Plastics Engineering articles from June 2006

Plastics Engineering archives from June 2006

Overmold adhesion plus clarity.(MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... Slated for introduction at NPE this month, the Versaflex OM3000 TPE series from GLS Corp. (McHenry, Ill.) is said to offer the "clarity of water" while providing excellent overmold bond strength to a number of substrates (e.g., PC, ABS,...

Acrylic compounds made without TCPA or HCB.(MATERIALS)(tetrachlorophthalic anhydride)(hexachlorobenzene)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The polymerization process used to manufacture a new range of crystal-clear and colored acrylic molding compounds for automotive signal lights uses neither tetrachlorophthalic anhydride (TCPA) nor hexachlorobenzene (HCB). This is particularly...

PET shortens reheat time while retaining clarity.(MATERIALS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Eastman Chemical Company (Kingsport, Tenn.) describes its new Vorcalor PET CB01S for bottling water and carbonated soft drinks as the "first polyethylene terephthalate (PET) on the market to combine consistent and improved reheat performance...

"Hard/soft" composite for underhood parts.(MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... Lanxess AG (Leverkusen, Germany) reports that it has developed a "hard/soft" composite that not only handles the high heat and other extreme conditions facing auto engine components but also offers cost-effective processing. The composite is...

"Superior" toughness.(MATERIALS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The Ashland Composite Polymers business group of Ashland Specialty Chemical (Dublin, Ohio) offers three new unsaturated polyester-resin formulations for automotive composites. The products-one available in Class A and two in low-density...

When driving, see and be seen.(MATERIALS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Solvay Advanced Polymers (Auburn Hills, Mich.) introduces two new amorphous materials developed specifically for automotive lighting applications, such as headlamp bezels and reflectors and foglamp and park/turn reflectors. Radel LTG-3000...

LSR for engine components.(MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... GE Bayer Silicones, a joint venture of GE's Advanced Materials business, has launched a new grade of liquid silicone rubber (LSR) that promises excellent high-temperature performance for automotive engine parts. Demonstrating the ability to...

Nylon nanocomposite permits design flexibility.(MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... Based in Manchester, N.H., Nycoa Corporation of America has released its newest nylon nanocomposite. NanoTuff is said to provide greater design flexibility by allowing for reductions in wall thickness, enhanced surface appearance, and weight...

Hydrolysis stabilizers for adhesives.(MATERIALS)
June 1, 2006... The Polyurethane/Plastics Division of Rhein Chemic Rheinau GmbH in Mannheim-Rheinau, Germany, has developed the Stabaxol range of carbodiimides for use as hydrolysis stabilizers in adhesives, where they improve performance and lengthen service...

Corn-derived PLA enters foldable cartons, shrink film.(polylactic acid)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Two new plastic packaging products make use of polylactic acid (PLA), based on the renewable resource corn. AGI/Klearfold offers NatureSource Visual Packaging, folding cartons made from NatureWorks PLA. In addition to affording environmental...

Glass-filled PEEK receives FDA's OK for food contact.(MATERIALS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... A series of PEEK polymer glass-filled grades from Victrex (Greenville, S.C.) has been approved by the U.S. FDA (Food & Drug Administration) for use in food-processing and related industrial applications. To meet a wide range of temperature,...

Nanotechnology is extending the range of additive and polymer performance.
June 1, 2006... A quiet revolution is under way in plastics materials, one that is having a major impact on their performance and use. The revolution is nanotechnology, a small and in many cases experimental branch of materials science that's beginning to...

Patents of interest.(patents of polymer engineering)
June 1, 2006... 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...

Multimolding: its benefits cannot be ignored.(study of multimolding)(Cover story)
June 1, 2006... Multimolding, the combination of multiple materials or colors in an injection press to produce complex parts in a single cycle, continues to gain favor, especially for consumer and personal-care applications. The technology is becoming...

Real improvements for "fake wood": developers of wood-plastic composites are solving the problems that have limited the use of these materials.(widespread of wood-plastic composite )
June 1, 2006... The wood-plastic composite (WPC) industry is poised to offer better alternatives for building applications. So says Mat Taylor, a professor in the School of Architecture and Construction Management at Washington State University. "WPCs have...

Good melt at low temperatures.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... With their processing length extended to 37 D, the new single-screw Monos extruders from Cincinnati Extrusion, designed for the production of various types of pipe, are said to achieve an increase in output of up to 30% compared with models...

