Plastics Engineering articles from March 2006

Plastics Engineering archives from March 2006

ANTEC 2006 preview: see you in Charlotte!(FROM THE SOCIETY OF PLASTICS ENGINEER)
March 1, 2006... Set aside May 7-11 for the Society of Plastics Engineers' Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition at the Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Society's strength can be found in the number and quality of technical papers...

Expanded line of anti-odor/antimicrobial nanoscale additives.(MATERIALS)(NanoHorizons, Inc)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... NanoHorizons, Inc. (State College, Pa.) has expanded its SmartSilver line of nanoscale anti-odor/antimicrobial additives. The new additives are for urethane and nylon, joining already existing ones for polyester and 100% cotton. According to...

Highly toughened nylon 6 compounds.(MATERIALS)(Clariant Masterbatches North America)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Clariant Masterbatches North America has developed a new family of nylon 6 compounds with toughness similar to that of impact-modified nylon 6,6 combined with the benefits of nylon 6. Their lower viscosity makes them easier to process and...

Polypropylene-specific antifogger.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2006... Techmer PM has developed an antifogging agent for polypropylene films and thermoformable sheet. PPM12927 fills the need for a PP-specific antifogger, says the company, noting that many PP films suppliers still use antifogging additives...

Nylon for high-end connectors.(MATERIALS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Stanyl 46SF5030, a new grade in DSM Engineering Plastics' Stanyl Polyamide 46 portfolio, is first in the company's new Stanyl Super Flow series designed to meet the miniaturization requirements of new-generation connectors. It targets...

Latex binder for carpet backing enhances durability.(MATERIALS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... BASF Corp. (New Jersey) announces the launch of Styrofan NX 6690 X, a new latex binder for carpet backing designed to enable the manufacture of more durable carpets. Styrofan NX 6690 X also promotes a healthier workplace and environment as it...

Additive eliminates odor, taste in PE and EVA films.(MATERIALS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Ampacet Corp. (Tarrytown, N.Y.) has introduced an additive masterbatch that removes taste- and odor-causing molecules in low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear LDPE, and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) films for food/nonfood packaging and other...

Flexible PUR molded foams for electrical devices.(MATERIALS)(polyurethane)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Bayer MaterialScience AG (Leverkusen, Germany) has developed flame-resistant grades of the flexible molded foam Bayfit Tec especially for the electrical industry. The new material is said to ensure noise reduction in such devices as high-end...

New additives utilize nanotechnology and conductive carbon black.(MATERIALS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Plasticolors, Inc. (Ashtabula, Ohio), has introduced the patent-pending line of SynerMix additive products for thermoset plastics (and for paints and coatings) based on the company's new "conductive synergist" technology. Explains Plasticolors,...

Fiberglass-based composite handles power-generation applications.(MATERIALS)(Norplex-Micarta)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Norplex-Micarta has designed a composite to provide superior strength, electrical insulation, and high-temperature resistance for power-generating applications. NP571HT is manufactured from multiple plies of woven fiberglass saturated with...

Polyester-based films target medical applications.(MATERIALS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... CPFilms, Inc., a Fieldale, Va.-based division of Solutia, Inc., offers polyester-based release liners said to be especially well suited for medical applications, e.g., transdermal drug-delivery systems, disposable diagnostic testing, wound...

Preview of SPE's Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition.(ANTEC 2006 Preview)
March 1, 2006... ANTEC 2006, the 64th Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition of the Society of Plastics Engineers, promises a first-class program for SPE members and guests alike. Set for May 7-11 at the Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C, ANTEC is the...

About ANTEC.
March 1, 2006... Dear Friends, Each year, the highlight of my SPE membership is ANTEC week. This 4-day Annual Technical Conference is built around the technical program featuring nearly 600 presentations covering almost every area of the plastics industry...

General conference information.
March 1, 2006... Registration Information SPE Members enjoy special discounted pricing! Save money when you register by April 14! You can register through the ANTEC website at www.antec.ws or by completing the registration form in this program and...

Why you should attend.
March 1, 2006... Anyone involved with plastics will benefit from attending ANTEC. As the single largest technical conference in the plastics industry worldwide, ANTEC offers forums and sessions for working engineers, R&D scientists, technicians, technical sales...

About Charlotte.
March 1, 2006... Welcome to Charlotte, the Queen City, where there is always something new to entice, interest and amaze. Charlotte's Southern culture represents a colorful spectrum--from the fine artwork of the Mint Museum to the engine-racing thunder of...

