British Plastics & Rubber articles from March 2009

British Plastics & Rubber archives from March 2009

Mixed troubles.
March 1, 2009... In the past month Recoup published its guide to recycling mixed plastics packaging. The recommendations read like an obstacle course. The guide is pitched at those that collect and handle household waste--essentially local authorities--and...

New Macchi Coex line aimed at thin layers.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The latest in Macchi's CoexFlex series of blown co-extrusion lines is intended for thin skin layer products, such as stretch hood films and collation shrink applications, as well as flexible packaging lamination...

Think carefully about energy costs when automating blown film lines: in these days of major austerity it pays to examine the cost of every aspect of a manufacturing system. As Michael Calderbank of Plast-Control UK describes, automatic gauge control can improve the profitability of a blown film line, but can offset the improvement with its own cost of operation. Just how much this offset is depends on the method of control.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... Packaging film manufacturers are experiencing huge upward pressure on costs in addition to higher quality demands and shorter delivery times from the end user. Compounded by weaker market conditions for the foreseeable future, the need to...

Bruckner beats BOPP barrier.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... A BOPP line installed by Bruckner Maschinenbau at Taghleef Industries in Dubai has broken the 500 m/min barrier and is producing 8.7 m wide 20 micron film at a constant speed of 505 m/min, equating to an output of around 5 tonnes per hour. ...

Demo line for trials on orienting polyethylene.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... A demonstration line for producing mono-oriented film has been installed at its Augsburg headquarters in Germany by Hosokawa Alpine. This monodirection orientating machine, or MDO, stretches a film in the web direction to change its...

Coex Bubble film saves weight.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... A line for 10 layer bubble wrap has been introduced by Torninova. The Coex Bubble 10 produces ABCBA+ABCBA film using nylon 6 as the barrier layer. The nylon improves the air retention, so that Torninova can claim better cushioning protection...

PE + PA barrier on a single sheet line.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... Colines of Italy has developed a cast coextrusion line that combines polyethylene and a nylon barrier in a single operation, using a single die and without a lamination stage. It makes film up to 900 kg/hr for use in food vacuum packaging and...

New five-layer line up and running at Britton Taco.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... A five-layer blown film line from Hosokawa Alpine has been installed at Britton Taco's Winsford, Cheshire plant. Its 5,500 tonnes/ year throughput brings the site's capacity up to 60,000 tonnes, an increase of 42 per cent over the past four...

Plastomer makes cross-linking redundant.(packaging materials)
March 1, 2009... A new range of butene-1 based polymers from LyondellBasell Industries is intended for elastic applications such as film, fibre, tapes, closure lines and aesthetic injection mouldings. The Koattro plastomers combine softness (Shore A 70) and...

Remote diagnosis for Davis-Standard systems.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... US extrusion systems manufacturer Davis Standard is to add remote diagnostics and troubleshooting to its EPIC III supervisory control system. The REACT (REmote ACcess Technology) system will be standard on all new EPIC Ill systems and will...

Foamed PLA sheet output increased by 40 per cent.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... Increased output in the production of foamed PLA sheet has been achieved using the Turbo-Screws technology from Plastic Engineering Associates Licensing, an American company that holds patents on screw design for tandem foam extrusion systems....

RPET sheet line is for cost-conscious countries.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... Sheet extrusion from reclaimed PET bottle flake has been the domain of US and European equipment manufacturers according to Rajoo Engineers of India. And because of the high cost of machinery, the technology has yet to be adopted significantly...

Four-year deal secures Palram's PVC sheet.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... The British arm of Israeli sheet manufacturer Palram has struck a deal which secures its production of corrugated PVC sheet for the next four years. An undisclosed German company working in the civil engineering and construction markets has...

Sheet foaming agent is added in liquid form.(film & sheet production)
March 1, 2009... A liquid foaming agent for extruded PVC sheet--the world's first according to its manufacturer--has been introduced by Colormatrix. The Excelite liquid dispersion is said to achieve a more even distribution within the melt to create a finer...

String is a simple solution to static problems.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... Static electricity is a fact of life in film conversion. High charge levels can be dangerous, and moderate levels can permanently destroy the product, and cause fouling and jamming of production processes. New technology allowing faster...

Slitter/rewinder and new laminator extend wide web conversion service.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... BPD of Merthyr Tydfil reckons to be the only British company able to offer lamination, printing, slitting and rewinding services on flexible substrates up to 3 m wide at a single centre, and is opening up its facilities, used mainly for the...

