Plastic news september 2013 issue by AIPMA Office

SAY YES TO PLASTICS Volume No. 70

MH/MR/N/200/MBI/12- 14

Issue No. 9

Pages 76

September 2013

Rs. 75.00

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CONTENT

IN THIS ISSUE... 14...... AIPMA At Work ...Plastivision India 2013 Launch and Industry Meet at Jaipur

The Official Organ of The All India Plastics Manufacturers Association Estd. 1945

...Report of Plastivision India 2013 Promotion at Laghu Udyog Bharti Function

MH/MR/N/200/MBI/12- 14 Volume 70

September 2013 No. 9

Chairman - Editorial Board

Dr. Asutosh Gor

...AIPMA- Industry meets to discuss the road ahead

Hon. Editor

Mr. Ajay Desai

Members

Mr. A. E. Ladhaboy Dr. Y. B. Vasudeo Ms. Poorvi Desai

...Press Conference held to discuss the unfavorable conditions of domestic Plastic Industry ...Gpca Conference to Fuel Plastivision Arabia

24...... Plastivision India - 2013 Show Preview

Editorial Co-ordination: Padmesh Prabhune, Dhruv Communications, Mumbai, Tel No: 00-22-2868 5198 / 5049 Fax No : 00-22-28685495 • email: dhruvpr@vsnl.net

32...... Plastivision Arabia - 2014 Show Preview

Published by Ms. Uma Gupta on behalf of the owners, The All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association Plot No. A-52, Road No. 1, M.I.D.C., Andheri (E), Mumbai-400 093. Tel: 67778899 • Fax : 00-22-2821 6390 E-mail : ofﬁce@aipma.net Website : http://www.aipma.net and printed by her at Dhote Offset Technokrafts Pvt. Ltd., Goregaon (E), Mumbai-400 063.

35...... Company News 39...... Features ...Special show at K 2013: “Plastics move the world” ...Bayer to launch ‘The cockpit’ at K 2103

Annual Subscription Rs. 1,000/-

...Evolution of the plastic tank in the winery

Single issue Rs. 75/-

...Better plastics can improve drip irrigation

Views/Reports/Extracts etc. published in Plastics News are those of the

...Plastic Art in San Francisco Airport Is From City’s Waste Stream

authors and not necessarily of the Editor. Furthermore except for copies of formal AIPMA communications no other matter in this journal should

...Washington DC bridge made of FRP

be interpreted as views of The All India Plastics Mfgrs. Association.

53...... International News

OFFICE BEARERS Dr. Asutosh Gor President

Mr. Manish Dedhia Vice President (West Zone)

Mr. R. K. Aggarwal Vice President (North Zone)

Mr. Hiten Bheda Hon. Secretary

Mr. Anil Bansal Vice President (South Zone)

Mr. Haren Sanghavi Hon. Jt. Secretary

Mr. Ashok Agarwal Vice President (East Zone)

Mr. Sanju D. Desai Hon. Treasurer

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56...... Business News 60...... Product News 68...... Technology 71...... In the News 73...... Events

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THE PRESIDENT SAYS

Safeguarding domestic industry has to be a Priority meeting of All India Regional Plastics

Indian polymer converters

Associations was held in Mumbai on the

have been lamenting about

5th of September, 2013, to discuss on “Sustainable

the falling rupee, and have

growth in Plastic Industry in current unimaginable

switched their focus from the

volatile scenario - and way forward” as Plastics

import market to the domestic

Industry is reeling through adverse setbacks,

market for feedstock.

specially, Processors Industry and SME.

But then the logical way out

The meeting received excellent response from

is to focus on the solution for the survival of domestic

the heads of more than 17 Associations, heads

Procesors’ Industry . This can be done in many ways

of Raw Material Manufacturers such as RIL,

for say, by reducing the Import duty on raw materials

GAIL, HMEL, HALDIA, Processors. Few of them

but levying import duty on ﬁnished plastics goods

belonging to SME sector also attended and gave

to around 20 percent or so. Similarly Excise Duty

their valuable inputs and suggestions to survive in

to be Rationalised at 8% to Boost Growth.

present conditions.

As the polymer raw material prices have seen

India's petrochemical markets have been reeling

unprecedented rise in the recent months, (the prevailing

from a rapid fall in the rupee, with the impact

average price of commonly used plastics is around Rs.

greatest on the polymer sector, as buyers in the

110/kg plus) to the tune of 30%, the small and medium

country shy away and sellers struggle to transfer

enterprises in the processing sector are facing acute

the increased import cost to domestic sales price.

shortage of working capital to manage the cash ﬂows. In

Petrochemical prices on a CFR South Asia basis

its endeavor to put forth the interest of the Plastics

have lagged increases in CFR China and Northeast

Industry AIPMA has decided that it would prepare

Asia prices, but have led the way down when the

a Memorandum and circulate to all Associations

other regional CFR prices headed south.

so as to garner the support and as such concerns could be raised by the entire Industry.

The Indian rupee was down around 10% since August 1, and down nearly 20% since June 1. This

AIPMA would also submit the Memorandum

in turn hit Middle East polymer producers as they

to Finance Ministry, DCPC, Revenue Industry,

typically export their surplus to India -- one of their

Planning Commission, MSME, Anti Dumping, GST

main markets -- where buyers were now backing off

and such other relevant departments as soon as

on the weaker rupee. These Middle East producers

possible so as to arrive to an amicable solution.

were forced to source for outlets elsewhere. For

Looking forward to your support.

instance according to reports, some polymer trading houses in Dubai have been directing

Dr. Asutosh Gor

their cargoes to buyers in Africa instead of India.

president@aipma.net

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FROM THE EDITOR'S PEN

Is Banana the new source for greener composite? such as glass and carbon fibre are irregular due to their cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin composition, which makes them unsuitable for reinforcing materials. In order to change this, a chemical process which modifies the internal structure of banana fibres was developed. This innovation makes it possible to obtain more uniform surfaces, with a better resistance to environmental corrosion, high temperatures and water absorption (they are hydrophobic)

n this issue I have to share with you some information and incidentally both of these belong to California. First, Rich Freeman is named as the SPE Thermoformer of the Year and Hearty congratulations to him. Freeman was honored by the SPE members on September 10 during the SPE Thermoforming Conference in Atlanta.

As most of you would be knowing Freeman, owner of Freetech Plastics Inc., a thermoforming company in Fremont, spent 21 years as a board member of the SPE Thermoforming Division. He helped develop the Thermoforming Conference as both a speaker and organizer of the heavy-gauge part of the program.

The treatment consists in their submersion, for 24 hours, in a compound made of epichlorohydrin, an anhydrous acetic reactant and acetone. They are washed in acetone and distilled water and dried in an oven for a day. They are afterwards tested for resistance, hydrophility (water absorption), heat and alkalinity.

Some of the programs he pushed for focused on the need to improve quality in the thermoforming industry, examining areas such as heat sources and computer-aided design and manufacturing. His call to arms about poor quality equipment helped get us advancements in ﬁve-axis routers. Also as chairman of the Asset Allocation Review Committee, Freeman managed the division's machinery grant program, which has placed equipment in more than 25 schools and universities. Freeman is a vocal advocate of thermoformers working closely with product designers

In a yet another study, scientists in Columbia are hoping to make the waste material from banana farms compete with modern glass and carbon ﬁbre products. In Colombia, banana cultivation provides employment to over 170,000 people, according to data for 2011, 353,297 hectares were cultivated, with a production of 2,815,693 tonnes. The leaves and stalks that are leftover from this farming, instead of being wasted could be used in the creation of banana ﬁbre bringing in additional revenue to the industry. A project from the Department of Industrial Engineering of the National University of Colombia, in Manizales, managed to use the plant’s stalk to obtain a high quality reinforcing material.

