British Plastics & Rubber articles from June 2008

British Plastics & Rubber archives from June 2008

Conferences & exhibitions.(Calendar)
June 1, 2008... Applications--medical September 24-25 Medtec Ireland. Medical product development conference and tabletop exhibition in Galway, Ireland. Canon Communications, 01622 661363 (fax 01622 661687). * www.medtecireland.com ...

Another new plastics exhibition for the British Isles.
June 1, 2008... A NEW plastics exhibition is being organised in Ireland next year. Jim Hughes, former sales manager of Interplas and then exhibition director for the easyFairs Plastics Innovations shows, has set up his own company, Join In Exhibitions, to...

Seminar programme for Interplas.
June 1, 2008... A THREE-day seminar programme has been assembled for Interplas 2008 by The Polymer Society, a division of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining, in collaboration with The British Plastics Federation. The seminar programme is also...

A clear case for cost cuts.(design)
June 1, 2008... WHEN you are taking cost out of a product through material replacement you have to establish the individual performance criteria and how an alternative material might meet them. If clarity is fundamental, then a switch to polypropylene is out...

Plastics design competition goes international.(design)
June 1, 2008... AN International Plastics Design Competition is being held at the NPE exhibition in Chicago, USA, next year. The competition is being organised by the Society of the Plastics Industry's Alliance for Plastics Processors, which will start to take...

ABS replacement with polypropylene-based materials.(design)
June 1, 2008... ALSO chipping away at the ABS market is LyondellBasell which has introduced a series of polypropylene grades, available in Britain through Ultrapolymers. These materials can be tuned to address different characteristics and while the main...

ABS pitched at PC/ ABS applications.(design)
June 1, 2008... AND while lower cost or easier-to-process materials are making inroads into traditional ABS applications, ABS itself is being tuned to compete with higher performance materials. Perrite has just added to its Ronfalin ABS injection moulding...

Moisture adsorbing polymer can be moulded and machined.(design)
June 1, 2008... A MODIFIED nylon is being used by moisture protection specialist Brownell to produce components to protect sensitive equipment. The company's newVMAP moisture adsorbing polymer materials can be moulded and machined to specific shapes to...

Coating protects polycarbonate from acetone.(design)
June 1, 2008... TOUGH though it is, polycarbonate needs protecting against hostile environments. When it's used in automotive glazing it needs a hard surface coating, and on exposure to aggressive chemicals it needs a coating to prevent surface...

Dye sub turns switches and sockets into fashion items.(design)
June 1, 2008... A DYE sublimation process is used by a French manufacturer of light switches and power outlets to decorate a new range of easy-install products in a range of colours and patterns. Sibecx is moulding the sockets and switches in DuPont's Crastin...

Polypropylene honeycombs add strength to marble, concrete and steel.(design)
June 1, 2008... A FRENCH specialist in polypropylene honecomb constructions for composites reinforcement has developed new applications combining a honeycomb with heavy conventional materials such as marble, fibre-reinforced concrete and steel. Nidaplast...

More Santoprene information on the web.(design)
June 1, 2008... SEVERAL "cards" giving information on Santoprene TPE have been added to the ExxonMobil Chemical web site at www. materialexperience.com. They cover topics such as a material overview, physical properties, material processing, typical...

Domestic robots offer growth potential for novel polymers.(design)
June 1, 2008... A COMBINATION of polyurethane films is being patented by Bayer MaterialScience as an analogue of human skin for use on robots. According to statistics from the International Federation of Robotics, the number of robots carrying out domestic...

Bio-sourced plastics in the bathroom.(design)
June 1, 2008... BIO-SOURCED polymers are making strides in packaging and car manufacturers are starting to adopt them to meet "green" legislation and public appreciation. Now they are moving into the bathroom. US-based Design Ideas has developed its...

Certification for potable water contact.(design)
June 1, 2008... POTABLE water contact certification has been extended on two materials from SABIC Innovative Plastics and DuPont. SABIC has gone global with certification of its Noryl PPOIPA hydrostable grades. Different regions have their own...

