimark, director of marketing and sales (left) and Niels Sörensen, Africa sales manager (right) (PHOTO: RAPID GRANULATOR AB)

Eder Design takes on Rapid Granulator New distributor for South Africa RAPID Granulator AB, the Swedish-based world leader in plastics global network of over 90 agents and local partners. granulation technology, has signed up Eder Design as its sole disSA Plastics: Taking into account our deteriorating currency, tributor for the South Africa and Sub-Sahara market as from 1 May what benefits and technology is Rapid offering plastic procesthis year. sors in South Africa?

“It’s great to see a new distributor in the South African market,” Bengt: Rapid have never sold on price alone. What our masaid Rapid group sales and marketing director, Bengt Rimark. “In chines offer our customers is the assurance that their granulator has spite of the current economic turmoil, the plastics industry in the been tailor-made to suit their specific application. We can also show region remains strong and innovative. We intend to invest time and our customers that the ‘payback time’ is very short. In fact, we have resources in South Africa and by appointing Eder Design we will be an online ROI calculator that makes a cost-performance evaluation able to further expand our footprint in the country.” and shows the calculated payback time as a function of the granulaEder Design has years of experience with Rapid’s products and tor purchase price plus running costs against regrind savings. Payin the plastics processing industry, both which Rimark believes will back time is often within just 40 days, resulting in an excellent ROI, guarantee the best possible service and support for the users and assuming that regrind from the granulator can be recycled. operators of Rapid’s granulators.

Rapid granulators also help avoid pro“Eder Design offers a complete range duction stops and delays, mainly caused “Eder Design offers a complete of supported ancillary equipment and now by contaminated granulate. Our granularange of supported ancillary that we have been appointed Rapid’s tors save time and effort through easy equipment and now that we have exclusive distributor for South Africa and access for quick service and inspection, Sub-Sahara Africa, we aim to grow our preventing contamination when changing been appointed Rapid’s exclusive business further,” said Johann Eder. granulate and colour. We also offer our distributor for South Africa and Eder Design was formed in June 2005 customers excellent local and lifelong Sub-Sahara Africa, we aim to

by Johann Eder to provide a service availability of spare parts. grow our business further.” for plastics material handling systems Our granulators all help to reduce and their auxiliaries to the industry. The the amount of downtime. Because the company provides complete turnkey solutions for material handling quality of regrind is just as important as the quality of the virgin systems. Johann Eder and sales manager Frank Blues have over 40 material in terms of uniform size and minimized dust, Rapid granuyears’ experience in the plastics industry. lators provide this by guaranteeing the correct distance between Rapid’s extensive range of granulators produces high-quality screen and knives essential for high quality regrind, especially after regrind from a wide assortment of plastic waste resulting from varimultiple knife re-sharpenings. The Rapid double-scissor cutting ous processes. Rapid granulator families – small, medium, large and technology also provides optimal cutting with minimal effort. All vital heavy-duty – cover regrind throughputs from a few kilos per hour components such as rotors and cutter houses are machined in our up to several tons per hour. With more than 100,000 granulators high-tech machining centres, from highest quality steel, where all installed across five continents, Rapid Granulator, headquartered machining is made using one setup. This means maximized resisin Bredaryd, Sweden, exports around 95% of its production. The tance to wear and tear and 100% control of all tolerances. company has six subsidiaries located in Venice, Italy; Cranberry Township (PA), USA; Shanghai, China; Lyon, France; Kleinostheim, SA Plastics: Electricity consumption is a significant cost in Germany, as well as Singapore. Further support is provided by a material reprocessing. Do the latest granulation systems from 82 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

EQUIPMENT Rapid use less electricity?

Bengt: With Rapid’s leading-edge technology you can dramatically cut your energy consumption and gain a lot of other valuable benefits.

Energy-conserving features include: ü High-efficiency motors demanding less energy because of the effective smooth cutting of Rapid granulators, ü Extremely effective cutting technology, including Rapid double scissor-cut action that reduces the force needed to slice through plastic waste, ü Effective belt transmission with heavy-duty rotor pulley and optional flywheel that provide extra energy and cutting force when you need it, ü Rapid’s high-tech production methods and highest quality steel in all core components give 100% control of all tolerances for maximum resistance to wear and tear, and ü User-friendly feed hopper opening by an electro-mechanical solution is more cost-effective than pneumatic/hydraulic techniques as regards energy consumption.

SA Plastics: What’s in the pipeline for Rapid?

Bengt: We’ve recently bought an American shredder company and are in the process of upgrading our product portfolio to include these new shredders which we’ll manufacture in Sweden and distribute worldwide. We will be launching the first in the series in October.

• EDER DESIGN TEL: +27 12 253 1025, FRANK@EDERDESIGN.CO.ZA www.rapidgranulator.com

Energy saving – Rapid Granulator helped a customer who had changed its application from recycling smaller precut material and general scrap to non-compressed bottles, but was not satisfied with the capacity. Rapid offered a new machine solution with the same motor size but with a configuration tailored for the application. This increased granulation capacity by 150% – from 200 kg/h to 500 kg/h.