PET recycling.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Starlinger & Co. has developed the Recostar Basic and Recostar PET extrusion systems for the processing of PET. The Recostar Basic--recommended for lightweight materials such as fibers, non-wovens, and film--features an agglomerator drum...

Large-part compression molding.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Greenerd Press & Machine Co. recently delivered a large-bed hydraulic compression molding press to a manufacturer of automotive components. The custom-designed press features a 150-inch-wide x 64-inch front-to-back bed with a daylight of 54...

Force-fed regrind.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Size Reduction Specialists Corp. (SRS) is introducing the Bridge-Buster a force-feed system that helps eliminate bridging in SRS screenless granulators--at NPE 2006. From within the hopper, the system consistently forces large runners into the...

Cutting service.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... As an alternative to purchasing expensive laser-cutting equipment, Spartanics Laser Cutting Contract Manufacturing Service provides laser-cutting services to manufacturers of nameplates, decals, and other plastic products. The contract...

Components for molding and extrusion.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
June 1, 2006... With a product line augmented by its recent acquisition of Dynisco's extrusion equipment business, Xaloy presents an extensive offering of new components and systems for injection molders and extrusion processors at NPE 2006. To modify the...

Particle-size analyzers.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Malvern Instruments has introduced two online particle-size analyzers: the LPS (Liquid Process Sizer) and the Insitec D. The LPS is designed for continuous measurement in liquid streams. According to the company, it can accurately and...

Compliance with EU regulations.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
June 1, 2006... Equipped with specialized filters that enhance the detection of elements deemed hazardous by the European Union (EU) and other regulatory bodies, the EDX-720 Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer from Kratos Analytical facilitates...

Forged rings for injection molds.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
June 1, 2006... MoldMax, from Brush Wellman, is a high-strength, high-conductivity copper-based mold and tooling alloy in the shape of forged rings for the plastics market. The rings provide a convenient shape for the manufacture of pails and other circular...

Reporting hazardous waste.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
June 1, 2006... Waste Reporter is a free, standalone software product that can be downloaded from the ESS (Essential Systems and Services) website to help organizations that generate hazardous waste file biennial regulatory reports required by states and the...

Part-removal robots.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... A Kuka Robotics Corp. injection molding function package for Kuka robots, showcased at NPE in Chicago, allows integration of robots into any injection molding machine (IMM) from 100 to 6000 tons, with less installation and engineering time...

Part tracking without a PLC.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Cognex Corp. says its Checker 101E machine vision sensor offers the simplicity and power of the original Checker 101, plus it directly accepts encoder signals and eliminates the need for a PLC when tracking and rejecting parts on variable-speed...

Repelletizing trim and scrap.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Precision AirConvey is introducing the Integra Series of repelletizers, which encompasses a range of 21 models, at NPE 2006. The Series accommodates PE, PP, PS, ABS, metallocenes, coextrusion blends, and other commodity and engineering resins...

Dow seeks next breakthrough in polyolefin polymerization.(metjods of producing polyolefin block copolymers)(Dow Chemical Company)
June 1, 2006... Kurt Swogger and colleagues from The Dow Chemical Company have described a new method to precisely form polyolefin block copolymers, an innovation that takes copolymer control to a new level. This method is based on the simultaneous use of...

DuPont announces progress in OLED technology.(organic light emitting diode)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... DuPont (Wilmington, Del.) reports that it has made a breakthrough in OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology that promises to enable these thin, lowpower displays to compete in a larger range of products--including personal digital...

RIA: robotics sales drop as auto market declines.(Robotic Industries Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... New orders for North American robotics companies fell by 30% in the first quarter of 2006, based in large part on a 39% decline in purchases by automotive OEMs and component suppliers, according to the Robotic Industries Association (RIA). In a...

Freedonia forecasts growth in demand for nanocomposites.(Freedonia Group)(forecasts of nanotechnology industry)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... According to the Freedonia Group of Cleveland, U.S. demand for nanocomposites will grow to nearly 350 million lbs by 2010, and rise to more than 7 billion by 2020, with a value nearing $15 billion. Further, Freedonia projects, more than 360...

BASF buys SAN business from Lanxess.(Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik )(styrene-acrylonitrile)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... German companies BASF AG (Ludwigshafen) and the Lanxess Chemical Group (Leverkusen) report that BASF has purchased Lanxess's Lustran SAN (styrene-acrylonitrile) copolymer business in Europe and South America for an undisclosed amount. The...

Solvay completes purchase of Gharda Division in India.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The Solvay Group has announced that it has completed its acquisition of the Polymers Division of Gharda Chemicals in India. The purchase provides Solvay with capabilities for developing, manufacturing, and marketing a new range of specialty...