BASF helps BMW headrests spring into action.(design)
June 1, 2008... CRASH-active headrests are now being made for BMW using a mainly-plastics construction. They are designed to provide even greater protection to passengers against whiplash trauma: in case of a rear impact at a speed of more than 12 km/h, an...

Nissan switches from aluminium to nylon under the bonnet.(design)
June 1, 2008... THE first tentative move has been made by Nissan in Europe into metal replacement for under-bonnet applications with the rocker cover and front cover of its 2-5 litre turbo-diesel engine for the Pathfinder and Navara vehicles. Both parts...

PU in-mould surfacing process in commercial production.(design)
June 1, 2008... THE SkinForm process which combines a reaction injection moulded polyurethane surface with a thermoplastic substrate within a single injection moulding cycle is now being used for a production automotive part, the headrest of the latest...

Thermoformed noise shields outperform fibre composites.(design)
June 1, 2008... MANUFACTURERS could make significant savings by replacing traditional fibre composite noise panels with thermoformed components, according to Thompson Technik. The company is part of the multi-process Hull-based Thompson Plastics Group,...

Improved slip cuts squeaks from PP foam.(design)
June 1, 2008... A LOW squeak expanded polypropylene has been developed by plastic foam specialist JSP for use, primarily, in motor vehicle interiors. Squeaks are caused by components adjacent to each other or to the body of the vehicle (such as a...

Automotive glazing specialists pick up the pace.(design)
June 1, 2008... SINCE going their separate ways last year SABIC Innovative Plastics and Bayer MaterialScience have increased the impetus of their automotive glazing businesses. GE Plastics (now SABIC IP) and Bayer set up the Exatec joint venture to develop...

SABIC takes a shine to automotive trim.(design)
June 1, 2008... WITH the resurgence of chrome in trim, door handles, and other decorative touches to impart a high-end, luxury look on current car models, SABIC Innovative Plastics has updated its portfolio of materials optimised for chrome plating. These...

Continuous filtration means less down time.(film & sheet production)
June 1, 2008... Profitable film production can pitch two opposing demands against one another. Film lines must run at maximum capacity, and material cost must be kept to a minimum. The two factors clash when material price is minimised by using recycled...

Specialists combine to produce strapping tape from bottle flake.(film & sheet production)
June 1, 2008... THE manufacture of strapping from PET bottle flake will be demonstrated by recycling equipment specialist Erema in conjunction with downstream equipment supplier Techno Plastic at a symposium at Erema's Austrian headquarters on October 27-28....

Spray coatings save costs compared with coextrusion.(film & sheet production)
June 1, 2008... THE addition of functional layers, such as for anti-static or anti-fogging, to a film is most often done in Europe using a multi-layer film with a masterbatched additive in one layer. But according to Weko of Switzerland there can be advantages...

Double-deck extruders solve 11 layer overcrowding problem.(film & sheet production)
June 1, 2008... THIRTEEN years ago engineers from Brampton Engineering in Canada presented a conference paper in which they provided theoretical justification for building an 11 layer blown film line. That prediction has come to pass and BE has delivered its...

High speed extrusion helps expand capacity for rigid packaging producer.(film & sheet production)
June 1, 2008... THE FIRST of the new generation of high speed extruders from Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik to be used on a flat film line has been installed at R Faerch Plast in Holstebro, Denmark. The BEX 1-75-34 is a comparatively small single-screw...

Chinese sheet producer invests heavily with Bruckner ...(film & sheet production)
June 1, 2008... A SIX-line order from China for A-PET sheet production equipment is the largest ever placed with Bruckner Formtec. Bruckner will supply four almost identical lines for thin A-Pet film with a thickness range of 150-1,200 microns and two...

