Plastics Engineering articles from December 2005

Plastics Engineering archives from December 2005

Blow-moldable TPV stays flexible at extreme temps.(MATERIALS)(thennoplastic vulcanizate)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Zeon Chemicals (Louisville, Ky.) reports that it has commercialized a new grade of Zeotherm TPV (thennoplastic vulcanizate) that enables blow-molded parts to withstand temperatures as low as -40[degrees]C and as high as 175[degrees]C while...

HDPE-based nanotube composite.(MATERIALS)(high-density polyethylene)(Nanocyl)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Belgium-based Nanocyl has launched the NC9000 series of carbon nanotubes. Based on the company's patented process, the series consists of a high concentration of predispersed carbon nanotubes in polymers, says Nanocyl, adding that it...

Lower-cost COC targets flexible packaging.(MATERIALS)(cyclic olefin copolymer)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Ticona (Florence, Ky.) has launched Topas 8007F-100, a COC (cyclic olefin copolymer) targeting cost-sensitive packaging applications in the food-storage and medical industries. It is said to provide a broad processing window as a blending...

Copolyester facilitates design of medical devices.(MATERIALS)(Sedat)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A new grade of Eastar from Eastman Chemical Company (Kingsport, Tenn.), Eastar MN058 copolyester, has been selected for use in an innovative angiographic syringe designed by Sedat of Irigny, France. Molded from Eastar MN058, the ELS (easy...

Plexiglas matting agent.(MATERIALS)(Plexiglas BS-100)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Made of very fine beads of crosslinked copolymet from acrylic monomers, Plexiglas BS-100 from Altuglas International (Philadelphia) serves as a matting agent compatible with many polymers, including PVC, ABS, and PMMA, the company says. The...

Automotive parts get added scratch resistance.(MATERIALS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A new plastic additive from Ciba Specialty Chemicals (Muttenz, Switzerland), Irgasurf SR 100, boosts the scratch resistance of automotive polypropylene/thermoplastic olefin (PP/TPO) applications such as instrument panels, door panels, and...

Reinforcement for high-pressure pipe.(MATERIALS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Owens Corning (Toledo, Ohio) has introduced a "revolutionary" single-end Type 30 roving reinforcement for high-pressure pipes. SE 2350 is said to be ideal for epoxy-based applications that distribute oil, chemicals, and other corrosive...

High-tenacity composite.(MATERIALS)(Kubota Research Associates)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Kubota Research Associates of Hockessin, Del., and Tokyo-based DuPont-Toray (jointly owned by DuPont and Toray) have teamed to develop a novel method for manufacturing a high-tenacity-fiber--reinforced composite without degrading the fiber. The...

Long-fiber concentrate feature high glass loading.(MATERIALS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Features High Glass Loading RTP Company has introduced a long-fiber (LF) concentrate with 80% glass loading by weight, which is claimed to be the highest LF concentrate available in the industry. Increasing the glass-loading level decreases the...

PLA-based masterbatches for biodegradable plastics.(MATERIALS)(Sukano Polymers Corp.)(polylactide acid)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Sukano Polymers Corp. (Duncan, S.C.) has introduced a slip/antiblock masterbatch, Sukano PLA dc $511, which is derived from the renewable (plant-based) resource polylactide acid (PLA). The additive is said to eliminate some of the disadvantages...

Agricultural-based SPF foam for insulating your home.(MATERIALS)(spray polyurethane foam)(Apex Foam Industries, LLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... New from Apex Foam Industries (Metairie, La.) is a renewable resource based insulating foam for commercial and residential applications called Earth-seal Foam.5. The non-ozone-depleting SPF (spray polyurethane foam) open-cell material is...

Blow molding expands its range. despite high resin prices, blow molders inflate their optimism by focusing on innovation.
December 1, 2005... Given some of the comments overheard at SPE's Annual Blow Molding Conference in Toledo, Ohio, in October, it seemed the attendees didn't expect to hear about many innovations in their field. Their concerns may have been more about how to deal...

