British Plastics & Rubber articles from July 2005

British Plastics & Rubber archives from July 2005

High productivity from PET direct extrusion sheet line.(FILM & SHEET PRODUCTION)
July 1, 2005... A PET thermoforming sheet line which has been running without pre-drying at a Danish company for more than a year has been augmented with a second line. Both lines were supplied by Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik, and fed by co-rotating twin screw...

Reifenhauser ships its latest wide film line to China.(FILM & SHEET PRODUCTION)
July 1, 2005... Very wide cast film is being produced in China to make a variety of food packaging, notably for metallising, laminating and boil-in-the bag applications. Reifenhauser has recently installed its third line there with a 4.6m slot die for...

Infrared drying--'faster and more controllable'.(FILM & SHEET PRODUCTION)
July 1, 2005... INFRARED drying is making further inroads into sheet extrusion with orders from companies such as Holfeld Plastics for use with PET, Vitembal of France which is using it on blends of virgin and regrind PLA at thoughputs of 1,000kg/hour and...

Cast film producers adopt fast set-up die.(FILM & SHEET PRODUCTION)
July 1, 2005... THE Contour Die introduced two years ago by Extrusion Dies Industries has seen substantial uptake, with orders for 35 dies to make cast film, sheet, and coated products. The Contour Die eliminates the trade off between gauge uniformity and...

Skymark extends CI printing capability.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... THE Skymark Group has bought a further Fischer & Krecke Flexpress 16S 8 colour CI flexographic printing press from Edlon Machinery for its main print facility at Leominster and has placed a tentative order for a 3rd F&K press for early 2006...

Simplified recovery of formed sheet edge trim.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... RECOVERY of edge trim from profiled cast thermoforming sheets, sometimes difficult with conventional feeding equipment, is said to be simplified by the new Hellweg LSZ 150/110 shredder. The machine has/bur toothed rolls machined out of...

Safety is enhanced on new winder.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... ENHANCED operator safety is claimed by Brampton Engineering for its new surface winder. A pressure sensitive mat immediately in front of the drum activates an emergency stop if stepped on, halting all hazardous motion such as cut over and...

New beam saws improve sheet handling.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... TWO Schelling FLM 330 precision beam saws have been installed by Silwood Plastics and a third is due in August. Among the benefits they bring is a new cutting process which enables material as thin as 0.8 mm to be handled with no corner...

Aluminium air shafts reduce weight.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... Simplex-Turbulo is UK agent for new Neuenhauser Vorwald MB pneumatic air shafts made in high strength aluminium for lightness in weight. The components have bolted steel journal ends to fit any production machine and are available in 75 and...

Infrared system cuts cost and power in sheet heating.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... FAURECIA has significantly reduced heating times involved in the manufacture of automotive soundproofing panels after a medium wave infrared system was installed by Heraeus Noblelight. The panels are fitted in vehicle interiors and luggage...

Extrusion welder for membranes and containers.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... THE new Leister Fusion 3.0 welder supplied by Welwyn Tool is intended for industrial container engineering, landfill membrane repairs and general plastics fabrication. It is capable of an output of 3.5 kg/hr and has cold start protection built...

New ownership for Eltex agent.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... ARROWQUINT, the UK agent for electrostatic equipment specialist Eltex, has been bought by long-time plastics ancillary equipment salesman Kevin Home and his business partner Brian Bayes. It was previously run by Ian Rendells, who has retired,...

Static difficulties get elastic in a twist.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... A PAIR of ionisers installed by TBA Electro Conductive Products has eliminated difficulties caused by static at Bemis, which makes adhesives, coatings and special films. One product, Clarense, is a strong lightweight clear elastic film...

Improved performance polycarbonate films from Bayer.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... TWO new grades of Makrofol polycarbonate film from Bayer MaterialScience have been tailored for improved performance in medical applications and more general printing work. Makrofol LP 209 has been developed to resist sterilisation in medical...

