British Plastics & Rubber articles from September 2007

British Plastics & Rubber archives from September 2007

Conferences & exhibitions.(Calendar)
September 1, 2007... Applications--medical November 14-16 Compamed 2007. Medical products manufacturing exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany. [website] www.compamed.de Applications--automotive December 4-5 AutoRussia 2007. Conference in St...

Higher torque now on high volume ZSK.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... THE latest ZSK series twin screw compounder from Coperion has improved further on the ZSK MEGAvolume machine which was introduced in 2001 (then as Werner & Pfleiderer). The ZSK MEGAcompounder machines are co-rotating, closely intermeshing...

Fine mesh straining increased to 6 tonnes/hour.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... A NEW gear extruder from Uth takes the capacity of its roll ex in-line fine mesh straining machines up to 6,000 kg/h. Previously the largest machine could handle 3,500 kg/hr. With the new 600 TRF Uth says it meets the demands of very big...

High-throughout screening slashes the cost and lead time for compound development.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... A COMPLETE system for producing compound samples and injection moulding test specimens has been developed by Engel to cut out the dead time between the individual steps in the conventional process. Engel joined forces with polyMaterials and...

New grinders have greater flexibility for job change.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE latest Polygrinder series from Pallmann has been designed for flexibility with individually exchangeable grinding elements and quick external access for setting the grinding gap. This enables the particle size to...

Interference glitter takes hard knocks.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... AN interference glitter additive that is said to be more durable than conventional glitters has been developed by American optical company JDSU. ChromaFlair ColorShift Glitter uses a patented thin-film technology to control the thickness--to...

Eastman focuses additives on TPEs.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... A RANGE of additives and speciality polymers focused on TPE compounds has been introduced by Eastman Chemical. The materials are intended to improve the appearance, performance, and processing of TPEs and can be used singularly or in...

Swedish screening machines now available from Orthos.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... ORTHOS (Engineering) of Market Harborough has been appointed British distributor of a new bulk solids vibratory screening machine from Swedish company Fredrik Mogensen. The new Mogensen VRS vibratory screen being introduced by Orthos can...

Twin screw compounder designed for biopolymers.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... A NEW version of the Reimelt Henschel co-rotating twin screw compounder has been developed to handle starch-based biodegradable materials. This follows the adoption of environmental laws in Australia and New Zealand requiring that packaging...

Feeding updates at Colortronic.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... THE C-Flex series of dosing units with flexible polyurethane hoppers from Colortronic has been expanded. The original C-Flex for throughputs of 400-1,000 kg/hr is now called the C-Flex ER and a new C-Flex M model has been added. This is for...

Planetary extruder dries PET reclaim.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A PLANETARY extruder for drying and processing PET bottle flake has been demonstrated by Gneuss of Germany. The machine follows the filing of a patent in 2002 by Gneuss--best known for its melt filtration technology...

New data on screen changes and strand dies.(compounding)
September 1, 2007... INDUSTRIAL Plastics has updated its web site giving guidance on its range of screen changers and strand dies. The company produces seven screen changer models, suitable for compounding plastics and rubbers, continuous and non-continuous, for...

Simple dryer with high performance claims.(materials handling)
September 1, 2007... WHAT is billed as 'the world's only compressed air/membrane resin dryer' is being introduced to Europe by Maguire Europe. The company describes it as 'a system so simple and efficient that it may increase productivity, save energy, and reduce...

Wittmann now has its own gravimetric blenders.(materials handling)
September 1, 2007... WITTMANN has added gravimetric blenders to its materials handling equipment products through the purchase of a Canadian-built range: Wittmann Canada has bought the M-Tek blending and materials handling product line from Mould-Tek. The...

Bulk handling equipment also gets rid of dust and lumps.(materials handling)
September 1, 2007... A NEW Flexicon (Europe) IBC unloading system eliminates the need for a separate conditioner by loosening bulk solid material that has solidified during storage and shipment, allowing it to discharge through a bag spout. The design also requires...