Events and networking opportunities.(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... Sunday, May 7 The ANTEC Opening Reception Hilton Charlotte Center City 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Network and mingle with old friends and new at this ANTEC 2006 kick-off event. A cash bar will be available throughout the evening. Tickets:...

Plenary speakers and panel discussion.
March 1, 2006... Monday, May 8 11 a.m. - 12 Noon Charlotte Convention Center Breaking the Insanity Barrier Kevin Mickey Kevin Mickey of Scaled Composites, the company that built the record-breaking SpaceShipOne spacecraft, will be the...

Technical program.
March 1, 2006... Monday, May 8, through Wednesday, May 10 CHARLOTTE CONVENTION CENTER Over 600 presentations will be offered in these areas. Applied Rheology Automotive Blow Molding Color & Appearance Composites Decorating &...

New technology forums.(nanotechnology)(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... Tuesday, May 9 CHARLOTTE CONVENTION CENTER Morning Session: 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. Polymer Surfaces at the Nanoscale The promise of nanotechnology is immense and multifaceted. Within the scientific community, considerable effort is...

SPE seminar schedule at ANTEC 2006.(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... Monday, May 8 through Thursday, May 11 HILTON CHARLOTTE CENTER CITY The tradition of the SPE seminar series at ANTEC continues with a variety of seminar programs that stretch across many processes and plastics-related topics. Blow...

Exhibition dates & hours exhibitors at press time.
March 1, 2006... CHARLOTTE CONVENTION CENTER Monday, May 8 3 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 9 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 10 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 01dB Inc. Adell Plastics Inc. Anton Paar USA Arizona Instrument Aspen...

Guest programs.(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... Monday, May 8 through Wednesday, May 10 All Programs Depart the Hilton Charlotte Center City Hotel Lobby Monday, May 8 Checkered Flag Tour: Lowe's Motor Speedway 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Lowe's Motor Speedway, home of the Coca-Cola...

Travel information.(hotel bookings)
March 1, 2006... What You Need To Know About Booking Your Hotel Reservation You may be able to secure a more attractive rate at another hotel or via the Web, but consumer beware: that savings may result in increased registration fees at future events. Read...

ANTEC 2006 technical session matrix.
March 1, 2006... ANTEC 2006 TECHNICAL SESSION MATRIX Division Monday, May 8 Tuesday, May 9 AM PM AM PM Color & Appearance M1 M18...

Technical sessions: Monday morning, and afternoon, May 8.(coloring of plastics )(soup in packaging regulations)
March 1, 2006... Monday Morning, May 8 M1 Color and Appearance Coloring of Plastics I 8:30 A.M Keynote--Introduction to Color Theory Johnny Suthers Eastman Chemical 9 A.M 103578 Working with Organic Pigments in...

Technical sessions: Monday afternoon, May 8 and Tuesday morning, May 9.
March 1, 2006... T1 Extrusion Rheology & Modeling John Perdikoulias, Compuplast 8 A.M. Keynote-Rheology: Its Importance and Application in Polymer Processing Dr. Eldridge Mount Iii EMMOUNT Technologies 8:30 A.M....

Interactive presentations: Tuesday, May 9 1 P.M.-2 P.M.(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... INT 1 Electrical and Electronic Bhaskar Gopalanarayanan, Lexmark International Inc. and Amod Ogale, Clemson University 103066 Film Properties of Cyclic Olefin Polymer Jonghyun Park LG Chem. Ltd 103070...

Technical sessions: Wednesday morning, May 10.(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... W1 Extrusion Twin Screw Extrusion Anthony Neubauer, Dow Chemical 8 A.M. 103343 An Empirical Model for Melting in a Co-Rotating Twin Screw Extruder Swapnil Garge University of Delaware 8:30 A.M. ...

Demand grows for large-diameter pipe, along with process capabilities.
March 1, 2006... Plastics are on track to outperform competitive materials in the U.S. market for large-diameter pipe. The market overall, which includes concrete, ductile iron, steel, and clay, is projected to grow at a modest annual rate of 2.4% over the next...

Patents of interest.
March 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...

Roll splitters.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Precision Airconvey Corp. introduces Model 52 Roll Splitter and the larger Model 62 )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Precision AirConvey has added two roll splitters to its line of downstream auxiliary equipment. The Model 52 Roll Splitter and the larger Model 62 automatically remove defective and/or out-of-spec stretch film, paper, foil, and other material...