Machinery annual.
December 1, 2005... Hydraulic, electric, and hybrid injection molding machines all have their supporters among plastics processors. Machine manufacturers roll out new models on a regular basis, offering compelling reasons to buy them. All-electric machines,...

Wireless warehousing control software.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(PlastiSoft Corp)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... PlastiSoft Corp. has introduced a warehousing and inventory control system based on Microsoft.Net and Symbol wireless technologies for the flexible packaging industry. The software maps single or multiple warehouse locations to determine the...

Eight-component blender.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... In addition to its previously introduced BD Series six-component blender, AEC, Inc., has introduced the eight-component blender for its BD-900 and larger models. Equivalent quality for homogeneous blend is achieved with the company's...

Fill System for hot runners.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
December 1, 2005... The Prialnus Fill System automatically monitors, controls, and balances the melt flow of hot-runner systems. The system prevents the occurrence of unfilled parts and thus the need to manually select them. As a result of the measurement of...

Materials testing.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... For high-efficiency materials testing, Tinius Olsen offers robotic systems that can be configured precisely to customer needs. Materials as diverse as plastics, textiles, and metals can be automatically tested. Specimens are loaded in the...

Increased flow-measurement capability.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
December 1, 2005... The R/S Plus rheometer from Brookfield Engineering is said to provide increased speed range, control resolution, and measurement sensitivity. It features an improved encoder that increases the angular resolution of the spindle position to 15.7...

Dryer handles small batches at high temperatures.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Circular Vibratory Fluid Bed Processing System from Kason Corp. is reported to dry small batches of bulk solid materials at high temperatures. The self-contained system integrates an 18-inch (457-mm)-diameter fluid-bed processor with...

Color and gloss control for interior auto parts.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
December 1, 2005... Avariety of materials that are used in automotive interiors, such as leather, plastics, and fabrics, must evoke a sense of visual harmony. A uniform look is achieved by requiring suppliers to adhere to very tight tolerances for color and gloss...

Temperature control.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
December 1, 2005... When system temperature is well tuned, the product is kept closer to the ideal processing temperature, improving yield and reducing wasteful scrap and the need for reworking incorrectly processed material. The Tru-Tune+ adaptive control...

Distance welding.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
December 1, 2005... Sonics & Materials has added a distance welding option to its 20 kHz pneumatically actuated ultrasonic welding press. The Model 2050 welding press was redesigned to provide increased rigidity for minimized deflection and enhanced precision and...

Rebuilt extruders.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
December 1, 2005... 'Rebuilt-Red by Wayne" is a new brand of rebuilt extruders from Wayne Machine & Die that the company says offers savings of up to 35% compared with new equipment--without the risks of buying "as-is" used equipment. The rebuilt extruders are...

Interest in silicones rises for their look, feel, and performance.
December 1, 2005... Processors and OEMs are taking a fresh look at liquid silicone resins and silane additives for the benefits they can provide in product design and manufacturing economy. Reasons include recent formulation developments that improve the...

Patents of interest. the patent is a legal document giving the holder a license to capitalize on his or her invention without competition for a few years. In exchange, the holder teaches us the basis of the invention. The patent is forward-looking, representing a technical horizon.(Horizons)
December 1, 2005... Cooling Parts U.S. Patent 6,951,452 (Oct. 4, 2005), "Cooling Station for Post Mold Cooling of Plastics Pieces," Richard M. Unterlander, Witold Neter, Zbigniew Romanski, and Robin A. Arnott (Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., Canada)....

Three share chemistry nobel for metathesis development.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Yves Chauvin)(Robert H. Grubbs)(Richard R. Sehroek)
December 1, 2005... The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Yves Chauvin, Institut Francais du Petrole (Rueil-Malmaison, France); Robert H. Grubbs, California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, Calif., U.S.); and...

Demand for fluorochemicals is projected to grow.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A new study from The Freedonia Group (Cleveland) forecasts that global demand for fluorochemicals will increase by 3% per year through 2009 to reach 2.5 million metric tons. Value gains will likely grow 5.4% annually to over $15 billion as...

