Plastics Engineering articles from October 2005

Plastics Engineering archives from October 2005

Biocompatible PC resins target health-care industry.(polycarbonate)(GE Advanced Materials )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... GE Advanced Materials (Pittsfield, Mass.) has introduced three biocompatible polycarbonate (PC) resins for health-care applications: Lexan HPX8R, HPX4, and HP1HF. While offering the strength, mechanical qualities, and clarity of other Lexan PC...

TPEs enhance consumer and light-industrial products.(Thermoplastic Elastomer)( DuraGrip thermoplastics )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Advanced Polymer Alloys (APA) of Wilmington, Del., has announced three new DuraGrip TPE grades in North America for the enhancement of consumer or light-industrial products. Said to offer advantages over competitive materials including improved...

Shoe-stiffening TPUs.(thermoplastic polyurethane)(Pearlstick new stiffener )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... At Chinaplas 2005 in June, Merquinsa of Barcelona, Spain, presented two new Pearlstick TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) grades to help customers in Asia meet demands for higher-quality shoe stiffeners. Pearlstick offers fast processing in both...

Nanotechnology-based ZnO for outdoor coatings.(zinc oxide)(Adnano fumed product increase the lifetime of coatings)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Degussa's AdNano fumed zinc oxide product line is said to increase the lifetimes of outdoor coatings by providing high-temperature stability and superior UV protection. Launched in North America by the company's Aerosil & Silanes business unit,...

FDA-compliant polyester lidding film.(Food and Drug Administration)(approved heat sealable polyester lidding film )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... With LumiLid XL5, Toray Plastics (America) offers a transparent, heat-sealable polyester lidding film that is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for direct contact with food. Designed for use with popular plastic trays and...

New composite is geared toward auto interiors.(glass mat material in vehicle interior)(OC Automotive)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Owens Coming division OC Automotive of Novi, Mich., has unveiled AcoustiMax substrate, a lightweight glass-mat composite material designed to provide improved structural and acoustical properties in vehicle-interior applications such as...

COC with lower birefringence, higher refractive index.(cyclo olefin copolymer)(marketing the cyclo olefin copolymer Apel )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Mitsui Chemicals America, Inc. (Purchase, N.Y.), is marketing the cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC) Apel in North and South America in film and resin form for use in high-performance film, optical, medical, and packaging applications. Developed by...

Hardener for low-emission PUR coatings.(polyurethane)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Bayer MaterialScience (Pittsburgh) has developed an isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI)-based 'hardener for polyurethane (PUR) coatings that greatly reduces the coating's solvent content. As IPDI accelerates physical drying, Bayer explains,...

Titanium dioxide specifically for the plastics industry.(advanced titanium dioxide)
October 1, 2005... DuPont (Wilmington, Del.) has launched an advanced titanium dioxide product based on a new technology platform designed by DuPont Titanium Technologies for the plastics industry. Ti-Pure R-350 is said to be the first to combine such...

Chlorinated PE impact modifier for PVC window profiles, siding.(performance elastomers)(polyvinyl chloride)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... DuPont Performance Elastomers (formerly DuPont Dow Elastomers) of Wilmington, Del., reports that its new impact modifier for rigid PVC window profiles and siding--Tyrin 2500P chlorinated polyethylene--offers economic and performance advantages...

Top TPEs are showcased at SPE TopCon: researchers are steadily improving thermoplastic elastomers, opening up new medical and automotive applications.(Society of Plastics Engineers thermoplastic elastomers Topical Conference)
October 1, 2005... United under the term "thermoplastic elastomer" more by properties than by chemistry, TPEs have footholds in numerous markets. Now, as maturing technologies, TPEs are benefiting from multiple minor improvements that allow them to perform better...

SPE Executive Director Susan Oderwald.(Society of Plastics Engineers)(Interview)
October 1, 2005... SPE continues to feel the economic crunch of changes in our industry: as our industry becomes more and more globalized, we see more products being made outside SPE's strongest traditional marketplaces. These changes have raised the questions of...

