British Plastics & Rubber articles from November 2002

British Plastics & Rubber archives from November 2002

Do we need a national plastics show? (Interplas).
November 1, 2002... THIS year's Interplas exhibition represents a milestone in the long history of the show as it must have beer the smallest to have been staged at the NEC since it switched therefrom London in 1977. The reduction in occupied stand space and in...

Meiki expands and revises its electric range. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... THE electric direct locking NADEM machine series from Meiki has been expanded with new, bigger models, a new thermoplastic series, a thermoset machine, and, to some extent, an optical disc machine. Direct locking is not readily achievable...

'One-year pay back' for all-electric price premium. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... FERROMATIK Milacron is now claiming a one year pay back for the price premium of its Elektra all-electric machines compared with hydraulic. Since it introduced the Elektra Evolution series last year it says the price differential has been...

Twin shot and new small sizes join revised Sumitomo electrics. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... THE small end of the all-electric SE-S machine range from Sumitomo has been revised as the SE-D and a 130 tonne model has been added to bridge the previous gap between 100 and 180 tonnes. The range is now seven machines from 18 to 180 tonnes....

Boy adds electric screw drive. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... Dr Boy has introduced an electric screw drive option for its A-series machines. This enables operation of the plasticising unit during mould open and close, reducing cycle time. The company says that hydraulic drives will remain the most...

Tax-saving boost for Demag moulding machines. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... Demag Ergotech has long claimed that its EI-Exis range of injection moulding machines is energy efficient, but it has now capped that claim by getting the motors for the machines on to the government's list of approved equipment for accelerated...

Add-on injection improves single material moulding. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... Additional injection units are normally installed for mouldings requiring a combination of materials such as in two-component or sandwich moulding. But Windsor Kunststofftechnologie has retrofitted ancillary injection units on three large...

More multi-material Ergotechs and modifications to the Extra. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... DEMAG Ergotech has extended its range of machines for multi-component moulding. There are models in eight clamping forces from 50 to 350 tonnes, providing generous distances between tiebars for rotary tables, and the number of main and...

Networking system for rubber machines. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... THE NEW Maplink 4 plus networking system for rubber moulding machines from Maplan gives a production data overview structured for use by individuals or sharing over a network. Depending on the amount of networked machines and the amount of...

Italian cap tools now available in Britain. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... TRENDPAM has become UK agent for Italian mould maker Gefit which specialises in moulds for closures, more recently PET preforms, and post moulding automation such as preform handling. Gefit has developed a series of mould designs for...

Ceramics could cut screw and barrel wear. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... Ceramic components for plasticising systems are under test at Battenfeld as part of a six-partner research project to find ways of resisting abrasion and wear from highly filled materials. The project has been running since the middle of last...

Barrier filter keeps dirt out of hot runners. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... USE of recycled or contaminated material can cause melt channels to become clogged with dirt so Hasco has introduced its H 5050 barrier filter to overcome the resulting difficulties. It is fitted in the machine nozzle with a washer and is...

Simplified wiring improves integration with the mould. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... SIMPLIFIED integration with the mould has been achieved with Mold-Masters' Flex-Dura hot runner systems by packaging all the electronic and thermocouple wires into a single assembly. Systems are supplied pre-assembled in runner sizes from 6 to...

Sensitive sensor. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... A CAVITY pressure sensor for use when moulding extremely small parts has been introduced by Priamus System Technologies. The 6003B has a front diameter of 2.5 mm and a sensitivity of -5 pC/bar (picoCoulomb/bar), claimed to be more than double...

Sharp move by GT tools. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... NOTTINGHAM-based toolmaker GT Tools has become sole UK toolmaker to the Sharp electronics group. As part of the arrangement GT Tools will be working alongside Shanghai Sharp Mold and Manufacturing Systems Co which is seeking to expand into the...

