British Plastics & Rubber articles from November 2007

British Plastics & Rubber archives from November 2007

Conferences & exhibitions.
November 1, 2007... Applications--automotive May 14-18 Plastics-in-Motion. Conference in Prague, Czech Republic. Executive Conference Management, +1 734 73737 0507 (fax +1 734 737 0508). [email] ecm@executiveconference.com [website]...

Medical machines are certified safe.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To meet the stringent requirements of medical device production Engel has set up a medical division and has gone further, probably, than any other moulding machine manufacturer in developing not just the hardware for...

Zhafir plans a revolution in machine design.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... IF ALL that Helmar Franz of Zhafir Plastics Machinery sketched out on a notepad at K2007 comes to fruition, his company's embryonic all-electric machine will turn conventional injection moulding machine design on its head. Zhafir is the...

Insert loader gives flexibility to micro moulding.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A ROBOTIC insert loading system is now available for Battenfeld's Microsystem 50 micro moulding machine. The module was developed in cooperation with X-technics of Eisenstadt in Austria to provide a standardised...

The future's bright--the future's pink.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... THE latest stage in the restructuring of the Demag Plastics Group has been the introduction of a bottom-of-the-range series of commodity machines based on the general purpose Systec design. The PinkLine machines--which will be sold in more...

More options for Husky Tandem machine.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... IMPROVEMENTS have been made to Husky's Quadloc Tandem injection machine. The Quadloc Tandem system allows for the simultaneous operation of two standard, single-face moulds in one machine for high volume production of matched or similar...

Controlling nozzle flow cuts rubber cure time.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... AN ACTIVELY controlled nozzle introduced by Desma for its rubber injection moulding machines can reduce curing time by up to 30 per cent. The FlowControl+ makes it possible to vary the nozzle slot with a tolerance of less than 0.1 mm during the...

Billion goes all-electric.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... ANOTHER name has joined the list of European companies building all-electric injection moulding machines. Billion of France has developed the Select as the next step in an energy-saving progression from all-hydraulic, through hybrid with...

Now Arburg offers Exjection.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... THE innovative Exjection process for moulding long thin items is now available on Arburg machines. The process, developed by IB Steiner and Hybrid Composites Products in Spielberg, Austria, was first revealed earlier this year in association...

Building block machine is based on KM's CX series.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A NEW modular series of machines described as having 'an extremely attractive price/ performance ratio' has been introduced by KraussMaffei, based on its established CX series. The ClassiX machines can be...

Faster toggle for Battenfeld TM.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... THE clamping unit of the Battenfeld TM toggle machine has been redesigned for faster operation. The platen is supported only on the linear guides on the machine bed, and does not contact the tie bars. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new...

Boy separates control from calculation for greater speed.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... THE new Procan Alpha controller from Boy is the company's second generation of touch screen control--the original came into use in 1998. It is based on a UTX (Universal Technology eXtended) computer from TQ Components which splits the computing...

Netstal makes controls more visible.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... A NEW control system being implemented by Netstal is freely programmable and increases the interaction of the operator with the machine. On the aXos controller process steps are created, executed and monitored individually, and Netstal...

Engel and Leistritz cooperate in injection moulding compounder.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ENGEL has joined forces with compounding extruder manufacturer Leistritz to build a two-colour injection moulding compounder. The machine is a combination of Engel's 1,000 tonne Duo twin-platen machine with a...

Forewarned is forearmed.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... AN ON-LINE monitoring service that predicts problems with its customers' machines before they happen has been started by Husky. SmartService is built on Husky's ServiceLink and SmartLink technology, and uses on-machine sensors for...

RPC buys Dutch moulder.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... RPC Group has bought Dutch injection moulder Raytec, which makes glue sticks, adhesive dispensers, tape dispensers, cartridge guns and similar packs. Raytec had sales in its last full year of 16 million [euro] and pre-tax profit of 1.3 million...

Hot runner systems get 10 year warranty.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... A 10 year extended warranty is now being offered on Mold-Masters' hot runner systems to supersede its previous 3/5 year warranty periods. The company reckons this is 10 times the industry average. It says it is able to offer this guarantee...

Melt Flipper comes to Europe.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... BEAUMONT Technologies is stepping up its presence in Europe and in thermoset rubbers with the appointment of two distributors. Beaumont discovered and developed the melt rotation technology that it guarantees to optimise mould balance and...