SBC competes with PET-G for shrink sleeves.(packaging materials)
September 1, 2007... SHRINK film for sleeving bottles is a growth business. According to BASF the current global market volume is 2.4 million [m.sup.2] of film and projected growth rates are well over 10 per cent. More than 80 per cent of sleeve films are used for...

New nylon 6 has broader film processing window.(packaging materials)
September 1, 2007... A HIGH productivity grade of Akulon nylon 6 has been introduced by DSM for the barrier layer in multi-layer packaging film. Akulon PA6 is established for food packaging, offering thermoformability, printability, transparency and heat...

New monomer source for PLA.(biopolymers)
September 1, 2007... AN alternative route into polylactic acid manufacture is being offered to biopolymer manufacturers not yet making PLA by Purac, a subsidiary of Dutch bakery ingredients company CSM, which says it is global market leader in lactic acid. Purac is...

PP gives a design bonus to bottle caps.(packaging materials)
September 1, 2007... A POLYPROPYLENE designed for bottle caps giving the benefits of polyethylene with the addeded advantages of PP has been introduced by Borealis. The new RE450MO is based on Borealis' Borstar technology which allows the tailoring of molecules to...

Bubble wrap is Compost-a-Bubble.(packaging materials)
September 1, 2007... A COMPOSTABLE bubble wrap film has been developed by PH Flexible Packaging of Swadlincote using polyethylene film from BPI Films. The company already has a degradable (Degrade-a-Bubble) product but its new Compost-a-Bubble goes further, meeting...

New TPE gets food contact approval.(packaging materials)
September 1, 2007... THE Infuse olefin block copolymer introduced a year ago by Dow Chemical Company has been confirmed as meeting US and European food contact requirements. Infuse OBCs are single monomer TPEs, with the alternating hard and soft blocks in the...

Automotive seating fabric is totally bio-sourced.(packaging materials)
September 1, 2007... AN automotive seating fabric made entirely from polylactic acid (PLA) has been developed in Japan and will be used for seat covers and door trim in the new Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. ...

Black-filled acetal dissipates static in vehicle fuel systems.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... A CONDUCTIVE carbon-black-filled grade of Hostaform acetal copolymer has been introduced by Ticona for static dissipation in vehicle fuel systems and has been adopted by Siemens VDO for the fuel supply unit of the Ford Transit. In the Ford...

SRP gets tough new name.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... THE self-reinforcing polypropylene composite MFT from Milliken has been rebranded as Tegris. The name comes from the Latin tegeris, which means 'you are shielded' reflecting the commercial applications since the material was introduced in 2005:...

Water swell and ultrasoft medical compounds from Vita.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... TWO special purpose TPEs have been introduced by VTC TPE Group, the thermoplastic elastomer division of the Vita Compounding Group. One is an ultrasoft zero Shore A rated compound for medical use and the other a hydrophilic compound for gap...

More TPEs/TPVs for under the bonnet.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... TO meet growing demand for soft oil- and heat-resistant elastomers with the cost and design benefits of thermoplastic processing, DuPont Engineering Polymers is extending its range of TPEs and TPVs. There are three new grades of ETPV...

Liquid silicone rubbers for implants.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... NEW Dow Coming S Series liquid silicone rubbers are manufactured in the company's dedicated healthcare facility to provide high performance and durability for implants. They are designed, tested and supported for implants of 29 days or less....

Nylacast Materials faces the future with a new name and strategy.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... SEMI-finished materials producer Nylacast Materials, which specialises in cast polyamide and extruded PA, POM and PET, is rebranding and undergoing a multi-million [pounds sterling] investment programme. Nylacast Materials was part of Nylacast...

Engineering plastics on the road.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... TICONA's current Engineering Thermoplastics Roadshow will be in Milton Keynes on October 18 and in Sheffield on November 22. The Roadshows have been designed to help UK Businesses discover the latest trends and innovations in products,...