Simplified laminating system adds PE film to rigid pet.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... A polyethylene film laminating system has been installed at Flight Plastics in Winchester by Jarshire, which has installed similar systems on eight machines at three other British rigid plastics packaging plants. The aim at Flight was to...

Reel deal makes handling simpler.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... An agency deal between Reel & Shaft Handling Company of Bury and Italian pedestrian stacker truck manufacturer Armanni has combined RaSHCo's reel handling systems with several of Armanni's trucks, the latest being a four-way unit which enables...

Communication flexibility helps coating/moisture gauge fit into existing networks.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... A new gauge from NDC Infrared Engineering can measure coating weight and moisture simultaneously. Coatings including adhesives, impregnations and organic or water based coatings can be measured on paper, plastic, textile and non-woven...

Off-line impression setting 'could make flexo viable for shorter runs'.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... The new off line impression setting system developed by Fischer & Krecke for its flexo printers has gone commercial after customer testing last year. The smartGPS (graphic positioning system) differs from conventional manual or automatic...

Tight tolerances on web screen printer.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... A new cylinder screen printer from Spartanics Systec is said to be able to work with any pre-printed material from any printing process. it has automatic compensation for screen stretch or shrink, to handle multiple print passes and can process...

Laser cutting from webs at high speed.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... The latest laser cutting machine from Spartanics, the Finecut, can handle webs at speeds up to 9C m/min, which the company says is twice that achievable by other high speed laser cutters, it works with only a single scan head, the control...

Cycle saving cup stacker is now universal.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... Improvements have been made to the Pick-up Stacker thermoformed up stacker from Mould & Matic Solutions in Austria to improve both its performance and its looks. The machine picks up cups with suction mandrels from the tilting former...

Bag and pouch machines speed output.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... The latest version of Hudson Sharp's 5750 W wicket bag machine incorporates new features to increase output, reduce down-time, save energy and ensure operator safety. They include: A computerised system for fast positioning of key machine...

Smaller model added to Speedformer series.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Speedformer automatic pressure forming series from Kiefel has been completed by adding the KMD 60B to the bigger KMD 85 and KMD 78 models. The new machine can accommodate tools up to 600 x 460 mm and has a dry...

Productivity improvements from Cannon.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... Cannon Forma's thermoforming systems now use halogen lamp heating for reduced energy costs and improved productivity. Tool changing has been speeded up to 10 minutes for a mould and tool set with an adjustable plate system and the elimination...

Bio-based bag carries the food home and the waste to the composter.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... German discount supermarket chain Aldi Sud has started offering its customers carrier bags made from BASF's Ecovio biodegradable alloy of polyester and polylactic add. The polyester component is the company's Ecoflex which is petrochemical...

Retailers beat carrier bag reduction target.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... Britain's retailers have exceeded the voluntary target to cut carrier bag consumption that they set in an agreement with the Government in 2007. According to a statement from the Waste and Resources Action Programme--WRAP--which has monitored...

Home compostable film 'is thinner than other equivalents'.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... A bio based packaging film that goes beyond the EN15343 standard for plastic composting to achieve the OK standard for home compostability is being introduced by Sirane of Telford. The Siraflex film is available in a range of styles and...

Air cushion film goes bio.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... The Airplus air cushion packaging film made by Storopack in Germany and in the USA has been augmented with a bio based version which is compostable to the European standard EN 13432. The Airplus Bio film is initially made in two sizes and the...

Peerless takes up Martian arts.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... Signs for last year's Barbican Art Gallery exhibition called Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art were finished by Peerless Protective Coatings. A matt finish was deemed desirable so as not to detract from the wording and motherboard...

SiOx coated film 'has world's highest water vapour barrier'.(film & sheet conversion)
March 1, 2009... A barrier film claimed to have "the world's highest level of water vapour barrier properties" is being introduced to Europe. The X-Barrier film from Mitsubishi Plastics has a water vapour transmission rate of [10.sup.-4] g/[m.sup.2]/day. In...

'Scrapping premium' incentive to buy a new Engel machine.(injection moulding)
March 1, 2009... Engel is offering a scrapping premium as a discount on new injection moulding machines. Customers who replace an old machine with a new Victory, E-Victory, E-Max, E-Motion or Duo Pico machine will get a 3,010 [euro] credit against the purchase...

Sandretto now in the all-electric business.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The integration of Sandretto's injection moulding machine range with that of its new owner, Romi of Brazil, has started with the introduction of Sandretto's first all-electric machine a re-badged Romi machine with...

