British Plastics & Rubber articles from July 2001

British Plastics & Rubber archives from July 2001

E for electric, E for European.(electric injection molding machines)
July 1, 2001... THIS YEAR's Dusseldorf exhibition will mark the wider acceptance by the major European machine builders that there is actually a place for all-electric injection moulding machines. For nigh on 20 years all-electric machines have, with a couple...

Are hydraulic machines on their way out for disc moulding?
July 1, 2001... Alan Smith reports from the Replitech optical disc fair in Geneva THE fully hydraulic injection moulding machine appears to be on its way to being completely superseded in the Optical Disc sector, although, like VHS tape versus DVD, it will...

Cold nitrogen cuts gas injection cycle times.(University of Warwick's Manufacturing Group)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... THE University of Warwick's Manufacturing Group has found a compromise between the lightweighting of plastic mouldings by gas injection and the faster cycling through water injection. It has developed a super-cooling gas process said to cut...

Swanton retires from Billion.
July 1, 2001... COLIN Swanton has retired from Billion UK and has been succeeded as managing director by technical director Peter Kirkham.

New big machine range from Husky.(injection moulding)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... HUSKY has upgraded the two-platen injection moulding machine series it introduced in 1995 and called it the Quadloc range, spanning locking forces of 1,500 to 8,000 tonnes. Control now uses the Polaris personal computer/Windows-based system...

Engel backs tiebarless design with five year warranty.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... ENGEL has increased the warranty period on some of its equipment to beyond the normal coverage for injection moulding machines. A five year warranty is now offered for the breakage resistance and function of the C-frame and Flexlink...

Control update gives Ankerwerk a new lease of life.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... A 30 year old Ankerwerk 120 tonne machine at Renham & Wade, Barnard Castle, has been fitted with a Colter Systems FMT-200J PLC to update its performance and enhance reliability. The company now intends to equip 10 other machines of this make...

Acetal makes plastic zips stronger than metal.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... PLASTICS zip fasteners as reliable and long lasting as metal can now be made on Speedomatic Super 800 machines, which combine injection moulding, ultrasonic welding and peripheral functions. Closed, open and double open ended fasteners can be...

Oil cleaner filters down to 2 micron.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... THE COF by-pass oil cleaner comprising a filter, motor and pump has been introduced by ServTek, the service division of Ferromatik Milacron North America. The pump draws oil from the machine's reservoir, passes it through the filter and returns...

Now hear this.(injection molding machine with voice recognition)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... You may often have shouted at a machine when it has failed to do what you expected. But the latest development from Meiki will let the machine shout back. Meiki has prototyped what is reckoned to be the world's first voice recognition...

Two, four and eight hot drops make Pronto suitable for most hot runner moulds.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... HUSKY has added two versions of new eight drop systems to its Pronto range of complete configurable hot runner halves, complementing two and four drop types. Three out of every four moulds made have eight cavities or fewer, says the company, so...

Enerpac QMC business goes solo.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... THE Enerpac quick mould change business has been bought by its management from the US-based Actuant company, and now operates as EAS mould & die change systems. Enerpac is concentrating on its core high pressure hydraulic tool business. ...

Sequence moulding removes grille weld lines.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... AN Incoe hot runner system has been applied to the production of a decorative automotive vent grille in glass fibre reinforced PA66 without flow lines. The part is clipped to another component and narrow tolerances had to be observed with...

Cool-One hits the spot for ice cream spoon.(Fastrack)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... DME Cool-One internally heated hot runner systems have been incorporated in new PP spoon tooling made by Fastrack, part of the Modem Moulds Group, for Paramount Plastic Productions after other systems were rejected as being over specified or...

Slide unit for small recesses and protrusions.(Hasco mould)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... HASCO has introduced the Z181 mould slide unit for use where a moulding has small recesses and protrusions. Simply milled sections in the cavity plates permit secure retention of the unit at any angle to the cavity. The cylindrical retainer for...

Stadium to sell off plastics companies.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... STADIUM Group is planning to sell its injection moulding businesses in order to concentrate on its other activity, electronic manufacturing services. It has decided on this tactic because it says it is difficult for a company of its size...

Electron Tech expands and restructures.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... ELECTRON Tech, UK sales and service agent for Sumitomo all-electric injection moulding machines and Yushin robot systems, has restructured into four operating divisions. As part of the restructure Mark Guyett, former head of the American MSI...