Fast part removal.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Wittmann Inc. introduces Series W 711 C DS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The servo-robot Series W 711 C DS is specifically designed for the fast removal of plastic parts from stack molds and two-plate single-face molds. Manufactured by Wittmann, the robot is based on the general platform of the W 711 Series with a...

Management software for blenders.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(A3 Management Software Package)(Sterling)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The A3 Management Software Package, available with the SGBD Series blenders from Sterling, allows the tracking of recipes and monitoring of performance without having to program each blender. Windows-based, the program enables control and...

Side-entry robot.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
March 1, 2006... Automated Assemblies Corp. has introduced an addition to the Raptor product line for the injection molding industry. The Raptor SE310 High Performance Side-Entry Robot, with configurations available for presses from 100 to 600 tons, delivers...

Shredder handles large blocks.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
March 1, 2006... The Maxum 30 shredder from Munson Machinery reduces large blocks and bales of material into particles of narrow-size ranges with minimum fines. Each of two rotors is configured with a staggered array of specially treated, solid car bide tips...

Laboratory extruder.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
March 1, 2006... To expand its series of ZSK twin-screw compounders, Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer has developed a laboratory extruder with a screw diameter of only 18 mm. The ZSK 18 Megalab is designed for developing formulations of plastics compounds,...

Hot-Runner System.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
March 1, 2006... The Melt-Disk Hot-Runner System is described by its manufacturer, Mold-Masters, as providing versatile horizontal hot-tip processing for direct side-gating applications. Fundamental to the system's processing performance, says the company, is...

Material handling with an Ergonomic Tilt.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
March 1, 2006... When employees perform repetitive manual tasks, such as picking parts from a conveyor for packaging or inspection, the result can be physical stress that diminishes productivity and can eventually lead to health problems. DynaCon Conveyor Corp....

In-Mold labeling.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
March 1, 2006... Equipped with mechanical SwingChute label placement (rather than a robot), the Husky Hylectric 120 System injection molding workcell for the manufacture of food containers is said to help lower the costs of producing thin-wall packaging. The...

Robotic Machining Cell.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Programming Plus, Inc)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Programming Plus, Inc., says its Robotic Machining Cell (RMC) offers the functionality of a traditional CNC machining center, but it enables more efficient programming and machining of products than large CNC machines. The RMC utilizes a...

Measuring Probe aids machine setup.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
March 1, 2006... Mahr Federal's MarTest 802 EW Measuring Probe enables fast and easy setup of milling and EDM machines, says the company. Available in digital and mechanical versions, the 802 EW can be used for a number of setup functions, including determining...

Report details China's use of automotive plastics.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Research and Markets, based in Dublin, Ireland, offers a new study that examines Chinese Markets for Automotive Plastics in the context of the country's ranking as the world's fastest-growing economy, with a GDP that has been growing by 9.8%...

Bridgestone to manufacture synthetic rubber in China.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Headquartered in Tokyo, Bridgestone Corp. announces that it will build a plant for the production of synthetic robber in Huizhou (Guangdong Province), China, to meet growing in demand in the region, and in the world, for tires. The plant will...

DuPont Elastomers opens Shanghai tech center.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(DuPont Performance Elastomers)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... DuPont Performance Elastomers has opened a Technical Center in Pudong, Shanghai, to "support its customers in the fastest-growing elastomers market in the world." Located at the DuPont China Research and Development Center in Zhangjiang...

Sartomer enters Tokyo.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Based in Exton, Pa., Sartomer Company announces the opening of Sartomer Japan in Tokyo. Part of the Sartomer Asia division, the new office will serve formulators and chemists throughout Japan, providing support for the company's entire line of...

PolyOne color labs open in Tennessee and Missouri.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(PolyOne Corp)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... PolyOne Corp., based in Cleveland, announces that it now offers six color-matching labs, including two new ones at its Vonore, Tenn., and St. Peters, Mo., facilities. In addition to traditional color-matching services and sample preparation,...

Germany's RAG seeks full possession of Degussa.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(RAG Aktiengesellschaft)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... RAG Aktiengesellschaft of Essen, Germany, which holds a 50.1% interest in Degussa AG (Dusseldorf) through its wholly owned subsidiary RAG Projektgesellschaft mbH (RPG), has announced that it intends to acquire all remaining shares in Degussa....