Servo-electric valve gate heads hot runner innovations from Mold-Masters.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... A SERVO-ELECTRIC valve gate actuator for use in clean rooms has been introduced by Mold-Masters. The E-Drive unit can control up to 32 pins and has a 0.1 seconds open/close time--'the shortest in the industry'. Drive is transmitted from...

Mould-mounted controller and hot runner innovations.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... A MOULD-mounted hot runner controller has been introduced by Husky for low cavity-density hot runners including the company's Pronto types. The Altanium six zone controller can be used for Husky hot runners and other makes. Mould mounting...

Feedback controller balances hot runner moulds.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... A COLLABORATION between hot runner controller manufacturer Gammaflux Europe and injection moulding process control specialist Priamus System Technologies has resulted in a system that delivers uniform balanced filling in multi-cavity hot runner...

Collapsible cores have positive control of the segments.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... HASCO Z3600 collapsible cores for demoulding internal threads and contours are now offered in sizes from 12 to 200 mm with different stroke dependent lengths. The Z3600 core is able to de-mould approximately 12 per cent of the interior...

Tunnel gates for miniature parts.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... NEW tunnel gate inserts produced by i-mold provide' virtually invisible' gating for miniature parts weighing between 0.1 and 5g. The inserts are suitable for multi-cavity moulds and are said to be applicable to all kinds of material,...

Steam heat and cold water make parts look better and easier to mould.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... NEW technology for surface improvement in injection moulding has been introduced by Oxford Moulding Technology through Gas Injection Worldwide--both companies chaired by gas injection pioneer Terry Pearson who founded Gas Injection Ltd and...

Gas injection can slash cooling times.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... COOLING during injection moulding is improved with two developments from German industrial gases specialist Linde. A gas inner cooling process builds on conventional gas injection to reduce part cooling times by up to a claimed 30 per cent....

Schads cut their expectations from Husky sale to give other shareholders more.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... A SPECIAL shareholders meeting on December 6 will decide whether to approve the sale of Husky to private equity company Onex. The Canadian manufacturer of injection moulding machines and hot runner systems was put up for sale in March this year...

PET preform tooling is designed for interchangeability.(injection moulding)
November 1, 2007... MORE flexibility is claimed for new low volume interchangeable PET preform tooling from Husky. Flex Mold is a modular, low cavity density preform mould that reduces the number of components that need to be replaced when changing from one...

Rapid buys in France and builds in India.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... SWEDISH granulator manufacturer Rapid is expanding with the purchase of Moditec of France and the start-up of manufacturing in India. Moditec specialises in slow speed screen-less granulators and has been collaborating with Rapid for the...

Uprated Erema deals with start-up scrap.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... EDGE trim from oriented PET and PP film production is normally fed straight back into the main extrusion process, but scrap from start-up, slitting and other secondary processes can account for between 10 and 20 per cent of the overall raw...

Granulators designed for bottle scrap.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... NUGA of Switzerland has introduced the CentriCut 44 sl range of compact granulators for direct connection to blow moulding machines. PE and PP bottle scrap is reground, mixed with virgin material and fed back to the machine. Scrap is...

Secure cabinet allows a granulator to run in a clean room.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... A DUST protection cabinet has been produced by Hosokawa Micron to enable its granulators to work in a clean room. The cabinet is kept under negative pressure to prevent particles escaping and negative pressure is also applied to the discharge...

Summit starts up a recycling division.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... SUMMIT Systems has set up a dedicated recycling division, and company owner Mike Jordan has relinquished his position as managing director to run it. The division has been founded on a distribution agreement with B+B Anlagenbau of Germany...

Fan-assisted drying saves energy and prolongs system life.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... IMPROVEMENTS to the air flow through its recycling machines have been made by Erema to overcome problems with retained moisture. The company says that when processing damp material, the moisture brought into the cutter/compactor often cannot be...

Quieter pipe grinding.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... THE Herbold Meckesheim SMP pipe and profile grinders and PU pulverisers have been improved with reduced noise and power levels, and the use of thicker discs enables them to be reground. Colortronic is the UK supplier. www.colortronic.co.uk...

Options match granulators to most applications.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... FOUR beside-the-press compact granulators have been introduced by Wittmann. The MAS models are built with different rotor styles to match the product being reclaimed, from soft to medium-hard. The hoppers are adjustable to fit the...

