Plastics Engineering articles from November 2006

Plastics Engineering archives from November 2006

Flame retardant for flexible PUR.(MATERIALS)(polyurethane)
November 1, 2006... Headquartered in Beer-Sheva, Israel, ICL Industrial Products is launching a flame-retardant system for flexible polyurethane (PUR) foam. SaFRon-7700 allows customers to meet CAL TB (California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Isolation...

Densified glass fibers for PBT compounds.(polybutylene terephthalate)
November 1, 2006... At the China International Composites Industrial Technical Expo held in Shanghai in September, the Engineering Products Group of Johns Manville (Denver) introduced ThermoFlow 600, a densified chopped strand for polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)...

Bio-based resins.(MATERIALS)
November 1, 2006... Cereplast of Hawthorne, Calif., offers bio-based resins as biodegradable, sustainable alternatives to those derived from fossil fuels. They are reportedly cost-competitive, compatible with existing thermoforming equipment/processes, and BPI...

Halogen-free elastomer broadens application range.(MATERIALS)
November 1, 2006... Lanxess's specialty elastomer Levapren--traditionally used in the wire and cable industry--is branching out into construction and finished-goods applications calling for a halogen-free, noncorrosive material. These include public buildings,...

Post-consumer PBT-based automotive resins.(MATERIALS)(polybutylene terephthalate)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... In Japan, GE Plastics (Pittsfield, Mass.) has launched a family of "ecomagination" resins that meet automotive manufacturers' needs for cleaner and more environmentally responsible materials that deliver excellent performance. Valox iQ and...

Cell-phone housings get new EMI shielding material.(MATERIALS)
November 1, 2006... Chomerics, a Woburn, Mass. -- based division of Parker Hannifin Corp., has introduced a fast-curing, form-in-place EMI shielding material for cellphone housings. Choform 5538 is a nickel-plated graphite-filled silicone that can be...

Additive strengthens biodegradable packaging.(MATERIALS)(polylactic acid Development)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... DuPont Packaging (Wilmington, Del.) has developed an additive that it says improves the performance of bio-based PLA (polylactic acid) packaging, eliminating problems with brittleness and decreased durability versus petroleum-derived plastics....

TPVs for car interiors offer superior flow.(MATERIALS)
November 1, 2006... Anew series of vulcanized thermoplastic elastomers (TPVs) from Solvay Engineered Polymers, Inc. (Auburn Hills, Mich.), is said to offer viscosities that are up to 60% lower than those of conventional thermoplastic elastomers--thus allowing...

Antibacterial barrier films also control odor.(MATERIALS)
November 1, 2006... Omniflex, LLC, of Greenfield, Mass., has released new antibacterial, odor-control versions of its Transport waterproof/breathable and Vacuflex barrier films. The new films allow designers and laminators to achieve odor control in...

Composite armor.(MATERIALS)
November 1, 2006... Polystrand, Inc. (Montrose, Col.), reports that its new ThermoBallistic-H armor panel, a hybrid thermoplastic material made with both E and S glass fiber, achieves U.S. National Institute of Justice (NIJ) threat level 3A while saving 40% in...

Additives market on the mend.(industry forecast)(Industry overview)
November 1, 2006... Plastics additives have finally turned the corner. After undergoing more than five strenuous years of structural market changes--margin compression, adjusting to recent rapid increases in feedstock prices, enduring product lifecycle maturity,...

A review of additives for plastics: colorants.(evaluation)
November 1, 2006... This is the first article in a four-part series that looks at the range of additives commonly used in plastics to improve their appearance and performance. These primers are meant to create a common base of information on additives within the...

New recipes for composites: novel fibers and fillers answer automotive needs.(Automotive Composites Conference)
November 1, 2006... Perhaps it was no surprise that an executive from Boeing was a keynote speaker at September's SPE Automotive Composites Conference. After all, both the aerospace and automotive industries figure to save weight, and thus, fuel, by using more...

Additives annual 2006: new additives and masterbatches add versatility, value to plastics.
November 1, 2006... Developments in additives and masterbatches keep expanding the versatility of plastics, providing aesthetic improvements and advances in processing and performance. Antimicrobial additives promote good health. Lower-priced carbon nanotubes...

Thermoforming 2006: creativity & innovation.(Conference notes)
November 1, 2006... The 16th annual SPE Thermoforming Conference, sponsored by the SPE Thermoforming Division, took place at the Nashville Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, September 17-20. Highlighting the important role of "Creativity & Innovation in...

Leak testing: a higher degree of accuracy.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
November 1, 2006... InterTech Development Co. says its CalVal electronic technology for self-calibration and automatic validation of leak testing can achieve an accuracy of [+ or -]2% of reading, or 0.02 sccm (standard cubic centimeters/minute). CalVal is based on...

Quick-change twin chambers.
November 1, 2006... A twin-chamber system from Novatec enables a quick switch from one resin or color to another for job changeovers without incurring the usual downtime for cleanout and change of resin source points, the company says. The VersaLoad System...