BASF adds PPSU to its Ultrason series.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... A THIRD sulphone polymer has been introduced by BASF and is available for customer trials. The new Ultrason P 3010 is a polyphenylsulphone and adds to BASF's existing Ultrason S polysulphone and Ultrason E polyethersulphone. The new...

New high-flow and flame retardant grades from DSM.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... DSM Engineering Plastics has introduced new high-productivity polyamides and a number of halogen-free flame retardant (FR) grades. The new high-flow high-productivity Akulon and Stanyl grades offer significant cost reductions compared to...

Plating without problems.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... TWO of BASF's standard ABS grades, Terluran GP-35 and Terluran GP-22, have been certified as readily electroplatable by the Ludenscheid Plastics Institute in Germany. The institute's tests include: the cross-cut test to DIN ISO 2409,...

Alastian e-business expands its portfolio.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... A LASTIAN, Basell's e-business channel, has expanded its on-line portfolio to include almost all the high-volume products produced by Basell. Alastian was launched by Basell in April 2004 as an internet-based 'no-frills' business for...

LNP Thermocomp HSG composites replace lead for shielding.(engineering materials)
September 1, 2007... SABIC Innovative Plastics (formerly GE Plastics) has introduced a line of thermoplastic materials with high specific gravity (HSG) that could replace lead in many healthcare applications that call for radiation shielding. Medical equipment and...

High gloss PP replaces ABS in refrigerator parts.(design)
September 1, 2007... THE appliances division of Samsung has replaced ABS for visible refrigerator parts with a new polypropylene grade from PolyMirae Company, a Korean joint venture company of Basell with Daelim. The new high gloss polypropylene is now in use on 23...

PA46 pairs with PPS for in-mould assembly.(design)
September 1, 2007... A COMBINATION of nylon 46 and polyphenylene sulphide has been used for an in-mould assembled bearing component of Mercedes Benz V6 and V8 engines. The component is the tumble valve fitted in the manifold to optimise the air flow in the...

Film insert moulding for integrated phone keyboard.(design)
September 1, 2007... THE flat back-printed integrated keyboard on Sony Ericsson's W950i Walkman mobile telephone combines film insert moulding with soft and hard materials. The keyboard and housing of the phone incorporates a digital music player and a large touch...

'Softie' takes on the rigid sealant cartridge.(design)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE standard injection moulded cartridge for adhesives, sealants and the like faces competition from a new cartridge from Japan. This is a flexible cartridge made of polyester film which squashes down in use and is...

Selective plating adds gloss to lip gloss.(design)
September 1, 2007... TWO-COMPONENT injection moulding is used to enable selective plating for decorative purposes on a lip gloss container produced for Lancome by RPC beaute in France. The gloss vial is injected in a copolyester and has a strong geometric...

Bio-compatible masterbatch and compounds from RTP.(colour management)
September 1, 2007... RTP Company has developed standard bio-compatible lines of UniColor universal masterbatch and pre-coloured materials for use in medical devices, medical packaging, pharmaceutical applications, and disposable medical products. The range of...

Clariant and EMB swap businesses.(colour management)
September 1, 2007... CLARIANT Masterbatches Benelux and the European Masterbatches subsidiary of Sioen Industries are to exchange some aspects of their colorant businesses. Clariant will purchase Sioen-EMB masterbatches, currently being produced in Bornem, Belgium,...

Durable pigments for thin films and fibres.(colour management)
September 1, 2007... PRECISE pigments introduced by Shepherd Color Company are described as 'extremely durable' for colouring thin films and fibres. They are complex inorganic coloured pigments or mixed metal oxide pigments with characteristics including high...

Clariant stocks universal masterbatches for fast delivery.(colour management)
September 1, 2007... CLARIANT Masterbatches UK has rationalised its line of OmniColor universal masterbatch colours and now offers immediate delivery of 80 of the most popular formulations in small or large quantities. The OmniColor range is based on a...