... while Atlas gets bulk order for slitter/rewinders.(film & sheet production)
June 1, 2008... ALSO celebrating a major order--one of its biggest ever at more than 16 million [euro]--is the British-based Atlas Converting Equipment division of Bobst Group's Flexible Materials Business Area. The company has won an order for 11 primary and...

Die lip adjustment can be retrofitted.(film & sheet production)
June 1, 2008... SBI double-acting thermal bolts are said to enable an even thickness profile to be attained over a range of 300 microns. Standard bolts have both a heating cartridge and an air-cooled casing so that bolt movement is faster than with other...

Bending the rules of retail fixture fabrication with PETG.(film & sheet conversion)
June 1, 2008... As the number of brands competing for consumer attention at point-of-purchase reaches an all-time high, fabricators are increasingly required to handle a large number of retail fixture requests at short notice, putting even greater pressure on...

Solventless lamination adhesives run fast or slow and cure quickly.(film & sheet conversion)
June 1, 2008... A SOLVENTLESS adhesive for film lamination that can run at high speeds has been demonstrated by Rohm and Haas in conjunction with equipment manufacturer Nordmeccanica. In trials at Nordmeccanica's North American premises MOR-FREE L75-164 was...

Print suppliers team up to offer improved UV-cured film printing.(film & sheet conversion)
June 1, 2008... AN alliance between a press manufacturer, ink supplier and curing technology companies has produced "the first turn key UV flexo printing solution specifically designed to provide cost-efficient, solvent-free and food approved flexible film...

Product improvements widen the scope of PEEK films.(film & sheet conversion)
June 1, 2008... IMPROVEMENTS made to the Victrex APTIV range of PEEK-based films have expanded their field of use, particularly in high performance thermoformed products. Properties for which APTIV films are noted include: high temperature; chemical, wear...

Thermoforming yoghourt bottles halves their weight.(film & sheet conversion)
June 1, 2008... A MEANS of thermoforming wide-mouthed narrow bottles typically used for yoghourts and isotonic drinks has been developed by Illig. It is an extension of conventional cup forming relying on control of sheet heating to obtain the high depth of...

Plastic card machine for low volumes.(film & sheet conversion)
June 1, 2008... A LOW cost plastic card punching system has been introduced by Spartanics of the USA for use by printers, card manufacturers, and others producing small volumes (5,000-86,000/day) of hotel keys, loyalty cards, phone cards, gift cards,...

Polycarbonate sheet keeps Olympic stadia dry and well lit.(film & sheet conversion)
June 1, 2008... More than 36,000 [m.sup.2] of Makrolon multi-wall polycarbonote sheet from Bayer MaterialScience were used in the construction of Olympic sports competition venues in China. For the large, transparent roof above the stands of the Olympic...

Big machines and new electrics from revitalised Battenfeld.(injection moulding)
June 1, 2008... BATTENFELD is to start making big injection moulding machines again and is to introduce a new series of modular all-electric machines as part of a strategy to double its sales over the next three years to 220 m [euro]/1,500 machines annually....

Haitian takes over its own sales and service in Italy.(injection moulding)
June 1, 2008... THE world's most prolific manufacturer of injection moulding machines, Haitian of China, is tightening its European representation. It has a subsidiary, Haitian Europe, based in Italy which has been working alongside an independent company, HT...

New Elektra at Caledonian delivers straight to the clean room.(injection moulding)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DISPOSABLE medical instruments moulded on a new Ferromatik Milacron Elektra 180 tonne machine at Caledonian Plastics are delivered directly into an adjacent ISO class 7 clean room. The Sheffield-based company has...

Injector can be retrofitted to try out water injection.(injection moulding)
June 1, 2008... A LOW profile water injector that can be retrofitted to tools using gas injection has been introduced by Cinpres Gas Injection. The company says that it can help moulders evaluate water assisted moulding, one of the benefits of which is that it...

World's biggest moulding machine supplier is still growing.(injection moulding)
June 1, 2008... RECORD sales were achieved by Engel last year, endorsing its claim to the world's leading injection moulding machine manufacturer, with a gross turnover of 622 million [euro]. It has increased its market penetration in the USA and in Asia, and...

