Plastics Engineering articles from March 2005

Plastics Engineering archives from March 2005

ANTEC 2005: a revolution in plastics May 1-5, Boston.(From The ANTEC GOC)
March 1, 2005... A revolution in plastics is taking place in Boston on May 1 to 5 from Faneuil Hall to Fenway Park: the Society of Plastics of Engineers' ANTEC 2005 Conference. The site is the Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Boston Hotel. Anticipating the...

Replacement for foil-and-seal packaging.(Materials)
March 1, 2005... Designed to replace the foil and sealant in traditional paper-polyethylene-foil-polyethylene (PPFP) structures, Torayfan PCFS from Toray Plastics (America) is a heat-sealable, coextruded, metallized oriented polypropylene (MOPP) film. Made with...

Spectacular visuals.(Materials)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. has introduced a new grade of its K-Resin SBC (styrene butadiene copolymer), K-Resin RK54 SBC, which is reported to provide low-temperature shrinkage control and conformity for shrink sleeve labels while...

Biodegradable polymers for medical devices.(Materials)
March 1, 2005... Polysciences, Inc., has expanded its monomer/polymer line to include low-molecular polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs), which it says are suitable for a variety of medical devices, such as biodegradable sutures, bone regeneration supports, nerve...

Models and prototypes.(Materials)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... A high-strength, transparent stereolithography (SL) photopolymer for building concept, flow-visualization, and form-and-fit models and prototypes is available from the RenShape Solutions Group of Huntsman Advanced Materials. The low-viscosity...

Thermoset for composites.(Materials)
March 1, 2005... The Accelacure Fast Cure Novolac System represents a new class of fire-resistant (FR) thermosets that is said to exhibit flame, smoke, and smoke toxicity (FST) performance and exceptional processing benefits, and it can be used in a range of...

Shape memory polymers reshape product design.
March 1, 2005... Shape memory polymers belong to an emerging group of "smart materials" that could radically change product design. A part made with shape memory polymer (SMP) reverts to its original form after being manipulated to a different shape. This...

Seeking neutral: controlling charge in auto fuel systems.
March 1, 2005... The flow of fuel in automotive fuel systems creates a static charge. While this is not a problem if the charge dissipates as it forms, it can become a serious problem if the electrostatic potential builds to the point where arcing occurs....

Glass fiber meets stiffer competition: natural-fiber composites are no longer just subjects of academic interest.
March 1, 2005... The research and development behind natural-fiber reinforcements for plastics is still heavily relegated to major universities--but big OEMs and small manufacturers are showing more interest in these materials, given their potential for...

RIM molding and PUR foam support bike seating.(Products & Applications)(reaction injection molding)(polyurethane)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The high-tech design of the Bigha bike features a recumbent seat structure that employs Bayer MaterialScience LLC's Bayflex polyurethane elastomeric RIM (reaction injection molding) system and flexible molded polyurethane (PUR) foam made with...

Sweet: PC resin for chocolate molds.(Products & Applications)(polycarbonate)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Hans Brunner GmbH & Co. KG has selected Lexan EXL 1443T polycarbonate (PC) resin from GE Advanced Materials for its new line of Poly2plus chocolate molds. With its mechanical strength and dimensional stability, says Hans Brunner, the clear...

PPS paper winds up in dairy filtration.(Products & Applications)
March 1, 2005... Thermal Shield is a high-density, calendered paper made with a proprietary grade of Fortron PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) from Ticona that has found application in the spiral-wound filters used in dairy filtration. Manufactured by Powell LLC of...

ASA resin serves as capstock for vinyl siding, fencing.(Products & Applications)(acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Louisiana-Pacific Corp. (LP) of Nashville, Tenn., has selected BASF's Luran S ASA acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA) as a weatherable cap layer to protect some darker colors in its vinyl siding product lines. Traditionally, says LP, dark...

Double-turning-cube stack-mold system.(Machinery & Processing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Ferromatik K-TEC from Milacron is a two-component injection molding machine that is capable of molding two precision parts from two materials, labeling them, and assembling the finished product. Milacron has added precision,...