Change of agency for Italtech.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... CJ Machine Services has taken over the agency for Italtech injection moulding machines following the demise of Ital Machinery. Italtech makes machines from 90 to 8,000 tonnes, but is best known for its large machines used mainly in the...

Automotive automation investment.(Automold UK)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... STROUD-based Tier 1 automotive supplier Automold UK is to spend [pound]1.2 million on seven moulding automation cells, four for installation in Germany and three in the UK. The new cells, to be supplied by Wittmann (UK), will make parts for the...

Epiq buys Scottish computer component moulder.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... Computer sub-assembly manufacturer Turnkey Plastics of Dumbarton has been bought by Epiq international. Epiq is a systems supplier to the automotive, household, personal communication and industrial sectors, and has plants in Belgium,...

Sherman racks up European treater sales.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... CORONA treatment equipment has been installed by Sherman Treaters on several new European lines producing or converting film. At one major European packaging converter a Schiavi high speed rotogravure press has been fitted with a...

Universal treater combines covered and bare base roll technologies.(Enercon Industries)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... THE latest Enercon Industries corona discharge treating system, the Universal Roll 2000, is said to combine the advantages of covered and bare base roll treater technology and to produce higher and more consistent treatment than standard...

Infra red oven preels PVC coatings.(Heraeus Noblelight )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... Newmor Group is now using a Heraeus Noblelight infra red oven to pre-gel PVC used for wall coverings. The in-line process reduces production times. Most coverings are PVC on various substrates and the plastic is built up to the thickness...

Low pressure air knives cut the noise from web cooling.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... MARLEY Floors has reduced factory noise and saved costs by replacing compressed air driven air knives on its PVC flooring production lines with low pressure air knives powered by Air Control Industries blowers. Air knives are used to...

Eltex claims high performance near or far.(ion blower )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... The new Eltex R35 depth effect ion blower for reducing static charge operates at air pressures up to 6 bar and is available with either a wide, shallow fishtail nozzle for maximum coverage at low velocity, or a round nozzle for high velocity,...

Panel cutter handles wide thickess range without adjustment.(Relco CC-X )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... CAPABLE of cutting and slitting a wide range of materials from medical grade fibres to heavy plastics without adjustment, the Relco CC-X panel cutting machine takes material from up to three rolls at once over a table which straightens the web...

Reel handling in tight spaces.(pneumatic shaft handler)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... JARSHIRE now distributes the AWP 1200 pneumatic shaft handler for use in restricted spaces where mobile units cannot be employed. It is secured to the floor in the area of the reel stand and heavy reel bars can be handled safely without need...

In-line slitting reduces conversion costs.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... THE NEED for slitting to be performed more expensively as a separate operation can be removed by retrofitting Helios Slitting Systems modules in-line with extruders, says UK distributor Jarshire. Inline slitting also eliminates web alignment...

Slitter rewinder has automatic knife adjustment.(Machine Technology Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... MACHINE Technology supplies the new Heuser Robust LSM slitting and rewinding machine for coated papers and plastics foils. These are wound on two separate shafts with slit widths from 45 mm and stepless speeds up to 300 m/minute. More than 30...

Air shafts increase production for Rexam.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... ELITE Cameron has supplied a fourth set of differential air shafts to Rexam Medical, enabling production to be increased by 28 per cent compared with the use of conventional chucks. Reject rates with one product were formerly about 5 per...

Shrink films are non-fogging for better product presentation.(Soretrac UK Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... POLYOLEFIN shrink films which do not fog have been introduced by Soretrac. Available centre folded or single wound, they are made to have surface tension lower than water and are offered in thicknesses of 15 and 19 micron. Products are...

Thermal transfer ribbon is big business for Dusenbery.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... SIX Dusenbery slitters are used to convert large rolls of coated films from Japan at Union Chemicar plants in Rotherham and Bolsward in The Netherlands. These have been installed during the past two years to meet growing European demands for...

Embossing adds appeal.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... THE advantages of embossing to enhance product saleability are not widely appreciated, believes Embosco, which specialises in building embossing machines. The company designs and builds in-line, reel to reel, sheet and hand-fed units to...

Astraflex is fourth flexo press at Bemis, Elsham.(flexographic press)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... BEMIS has installed a Windmoller & Holscher Astraflex eight-colour CI flexographic press at its flexible packaging plant near Elsham, Lincolnshire. The new [pound]3 million press joins the company's existing eight-colour W & H Olympia...