SPE President Len Czuba.(SPE Voices: SPE-An International Organization)(Society of Plastics Engineers)
October 1, 2005... It is often said: "The world is shrinking." This description can be applied to anything from communication networks to travel to food and product distribution. In SPE, I believe that the term refers to our industry and our members and member...

Jeremy Fennelly, SPE member since 1991.(Society of Plastics Engineers)(Interview)
October 1, 2005... It is an understatement that today we live in a global economy. What was once the future economy is now here; we live with and accept that business lines, along with geographic borders, are getting more and more blurred. Companies are exporting...

Patents of interest.(plastics industry)
October 1, 2005... 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...

Medical plastics: new polymers offer advantages for medical devices and packaging.(Society of Plastics Engineers conference)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2005... New higher-performing polymers and innovative processing methods have expanded the opportunities for plastics in the medical industry, in the areas of both devices and packaging. Cost-reduction pressures in health care have driven the...

Flexible conveyor system.(dynacon system)(modular conveyor system)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The DynaCon System from Dynamic Conveyor Corp. is described by the company as a flexible, modular conveyor system intended to help manufacturers accommodate frequently changing production flows for light-duty and medium-duty applications...

Horizontal slitter.(femco stackmaster slitter )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The principal application of the Femco 4A6 Stackmaster Slitter from Ferry Industries is the accurate cutting of high-volume, horizontal stacks of buns that range in density from 1 to 3.5 lb/cu, ft., with IFD ratings up to 120. Designed to cut...

Cartridge Heaters.(watt flex split sheath cartridge heater)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Watt-Flex Split-Sheath Cartridge Heaters from Dalton Electric Heating Co. are available with a choice of leads to accommodate a variety of process heating applications. Options include flexible stainless-steel hose or braid to protect against...

Injection machines for thin-wall parts.(Roboshot injection machine)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Two Roboshot SiB injection machines, rated at 165 and 275 U.S. tons, have been introduced by Milacron to provide "ultra-high-performance injection" for precision medical, mobile phone, cosmetics, and automotive parts. Combining a rigid...

Safer testing.(heat distortion temperature measurement for plastic materials)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The testing of plastic material for HDT (Heat Distortion Temperature) and Vicat (a measure of the temperature at which plastic begins to soften rapidly) measurements can be carried out more safely in the Davenport HDT/Vicat Plus instrument from...

Vision sensors.(megapixel vision sensors)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Two 1.3-megapixel vision sensors from Banner Engineering--the Presence Plus P4 Geo and P4 Edge 1.3--are reported to allow highly detailed automated inspection of large parts. The sensors capture minute details of multiple features at ranges...

Machine tool and bore alignment.(microgage bore alignment k it )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Said to be ideal for aligning extrusion presses, precision screws, lathes, turning centers, and other industrial applications, the Microgage Bore Alignment Kit consists of a self-contained, stainless-steel cylindrical laser that is held in the...

Injection molding of large, multimaterial auto parts.(quadloc tandem index system)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The Quadloc-Tandem-Index (QTI) System from Husky Injection Molding Systems enables automotive Tier I and OEM manufacturers to cost-effectively create large interior and exterior plastic panels in one machine, utilizing a combination of...

Machines for dual extrusion and coextrusion.( dual extrusion and coextrusion of medical)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Wayne Machine & Die Co. has introduced a line of extruders for dual extrusion and coextrusion of medical and industrial tubing, profiles, rods, strands, wire insulation, cable, and fiber-optic sheathing applications. (Four models are available...

How not to compete on price: with increasing pressures on European industry, how can plastics producers remain profitable without competing on price? We speak with marketing and strategy association ECMSA to find out more.
October 1, 2005... Much has been written recently about the challenges for the European plastics industry to sustain profitable growth and to remain a credible competitor in global and local markets. The higher wage European-based plastics producers are...