Lump crusher.(Machinery & Processing)
March 1, 2005... The Delumper S4 Series from Franklin Miller, Inc., is reported to be highly effective in reducing sticky, caked, or wet solids to a desired output size without overworking, churning, or heating the material. The Delumper S4 LP model employs...

Hot-runner control.(Machinery & Processing)(K Series of modular hot-runner controllers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The K Series of modular hot-runner controllers from Athena Controls includes Model K-10 for monitoring up to 60 zones, and Model K-20 for up to 120 zones. Both models are economical to operate (especially on high-zone counts), according to the...

Shelf-mount robots.(Machinery & Processing)
March 1, 2005... Designed for loading and unloading of injection molding machines from the top, KUKA Robotics Corp.'s KS Series of six-axis, shell-mount robots features an improved low profile. The robots' lower profile reduces ceiling-height requirements for...

Longer lives for gear shafts.(Machinery & Processing)
March 1, 2005... Maag Pump Systems Textron has introduced a heat-treating process that is reported to nearly double the life of gear shafts used in abrasive applications. Called Tribex, the treatment process provides wear resistance in contaminated or abrasive...

ANTEC 2005 preview: in Boston--a revolution in plastics.(Annual Technical Conference (plastics engineers))(Cover Story)
March 1, 2005... Boston beckons to the plastics industry this spring as the city prepares to host the 63rd Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition of the Society of Plastics Engineers. ANTEC 2005 is scheduled for May 1-5 at the Hynes Convention Center and...

ANTEC 2005 Annual Technical Conference.(A Revolution In Plastics)
March 1, 2005... ABOUT ANTEC Dear Fellow Plastics Professional: I hope to see you at SPE's ANTEC this year. ANTEC is the one conference where you can find speakers addressing every area of plastics technology. You have the confidence that the...

Nanomaterials emerge as contenders in U.S. market, study says.(Industry News)
March 1, 2005... Nanomaterials, a new study from Freedonia, projects that the U.S. market for nanomaterials (which totaled $125 million in 2000) will reach $1.4 billion in 2008 and exceed $30 billion by 2020. Despite the much-touted advantages of nanomaterials...

U.S. demand for sterile medical packaging to exceed $2 billion.(Industry News)(United States)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... In another new report, Freedonia examines the U.S. market for sterile medical packaging, predicting that demand will expand by 5.4% annually to reach $2.1 billion in 2008, comprising almost 12 billion units. Increases will be stimulated by an...

Steelworkers, PACE members unite.(Industry News)(Paper Allied-Industrial Chemical and Energy Workers International Union)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) and the Paper, Allied Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE) announce that their executive boards have voted to merge and thereby create the largest industrial union in North...

PFA reports successful phase-out of pentaBDE flame retardants.(Industry News)(Polyurethane Foam Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Polyurethane Foam Association (PFA) (Knoxville, Tenn.) manufacturing members report an almost total phase-out of pentabrominated diphenylether-based (pentaBDE) flame-retardant additives in the manufacturing of foam grades for use in...

Husky names new president; Robert Schad to retire.(Industry News)
March 1, 2005... Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. (Toronto, Ontario) has named John Gait to succeed Robert Schad as president and CEO. Having held this position since founding Husky in 1953, Mr. Schad plans to retire within the year. After the succession,...

Ampac Packaging, LLC, of Cincinnati announces that it has acquired Flexicon, Inc.(Acquisitions)
March 1, 2005... Ampac Packaging, LLC, of Cincinnati announces that it has acquired Flexicon, Inc. Based in Cary, Ill., Flexicon manufactures flexible packaging materials for the pharmaceutical, medical, health-care, chemical, food, and industrial markets.

Roseland, N.J.-based Laud Collier & Company LLC has announced its acquisition of Rutland Plastics, Inc.(Acquisitions)
March 1, 2005... Roseland, N.J.-based Laud Collier & Company LLC has announced its acquisition of Rutland Plastics, Inc., a Pineville, N.C.-based producer of plastisol compounds. The transaction is valued at approximately $30 million.