10 tonne compact machine added by Boy.(injection moulding)
March 1, 2009... An ultra-compact 10 tonne injection moulding machine has been introduced by Boy, becoming the smallest model in the range in more ways than one. The XS has a footprint of 0.81 [m.sup.2] and is also built in a vertical insert moulding format (XS...

Demag Hamilton starts the year with 1 million [pounds sterling] + orders.(injection moulding)
March 1, 2009... Demag Hamilton has been taking orders for Sumitomo electric injection moulding machines and has sold seven so far this year. Sumitomo machines were added to Demag Hamilton's portfolio following the takeover of Demag by Sumitomo in March last...

Holloid swims against the tide of depression.(injection moulding)
March 1, 2009... Against the worldwide trend of short time working, staff reduction and plant closures, trade moulder Holloid Plastics has extended its working hours, is increasing employment and is planning to open a new factory. Holloid is a...

Small, but perfectly formed.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... Micro moulding was demonstrated by both major small machine producers, Boy and Arburg. Both companies showed the production of gear wheels weighing 0.001 g and their subsequent discharge for identification by cavity. Boy used its 12 tonne...

Cost cutting hybrid machine debuts as Arburg opens multi-million [euro] customer centre.(injection moulding)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With demand for injection moulding machines threatened by the worldwide pressure on capital expenditure Arburg has developed and introduced a new series of machines in just three months. The new Hidrive is largely...

Husky to stop building moulding machines in Luxembourg.(injection moulding)
March 1, 2009... The manufacture of injection moulding machines at Husky's Luxembourg plant is to cease by the end of this year as the company withdraws from the large-scale automotive industry presses it has made a major target in recent years. Husky...

Learning from the old to develop the new.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new hybrid machine from Negri Bassi has been named the Janus, from the Greek god who could take his experience from the past to forecast the future--and gave us January looking back at the old year and forward to...

Package deal for packaging.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... The result of integrating Battenfeld into the Wittmann Group was demonstrated at Plast with an in-mould labelling application in which al/ parts of the cell were from the group. A 270 tonnes Battenfeld TM)(press machine, specially developed far...

Toshiba now makes six-axis robots.(automation & robotics)
March 1, 2009... Toshiba Machine has gone into the six-axis robot business, making it now one of the few suppliers offering a complete range of robot technologies--SCARA, Cartesian and six-axis. ATV800 EZcell was demonstrated by its UK agent TM Robotics...

High speed cutting and chamfering.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... A machine for the simultaneous cutting and chamfering of short lengths of pipe has been developed by SICA, The Duet 125 is for use with PP, HDPE and PVC pipe and can cut and socket 500 mm pipe lengths at more than 2,300 pipes per hour to an...

Extrusion line dedicated to PS medical pipettes.(pipe & profile)
March 1, 2009... An extrusion line specifically for the production of polystyrene pipette tubes has been introduced by Boston Matthews. It can extrude, size, dry and cut a range of tube sizes without marking or swarf, under clean room conditions. The...

Euronomic is economic.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... The new Servo-Torq Euronomic extrusion cutter from Gillard combines a brushless AC servo motor with a fully digital control system to activate the knife blade for 12,995 [euro--a price claimed to set "a new industry standard for value for money...

Graham buys into Indian blow moulder.(blow moulding)
March 1, 2009... US-based blow moulder Graham Packaging is extending its global reach by buying a minority share in Indian packaging company PPI Blowpack. Graham already has 29 plants outside the USA, in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France,...

RCPP meets requirements for extrusion blow moulding.(blow moulding)
March 1, 2009... A high transparency random copolymer polypropylene for extrusion blow moulding has been introduced by SABIC. PP 680K is seen as a single grade solution for applications needing to combine transparency, high temperature resistance and a good...

Polystyrene bottle 'is lightest ever'.(blow moulding)
March 1, 2009... BASF is claiming a cautious record in bottle blowing with an experimental bottle produced in its BX 5380 polystyrene by bottle systems supplier Krones. The caution comes with describing the 7.5 g bottle as the lightest half litre polystyrene...

Expansion in product development for PET stretch blow.(blow moulding)
March 1, 2009... PET blow moulding tooling specialist R&D Integrated Solutions in Plastics--formerly R&D Tool and Engineering--has expanded the product development facilities at its Sutton-in-Ashfield factory in Nottinghamshire. Over the past two years the...

Extended drying control and dryers for tight corners.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A 24 hour history function has been added to the Eco control system for Koch Technik's CKT and EKO dry air dryers. This is a patented energy-saving drying control that prevents sensitive materials such as PA, PC, LCP...