The result – the annual savings just for energy (based on EUR 0.1/kWh and 55 kW motor) was €9 900. However, the big saving was that the customer could run 8-hour shifts instead of 20-hour shifts

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 83

Reg No 80/05518/07

POLYSTYRENE: GPPS/EPS/HIPS – ABS – SAN – ACRYLIC – ACETAL – NYLON – PBT – PC – SBC – HDPE – LLDPE – EVA – PP

HIPS – GPPS – EPS – FOR ALL APPLICATIONS DENKA POLYLAC INJECTION MOULDING & SHEET EXTRUSION KIBILAC KIBISAN

PS – ABS – ACRYLIC – PC NYLON – PP – HDPE – LDPE

PA6/PA66/PA12 – INJECTION MOULDING – EXTRUSION KOCETAL WONDERLITE

(VARIOUS VA CONTENTS) KIBITON

WONDERLOY ACRYREX ACRYSTEX SPESIN

Delene Williams,

The process chain in CPE’s PS recycling concept: from coarse PS regrind with a high proportion of contaminants from a refrigerator’s inner workings (starting material, top left) through cleaned regrind sorted into ‘white quality’ (centre) to extruded PS granules (right) – shown here with foils manufactured from the recycled material and plant trays thermoformed from these foils. Inset: The multilayer foils produced from recycled PS can be coloured to enable the trays to be made in several different colours

From refrigerator to plant trays – a recycling concept for a challenging project CPE chooses Ettlinger ERF melt filter for high-quality PS recycling CPE Entsorgung GmbH, a plastics integrated in the extrusion line has made a recycling business established in 1992 in decisive contribution to the success of this the small North German town of Liebenau, new PS recycling project. A continuous has recently started to recover polystyrene high speed filter equipped with a rotatfrom refrigerator waste with a high proporing drum, it guarantees an exceptionally tion of contaminants. consistent pressure and quality of the “Ever since 1996, we’ve been producing processed melt, even when the degree of about 25,000 tons of recycled plastics a contamination is well above average. year as a second business pillar alongside “When the project first kicked off, we set our general waste disposal services. We ourselves the goal of converting the PS operate several systems for processing wastes that are inevitable when a fridge foil waste, mostly PE and PP, as well reaches the end of its service life – and as used PET bottles and other manuthat includes around 25% contaminants facturing waste, of all kinds – into which is generally high-quality recycled “The Ettlinger ERF filter, sorted. Our latest material. The result is on the other hand, gives project – recovering currently used to make us consistently high polystyrene from foils for thermoformed product quality and is coarsely shredded products, such as refrigerator waste plant trays. If particuincredibly durable.” with a high proporlate impurities larger tion of contaminants – represents a new, than 150μm were still contained in the higher-than-ever level of performance in material, they would be extremely critical plastics recycling”, said Robert Harting, in applications like this. Such particles managing director of CPE. would be able to pierce the thermoformed The ERF melt filter from Ettlinger Kunstmoulding in thin, highly stretched areas of stoffmaschinen GmbH of Königsbrunn the foil – and the product would have to be 84 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

scrapped”, Harting explained.

For the final processing step – the extrusion of the PS waste after it has been pre-treated in several stages – CPE has equipped a robust, single-screw extruder in its existing plant (screw diameter is 120 mm) with an Ettlinger ERF 250 melt filter. This filter, designed for a maximum throughput of 2 tons per hour, is installed directly between the extruder and the granulator. The screen area is a good 1500cm², and the filter rating chosen for this application from the wide range available was 150μm (80 to 1000μm can be supplied as standard). During the trial phase CPE operated the machine with a maximum throughput of about 130 tons a week, which was increased to over 180 tons after going into production.

“A simple, static filter screen would have been unable to cope with this challenging filtration task. The high level of contamination in the PS melt would have very soon resulted in a huge pressure drop in the filter as more and more contamination built up. A continuous back flush screen changer that flushed the contamination back at regular intervals would likewise have been too fault-prone for

EQUIPMENT

this particular application. The Ettlinger ERF ďŹ lter, on the other hand, gives us consistently high product quality and is incredibly durable,â&#x20AC;? said Harting.

Pretreatment on a high speed sorting line To make sure not only PS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the principal constituent â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but also the metal parts are recycled, for instance, CPE invested in a new, powerful, fully automatic sorting line for regrind and granules at its Liebenau facility.

The starting material is ďŹ rst of all reground to obtain a homogeneous particle size, then screened, sifted, separated, and sorted in several different stages. A colour sorter and an NIR sorter are integrated in the sorting line along with the magnetic separator, which is a standard component. When it comes to checking, analysing, and sorting organic substances, the NIR (near infrared) sensor technology is especially efďŹ cient.

