British Plastics & Rubber articles from April 2009

British Plastics & Rubber archives from April 2009

Conferences & exhibitions.(Calendar)
April 1, 2009... APPLICATIONS--AUTOMOTIVE May 11-13 Plastics-in-Motion Conference in Budapest, Hungary, organised by Conference Management +1 734 737 0507 (fax: +1 734 737 0508). ecm@executive-conference.com www.executive-conference.com ...

Export potential grows in the Middle East.
April 1, 2009... Major petrochemicals projects are like oil tankers (insert your own pun) in their proverbial inability to be stopped or deviated from their intended course. So it is perhaps no surprise that a little thing like a catastrophic global financial...

Flowing hot and cold brings product improvement.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... High gloss" piano black" moulded surfaces have been appearing as exhibition curiosities since Engel demonstrated Variotherm at K2007. At last year's PDM exhibition Gas Injection Worldwide showed high gloss mouldings produced by its Rapid...

Swansea University starts up hot cavity research project.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... A three year project on hot cavity moulding of thermoplastics has started at the School of Engineering at Swansea University with funding from the Welsh Assembly Government. The project is founded on work on a number of advanced injection...

PP catches up with ABS gloss.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... Borealis says it has has brought polypropylene up to the gloss level of ABS--moulded conventionally, not with heated cavity assistance--with its Borcom BG055AI, intended for white goods like dishwashers, washing machines and spin dryers. ...

Fast-cycling Ferromatik series is extended again.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The packaging-specific expansion of Ferromatik Milacron's K-TEC series of hydraulic machines has continued with a new model to encompass the applications of the variants so far produced, and then go further. ...

Big energy-saving Chinese machine now on sale in Europe.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... The energy-saving "J" version of Haitian's two-platen Jupiter Series has been CE-certified and is now on sale in Europe. The machine range is from 1,200 to 6,000 tonnes and in its J form uses the servo driven pumps from the company's Mars...

Make money by managing cost.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... It's tempting to suggest that if you are still afloat in injection moulding you don't need this, but there's always room for improvement, iSmithers Rapra Publishing has published a book that focuses on how to maximise profits in injection...

High production capacity doesn't have to cost the earth.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... The recent introduction by Arburg of an electric machine with hydraulic injection is intended to bridge the often contradictory requirements of performance and energy efficiency. Despite improvements to pump and motor control to eliminate...

Updates improve flexibility and installation cost of Desma rubber machines.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... A fully hydraulic clamping unit is now used on Desma's D968T vertical rubber injection machine instead of the hydro-mechanical unit used previously. This has brought fewer movements which Desma says means fewer sources of errors and less wear...

Wittmann making strides with Battenfeld synergies.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... The news last year that an ancillary equipment company had bought a household name in injection moulding machines took most people by surprise. The fact that the buyer was Wittmann, a rapidly growing company buying and opening operations to...

Soft touch layer is controlled by tooling geometry.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... A process to make soft touch components with a decorative film, fabric or imitation leather finish with foam-in-place cushioning that can vary in thickness has been developed by Swiss toolmaker Georg Kaufmann Formenbau. The Varysoft...

Water soluble PVOH now available for injection moulding.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... Water soluble plastic producer MonoSol of the USA has moved into injection moulding with a new family of polyvinyl alcohols. Until now MonoSol's materials were only produced in film grades, but with the introduction of the MonoPol series the...

Process dashboard helps keep machines in their comfort zone.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] American cavity pressure monitoring supplier RJG has developed o process monitoring "dashboard"--which doesn't rely on monitoring cavity pressure. The company says that because it is not practical to put cavity...

One purge fits all.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... Research by 4Plas shows that many moulders use standard natural commodity plastics such as polystyrene and polypropylene, as purges in preference to high-cost speciality purging compounds and additives. In addition, the ready availability of...

Cheaper ways to purge with Asaclean.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... Three cost-cutting grades of Asahi Kasei Corporation's Asaclean purging compound have been introduced by Velox. Asaclean C is suitable for all thermoplastics in a temperature range from 180-360 degC and Asaclean CP is designed to purge all...

Innovations in sequential gate control.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... Additional controls for sequential gating have been added by Gammaflux and Kistler. A sequential valve gate controller now integrated into hot runner systems from Gammaflux Europe is designed for use with needle valve nozzles and opens and...