Laser cutting and scanning.
November 1, 2006... Robotic Production Technology (RPT), distributor of Robot Technology's pre-engineered laser systems, has introduced the Flacs RT C-series Flexible Laser Cutting System with second-generation RoboCut A600 laser robot. The fully integrated system...

High-speed extruder.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
November 1, 2006... A prototype of Cincinnati Extrusion's Rapidex high-speed extruder is undergoing long-term tests at the facilities of Rehau AG + Co in Austria. The traditional definition of a high-speed extruder is one that reaches a peripheral screw speed of...

Particle size analysis.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
November 1, 2006... The IPP70 inline particle-size analyzer is an addition to the Parsum range from Malvern Instruments. Based on the theory of spatial filter velocimetry, the IPP70 measures particulate materials ranging in size from 50 to 6000 microns and is...

Managing without wires.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
November 1, 2006... The wireless communications infrastructure at PPG Industries' chemical-manufacturing complex in Lake Charles, La., is the result of the collaboration of two companies, Apprion and Invensys. Following a comprehensive site assessment of PPG's...

Seals for dry-powder blenders.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
November 1, 2006... Meco's AH Series custom seals, manufactured by the Woodex Beating Co., are intended for upstream equipment such as ribbon blenders and paddle mixers that are used to process dry, abrasive powders. The mechanical seals can be removed quickly and...

No refrigeration required.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Uniloy Milacron)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Uniloy Milacron's UMR2000-3L reciprocating blow-molding machine produces three-layer, extended-shelf-life bottles. The company says it surpasses wheel and shuttle machines with a 10%-20% higher output in a smaller footprint, and uses 10% to 25%...

Built-to-order manufacturing.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
November 1, 2006... The latest release of digital reconstruction software from Geomagic, a software and services firm, features three main areas of enhancement: 3D feature-based modeling, advanced color-texture generation, and greater versatility with user-defined...

Position sensors.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
November 1, 2006... The TEX Series of position sensors from Novotechnik, with stroke lengths up to 300 mm, combines a compact housing size of 18-mm diameter with pressure equalization. Rated to protection class IP66, the series contains the company's differential...

Injection-molding monitoring.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)
November 1, 2006... True variations can be missed in the injection-molding process--in spite of extensive machine data or a costly infrastructure. For example, if mold or melt temperatures change, significant variations can arise in the quality of the manufactured...

Testing center for plastic fuel systems.(MACHINERY & PROCESSING)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Inergy Automotive Systems, a tier-one supplier of plastic fuel systems to major automobile manufacturers, has opened its Quality Validation Center in Brussels. The company reports that fuel systems from each of its production lines are...

Patents of interest.(Horizons)
November 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...

Clariant seeks to acquire Ciba's Masterbatch business.(Clariant acquired Ciba Specialty Chemicals)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Headquartered in Muttenz, Switzerland, Clariant announces that it plans to acquire the Masterbatch business of Ciba Specialty Chemicals. The transaction, price undisclosed, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. With...

RTP obtains film maker, launches elastomer division.(RTP Company acquired Wiman Corp.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... RTP Company of Winona, Minn., has announced its acquisition of Wiman Corp., a manufacturer of customized plastic film for the medical, industrial, and consumer markets. RTP will combine its existing Sheet Division with Wiman's line of flexible...

Westlake to purchase Eastman's PE business.(Westlake Chemical Corp. acquired Eastman Chemical Corp.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Houston-based Westlake Chemical Corp. reports that it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Eastman Chemical Corp.'s polyethylene (PE) business for $255 million. In addition to PE operations based in Longview, Texas, the transaction...

Solvay sets up in China and India.
November 1, 2006... Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Solvay has announced plans to build a world-class PTFE (polytetra-fluoroethylene) Micronized Powder production unit in Changshu, China. The facility would be operated by the Solvay Group's new subsidiary,...

Rohm & Haas Auto Coatings joins Nippon Paint.
November 1, 2006... Based in Osaka, Japan, Nippon Paint Co., Ltd. (NPC), reports that it has finalized its purchase of the majority of Rohm and Haas Company's Automotive Coatings business, which will be introduced to North American automotive-coatings customers...

API honors Polyurethane Innovators.(Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry)(Polyurethane Innovation Awards)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry (API) (Arlington, Va.) announced the winners of its Polyurethane Innovation Awards at the Polyurethanes 2006 Technical Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 27. Rhino Linings (San...

Rhodia expands in China.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... To strengthen its industrial base in Asia, Rhodia (Paris) reports, it will construct a hexamethylene diamine (HMDA) unit in China as part of its upstream integration in the polyamide chain. With an annual capacity of 60 kt/yr, the new unit is...

Upcoming events.
November 1, 2006... Dec. 7-8. SPE's Emerging Trends in Polymer Technology. Site: Leela Kempinski Hotel, Sahar International Airport, Mumbai, India. Contact: Vijay Boolani, Canara Polypack Limited, Bombay, India. Phone 22-24302826/24302790; fax 22-24229875; email...