Scottish bag tax proposal is echoed around the world.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... THE PLAN to impose a tax on plastic carrier bags proposed a year ago by Scottish MP Mike Pringle could be debated by the Parliament in the Autumn, and if it is passed, the legislation could be in force as early as 2007. The Bill proposes...

Formed packaging sealant cured by UV in seconds.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... NEW Dymax Ultra Light-Weld 3081 and 3082 sealants supplied by Intertronics are intended for thermoformed clamshell and tube packaging in PVC, PET and R-PET. They cure in seconds on exposure to UV light to enable production line speeds up to 9...

Debate over degradables.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... DEGRADABLE polyethylene bags are not all they're cracked up to be, according to the International Biodegradable Polymers Association (IBAW). And the attack on biodegradables from the very organisation one would expect to be promoting their...

Medical moisture barrier film is transparent.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... NEW Honeywell Aclar Flex moisture barrier film is a crystal clear PCTFE material that allows the end user to see into packages that were previously opaque, simplifying QC, labelling and product identification. It is intended for flexible...

Speakers formed from a single piece of Perspex.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... The FH001 high definition acoustic speakers for Ferguson-Hill are being made in 8 mm Perspex acrylic sheet by Display Developments. They are formed in one piece to leave no unsightly tooling marks or joins. Edges are polished. The products were...

Traffic sign less attractive to thieves--until the price of PC reaches that of aluminium.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... A TRAFFIC sign incorporating LEDs to light an acrylic face has been developed by Barkston. Need for external lamps, which consume 85 per cent more energy, and the use of expensive materials such as aluminium is avoided and local authority...

New possibilities in leisurewear.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... High breathability of new Desmopan DP 6580A moisture vapour transmission TPU developed by Bayer MaterialScience could open up new possibilities for coating sports and leisurewear. Permeability of a 15micron thick film is 5, 400 g/[m.sup.2]/day...

PC diffuser film resists higher temperatures from latest LCDs.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... ILLUMINEX optical diffuser film made by GE Advanced Materials for LCD backlighting applications is now being offered for TVs, notebook PCs, computer monitors and automotive GPS (global positioning system) displays. GE says that there is a...

Digital printing goes 3D.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
July 1, 2005... Digital printing technology has been combined with film insert moulding by Bayer MaterialScience using its Makrofol polycarbonate film. After printing, a special second film is laminated on the reverse side. The composite can then be...

Sequential gating makes a moulding cycle make more.(INJECTION MOULDING)
July 1, 2005... SEQUENTIAL valve gating can squeeze more out of an injection moulding machine by enabling family moulding, making different parts in the same mould in the same cycle. Windsor Kunststofftechnologie has developed sequential valve gating...

Boy opens new British showroom.(INJECTION MOULDING)
July 1, 2005... BOY has now left the former Space-minster building in Milton Keynes and opened up its own showroom at Unit 2 Harrison Close, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PA. The telephone number is 01908 306600 (fax 01908 306601). The company is also...

Rotating mould process for automotive panels.(INJECTION MOULDING)
July 1, 2005... THE Husky Quadloc-Tandem-Index (QTI) system introduced but not shown at last year's K exhibition has now gone commercial. Lear Corporation, which was involved in the development of QTI, has bought a system for use on automotive interior and...

Arburgs added by in-house and trade moulders.(INJECTION MOULDING)
July 1, 2005... MONEY Controls, which makes coin handling equipment used in vending and gaming machines, has invested 65,000 [pounds sterling] in two Arburg 221K 35 tonne machines and a 320K 70tonne. Productivity has been increased 25 per cent compared with...

Pressure sensors for small moulds.(INJECTION MOULDING)
July 1, 2005... KISTLER has introduced sub-miniature pressure sensors for indirect cavity pressure sensing in small moulds in which conventional sensors cannot be used. The sensor, or tongue, is mounted behind the ejector pin and cavity pressure can be...

Thinwall packaging technology now pitches at the tin can market.(INJECTION MOULDING)
July 1, 2005... THE INNOVATIVE Im-Pak injection-compression process for packaging has been moved in yet another direction with the Total-Block process in which a layer of aluminium foil is encapsulated within the container wall. The Im-Pak process,...