Sequential opening increases effective machine capacity. (Infection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... Output of a Boy 55 machine can be increased by about 12 per cent, by employing a double daylight mould, particularly when long cooling times are involved. The company has exhibited a technique entailing opening the daylights alternately so that...

Turning stack mould makes Stanley screwdriver handles. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... MCKECHNIE Group's US moulding division McKechnie Plastic Components in South Carolina has adopted the turning stack mould technology for making screwdriver handles. It is using the Ferromatik Milacron Europe/Foboha 'tool cube' to make four...

New multi-zone controller is self-adjusting. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... FEATURES of the new Model LFS-S03 multi zone hot runner controller produced by ERO Electronic include soft start heater function and protection against overheating and the effects of thermocouple faults. Setpoints can be adjusted...

Hot runner controller has rapid response to handle high speed injection. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... CURRENT control and alarm status for Gammaflux Europe TTC hot runner systems are clearly displayed to the operator on the company's new low cost operator panel. Other functions include sensor fracture signalling, start up drying for heater...

Water temperature monitor adds extra tool safety. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... THE CM8 series of hot runner controllers built in Britain by EFI is intended for 8 - 128 zone operation and incorporates a tool temperature monitor and a device for relating power to temperature. The Toolguard temperature monitor detects...

Heat transfer kept to a minimum. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... MASTIP MT hot runner systems have nozzles designed to give a constant heat profile throughout the length of the tip. Heat loss into the mould is reduced by minimal contact faces and tooling does not require extra cooling circuits to deal with...

Rapid mould changing is essential for profitability. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... When moulds are being changed, ma chines are unproductive. So minimising the downtime between jobs is essential for maximum profitability in injection moulding. Craig Forrester of Staubli Unimation reviews the different ways of changing moulds...

Euromap publishes warning signs for injection moulding machines. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... New warning signs on injection moulding machines have been agreed by Euromap and the SPI. Euromap 68 Injection Moulding Machines -- Prohibition Signs and Euromap 69 Injection Moulding Machines -- Mandatory Action Signs can be downloaded from...

Redesign and control options cut robot construction costs. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... THE new GX and IX series robots from Star Automation come from a design rethink aimed at simplifying construction -- therefore reducing cost -- while improving the long term efficiency of the machines. Basically the two ranges are identical in...

PMS gets to grips with SAS. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... ROBOT end of arm tooling systems built by SAS Automation in the USA are now available from Plastic Moulding Supplies. SAS has a range of more than 1,000 tooling components in its Get a Grip modular system. www.pmseurope.com Factfinder...

Battenfeld introduces fast robot intended for all-electric injection moulding machines. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... THE new Battenfeld Unirob R 10/B4 robot is capable of 70 m/[s.sup.2] acceleration up to a maximum speed of 5 metres/second and can handle pads up to 10 kg. It has been designed for use with the Battenfeld EM 1000/350 all electric moulding...

Arburg combines horizontal and vertical robot designs. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... THE TWO designs of integral robot from Arburg have now been combined into a third design. The Multilift H has horizontal access to the machine, the Multilift V comes in from the top, and now comes the Multilift HV with a side entry arm carried...

Robotic co-operation. (Injection Moulding).
November 1, 2002... RECENT years and even more recent months have seen manufacturers of traditional injection moulding beam robots forming systems partnerships with manufacturers of six-axis robots to achieve combinations of simplicity and low cost from the beam...

Modular systems enable DIY conveyor layouts. (Product Handling).
November 1, 2002... A RANGE of 16 modular conveying systems is available from MK Profile Systems, enabling users to devise their own special layouts from standard units at moderate cost. The company can supply extruded aluminium frameworks to requirements. ...

Low voltage conveyors are plug and play. (Product Handling).
November 1, 2002... LOW voltage drives on the Bushman Accuzone conveyor system from Greenstone Automation eliminate the need for high voltage cables and trunking systems and energy consumption is said to be about half that of a traditional belt driven accumulation...