In view of these positive results, more studies are set to be carried out, it is hoped that the advances will result in an additional income for the farmers, who will be able to process the ﬁbres using special machines Well given these facts let us not forget that Banana is cultivated in India as well and perhaps we have better chance …. So let’s go bananas.!! Hon. Editor Ajay Desai editor@aipma.net

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AIPMA AT WORK

Plastivision India 2013 Launch and Industry Meet at Jaipur function of Plastivision India 2013 was organized on 7th August 2013 at Hotel Fortune Bela Casa, Jaipur. Plastivision launch event was attended by 272 delegates from Jaipur and other parts of Rajasthan

Plastivision India 2013 and gave a detailed presentation about the exhibition. Mr. Murarka also spoke about the new initiatives taken for Plastivision India 2013 like Job and Career fair, Solar Energy Pavilion, Plastics in Agriculture Pavilion, Vendor Development Program and many other activities that will be organized for the very ďŹ rst time during Plastivision India 2013.

Mr. Sitaram Yadav, President, PMAR, Mr. R. K. Aggarwal, Vice President (North Zone), Mr. Kailash B. Murarka, Co Chairman-PVI 2013, Shri Naveen Mahajan, IAS, MD, RIICO, Mr. Sharwan Kumar Sharma, General Secretary, PMAR, shared the dais for launch function.

Chief Guest, Shri Naveen Mahajan, IAS, MD, RIICO, was requested to address the gathering. Shri Mahajan gave details of developments and government grants from the ministry for various development projects, especially for SME. He invited entrepreneurs to Rajasthan for setting up of their unit with assistance from RIICO.

Chief Guest of the evening was Shri Naveen Mahajan, IAS, MD, RIICO. Mr. R. K. Aggarwal, Vice President (North Zone), AIPMA spoke on prevailing industry scenario and its projected growth up to 2020.

Mr. Sarwan Sharma, General Secretary, PMAR thanked the delegates and the Chief Guest who made this function a grand success and invited all to join for cocktail and dinner.

PVI Co Chairman Mr. Kailash Murarka spoke about

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PVI 2013 Promotion at Laghu Udyog Bharti Function function to promote Plastivision India 2013 was held Laghu Udyog Bharti on Saturday, 24th August 2013 Total 350 registered delegates across the country attended the function many of which were from plastic sector.

Shri Arvind Mehta addressed the gathering and gave information about AIPMA activities as well as Plastivision India 2013 and informed that the plastic processing sector have good growth prospects, which was well appreciated.

The welcome speech was given by Mr Sarin, one of senior members and past President Laghu Udyog Bharti. Mr. O.P. Mittal, National General Secretary of Laghu Udyog Bharti, welcomed Shri Arvind Mehta, Chairman Advisory Board PVI 2013, with a Flower Bouquet.

The PVI 2013 promotional ﬁlm was screened followed by question answer session. The Brochures were distributed and received a few inquiries for participation. Many showed interest to visit.

The next session was addressed by Mr. Mohan Bhagwat, Sangh Pramukh.

A respectful introduction of Shri Arvind Mehta, was given to all by current President Mr. Vajubhai Vagasia.

Overall it was a good function for interaction with the Laghu Udyog Bharti delegates on behalf of AIPMA & PVI, which was an opportunity, where small scale industrialists from 26 States were present.

Mr. Subhash Chaturvedi, AIPMA Managing Committee member at Indore, welcomed all present and invited them to participate and visit the PVI 2013 exhibition to be held on 12th to 16th December 2013.

AIPMA- Industry meets to discuss the road ahead meeting of All India Regional Plastics Associations was held in Mumbai on the 5th of September, 2013 at the auditorium of AIPMA House to seriously discuss on “Sustainable growth in Plastic Industry in current unimaginable volatile scenario - and way forward” as Plastics Industry is reeling through adverse setbacks, specially, Processors Industry and SME.

CST, OCTROI etc. will have cascading effect on locally available raw material prices.

The meeting received excellent response from the heads of more than 17 Associations, heads of Raw Material Manufacturers such as RIL, GAIL, HMEL, HALDIA, Processors. Few of them belonging to SME sector also attended and gave their valuable inputs and suggestions to survive in present conditions.

To review on challenges in current business scenario and path forward.

Indiscriminate imports of ﬁnished goods at almost zero rate of duty as a result of FTA’s.

2.5% increase when combined with other taxes like VAT,

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The ﬁrming up of local prices will act as disincentive for processors and weaken them in long term, basically MSME Plastic Processors. Their Future is at stake.

Escalation in Dollar price as against Rupee and overall effects on the industry.

Recent increase in the Import Duty on Raw Materials from 5% to 7% - 7.5%

The delta of custom duty on ﬁnished goods imports should be 10% which is today 2.5%

Each of the Association heads expressed their concern and ﬁnancial conscience, the following points were arrived at:

After in-depth discussion, the Agenda was as follows:

Acute Shortage of Working Capital

Free Flow of Plastic Finished Goods Through Imports Increase Import Duty to 20%

Roll Back of Import Duty on Polymers

Anti Dumping Duty on PVC Resin to go S E P T E M B E R 2013

AIPMA AT WORK

Vat on Plastic Products Should be 4%

Excise Duty to be Rationalised at 8% to Boost Growth

Plastics is a Product for Common Man

It was also decided that AIPMA will also submit the Memorandum to Finance Ministry, DCPC, Revenue Industry, Planning Commission, MSME, Anti Dumping, GST and such other relevant departments as soon as possible.

It was further discussed that AIPMA will prepare a Memorandum and circulate to all Associations which is to be submitted on their respective Letterheads to concerned authorities, so that common voice could be raised by the entire Industry.

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Moreover, it was decided that a Press Conference will be convened by AIPMA to address the Press & Media on this issue.

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Press Conference held to discuss the unfavorable conditions of domestic Plastic Industry IPMA had organised Press Conference on Tuesday September 17, 2013 at Press Club to address the media on the volatality and deteriorating conditions of the domestic Plastic Industry. Mr. Arvind Mehta, Chairman Governing Council AIPMA and Mr Hiten Bheda, Hon. Secretary, AIPMA addressesd the media. There were more than 59 journalists belonging to different Media Houses who were eager to know what are the remedial measures to save the plastic industry.

Mr Hiten Bheda gave his opening remarks with a PowerPoint presentation, brieﬂy giving key achievements of AIPMA and informing the media about medical emergency due to which the President, Mr Asutosh Gor could not address this press conference. He handed over the proceedings to Mr. Arvind Mehta who thanked the media for making their presence in this conference to support our cause. He informed that on 5th September 2013, plastic fraternity had held ‘All Plastic Associations Meet’ at Mumbai in AIPMA House to discuss ‘Sustainable Growth In Plastic Industry in current unimaginable volatile scenario’ and to ﬁnd a way forward to resolve the following burning issues:

available raw material prices. The ﬁrming up of local prices will act as disincentive for processors and weaken them in long term, basically MSME Plastic Processors. Their Future is at stake. Escalation in Dollar price as against Rupee and overall effects on the industry. Recent increase in the Import Duty on Raw Materials from 5% to 7.5%

To review on challenges in current business scenario and path forward.