According to Harting, CPE can even use this line to separate the nonferrous metals into copper, brass and zinc fractions for recycling. The original refrigerator shredder material containing approximately 75% PS is

An ERF 250 ďŹ lter installed between the extruder and the granulator (photo right) ensures reliable melt ďŹ ltration in an extrusion line that is used by CPE to recycle PS from ground, pre-treated refrigerator waste (left)

enriched to more than 95% in the course of this pretreatment step. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the same time, we can presort the PS regrind according to colours right up to white quality if we need to obtain granules that are superior to the standard â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;recycled grayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The ďŹ nal treatment step on the road to highquality recycled material is when the regrind is extruded with the integrated ERF melt ďŹ lter. Our customers are assured consistently high, speciďŹ ed product quality because we use blending silos for both the pretreated regrind and the extrudateâ&#x20AC;?, Harting continued.

Thanks to this high speed recycling plant, CPE can recover and recycle a good 95% of the polystyrene from the refrigerator regrind. In Germany alone some three million old fridges, freezer cabinets and other cooling appliances are recycled every single year. www.ettlinger.com www.cpe-recycling.de

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 85

Welltec Plastics has the injection moulding machines to meet your requirements.

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CAN EGYPT’S PLASTICS INDUSTRY EVOLVE INTO A

SUSTAINABLE PART OF THE EGYPTIAN ECONOMY? in Egypt About 1.4 million tons of polymer processed by an estimated 2000 converters

BY DR NIALL MARSHALL

FEATURE

FOR a country most often associated with 4500 year-old pyramids and the Sphinx, Egypt is not often thought of as having a large plastics industry.

Much of its rich history is due to the fortunate combination of its geographical location together with the fertile soil of the Nile valley which cuts through the Sahara desert, making Egypt an important source of agricultural products for the region.

Today, once you get out of the polluted and congested building site called Cairo, the importance of agriculture to the Egyptian economy can clearly be seen along the Nile, and plastics play an important supporting role in greenhouses, tunnels and mulch films.

The Egyptian plastics industry has many similarities to the South African industry: PP, HDPE, LLDPE and PVC are produced by local producers (although the capacities of these polymers are less than in South Africa). There is also 200 000 tons per annum of polystyrene produced in Egypt and a 420 000 ton per year PET plant has been announced – although the political turmoil of the last four years has delayed this investment. The continued conflict in Libya has also had a negative effect on operations of some polymer plants which relied on Libyan refineries for their feedstock and the general unrest has further damaged the economy.

Approximately 1.4 million tons of polymer is processed by an estimated 2000 converters in Egypt, compared to 1.5 million tons by 1800 converters in South Africa. But with a reported 500 000 people working in the Egyptian polymer industry, it is a far larger employer than the South African industry where only 60 000 people are employed.

86 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

Ownership Many of the Egyptian converters are small producers of woven bags, film, bottles and moulded containers. There are also a number of polymer converting companies which are owned and operated by the Egyptian army which has a very influential position, not only in politics, but also in the economy. A number of large converters operating modern plants benefit from the location of Egypt as a gateway linking the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and Asia to supply various export markets.

BOPP manufacture More than 60% of the polypropylene woven and tufted carpets produced in Egypt are exported to Europe, Asia and the USA. There also a number of large BOPP plants all of which have been expanding their capacities over the last three years. Some of the BOPP film is used for packaging of products destined for export such as textiles and clothing produced from high quality Egyptian cotton and increasingly flowers exported to Europe.

Other film is used for packaging table grapes, fruit and vegetables. Agricultural products such as rice, wheat, sugar beets, tobacco, beans and corn are packaged in locally-produced polyethylene bags and PP woven sacks for both local demand and export markets.

Pipe manufacture As might be expected from a country with canals dating back to before the time of the Pharaohs, irrigation plays an important part in Egyptian agriculture. Historically all agriculture took place in the flood plains of the Nile or in the Nile Delta, but a number projects to increase the amount of cultivated land rely on distributing water further from the river as well as by pumping artesian water from aquifers deep under the Western desert.

To support these efforts there are a number

of pipe manufacturers using both PVC and polyolefins. Pipes, cables and waterproofing membranes are also produced in Egypt for the many construction projects which appear to be abandoned but are slowly inching towards completion.

Components and accessories for the OEM markets Egypt is the most populous country in the region with a population of 80 million with the second largest economy (after Saudi Arabia) and, although many people live in poverty, there is a market for an indigenous automotive industry. The El Nasr Automotive Company produced passenger cars under license from Fiat and other manufacturers. Although they struggled to compete against Asian imports and stopped producing passenger cars in 2007, it was announced in 2013 that they would resume production. There is also a Chrysler joint venture that manufactures or assembles cars and SUVs and Daimler owns a commercial vehicle manufacturer supplying trucks and buses to the region. Supporting the automotive industry are plastic converters producing components and accessories for the OEM and re-finish markets.