Trayserver keeps parts in position. (Product Handling).
November 1, 2002... A RECENT introduction from Engel for handling parts which need protection or to retain orientation is its Trayserver, which as its name suggests, supplies trays to the moulding system to carry the mouldings on to further processing. It has been...

Low cost light beam guarding for end-of line packaging machinery. (Product Handling).
November 1, 2002... SMARTSCAN has introduced a low cost means of safeguarding the perimeter and conveyor entry/exit zones of palletisers and other automatic end of line packaging machinery. Complementing the company's 8000 Series of light curtains, the new system...

Bottle bagger can run 10 hours unattended. (Product Handling).
November 1, 2002... OVER the past few years Dassett Process Engineering has been developing expertise in a niche product handling area, that of bagging blow moulded bottles. It has developed conveyor systems for removing bottles from the blow moulder, collating...

Silo storage makes dairy company self-sufficient in bottles. (Product Handling).
November 1, 2002... ARLA Foods produces one million bottles of flavoured milk each week from its plant at Newcastle upon Tyne. Until recently, it only had storage space for 110,000 bottles and that meant bottles had to be brought in, adding to the production cost....

Plastic pallet stabilisers outperform wood. (Product Handling).
November 1, 2002... NEW UniFrame top frames produced by Kayserberg Plastics are claimed to be safer, lighter and more durable than wood frames for unitising and stabilising pallet loads of PET bottles and other containers. Their rigidity is said to be...

SIG buys and sells to focus more on packaging. (Blow Moulding).
November 1, 2002... SWISS packaging systems group SIG is tightening its focus on beverage packaging with the acquisition of a Canadian blow mould maker and the confirmation that it intends to sell its Kautex engineering blow moulding machine business. The...

New polyesters for 'heavy glass' feel and big containers. (Blow Moulding).
November 1, 2002... Two copolyesters for blow moulding with very different properties have been introduced by Eastman. One produces glass-like heavy section bottles for decorative packaging, and the other is for bottles in sizes beyond those previously achievable...

Tetra Laval wins reversal of its Sidel takeover veto. (Blow Moulding).
November 1, 2002... THE VETO by the European Commission of the takeover of Sidel by Tera-Laval has been overturned by the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg. The EC rejected the takeover proposals on the grounds that because the PET and carton packaging markets...

Hesta installation at Riverside. (Blow Moulding).
November 1, 2002... PONTYPRIDD-based bottle manufacturer Riverside Plastics has topped off a [pounds sterling]200,000 investment programme this year with the commissioning of two Hesta HS 451 extrusion blow machines. They are suitable for bottles between 5 and 250...

Uniloy adds 'competitive' electric RHB machines. (Blow Moulding).
November 1, 2002... A SERIES of Italian-built all-electric PET reheat stretch-blow moulding machines has been added to the Uniloy Milacron range. The VersaPET VP-4, VP-5, VP-8 and VP-10 machines offer 4, 5, 8 and 10 cavity moulding of bottles with 28 to 38 mm...

Magic enters the second generation. (Blow Moulding).
November 1, 2002... WHILE some companies are still getting to grips with all-electric construction, Magic is now building its second design of electric blow moulder, the EP-L3/D. It gives substantial power savings over an equivalent hydraulic machine, with average...

Plasma barrier coating for PET 'cheaper than other processes'. (Blow Moulding).
November 1, 2002... A PLASMA-coating process for improving the barrier performance of PET bottles has been developed by SIG Corpoplast in association with Schott HiCotec. It is reckoned to treat bottles at a lower cost than for any existing process -- about...

Spiral diverter gives 'optimum wall thickness distribution'. (Blow Moulding).
November 1, 2002... A NEW spiral diverter designed by Davis-Standard for its Sterling blow moulding accumulator head is said to balance material delivery around the head to provide optimum parison wall thickness distribution. Flow channels are streamlined and...

Boston Matthews buys Munchy. (Pipe & Profile Extrusion).
November 1, 2002... EXTRUSION equipment manufacturer Boston Matthews has bought the assets of Munchy, which makes reclaim extruders. Munchy is moving from its Wallingford, Oxfordshire factory to Boston Matthews' Worcester factory and production will start there...