BASF Mexico site installs compounding line.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Headquartered in New Jersey, BASF Corp. announces that its Engineering Plastics business is installing a compounding extrusion line at the company's Altamira, Mexico, site. Plastics compounded there, to include various nylon 6, nylon 6,6, and...

ExxonMobil enlists R.T. Vanderbilt.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(ExxonMobil Chemical Co.)(R.T. Vanderbilt Company Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Ethylene Elastomers Business of ExxonMobil Chemical Company (Houston) reports that it has appointed R.T. Vanderbilt Co., Inc., of Norwalk, Conn., as a distributor of ExxonMobil Chemical's commercial Vistalon ethylene propylene diene...

Nova shuts PS plant, consolidates operations.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Nova Chemicals Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Nova Chemicals Corp. has announced plans to close its Chesapeake, Va., polystyrene (PS) production plant in 2006. This step was made possible by upgrades to the Performance Products operations at its site in Belpre, Ohio, says Nova, and it...

Energy-wise building panel utilizes DuPont Technology.(DuPont Building Innovations)(printed circuit materials)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... At the Batimat construction exhibition in Paris, DuPont Building Innovations launched the DuPont PCM panel designed to add thermal mass to lightweight structure buildings, e.g., those that are timber- or steel-framed. The product is the result...

FDA clears surgical mesh with polymer coating.(Food & Drug Administration, bioresorbable polymer-coated surgical mesh)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... TyRx Pharma, Inc. (Monmouth Junction, N.J.), announces that the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration) has granted 510(k) clearance for its new bioresorbable polymer-coated surgical mesh product for the repair of hernias and other abdominal...

Arkema commercializes CRP technology.(Controlled Radical Polymerization)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Arkema (Philadelphia) announces the global availability of its new BlocBuilder technology, which uses patented nitroxide-based compounds capable of controlling free-radical polymerization. Arkema says that the technology solves problems that...

AME honors Webster Plastics.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Association for Manufacturing Excellence)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Custom injection molder Webster Plastics was presented with the first AME Manufacturing Excellence Award by the Association for Manufacturing Excellence at the group's annual conference in Boston, Oct. 31-Nov. 4. A business unit of the...

Danisco earns plaudits for packaging plasticizer.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Frost & Sullivan's analysis Advances in Food Packaging Technology has named Danisco A/S (Denmark) as the recipient of the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Award for Excellence in Research for the food-packaging market. This is in recognition of the...

Candy-wrap biodegrades.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Amcor Australasia)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Amcor Australasia and Plantic Technologies Limited have teamed to develop a biodegradable, cost-effective material for the confectionery packaging market. Plantic will contribute its patented plant-derived material, also called "Plantic," which...

SPE Conferences.(UPCOMING EVENTS)(Society of Plastics Engineers)(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... Mar. 29-30. SPE's Solutions by Analysis Conference. Site: Antwerp, Belgium. Contact: SPE European Member Bureau, Eric Sasselaan 51, BE-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium. Phone +32 (0)3 541 77 55; fax +32 (0)3 541 84 25; email spe.europe@skynet.be;...

SPE Seminars.(UPCOMING EVENTS)(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... May 8-11. Seminar Series at ANTEC 2006. Site: Hilton Charlotte Center, Charlotte, North Carolina. June 19-23. Seminar Series at NPE 2006. Site: McCormick Place, Chicago. July 17-19. Extrusion of Engineering Plastics--Simplified for...

SPE meetings. June 19-23.(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... Apr. 13. Philadelphia Section. Site: Holiday Inn, Bensalem, Pa. Subject: Nanotechnologies Forum. Contact: Joe Sarver at 800-355-2422 ext. 5631. Apr. 24. Akron Section. Subject: Master Precision Molding "MUDD." Joint meeting with Cleveland...

Other upcoming events.(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... Apr. 2-4. SPI's Plastics Parts Innovations Conference and New Product Design Competition. Site: Hyatt Regency, Columbus, Ohio. Contact Karen Miles at 202-974-5274. Apr. 2-5. ARM International 29th Annual Spring Meeting. Site: Westin Resort...

Testing equipment guide 2006.(Directory)(Table)
March 1, 2006... Testing Equipment Guide 2006 Electrical Flame/ Page # Properties Smoke Agr * TopWave LLC, Butler, PA (724) 482-2163 ATI Advanced...