For 5000 years Egyptian builders and craftsmen have invented, innovated and produced useful products valued by their neighbours. Whether the broader plastics industry can similarly evolve into a strong and sustainable part of the Egyptian economy, generating valuable foreign exchange is still not clear. There are some successes but there is also a long way still to go.

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.

WORLD NEWS

BMW closes the

i-series vehicles prompted development of ways to recycle unused material KERRI JANSEN, PLASTICS NEWS, AND DAVID VINK, EUROPEAN PLASTICS NEWS

BMW’s extensive use of carbon fibrereinforced plastic in its i-series vehicles has prompted the development of ways to recycle unused material. BMW’s allelectric i3 and the hybrid i8 represent the first mass-production vehicles with carbon fibre-intensive construction.

As the market for carbon fibre grows, so does a need to cut costs, including reclaiming and reusing leftover portions of the valuable material.

Franz Storkenmaier, head of lightweight construction and vehicle weight at BMW AG, discussed the Munich, Germany-based automaker’s CF recycling efforts in a presentation at the Centre for Automotive Research’s Automotive Briefing Seminars.

“The application of carbon fibre is well understood. The challenge is to industrialize that and make it economic,” he said.

BMW uses recycled CF in the epoxide resin-based CF reinforced plastic roof of the i3 and i8, as well as the i3’s rear seat shell, which is moulded with non-woven recycled CF and polyurethane.

BMW’s carbon fibre materials are produced by SGL Automotive Carbon Fibres, a joint venture between BMW Group and SGL Group. Their U.S. manufacturing facility is located in Moses Lake, Wash.

SGL Automotive Carbon Fibres produce oriented (anisotropic) and isotropic non-woven fleece materials from CFRP waste materials. SGL ACF described its recycled CF yarns as “stretch-broken” with “special properties”

such as high tensile strength and low yarn count, which apparently makes them especially suitable for processing into textile fabrics. CF non-woven fleeces were developed over a three-year period together with the TITK Thuringia institute for textile and plastics research, based in Rudolstadt, Germany.

Art installation features 1000 nylon rods UK engineering plastics firm Direct Plastics, has fulfilled a lengthy order from artist George Clark-Roden, who creates sculptures using the company’s nylon 6.6 rods. The artist’s most recent installation featured 1000 nylon rods.

Clark-Roden, a customer of Direct Plastics for nearly a decade, hangs the rods from grids to create 3D objects, onto

which he projects abstract films, creating a second sensory experience.

On interacting with the rods sound is produced via a technology developed by Clark-Roden, along with help from Roland UK, which manufactures electronic musical instruments, notably a range of keyboards.

www.directplastics.co.uk 88 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

AROUND THE WORLD Sony entering recycled PC market CONSUMER electronics giant Sony Corp is getting into a sideline of selling recycled resins. The Tokyo firm says it will start selling Sorplas recycled polycarbonate to outside customers in October. It foresees the resin will appeal to a range of manufacturers inside and outside Japan.

Sony recycles PC from discarded optical discs and light-diffusing films used in LCD televisions. The plastic is flame retarded with a proprietary, sulfur-based chemical to give a durable, heat-resistance material that can contain up to 99% recycled content. Sony says it will offer Sorplas at approximately the same price as conventional flame-retarded PC plastic. Three initial grades address high mouldability, high impact and thin molding with high flame retardance.

Plastic eating microbes found off Australian coast

www.sglacf.com

Clark-Roden’s sculptures have been hung in three special schools in the West Midlands in recent years.

“To create these sculptures, I require a specific user-friendly material, which is relatively hard to find,” said Clark-Rodin.

“Direct Plastics have offered their advice and invested their time and expertise in

making sure I buy the correct materials for whatever project I am working on.”

Paul Woodhead, Direct Plastics’ managing director, said: “Our nylon rods are very popular as engineering plastics, but this application takes their use to a whole new level!”

RESEARCHERS have discovered the presence of plastic eating microbes in the waters around Australia that could help reduce harmful marine waste. The organisms also cause tiny pieces of plastic to sink to the seafloor.

Staff at the University of Western Australia analysed more than 1,000 images of material along Australia’s coast.

Their study seemed to show the microbes breaking down plastic waste, according to a paper published in the scientific journal PLoS. “Plastic biodegradation seems to happen at sea,” said oceanographer Julia Reisser, who worked on the research. “I am excited about this because the ‘plastic-eating’ microbes could provide solutions for better waste disposal practices on land.”

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

89

BOOKS

Global growth market for PVC Global demand to increase by about 3.2% p.a. until 2021 PVC is one of the key products of the chemical industry and, in addition to polypropylene and polyethylene, one of the most widely produced plastics. Worldwide, about 39.3 million tons of PVC were consumed in 2013. A new study of the market research institute Ceresana expects global demand to increase by about 3.2% p.a. until 2021. With a market share of close to 56%, Asia-Pacific is the by far largest sales market, and also likely to exhibit the strongest growth in the foreseeable future. The North American and Western European markets have returned onto a growth path after incurring severe losses in previous years.