Custom duty on ﬁnished goods imports should be 20% which is today NIL -2.5% TO 10% because of FTAs.

Indiscriminate imports and dumping of ﬁnished goods at almost zero rate of duty as a result of FTA’s.

After indepth discussion and based on common consensus among more than 40 Plastic Association Heads, it was decided that a memorandum will be drafted by AIPMA on the following lines and submitted to Shri P. Chidambaram, Finance Minister, other departments in the Finance Ministry, Commerce Industry, Department of Commerce & Petrochemical, MSME, Anti Dumping, Planning Commission, Reserve Bank of India and Indian Banking Association etc.:

2.5% increase when combined with other taxes like VAT, CST, OCTROI etc. will have cascading effect on locally

(1) ACUTE SHORTAGE OF WORKING CAPITAL As the polymer raw material prices have seen unprecedented rise in the recent months, (the prevailing average price of commonly used plastics is around Rs. 110/kg plus) to the tune of 30%, the small and medium enterprises in the processing sector are facing acute shortage of working capital to manage the cash ﬂows.

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AIPMA AT WORK As the SME’s are mostly ﬁnanced by Banks, we kindly request you to enhance the sanctioned working capital of SME’s by 30% on adhoc basis to enable them to tie over the ﬁnancial crunch and continue the operation. This would be a crucial step towards ensuring timely help without which many units will face closure resulting into NPA’s and unemployment.

(4) ANTI DUMPING DUTY ON PVC RESIN TO GO India imports 60% of its requirement of PVC and its capacity enhancement is unlikely in the near future in India. The anti-dumping duty is redundant under the current scenario and must be abolished immediately. (5) VAT ON PLASTIC PRODUCTS SHOULD BE 4% Plastic products attract vat of up to 12.5% at present. Being an item of necessity for common man, it would be prudent to revise the same to 4% across the country as it is a common man’s product. (6) EXCISE DUTY TO BE RATIONALISED AT 8% TO BOOST GROWTH Excise duty on Polymer products should be revised to its original 8% to boost the growth of the processing segment.

(2) FREE FLOW OF PLASTIC FINSHED GOODS THROUGH IMPORTS - INCREASE IMPORT DUTY TO 20% Sir, the woes of the industry are aggravated by free and unfair flow of finished products under various FTA’s signed by India. Under FTA’s finished products attract preferential import duties which are declining over the period. As a matter of fact, India is fast becoming a hub of imported plastic products entering at negligible import duty into India and depriving the Indian manufacturer fair play. We strongly demand that the import duty on all imported plastic products should be increased to a minimum of 20%. This would go a long way in bringing fresh investments in the field for future growth to meet internal demand and circumvent imports of insignificant products that can be drain on the economy.

(7) PLASTICS IS A PRODUCT FOR COMMON MAN Plastics today form a substantial portion of the purchase basket of common man in terms of packaging and items of necessities. Import dependence for such a critical requirement of the country can only lead to supply/demand gap, out ﬂow of valuable foreign exchange not to mention lost opportunity to generate employment across the value chain.

(3) ROLL BACK OF IMPORT DUTY ON POLYMERS In recent past the import duty on the imported raw materials was hiked to 7.5% from prevailing 5% contrary to AIPMA’s continuous stand on the issue. Since the situation has changed with depreciating Rupee against US Dollar, Euro and British Pound, it would be appropriate to at least restore the original duty rate of 5% with immediate effect. This would ensure free availability and affordable rates of raw materials for local processors.

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For a long term health of the economy it is about time that policy decision be made to support the processing sector with incentives to attract technology and capital investments. This will be in line with proposed building up of manufacturing capabilities for the country. This was done by AIPMA on 6th September 2013. Approximately 55 appeals were submitted to various

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AIPMA AT WORK departments and 15 to RBI and Banking Association Heads all over India. He further explained to the media about acute shortage of working capital, increase of import duty, roll back of import duty on polymers, abolishing anti-dumping duty on PVC Resin, 4% VAT on plastic products, rationalizing excise duty to boost growth and introduce GST as soon as possible because plastics is a common man product and survival of small industries is to be given highest priority by considering our

appeal and making some ďŹ&#x201A;exible change by the Policy makers. Media Houses like Business Standard â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hindi /English, Navbharat, Gujarat Samachar , Janmabhoomi, Lokmat, Economic Times, Samaana and such other leading media houses personally interviewed Mr. Arvind Mehta and Mr. Hiten Bheda, with satisfactory inputs from them each. Publication Houses gave excellent coverage to the press conference in their respective publications, next day.

MEDIA CLIPPINGS

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AIPMA AT WORK

GPCA Conference to Fuel Plastivision Arabia n a significant development for the regional petrochemicals sector, Sharjah UAE is set to host a high-proﬁle industry gathering targeting plastic converters. In association with industry body Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), Expo Centre Sharjah will play host to the ﬁfth International Conference for Plastics Conversion (GPCA PlastCon 2014) from April 7 to 10, 2014.

GCC increased by 6%, despite a slowdown in global markets due to the recession in Europe, inventory discrepancies and a deterioration in manufacturing, according to the GPCA Annual Report 2012.

GPCA PlastCon 2014 will be an integral part of the second international plastics, printing and packaging exhibition Plastivision Arabia 2014, the premier biennial event that made the regional petrochemicals industry sit up and take notice with its very ﬁrst edition in 2012. “We tied up with All India Plastics Manufacturers Association (AIPMA), the oldest and the largest apex body of the plastic industry in India, for the launch of Plastivision Arabia in2012. Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, And the result was Director-General, GPCA the phenomenal success of the launch edition. Now, for its second edition, along with AIPMA, Plastivision Arabia will have a formidable new partner, the GPCA, which is known as the voice of the region’s petrochemicals and chemicals industry,” said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General, Expo Centre Sharjah.

“The Gulf petrochemical and chemical industry is signiﬁcant to the region’s economic growth and development, contributing towards the non-oil GDP of the region in a big way. Through GPCA PlastCon 2014, we aim to further educate the industry through our conference and seminars, with the event being a one-stop shop for potential plastic processors who can not only procure machines on the show ﬂoor but also learn more about the latest technology and industry developments through the conference .” said Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA. GPCA PlastCon 2014 will also aim to support GPCA’s objective of offering industry-relevant events that serve as an integral platform for its members and stakeholders that will help them to debate and discuss relevant issues. “We will create perfect synergy as the trio of AIPMAGPCA-Expo Centre Sharjah will work under the guidelines of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in bringing together and working for the empowerment of the regional plastic industry through the exhibition and conference,” said Dr Asutosh Gor, President-AIPMA.

GPCA PlastCon 2014 will focus on the Gulf polymer industry and the main challenges and developments in plastic conversion today, bringing together all major players with an interest in this key industry sector.

The launch edition of Plastivision Arabia in 2012 had brought together 150 exhibitors from 19 countries and attracted 7,000 visitors from 66 countries. It also achieved the unique distinction of seeing all machines on display being sold out. Despite being a launch edition, the number of exhibitors and pre-registered visitors, according to industry observers, was on the higher side even for an established show.