Cycle counter keeps track of mould life.(INJECTION MOULDING)
July 1, 2005... A counter to record how many cycles a mould has performed in a given period such as an hour or a shift, since the last maintenance check or in its lifetime, has been introduced by DMS. It measures electronically and has no moving parts. ...

Improved polycarbonates for medical work.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
July 1, 2005... THREE more biocompatible polycarbonates have been added to GE Advanced Materials' range for healthcare applications. Lexan HPX8R, HPX4, and HP1HF have the same strength, mechanical properties, and clarity as other Lexan grades but bring...

Radici expands its TPE series.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
July 1, 2005... THE Plastics Division of RadiciGroup is developing a new series of thermoplastic elastomers which includes COPE-based (copolyester-ether) TPEs under the brand name Heraflex E, and styrene-based TPEs under the Heraflex A name. The...

Merquinsa introduces plasticiser-free TPU elastomers.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
July 1, 2005... SPANISH PU specialist Merquinsa has entered the soft thermoplastic elastomers market with plasticiser-free thermoplastic polyurethanes based on new proprietary technology. These injection and extrusion grades are the first of a soft TPU range...

Overmoulded TPE makes beer crates more comfortable to carry.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
July 1, 2005... A CUSTOMISED grade of Kraiburg TPE's Thermolast K thermoplastic elastomer based on hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers was developed for an unusual two-component moulding application--making the carrying handles of beer crates more...

Providing clean water could have $multi-billion potential.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
July 1, 2005... THE need to provide readily accessible drinking water in developing countries is likely to fuel $95 billion in capital investment over the next 10 years according to GE Advanced Materials. In response the company has set up a Fluid Engineering...

Innovative PVDF with adhesion performance.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
July 1, 2005... ARKEMA has introduced a range of reactive polyvinylidene fluoride polymers and copolymers known as the Kynar ADX series. The new materials are the product of proprietary Arkema technology and open up new possibilities by their ability to adhere...

Nylon 6 flows even further.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
July 1, 2005... EVEN HIGHER flow is promised by two new grades of Durethan nylon 6 from Lanxess. The suffix XF on Durethan DP BKV30 XF and BKV35 XF stands for Xtreme Flow, and compared with the previous EasyFlow grades, their flow properties have been...

PBT/PET resist soldering temperatures.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
July 1, 2005... GRADES of Pocan thermoplastic polyester have been developed by Lanxess with high heat resistance to withstand the temperatures of reflow and vapour phase soldering with lead-free SnAg(Cu)-based solder. www.lanxoss.com

Biggest plastics additives business opens its doors ...(ADDITIVES)
July 1, 2005... CROMPTON Corporation's takeover of Great Lakes Chemical Corporation to form the world's biggest plastics additives company has brought a new name into the market--Chemtura Corporation. As well as its plastics additives business, Chemtura is...

... and appoints UK distributor.(ADDITIVES)
July 1, 2005... CROMPTON's plastics additives can now be obtained from Brenntag (UK). These include Mark vinyl heat stabilisers, boosters, kickers, phosphites and inhibitors; Marklube lubricants; Markstat antistatic agents; Markscreen UV absorbers, HALS,...

Azodicarbonamide blows in from China.(ADDITIVES)
July 1, 2005... CHANCE & HUNT has added chemical blowing agents based on azodicarbonamide to its product range. Known as Azepor AZ, they are manufactured in China to the company's specification and are now available throughout Europe and North America. ...

Three more light stabilisers from BASF.(ADDITIVES)
July 1, 2005... THREE grades have been added to BASF's Uvinul range of light stabilisers--a benzotriazole and two hindered amine light stabiliser products. The benzotriazole Uvinul 3034 is recommended for use in PET, polyamide and polycarbonate because of...

Cornelius adds nanocomposites.(ADDITIVES)
July 1, 2005... THREE new nanocomposites from Hanse Chemie are now available in the UK from distributor Cornelius. Hanse uses a modified sol-gel process to manufacture spherical nanoparticles on an industrial scale. The products can be used as raw materials...