Edge trim feeding saves energy.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... AN edge trim granulator with feeding equipment that takes in the strips directly without use of compressed air, so saving energy, has been introduced by Hellweg of Germany. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The roll intake system provides simple...

Recyclers try to scale the WEEE waste mountain.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... THE requirement of the WEEE Directive on manufacturers, local authorities and consumers to separate electrical products from other forms of household waste and recycle the materials in them is creating substantial quantities of plastics scrap...

Reclaim plant handles PET and HDPE in parallel.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... A PLANT for PET and HDPE bottle recycling has been installed by Amut and will shortly go into operation at the Intercontinental Recycling site in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. Two dedicated washing units have been installed for the treatment...

Nampak goes into bottle-to-bottle recycling of HDPE.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... A multi-million [pounds sterling] HDPE milk bottle recycling plant is to be built in the North East of England by Nampak. The plant will reprocess HDPE supplied by waste management companies from domestic waste and the reprocessed material will...

First HDPE Vacurema for Teesside plant.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... THE VACUREMA vacuum-vented PET extrusion system from Erema is now available for HDPE milk bottles and the first user will be Waste Exchange Services at Wilton on Teesside. The Vacurema has obtained FDA approval for pellets from recycled...

From roofing to road cones.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... ADVANCED Roofing, which makes road cones, signs and barriers, is seeking to set up the UK's first dedicated PVC single ply roofing membrane recycling scheme following a successful trial with the help of a Recovinyl recycler. It is believed that...

The global view of plastics recycling is far from uniform.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... THE attitudes to plastics recycling in Europe, the USA and China have been compared in a study by European Marketing Group and its affiliates EMG-China and USA Strategies. A report produced earlier this year shows that each region's approach to...

European PET recovery grows, and more is recycled at home.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... PET recycling in Europe is at record levels, according to the latest report from analyst PCI--PET Packaging, Resin and Recycling. In the report PCI says that post consumer PET bottle collection grew 18.5 per cent in 2006 over 2005 to reach...

WRAP produces specifications for reclaimed tyre rubber.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... IN a move to open up potential markets for rubber from scrap tyres, Government-funded recycling adviser WRAP has published two Publicly Available Specification (PAS) documents in collaboration with the British Standards Institution and the tyre...

Project plans to research MDF and recycled plastics in WPC.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... A RECLAMATION project in the plastics sphere, but coming from the other direction, has been started by the Waste & Resources Action Programme. WRAP is investigating whether recycled medium density fibreboard can be used in place of virgin wood...

Public/private switch saves Yorkshire recycler.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... INTERVENTION by Recycling Action Yorkshire has prevented the closure of a plastics recycling facility handling nearly 1,300 tonnes a year of waste plastics. Intruplas was part of the Green Business Network, a social enterprise, operating...

Get listed in Yorkshire's product guide.(reclamation & recycling)(Buyers guide)
November 1, 2007... RECYCLING Action Yorkshire wishes to know of products containing recycled material for inclusion in its Recycled Product Guide. The aim is to expand the availability of such products in Yorkshire and the Humber region. The Guide is an...

Polymer Training sale brings new recycling training.(reclamation & recycling)
November 1, 2007... POLYMER Training, the former British Polymer Training Association, has been bought by recycling machinery manufacturer Next-tec of Stafford. The move enables Next-tec to expand into training for the recycling industry, and according to the...

TPVs save costs by processing faster.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... A FAMILY of Santoprene TPVs that can be processed 20-30 per cent faster than other grades has been introduced by ExxonMobil Chemical. The new MS00 materials have potential to replace thermoset rubbers and TPEs in thick, chunky applications such...

Merquinsa expands TPU slate.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... AN aliphatic TPU for extrusion and a clear grade for moulding have been introduced by Merquinsa. The new extrusion grade Pearlthane 92F family is based on proprietary technology and provides a weatherable elastomer for calendering, and...

Exxon improves the productivity of butyl rubber production.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... A NEW technology for making butyl rubber has been implemented at ExxonMobil Chemical's Notre Dame de Gravenchon plant in France which the company is describing as 'possibly the biggest breakthrough in butyl process technology since the...

Fully fluorinated silicone liquid elastomers.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... MOMENTIVE Performance Materials of the USA has introduced fully fluorinated silicone liquid elastomers which combine the physical and chemical properties of fluorosilicones with the processing and productivity advantages of an addition-cured,...