According to GPCA ﬁgures, the GCC petrochemicals and chemicals capacity is forecast to reach 191.2 million tons by 2020, a staggering 50 per cent increase from the 129.2 million tons recorded in 2012. In 2012, petrochemicals production capacity in the P L A S T I C S N E W S

Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun Secretary-General, GPCA

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9 PLASTIVISION INDIA 2013 International Plastics Exhibition & Conference Where the future of plastic is..

NANO-TREND TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD. Product Name : NON-CONTACT NON-RADIATION ON-LINE THICKNESS MEASUREMENT SYSTEM A - Thickness Measurement System B - Blow Film Thickness Measurement System Description: Inspection System 1: On-Line quality inspection system. Feature: On-Line Thickness Measurement System, Thickness Range : 10μm to 50mm. Depend on thickness range to use different system. Easy for T-die thickness adjustment Application: Film, Sheet, Foil, Proﬁle, Multi-Layer Material: PLA, PET, PS, TPU, PVC, BOPP, RUBBER... Inspection System 2: BLOW FILM Thickness Measurement System

Feature: In blow ﬁlm process, thickness measurement can be improve quality and save material cost, in case of also install the width measurement system, then can calculate material consumption.

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Application: Frame thickness measurement system Edge thickness measurement system Scanner thickness measurement system Width measurement system

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9 PLASTIVISION INDIA 2013 International Plastics Exhibition & Conference Where the future of plastic is..

WORLDLY INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. COMPUTERIZED HIGH SPEED ROTOGRAVURE PRINTING MACHINE Specifications Model

WRP-HI

Maximum Machine Speed

310 m/min

Printing Maximum Speed 300 m/min (Must depend on relevant printing condition, such as material and printing thickness) Printing Width

1000mm / 1200 mm / 1300mm

Printing Cylinder Circumference

350 mm - 900mm

Material Diameter

Ø800 mm /Ø1000 mm

* All pictures and technical speciﬁcations are for reference only. Application PET, CPP, PVC, OPP, PP, PE, Nylon, Aluminum Foil, Paper. -

Optional Features

Ink circulating pump

Ink viscosity controller

Reverse bar

Pre-heat chamber

Vertical & Horizontal splicing device

- Drying system options: Steam, thermal oil, gas burner, electricity heater Klive Lai Senior Assistant of President No. 2, 7th Road, Taichung Industrial Park, Taichung City 40755, Taiwan Tel: +886-4-2359 9850 Fax: +886-4-2359 6625 Email: sales@worldly.com.tw Website: www.worldly.com / www.welead.com

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9 PLASTIVISION INDIA 2013 International Plastics Exhibition & Conference Where the future of plastic is..

GOLDEN CHEMICAL CORP. PVC Stabilizers, Non-Phthalate Plasticizers, Viscosity Reducer, Anti-bacterial/fungus and other additives Golden Chemical Corp. is a leading PVC stabilizer manufacturer based in Taiwan. With three ISOcertiﬁed manufacturing sites in Taiwan and Greater China Area, we have a total liquid and powder stabilizer capacity exceeds 12,000 tons per annum to meet the requirements from the fast growing markets through our global sales and distribution channels. Over the last two decades, we have supplied quality PVC stabilizers ranging from calcium-zinc, barium-zinc, barium-cadmium-zinc liquid systems to calcium-zinc, barium-zinc, lead-based powder systems and a wide range of non-phthalate plasticizers, bio-plasticizers, viscosity reducers, anti-bacterial/fungus and many other additives for use in a variety of applications to both existing and emerging markets. We are also committed to health, safety and environmental regulations and standards. With our existing non-toxic stabilizers and non-phthalate plasticizers which meet REACH, RoHS and PAHs requirements, Golden Chemical strives to research and develop low VOC, nonyl phenol-free, bis-phenol A-free and phenol –free stabilizer systems. By continuous investing on our technology and innovation, we collaborates with world-wide customers and supply chains to become a customer and service-oriented supplier. Golden Chemical Corp. cherishes every single customer and business partner which enable us create sustainable value. We will continue to work together and grow with them by offering cost-effective and innovative solutions to the PVC industry. Frank Hsu Export Sales Mgr. Room 1105, No. 142, Ming Chuan E. Rd., Sec. 3, Taipei, Taiwan Tel: +886 2 8770 5929 Fax: +886-2-8770 5928 E-mail: tpes2@gochem.com.tw Website: www.gochem.com.tw

SHANDONG SANYI INDUSTRIAL CO. LTD. Sanyi chemical is a professional manufacturer of Chlorinated Polyethylene(CPE) , our main products are CPE135A, CPE130A, CPE135B... used in PVC products as impact modiﬁer, our Capacity is 50000mt/year, we have passed REACH,ISO,SGS certiﬁcation, we have customers from more than 30 countries and regions around the world (USA, Germany, England, Turkey, Russia......). Ms. Anne Tel: +86-18660141218 Fax: +86-531-86028857 Email: export@sanyichemical.com Website: www.sanyichemical.com P L A S T I C S N E W S

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9 PLASTIVISION INDIA 2013 International Plastics Exhibition & Conference Where the future of plastic is..

MILLIKEN ASIA PTE LTD Millad & Hyperform - Polymer Additive Technologies for Improved Appearance, Physical Properties and Efﬁciencies

Description: Millad NX 8000 - The New Standard in Clear PolypropyleneSuperior aesthetics to enable the substitution of more expensive or less functional clear materials and the upgrade of traditional clarified polypropylene Hyperform® HPN-68L - The Fastest Nucleator in the World A High Performance nucleator for polypropylene allowing the fastest crystallization time in molding of any nucleator. Low warpage and isotropic shrinkage maximize part production and part quality. Hyperform® HPN-20E - Shrinkage Control and Balanced Physicals - A High Performance nucleator for polypropylene with very low shrinkage, low CLTE and optimum stiffness/impact balance. Provides improved cycle time, low warpage and shrinkage control. Hyperform® HPN-600ei - For Optimum TF Optics and Physicals - A High Performance nucleator for polypropylene allowing excellent aesthetics in sheet and thermoformed parts with a good balance of stiffness and impact for a variety of formed packaging. Hyperform® HPR-803i- Shrinkage Control and Balanced Physicals–A High Performance Reinforcing agent designed as an alternative to talc or glass fiber fillers. Opportunities for reduced weight with a cost effective balance of physical & FR properties combined with superior surface finish, improved scratch resistance and ease of handling ClearTint® - Your color choice for clarified polypropylene - ClearTint® colors offer the clearest and brightest Colors for transparent polypropylene. Itcan be used as light tint to mask residual haze or for deep, rich shades. It enhance aesthetics while maintaining the glass clarity look of Millad® NX™ 8000 clarified polypropylene. Michelle Tang Sales & Marketing Operation Specialist Singapore Tel: +65 6593 3505 Email: michelle.tang@milliken.com Website: www.milliken.com

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9 PLASTIVISION INDIA 2013 International Plastics Exhibition & Conference Where the future of plastic is..