Nano-particulate flake glass fillers.(ADDITIVES)
July 1, 2005... DEVELOPMENT work by Glassflake has enabled the company to reduce the thickness of its flake glass products to the nano scale. The work was prompted by research indicating that while thicker flake otters benefits in certain areas, there are...

What to use now curing with lead is forbidden.(ADDITIVES)
July 1, 2005... RUBBER processors can now no longer use lead in their formulations for components for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. From the beginning of this month the European Directive on the disposal of end-of-life vehicles has replaced...

Integration is the key to effective materials handling.(MATERIALS HANDLING)
July 1, 2005... TRADITIONALLY, plastics processing controls have been individual and machine-based. So, you had separate controls for each phase of the storage, drying, blending and conveying processes. However efficient these might be individually, they...

Colortronic bus route makes all the right connections.(MATERIALS HANDLING)
July 1, 2005... CMS Touch Control developed by Colortronic for use with centralised conveying systems is based on a standard PLC with connections to all hopper loaders via a single two core cable. Bidirectional communication from the PLC to the loader module...

New driers for small to large throughputs.(MATERIALS HANDLING)
July 1, 2005... NEW Colortronic Dry Flex driers range from a unit with a 15 litre hopper and a throughput of 20-25 kg/hr for direct mounting on a machine or mobile frame to central driers with capacity up to 2tonnes/hr. The hopper type is driven by compressed...

Mind your backs.(MATERIALS HANDLING)
July 1, 2005... MANUAL handling of sheets or sacks of granules is a health risk, possibly causing back injury which hurts not only the employee, but a company's profits. One in five who suffer work-related ill health do so from back pain. And Health and Safety...

Motan replaces its loader range.(MATERIALS HANDLING)
July 1, 2005... METRO loaders for centralised conveying systems have been introduced in a capacity range from 0x5 to 30 litres by Motan to replace all previous models. Construction is modular enabling them to be reconfigured to meet changing requirements with...

Hopper loader series is upgraded.(MATERIALS HANDLING)
July 1, 2005... Additions and upgrades have been made to the Colortronic hopper loader range. The new CSP-E single conveying unit is for low to medium throughputs and the CSP-G is intended to form part of a central system to convey 1,500 kg/hr over long...

Volumetric doser can be calibrated gravimetrically automatically.(MATERIALS HANDLING)
July 1, 2005... PLASTICS bearing manufacturer Sarnatech BNL has installed four of Movacolor's new MC30 dosing units at its North Yorkshire facility for dosing relatively small amounts of colour masterbatch oil its most recently installed Engel injection...

Small batch blender is improved.(MATERIALS HANDLING)
July 1, 2005... MAGUIRE MicroBlender small batch gravimetric blenders now have stainless steel hoppers as standard instead of the powder coated carbon steel used previously. In addition the company reckons to have eliminated the possibility of jamming in the...

Long distance--no problem.(MATERIALS HANDLING)
July 1, 2005... AN extension to an existing production plant by one of Colortronic's customers proved a challenge in terms of material conveying. Bulk material could only be stored in a location some distance from the main production hall where additional...

Crammer deals with awkward regrind.(MATERIALS HANDLING)
July 1, 2005... A GRAVIMETRIC batch blender from TSM Control Systems is being promoted for its ability to blend in flaked regrind. The machine pressurises regrind using TSM's reverse flight auger screw, to ensure thorough blending, or enable moulders to...

Material monitor for extrusion control.(PIPE & PROFILE)
July 1, 2005... THE Smart Hopper II has been designed by Colortronic to monitor material consumption of extrusion lines and control extruder throughput and haul off equipment. It is said to achieve an accuracy of [+ or -] 0x5 per cent, enabling material usage...

Atoglas launches acrylic enhancers for unsaturated polyesters.(COMPOSITES)
July 1, 2005... ATOGLAS has introduced a series of low profile additives for unsaturated polyester formulations. Its Altuglas BS materials are acrylic copolymers in the form of beads that confer low shrink and low profile characteristics. In contrast to other...

