British Plastics & Rubber articles from June 2006

British Plastics & Rubber archives from June 2006

The BPF small processors group in association with PMMDA: a package specifically designed for plastics processors with a turnover of less than 1 million [pounds sterling].(PMMDA UPDATE)
June 1, 2006... FOR companies in the plastics industry sheer survival is a real challenge. To provide a life-line in what has been described as "the most difficult trading environment for the plastics industry to date', the British Plastics Federation is...

Polymer research has its US open day.(TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
June 1, 2006... ONE thread being followed at Antec was how polyolefins can be modified to deliver improved properties. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in the US are studying how biaxially oriented polypropylene--the material used to make crisp...

C-M plans European extruder production.(PIPE & PROFILE)
June 1, 2006... CINCINNATI Milacron is gearing up to start building extruders in Europe. It has taken space at Uniloy's blow moulding machine complex in Magenta in Northern Italy to stock spares for European sales and expects to build twin screw extruders...

Standardising colour dispersion using filter pressure as an assessment tool.(COMPOUNDING)
June 1, 2006... With increasing demands imposed on quality control in the dispersion of colorants in plastics there has grown a need for a standardised testing method. Dr Volker Konigstein of BASF, Hans-Peter Meyer of Ciba Specialty Chemicals and Dr-Ing Gunter...

Modifiers focus on specific polymer improvements.(COMPOUNDING)
June 1, 2006... A NEW series of modifiers that can impart specific properties to a variety of polymers has been introduced by DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers. The first materials are Entira AS, which imparts antistatic properties, high frequency...

Modular plants are tested and operators trained before delivery.(COMPOUNDING)
June 1, 2006... CUSTOMISED modular plants from material supply to pelletising, are now being supplied by Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer. Systems are supplied fully tested for immediate start-up. The compounding system is planned in cooperation with the...

One screw good, two screws better, 12 screws ...(COMPOUNDING)
June 1, 2006... LARGE quantities of almost pure PET flakes are becoming available through the returns systems allied to the bottled drinks sector. Depending on the location of the collection point and the systems involved in the collection, the initial...

New model follows sale of Conair's pelletiser business.(COMPOUNDING)
June 1, 2006... IT's all-change and no-change at Conair's pelletiser business in the USA. Conair has sold the business--one of the largest strand pelletiser operations in the USA but no longer mainstream to Conair's other plastics equipment businesses to...

Flexibility in small chemical weighing systems to meet all demands.(COMPOUNDING)
June 1, 2006... SMALL chemical weighing systems have been developed by Chronos Richardson for the dust-free weighing of micro-batches of powders, prills, pastilles, pellets and granules. On-line or off-line systems can be constructed to suit all material...

Rubber straining unit is faster to clean.(COMPOUNDING)
June 1, 2006... IMPROVEMENTS have been made to the equipment made by Uth of Germany for the fine mesh straining of rubber compounds to suit applications such as coloured compounds where frequent clean-down is needed. The newly designed feeding unit of the...

Demanding future for PVC compounds.(COMPOUNDING)
June 1, 2006... PVC is one of the world's most widely used polymers because of its versatility, excellent inherent properties and cost effectiveness, and yet its sensitivity to the processes used to convert it into end products makes it a challenge for any...

Screw optimisation gives volume without risking FR properties.(COMPOUNDING)
June 1, 2006... A RANGE of halogenf free PP UL94 V0 flame retardant compounds has been developed by JGP Perrite in collaboration with a major domestic appliance manufacturer. Formulation development was carried out in Perrite's Warrington Technical Centre...

Quality additives expands with Foscolor takeover.
June 1, 2006... QUALITY ADDITIVES, which was split up last year on the retirement of its owner Arthur Davis, has bought the Foscolor masterbatch business. The masterbatch operations of Quality Additives were bought by Kevin Sheridan, who owns Dell...

More funding for tyre recycling projects.(RECLAMATION & RECYCLING)
June 1, 2006... FURTHER assistance in finding methods of disposing of scrap tyres is promised by the Waste & Resources Action Programme WRAP. A new capital support programme aims to create a new reprocessing infrastructure for used tyres, providing financial...

Competition from landfill hits PVC recycling--but not hard enough to stunt its growth.(RECLAMATION & RECYCLING)
June 1, 2006... RECYCLING of PVC in Europe is being hampered by competition from landfill sites, still open because of the slow implementation of the European Landfill Directive. Despite this, recycling of PVC in Europe more than doubled from 2004 to 2005,...

Plastic bottle collection rate rises.(RECLAMATION & RECYCLING)
June 1, 2006... THE rate of collecting plastics bottles for recycling from British households has almost doubled in the past two years according to new figures produced by Recoup (RECycling Of Used Plastics). Research funded by the Waste & Resources Action...