Dow powers new GLS TPEs.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... GLS is building on Dow's Infuse olefin block copolymers to produce a new Dynalloy range of injection and blow moulding TPEs. The company says it has expanded the existing property and application range of OBC technology with a silky soft touch,...

TPEs comply with mad cow disease regulations.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... NEW thermoplastic elastomer compounds from Teknor Apex enable manufacturers of medical and other regulated products to comply with regulations aimed at preventing the transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The company claims...

Better processing and more flexibility for cables from EPM.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... NEW Vistalon EPM rubber 722 from ExxonMobil Chemical Company is said to improve the cost-effectiveness of processing and cable flexibility in medium- and low-voltage wire and cable applications. This metallocene-based product provides better...

Long-cut additive pellets for LFT materials.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RTP Company has introduced colour and additive masterbatches in long-cut pellet format for use with long-fibre reinforced thermoplastic materials. Because the masterbatch pellet geometry is similar to that of LFT,...

New copolyester brings heat resistance.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... A NEW polyester from Eastman moves PET into competition with polycarbonate for products needing to operate at higher temperatures such as dishwasher-proof house wares, and where bisphenol A is giving polycarbonate a bad press. Tritan...

On-line monitoring of semi-finished material stocks.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... A FREE e-mail-based service giving instant access to live information on price and stock availability, spot prices for popular product ranges and the capability of instantly ordering products with guaranteed immediate dispatch has been...

Ultra-stiff thermoplastics for injection moulding.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LATI has developed a new line of injection mouldable ultra-stiff compounds. They combine high modulus carbon fibre with PA66, PPS, PPA and PEEK thermoplastics, and are intended as replacements for metal alloys as...

Rhodia pushes nylon 66 performance limits.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... HIGH TEMPERATURE, high flow and improved flame retardant nylon 66 and 6 grades have been introduced by Rhodia. Technyl HP (Heat Performance) is a PA66 intended for under-bonnet applications that have previously needed polyphthalamide and...

Nylon seals electronics against oil and water.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... A GRADE of nylon intended as an injection moulded primer for over-moulding metals has been developed by BASE Ultramid Seal-Fit is a transparent, non-reinforced copolyamide that has very good adhesion to both metals and to plastics such as...

New PFA raises the temperature stakes for cable covering.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... A HIGH temperature fluoropolymer for applications such as automotive cable covering has been introduced by Solvay Solexis. The new Hyflon MFA F series--a methyl perfluoroalkoxy--is intended to replace fluorinated ethylene propylene, compared...

BASF doubles filled nylon 66 flow.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... THE High Speed easy-flow technology introduced by BASF three years ago on its Ultradur PBT has now been applied to highly-filled nylon 66. The first three are Ultramid A3WG8 High Speed (40 per cent glass), Ultramid A3WG10 High Speed (50 per...

Solvay adds implantable and high-heat wear-resistant plastics.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... NEW families of plastics for medical implantation and high temperature wear resistance have been added by Solvay Advanced Polymers. The new materials for implantable medical devices are trade-named Solviva and incorporate grades of the...

Electrically conducting PEEK uses nano technology.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ENSINGER has developed electrically conductive polyetheretherketone rod and sheet stock that incorporates carbon nanotubes. The new TECAPEEK ELS nano material replaces Ensinger's TECAPEEK ELS product, which will now...

Transparency added to cPVC benefits.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... A TRANSPARENT chlorinated PVC has been introduced by Arkema combining transparency with high fire resistance (rated B according to the Euroclasses standard), low smoke release (rated $1 to the Euroclasses standard), and high thermal resistance...

Implantable UHMWPE given additional oxidation resistance.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... TICONA has also introduced a medical implant material. It has developed two grades of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene containing vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) which is a biocompatible anti-oxidant intended to further extend the lifetime...

DSM to expand UHMWPE into orthopaedics.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... DSM is planning to build on its position as a supplier of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene to increase the capabilities of its Biomedical division. It is to develop applications of UHMWPE in total joint arthroplasty and other medical...

Comparator card from Distrupol shows 'clear' benefits.(engineering materials)
November 1, 2007... POLYMER distributor Distrupol has added a comparator card for clear polymers to its range of material selection aids. The com parator card series aims to simplify and speed up the material selection process, particularly for those considering...