Cargill of Minneapolis reports that it has agreed to acquire The Dow Chemical Co.'s interest in Cargill Dow LLC, the 50:50 joint venture formed in 1997 to commercialize polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers.(Acquisitions)
March 1, 2005... Cargill of Minneapolis reports that it has agreed to acquire The Dow Chemical Co.'s interest in Cargill Dow LLC, the 50:50 joint venture formed in 1997 to commercialize polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers. Cargill is the inventor of PLA, a...

The Klockner Pentaplast Group reports that, effective Dec. 21, 2004, it has taken over Finnish food-film specialists Nordpak OY and Avanspack AB.(Acquisitions)(Avanspack AB)(Nordpak OY)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Klockner Pentaplast Group reports that, effective Dec. 21, 2004, it has taken over Finnish food-film specialists Nordpak OY and Avanspack AB. Nordpak produces flexible multilayer plastic films; Avanspack imprints and laminates the films.

Bayer MaterialScience AG of Leverkusen, Germany, and Teijin Chemicals Ltd. of Japan have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to supply each other with specific polycarbonate resin grades on a regional basis.(Joint Ventures)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Bayer MaterialScience AG of Leverkusen, Germany, and Teijin Chemicals Ltd. of Japan have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to supply each other with specific polycarbonate resin grades on a regional basis. Per the LOI, Bayer will begin production...

As a provider of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) materials for use in thermoforming, Solvay Engineered Polymers (Auburn Hills, Mich.) has joined Novo Foam Products LLC's network of alliances to advance Novo Foam's proprietary twin-sheet thermoforming process.(Joint Ventures)(Novo Foam Products LLC)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... As a provider of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) materials for use in thermoforming, Solvay Engineered Polymers (Auburn Hills, Mich.) has joined Novo Foam Products LLC's network of alliances to advance Novo Foam's proprietary twin-sheet...

ExxonMobil Chemical Technology Licensing, LLC (Houston), has signed an agreement with Huntsman Petrochemical (UK) Ltd.(Licenses)(Limited Liability Company)(United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... ExxonMobil Chemical Technology Licensing, LLC (Houston), has signed an agreement with Huntsman Petrochemical (UK) Ltd. to license ExxonMobil's tubular process technology for Huntsman's new 400-kilotonnes/yr low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plant...

Based in The Woodlands, Texas, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP has entered into a contract to license its proprietary loop slurry polyethylene (PE) technology to Polietilenos Uniao S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of Unipar.(Licenses)
March 1, 2005... Based in The Woodlands, Texas, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP has entered into a contract to license its proprietary loop slurry polyethylene (PE) technology to Polietilenos Uniao S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of Unipar. Chevron...

Philadelphia Mixing Solutions.(Licenses)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Philadelphia Mixing Solutions, a Palmyra, Pa.-based manufacturer of fluid-mixing equipment and process-optimization services, announces that it is expanding its scope into the high-performance, high-shear mixers market, having been awarded a...

William Andrew, Inc.(Literature)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... William Andrew, Inc., announces that "the first comprehensive database of paint and ink formulations" has been published and is available as a CD-ROM. Paint & Ink Formulations Database 2005 includes thousands of formulations, each including the...

NFM Welding Engineers.(New Facilities)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Massillon, Ohio-based NFM Welding Engineers has expanded its pilot R&D facility with the addition of a new Devolatilization Testing Laboratory. Designed to handle Class I, Div. II, Group D materials, the new facility is intended to provide an...

Westlake Chemical Corp.(New Facilities)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Westlake Chemical Corp., based in Houston, reports that it has successfully started up its vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) facilities in Geismar, La. This phased start-up is expected to result in approximately 300...

Henkel Corp.(New Facilities)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Henkel Corp. has completed its "Innovation Center" at the company's Rocky Hill, Conn., headquarters, where customers' latest product, equipment, and devices designs are taken apart "to analyze and solve fastening related performance and cost...