Innovation abounds in thermoplastic elastomers.(engineering materials)
June 1, 2008... THESE are busy times for thermoplastic elastomer manufacturers, with major companies announcing new developments ranging from new-generation and even new-family materials, through transparent and bondable types, to speciality grades for packing...

Chinese PBT range from Azelis Plastics UK.(additives)
June 1, 2008... AZELIS Plastics UK is introducing a new range of polybutylene terephthalate materials from Chang Chun Plastics, which it says is the world's largest producer of PBT. The new products will be available from July and will include unfilled, glass...

Slip additive for polyolefins meets the need for greater stability.(additives)
June 1, 2008... CRODA Polymer Additives has introduced Incroslip G, a new slip additive that combines high slip with high stability. Standard slip additives are prone to degradation, says Croda, and this can lead to problems with yellowing or lack of slip...

Non-toxic additives stop pests attacking cables.(additives)
June 1, 2008... TERMITE--and rodent-repellant additives which can be used in countries where toxic additives are forbidden have been introduced by PolyOne. The new OnCap grades are intended for wire and cable use as alternatives to more expensive metallic tape...

Bonding agent works with a wide range of rubbers.(additives)
June 1, 2008... A NEW cover-coat bonding agent, Cilbond 55E, has been introduced by Chemical Innovations for applications such as antivibration and suspension mounts, tank linings and rubber rollers, where it can also be used as a one-coat system for NBR and...

Moisture barrier HDPE up to 50 per cent better.(packaging materials)
June 1, 2008... NOVA Chemicals has introduced Surpass HPs167-AB HDPE for use in barrier-film structures. The company claims unmatched moisture barrier performance that is up to 50 per cent better than existing materials, plus scope for packaging designers to...

Medical and pharmaceutical LDPEs.(packaging materials)
June 1, 2008... INEOS Polyolefins has introduced a range of low density polyethylenes for medical and pharmaceutical packaging. Its Eltex MED LDPE grades are contamination-free and comply with European Pharmacopeia and USP class VI regulations. The...

Hi-Tech investment to open new export markets.(prototyping)
June 1, 2008... BELFAST-based rapid prototyping and manufacturing bureau Laser Prototypes (Europe) has invested 250,000 [pounds sterling] in an EOS P390 selective laser sintering system. The new machine is intended to develop the company's capabilities and...

Online quotes from 3D Systems.(prototyping)(Website overview)
June 1, 2008... 3D SYSTEMS, which supplies stereolithography and selective laser sintering systems for rapid prototyping and manufacturing, has launched an evaluation website. Visitors to the Pro Parts Marketplace can get an on-line quote in seconds by...

Latest-generation laser sintering powders.(prototyping)
June 1, 2008... EOS has introduced new metal and plastics laser sintering powders. EOS MaragingSteel MS1 is a martensite-hardening steel of high strength and toughness, suited to producing heavy-duty tooling inserts. It is at least on a par with, or even...

Here's one we made earlier: 3D printer copies itself.(prototyping)
June 1, 2008... 3D PRINTERS--computer-controlled layer-wise additive fabricators using thermoplastics--have been available commercially for about 25 years. But according to the University of Bath, its RepRap machine is the first that can essentially print...

Saving money on GF nylon prototypes.(prototyping)
June 1, 2008... A VACUUM casting process to produce glass-filled nylon parts saved thousands of pounds in tooling and development time at a "major automotive manufacturer". The company used the MCP process to vacuum cast prototype 400 mm diameter glass...

First Vacurema for HDPE starts up on Teesside.(reclamation & recycling)
June 1, 2008... THE first Erema Vacurema machine modified to process HDPE started up in April this year at Waste Exchange Services in Redcar, Teesside, and has been followed by a further machine at the Closed Loop London plant opened at Dagenham in Greater...