Plastics packaging really is better for the environment.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... A STUDY published earlier this year by the Environmental and Plastics Industry Council in Canada shows how switching from plastics to other forms of packaging would increase energy consumption and greenhouse gas production in Western Europe....

European food contact approval for film process aids.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... VITON FreeFlow Z200 fluoroelastomer process aids from DuPont Performance Elastomers have been declared compliant with food contact regulations in Europe for use in finished film-type food packaging materials. The processing additive, which uses...

How REACH will affect packaging.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... THE effects of the European Community's REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) regulation on packaging will be explored at a conference in Madrid, Spain, on July 5 - 6. The conference is running back to back with the...

World's first biodegradable barrier film?(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... BIODEGRADABLE barrier film--believed to be the world's first will be introduced by Alcan Packaging at a conference in Germany in October. The technology combines a layer of silicone oxide for the barrier and polylactic acid for...

PHA packaging makes lipstick fully biodegradable.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... A fully biodegradable lipstick has gone into production at RPC Cresstale, following the moulding of a powder compact using the same polymer. The pack was produced using PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), like the more familiar PLA made from...

PLA bottles for the smaller producer.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... SERIES of small-scale machines for blowing bottles from PLA introduced by American manufacturer Norland International is described as the first small-bottle--up to 1-5 litres--blow moulders capable of producing bottles from corn-based plastics...

In-line thermoforming of PLA 'competitive with PET or PS'.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... PELLETS-to-packaging line for PLA A thermoformed trays has been developed by Bruckner Formtec, producing trays at prices competitive with trays made of PET or PS. Thermoforming films often do not need a polished surface on both sides...

PLA packaging raises the ecological perception of organic produce.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... RIGID trays and an overwrap film all made from PLA are being used by Austrian retail chain SPAR to package organic fruit. The biodegradable NatureWorks packing adds to the ecological perception of the organic produce, and also extends shelf...

Handling guide for PLA packaging.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... ADOPTION of bio-sourced and biodegradable polylactic acid packaging is moving on at a cracking pace, but it is different. And being different can engender confusion. So to take the mystique out of PLA, major producer NatureWorks has started a...

Loadhog bites into pallet shrink wrap business.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... SAVINGS in pallet wrap, time to apply it, and other negative aspects of shrink wrapping pallets have been made by Polypipe since it adopted the Loadhog pallet lidding system. Polypipe had wanted to cut its shrink wrap usage and associated...

PP film grade has high optical performance.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... A new polypropylene film grade from Borealis offers the packaging industry a combination of good low temperature resistance, high stiffness, high heat resistance and excellent optical properties. Borpact BC914TF is a heterophasic copolymer...

Cost cutting with cut-on-demand in-mould labelling ...(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... AN IN-MOULD labelling add-on that is said to make labelling cheaper with less risk of failures has been developed by Inmould Label Technologies. The CAP (cut and present) system replaces the pre-cut label canister with a device to cut...

... And induction heated jar sealing.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... 'COLD HEAD' induction sealing system has gone into production at Yves Rocher Manufacturing in Cork, Ireland, bringing energy savings and other economies. The machine designed and built by Relco UK uses the company's patented 'capless' induction...

High volume blow moulder makes multi-layer milk bottles for extended shelf life.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... A MACHINE for extended shelf life milk bottles for where refrigeration is limited has been developed by Uniloy Milacron. which says it is the first multi-layer reciprocating blow moulding machine. It makes HDPE milk bottles 10-20 per cent...

Foamable SMA copolymers for food packaging.(Packaging)
June 1, 2006... NOVA Chemicals Corporation has introduced foamable Dylark FG materials, a new family of styrene maleic anhydride copolymers for microwaveable packaging. Foamable Dylark FG plastics provide structural integrity and stiffness at high...

Nitrogen dosing made apple-shaped bottle possible.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... A NOVEL use of liquid nitrogen to prevent bottle collapse was adopted by Graham Packaging in the USA when it converted a 70 years old traditional glass bottle to PET. S Martinelli & Company of California sells apple juice in a trademarked...

Transparent 5-layer gas barrier films.(PACKAGING)
June 1, 2006... A COLLABORATION between Distrupol customer support and French packaging specialist Imprisac has resulted in a new line of 5-layer gas barrier films. Distrupol worked with Imprisac technicians to establish the ideal material property profile to...