The study is a presentation and analysis of the global PVC market. Development of demand and revenues as well as production and existing capacities are analysed for the world as a whole and for individual regions. Countries are analysed in detail and data covers PVC demand, revenues, production and trade in the past eight years and provides forecasts up to 2021.

Market S Polyviny tudy: l Chlorid e

The study also provides 3 Edition an in-depth analysis of the individual application areas of PVC, such as pipes and conduits, profiles, films and sheets, cables and cable sheathing, flooring, and other applications. Data on demand development, split by Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa as well as consumption figures for the most important countries are given. rd

www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/plastics/polyvinyl-chloride/

History of labels – learn from the past to prepare for the future FEW industries can claim to have influenced modern society more than the label printing industry. The creation of brands, the development of consumer choice and the implementation of quality standards are all closely tied to labels.

Since its origins in England during the Industrial Revolution it has empowered business, advanced technology and driven social change. Today, label printing is a multi-billion dollar global enterprise that reaches the lives of almost every person on the planet.

“The History of Labels – the evolution of the label industry in Europe” is the first comprehensive history of label printing technology, charting the invention of printing presses and suitable substrates, the rise of adhesives and the retail revolution which began with the development of bar codes and continues to influence future demand with RFID, NFC and augmented reality.

Written by Mike Fairley and Tony White following years of research, the 220-page book is an invaluable reference source for anyone with an interest in labels or packaging. Know the history of the industry, understand why it evolved in the way it did, and more accurately predict future growth markets, needs and demand.

The printed and Kindle versions of the book are available exclusively on www.Amazon.com

Engineering plastics SMITHERS Rapra Publishing recently released “Engineering Plastics”. Generally speaking, engineering plastics are those which are replacing conventional materials such as metals and alloys in general engineering. Engineering plastics also covers materials that have superior properties which were not particularly available in conventional polymeric materials such as the exceptionally high heat resistance of polyimides and polysulfides. In addition to conventional materials engineering polymers include materials as diverse as polyether ether ketone, polyimide, polyetherimide and polysulfides and polysulfides.

Engineering polymers can be reinforced by the inclusion in their formulations of glass fibres, carbon fibres and nanotubes which produce appreciable improvements in mechanical and thermal properties.

The book aims to provide a complete coverage of the types of plastics which are now increasingly being used in engineering, in applications as diverse as gears, aircraft body construction, micro-electronics and extreme high temperature applications, steel replacement and artificial hip joints. The book also intends to provide a complete review of the use of polymers in engineering.

The mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of polymers are discussed as are other diverse applications such as solvent and detergent resistance, frictional and hardness properties, food packaging applications and gas barrier properties.

In addition a very important application is discussed of the resistance of plastics to gamma and other forms of radiation namely their use in nuclear industry, medical applications and food sterilisation. www.polymer-books.com

90 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

COMING UP SA AUTOMOTIVE Week is to run from 13-17 October at Gallagher Estate in Midrand. Presented every two years, the Auto Week is Africa’s automotive intellectual gathering and focuses on stimulating trade and partnership opportunities in the manufacturing and related sectors.

One of the topics to be addressed during the event will almost surely be the apparent collapse of the automotive manufacturing sector in Australia. The country’s proximity to SouthEast Asia, one of the main ‘hubs’ of automotive manufacturing globally (with massive production capacity and skills in China, India, Korea and Japan) has effectively rendered the Aussie sector uncompetitive. Investors in the sector in South Africa may be looking over their shoulders as a result, since there is almost no doubt that the SA automotive manufacturing operations are becoming less competitive with their Asian counterparts, with the main factor being continued industrial action by a labour force which is – man for man – less skilled and less productive than Indian and Asian operators. www.saaw.co.za

Arburg Freeformers at Euromold

Arburg will present the additive manufacturing of a two-piece sliding lock at the Euromold in November. Here, the second Freeformer discharge unit is used for the construction of supporting structures, which can be easily removed at a later stage

BRAUBEVIALE: SHOW FOR GLOBAL BEVERAGE PRODUCERS BrauBeviale runs from 11-13 November in Nuremberg, Germany. The last edition of the event in 2012 drew 32,810 trade visitors and about 1300 exhibitors, and similar figures are expected this year. BrauBeviale is seen as one of the most important international capital goods exhibitions for the whole beverage production process chain: raw materials, technologies, logistics and marketing.

Small and medium enterprises and global players from Europe and the rest of the world used the creative atmosphere at BrauBeviale to develop solutions. www.brau-beviale.de

INT’L INJECTION EVENT IN AACHEN

Injection moulding machine with inverse screw at the IKV Injection Moulding pilot plant at Aachen

ARBURG will be back at Euromold (25-28 November), where it will again be demonstrating the potential of its Arburg Plastic Freeforming (AKF) technology for the industrial additive manufacturing of fully functional plastic parts.

Two Freeformers will be in operation at the show, with a three-axis component carrier and two stationary discharge units. This is the version which has been inquired about by most of the potential customers to date.