U.S. seeks info from China on intellectual-property rights.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... SPI president Bill Carteaux has commended the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for its formal request for information on China's efforts to enforce intellectual-property rights. He notes that "The U.S. plastics industry has...

SPI Processors' Group is renamed.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Structural Plastics Group of The Society of the Plastics Industry,)(Alliance of Plastics Processors)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Structural Plastics Group of The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) (Washington, D.C.), has changed its name to the Alliance of Plastics Processors (APP), SPI has announced. The new name "will better serve our members by...

Demand for insulation materials keeps pace with construction.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A Freedonia report titled World Insulation forecasts that global demand for thermal and acoustical insulation will expand by 3.6% per year through 2009 to more than 18 billion square meters of R-1 value. Rising prices for these materials will...

SPI calls for tariff cuts.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
December 1, 2005... The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) (Washington, D.C.), was among key manufacturing trade associations from the United States, Europe, and Korea pressing for broad tariff reductions at the Geneva headquarters of the World Trade...

Study foresees growth in antioxidant demand.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... In a new report titled Plastics Additives VI, Townsend Polymer Services & Information (Houston) projects a 5%/yr growth rate in global antioxidant consumption for the 2004-09 period, despite increasing feedstock costs and higher pricing levels,...

Energy costs force plastics firms to raise prices globally.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Companies that sell plastics products in the Americas and Europe are widely reporting the need to raise their prices based on unprecedented increases in the cost of energy and raw materials. In the U.S., many cite the disruptions and damage...

Plastics converters in Europe face continued price hikes.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... If the prices of plastics raw materials continue their steady climb owing to the persistence of higher oil prices and a shortage of the materials in Europe, plastics converters will have no option but to significantly increase the prices of...

SPE blow molding division holds annual conference.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
December 1, 2005... More than 200 blow-molding professionals and students convened in Toledo, Ohio, on October 12-13 for the SPE Blow Molding Division Annual Conference. Touted as the premier industry venue for all segments of blow molding from resin supplier to...

Dr. Stevens of Dow receives ACS Award in Industrial Chem.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(James C. Stevens)(American Chemical Society)(The Dow Chemical Company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... James C. Stevens, Ph.D., a research fellow at The Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Mich.), has received the 2006 American Chemical Society (ACS) Award in Industrial Chemistry. The award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to industrial...

TPM&F Division names Best ANTEC Papers.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Thermoplastic Materials & Foams Division)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Thermoplastic Materials & Foams Division of The Society of Plastics Engineers has announced its ANTEC 2005 Best Paper Awards. The winner in the category of Thermoplastic Materials is "New High Impact Miscible Polycarbonate Polyimide...

BASF, Dow collaborate on PO production.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Dow Chemical Company)(propylene oxide)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Having completed the joint development of their HPPO [hydrogen peroxide route to propylene oxide (PO)] technology, BASF AG (Ludwigshafen, Germany) and The Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Mich.) report that they plan to begin construction in 2006...

FDA approves PE liner for hipbone sockets.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Exactech, a Gainesville, Fla.-based developer and producer of orthopedic implant devices and biologic materials, has announced that the company's new Connexion GXL enhanced polyethylene (PE) acetabular (hipbone socket) liners for its AcuMatch...

Non-pneumatic PUR tire begins auto industry testing.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(prototype polyurethane)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Having completed the development phase of its non-pneumatic (no-air) temporary/spare passenger-car tire, Amerityre Corp. (Boulder City, Nev.) reports that it is beginning the automotive-industry phase of testing of prototype polyurethane (PUR)...

Ampacet masterbatches achieve UL-94 rating.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Based in Tarrytown, N.Y., Ampacet reports that it has certified its line of black, white, color, and functional additive masterbatches under UL-94 flammability requirements. Certification applies to the company's products in engineering...