TECHMATION CO., LTD. Plastic control system, servo energy-saving system, and plastic machine network management system. Founded in 1984, Techmation Co., Ltd. was the ďŹ rst to develop a Chinese-display computer controller for injection molding machine in Asia. We adopts an operating model that integrates both software and hardware in our production of full-computer automatic control systems to fully support machinery industry. Maintenance, upgrading and full-scale integration of machinery. In 2003, we developed iNet (Injection Molding Machine Premier Network System)to facilitate factory's production and management. To follow the global trend of energy-saving and carbon reduction, we have beensparing no efforts in the development of HYB (Hybrid Machine Controller). More than 300,000 units of plastic machine control system have been sold to over 150 customers around the world-Our system has been the world's most widely used injection molding machine control system, we have set up our service ofďŹ ces in the US, Brazil, Turkey, Iran, India and other countries to provide our customers with the most expeditious and effective terminal services in the world. In addition to the professional control system for plastic injection machine, we also provide system integration service and control systems for blow moulding machine, extruder control machine, injection blow moulding machine, etc. Moreover, we also deal with industry automation system such as the development of control systems for die casting machine, punching machine, rolling ring machine and so on. Cyril Sales 9/F No.529 Chung Cheng Rd, Hsien Tien City Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C. Tel: 886+929-258220 Email: cyril@techmation.com.tw Website: www.techmation.com.tw/index-en.html P L A S T I C S N E W S

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9 PLASTIVISION INDIA 2013 International Plastics Exhibition & Conference Where the future of plastic is..

CHEN WAY MACHINERY CO., LTD. Accumulator Die-Head blow molding machine. (Special design for 200~220L “L” Ring Drum) Specially designed for 200~220L “L” Ring Drum, with outstanding channel design of die head to extrude. With our new power saving system, you could save around 25-30% energy cost compared to normal hydraulic system. It is the best solution under the situation with high price of gasoline and electricity. 2. 3. 4. 5.

1. Moog 100 points parison control Siemens PLC control system P.I.D temperature control system Oriented power saving on hydraulic system Whole line production equipment: Mold, Weighter /Leak tester, Post Cooling.

Brian Wang, Manager No.173, Ho Ping East Rd., Yungkang Dist., Tainan City 710, Taiwan Tel: +886-6-243-4077 Email: paitechf@ms5.hinet.net Website: http://www.chenway.com.tw

Recycle Polyethylene, Recycle Polypropylene Da Fon’s major regenerated plastic granules are HDPE and PP. HDPE can be divided in Spinning Grade, Bottle Grade, Extrusion Grade and Blown film Grade. PP can be divided in injection grade, Spinning Grade and Extrusion Grade. Distinguish from the ranking system at the moment, we also provide customize material transforming services. The regenerated plastic granules that Da Fon has produced, it has been examined daily to test for the quality of product. Once it’s qualified of the standardization, and then will pass to the clients. The machines in the laboratory are: Physical Mechanical Machine, Impact Tester, Melt Flow Index Machine, Density Determination Balance, High-Temperature Muffle Furnace, Shore Hardness Machine, Injection Molding, Extruder, Precision Spectrometer, Infrared moisture analyzer and Vacuum oven. The regenerated plastic granules that produced daily have to be qualified of the machine listed above, then reached the quality requirements of Da Fon. In Asia area, there are no other regenerated plastic granules manufacturer are certified with any international standards. But you will find Da Fon has already pass the BSI Carbon Footprint certification, SGS Carbon Footprint certification, PIDC 100% Post Consumer certification, TUV certification and Blue Angel certification, etc. William Wang, Sales Specialist Da Fon Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. No.287, Chongde 9th Rd., Beitun District, Taichung City 406, Taiwan (R.O.C.) Tel: +886-4-24224266 ext. 313 Fax: 886-4-24220648 Email: william.wang@df-recycle.com.tw Web: http://www.df-recycle.com P L A S T I C S N E W S

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COMPANY NEWS

Sonoco Launches Recycling Microsite onoco Recycling, Hartsville, S.C., has launched microsite, www.sonocorecycling.com, which seeks to provide visitors with searchable customer service content and recycling resources. The microsite also has been designed to provide access via mobile phone, tablets and a variety of other web-enabled devices.

maintenance this month. Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) will shut one of two crackers at its Netherlands plant later this month, as per Reuters. Announcements of turnarounds have been made at Dow's Spanish plant and one of Braskem's Brazil crackers, while Total is expected to permanently close one of its petrochemical units.

Sept. 15 for routine maintenance work and as part of a 135 million euro (US$178 mln) upgrade to increase energy efﬁciency. The upgrade will reduce the cracker's energy consumption by 8% and increase production by 2%. Later this week, Dow Chemical Co. plans to shut down an ethylene production unit in Tarragona, Spain for maintenance.

The company adds that the new website includes a contact form that allows visitors to request information from the company quickly and easily; a new locations database where visitors can identify Sonoco Recycling facilities near them; more expansive use of video, including an education page where visitors can learn how recycling works; and a home page that regularly rotates content, providing visitors with a prominent space to learn about available services and resources or news announcements.

Traders said the closure of the petrochemicals units is unlikely to undermine demand for naphtha, which has been unusually buoyant this week due largely to refinery run cuts and maintenance outages, notably at Algeria's Skikda reﬁnery.

The La Pobla de Mafumet/Perafort unit will be out for 15 days. Brazil's Braskem will close one of four crackers in Brazil for maintenance from early October to early Nove Naphtha output has not been proﬁtable for European reﬁners in recent years, with production outweighing demand and the excess going to Asia.

The new site also features a services launch pad, which is a list of the top industries and markets that Sonoco Recycling serves, with direct links to full breakdowns of services offered, making it easier for potential and existing customers to find content relevant to them. A database-driven event calendar allows website visitors to see all upcoming events, including trade shows, recycling drives and educational events.

Petrochem majors to shut petrochem plants for maintenance in September Dow, SABIC, Total and Braskem plans to shut petrochem plants for P L A S T I C S N E W S

The Oleﬁns 4 cracker at SABIC's Geleen will close for six weeks from

Fire at HPCL’s Vizag refinery-cumpetrochemical complex massive fire broke out at HPCL’s Vizag refinery-cumpetrochemical complex on August 23 fearing 14 peoples death in the massive fire.

According to reports, 23 patients are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the city while eight injured persons have been shifted to burns hospital in Mumbai. On August 23 a massive ﬁre broke out at the sprawling complex here when staffers from private companies were at work. Prima

facie a gas leak in the sea cooling water system was attributed to the massive blaze even though probe is on into the incident. As a precautionary measure, two production units have been closed and output at the reﬁnery has been reduced to 60%. Production activity to will resume within ten days. As precautionary measures, HPCL has cut down its production to 17,000 to 18,000 tonnes per day as against the regular capacity of 27,000 tonnes.

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COMPANY NEWS

Avance Industrial planning $1 million tech center in Mexico vance Industrial SA de CV, a major sales rep firm for Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH, plans to open a $1 million-plus technical center in the industrialized Bajío region of westcentral Mexico in 2014.Competitors KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, Engel Holding GmbH and Arburg GmbH + Co KG have all launched similar operations in the same area in the past three years. Avance managing director Peter Kramer said the new facility will be used for demonstration purposes and for “training our own technical staff members and those of our customers.”

