British Plastics & Rubber articles from May 2007

British Plastics & Rubber archives from May 2007

Conferences & exhibitions.(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... Applications--aerospace September 18-19 International Conference on Polymers in Defence and Aerospace 2007. Conference in Toulouse, France, organised by Rapra Technology. 01939 250383 (fax 01939 252416). [e-mail] conferences@rapra.net ...

Colour masterbatch is about more than just colour.(Materials and additives)
May 1, 2007... Performance Masterbatches is focusing attention on its customised colour masterbatch service and Datacolor ImageMaster-based colour matching technology on Stand 69. In particular it will be emphasizing the need to take account of a host of...

TPEs from Europe's largest manufacturer.(Materials and additives)
May 1, 2007... Traghetto (Stand 111) is the UK distributor for the SEBS, TPO, TPU, SPS, TPV, PVC/NBR and XLEVA TPE materials from API, which it describes as Europe's largest manufacturer of specialist thermoplastic elastomers. The company will show ultra-soft...

Materials from around the world.(Materials and additives)
May 1, 2007... Ashland (Stand 8) distributes materials from a number of global suppliers and backs this up with technical service support in material selection, processing, and mould tool and component design.

Material selection on show.(Materials and additives)
May 1, 2007... Supporting Distrupol's materials distribution is its Product Information Centre for material selection which will be demonstrated on Stand 75.

Thermoforming sheet.(Materials and additives)
May 1, 2007... Sheet products for thermoforming from ILPA-MP3 will be shown by Swanstone on Stand 49.

Film up to nine layers.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Film extrusion system producer Macchi will be on Stand 28 to promote its blown and cast film lines. It makes systems for up to nine layers, using a space-saving film blowing design in which the extruders are mounted on modular platforms, which...

Film conversion specialist.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Jenton International (Stand 94) sells equipment for making plastic bags, for controlling ink on films, for cleaning webs, for punching holes in plastic films, for sealing holes in films and more.

Off-line planning for thermoforming processes.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Geiss will reveal its latest development--a simulation programme allowing customers to specify equipment and see it working on the screen--on the Swanstone stand (49).This system makes it easier to define equipment needed and explain functions...

Forming and trimming from one source.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Thermoforming machines from Cannon Forma and CNC machining and trimming centres from Belotti will be promoted by Cannon Shelley on Stand 61. Cannon Forma industrial thermoformers and twin sheet and pressure formers all have fully...

New MAKA CNC trimmer runs faster than before.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... The new MAKA MK 7 5-axis CNC trimming machine will be introduced on Stand 60 by MAKA Machinery, the UK subsidiary of Max Mayer Maschinenbau. This has been designed specifically for the plastics and composites sector and has five-axis...

CNC routers.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Thermwood Europe (Stand 18) sells a range of three- and five-axis CNC routers and associated software for use in machining plastics, composites, wood and light alloys.

Router cutters for all types of plastics.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... The range of Onsrud and Crown router cutters for machining all types of plastics will be shown by ATA Engineering Processes on Stand 105. Also on show will be the long-established inserted pin router from C R Onsrud.

D-S extruder makes UK debut.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Davis-Standard, now back in Britain for extruder sales and support, will be introducing its Euro Blue 2, a reworked version of the Euro Blue. A 60 mm machine will be on Stand 22.

Plastics Innovations is free and easy.(plastics innovations exhibition preview)(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... PLASTICS Innovations is the only trade show specifically for plastics processors being held in Britain this year. It will be staged at the Ricoh Arena--home of Coventry City Football Club--on Wednesday/ Thursday May 23 and 24, 10.00-17.00 on...

Pumps and screen changers for extrusion systems.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Gear pumps, screen changers and control systems for extrusion lines made by Maag Pump Systems Textron are sold by Suurmond UK. The company will be on Stand 107 with an Extrex GP gear pump, a manually-operated type HSC screen changer, and a MAAX...

Compounding systems to suit all needs.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Compounding systems based on advanced ZSK extruders to economy level STS standard machines are supplied by Coperion in forms from tailor-made extruders to complete turn-key systems. The company will have information on Stand 13.

Round and about injection moulding ...(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Injection moulding machine supplier Sandretto (Stand 48) will be promoting its wider interests including robotics, cooling systems, ancillaries, conveyors, granulators, and power savers.