New fashion colours from Ciba.(colour management)
September 1, 2007... CIBA has extended its XYMARA range with the launch often new colour stylings. The new range targets the bronze, gold and copper tones that are expected to be fashionable over the next two years, and also features a number of other shades...

Planetary degassing makes single screw extruder suitable for undried A-PET.(film & sheet production)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] A SINGLE screw extruder for PET thermoforming sheet production has been developed by Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik as a cost-effective alternative to extruder/dryer/crystalliser combinations or high output twin screw...

Roll gap adjustment at the push of a button.(film & sheet production)
September 1, 2007... A NEW calender gap adjustment system developed by Breyer is operated purely by the control system--there are no mechanical movements required from the operator. It is said to be accurate to within 0.005 mm and can be achieved during...

Biofuel growth yields sales potential as BPI buys Canadian films company.(film & sheet production)
September 1, 2007... BRITISH Polythene Industries has bought a Canadian film company from Celanese Corporation. It has acquired the AT Films business of AT Plastics Inc (Canada) for $12 million. Celanese is retaining AT Plastics. AT Films makes polyethylene film...

Extrusion dies sets up European office in Britain.(film & sheet production)
September 1, 2007... AMERICAN extrusion die specialist Extrusion Dies Inc has set up a European sales office in Sandhurst (telephone 07704 325432). It will serve customers throughout Europe (including Russia) and the Middle East, working alongside EDI's existing...

ASA film wraps doors to do away with painting.(film & sheet conversion)
September 1, 2007... THE single-step forming and laminating of a plastic film to a substrate of any material has become an autonomous business at BASF. PermaSkin is being offered as a complete package to, essentially, replace paint for decorative and protective...

Cast acrylic range extended.(film & sheet conversion)
September 1, 2007... SIX colours have been added to the Quinn Plastics Cast Design cast acrylic sheet range, bringing the number of colour specifications up to 18. The new colours comprise Mexican orange (light orange ice), village green (light green ice), Nordic...

Kingsmoor buys TFT number three.(film & sheet conversion)
September 1, 2007... A THIRD TFT form-cut-stack thermoformer has been installed at Kingsmoor Packaging's Somerton, Somerset factory. The FC 780 E, which was delivered from TFT's Swiss factory, can accommodate tools up to 780 x 570 mm. It has servo-motor drive...

New former brings packaging production in-house.(film & sheet conversion)
September 1, 2007... INVESTMENT of 50,000 [pounds sterling]] in a Ridat forming, cutting and stacking machine has enabled Welsh contract packer Springdew to bring in-house the production of thermoformed trays, lids and clamshells. The Ridat model 2420AFCS-V...

PEEK film withstands sterilisation.(film & sheet conversion)
September 1, 2007... PEEK-based film from Victrex is being used by a German medical company to manufacture labels for use with laser equipment. The labels indicate the remaining number of re-use cycles of light conductors. Dornier MedTech selected Victrex Aptiv...

Vertical saw saves space and labour.(film & sheet conversion)
September 1, 2007... SWITCHING from a bench-mounted circular saw to a vertical panel saw has reduced labour involvement in cutting panels for tank fabrication at Mottram Industrial Plastics in Cannock. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mottram makes thermoplastic and...

Mini robot added to Staubli SCARA series.(automation & robotics)
September 1, 2007... A TABLE-TOP robot has been added to the Staubli range. The company is best known for its TX/RX ranges of six-axis robots and SCARA four-axis robots. Now a Mini-SCARA robot has been added for use where space is at a premium in applications such...

Multi-layer pipe adhesive for long term hot and cold water use.(pipe & profile)
September 1, 2007... AN adhesive for bonding multi-layer pipes has been introduced by Dow Europe. Amplify GR 380 is intended for use in hot and cold water pipe systems. It is a polyethylene compound that combines processability with adhesion in the context of the...