Smaller hot-half nozzles.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... The new MJ09 nozzle replaces the MT10 nozzle as the small nozzle in Mastip's range for hot-half applications requiring smaller nozzles and closer cavity pitching. UK supplier Hales Tool & Die says it is suited for processing small parts or...

Sub gates can be better blended into the part.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... Inserts for submarine gating from Hasco are produced with additional stock to enable them to he contoured to the part more effectively. The Z10650 inserts are produced by metal injection moulding from wear-resistant hot-work steel 1.3343. They...

Single wire system gets more sensors in multi-cavity moulds for small parts.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To simplify cavity pressure monitoring when moulding small parts in multi-cavity moulds Kistler Instruments has applied its single wire technology to a range of sub-miniature, indirect cavity pressure sensors. These...

More aids for mould movements.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... A friction puller for parting line control and new lifters for undercuts have been introduced by Progressive Components Europe. The Friction Puller is designed to replace shoulder bolts and draws open floating plates or inserts on mould...

Side gating nozzle reaches where other nozzles can't.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... The new HPS III-MH nozzle from Ewikon is for direct side gating of parts in compact multi-cavity moulds. It has been designed for demanding applications in the medical industry such as for the gating of long, slim or tubeshaped parts like...

When moulding precision could be life or death.(injection moulding)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] German toolmaker Kobelin Formenbau has developed a mould for injection moulding mechanical cardiac valves without subsequent rework. The major challenge during the development was to...

Standard mould range extended.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... New standard moulds have been introduced by Meusburger of Austria. There are four new sizes of sliding core moulds which can be delivered ex stock and a 96 96 standard mould which completes the company's series of smaller-sized moulds. The...

10 More reasons to buy robots, so why isn't Britain buying? Stirling Paatz of automation integrator Barr & Paatz outlines some compelling reasons to adopt robots in manufacturing--but reasons which don't seem to be compelling manufacturers in Britain.(automation & robotics)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Three years ago I wrote a trade press article putting forward '10 good reasons to invest in robots'. Since then the worldwide stock of operational industrial robots has risen to the one million mark and there is now...

Bespoke automation backed up by flexible finance.(automation robotics)
April 1, 2009... An investment resource for companies looking for automation but not finding the funding to acquire it has been set up by custom built automation supplier Marlin Group Holdings. AMG Production Consultancy & Investment Services offers automation...

UK first for big, handled, pet bottles.(blow moulding)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] British blow moulder has become the first in Europe to produce 4 and 5 litre handled containers in extrusion blown PET which it says offer aesthetic improvements and cost reductions over HDPE and go where stretch...

Space saving shredder reclaims bulky scrap where it is produced.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... A new single shaft shredder and wear-resistant replacement parts are available from Herbold Meckesheim of Germany, through UK agent Colortronic. The HR102P shredder has been designed to reclaim bulky hollow products in minimum floor space....

Recycler now sells machinery and can buy back reclaimed scrap.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In addition to operating as a materials recycler, and producing its own brand of recycled materials, the Manchester-based Axion Group has a consultancy arm which has been expanding the services it offers to companies...

Recycling machinery recycled.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... With pressures growing to recycle waste, but to cut expenditure, companies which would normally buy new machinery are turning to refurbished used machinery or upgrades of their own plant, according to recycling equipment specialist Oxplas. ...

Keep the noise down.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... A portable noise suppression system designed for use with granulators, but with potential for use on other noisy equipment, has been developed by Rapid Granulator. The Rapid Silencing System is intended to lower noise emissions by 10--20...

Super-jumbo cuts tanks down to size.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... What do you do with rejects hen you are moulding 150 kg at a shot? Graf Plastics in Germany produces large volume (up to 6,500 litres) Carat brand underground tanks for rainwater collection on one of the world's largest two-platen injection...

Crates and pallets exception to heavy metal recycling rules is renewed.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... The derogation--official blind eye to the rules--from the European Commission on recycling crates and pallets has been continued. Older crates and pallets may contain higher levels of heavy metals than would be permitted in Europe's plastics...

Another buy for Eurocell as it adds Recovinyl-certified recycler.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... PVC building profiles extruder Eurocell has made its third company acquisition in the space of a year. It has bought Merritt Plastics which is a rigid PVC recycling and extrusion company. Merritt last year invested some 500,000 [pounds...

Innovation award for Greenstar WES.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... Redcar-Dased Greenstar WES has won a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category for its work in recycling food grade plastics. Its milk bottle recycling plant was the first in the country to produce food-grade rHDPE when it started...