The exhibits will demonstrate how functional components can be additively manufactured from standard granulate based on 3D CAD data.

The second discharge unit can be used for an additional component in order, for example, to produce a part in different colours, with special tactile qualities, or as a hard-soft combination.

Brand new for the Freeformer is the option of building up water-soluble structures from a special supporting material. This makes it possible to achieve unusual or complex component geometries. An application of this type will be demonstrated by a Freeformer based on the example of a spare part made from ABS – in this case a two-part sliding lock which is used in the Allrounder injection moulding machines. The supporting structures can subsequently be removed in a water bath.

As an alternative, a supporting structure can be built up in the same material as the component itself. A thinned out intermediate layer with specifically generated predetermined

breaking points enables the supporting structure to simply be broken off mechanically later. This option is preferred for components with free-standing structures and clearly defined edges.

New AKF process for broad product range With the Freeforming process, conventional plastic granulates are the base material – one of the advantages compared to other additive manufacturing processes. As with injection moulding, the granulate is first melted in a plasticising cylinder. A stationary discharge unit with a special nozzle then applies the plastic droplets layer-by-layer onto the component carrier using high-frequency piezo technology at a specified duty cycle of 60 to 200 Hertz. Depending on the nozzle used, the diameter of the plastic droplets generated under pressure is between 0.18 and 0.3 millimetres.

The moving component carrier is positioned so that each drop is deposited at the precise point calculated in advance. During cooling, the tiny droplets automatically fuse together. The desired three-dimensional component is thus created layer by layer. The construction chamber of the Freeformer offers space for parts with maximum dimensions of 190 x 135 x 250mm.

A wide variety of products that can be produced with the system, including components with complex geometries, hard/soft combinations and fully functional replacement parts.

Arburg is represented in SA by Hestico.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 91

www.arburg.com

AN International Injection Moulding Conference – IIMC, hosted by the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and the Skilled Crafts at RWTH Aachen University, is to be held on 2/3 December at the centre in in Aachen, Germany.

The conference focuses on injection mouldingrelated innovations and process combinations specifically designed for automotive applications.

It is bringing together leading experts in automotive design, automotive engineering as well as in injection moulding and plastics material technology, who will present the state of the art as well as the latest research results and provide insights into future developments in the automotive plastics industry. This new approach underlines the unique format of the conference. www.iimc-aachen.de

DIARY

SA AUTOMOTIVE WEEK

COMING UP SOLAR MARKETS TEST ENDURANCE OF POLYMER MATERIALS PHOTOVOLTAIC panels have been used for decades in outer space, powering remote satellites, and are now reaching long service records on earth, which gives scientist the opportunity to see just how well the materials and modules have performed during their predicted lifespan. The rise of renewable energy is now unstoppable with, for example, around 28% of Germany’s electricity supply in 2014 coming from green sources.

Applied Market Information of the UK will be bringing together global experts on solar module polymer materials to discuss the optimal solutions for vital components such as encapsulants, backsheets, adhesives and sealants, at Polymers in Photovoltaics 2015, scheduled for 10-11 February 2015 at the Hotel Nikko in Dusseldorf, Germany.

In terms of economics, the module manufacturing industry is wary of overcapacity in the markets and the situation will be reviewed by Stefan de Haan of IHS. Potential induced degradation is one of the sources of concern in solar modules and Hanwha Q Cells has studied the occurrence and the influence of encapsulant materials. From India, Renewsys has looked at the cure of encapsulants.

There are new EVA encapsulants in production from Encapsulantes Valor Anadido of Spain.

Backsheets play a major role in the durability and performance of modules. In Taiwan, AU Optronics (Benq Solar) has investigated backsheet and module endurance. Krempel has studied backsheet reflectance as a way to improve module efficiency and Toray Films Europe together with Filmcutter SpA has produced a new generation of backsheets with an innovative PET monolayer film. Amcor Flexible is entering this market with innovative solutions, while the Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) has worked on fast quality testing of high barrier films.

The technology of the future for photovoltaics is the organic photovoltaics with active polymers replacing silicon: Merck Chemicals has reviewed the stability of these solar cells. www.amiplastics.com

START PLAST AT ITALIAN SHOW A SATELLITE show, START PLAST, founded on the idea of creating a space dedicated to new and innovative enterprises paralleling the main fair populated by established, historical firms, will be held during PLAST 2015 from 5-9 May 2015 in the Fiera Milano fairgrounds in Rho, coinciding with the inaugural week of EXPO 2015.

START PLAST has the objective of providing a seedbed for new projects in a venue where all the players necessary for launching a startup can be found and a very positive message can be sent out: it is still possible to do business in Italy.