Chinese injection machine giant to build electric machines in Germany--for sale in Asia.(INJECTION MOULDING)
June 1, 2006... CHINESE injection moulding machine manufacturer Ningbo Haitian Group is behind a new German company which has started developing a series of all-electric machines to be built in Germany and sold in Asia. While this sounds a bizarre...

New all-electric series has advanced control.(INJECTION MOULDING)
June 1, 2006... TOSHIBA's new ECNII all-electric machines use the advanced Injectivisor V30 controller and have high speed mould closing, opening and ejection and better mould protection. A low inertia injection mechanism has been produced together with a low...

Adaptable automation for small parts.(INJECTION MOULDING)
June 1, 2006... BOY, Staubli Robotics and Schleicher have combined to develop a fully automated standard injection moulding cell to make small parts. The modular design of the system permits modification according to product within a short time. The mould...

More flexibility for insert moulding.(INJECTION MOULDING)
June 1, 2006... CINCINNATI Milacron is now building its Magna V insert moulding machines in systems tailored to the application. The machines have vertical C frame clamping units and vertical injection units and can be configured with moulds, bowl feeders,...

UPG to open more low cost economy plants.(INJECTION MOULDING)
June 1, 2006... UNITED Plastics Group, the US-based international moulding company with a subsidiary in Wales, has opened its second moulding plant in China and announced plans to open its third Mexican manufacturing location by the fourth quarter of this...

MuCell injection adds soft skin to car dashboards.(INJECTION MOULDING)
June 1, 2006... A NEW slant on car interior soft-touch components has been taken by a European consortium in the Dolphin process, demonstrated at Engel's St Valentin plant in Austria last month. Applying a soft touch surface to a rigid component generally...

Trexel shows there's more than one way to get a smooth MuCell surface.(INJECTION MOULDING)
June 1, 2006... TREXEL has got together with nylon supplier Rhodia in a smooth surface technology with an extra incentive--if you use Rhodia material in your MuCell process you can get an average 25-30 per cent reduction in the purchase price of the MuCell...

Injection machine majors hold out against the downward trend.(INJECTION MOULDING)
June 1, 2006... BOTH Krauss-Maffei and Engel have reported encouraging sales of injection moulding machines against a falling trend. Engel's sales for its financial year ending March 31 actually fell by 6.9 per cent to 545.9 million [euro] compared with...

Ferromatik Milacron to cut staffing and revamp its way of working.(INJECTION MOULDING)
June 1, 2006... MILACRON has committed to the future of its Ferromatik Milacron plant at Malterdingen in Germany, but with a new way of working and fewer staff. The company is taking 'significant measures' to cut costs at its Europe an plastics machinery...

MIR names Dassett as UK agent.(INJECTION MOULDING)
June 1, 2006... Italian plastics and rubber injection machine manufacturer MIR has closed its British office in Reading and appointed Dassett Process Engineering as its UK agent. MIR was taken over last year in a curious den under which holding company...

Japanese companies expand the potential of plants.(BIOPOLYMERS)
June 1, 2006... FURTHER strides have been made by major users of plastics in Japan to switch to bio-sourced materials for ecological reasons. A new approach to biopolymers is being taken by ship builder Hitachi Zosen Corp and eco-products producer CPR Co...

Exxon/Mitsubishi go their own ways in automotive PP ...(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... THE ExxonMobil and Mitsubishi joint venture in automotive grade polypropylenes, Mytex, has been dissolved. Mytex, formed in 1987, produced PP compounds for use by US and Japanese car makers. The shares held by ExxonMobil in the USA and in Asia...

... While Mitsui plans expansion ...(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... MITSUI Chemicals and its majority share J joint venture with Idemitsu Kosan, Prime Polymer, are to expand worldwide production of polypropylene compounds for automotive use. They currently make compounds in North America, Thailand, China and...

... And Resin Express adds Borealis materials.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... RESIN Express has joined Ashland as a distributor of Borealis polypropylenes for the automotive sector, including Daplen and Borcom. The move is focused on reaching Resin Express's small and medium-sized customers across Europe. ...

TPE producer changes agency.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... TURKISH thermoplastic elastomer producer and engineering plastics compounder Enplast has switched UK representation from Polymers Direct to Ultrapolymers for its Enflex and Ensoft TPEs. Ultrapolymers already represents Enplast in some other...

Performance Plastics to sell thermally conductive plastics.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... THERMALLY conductive plastics have been added to the Performance Plastics range of engineering materials with an agreement for the company to represent Cool Polymers of Rhode Island, USA. The CoolPoly materials typically offer a thermal...

PEEK enhanced with tougher grades and coating series.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... VICTREX has extended the application--potential for its PEEK polyaryletherketone with an alloying technology, and the introduction of a new series of coating grades. The new alloying technology is through a co-operative venture with US...