World's biggest conical twin screw.(PIPE & PROFILE)
July 1, 2005... WHAT is claimed to be the world's largest twin conical screw extruder, has been built by Cincinnati Milacron for new applications in wood fibre/plastics composites. The Cincinnati Milacron TC96 has an an output of 1,200 kg/hr and can deal with...

Temperature and pressure together.(PIPE & PROFILE)
July 1, 2005... THE Model [micro]500PT dual channel process indicator newly introduced by Terwin Instruments is intended to measure extrusion pressure and temperature simultaneously with transducers such as the company's 2000 series. A 1/8th DIN unit 96 mm...

Easier maintenance for elastomer leak prevention.(PIPE & PROFILE)
July 1, 2005... THE roll cartridge of the Davis-Standard ELF (Elastomer Leakage Free) feed section is now on a removable assembly to facilitate maintenance. The scraper blade can now be adjusted on the assembly when out of the machine for more accurate...

Fuel tank component packs are assembled automatically.(FINISHING)
July 1, 2005... A SPECIAL assembly machine has been developed by Lambert Engineering for TI Automotive on Deeside to perform four different hot plate welding operations. Welding of hose assemblies to a large component known as a 'carrier' is fully...

UV adhesive for needle bonding.(FINISHING)
July 1, 2005... INTERTRONICS has introduced a light curing adhesive for bonding needles, syringes and other stainless steel cannula into needle hub cavities. Dymax MD 1193-M-VLV is also applicable to joining such components to PC, PVC and PP hubs. The adhesive...

Weathering tester now has computer data logging.(TESTING & INSPECTION)
July 1, 2005... Q-PANEL Lab Products has equipped its QUV Accelerated Weathering Tester with a new controller that adds further functions. Now every QUV unit can store 10 different test cycles, and has computerised data logging and automatic lab temperature...

Lloyd makes HDT and Vicat testing safer.(TESTING & INSPECTION)
July 1, 2005... HEAT distortion and Vicat testing can now be carried out in greater safety after improvements made by Lloyd Instruments to its Davenport HDT/VICAT Plus instrument to ensure that the operator cannot be exposed to hot oil from the...

Density and titration measurements are automated.(TESTING & INSPECTION)
July 1, 2005... DENSITY determinations can now be made quickly and without rotor by automating the process with the improved SCI autosampler from Mettler Toledo. The unit has been upgraded to make sample entry and cleaning easier thanks to the built-in...

Software analyses and archives optical inspection data.(TESTING & INSPECTION)
July 1, 2005... Users of Vision Engineering's optical inspection and measurement systems can now comprehensively analyse, catalogue and archive results. The company's new Vision ArchiVE software is a modular archiving, analysis and documentation system that...

Transmission rate tester for carbonated drinks bottles.(TESTING & INSPECTION)
July 1, 2005... A NEW instrument from Mocon in the USA, said to be the first of its kind, can verify the shelf life of carbonated beverages contained in plastic bottles by measuring the carbon dioxide transmission rate of the bottle. The low cost Permatran-C...

Software gives universal testing machines dynamic capabilities.(TESTING & INSPECTION)
July 1, 2005... LLOYD Instruments' universal testing machines can now be used in dynamic materials testing with the aid of the NEXYGEN and Ondio software packages. This means that samples under test can have other external parameters controlled or monitored as...

Digital gauge reaches new heights.(TESTING & INSPECTION)
July 1, 2005... Bowers Metrology has extended the scope of its Trimos Vectra range of digital height gauges with the addition of a new 2,000mm capacity model to the existing 300mm, 600mm and 1,000mm models. Vectra digital height gauges include features such as...

Particle size measurements now at 120degC.(TESTING & INSPECTION)
July 1, 2005... A NEW option for Malvern's Zetasizer particle characterization systems enables users to measure particle size at temperatures up to 120degC, extending the range from the standard 90 degC. The Malvern Zetasizer Nano series uses patented...