Cabot Corp.(New Facilities)
March 1, 2005... Headquartered in Boston, Cabot Corp. reports that it has broken ground on its new fumed silica manufacturing facility in Jiangxi Province, China, slated for completion in the first half of 2006. Cabot is investing approximately $30 million in...

Lane Company, Inc.(New Facilities)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Lane Company, Inc., a Minneapolis-based manufacturer of thennoformed plastics, has moved into a new facility that nearly doubles its square footage. This lays the foundation for plans to double the size of the company as a whole by 2006 through...

Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.(New Location)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI), has moved to new offices in Washington, D.C. The new address is 1667 K Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006. Contact numbers remain the same.

Unimark Plastics of Greer, S.C., announces that it has changed its name to Jarden Plastic Solutions (JPS).(New Name)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Unimark Plastics of Greer, S.C., announces that it has changed its name to Jarden Plastic Solutions (JPS). A division of Jarden Corp., JPS focuses on specialty packaging and closures for medical and consumer products.

Air Products Polymers, L.P.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Air Products Polymers, L.P. (Allentown, Pa.), has announced a price increase of $0.03 per wet pound (effective Feb. 1, 2005) in the U.S. and Canada for vinyl acetate homopolymer and copolymer emulsions, all ethylene, vinyl chloride-based...

BASF.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... BASF has raised prices in the U.S. and Canada on all Butonal high-solids styrene butadiene latex products for the carpet, construction, and foam industries by $0.10 per dry pound, effective Feb. 15, 2005, or as contracts allow.

Rohm and Haas Company.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Consumer and Industrial Specialties business of Rohm and Haas Company (Philadelphia) has announced price increases of 10% to 15% for selected acrylic and styrene acrylic polymers in the U.S. and Canada, effective Feb. 1, 2005, or as...

Rohm and Haas's Adhesives and Sealants business has announced worldwide price increases ranging from 15% to 20% for all acrylic, styrene acrylic, vinyl acrylic, and vinyl acetate emulsions for the pressure-sensitive.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Rohm and Haas's Adhesives and Sealants business has announced worldwide price increases ranging from 15% to 20% for all acrylic, styrene acrylic, vinyl acrylic, and vinyl acetate emulsions for the pressure-sensitive, construction, adhesive,...

Ticona, the Florence, Ky.-based technical polymers business of Celanese Corp. (Dallas), has announced price increases for its polyester products, effective Feb.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Ticona, the Florence, Ky.-based technical polymers business of Celanese Corp. (Dallas), has announced price increases for its polyester products, effective Feb. 14, 2005, as follows: Celanex polybutylene terephthalate--$0.11/lb; Impet...

Based in Clinton, Mass., Automated Assemblies Corp. has named Integrated Technologies International, LLC (ITI).(Representatives)
March 1, 2005... Based in Clinton, Mass., Automated Assemblies Corp. has named Integrated Technologies International, LLC (ITI), of Kennesaw, Ga., to represent its IML (In Mold Labeling) line of automated packaging systems to plastics processors throughout...

Bostik, Inc., of Middleton, Mass., reports that Lighthouse Molding, Inc., of Clarkson, Mich., is the exclusive sales agent for Bostik LPM adhesives.(Representatives)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Bostik, Inc., of Middleton, Mass., reports that Lighthouse Molding, Inc., of Clarkson, Mich., is the exclusive sales agent for Bostik LPM adhesives, a line of thermoplastic resins designed for low-pressure molding.

SpecialChem.(Websites)(www.migrapass.com)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... SpecialChem, Paris, www.migrapass.com--The MigraPass system, developed in collaboration with Pira International (U.K.) and FABES Research Co. (Germany), estimates the migration of substances from polymeric materials to foodstuffs in accordance...

BASF Corp.(Websites)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... BASF Corp., New Jersey, www.plasticsportal.com/usa--PlasticsPortal, site of BASF's Engineering Plastics and Styrenics businesses, has added three interactive tools: Cost Calculator, Automotive Specifications Database, and an upgraded Product...