Giving granules an easy ride.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... A vacuum transport system that takes account of the needs of different types of granule, has been introduced by Moretto. Different types of granule behave differently depending on their bulk density, fragility, powder content, granule shape,...

Wheel dryers for low throughputs.(materials handling)
March 1, 2009... Two new models in the NovaWheel range of wheel dryers from Maguire Europe are aimed at processors with low throughput-capacity requirements. They are the NovaWheel-30, with nominal throughput capacity of 14 kg/hr, and the NovaWheel-60, with...

Mini dryers get X technology.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... The Dry Air compressed air/molecular sieve small volume dryer from Moretto now has a touch-screen panel that enables the use of the company's X Dryer programming system. This requires the user to enter only two parameters the material to be...

JSP aims to lift the veil on expanded polypropylene: expanded polypropylene is used in many if not most of cars built today to absorb impact energy or provide sound attenuation. But you would have to dig to find it because it's not pretty and is kept out of sight. Major producer JSP is developing means of improving the moulded surface to make it attractive for new, visible, applications, mainly outside automotive.(design)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Developments by JSP in the moulding of expanded polypropylene are intended to overcome the primary disadvantage of the material and extend its range of...

Lower warp LCP designed for high pin density connectors.(design)
March 1, 2009... A low warpage grade of Vectra LCP has been introduced by Ticona Engineering Polymers as part of the expansion of its portfolio of V-0 halogen-free polymers for use in eco-friendly electrical and electronic components. Grade E488i, is designed...

Improved gear development support at Victrex.(design)
March 1, 2009... Additional R & D support for customers moulding gear wheels has been put in place by Victrex. The company has set up a second gear testing and analysis rig for polymer and metal gears at the Applied Technology Center at its headquarters in...

Sheet extends to a mesh and clicks into shape.(design)
March 1, 2009... A packaging sheet foam which is condensed for storage and transportation and expanded for use has been developed by Ramfoam of Birmingham. RamClick is a non-crosslinked polyethylene sheet which is cut in an interlocking pattern which...

Tougher foam for medical use.(design)
March 1, 2009... For medical applications Zotefoams has added Healthcare Pink to the available colours in its Evazote EV30 foam. Evazote is an ethylene copolymer foam from the company's Azote foam range made by impregnating the sheet under pressure with...

PEEK cable clamp outperforms metal in aerospace installations.(design)
March 1, 2009... A clamp for securing wiring and hydraulic tubing in aircraft has been developed by Amphenol using Victrex PEEK. The intention was to replace and outperform traditional P-clamps and saddle clamps. The clamps were originally developed for use...

PP 'matches ABS gloss'.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... A polypropylene said to be the first to match the gloss of ABS has been introduced for the white goods sector by Borealis. Borcom BGOSSAI brings a 6 per cent reduction in cycle time and lower weight and is suggested for control panels, front...

Magnetic compounds give traceability in food processing.(engineering materials)
March 1, 2009... A range of eight magnetically detectable compounds for use in food manufacturing and similar applications where there is a requirement to detect plastic parts in production lines has been introduced by TBA Electro Conductive Products. ECP...

TPE production focused on medical devices.(engineering materials)
March 1, 2009... Kraiburg TPE is the latest TPE manufacturer to focus a product group on the medical sector. It has introduced the Thermolast M series of five HSBC (hydrogenated styrene block copolymer) compounds for use in pharmaceutical and medical...

San gets medical support.(engineering materials)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A grade of Luran styrene acrylonitrile has been added to BASF's medical technology product range. Luran HD combines transparency with chemical resistance, stiffness, ease of processing and resistance to fluctuations...

White goods electrical approval for PBT.(engineering materials)
March 1, 2009... A PBT grade from DSM--ArniteT-XG 510--has received VDE Approval for electrical insulating materials, which makes it suitable for components like connectors in white goods applications. DSM says it is the first unfilled PBT which has tested...

Extra thick pom sheet is for machining and fabrication.(engineering materials)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Acetal sheets 200 mm thick are now being made by German semi-finished materials specialist GEHR Kunststoffwerk. They are available alongside calendered sheets, solid rods, hollow rods and hexagonal rods. The material...

PBTs are hydrolysis-resistant.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... Hydrolysis-resistant laser-markable PBTs have been added to RadiciGroup's Raditer B product range. When subject to humidity and/or high temperatures, conventional PBTs tend to lose their mechanical characteristics as a result of hydrolytic...

Masterbatch supplier to offer bespoke colour optimisation.(colour management)
March 1, 2009... A colour optimisation service is being started by ColourTone Masterbatch in Caerphilly. The company will examine a processor's needs and devise a colouring regime best suited to them. The idea is based on a project carried out for moulder...