CeDo analyses mixed plastics flexible waste.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... Research into reclaiming the mixed plastics element of Britain's household waste stream is under way at CeDo's film recycling site in Holland. CeDo reckons to be Europe's market leader in household disposables and is part of Delton, based in...

Closing the loop on PVC window frames.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... A window installation project in Manchester is said to be the first to be a virtual closed loop. The frames were made from PVC recycled from old window frames, with the exception of a thin foiled skin of virgin material to give colour...

Bumper to bumper recycling.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... An automated process for reclaiming vehicle bumpers for moulding new bumpers without the need for pre-sorting has gone into production at Mazda Motor Corporation in Japan. Mazda has reclaimed material from bumpers from its own make vehicles...

Reasons to use recycled materials promoted to designers.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... The benefits of recycled materials are being promoted to designers by a series of Materials Information Cards developed for Axion Polymers by Rosie Hornbuckle of Kingston University. The cards aim to improve awareness among product designers of...

Recycling rubber--you know it makes sense.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... Recycling plastics has such a high profile today that it may seem to overshadow an equally important recycling issue. What do you do with waste rubber products? In Britain nearly 50 million tyres amounting to nearly half a million tonnes...

Tyre reclaim pyrolysis plant 'the first in Europe'.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... A tyre recycling plant being built in the North East of England is said to be the first of its kind in Europe. The 80 million [pounds sterling] plant being built by PYReco at the South Tees Eco Park in Tees Valley, Middlesbrough, will open in...

Reclaimed pet makes polyester polyols ...(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... A process for generating polyol from reclaimed PET has gone to production at Petopur at Schwarzheide in Germany which anticipates producing 4,000 tonnes a year for use in rigid foam. The core unit of the plant is a reactor which carries out...

... and greener tyres.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... Green cars are getting greener tyres in Japan.Toyo Tire & Rubber has introduced the Proxes Ne range of tyres specifically for environmentally oriented cars, which have lower rolling resistance but also have improved manufacturing eco...

The ones that got away.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... Greenstar, Closed Loop and others may be seeking to put all your old milk bottles through their Vacuremas, but not all milk bottles go round the recycling loop. British artist Caroline A Saul makes sculptures from milk bottles shredded into a...

Separation success means biomaterials don't contaminate recycling streams, says NatureWorks.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... The argument against making bottles from biodegradable materials because they might contaminate the recycling waste stream no longer applies according to PLA manufacturer NatureWorks. The company has been running tests on recycling systems and...

Film extruders invest for expansion.(film & sheet production)
April 1, 2009... Two British blown film companies have expanded capacity with new plant and are extending factory space. BPI films has invested 10 million [pounds sterling] in a 2,000 [m.sup.2] building housing two five-layer coextrusion lines at its...

Medical approval boosts potential for laser prototypes.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... Two new SLA resins have been added to the range of DSM Somos functional materials offered by Laser Prototypes (Europe). Watershed XC11222 is a clear material suited to medical device housings and fluid flow analysis models. With recent USP...

Nylon recycling moves mountains.(reclamation & recycling)
April 1, 2009... Nylon manufacturer Rhodia has a policy of linking with its customers in closed loop recycling systems, and has just set up such a system with a mountaineering equipment company. It has started a mountain rope recycling scheme with Millet of...

Upgrades across the board at Delcam.(tooling)
April 1, 2009... Improvements have been made to three of Delcam's tooling programmes, PowerMILL, FeatureCAM and PartMaker. The new release of PowerMILL CAM offers a more complete solution for complex machining operations, together with more control for...

Cam software interfaces with machining simulation.(tooling)
April 1, 2009... An interface between Missler Software's TopSolid'Cam and CGTech's Vericut CNC simulation software enables Vericut to be opened directly from Topsolid'Cam, and the companies say that target customers already use both programmes. Now all...

BPF aims to bring understanding on bio- and degradable plastics issues.(biopolymers)
April 1, 2009... A seminar intended to bring clarity to the issues surrounding bio-based and degradable plastics is to be held by the British Plastics Federation on May 13 at its headquarters in London. The BPF says that these materials have been heralded...

More bio TPUs from Merquinsa.(biopolymers)
April 1, 2009... Ether-based bio-sourced thermoplastic polyurethanes have been added to Merquinsa's Pearlthane ECO product line in what the company claims as a world first. They have a renewable content up to 60 per cent according to ASTM D6866, and Merquinsa...