Resin Express takes on Dow's Nordel.(ENGINEERING MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... THE elastomer materials sold by the Resin Express group are to be augmented on July 1 with Dow Chemical's Nordel EPDM. The agreement covers the whole of Europe except for France and the Iberian pensinsula. Included in the Nordel family is...

Sound absorbing foam is lighter weight for aircraft use.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
June 1, 2006... NEW BASF Basotect UL melamine sound-absorbing and heat-insulating foam is said to be particularly suitable for aircraft cabins. Weighing O g/litre, it is 30 per cent lighter than conventional Basotect and complies with fire protection standards...

Films associations to merge.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
June 1, 2006... TWO trade associations in the plastics film business are to merge. The Flexible Packaging Association and The Packaging and Industrial Films Association used to represent businesses operating in different parts of the flexible and rigid...

Forming area increased by 30 per cent.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
June 1, 2006... TFT has replaced its FCS 870 U form-cut-stack thermoforming machine with the FC 1000 E, which has 30 per cent larger forming area. Capable or running at 40 cycles/minute, the new model is a full pressure/vacuum machine and has a three tie-bar...

GE improves PEI films for bar code labels.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
June 1, 2006... A NEW white grade of Ultem PEI film, WH217, has been developed by GE-Plastics for bar code labels. It has high opacity and is intended to ensure that labels can be read correctly. Print contrast ratio is 98 per cent and manufacturers of labels...

Hand welding kit keeps all the bits together.(FILM & SHEET CONVERSION)
June 1, 2006... Welwyn Tool Group has packaged a Leister hand welding kit in a metal case to enable roofers to have all their tools and equipment within easy reach while working on site. The kit is based on the Leister Triac PID hot air tool which provides...

Dye diffusion process for 3D decorating.(FINISHING)
June 1, 2006... A 3D dye diffusion decorating process has been introduced by ICI Imagedata. The process, developed with Applied Effects Laboratories and Warwick University, is being promoted with an A3 desktop printer and has quoted cycle times in the region...

Battery-powered gun dispenses twin pack adhesives.(FINISHING)
June 1, 2006... FOR repetitive application of adhesives or sealants from twin pack cartridges where the adhesive has to be taken to the work piece Intertronics has introduced the EZ-mix HI battery powered dispenser. This can dispense a straight or curved...

Automatic foiling on irregular shapes.(FINISHING)
June 1, 2006... THE new Quadrax B2/2M2 hot foiling machine from CER is now available from PBE Marking Systems. The machine was designed to mark circular shapes, but can mark oval and irregular shapes thanks to its shape reading laser. The fully automatic...

UV flood lamp cures large assemblies.(FINISHING)
June 1, 2006... INTERTRONICS says that the size of products to which its Adhere UV-curing adhesives are applied is becoming larger. They include acrylic casings, glass to metal bonding and automotive body repairs. It is important to achieve full UV...

Chinese chillers put performance before price.(TEMPERATURE CONTROL)
June 1, 2006... TRICOOL has formed a partnership with HL Cooling, a UK-based company which has its own purpose-built manufacturing facility in the Guang Dong province of China, to offer a range of high specification but competitively priced chillers. The HLA...

Three ways to cut the cost of cooling.(TEMPERATURE CONTROL)
June 1, 2006... AQUA Cooling Solutions is now offering three energy saving options across its entire range of 1-1,500 kW chillers. These are free cooling, partial heat recovery and total heat recovery. The free cooling option reduces electricity usage by...

Improving productivity in high thermal environments.(TEMPERATURE CONTROL)
June 1, 2006... WORKING in high thermal environments affects those functioning in both commercial and industrial surroundings. As outside temperatures increase, buildings with inadequate ventilation become unbearably hot and stuffy. This problem is compounded...

Not so much a program, more a way of life.(SOFTWARE)
June 1, 2006... Simulation and predictive software tell you what should happen in injection moulding. But to get a job running at its optimum you need to build in some practical feedback. Clive Maier looks at a spreadsheet-based moulding optimiser that guides...

Manufacturing management.(SOFTWARE DIRECTORY)(Directory)
June 1, 2006... EnterpriseIQ IQMS Europe Tel: 0161 980 0900. E-mail: info@iqms-europe.com Web site: www.iqms-europe.com The #1 ERP system for the plastics industry. Developed by IQMS (www.iqms.com), EnterpriseIQ is the most powerful,...

Thermoforming.(SOFTWARE DIRECTORY)(Directory)
June 1, 2006... Enterprise One Operational Business System Central One Software Ltd Tel: 01949 838988 E-mail: Sales@centralone.co.uk Web site: www.centralone.co.uk Our Enterprise One operational business software has been designed...