Plastics Hall of Fame inducts five posthumously.(appointment of posthumous members)
October 1, 2005... The National Plastics Hall of Fame inducted five new posthumous members in a ceremony at the National Plastics Center and Museum in Leominster, Mass., on September 17. Recognized for "consistent dedication and extraordinary accomplishments......

SPI president urges global cooperation.(Society of the Plastics Industry)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... At the annual meeting of the Council of Plastics Industry Association Directors (CIPAD) in Stockholm, Sweden, SPI President Bill Carteaux urged the world's plastic industries to work more closely to coordinate responses to environmental and...

Report tracks demand for specialty additives.(polyvinyl chloride for additives)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Demand for specialty plastic additives is projected to advance 2.6%/yr to 5.2 billion lbs in 2009, according to a new study from The Freedonia Group of Cleveland. Consumption will increase 4.6%/yr to $6.8 billion. Ranking first in usage among...

Plastics database simplifies information search.(www.plasticsweb.com)(www.ides.com)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... A new website launched by IDES, Inc., of Laramie, Wyo., facilitates the accessing of polymer data from multiple sources. Plastics Web (www.plasticsweb.com and www.ides.com) combines new free information with the company's own established...

Davis-Standard acquires Merritt Extruder.(acquisition report)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Davis-Standard, LLC, has announced the acquisition of Merritt Extruder Corp. of Hamden, Conn. Per the agreement, Merritt will move operations to DavisStandard's headquarters in Pawcatuck, Conn. DavisStandard will continue to offer the existing...

Icelandic Group purchases Bonar Plastics.(Promens hf. acquires the plastic group)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Promens hf., a subsidiary of Icelandic investment firm Atorka Group hr., has concluded an agreement with Low and Bonar PLC to purchase Bonar Plastics. Conditional upon shareholders' approval, the purchase will create a multinational company...

Goulston and Polyvel enter joint venture.(acquisition )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Based in Monroe, N.C., Goulston Technologies, Inc., has announced a joint venture with Polyvel, Inc., of Hammonton, N.J., to manufacture and market melt additives for the global synthetic fiber and nonwovens industries. The venture combines the...

Wal-Mart expands recycling program.(Rocky Mountain Recycling)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Wal-Mart, in partnership with Rocky Mountain Recycling, has announced it is "stepping up" a pilot program designed to keep tons of plastic out of land fills. The recycling process, called the Plastic Sandwich Bale, is credited with "recycling...

SPI names Jeff Trask VP of Government Affairs.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
October 1, 2005... The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) (Washington, D.C.) has announced that Jeff Trask, a veteran government relations and public policy executive for the petroleum and automotive industries, has joined the association as vice president of...

SPE conferences.(Society of Plastics Engineers )(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... Nov. 10. SPE's North American Radiation Processing SIG MiniTec. Site: Philadelphia. Nov. 15. SPE European Bureau's Modern Moldmaking Techniques Conference. Site: Barcelona, Spain. Contact: SPE European Member Bureau, Eric Sasselaan 51,...

SPE seminars.(Society of Plastics Engineers )(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... Contact: SPE's Customer Relations Department, at (203) 740-5403, or email seminars@4spe.org. For further information on seminars or workshops, visit www.4spe.org/conferenceseminar.htm.

SPE meetings.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... Nov. 10. SPE's Philadelphia Section. Site: Holiday Inn Select, Wilmington, Del. Subject: Liquid Color. Contact: George Smith at (800) 355-2422 ext. 1255. Dec. 8. SPE's Philadelphia Section. Site: TBA. Subject: Wine Tasting & Tour. Contact:...

Other upcoming events.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... Oct. 31-Nov. 4. Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) Conference. Site: Westin Copley Place, Boston; website www.ame.org. Nov. 1-3. International Congress of Nanotechnology. Site: San Francisco. Contact: International Association...

Guide to injection molding/mold making/mold design.(Directory)
October 1, 2005... Plastics Engineering Guide to Injection Molding/ Mold Making/ Mold Design Under Page 100 100- Company Name, Phone ...