The center will include a moldtesting service. There are no plans, however, for the company to vacate its headquarters in the south of the Mexican capital. “We think it is unwise not to be in the Mexico City metropolitan area,” Kramer said. The company also represents auxiliary equipment makers Frigel Firenze SpA, Motan-Colortronic (part of Germany’s Motan Group) and Swiss company Regloplas AG, among others. Kramer, who arrived in Mexico as a 20-year-old Hamburg, Germanyeducated foreign trade graduate in

1960, established Avance Industrial with two Mexican partners in 1963. He claims the company is the oldest Demag representative agency anywhere and the most successful.In Mexico it has sold 1,400 Demag injection molding presses, the largest of which has a clamping force of 1,500 metric tons, in addition to a total of 570 machines made by German manufacturers Stübbe (of which it sold 300) and Ankerwerk (270) prior to the purchase of their injection molding businesses by Schwaig-based Demag.The Kramer family is now Avance Industrial’s sole owner.

Solvay and Sadara begins construction of 300,000 tpa hydrogen peroxide plant n Antwe Saudi Hydrogen Peroxide Company, a newly created joint venture between Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara) and the Solvay Group (Solvay), has started the construction of one of the world's largest hydrogen peroxide (HP) plants in Saudi Arabia.

With a capacity exceeding 3,00,000 tpa and a planned start up in 2015, the mega plant is being built at Sadara's chemical complex in Jubail Industrial City II. It will be the ﬁrst HP facility in the Kingdom. Sadara will use output from the plant as a raw material for the HP-topropylene oxide (HPPO) manufacturing plant on the site, thereby supporting its P L A S T I C S N E W S

propylene oxide (PO) derivative units that produce polyols and propylene glycol. The plant will provide a key raw material to Sadara and will strengthen Solvay's global leadership position in HP technology and markets.

us with a stable and reliable supply of a key raw material which is critical to support our Polyurethane-based customers and downstream value chains,” said Ziad Al-Labban, CEO of Sadara.

For Solvay, this will be its third joint venture mega HP plant following the 2,30,000 tpa plant rp, Belgium, a JV with The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) and BASF, and the 3,30,000 tpa mega plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, a JV with Dow.

Pascal Juery, President of Solvay's Essential Chemicals Business Unit, said, "Solvay's high-yield HP technology enables such unique, large scale plants to benefit from advantages in both specific investment and production costs.

"We are delighted to be partnering with Solvay, a global leader in HP, to build this world scale plant to feed our PO, PO derivatives and Polyurethane business. This partnership will provide

We are proud to establish the ﬁrst HP manufacturing activity in the region with our leading technology and look forward to meeting future demand of the local HP market."

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COMPANY NEWS

Kuokuang Petrochemical abandons planned integrated project in Malaysia aiwan's Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co has abandoned plans to set up an integrated reﬁning and petrochemical complex in Pengerang in the Malaysian state of Johor.

According to reports the project is abandoned due to poor project economics,. "It was meant to be using naphtha as a feedstock to produce ethylene, but because of the rise of shale gas as an alternative, the costs will be too high [to compete with other projects] and we won't be able to export the products," said the official, who declined to be named. Kuokuang had submitted an environmental impact assessment report for the project to the Malaysian government in May, but the

company's shareholders had already completed their feasibility study by then, deciding not to proceed with the project. The company says that this has nothing to do with Malaysia but is based solely on the fact that the project would not be economically feasible. Right now we are waiting for the results of the report and the EIA process to be concluded. We had not proceeded beyond that so our costs were limited to just the feasibility study. We did not secure any land." The results of the EIA report are expected in the coming days.Titled KPTC Malaysia Integrated Refinery and Petrochemical Development, or KPTC-MIRPD, the project was to have included a 150,000 bpd reﬁnery, with development slated to begin by

Ferromatik Milacron India’s Open House 2013 erromatik Milacron India demonstrated its High Performance - New Generation Injection Moulding Machine Technologies & Solutions at their recently concluded Open House held between 2nd to 4th September 2013 at their facility in Vatva, Gujarat.

At the Open House, High Performance Leading Technological Solutions were presented that included; Two Component Injection Moulding Machine, High Performance PET

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Production System – 32 Cavity System with Complete Auxiliary & Conveying System, In-Mould Labeling System for Thin Wall Container – Thin Wall Moulding with Robotics & Free Fall at record breaking Lowest Cycle Time, All Electric Injection Moulding Machine – 550 Ton During Open House, Company unveiled its Hydraulic Injection Mouding Machines - Energy Efficient New Generation Hydron Servo Machines from 100 ton to 450 tons.

next year and startup scheduled for early 2018, the EIA report said. It was also expected to have the capacity to produce 800,000 m tpa of ethylene and 425,480 m tpa of propylene. Kuokuang had originally announced a new petrochemical project in Changhua, Taiwan, but that plan was scrapped last year due to environmental concerns. Then, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced in May 2012 that Malaysia would work with Kuokuang to launch a project in the country.

SABIC to shut naphtha cracker at Geleen, Netherlands for maintenance audi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) will shut one of two crackers at its Netherlands plant for maintenance later this month. The Oleﬁns 4 cracker at Sabic's Geleen will close for six weeks from September 15 for routine maintenance work and as part of a €135 million (US$178 million) upgrade to increase energy efﬁciency. "We do have a big turnaround.

It's the usual turnaround we do every six years but this year we also have a big upgrade," spokeswoman Danielle Willems told Reuters

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COMPANY NEWS

Centennial's CenFuse PE pipe earns special NSF certification he CenFuse geothermal pipes were certified by NSF International, an independent global organization that writes standards, and tests and certiﬁes products for the water, food, health-sciences and consumergoods markets.

The certification provides engineers, distributors and contractors assurance that not only the pipe but the entire ground-loop heat exchanger meet safety and quality levels, according to David Schnase, vice president of sales and marketing for the company in Hastings, Neb. Centennial Plastics Inc. is the first company to earn certification

that its CenFuse geothermal pipes meet minimum performance and safety standards set for polyethylene pipe and ﬁttings for water-based ground-source heat-pump systems. CenFuse pipes are used in geothermal systems that heat or cool buildings by moving heat, rather than by creating heat like conventional furnaces. Geothermal systems can produce desired temperature by relying on underground temperatures, which remain relatively constant year round. This allows the systems to reach fairly high efﬁciencies.

Grand River Rubber eyes Europe, Asia markets after acquisition rand River Rubber & Plastics Co. is aiming to make major inroads in Europe and Asia with the acquisition of a belt business in England.

The employee-owned flat drive belt, cut washer and tubular gasket manufacturer has purchased the belting division of Icon Polymer Ltd. to expand the company's operation and global reach significantly, according to Richard Selip, president of Grand River Rubber. However financial details weren't disclosed. Icon and Grand River also are planning to explore future collaborative projects to take advantage of each firm's P L A S T I C S N E W S

unique capabilities, Grand River said. A pioneer in drive belt technology for vacuum cleaners, the acquired belting division has a large presence not only in Europe but also in China, Selip said. It supplies belts to major players in the vacuum cleaner industry, such as Electrolux and Hoover, and offers a full range of standard belt products. Grand River and Icon are preferred suppliers to the Chinese subcontract manufacturing market, where more than 50 percent of their belt products are exported.

Denham Plastics recovers from 2012 alifornia based Denham Plastics LLC has almost doubled its business over a recent 12-month period, since a July 26, 2012, when fire destroyed the company’s previous location.