Battenfeld transfers dies business to Greiner. (Pipe & Profile Extrusion).
November 1, 2002... BATTENFELD Extrusionstechnik is pulling out of die manufacture and is transferring its 49 per cent interest in Schwarz Extrusion-swerkzeuge to its partner Greiner Extrusionstechnik. The Schwarz plant at Wolfratshausen will close on December 31...

Sockets heated with infrared. (Pipe & Profile Extrusion).
November 1, 2002... The newly developed AWIplus pipe socketing system from battenfield Extrusionstechnik heats pipe quickly by infrared radiation, with no risk of thermal damage to the extrudate, and only one heating station is required instead of the normal two....

Innovative crossheads from the USA. (Pipe & Profile Extrusion).
November 1, 2002... GUILL Tool & Engineering of the USA has introduced a low volume crosshead for the production of thin wall multi-layer extrusions including medical fluoropolymers. It is not necessary to slacken any retaining screws to make adjustments and the...

Cylinder pins -- cool! (Pipe & Profile Extrusion).
November 1, 2002... COLMEC TPT rubber extruders now have thermally regulated tangential cylinder pins allowing cooling to remove heat from the material. This allows higher extrusion speeds while low temperatures are maintained giving a claimed 40 per cent increase...

Roller bearings ease die lip adjustment up to 10 mm. (Film & Sheet).
November 1, 2002... A SHEET die lip gap setting system said to overcome the difficulties of conventional adjustment systems over a range of 10 mm has been developed by Reifenhauser. The company says that conventional adjustment of a flexible lip using tapered...

Oil cooling improves die bolt response. (Film & Sheet).
November 1, 2002... A THERMAL bolt flat die lip adjustment system from Verbruggen of Belgium (UK agent Pentex Sales) is said to be an improvement over conventional heated bolt adjustment in that it uses oil as a cooling medium to improve response. The adjustment...

Change of owner gives US die maker funds for expansion. (Film & Sheet).
November 1, 2002... US flat die specialist Extrusion Dies has been bought from Butler Capital by US Bank, and is to be renamed Extrusion Dies Industries. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but US Bank has restructured the company's debt from a 1998...

Five-layer cast stretch wrap film line is 4 m wide. (Film & Sheet Production).
November 1, 2002... DAVIS-STANDARD has developed a 4 m cast film line for the production of stretch wrap. The five layer system is capable of line speeds from 450 to 600 m/mm with outputs from 2,500 to 2,800 kg/hr. It has been sold to a Spanish company and has...

W & H buys blown film components manufacturer. (Film & Sheet Production).
November 1, 2002... GERMAN blown film exquipment manufacturer Windmoller & Holscher is buying Klaus Reinhold Machinery, which makes blown film extrusion components such as sizing cages, haul offs and winders, and also makes bag making machines. Reinhold will...

Van Leer orders SML A-PET coex line. (Film & Sheet Production).
November 1, 2002... HUHTAMAKI Van Leer of Gosport has bought an SML coextrusion line for March delivery. The line will produce A-PET sheet 750 mm wide at 650 kg/hr.

Eltex controls static making and breaking at filmcast. (Film & Sheet Production).
November 1, 2002... FILMCAST Extrusion has installed Eltex electrostatic systems for improved control, using both applied static for pinning and static elimination systems. An Eltex R32ATR pinpoint static charging head is used to fix the edge of the film...

PP sheet for packaging and healthcare products. (Film & Sheet Conversion).
November 1, 2002... VTS Doeflex has introduced a Prestige range of polypropylene sheet that complements its existing Polypro range. Although Prestige sheet offers high clarity and gloss, the material will not stick or 'block' when tightly packed. Unlike...