Coolant line system brings added flexibility.(pipe & profile)
September 1, 2007... ANOTHER Vestamid nylon 12 multi-layer tubing system for automotive coolant lines has been introduced by Degussa. MLT 8000.3 is more flexible than the existing MLT 8000.1. Coolant lines of the 8000 series, which have diameters up to 30 mm...

Tricool refocuses and innovates.(temperature control)
September 1, 2007... FOLLOWING its takeover by ICS Cool Energy in April Tricool Engineering has restructured its operations and plans to add new heating products and hire services. The sales forces for the cooling and heating divisions have been separated and...

Bigger bore connectors.(temperature control)
September 1, 2007... THE Staubli RMI range of manifold connectors with nominal bores from 6 to 25 mm has been augmented by a new unit with 37 mm bore. Its new locking mechanism is stronger than the traditional ball system and provides a larger contact area. ...

Window frame giant sold to Bahrain buy-out firm.(pipe & profile)
September 1, 2007... EUROPE's, and possibly the world's biggest manufacturer of PVC window and door frame profiles, Profine of Germany, has been bought by a buy-out firm based in Bahrain. Arcapita Bank has paid a reported E775 million for the company which Carlyle...

Tight tolerances in TPU hoses.(pipe & profile)
September 1, 2007... HOSES with high dimensional stability can be produced in new Desmopan DP 1350 D TPU, says Bayer MaterialScience, because the melt solidifies rapidly and tight wall thickness and diameter tolerances can be maintained. The ester based material is...

PEX curing oven cools the pipe as well.(pipe & profile)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HIGHER output of PEX A pipes with the same degree of crosslinking is claimed for a new infrared oven developed by iNOEX of Germany and CrossLink of Finland. The oven combines heating and cooling. A regular and...

Dolphin shapes up for commercial applications and looks outside of automotive.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... THE Dolphin process for making soft-skinned automotive interior components was shown publicly in May 2006, but only as a concept. Since then it has been refined for commercial implementation and at K2007 it will be demonstrated in association...

Easy post-curing of silicones with autoclave bags.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... DANISH company Nanon has developed a cold post-curing process for silicone rubber parts. Cold curing with liquid carbon dioxide is already known but the Nanon development known as ColdCuring introduces the use of autoclave bags to make the...

MuCell for smaller machines and long fibres.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... TREXEL, the developer of MuCell microcellular foam technology, has unveiled new developments in smaller process machinery and screw design for long fibre materials. MuCell technology involves the use of precisely metered quantities of...

Sensing foam pressure.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... BECAUSE conventional pressure sensors are unsuitable for low cavity pressure foam moulding, according to Kistler, the company has introduced a range of mould cavity sensors using HighSens technology with four times the sensitivity of...

Widening the scope of water injection: water injection technology is not suitable for all engineering thermoplastics. Jochen Schmid of BASF describes how his company developed modifications to the process to enable its materials to be processed in this way.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... WATER injection is a refinement of the gas injection or gas-internal pressure technique. Like GIT, water injection removes material from the interior of the component, resulting in a weight reduction, fewer visible sink marks, less warpage,...

Cinpres and BASF research water injection together.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... CINPRES Gas injection has teamed up with BASF Engineering Plastics in the USA to research cooling time improvements with water injection technology. The improvements in cooling that can be brought by coring out mouldings with a jet of water are...

Sandwich moulding adds a functional liner to water-cored parts.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A RISK when using gas injection to core out coolant channels in glass fibre reinforced components is that glass fibres may protrude from the inside wall of the part and later detach themselves from the plastic during...

Gas control software offers more facilities.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... CINPRES claims several advantages for the new Version 7 of its MF CPC (Compact Pressure Control) and PPC (Phased Pressure Control) gas controllers. The software now includes the operating manual as well as a fault finding guide. Up to 1,000...