... And round again.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Invotec Solutions on Stand S0 will be showing a range of ancillary equipment for injection moulding including static mixers, flow meters, mould curtains, chutes and covers, and hot runner controllers.

Plated parts straight from the machine.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... The Decoline from Singulus Technologies (Stand 99) is an automatic in-line metallisation system in modular format, with modules for metallisation and lacquering stemming from the company's experience in optical disc production. It can be used...

Injection screws that do more.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Cooper Technology will be exhibiting developments in injection screw designs including the Posi-Melt multi purpose screw, and the new Posi-Melt Barrier screw. The screws are designed to reduce cycle time, improve mixing performance and reduce...

High speed robot in action.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Star Automation's high speed ZXE1000 Cartesian robot will be running on Stand 23. The company will also be showcasing its side-entry robots, in mould labelling applications, insert loading applications, sprue pickers, pallet changers and...

Robot programming updates from Sepro.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... The latest developments in robotics from Sepro Robotique (Stand 42) include programmable vacuum systems and energy saving programming. The company will also have information on its latest six-axis robots.

Sprue pickers.(Primary processing equipment)
May 1, 2007... Geiger Handling will be showing a servo drive sprue picker on Stand 51 as well as the economically priced pneumatic and electric drive pickers from Geiger Cytec.

Flexible control for dryers, blenders and conveyors.(Materials handling)
May 1, 2007... Dryers, blenders and materials conveying systems will be shown on Stand 84 by Piovan. The company's new DP 604-615 small dryers have control functions which Piovan says are normally only found on large central dryers. The IES...

K-Tron conveyors expanded with Premier designs.(Materials handling)
May 1, 2007... The addition of Premier Pneumatics to the K-Tron Process Group has expanded K-Tron's pneumatic conveying capabilities to include continuous as well as vacuum sequencing systems. Equipment on display on Stand 9 for the first time in Europe...

Compressed air dryer from Summit ...(Materials handling)
May 1, 2007... Among its ancillary equipment on Stand 40 Summit Systems will be illustrating a new compressed air dryer and gravimetric throat-mounted colour feeders.

... And Geiger.(Materials handling)
May 1, 2007... The Farragtech compressed air dryer will be shown by Geiger Handling on Stand 51.

Heating and cooling by name ...(Temperature control)
May 1, 2007... Gesellschaft Warme Kaltetechnik is a specialist in cooling technology, temperature control, water treatment and mould technology. Stand 44.

Infrared to order.(Temperature control)
May 1, 2007... Heraeus Noblelight designs and manufactures purpose-built infrared emitters and systems. Stand 53.

Switchable heating.(Temperature control)
May 1, 2007... Piovan (Stand 84) will be showing its TW9 water temperature controller with 3,6 and 9 kW switching of the heating capacity. Leak stop and interface facility are standard features.

New pad printers.(Finishing)
May 1, 2007... The latest Cristal range of multi-colour pad printing equipment from Printing International will be on Stand 35. The Cristal uses Festo pneumatics and Siemens PLC, and is described as 'cost-effective'.

Pad printers and laser marking for system integration.(Finishing)
May 1, 2007... Pad printing machines and laser marking equipment, and how to integrate them into manufacturing systems, will be shown on Stand 115 by Tampoprint.

Full service for pad printing.(Finishing)
May 1, 2007... Tosh Logica pad printing machines will be shown by Tampographic (Stand 85) alongside inks, plates, pad supplies, and other products and services for printing on plastics parts.

One-stop shop for printing.(Finishing)
May 1, 2007... Pad Print decribes itself as a one-stop shop for pad printing machines, pad printing plates, inks, pads and more. Stand 97.

Welding generator takes out the skill variable.(Finishing)
May 1, 2007... Mecasonic will be showing (Stand 57) its new digital welding generator which has new features to give weld consistency and remove dependency on operator skill. The company will also be showing a miniature 30 KHz press suitable for...

New welding systems from Rinco.(Finishing)
May 1, 2007... On the Rinco Ultrasonics stand (39) will be the latest Standard 745 ADG (Advanced Digital Generator) welding system, one of the new range of 'Standard Series' welding systems from Rinco. Hand held systems in 20,35 and 70 kHz will also be on...