Side weld bagmaker is Harnden's fastest yet.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... THE new Harnden PP Series 3 side weld bagmaking machine has a control system coupled to the latest digital AC servo motors and is claimed to be the fastest of its type yet made by the company. Additions have been made to Harnden's range of...

High frequency sealing.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... APEX Retail Distribution of Hatfield has acquired a Relco rotary blister pack sealer. Packs are sealed by use of high frequency power while blister card packs are sealed with the heated platen. Output has doubled with no increase in workforce....

Five-layer laminator handles sensitive materials.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... A MACHINE for making multi-layer products from up to five separate film layers has been developed by Adolf Muller and is available from Simplex-Turbulo Company. The ZFF is a folding, laminating, slitting and rewinding machine all in one....

Add-on winder converts bottom weld to bag-on-the roll.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... To improve the economics of producing bags on a roll Keely Machinery is now selling a conversion kit for Arvor and other suitable bagmakers. Keely says that many converters supply their customers with bags on the roll on a 'buy and sell'...

Bagmaking automation range is extended.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... LEMO has extended its range of Autopack automatic handling and packaging systems running in-line with the company's bagmaking equipment. Packs of wicketed bags can be placed into cartons and the Sine Wave carrier bag machine for reinforced...

New welding process widens the range of medical bags.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... A NEW patented welding technology is used on the in-line multi station machine for the production of colostomy and ileostomy bags made by the Weldan company of Denmark. The main thermal welding press incorporates the NWS technology which...

CNC equipment gives tenfold increase in sheet machining.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... HIBAU has increased output tenfold, ceased putting work out to sub contractors and diversified production since installing a Masterwood Winner 2.4S CNC machining centre for processing plastics sheet and MDF. The company makes commercial...

High speed welding of building membranes.(Leister Astro)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... JOINING waterproof sheeting on building sites with a Leister Astro hot wedge welding machine can be performed at up to 5 in/second. Pressure regulation with wedge advance to the desired welding position is done simultaneously and joining...

Kiefel secures big US refrigerator order.(Paul Kiefel)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... THE largest ever gained by Kiefel, an order for 15 pressure forming machines to the value of DM28 million has been placed with Paul Kiefel by General Electrics (USA) and its partner MABE (Mexico). The machines will be used in the USA and Mexico...

Packaging system gives multiple reclosures.(Danisco Flexible ReClose packaging system)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... DANISCO Flexible claims a number of advantages for its ReClose packaging system, suitable for foods, medicines, electrical accessories and other products. It can be used on thermoforming machines for any size or shape of tray and there is...

Forming temperature control gives a payback 'in months'.(Raytek TF100 System)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... RAYTEK has introduced the TF100 temperature control system specifically for thermoforming enabling users to monitor temperature distributions in a heated plastic sheet continuously. Temperature is a critical variable affecting the...

In-line polishing stack cuts energy and production costs in PET thermoforming.(Battenfeld)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... TO MEET demands for higher output and improved product quality in PET thermoforming Battenfeld has developed an in-line polishing stack, bridging sheet extrusion and forming. This is said to achieve high outputs with low energy consumption...

Improving production of acrylic refrigerator doors.(Rigo Group)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... THERMOFORMED acrylic doors are being used on some up-market refrigerators because they bring benefits of anti-corrosion, flexibility of design and colour, and elimination of the sheet metal forming step. But while they offer these benefits,...

Hotpoint buys Illig former for refrigerator liners.(General Domestic Appliances)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... GENERAL Domestic Appliances, which makes Hotpoint refrigerators, has bought an Illig UAT 200g thermoforming machine to make PU cabinet liners. Full size double compartment liners can be made at the rate of 70 an hour. The machine has a...

Thickness gauge works quicker and gives more data.(NDC Infrared Engineering IG710 on-line gauge)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... THE new IG710 on-line gauge for film thickness and coat weight measurement operates at 7.5 m/second, up to 10 times faster than conventional near infrared gauges, and allows more data to be collected in the machine direction and across the web,...

Speeding up production of thermoforming sheet.(Battenfeld)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... PRODUCTION of thermoforming sheet such as for margarine tub covers needs care so that the surface is suitable for printing and the shrinkage during the forming process is even. But at the same time production must be fast enough to yield...

Reifenhauser updates film and coating die designs.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... NEW thermal film gauge control systems and a new air ring have been introduced by Reifenhauser alongside an updated series of coextruded blown film and extrusion coating dies. The new RElcoflow II air ring has been designed for increased...