Denham Plastics primarily distributes agricultural and garbage bins, pallets and totes to end users and rents rigid plastic containers for requirements during transitional crop seasons. The company recycle about a million pounds of plastics a year. In June the company moved less than a mile from its previous location in Salinas. The move tripled the company’s space to four acres. Earlier this month customers attended a special Denham Plastics event at the new location, which has buildings of 10,000 and 5,000 square feet. The owner of the former site has rebuilt the destroyed warehouse. Investigations into the cause of the fire were inconclusive. Hutchings co-owns the business with U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham, a Republican who represents the 10th congressional district and has a district ofﬁce in Modesto.

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FEATURES

Special show at K 2013: “Plastics move the world” One material provides the answer to the present and future challenges lastics move the world – particularly in connection with the major challenges faced by our modern society. Incredibly versatile, lightweight, safe, durable, economic and impressively energy-efficient – with their multitude of positive properties, polymers are indispensible in most areas of our daily lives. And the material’s success story is far from over, as it moves into new areas of application all the time. Plastics move our lives in more ways then one, both in the ﬁgurative and the literal sense. About 3,100 exhibitors will document this enormous potential at the K 2013, the largest international trade show for plastics and rubber, which starts on 16 October and ends on 23 October in Düsseldorf/Germany. Selected exhibits will also be presented at a special show with the title “Plastics move the world”. They illustrate the many improvements already attributed to plastic products today and their potential contribution to future challenges, e.g. by protecting global resources in the future.

The special show in hall 6 takes a broad approach to the meaning of the word “to move”. It includes not merely the direct contributions of plastics to different areas of mobility, but also emotional aspects, e.g. their effect on art and design, and their potential for solving future problems such as demographic growth, increasing energy consumption and climate change. As usual, the special show will be hosted in a special area which provides a combination of information, interaction

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and show elements. The focus will be on five topical areas which represent the vast applications and properties of polymer materials. The motto “Plastics move – people” for example focuses on personal mobility with the help of cars, trains, public transport and aircraft as well as on the mobility of the disabled, who benefit from the ongoing advancement of modern aids. The sustainability of plastic products is taken into account by all topical areas. Emotional aspects are also considered. Polymer materials often move people in sports or art – in both categories the show presents surprising examples of the potential of plastics. This also concerns competitive sports, sports for the disabled and leisure sports. Without polymer materials, modern design would not be possible. These materials can be found in theatres and museums as well as in architecture. Innovations and visionary developments are presented in the “Plastics move – the future“ section of the special show. This includes energy-efficient living as well as future medical applications, water treatment and the food supply for a growing global population. Polymer materials act as versatile troubleshooters in many areas of application. In addition to presentations, the special show also features VIP lectures as well as daily discussion panels (except for Sunday and the last day of the exhibition) with experts from science

and the industry. On the second day of the trade show, the ﬁrst VIP, Bertrand Piccard, renowned pioneer in the are of solar-powered aircraft, will present his project. His Solar Impulse craft is currently on its longest mission, crossing the USA from San Francisco to New York using only solar energy. In 2015, he plans to complete a non-stop ﬂight around the globe with a solarpowered aircraft. The daily discussion panel will also deal with complex issues such as marine debris, which threatens oceans and coasts. Due to the fact that these discussions are attended by international K 2013 visitors and exhibitors, they will be conduced alternately in German and in English. The special show’s traditional “Youth Day” will take place on Sunday, 20 October. This event will feature several panel discussions between young adults and high-ranking scientists and representatives of the plastics industry. The special show will provide interesting information, not just for exhibitors and specialists visiting the K 2013, but also for a wider public audience. This well-established event enhances the presentations given by exhibiting companies as it provides an insight into pioneering, innovative aspects and promotes the unique position of the K Düsseldorf as a trend indicator and innovation forum for the entire industry. The show is hosted by the German plastics industry under the aegis of PlasticsEurope Deutschland e.V. and Messe Düsseldorf. S E P T E M B E R 2013

FEATURES

Bayer to launch ‘The cockpit’ at K 2103 t the K 2013 plastics trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, Bayer MaterialScience is presenting a complete material concept for the future design of automobile interiors that goes a long way toward fulﬁlling this customer dream. The company's motto for the fair, “Sharing Dreams, Sharing Value – Be Part of It,” thus also refers to the cockpit of the future, regardless of vehicle class. Last but not least, the concept also considers the desire of the automobile industry for more costeffective manufacturing processes.

“Drivers are placing increasing value on customized and personalized interior appointments,” says Eckhard Wenz, an expert for automotive applications at Bayer MaterialScience's Polycarbonate Business Unit. This includes pleasant, atmospheric lighting, a seamless design and transparent, colored and diversely decorated surfaces. “Other trends include natural materials, expanded functionality and infotainment – and with perfect workmanship and the greatest possible impression of quality,” adds Wenz. Bayer MaterialScience has developed an integrated design concept based on polycarbonate that fully and cost-efficiently satisfies these demands. Three-dimensional displays with tack-sharp images. One example are innovative displays with a homogenous, three-dimensional surface, but sharp images and high brightness. This is made possible by rear projection technology, in which a light source behind the film transforms it into an illuminated display. Bayer MaterialScience has developed the special polycarbonate

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film Makrofol® RP (RP stands for Rear Projection) for this application. “This technology opens up a whole new type of information to drivers, with only selected information being displayed,” explains Dirk Pophusen, Head of Film Applications in the Automobile in Europe. When switched off, only an elegant, matte black surface is visible. The driver is not distracted by underlying structures or other effects. Bayer researchers developed the black panel technology behind this a couple of years ago. Slim, retractable components that are only visible when switched on fit well with the current infotainment trend. Blends from the Bayblend® line and the transparent polycarbonate Makrolon® LED are used here. The latter was specifically developed for lighting engineering applications.

Components with high functionality in a single process step These products also play a key role in the production of coated components with integrated light guides. Besides Makrolon® LED2245 as the material for the light guide, reﬁned Bayblend® grades are used as the carrier material. The carrier materials are ﬂooded directly in the mold with polyurethane coatings. For these, Bayer MaterialScience offers coating raw materials from the Desmodur® and Desmophen® product lines. Perfect reproduction of the mold surfaces enables structured, grained, high-gloss and matte surfaces to be produced simultaneously. 40

Fabrication using the DirectCoating method co-developed by Bayer is cost-efﬁcient and can be completed in a single step. This method combines injection molding and reaction injection molding (RIM). Among the companies with which Bayer MaterialScience is collaborating in this ﬁeld is KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, which markets the method under the ColorForm name. The machinery manufacturer will be demonstrating the production of a component under near-series conditions at its stand at the K 2013. “With this technology, robust, three-dimensional components with a customized appearance and haptic can be cost-effectively produced in just one manufacturing step,” says Eckhard Wenz.

A kaleidoscope of design possibilities Bayer MaterialScience demonstrates the great potential of polycarbonate for the versatile design of components using decorative fascia as an example. The concept component was developed in close collaboration with the firm Gerhardi, which has developed a variable mold in which a very wide array of surfaces and design variants can be represented efﬁciently. These include matte and high-gloss structures, attractive shades with deep luster, and coated or metallized surfaces. Bayblend® PG blend grades can be combined with innovative structured chromium variants to produce highquality galvanized components.