Investment firm acquires U.S. Plastic Lumber.(acquisition of Unites States's Plastic Lumber, Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... American Pacific Financial Corp. (AMPAC) of San Bernardino, Calif., has announced the acquisition of assets of Chicago-based U.S. Plastic Lumber, Inc. (USPL) by Trimax Building Products, Inc. AMPAC founded Trimax for the branding and management...

Raymor begins producing CNTs in Canada.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
June 1, 2006... Raymor Industries, Inc., of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, reports that installation of its high-capacity unit for the production of single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is complete; it is ready to begin operations. Raymor plans to increase the...

PolyOne and Greenpak offer recycling program.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... PolyOne Corp. (Ohio) has announced that it has joined with Greenpak, Inc. (West Virginia) to offer an industrial package recycling and returns program to its customers. Through the free program, explains PolyOne, its customers can divert...

Ampacet boosts production in Ohio; sells plant in Texas.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Based in Tarrytown, N.Y., Ampacet Corp. has added a new production line at its plant in Heath, Ohio, increasing the site's custom color-masterbatch capacity by 20%. Products made by the new twin-screw line will be used to service the company's...

Erie takes over in Hungary; shuts down in Massachusetts.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... U.S. injection molder Erie Plastics (Pennsylvania) reports that it has "assumed standalone control" of its operations based in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, per an agreement to dissolve a four-year strategic partnership with Loranger Ipari....

BASF-Toray alliance produces PBT in Malaysia.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Toray BASF PBT Resin Sdn. Bhd., a 50-50 joint venture between BASF AG (Ludwigshafen, Germany) and Toray Industries, Inc. (Tokyo), has begun commercial production of PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) at the BASF site in Kuantan, Malaysia....

Lanxess opens plant in China, expands production in Germany.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Lanxess (Leverkusen, Germany) has announced that its Semi-Crystalline Products (SCP) business unit opened its first production site in China in April 2006. Located at the site of Lanxess Wuxi Chemicals Ltd. (approx. 120 km northwest of...

GLS to manufacture TPEs in China.(GLS Corp. 's new Thermoplastic Elastomer manufacturing plant in Suzhou)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Based in McHenry, Ill., GLS Corp. has announced that it will start up a new TPE manufacturing plant in Suzhou, China, this month. GLS Thermoplastic Alloys (Suzhou) Company, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of GLS, will supply regional and global...

Ticona plans to build two facilities in China.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... At ChinaPlas 2006 in Shanghai, Ticona announced that it will invest in a new Celstran long fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (LFRT) compounding facility and a new GUR ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) facility in the Asia-Pacific...

Inclosia Solutions opens R&D center in Shanghai.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Inclosia Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Mich.) has announced the opening of a new R&D technology center in Shanghai, China. To be operational by August 2006, the tech center will eventually become an integral...

Kraton expands in Asia-Pacific.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Kraton Polymers LLC reports that it plans to build a multifunctional customer-service center and a proprietary Kraton G manufacturing plant in China, to become operational by first-quarter 2007. In addition, Kraton says it is evaluating the...

New Asian HQ for PGI.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Polymer Group, Inc. (PGI) has opened its new Asian-region headquarters in the Suzhou Industrial Park of China, combining a new manufacturing plant with administrative offices. The state-of-the-art spunmelt manufacturing and finishing lines will...

Arkema increases capacity at sites in France, China.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Arkema (Paris) has announced a 40% capacity increase in production of Orgasol ultrafine polyamide powders at its Mont plant in France (Pyrenees-Atlantiques). The company also plans a 50% capacity increase at its Changshu Forane 22 (a...

BASF center in Singapore studies nanotechnology.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany) announces the opening of its first research center in Asia dedicated to nanotechnology. Based in Singapore, the new facility represents an expenditure of EUR 13 million through 2008 and will employ a staff of 20....

Basell starts compounding polypropylene in Brazil.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Basell has opened its new polypropylene-compounding plant in Pindamonhangaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil. With a current capacity of 35 KT, which will be expanded in phases to 80 KT, the plant joins Basell's global PP-compounding network (including...

Upcoming events.(Calendar)
June 1, 2006... SPE CONFERENCES Sept. 12-14. SPE's Automotive Composites Conference & Exposition (ACCE). Site: Troy, Michigan. Sept. 13-14. SPE's Foams 2006. Site: Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Sept. 17-19. SPE's Color & Appearance Conference...