“Given the way the recession is dragging on and the serious difficulties that continue to plague all of Italian business, including the plastics and rubber industry, we feel it is our duty to find a way to facilitate young entrepreneurs and the companies that represent our future,” said Mario Maggiani, MD of the show organiser, Promaplast Srl. “The decision was thus taken, together with the technology incubator Comonext, to select up to a maximum of 50 startups working in the field of plastics. Not just manufacturers, but also convertors, creators of machine and process management software, etc.” www.plastonline.org 92

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2014

Waldorf Technik re-invents highflex® IML AUTOMATION specialist Waldorf Technik GmbH is to unveil entirely new technologies for the production of packaging solutions in injection moulding at this year’s Fakuma. The classic highflex® IML comes with entirely new features, while barrier coating is set to revolutionise the whole field of food packaging.

Instead of decorating the cup and lid in downstream printing processes, this method involves the insertion of printed foils into the injection moulding tool to create an integrated process in just

one operating step and to deliver an attractively decorated cup or lid. Unlike in alternative methods such as offset or silkscreen, post-printing and sleeving, the print image can be switched with practically no setup times, which makes it a particularly inexpensive procedure.

The traditional flagship at Waldorf Technik, the highflex® IML robot has also been fundamentally reworked to add a variety of new features, for example, it now occupies 30% less space than before. The automation system is able to process cups and lids in all IML label geometries. www.waldorf-technik.com

‘SmartPower’ from WittmannBattenfeld at Fakuma A NOVELTY in the injection moulding market, the new SmartPower system from Wittmann-Battenfeld will be on show for the first time at the Fakuma show in Fredriechshafen, Germany, from 14-18 October. Equipped with servo hydraulics as standard, the SmartPower is the youngest member of Wittmann-Battenfeld’s PowerSeries.

In a smart way, it combines the advantages of hydraulic machines with those of all-electric machines: energy efficiency, precision, user-friendliness, compact design, high speed, cleanness – everything you could desire in a machine. Simply smart.

On the second SmartPower machine A polyamide connecting rod for a compressor will be manufactured with an 8-cavity mould supplied by Greiner Assistec of Austria, together with a WS80 servo sprue picker from Wittmann, will be produced on one of the SmartPower machines at Fakuma in October

on display at Fakuma, a 120/350 unit, a penholder will be produced from LSR in a 4-cavity mould supplied by Elasmo Systems, Austria. The mould technology used allows moulded parts to be manufactured from liquid silicone without sprue, virtually free of ridges, without waste and fully automatically.

Thanks to their special design, the penholders adhere automatically by suction to any smooth surface when a light pressure is applied.

The penholders are removed, deposited on a conveyor belt and filled automatically by a W818T robot from Wittmann.

The Wittmann-Battenfeld machines are supplied by KR Plastics. www.wittmann-group.com

DIARY

Co-recycling-injection system from NGR NGR (Next Generation Recycling) of Austria is to show its A:GRAN series system – a tandem recycling-injection machine – at Fakuma from 14-18 October in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

The system is designed for the recycling of bulky or thickwalled plastic parts, which typically originate from scrap in injection-moulding, and the direct ‘reinjection’ moulding of the material, with the main intention to not lose heat in the material.

Plastic waste is processed by a heavy-duty shredder operating at low speed for gentle size reduction and minimal loss of material properties. In this process, pneumatic rams push the material on to the shredder drum. After shredding, the material is fed directly into the extruder.

The compact unit-design allows to set-up the machine even under stringent space conditions. All machine-components (conveyer belt, extruder, pelletizer etc) are controlled by a CPU. Easy start-up and shut-down, as well as the possibility to load the conveyer- belt discontinuously, is incorporated in the machine design.

NGR is presented by Technimac.

The A:GRAN system from NGR is intended to combine the recycling and injection processes, with the intention of not losing heat built up during the granulation phase. All the components are positioned in close proximity to prevent contamination and make optimal use from heat of the shredding process

www.ngr.at

Access BOY injection moulding machines online BOY, the manufacturer of injection moulding machines, will be partnering with ProSeS BDE GmbH at Fakuma in October in a production data acquisition (PDA) project.

The system applied to the injection machine covers three central fields of function: production planning and control, QC and company cost accounting. Depending on the operator´s preference, the separate segments of data acquisition can be individually adjusted and expanded at any time.

The PDA system software from ProSeS accesses the internal BOY Procan ALPHA machine control. Machine settings, operating parameters and production data such as injection volume, temperatures and pressures can be collected and reused. This data can be queried via the machine’s IP address and can be used for the required PDA fields of functions.

BOY is to include the PDA option in its sales programme. The modular components of the PDA system can easily be retrofitted to all BOY XS, A, and E-Series injection moulding machines.