International newsletters.(Websites)
March 1, 2005... International Newsletters, Worcester, U.K., www.performance-materials.net-new website providing subscribers with news and features about advanced and high-performance materials, including composites, engineered ceramics, performance plastics,...

Danisco.(Other Brief)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Danisco A/S of Copenhagen, Denmark, has announced a "groundbreaking" plasticizer that can serve as an alternative to phthalates. Grindsted Soft-N-Safe has been approved for food-contact materials in the EU; approval is expected for use in toys...

Meese Orbitron Dunne.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Robert Dunne has been promoted to president of Meese Orbitron Dunne Co., Saddle Brook, N.J. He succeeds Ron Midili, who is retiring.

Becker Industrial Coatings.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Becket Industrial Coatings, United Kingdom, has appointed Nicolas Coehet manager of the new Centre of Excellence for UV coatings located in Le Pont-deClaix, near Grenoble, France.

Menasha.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Mark Yde has been appointed president of Poly Hi Solidur, Inc., a subsidiary of Menasha Corp., Neenah, Wis.

Progressive Components.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Progressive Components has announced operational changes and the formation of a new Global Management Team composed of Glenn Starkey, director of engineering & sales; Don Starkey, director of operations & finance; John Wakefield, general...

Arkema.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Arkema Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Arkema Inc. (formerly Atofina Chemicals, Inc.) has announced the promotion of Gerard Robert to senior vice president, manufacturing and regulatory services, effective Jan. 1, 2005.

Plastipak Packaging.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Plastipak Packaging, Inc., Plymouth, Mich., has named Frank Pollock president of international operations and business development.

ITW.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Dr. David C. Parry has been appointed president of ITW Performance Polymers, Danvers, Mass.

Thierica.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Thierica Automation Group, Grand Rapids, Mich., has announced the hiring of Zachary Marnell as sales engineer.

Clairson.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Clairson Plastics, Ocala, Fla., has named Philip K. Effinger executive vice president of sales & marketing.

Beaumont Technologies.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Fred Phillips has been named technical account manager for Beaumont Technologies Inc., Erie, Pa.

Sheffield Plastics.(Personnel)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Sheffield Plastics Inc., Sheffield, Mass., has announced the appointment of Kenneth K. Schwartz as product development manager.

Obituary.(Personnel)(Obituary)
March 1, 2005... SPE notes with sorrow the death of Dr. Fred W. Billmeyer, Jr., a member of the Color & Appearance Division and Hudson-Mohawk Section for many years. He was a recipient of numerous awards in the fields of polymer science and color science, and...

SPE conferences.(Upcoming Events)(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... Apr. 4-5. SPE's Iowa Conference. Site: Des Moines. Contact: Sam McCord, at (319) 378-0077; fax (319) 378-1577; e-mail sam@mccordgroup.com. May 1-5. SPE's Annual Technical Conference (ANTEC 2005). Site: Sheraton Boston Hotel & Towers and...

SPE seminars.(Upcoming Events)(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... May 2-5. Seminars at ANTEC 2005. Multiple Seminars--Various Topics. Site: Boston. June 20-22. Extrusion of Engineering Plastics Seminar & Workshop. Site: Mystic, Conn. With Pravin Shah. Aug. 22-26. Three Plastics Failure Analysis...

SPE meetings.(Upcoming Events)(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... Apr. 4-5. SPE's Iowa Section. Site: Des Moines. Subject: Conference. Apr. 5. SPE's Quebec Section. Subject: Injection Molding Workshop 2005. Contact: Marie-France Sosa, (514) 863-4203. Apr. 12. SPE's Quebec Section. Subject: Long-Fiber...

Other upcoming events.(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... Apr. 3. Workshop: Wood Plastic Composites: Science, Technology, Markets. Site: Omni Royal Orleans, New Orleans. Contact: Executive Conference Management, P.O. Box 700272, Plymouth, MI 48170: phone: (734) 737-0507; fax: (734) 737-0508; e-mail:...