Continuous processes now come under Mattec's monitoring wing.(Production management)
May 1, 2007... The latest modules for its suite of real time scheduling, production monitoring and process monitoring systems together with the latest 'continuous process' monitoring version of ProHelp EPM will be demonstrated by Mattec on Stand 31. ...

Macro and microscale imaging with the same microscope.(Testing and inspection)
May 1, 2007... An inspection instrument combining the versatility of a stereo with the resolution of a compound microscope will be introduced by Nikon (Stand 47). The AZ100 Multizoom offers the wide field of view and long working distances usually associated...

Vision combines optical and video measurement in one instrument.(Testing and inspection)
May 1, 2007... Vision Engineering will be demonstrating the new Merlin 300 two-axis video measuring system and the Peregrine two-axis optical and video measuring system on Stand 26. The low cost Merlin 300 is said to need little training, allowing users...

Ray-Ran automates density measurement.(Testing and inspection)
May 1, 2007... New from Ray-Ran Test Equipment (Stand 100) will be the Advanced Auto Density Measurement System. This is based on the established three-column density gradient, with an added sight to determine the position of the sample or float. The...

A free CAD viewer for all visitors.(Tooling, product design and prototyping)
May 1, 2007... Delcam (Stand 59) will offer a free CAD viewer to all visitors. The PowerSHAPE-e software improves communication, either within a company or along a supply chain, by allowing everyone involved in the product development process to view and...

3D printer uses tougher ABS.(Tooling, product design and prototyping)
May 1, 2007... The new Stratasys Dimension Elite 3D Printer from Laser Lines (Stand 58) brings with it a new build material. The P430 ABS plus gives the user a 40 per cent increase in mechanical strength over the P400 ABS used in the 768 and 1200 3D Printer...

Polyurethane enclosures for prototype or low volume production.(Tooling, product design and prototyping)
May 1, 2007... Two tooling systems are used by Midas Pattern Company (Stand 70) to make polyurethane enclosures which are mainly used in medical, analytical and scientific applications--often as large scale assemblies that are required in low volumes. ...

Tool coating without heat distortion.(Tooling, product design and prototyping)
May 1, 2007... Tool wear protection using PVD nitride coatings is usually done by arc evaporation at temperatures between 400 and 450 degC, but Oerlikon Balzers UK (Stand 106) has developed an arc technology that works as low as 200 degC. This makes it...

WS2 makes moulds more slippery.(Tooling, product design and prototyping)
May 1, 2007... Tungsten disulphide surface treatment of tooling by WS2 Coatings (Stand 73) enhances melt flow, aids release and eliminates the need for additional release agents. At 0.5 microns thick, no machining is required.

Innov8es puts the show on the road.(Tooling, product design prototyping)
May 1, 2007... The Innov8es Roadshow will be on Stand 11 .This is a van kitted out with examples of all the company's services which include product design and CAD from initial concept sketch to complete computer aided design; rapid prototyping in SLA, SLS,...

Hot runner components.(Tooling, product design prototyping)
May 1, 2007... Hot runner supplier Thermoplay (Stand 32) will be showing its range of nozzles, standard/special manifolds, and temperature/ sequential controllers.

East west tooling ... 1.(Tooling, product design prototyping)
May 1, 2007... Components produced on tooling made in the UK and in the Far East will be shown by Keights Tooling on Stand 31.

East west tooling ... 2.(Tooling, product design prototyping)
May 1, 2007... Tool-Quotes (Stand 17) has an office in Shenzhen, China, and combines British design and engineering with the economy of Chinese toolmaking and manufacturing.

East west tooling ... 3.(Tooling, product design prototyping)
May 1, 2007... G English Electronics-GELEC--supplies tooling from Win Industries (China) with warehousing both in the UK and the Far East. (Stand 108)

Long-standing Chinese mouldmaker.(Tooling, product design prototyping)
May 1, 2007... Taiwan Mold Tool Co (Stand 74) says it has been the leading mould and tooling maker in Taiwan and China since 1978.

From prototype to high volume production.(Tooling, product design prototyping)
May 1, 2007... Protool (Stand 7) will be describing its complete prototype and low and high volume production processes using rapid aluminium tooling, silicone tooling, production tooling, and project management of tooling from the Far East. The company says...