EU recognises more ways to recycle plastics.(reclamation & recycling)
June 1, 2008... NEW perspectives on waste recycling across Europe are more encouraging for achieving the full potential from plastics waste. Previous definitions of recycling have disregarded the potential of plastics to be split back into their chemical...

It configures: several hot runner manufacturers have web based tools to help you configure a system. Clive Maier catches up with one from long-established German supplier PSG Plastic Service.(software)
June 1, 2008... HOT runners have been around for a long time now. The idea--moving the interface between melt and solid closer to the mould cavity--has always been good. Now it is presumably greener too, although that would need a detailed study to assess the...

I can see clearly now the stress has gone: a module in Moldflow Plastics Insight is able to predict birefringence in opticol lens moulding Clive Maier explains how.(software)
June 1, 2008... TIME was when an injection moulded plastics lens could barely make it into a Christmas cracker. Now they turn up all over the place, and in quality products too. Products like cameras, mobile telephones, CD and DVD devices, optoelectronics,...

Wrong revenues.(software)
June 1, 2008... IN Autodesk Acquires Moldflow (British Plastics & Rubber, May 2008), I did Moldflow a disservice by confusing year-to-date product revenues with total annual revenues. In fact Moldflow revenues stand at $60 million, not $22 million as I...

IDES Plastics Marketplace.(what's new on the web)
June 1, 2008... Plastics property data specialist IDES has launched Plastics Marketplace, a listing of more than 2,000 tonnes of spot market plastics for purchase from reputable suppliers. The goal is to provide buyers and sellers with a platform for business....

Software directory.(software)(Directory)
June 1, 2008... 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:...

Developments in weathering at Atlas.(testing & inspection)
June 1, 2008... WEATHERING test specialist Atlas has introduced two new Weather-Ometer machines and a new xenon-arc filter. The new Ci5000 xenon-arc Weather-Ometer machines have enhanced digital control to give operators more flexibility and control of...

zwicki-Line testers enhanced and extended.(testing & inspection)
June 1, 2008... A 5 kN model has been added to the Zwick range of zwicki-Line universal testing machines to join the existing 500 N, 1 kN, and 2.5 kN units, in three height combinations. The zwicki-Line machines are now fitted with Zwick's latest...

Ultrasonic gauge measures coating and wall thickness.(testing & inspection)
June 1, 2008... THE new CT-Gage and CT-Gage DL ultrasonic thickness gauges from Sonatest measure both coating and wall thickness from one side of the part. The four user-selected operating modes comprise Coating On, Coating Off, Thru Coat and Coating Only. All...

Worldwide PP compound growth planned by Basell and SABIC.(materials marketplace)
June 1, 2008... PLANS to greatly expand their production of polypropylene compounds for the automotive and appliance markets have been made by LyondelIBasell and SABIC. LyondellBasell is to expand its worldwide polypropylene compounding business by 30 per...

Energy costs send chemicals prices rocketing.(materials marketplace)
June 1, 2008... THE need to pass on rising energy costs has brought announcements of dramatic price increases from several major chemical companies with interests in plastics. No specific product price rises were detailed, but Dow Chemical, Huntsman, Ciba and...

Huntsman claims foul play as Hexion seeks to annul takeover.(materials marketplace)
June 1, 2008... AFTER their successful battle with Basell/Access Industries a year ago to buy Huntsman Corporation, Hexion Speciality Chemicals and its parent Apollo Management are now trying to pull out of the deal. And their action has prompted Huntsman to...

BASF hits engineering materials.(materials marketplace)
June 1, 2008... THE spiralling rise in polymer material prices was given a further spin with above average across-the-board price hikes by BASF. As of July 1 BASF will add up to 400 [euro]/tonne to the prices of styrenic copolymers Luran S (ASA and ASA/PC),...

Cabot to manufacture in the Middle East.(materials marketplace)
June 1, 2008... CARBON black masterbatch producer Cabot Corporation is to start making masterbatch in the Arabian Gulf. It is to build a plant in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai with an initial capacity of 25,000 tonnes with provision to expand to 75,000...