Biopolymer producers back environmental claims with life cycle studies.(biopolymers)
April 1, 2009... NaturevvorKs In the USA and Plantic in Australia have improved their manufacturing processes, which has had a positive effect on life cycle comparisons for the environmental benefits of their materials over petrochemical-sourced plastics. ...

FKuR nets another application for Bio-Flex.(biopolymers)
April 1, 2009... The FKuR Bio-Flex alloy of NatureWorks PLA and BASF's Ecof/ex copo/yester is being knitted into net for fruit packaging by Gird. FKuR says it is the world's first certified complete compostable net bag with both net and neck label being...

Improving the performance of PLA.(biopolymers)
April 1, 2009... Dutch lactic acid specialist Purac has formed strategic partnerships with two companies in the field of bioplastics. It has linked with AkzoNobel to develop additives through organic peroxide technology which control the polymedsation of PLA...

PP/Starch compound can now be injection moulded.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... A polypropylene/corn starch material used for thermoforming sheet can now be injection moulded following development work by Suffolk based product design consultancy Minima Design. PolyFlour VP55 is 55 per cent corn starch encapsulated...

Natural oil polyol process developed by Bayer.(biopolymers)
April 1, 2009... A way to incorporate vegetable oils in polyether polyol production with only a few modifications to existing plant has been developed by Bayer MaterialScience. The company says it can make polyols with 53--68 per cent content from...

Green Footprint aims to reduce carbon footprint.(biopolymers)
April 1, 2009... A project to make footwear using polyurethane with a renewable content has been started by Dow Polyurethane Systems with funding by the European Commission. The Green Footprint programme, in which Dow is working with Italian shoe sole producer...

Medical LDPE series reintroduced 'by popular demand'.(packaging materials)
April 1, 2009... The Bormed series of medical grade low density polyethylenes for blow/ fill/seal applications is to be reintroduced by Boreal is. The materials were originally produced at the Bamble plant in Norway but when Borealis sold its Norwegian...

PP is soft but very transparent.(packaging materials)
April 1, 2009... A high transparency polypropylene for thinwall containers and lids has been introduced by Borealis. As well as its transparency, Borsoft SG220MO is particularly soft, for easy opening even after refrigerated storage. In this respect Boreatis...

Lead-free compounds for PVC building products.(engineering materials)
April 1, 2009... Lead-free rigid PVC compounds for injection moulded building products have been introduced by Dugdale. The new Ducavin branded materials meet the requirements of BS EN 1401 drain products, BS EN 1329 soil and waste products and BS EN 607...

DuPont switches Vespel distribution.(engineering materials)
April 1, 2009... Sales of DuPont's Vespel polyimide stock shapes and parts are being transferred from Ensinger to Biesterfeld in Britain and Germany. Ensinger has been selling Vespel since 2000 and the cessation of its distributorship is described as by...

Arkema names UK carbon nanotube distributor.(engineering materials)
April 1, 2009... Carbon nanotubes tram Arkema are to be sold in Britain by Hubron Speciality in Manchester. Arkema has been making multi-wall carbon nanotubes under the Graphistrength brand since 2006 and has a current laboratory-scale capacity of around 20...

Carbon nanotube acetal goes into commercial production.(engineering materials)
April 1, 2009... A grade of acetal incorporating carbon nanotubes has been developed by BASF in collaboration with automotive electronics manufacturer Bosch and gone into production at Bosch in Budweis in the Czech Republic for a fuel filter housing used on the...

Investment in low pressure moulding foams.(engineering materials)
April 1, 2009... Improved foams for low pressure injection moulding processes are being researched by Sekisui Alveo of Switzerland. The low pressure moulding process is used in automotive interiors to make dash panels or door linings with a soft foam surface on...

Lead dropped in cure of fluoroelastomer seals.(design)
April 1, 2009... Lead-free grades of fluoroelastomer have been devised by specialist seal manufacturer Precision Polymer Engineering to meet high performance sealing requirements in applications such as marine diesel engines, heat exchangers, and hot...

Designer chair uses speciality nylon and gas injection.(design)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gas injection technology has been used to produce a lightweight but stable weather-resistant chair by designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec in cooperation with Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra. The chair is moulded...

More potential from roto moulding.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... Cornish rotational moulder Orchid Plastics has extended its production capabilities with foamed walls and paintable PE. The internal foamed process uses a polyethylene foam system that is expanded during the moulding cycle to produce a...