Thermoforming for prototyping or production.(Processors)
May 1, 2007... AV Engineering Services will be on Stand 66 to show its capabilities in thermoforming, with the support of 3D CAD/CAM and scanning for inspection, production and reverse engineering, and five-axis CNC capacity of 2 x 2 x 0.75 m for the...

Specialist in small, complex parts.(Processors)
May 1, 2007... Forteq UK (Stand 65) has a tradition of producing small complex parts used in electro-mechanical devices in the automotive, consumer electronics and industrial sectors for applications involving critical motion, flow measurement and resistance...

Mouldings or tooling.(Processors)
May 1, 2007... Moulded products from Hi-Tech Mouldings, a member of the Hi-Technology Group, will be shown on Stand 35. The company also offers a tooling service.

Full service.(Processors)
May 1, 2007... ProMould will be showcasing its facilities and services for injection moulding, tool making, assembly, printing, labelling and packaging on Stand 103.

Multi-shot moulder.(Processors)
May 1, 2007... As its name suggests Hymid MultiShot produces multi-component injection mouldings. The company offers a design service, on-site or off-shore tool making, 24 hour moulding production, and secondary operations and assembly. Stand 118.

Shred big lumps in a single process.(Recycling)
May 1, 2007... Systems 4 Recycling (Stand 87) will be showcasing its single rotor patented ECO-Drive shredders which can offer up to a 60 per cent saving on electrical costs and improve throughput. They are suitable for shredding film, foil, rigid plastics,...

More than just training.(Industry services)
May 1, 2007... The activities of Polymer Training will be described on Stand 21. PTL specialises in training, further education and providing support for product design, materials selection, company and product incubation, tool trialling and prototyping.

R & D from NPL.(Industry services)
May 1, 2007... National Physical Laboratory (Stand 36) is a research organisation offering characterisation, and processing and performance testing of polymers, composites and adhesives

Colours in plastics: the future's bright: James Wallace of Cornelius group takes a look at developments in colour effects.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... IF YOU ask an individual, an ordinary consumer, to name as many colours as they can, they will probably struggle to make a list of more than 100. This is despite that, according to which reference source you use, the human eye is capable of...

PMB beats pearl problems for Addis.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... THREE new pearlescent colours introduced by Addis for its kitchenware products were translated to masterbatch in a very short lead time by Performance Masterbatches. Pearlescent colours, particularly those based on pastel shades like two...

Gabriel-Chemie takes colouring expertise to where it's needed.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... GABRIEL-Chemie has started a regular colour workshop for designers. The company held its first Colour Vision 2007/2008 Design Workshop at Central St Martin's College in London in early February and now intends to make it a regular event. ...

Additive masterbatch is the one to back as growth in colours declines.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... THE European masterbatch business is the biggest in the world and is growing--except in Britain. According to a new report from AMI, masterbatch producers in Europe made more than 960,000 tonnes of product in 2006 while European demand was...

Solving the problem of odour and taste in plastics coloured with ultramarine blue: Alex Capuz and Ricard March of Nubiola Inorganic Pigments discuss the taste and smell implications of using ultramarine blue colorants, and describe tests to show how one of their company's latest grades improves on standard ultramarines.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... ULTRAMARINE blue (PB 29) is a blue inorganic pigment that has been widely used in plastics because of its unique reddish undertone, excellent performance, and ability to tint whites, greys and blacks. Its chemical nature makes it compatible...

Fluoropolymer colorist added to ColorMatrix group.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... THE specialist colour supplier ColorMatrix has been augmented with a Swiss manufacturer of specialist colorants. ColorMatrix, which reckons to be the world's largest manufacturer of liquid colorant and additive concentrates, is owned by...

Improved acid resistance stops blues looking washed out.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... ULTRAMARINE pigment manufacturer Holliday Pigments has improved the performance of its acid resistant Premier AR grade specifically for plastics applications. Ultramarine is rendered acid resistant by means of an inert coating deposited on...

Coloured PVCu stays cool in the sun.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... RIGID PVC products coloured with conventional pigments fade in prolonged exposure to sunlight, especially darker shades. They also heat up, causing thermal expansion and physical degradation which leads to buckling. Eventually products such as...