Recent price increases.
June 1, 2008... Material Producer Increase Effective Thermoplastic moulding materials Polyethylene Dow Europe 150 [euro]/tonne on all July 1 HD/LD/LLDPE. ...

Flexsys rubber chemicals plant to close under Far Eastern pressure.(update)
June 1, 2008... INCREASED competition from the Far East is blamed by Flexsys for its plan to close its Ruabon, Wrexham, rubber chemicals plant. The company intends to cease manufacturing at the Ruabon Works by the end of 2008, with complete site exit by the...

Linpac and BNL open in the East.(update)
June 1, 2008... PACKAGING group Linpac and plastic bearing manufacturer BNL are both opening factories in the Far East. Linpac has built a factory in China to make stretch wrap film, while BNL is opening a factory in Thailand. The Linpac plant at...

RPC looks deeply into its future.(update)
June 1, 2008... RPC is to undergo a strategic review which could recommend selling parts or all of the company. Despite rising costs last year RPC Group reported record sales and profits after adjusting for restructuring costs, but outgoing chairman Peter...

New names and faces at: PlasticsEurope ...(update)
June 1, 2008... THE new president of PlasticsEurope is Jacques van Rijckevorsel, a member of the executive committee of Solvay. He succeeds John Taylor of Borealis. Gunter Hilken (Bayer MaterialScience), Martin Pugh (Ineos Nova) and Anton de Vries...

... EuPC ...(update)
June 1, 2008... A LONG-time packaging man has been elected president of the European Plastics Converters trade association. Bernhard Borgardt had been chairman of the EuPC Packaging Division since 2002. He has also been president of the German Association of...

... PAFA ...(update)
June 1, 2008... NEW chairman of the Packaging and Films Association is David Read managing director of Printpack Europe. Printpack makes flexible and specialty rigid packaging at 26 plants in the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom and has recently...

... and the PMMDA.(update)
June 1, 2008... THE Polymer Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association has a new secretary. After seven years in the job Sandy Weaver has left to join her husband's business. Her replacement is Nikki Williams whose last role was as secretary to a...

Horners Award open for entries.(update)
June 1, 2008... ENTRIES are now being invited for the Homers Award, the annual competition run by the British Plastics Federation and the Worshipful Company of Homers to recognize innovation in plastics design and manufacture or in the processing of plastics....

James Walker adds Scottish engineering materials moulder and machinist.(update)
June 1, 2008... A MAJORITY stake in Scottish polymer engineering specialist Devol Engineering has been bought by the James Walker Group. Walker has acquired 59 per cent, with Devol's management team holding the rest. Devol has plants at Greenock and...

WPC manufacturer bought out of administration.(update)
June 1, 2008... WOOD-plastic composite manufacturer WTL International of Macclesfield, which went into administration in April, has been bought by Boden & Davies of Astley, Manchester. WTL has been producing WPC for some years as one of a number of...

Full order books at German machinery builders.(update)
June 1, 2008... PRODUCTION of plastics and rubber processing machinery in Germany is booming, according to the latest figures from the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). Order books are full, with a high level of orders received in the first few months of...

$multi-billion contract for Airbus composites.(update)
June 1, 2008... A $4-5 billion contract running until 2025 has been won by Hexcel Corporation to supply composites materials for the Airbus. The carbon fibre composites will be used in major primary structures of the long-range wide-body A350 XWB aircraft and...

On-line solution to sharing data within REACH.(update)
June 1, 2008... A NEW on-line service will help businesses work together to meet the requirements of REACH legislation when registering substances with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). REACH-VEN helps companies to pre-register and begin working together...

Closer integration for Rapra in Smithers Group.(update)
June 1, 2008... THE Rapra Technology testing and polymer information businesses are to be combined with Smithers Scientific Services as a single business unit. The Smithers Group of US-based polymer science companies bought Rapra Technology in 2006 after...