Valve gate controllers meter small flows.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... DME has introduced the VCTH-4000 and 8000 gate controllers for hydraulic valves and the VCTB-4000 pneumatic controller for use with the VCAP-0400 valve assembly. Both use solid state timers. At three shots per minute running 24/7 a VCTH...

Martl leaves K-M, Reichel heads injection machinery pro tem.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... CHAIRMAN of the board of Krauss-Maffei, Josef Martl, has left the company. No reason has been given for his departure at the end of July, and a company statement says it was 'by mutual agreement'. Mr Martel had been with Krauss-Maffei since...

Windsor takes on JSW electrics.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... WINDSOR Kunststofftechnologie of Germany is now representing Japan Steel Works to sell its electric injection moulding machines in Germany and Eastern Europe. Windsor is the former Cannon Group company sold to Taylor's HPM of the USA along with...

Engel passes toolmaking back to the specialists.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... ENGEL is giving up injection moulding toolmaking at its Schwertbeg plant in Austria as part of machine and tooling package deals. The company says that the emphasis in the moulding projects it has handled has shifted away from the automotive...

Hot runner function smooths power to small nozzles.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... A CONTROL algorithm for small hot runner nozzles for low shot weights has been launched by Gammaflux Europe to smooth power output without affecting temperature control accuracy. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Heat output can fluctuate considerably...

Hasco taken over by Austrian industrial company.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... THE tooling standards and hot runner specialist Hasco of Germany has been taken over by Berndorf of Austria, which makes steel conveyor belts, process plants, oilfield equipment and swimming pools. Berndorf has bought a 74.9 per cent stake in...

Wiltshire group buys again.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... CALNE-based injection moulder and toolmaker PP Injection Mould & Mouldings is the latest company to be acquired by Avon Group Manufacturing of Bedminster near Bristol. Avon has a strategic plan to create a strong local cluster of companies,...

Husky 3D modelling package for hot runners.(injection moulding)
September 1, 2007... HUSKY Injection Molding Systems has launched a new 3D CAD package for hot runners. It provides full parasolids of plates with inverse gate detail, guide pins merged in and skins of manifolds, and is suitable for all hot runner projects. The...

Laser marking made airbag indicator visible from all angles.(finishing)
September 1, 2007... A LASER marking machine from Rofin-Baasel UK is being used by Automation Systems to mark the word 'AIRBAG' on to the passenger side of the instrument panel topper pad for the latest variant of the BMW Mini. On some vehicles the 'AIRBAG'...

Painting pre-treatment--test it for yourself.(finishing)
September 1, 2007... THE new Europlasma pre-treatment technology from Moldow can be integrated in an in-line painting system to eliminate primer and improve wetting and adhesion characteristics as well as enhancing overall surface finish. The company will be...

Personalised print.(finishing)
September 1, 2007... AN enhanced digital printing technique for producing one-off films for back-injection has been developed by Bayer MaterialScience. It uses Hewlett Packard's Indigo printing press, whose main application is short-run printing of product labels...

High speed mobile marking.(finishing)
September 1, 2007... THE new AllTec LC500 laser marking system is a mobile unit delivering 50 watts of laser power, which the company says provides best-in-class speeds for higher throughputs, marking at up to 2,000 characters/second and line speeds up to 15...

Adhesives developed specifically for plastic RFID tags.(finishing)
September 1, 2007... HUNTSMAN Advanced Materials has produced two special Araldite adhesives for bonding the plastic components of Radio Frequency Identification chips which have to withstand industrial cleaning processes. The adhesives were developed for TAGSYS--a...

Shorter neck cuts costs but maintains compatibility.(blow moulding)
September 1, 2007... MATERIALS savings amounting to between 2.9 [euro] and 3.5 [euro] per 1,000 bottles produced are possible with its PCO short neck design compared with the standard PCO 28, claims Swiss closure specialist Corvaglia. The design saves up to 1.5 g...