New plating process puts metal reinforcement on the outside.(design)
November 1, 2007... METAL PLATING is used on plastics for two main reasons: to make them shiny or to make them electrically conductive (for circuitry or EMI/RFI shielding). Metal plating on metals also makes them shiny, but in addition is used for mechanical...

Sun-roof systems a breeze with outsert moulding.(design)
November 1, 2007... SOME 40 per cent of all cars in Europe are now fitted with sun-roof systems. A similar proportion is installed on cars in the United States. For top-priced vehicles imported from Europe into the United States, the figure approaches 100 per...

More insight into the mechanical performance of reinforced nylons.(design)
November 1, 2007... NYLONS specialist Rhodia has introduced a computer aided engineering service for parts moulded in polyamide. MMI (Multi-scale modelling, Mechanical calculation, Injection moulding simulation) is based on multi-scale modelling software...

PEEK springs to the defence of shaft seals.(design)
November 1, 2007... SEALS and backup rings used in the oil and gas industry have a potential weakness in the necessary metallic energy absorber which, in extreme circumstances if the seal wears, can come into contact with and irreparably damage the shaft. The...

Lati compounds replace brass in pipe fittings.(design)
November 1, 2007... ITALIAN thermoplastics compounding specialist Lati has identified replacement of metals, particularly brass, as a key issue. The company points out that the economic growth of emerging nations has greatly increased demand for metals, resulting...

Material consolidation cuts rear bumper costs.(design)
November 1, 2007... BASELL's Adflex KE051P thermoplastic elastomer olefin is being used by Plastic Omnium to produce rear energy absorbers for the Chevrolet HHR at its Ramos, Mexico factory where it also moulds the rear bumper fascia. According to Basell...

Overmoulded elastomers for automotive filler hose.(biopolymers)
November 1, 2007... SWEDISH automotive supplier Nolato Sunne has developed a new method of manufacturing filler neck hoses to provide flexibility, durability and fuel permeation resistance complying with Euro 4, Lev II and PZEV evaporative emissions legislation....

Biopolymers need careful introduction says WRAP.(biopolymers)
November 1, 2007... CONSUMER research conducted by WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) has shown that new 'green' biopolymer plastics need to be introduced with care if potential environmental benefits are to be realised to the full. It says most...

Bayer adds bio-sourced polyols.(biopolymers)
November 1, 2007... BAYER MaterialScience has put bio-sourced polyols into production with up to 70 per cent by weight sourced from renewable raw materials. Applications shown at 2007 included a polyurethane all-foam mattress, a moulded foam car seat part, a...

US biopolymer start-up buys PHA technology from Procter & Gamble.(biopolymers)
November 1, 2007... A BIOPOLYMER company set up this year in the USA is planning to build four plants, the first starting construction next year, and to expand its product offering has bought the PHA technology developed over the past 10 years by Procter & Gamble....

Castor oil-derived nylon reintroduced by BASF.(biopolymers)
November 1, 2007... THE quest for bio-sourcing of plastics has brought back a castor oil-sourced polyamide from BASF's old chemistry notebooks. BASF produced a nylon 6.10 about 50 years ago but the product was discontinued. Now, with growing interest in producing...

Braskem researches bio-PP as green PE gathers momentum.(biopolymers)
November 1, 2007... A BIO-SOURCED polypropylene is under development at Braskem in Brazil as the company moves towards full scale production of polyethylene sourced from sugar cane. The schedule is to have 200,000 tonnes of polyethylene made from sugar cane...

Partially bio-sourced polypropylene brings energy saving and printability benefits.(biopolymers)
November 1, 2007... A PARTIALLY bio-sourced polypropylene has been developed by US sustainable plastics specialist Cereplast. The new Biopropylene is part of a new family of Cereplast Hybrid Resins, or Biopolyolefins, in which half or more of the traditionally...

Additives improve PLA performance.(biopolymers)
November 1, 2007... IN ADDITIVE to improve the melt strength and recyclability of PLA has been introduced by Arkema, while Viba has added a nucleating agent and antioxidant. Arkema's Biostrength is produced in three forms, a processing aid, Biostrength 700,...

Colour masterbatch controls shrinkage variation in HDPE.(colour management)
November 1, 2007... BESPOKE colour masterbatch has helped compensate for a change in polymer grade and so keep parts in tolerance at LinPac Allibert. The company blow moulds base units for supermarket roll cages at its Winsford plant. The 1 [m.sup.2] roll cages...