Bath forming machine 'the first with X-Y stretch'. (Film & Sheet Conversion).
November 1, 2002... A SPECIAL purpose bath forming machine made by Preston Associates, Scotland, said to be the first with an X-Y stretch, has been equipped with a pre-stretch heater system by Vulcan Refractories, which specified 150 Vulcatherm modular quartz...

1 computer can monitor film thickness on 10 blown film lines. (Film & Sheet Conversion).
November 1, 2002... OCTAGON Process Technology's new PMS-WIN software enables film thicknesses on up to 10 blown film lines to be monitored with one PC. The company describes it as an economic solution for visualisation and data management of thickness profiles on...

Vacuum dryer pays back its cost in two months. (Materials Handling).
November 1, 2002... AN EVALUATION of the Maguire Low Pressure Dryer by Automotive Lighting of Tamworth has shown 'dramatic savings' with a capital payback of less than two months. The company has quantified savings from using the vacuum dryer at [pounds...

UPM gets [pounds sterling]250,000 contract for Glaxo inhaler plant. (Materials Handling).
November 1, 2002... MATERIALS handling equipment for the manufacture of GlaxoSmithKline's Diskus Asthma inhaler at its Kings Lynn plant is to be supplied by UPM Machinery Sales. The [pounds sterling]250,000 contract is for a materials handling system for 32...

Monitor silo stocks worldwide using the internet. (Reaction Processing).
November 1, 2002... COMPANIES can monitor their levels of stock held in silos anywhere in the world using a new internet-based monitoring system from Braby. Vessel Link enables users to access stock information from any PC with a web browser. The system...

Blend six components at output down to 200 kg/hr. (Reaction Processing).
November 1, 2002... GRAVIMETRIC blending of up to six components at rates of 200 kg/hr is now possible with the Maguire WSB-160 weigh scale blender. The company says that this equipment costs 40 per cent less than comparable competitive products, despite each...

Portasilo puts in PVC storage for Hydro Polymers. (Reaction Processing).
November 1, 2002... PORTASILO Bulk Handling Systems has completed the second stage of a major storage system at the Newton Aycliffe plant of Hydro Polymers. This involved the installation of two aluminium silos, each with a capacity of 250 tonnes of PVC. The...

PU reclaim system uses the scrap other systems reject. (Reaction Processing).
November 1, 2002... A PU recycling system which enables scrap foam to be converted into a replacement for virgin chemicals and reduces the cost of producing new foam has been installed at the Dow Technical Development Center in Meyrin, Switzerland, by Dow Chemical...

Cast foams for buoyancy products. (Reaction Processing).
November 1, 2002... APPLIED Polymer Technology has developed a range of two-part castable syntactic epoxide foams as an alternative to machined block foam for the production of structural buoyancy modules and other underwater applications. The three materials...

COC has manifold advantages. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... BOSTON Scientific's redesigned ultrasonic imaging catheter, a device for detecting aneurisms in arteries, depends on Topas COC (cyclic olefin coplymer) from Ticona. Topas 8007 is used to make the manifold that ties key elements together....

Tougher acrylic for moulders. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... AN improved acrylic copolymer with a better balance of clarity and toughness and enhanced chemical resistance has been commercialised by Nova Chemicals. The new Zylar 390 grade is seen as having potential in medical devices, appliance...

Customizable colour effects added by dow. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... A RANGE of special effect colours has been introduced by Dow Plastics for use in a number of its engineering materials. The Effections range initially consists of eight effects, and this is to be increased. One area in which Dow says the...

Alcryn for overmoulding. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... A GRADE of Alcryn melt-processible rubber designed specifically for overmoulding on to rigid polyolefins has been introduced by Ferro Corporation subsidiary Advanced Polymer Alloys. The new DuraGrip can be coloured and customized, and is...

New Viton production method yields improved properties. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... DUPONT Dow Elastomers' Advanced Polymer Architecture Viton fluoroelastomers are now available in commercial quantities. They have improved part and processing performance, and meet new sealing requirements in the automotive, chemical...