Measurex adds temperature control to gauging.(Honeywell-Measurex)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... TEMPERATURE control can be integrated with sheet/film extrusion gauging control in a new package from Honeywell-Measurex. The extrusion temperature control application offers control of the extruder temperatures and other key parameters as...

Barlo to stop making sheet in Belgium.(BARLO Plastics)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... BARLO Plastics is to close its Geel, Belgium sheet plant and transfer production to its factories at Nischwitz in Germany and Pribram in the Czech Republic. The plant makes 9,000 tonnes/year of PETG, PS, PMMA and SAN sheet. The move is a...

High level control demands for mould temperature.(Tek Machinery)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... REQUIREMENTS for the temperature controller to communicate with external control systems are leading to increased sales of HB-Therm temperature control units by Tek Machinery. The units are built with two levels of control. The Controller...

Jenco joins the temperature control business.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... Jenco has entered the temperature control sector by introducing equipment made by Italian manufacturer Industrial Frigo. GRA chillers use R407C refrigerant and are available in outputs from 2,500 to 636,000 kcal/hr. The BR range of air blast...

Expanded range planned by Conair.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... CONAIR Europe is planning to introduce a number of new temperature control units based on its established TCl50 unit. Three new water units will be added, models TC9O-8, TC90-12 and TC90-18, each providing two stage switchable heating...

Selective switching makes savings in energy.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... THE Green Box twin- and multi-circuit chillers distributed by the UPM Group optimise energy use by only operating each circuit when required. Two recent installations are at Hotpoint in Peterborough and Hunter Plastics in Woolwich. At...

Improved chillers to come later this year.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... CIAT UK is to introduce new packaged water chillers by the end of the year. Claimed to bring a number of improvements in temperature control to plastics processors, Aquaciat LD air and LG water cooled chillers provide from 25 to 250 kW capacity...

Custom-built chillers avoid over-specification.(Tri-Therm HRLCR chillers)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... NEW Tri-Therm HRLCR chillers incorporate energy saving features intended to offset the effect of the Climate Change Levy. Waste heat from the process is reclaimed and can be used to supply warm air at 35 to 40 degC for space heating or hot...

Air blast coolers minimise water use and save on antibacterial treatment.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... TREATMENT of cooling tower water is getting increasingly expensive as legislation aims to prevent the spread of Legionella and other condensate-borne health hazards. There is an alternative to evaporative cooling towers -- adiabatic air...

Digital interfaces for machine linking.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... THE latest microprocessor controller used on Tool-Temp temperature controllers is capable of interfacing digitally with a range of injection moulding machines. The new MP794, which replaces the existing MP345, comes complete with the...

Coolmation extends chiller warranty.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... Coolmation's new Chiller Shield Gold extended warranty scheme is for five years and covers any fiuid or water chillers supplied by group companies. Maintenance agreements can be arranged to include a number of system checks, tests and...

Multi-tasking -- it's on the cards.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... FOR companies who want their hot runner controllers to do more than just control the hot runner PMS Systems has developed a range of control cards able to perform a variety of other tasks. Typical applications include: * remotely...

Wittmann improves Tempro controller.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... The new Wittman Tempro Primus mould temperature controller is an improved version of the Tempro Basic model and is available at a promotional price for a limited period. The Tempro Primus has 6 kW heating capacity and a pump capacity of 60...

Digital controller from Athena for single systems or mainframes.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... THE latest RMB microprocessor-based PID hot runner temperature control modules from Athena have digital keyboard setting with LED indicators for setpoint and actual temperatures, and the CompuStep and CompuCycle features incorporated in earlier...

Making more efficient use of motors and drives.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... APPROXIMATELY two thirds of the energy costs in polymer processing are from electric motors. Yet motors are often neglected when considering energy usage. The motors in the main processing equipment such as injection moulders and extruders...

DSM claims cost reductions from high flow nylons.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... HIGH FLOW grades of nylon 4.6 and 6 have been introduced by DSM. The new Stanyl PA4.6 is intended as a 40 per cent cheaper competitor to LCP for electronic connectors. DSM says that its new Stanyl HF is suitable for all applications...

Multi-material supply deal for hockey blade production.(PolyOne Engineered Materials UK)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... A BALANCE of several materials from PolyOne was needed to achieve the required performance for the blade of an indoor hockey stick. The key requirement for the blade was impact resistance, but there was need for a soft, flexible material in...