The Plastics Graveyard.(What's New on the Web)
June 1, 2006... Changes of name and ownership among manufacturers of plastics materials are enough to test the memory of the staunchest industry anorak, so The Plastics Graveyard should find a welcome. The graveyard is tended by materials database specialist...

REPIC.(What's New on the Web)
June 1, 2006... REPIC, the not-for-profit compliance scheme, has launched a new web site designed to make registration for pan-European compliance with the WEEE Directive an easier process for the producer community. Through the web site, companies can new...

Carver.(What's New on the Web)
June 1, 2006... American laboratory press manufacturer Carver has redesigned its web site to provide updated product information and the latest news concerning its hydraulic and electric presses. Product features and specifications on the company's full range...

Hefty fines for acrylic price fixing.(MATERIALS MARKETPLACE)
June 1, 2006... EUROPE's major producers of acrylic sheet and moulding compounds have been fined heavily by the European Union for price fixing. Degussa, Arkema, ICI, Lucite International and Quinn/Barlo were fined a total of 344,562,500 [euro], the fourth...

GE joins Chinese polycarbonate joint venture ...(MATERIALS MARKETPLACE)
June 1, 2006... GE Plastics is planning to make Lexan polycarbonate in China in co-operation with PetroChina. The two companies will build a 'world scale' plant to run a phosgene-free melt technology-based polycarbonate process using feed-stocks from...

... While Ineos contemplates.(MATERIALS MARKETPLACE)
June 1, 2006... INEOS is exploring its options for manufacturing in China. Despite its extensive manufacturing facilities in Europe and North America, the world's third largest chemical company has a relatively undeveloped base in Asia. The board visited China...

Geleen SMA plant to restart in new hands.(MATERIALS MARKETPLACE)
June 1, 2006... PRODUCTION of styrene maleic anhydride is to be resumed at DSM's Geleen site in the Netherlands--although not by DSM. The site is now the 'materials valley' Chemelot site housing several chemicals companies--including DSM and SABIC Europe--and...

Solvin focuses on big PVC plants making fewer grades.(MATERIALS MARKETPLACE)
June 1, 2006... THE joint (75 per cent Solvay) Solvay/BASF PVC producer SolVin has restructured its European production since the closing on January 1 of its VCM and PVC facilities at Ludwigshafen in Germany. It has transferred operations previously carried...

Basell in new Saudi JV.(MATERIALS MARKETPLACE)
June 1, 2006... BASELL is to take a 25 per cent stake in a joint venture integrated ethylene and polyethylene complex at Al-Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia. Its partner will be Tasnee & Sabara Olefins Company, a new company owned mainly by Tasnee...

Ineos to expand ethylene, but SABIC delays.(MATERIALS MARKETPLACE)
June 1, 2006... EUROPE is to get new ethylene capacity from Ineos, while the planned major expansion by SABIC has been put on hold. Ineos is planning to expand its ethylene cracker in Cologne, Germany, by 100,000 tonnes. Output from the cracker, bought in...

French government supports energy price stabilisation and biodevelopment.(UPDATE)
June 1, 2006... TWO initiatives in France in the fields of energy and biodevelopment have long term implications for plastics. Exeltium is a group of high energy users set up with the support of the French government to bulk buy and stabilise electricity...

San Francisco bans bisphenol and phthalate products for children.(UPDATE)
June 1, 2006... THE US city of San Francisco has banned products containing bisphenol A and some phthalates--essentially polycarbonate babies' feeding bottles and flexible PVC dummies and similar toys--for use by children under three. The ban, under a new...

Mannesmann Plastics Machinery sold.(COMPANY REPORT)
June 1, 2006... MANNESMANN Plastics Machinery has been bought by a management buy-out group under the wing of Madison Capital Partners in the USA. MPM is the world's largest grouping of plastics and rubber processing machinery companies, incorporating Demag...

Smithers appoints new MD for Rapra while creditors count the pennies.(COMPANY REPORT)
June 1, 2006... SMITHERS Group, which bought Rapra Technology out of financial administration, has replaced the chief executive Andrew Ward with its own appointee, Hugh Pace, who worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co for 30 years. Smithers Rapra is now...

Buyers' guide.(Directory)
June 1, 2006... MATERIALS CONDUCTIVE PLASTICS AND COATING TBA Electro Conductive Products PO Box 56, Rochdale, Lancs OL12 7EY Tel: 01706 647718 Fax: 01706 646170 E-mail: info@tbaecp.co.uk Web site: www.tbaecp.co.uk HOT...