Delcam previews PowerMILL 6 CAM software.(TOOLING)
July 1, 2005... THE latest version of Delcam's PowerMILL CAM system, PowerMILL 6, to be launched in September, includes new functionality for 2-, 3-, and 5-axis machining, plus a number of significant changes to the user interface to make the software easier...

New chromium steel from Hasco.(TOOLING)
July 1, 2005... MOULD standard parts specialist Hasco has introduced a chromium tool steel with machining characteristics that it says are significantly better than other high chrome corrosion-resistant steels. The new steel is known as 1.2099HASCO.M and it is...

Coating gives old moulds 'a new lease of life'.(ROTATIONAL MOULDING)
July 1, 2005... A MOULD coating described as a highly effective alternative to PTFE and conventional release agents has been newly developed by Maus Mould Services. BMC (BlackMausCoating) can be supplied for new steel or aluminium moulds or applied to existing...

Thompson invests further in roto moulding.(ROTATIONAL MOULDING)
July 1, 2005... THOMPSON Group subsidiary Thompson Technik has invested 250,000 [pounds sterling] in a carousel rotational moulding machine from Alan Yorke and other equipment which increases its roto moulding capacity by 20 per cent. The company's Bridgend...

New compact PE grades have better flow properties.(ROTATIONAL MOULDING)
July 1, 2005... TWO polyethylene grades with enhanced flow properties have been introduced by Borealis. Black Borecene Compact RM 8346-9004 improves flow in complex moulds with narrow spaces and threads, and replaces Borecene Compact grades RM8346 and...

Shred drums and IBCs in the same machine.(RECLAMATION & RECYCLING)
July 1, 2005... NEW legislation which has come into force this month prevents the disposal of contaminated plastic drums to land-fill. Exporting waste drums is also becoming increasingly difficult, and the recycling of discharged drums seems to be the only...

The net result of colour matching: matching, feasibility, formulation: all you need to know about colour--on a global scale. Clive Maier tries out a new internet-based system for giving you the right colour, at the right price, for the right application.(SOFTWARE)
July 1, 2005... NOT another website! That is the rallying cry of matchmycolor.com. It is much more than that, and that is its point, matchmycolor.com is a colour management service put on-line and using the web to integrate all the specifiers, suppliers and...

CADfix can handle more file formats.(SOFTWARE)
July 1, 2005... TRANSCENDATA Europe has launched version 7.0 of CADfix, its suite of CAD data translation and repair tools. New in version 7.0 is the ability to import native files directly from UG, SolidWorks and Inventor, as well as updated support for the...

Manufacturing management.(SOFTWARE DIRECTORY)(Directory)
July 1, 2005... EnterpriseIQ Plasticsgrid UK (0161 980 0900). E-mail: in fo@plasticsgrid.com Web site: www.plasticsgrid.com The #1 ERP system for the plastics industry. Developed by IQMS (www.iqms.com), EnterpriseIQ is the most powerful, fully integrated ERP...

NOVA Chemicals.(What's New on the Web)
July 1, 2005... The reworked NOVA Chemicals website retains a familiar look but features improved navigation and greater functionality. The ease of use of the new site is rated 49 per cent better than its predecessor by IR WebReport, the independent on-line...

Malvern Instruments.(What's New on the Web)
July 1, 2005... The new Malvern Instruments website integrates information about the company's entire range of products, technologies and services. It brings laboratory-based systems for particle characterization and rheological applications together with...

Regis Machinery.(What's New on the Web)
July 1, 2005... The site covers the wide range of equipment supplied and supported by Regis Machininery, including mixers and silos, densitiers, gear pumps, infrared dryers, screen changers and diverters, pelletisers and control systems. There are links to the...

Balzers.(What's New on the Web)
July 1, 2005... The Company has redesigned the site to include much more comprehensive information about its hard and wear-resistant physical vapour deposition (PVD) coatings. Case studies show how coatings can improve tool life, quality and process...

Gefran.(What's New on the Web)
July 1, 2005... Gefran has set up a global site dealing with its complete range of systems and components for the control and automation of industrial processes. The graphics and contents have been entirely reworked and the information is available in Italian,...