Ampacet names Albis as UK distributor.(colour management)
March 1, 2009... Colour masterbatch producer Ampacet has appointed Albis UK as its British distributor, extending the agreement for Albis' German parent company to handle distribution in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia and Bendux. Ampacet...

PP clarifier gets higher level FDA approval.(additives)
March 1, 2009... Ciba's Irgaclear XT 386 clarifier for polypropylene has been approved by the FDA at a higher concentration level. It was approved at 150-200ppm, and this has now been extended to 250 ppm for all conditions of use from high CA) to low (H)...

Korean additives producer opens Belgian distribution centre.(additives)
March 1, 2009... Further penetration of the European plastics additives market is being targeted by Korean antioxidants specialist Songwon--already with a European headquarters in Switzerland--which is opening a warehouse in Antwerp, Belgium. The warehouse will...

Turkish granulator builder appoints UK/Ireland agent.(reclamation & recycling)
March 1, 2009... Birmingham Granulators has become UK and Ireland sales agent for a range of Turkish built granulators to augment its sales of used equipment and spares. The manufacturer, Inan, has been designing and building plastics recycling machinery for...

Wrap invites tenders for Scottish recycling plants.(reclamation & recycling)
March 1, 2009... Tenders are now being invited by the Waste & Resources Action Programme for plastics recycling facilities to be built in Scotland with funding from the Scottish Government under the 5 million [pounds sterling] grant scheme announced earlier...

Kaysersberg takes back PP sheet for reprocessing.(reclamation & recycling)
March 1, 2009... Kaysersberg Plastics, which makes Correx twinwall polypropylene sheet, has set up a process for reclaiming PP sheet. It will collect redundant materials--minimum four pallets--in empty lorry space on return journeys to its factory in Gloucester...

Reclaim machine targeted at biopolymers.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A line designed for reclaiming biopolymer process scrap, such as thermoforming skeletal waste, has been developed by NGR of Austria. The S-Gran-HD recycling unit is based on the company's "one-step-technology", which...

Greater efficiency for ambient cooling transfer.(temperature control)
March 1, 2009... The EDG unit in the Ecodry closed circuit cooling system from Frigel has been replaced by an improved EDK model. Ecodry uses a closed-circuit fluid cooler instead of a cooling tower. Water returning from the process is pumped into heat...

High and low cooling demands met automatically by dual circuit TCU.(temperature control)
March 1, 2009... A dual cooling circuit option has been introduced on Wittmann's Tempro Plus C series of temperature control units. The Duo system is intended to overcome the need to install multiple temperature controllers of different capabilities on tools...

Time to act on refrigerant replacement.(temperature control)
March 1, 2009... The looming ban on HCFC refrigerants from January 1 next year is bringing reminders to act and special offers from chiller suppliers. A-Gas has seen heavy demand for refrigerants at the start of the year and with concerns that shortages of...

Blown film temperature control package saves with centralisation.(temperature control)
March 1, 2009... An all in one mono block cooling package for blown film has been introduced by Frigosystem of Italy. KITE is an acronym for Kooling Innovative Technology for Extrusion, and behind it is a two year programme of research, development and...

Water heat transfer rates up to 160 degC.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... A new water temperature controller has been added to the Regloplas range sold in Britain by Moran. The P160XL is designed for applications which require very high flow rates and high temperatures, such as injection moulding tools which are...

Shorter heat up time for TCUs.(PLAST '09: TECHNOLOGY UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... Temperature control units made by Sella now have 20 per cent more heating power as standard to shorten the initial heat up period. The company's standard equipment spans the range 3 300 kW, and Sella also custom builds for machinery makers. ...

Lanxess joins forces with Mettler Toledo.(testing & inspection)
March 1, 2009... The Technical Rubber Products business unit of Lanxess has opened a laboratory for dynamic mechanical analyses within its Polymer Testing department and linked with Merrier Toledo for customer testing. Two Merrier Toledo DMA instruments...

Friction tester overcomes risk of inconsistencies.(testing & inspection)
March 1, 2009... A new friction tester from Hanatek provides static and dynamic COF values and a force curve showing the full surface profile. It complies with the latest version of ASTMD 1894 which calls for a fixed link between the load cell and the sled...

Test equipment companies now in the same stable.(testing & inspection)
March 1, 2009... Italian testing equipment manufacturer CEAST has been bought by US-based Illinois Tool Works, which already owns testing equipment manufacturer Instron. CEAST was a family-owned concern, having been set up by Dr Mario Grosso in Turin in...