Biodegradable masterbatch is active only when composting.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... AN additive that is said to make plastics biodegrade more effectively than bio-sourced polymers and that doesn't wreck the recycling process is now available in Britain from Begg & Co. Bio-Batch enables plastics to break down in composting...

Oxo-degradation breaks down foamed polystyrene in landfill.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... AN oxo-degradable additive is used to make polystyrene break down in landfill in a new series of containers from Canadian company Cascades. Bioxo containers are made from foamed polystyrene and are designed to degrade within three years....

Additives for WPC compounds.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... COLOUR and additive concentrates intended for use in wood-plastic composite applications such as fencing, decking, railings, and window and door frames have been introduced by PolyOne. They have been formulated to improve feed accuracy and...

Sheffield research to improve biopolymer packaging.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... SHEFFIELD Hallam University is working as part of the European Sustainpack project to develop improved bio-sourced packaging materials. Sustainpack combines the work of 36 research institutes in 13 countries in a four-year programme to...

Process aid improves EPDM moulding release.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... A NEW grade of MoldWiz process aid from Axel Plastics Research Laboratories improves the release of EPDM mouldings without causing surface contamination which could impede bonding or decorative treatment. As an example of its effect Axel...

Antistat is easier to handle.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... AN IMPROVED version of its Armostat anti-static agent has been introduced by Akzo-Nobel. Armostat 2000 is a lauric diethanol amide (LDA), and suffers from a characteristic of LDA which is severe caking when used as a particulate material at...

Nanoclay shortens application routes for nylons and polypropylene.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... NATURALNANO of Pittsford in New York State, USA, is a nanomaterials company that is developing proprietary technologies and processes to simplify the use of nanocomposites for polymer enhancement and has just announced successful pilot and...

Nucleation improves the performance of polyethylene films: bottles are next.(colorants and additives)
May 1, 2007... USING nucleating agents to increase the clarity and other properties of polyethylene has not been as widespread as the nucleation of polypropytene-according to Milliken Chemical it had not been done on a commercial scale until the introduction...

Anti-drip additive doesn't need a cold store.(blow moulding)
May 1, 2007... THE NEW Dyneon MM 5935 EF anti dripping additive for flame retardant plastics is said to have advantages over standard PTFE fine powders. These agglomerate at temperatures above 19 degC but the new product can be stored even at tropical...

Lanxess plasticiser gets FDA approval.(blow moulding)
May 1, 2007... US Food and Drug Administration approval has been given to Lanxess plasticiser Mesamoll II for use in contact with aqueous-based foodstuffs. Mesamoll II is an alkylsulfonic phenyl ester suitable for polymers such as polyurethane, NBR rubber and...

Elopak's British bottle business in management buy out.(blow moulding)
May 1, 2007... ELOPAK's dairy and juice bottle businesses in Britain have been taken over in a management buy out which is described as creating the largest privately-owned HDPE bottle manufacturer in the UK. Auspac of Bracknell, Berkshire, and Elopak...

Esterform and Mauser sold to private equity firms.(blow moulding)
May 1, 2007... A MAJORITY share in PET bottle producer Esterform has been bought by Gresham Private Equity for more than 30 million [pounds sterling]. The capital injection will fund growth, one prong of which is the development of a plastic beer keg to...

Blender handles higher levels of regrind.(materials handling)
May 1, 2007... TSM Control Systems has added more features to the TSM1000 gravimetric batch blender. This blender model, which can handle up to 1,000 kg/hr, has been redesigned to work with even the most difficult regrind, dosing at a higher percentage while...

Caps and plugs moulder to add Chinese plant.(injection moulding)
May 1, 2007... MOCAP, a manufacturer of standard sealing plugs and caps with plants in Telford and in Missouri, USA, is to open a third factory, in China. The 75,000 [ft.sup.2] plant near Hong Kong International Airport will have injection moulding and PVC...

BNL buys Cobb Slater.(injection moulding)
May 1, 2007... BEARING manufacturer BNL (UK) has bought injection moulder Cobb Slater, which is also prominent in the plastics bearing business. Cobb Slater, which employs around 60 people at Darley Dale near Matlock in the Peak District, is being closed and...