The application of the ProSeS PDA (production data acquisition) system on an injection moulding machine allows staff elsewhere at a factory (for example in purchasing or accounts) to access data about output or performance

“The possibility of being able to interface with a BOY injection moulding machine while running around-the-clock production from anywhere is especially advantageous for the staff in a two or three-shift operation. But this access is not limited to just the machine operators. Other departments like work planning, purchasing, calculation etc profit directly from the accessed data of the BDE system,” says Franz-Josef Ludwig, head of electronic design at BOY. www.dr-boy.de

www.proses.de

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 93

www.lpkf-laserwelding.com

EVENTS DIARY

2014 Global Plastics Summit

30 Sept-2 Oct

Chicago, Illinois, USA

www.GlobalPlasticsSummit.com

Interplas (UK)

30 Sept-2 Oct

Birmingham, England

www.interplasuk.com

International AVK Conference

6-7 October

CCD Congress Centre Düsseldorf

www.avk-tv.de

WasteCon

6-10 October

Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West

www.wastecon.co.za

Composites Europe

7-9 October

Messe Düsseldorf, Germany

www.composites-europe.com

Plastics Electronics

7-9 October

Grenoble, France

www.plastic-electronics.org

Advanced Materials Expo)

13-16 October

Orlando, Florida, USA

www.thecamx.org

SA Automotive Week

13-17 October

Gallagher Estate, Midrand

www.saaw.co.za

Barrier Pharma Packaging

14-15 October

Princeton, New Jersey, USA

www.amiplastics.co.za

ICIS African Polymers Conference

14-15 October

Johannesburg

www.icisconference.com

Fakuma

14-18 October

Friederichshafen, Germany

www.fakuma-messe.de

Propak Cape

21-23 October

Cape Town Int’l Convention Centre

www.propakcape.co.za

Global Vinyls Council

21-23 October

Hilton Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg

www.savinyls.co.za

Materialica 2014

21-23 October

Munich, Germany

www.materialica.de

Vinyl 2014

22 October

Hilton, Johannesburg

www.savinyls.co.za

Future Tyre

28-29 October

Brussels, Belgium

www.tyre-conferences.com

Pack Expo 2014

2-5 November

Chicago, Illinois, USA

www.packexpointernational.com

Wood Plastic Composites 2014

3-5 November

Vienna, Austria

www.amiconferences.com

PETnology

10-11 November

Nuremberg, Germany

www.petnology.com

BrauBeviale

11-13 November

Nuremberg, Germany

www.brau-beviale.de

Emballage

17-20 November

Paris Nord Villpepinte, France

www.all4pack.com

Euromold

25-28 November

Frankfurt, Germany

www.euromold.com

Fire Resistance 2014

9-11 December

Cologne, Germany

www.amiplastics.com

Arabplast 2015

10-13 January

Dubai Int’l Convention Centre, UAE

www.arabplast.info

PlastIndia 2015

5-10 February

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

www.plastindia.org

Pipeline Coating 2015

17-19 February

Trend Hotel Savoyen, Vienna, Austria

www.amiplastics.com/events

Green Polymer Chemistry

18-19 March

Maritim Hotel Cologne, Germany

www.amiplastics.com

World Rubber Summit

24-25 March

Singapore

www.singex.com

NPE 2015

23-27 March

Orlando, Florida, USA

www.npe.org

Plast 2015

5-9 May

Fiera Milano, Italy

www.plastonline.org

ChinaPlas 2015

20-23 May

Guangzhou, PR China

www.ChinaplasOnline.com

KZN Industrial Technology Show

9-12 June

Durban Exhibition Centre

www.kznindustrial.co.za

ExtruAfrica 2015

3-7 August

Potchefstroom, North West

www.extruafrica.org.za

19-26 October

Düsseldorf, Germany

www.k-online.de

CAMX (Composites &

2015

2016 K2016

94

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2014

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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

95

SPORTS

Polycarbonate training device help swimmers win gold Injection moulded Corsuit supports swimmer’s core muscles, posture

96 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

A FUTURISTIC looking Australiandesigned polycarbonate training device has helped an Australian swimmer win gold at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The injection moulded PC device, called a Corsuit, has a nylon strap and an acetal thermoplastic buckle. It straps onto the swimmer’s back like

a belt, contouring to fit the spine and support the swimmer’s core muscles and posture.

Rowan Crothers, a disabled swimmer with cerebral palsy, began training with a Corsuit last year and on 24 July won gold in the men’s 100m freestyle S9 final at the Commonwealth Games, an international, multi-sport event for

British Commonwealth athletes.

Fellow Australian swimmer Christian Sprenger also trains with a Corsuit and won bronze in the men’s 50m breaststroke.

Brisbane-based Queensland University of Technology industrial design graduate, Sam James, designed the Corsuit as a university assignment to improve swimmers’ speed and strength.

In 2010, after full-length bodysuits were banned from professional swimming, James examined how they improved swimmers’ technique.

He created the Corsuit to train swimmers to naturally replicate the advantages they had gained from wearing full bodysuits.

Sam James developed the Corsuit, a polycarbonate device that helps competitive swimmers keep their bodies in the perfect position during training

www.blucoreswim.com

The Protea Chemicals Team offers offers innovative The Polymers Team innovative solutions to to the the plastics plastics industry industry with withthe thebacking backing solutions of products and andindustry industry ofworld world class products professionals. professionals.

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