Long glass PA66 replaces cast aluminium.(long glass fibre)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... Weight has been cut in a range of grass trimmers built by Dolmar by replacing some of the cast aluminium parts with Verton RF 700-10 50 per cent long glass fibre reinforced nylon 66 from LNP Engineering Plastics. While Verton is more...

Victrex sets up medical implant material company.(Invibio Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... VICTREX has set up Invibio to supply materials for the medical implant market based on PEEK polyaryletherketone. PEEKOptima compounds combine chemical and hydrolysis resistance, strength, and excellent tribological properties with...

GE combines function with appearance.(GE Plastics)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... GE Plastics has introduced a family of aliphatic polyester/polycarbonate alloys for special effects applications. The new Xylex series is intended to combine ductility and chemical resistance with transparency or the incorporation of special...

New acetals get drinking water approval.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... TWO new grades of Ticona Hostaform acetal copolymer have been accepted for use in potable water by the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS). The first, Hostaform C13031 XAS, has been developed to offer improved resistance against...

Thermally conductive plastic stops electric motor burn-out.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... KONDUIT thermally conductive composites from LNP Engineering Plastics have made possible a new thermoplastic encapsulated electric motor for an undersea remotely-operated vehicle. The Quest ROV from Alstrom GEC, USA, must withstand...

Kraton adds chemical crosslink for SBC.(Kraton Polymers, styrene block copolymers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... A NEW crosslinking technology for styrene block copolymers which imparts higher temperature resistance has been developed by Kraton Polymers. SBCs produced by Kraton are ultraviolet or electron beam cured to give a crosslinked structure, but...

PA/TPE bed springs help relieve back strain.(thermoplastic elastomer)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... A SWISS manufacturer of mattresses, bases and bed frames has developed a hinge spring made from Santoprene TPE and polyamide for slatted bed bases which provide more support for the spinal column, and so relieve the strain on the lower back...

Colorable TPE for automotive interiors.(Advanced Elastomer Systems)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... A COLORABLE version of the low-fog, low-odour, UV-stable grade of Santoprene TPV introduced last year has been added by Advanced Elastomer Systems. The M300 series, which was originally only available in black, is intended for soft touch...

Medical TPE to replace latex and PVC.(thermoplastic elastomer compounds)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... THREE new thermoplastic elastomer compounds have been formulated in the USA for medical tubing replacing latex and plasticised PVC. The compounds are additions to the Monprene line of styrenic block copolymers from Teknor Apex. Grades MP...

Aoki finds PEEK is the only answer for injection blow stretch rod tips.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... PEEK polyaryletherketone is now being used to make the stretch rod tips of Aoki injection stretch blow moulding machines, replacing polyamide. The stretch rod tip presses the preform into the bottom of the mould at the stretch blow...

Sanders gives up handling 12,000 bags a week.(Braby delivers silos)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... BRABY has installed six aluminium silos at Sanders Polyflims, Hereford, where delivery of 12,000 25 kg bags, or 300 tonnes, of PE had been dealt with manually each week since 1964. The company supplies shrink film to Britvic, Procter &...

Koch adds masterbatch metering unit.(KE-M dosing unit)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... A NEW dosing unit for metering masterbatch directly into the feeding area of the screw has been introduced by Koch Technik. The new KE-M has no mixer: it is mounted directly on the adapter flange, usually in combination with a main material...

Screw conveyor licks sticky materials problem.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... A SWITCH to flexible screw conveying has eliminated major problems in the handling of sticky materials for an American manufacturer. Difficulty conveying phenolic resin adhesive in the manufacture of glass fibre ductwork was causing such...

Blending built-in to pneumatic conveyor.(Portasilo Superflo )(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... NEW features of the Portasilo Superflo dense phase pneumatic conveying system are online airflow monitoring and in-built blending capability. Airflow monitoring is standard and optimises conveying parameters to increase the overall product...

Compounding colour feeders are volumetric or gravimetric.(ACRISON 170 series)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... ACRISON 170 series 0.05 to 3,000 kg/hr feeders are intended for use by colour compounders and are made in both volumetric and gravimetric versions. Discharging leaves minimum residual material and a secondary discharge port permits rapid...

A lesson in extrusion.(extrusion training software)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2001... Chris Rauwendaal is an extrusion guru. Now you can benefit from his knowledge and experience through a CD training package. LOOKinto extrusion and it is not long before the name Rauwendaal comes up. It is the name on the standard textbook...