GE Advanced Materials acquires Witton's silylated PUR resins.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Witton Chemicals Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... GE Advanced Materials, Silicones (Wilton, Conn.), has announced that it has acquired a group of high-quality silylated polyurethane (PUR) resins from UK-based Witton Chemicals Ltd. to complement the launch of GE's third generation of SPUR+...

Lanxess offers Chinese citizens training in management.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Lanxess (Leverkusen, Germany) has launched a management-trainee program for young Chinese citizens who want to study in Germany and work for Lanxess in China afterward. Selected candidates are being offered contracts with working stays in...

Akzo Nobel builds plant for polysulfides in China.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Continuing its expansion into the fast-growing Chinese market, says German firm Akzo Nobel, it is constructing a new polysultides plant at its Functional Chemicals site in Taixing. The plant is scheduled to become operational by early 2007,...

Arkema opens plant in China for Organic Peroxides.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Changshu Organic Peroxides)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... With an initial 3000-tpa capacity, Arkema's Changshu Organic Peroxides Plant in China has been officially inaugurated. The company now operates 11 organic-peroxide production facilities around the world, located in Asia, the U.S., and Europe.

Synventive starts up facility in China.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Synventive Molding Solutions )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... With headquarters operations in the U.S. and The Netherlands, hot-runner producer Synventive Molding Solutions has inaugurated a new plant in Suzhou, China. The facility houses production lines for the MultiZone and Kona XP product ranges, and...

Xaloy adds sites in Europe and Asia.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
December 1, 2005... "Extending its global reach," New Castle, Pa.-based Xaloy, Inc., reports, it will open three new sales and service offices in Europe and Asia. They will be located in Seeheim Jugenheim, Germany; Shanghai, China; and Ahmedabad, India.

Zeus will produce in Ireland.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Headquartered in Orangeburg, S.C., Zeus, Inc., which specializes in producing fluoropolymer extrusions, has announced that it is building a 28,000-square-foot, multimillion-dollar production facility in Letterkenny, Ireland, which will be the...

Husky opens operation in Brazil for hot runners.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Husky Injection Molding Systems has established hot-runner manufacturing at its Brazil Technical Center to provide dedicated support to its customers in that country's growing plastics industry. The Sao Paulo operations allow the company to...

Trelleborg acquires Chase-Walton.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Chase-Walton Elastomers has announced the acquisition of its business by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions US, Inc., a division of Swedish conglomerate Trelleborg. Trelleborg will continue to operate Chase-Walton and its division SF Medical's...

DSM sells SBR business.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(styrene-butadiene rubber)(Lion Chemical Capital LLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... DSM of Heerlen, The Netherlands, has announced the sale of DSM Copolymer's business unit SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) in Baton Rouge, La., to private equity firm Lion Chemical Capital LLC. The transaction will take the form of an asset deal...

BASF closes PUR plant in Texas.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
December 1, 2005... BASF Corp., based in New Jersey, reports that it will close its polyurethane (PUR) systems production facility in Carrollton, Texas, by mid-2006. Production currently based there will be consolidated into other BASF PUR systems locations in the...

Sartomer creates Asian division.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
December 1, 2005... Specialty chemicals manufacturer Sartomer Company of Exton, Pa., is expanding its operations in the Asia/Pacific region with the formation of the Sartomer Asia division. In addition, Sartomer has announced the establishment of a trading...

Upcoming events.(Calendar)
December 1, 2005... SPE CONFERENCES Feb. 26-Mar. 2, 2006. SPE's International Polyolefins Conference. Site: Houston. Contact: Conference Chair Bounita T. Favorite, Chemtura Corp., (225) 755-3797; fax (225) 753-5212; email bounita.favorite@chemtura.com. Or...

Guide to primary processing machinery 2005.(Plastics Engineering)(Directory)
December 1, 2005... Guide to Primary Processing Machinery 2005 Compensation/ Blow Transfer COMPANY NAME, CITY, PHONE page # Molding Molding A-1 Machinery Sales Inc., 1 ...