Switch to plastics slashes headwall installation time.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... Northampton based product design company 3di Consulting has designed a construction industry headwall system which cuts costs by 30 per cent and greatly reduces installation time when compared with a traditional cast in-situ concrete headwall....

Bayer sells its testing lab.(testing & inspection)
April 1, 2009... Bayer MaterialScience is selling its German Thermoplastics Testing Centre to Underwriters Laboratories of the USA. The company says the sale "underscores Bayer MaterialScience's focus on the development of high tech materials for innovative...

More flexibility in testing management.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... A new testing management software platform from Tinius Olsen is intended to go beyond just the basic results, and provide the basis for decision making on product development, quality, performance and improvement. Horizon has more...

GPC added to Bodycote services.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... The polymers division of Bodycote Testing Group has expanded its services with a Polymer Labs GPC 220 which can analyse virtually all polymer and solvent combinations at temperatures from 30 to 220 degC. Gel permeation chromatography is used to...

Impact oversees Saudi polyolefins testing complex.(testing & inspection)
April 1, 2009... A $40 million research and development centre is to be built at its new Jubail, Saudi Arabia, polyolefin complex by Tasnee Petrochemicals, and Scottish testing and support services company Impact Laboratories will be overseeing it. The...

Latest VISI version focuses on integration of flow simulation.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... Version 17 of Vero Software's VISI CAD/ CAM/CAE product to be released in June will extend the integration of plastic flow simulation into a CAD environment. VISI Flow uses a patented hexahedral hybrid mesh technology to enable analyses to...

Need to know more about 3D CAD?(software)
April 1, 2009... A free guide to 3D CAD is available for download from SolidWorks. It is designed for people who need to implement 3D CAD throughout their companies, from CAD managers, designers, or engineers who believe their company could benefit from 3D to...

Energy monitor gives real time data on consumption.(PDM TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
April 1, 2009... A real time system for monitoring energy consumption has been developed by BMS Vision for stand-alone use or as an extension to its Plantmaster or other MES system from BarcoVision. EnergyMaster tracks which machine or department consumes...

Software directory.(software)(Directory)
April 1, 2009... MANUFACTURING MANAGEMENT REAL TIME PRODUCTION MONITORING, SCHEDULING AND PROCESS MONITORING ProHelp EPM (for Microsoft Windows[TM] PC Servers) Mattec Ltd Tel: 01909 561544 Fax 01909 560675 E-mail: a.jewell@mattec.com...

SABIC strengthens its position in automotive LGFPP.(materials marketplace)
April 1, 2009... In a move to strengthen its involvement with the American motor industry--and thereby global car design and development--SABIC Innovative Plastics has bought a long glass fibre polypropylene product line and added it to its own Stamax brand. It...

BASF adds to plant stand-downs.(materials marketplace)
April 1, 2009... An ethylene cracker at the BASF site in Ludwigshafen, Germany, has been shut down for at least three months, adding to the substantial capacity cuts announced by the company towards the end of last year to counter weak demand. The cracker is...

Green light for the next stage of Borouge's PE and PP expansion.(materials marketplace)
April 1, 2009... Borouge is to move to the next stage in the expansion of its polyolefins operation at Ruwais in Abu Dhabi. Its Borouge 2 project is still in construction and is not scheduled to start up until 2010, but a year ago the company--a joint venture...

Japanese producers quit Polystyrene.(materials marketplace)
April 1, 2009... The Japan Polystyrene joint venture between Mitsui Chemicals and Sumitomo Chemicals is to shut down and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation is sell off its stake in another PS producer. Japanese Polystyrene was set up in 1997, combining the...

LyondellBasell steps up cost reduction with 5,000 jobs.(materials marketplace)
April 1, 2009... A cost reduction programme involving the shedding of around 5,000 jobs is planned by LyondellBasell as part of a revised fixed cost-cutting measure. The company has raised its original $200 million target to $700 million by the end of 2010 and...

Solutia names a buyer for its nylon business.(materials marketplace)
April 1, 2009... Solutia has found a buyer for the former Monsanto nylon business, which it put up for sale last year. It is to be sold to an affiliate of SK Capital Partners II, a New York-based private equity firm that is focused on the chemical, material and...

French LDPE plant to close.(materials marketplace)
April 1, 2009... LyondellBasell is planning to stop making LDPE at its Fos-sur-Mer site in France. The plant has been idle since March and now the company is planning to make this permanent. Vice president for polyethylene in Europe, Richard Roudeix, said:...