Flexible high impact PPS can be extruded and blow moulded. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... TICONA has developed an impact-modified polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) with unusual flexibility and ductility. Fortron PPS SKX-382 also has a high melt strength and excellent adhesion to nylons and polyolefins, so it can be extruded and blow...

BASF process provides Class A finish without painting. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... A NEW integrated roof module for the MCC Smart car is said to be the first large vehicle body part in which glass and plastics with similar styling characteristics have been combined to produce a high quality painted appearance. The module...

Dam plastics. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... AS the rains fall and the waters rise the answer to the increasing nightmare of flooding may come not in bags of sand, but in a plastic honeycomb. The Geocell Rapid Deployment Flood Wall (RDFW) grid developed in the USA is an expandable,...

TPEs for use with drinking water. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... THERMOPLAST K compounds from Kraiburg TPE can now be used for contact with drinking water throughout the European zone. This follows the award of approvals to the German KTW and British WRc-BS 6920 standards. The British standard includes...

PPA makes automotive inroads. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... DELPHI Automotive Systems has turned to polyphthalamide (PPA) for the power piston in its current Gen II and new Global series of brake vacuum boosters. The pistons are moulded in a 45 per cent glass-reinforced Amodel PPA produced by Solvay...

Research into carbon nanofibre compounds. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... A joint development agreement to research the use of carbon nanofibres in plastics compounds has been set up by Gabriel Chemie and Austrian carbon fibre producer Electrovac Group. Electrovac owns licences in the field of catalytic CVD...

Transparent thermoplastic elastomers eye packaging markets. (Engineering Materials).
November 1, 2002... SWEDISH company VTC Elastoteknik has introduced a range of fully transparent thermoplastic elastomers. Compounds in the Dryflex T series span the hardness range from 30 to 90 Shore A in increments of 10. First uses are likely to be in...

Infrared heating shrinks PET film for accurate printing. (Finishing).
November 1, 2002... FINE CONTROL over the dimensions of PET film components used in computer keyboards at Cherry Electrical Products has been achieved by pre-shrinking them with Heraeus Noblelight infrared heaters. The keyboards incorporate FTSC (Full Travel...

Five-part sonotrode completes plug assembly. (Finishing).
November 1, 2002... TWO PA6 parts of a three-pin domestic electrical plug are being joined by ultrasonic welding using a Forward Technology Omega machine. The base of the plug incorporates the three metal electrical connectors and the fuse holder. The cover has...

Transmission laser welding beats burst pressure limit. (Finishing).
November 1, 2002... TRANSMISSION laser welding has enabled a sealed automotive component to be made with a safe operating pressure of 90 psi (6.33 kg/[cm.sup.2]) and a minimum burst pressure of 175 psi (12.3 kg/[cm.sup.2]). The 250 W welding equipment, supplied by...

Routers join waterjets for trimming flexibility. (Finishing).
November 1, 2002... ABB I-R Waterjet Systems has newly augmented its waterjet cutting systems with routers to create standard trimming platforms offering alternative trimming techniques to suit a wider range of components. Factfinder 160

Thermal press can be reconfigured rapidly. (Finishing).
November 1, 2002... DUKANE Corporation has introduced a new heat staking and inserting thermal press that can be expanded and customised. The modular design of the Series 48H press allows new heater control modules to be fitted rapidly in the field. The...

Non-stick coatings are a better option for mould release. (Tooling).
November 1, 2002... Keith Stevens of Poeton Industries suggests that applying a non-stick coating to moulds is a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional aerosol release agent. In most moulding applications there is need...

The software scene at interplas: Clive Maier bemoans the passing of the novelty factor when computers were attention grabbers at trade exhibions--but still finds plenty of interest at Interplas. (Software Review).
November 1, 2002... TRADE shows come and go. They come when an industry is new and exciting and throwing up innovations every year. They go when maturity arrives, the buzz departs, and we all feel we know as much as we need. How strange it seems now that people...