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FEATURES The design variant spectrum extends all the way to 3D laser-engraved graining with two different gloss levels, combining matte and high-gloss regions on a single component. Bayblend® HG is particularly well suited for producing high-quality components at favorable manufacturing costs. Additional possibilities are presented by the back

injection of decorated Makrofol® HF ﬁlms with a scratch-resistant coating. Ideas abound, including the integration of light guides into premium decorated components, such as with genuine wood veneers. Or slim, lightweight seating concepts with diverse decorating options based on newly developed polycarbonate

composite panels. “The automotive industry can beneﬁt from both the wide diversity of design variants and the costeffective production of the components,” says Wenz in summarizing the results of Bayer MaterialScience's new interior concept.

Evolution of the plastic tank in the winery Richard Carey, Ph.D. umerous innovations in plastic tanks are now available, especially for small to mid-size wineries. Plastic tanks save space, money and trees, compared to stainless steel tanks and wooden barrels.

past few years, numerous innovations in plastic tanks became available to the wine industry, and especially for small to mid-size wineries, which can use tanks in 2hL (55 gallon) to 22hL (600 gallon) sizes.

Steel tanks allow potentially degrading air transfer to accommodate pressure changes, while plastic tanks simply ﬂex with pressure. Plastic offers a cheaper alternative to stainless, as well as energy savings from its lighter shipping weight.

The focus of this article will be the advantages of using plastic tanks in the wine industry.

For decades the wine industry has used concrete tanks, stainless steel tanks of all sizes, large and small wood tanks made of trees ranging from redwood to oak to chestnut, and a few glass-lined tanks. Fiberglass tanks have not been widely used in the United States because of concerns about oxygen transfer and the cost of labor for construction, but several Italian companies manufacture these types of tanks for use in Europe. Plastic tanks did not make any substantive penetration into the wine industry until the mid-1980s. In the P L A S T I C S N E W S

Early plastic tanks This Flextank Pallet Tank is enclosed by a Schutz galvanized cage for structural support. As many as five units can be stacked on top of one another. One of the earliest pioneers of plastic tanks for the American wine industry was Pasco Poly Inc., then in Washington state. Numerous winemakers in the Washington area asked Dave Rule, owner of Pasco Poly, to provide an inexpensive tank for wine storage, and this simple request started the introduction of plastic tanks into U.S. wine industry. Various materials and construction methods were used to make the ﬁrst plastic tanks, with variable results. Unfortunately, the early plastic tanks 41

imparted a non-wine aroma to the wines stored in them for extended periods of time. These tanks had been used to store water for agricultural purposes. There had been no need to subject the tanks to the fine discriminations in aroma profiles of the water they stored for agricultural needs, but it was critical for the wine industry. The main source of the off-aroma turned out to be the various plasticizers used in making the tanks. While this defect was corrected many years ago, it has taken a long time for winemaking personnel to understand that plastic wine tanks do not have to affect the aromas and tastes of the wine stored in them. The tanks produced by Pasco Poly have been plastic variations of rather traditional wine tanks and have varied from about 20hL (500 gallons) to 160hL (4,300 gallons). Pasco Poly, now located in Idaho, has made several modifications on the traditional wine tank, including its "Killer Chiller" for cooling wine in a plastic tank and "Pump Under" tank for cap management. Flextank--purpose-built plastic wine tanks Flextank, an Australian company, S E P T E M B E R 2013

FEATURES began making oxygen-permeable wine tanks several years ago and now has multiple international locations, including an office in Athens, Ga. Where Pasco Poly concentrated on larger format tanks, Flextank has developed smaller tanks that range from the 22hL (600 gallon) stackable "Wine Cells" to 2hL (55 gallon) "Wine Tubes. " There are numerous reasons why these plastic tanks are attractive for the wine industry. First of all, they are designed for use in the wine industry; second, the tanks provide a maximum use of floor space; third, oxygen can permeate through the walls of Flextank plastic tanks because the polymers used in their construction allow for what Flextank calls "controlled permeation," or CP; fourth, the tanks are sealable; and fifth, these tanks provide significant cost savings. Space saving A schematic drawing of 10 Wine Cells stacked in two layers of five each, which hold the equivalent of 100 wine barrels with a much smaller footprint. One of the least expensive ways to increase a winery's capacity is to increase the height of its tanks. However, premium wines are not usually made in massively tall tanks, and tall narrow tanks are the most expensive. In addition, round tanks take up more floor space than a square tank of equal height. Filling the space with barrels is marginally better at space utilization, and barrels are both expensive and labor intensive. Barrels do have an advantage in that they can be stacked many layers high. Flextank developed the "Pallet Tank" (shown on page 78) to solve space problems, control cost issues and manage tank issues without sacrificing wine quality.

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The most important fact about this tank and others in the Flextank family of small plastic tanks is that they function as a barrel in just about all ways except for their construction material. If a winery has 15 feet or more of ceiling height, the equivalent of 20 barrels of wine can be stored in two Wine Cells and take up 29 x 82 inches of floor space. The drawing at left shows a stack of 5 x 2 Wine Cells that are equivalent to 100 barrels of wine. A four-high, two-barrel rack system would take about 155 square feet for 100 barrels, whereas the Wine Cell would take only about 85 square feet. The best use of space however, is the Pallet Tank, as a winery can get storage densities more than twice that of either the Wine Cell or barrel storage systems. Tank permeation Elsewhere in this issue, Tim Patterson discusses th e redox potential of wine closure systems. A screwcap seals a bottle as effectively as the lid on a stainless steel wine tank. In contrast, one of the important aspects of barrels is the ability to maintain an oxidative environment for wine. Historically, barrels have been unique in their natural ability to meter oxygen in a controlled way that allows the gradual changes necessary for the development of the flavors and aromas desired in a finely aged wine. Now, the use of plastic tanks gives winemakers an even better container for more accurate control of a wine's development at a fraction of the cost of a barrel, when measured over the lifetime of the container. Oak amendments can then be used to add the flavors that are desired in fine wines. The chart above shows the oxygen transfer rates of various tanks, procedures and wine closures. It is

important to note the range of oxygen transfer in old vs. new barrels. The average is virtually the rate of the Pallet Tank (1,100L) or the Wine Cell (2,300L) tank. The current smaller tanks appear to allow oxygen to transfer at a rate closer to a new barrel, which must be taken into consideration when storing wine in tanks smaller than 1,000L. The larger the specific lot of wine, the more cost effective the labor invested in that wine will be. There is a fixed amount of time that it takes to hook up a source vessel to a destination vessel. The greater the number and the smaller the unit of transfer, the greater the cost allocated to that lot of wine. In the case of Flextank, these plastic "barrels" are about 1,000L. In comparison to oak barrels at about 200L, the setup time is reduced by 80%, which lowers the cost of a Flextank-aged wine in comparison with oak barrels. Other than the oxygen permeation into wine, barrels are used to impart the flavor of the oak after toasting. It is generally assumed that the oak flavor achieved from a barrel is limited to the 8 to 12mm on the inside of the oak stave (the average stave is 25 to 30mm thick). That would indicate that the flavor contribution to the wine from the oak comes from only 25% to 33% of the oak in a barrel. The use of plastic tanks designed for maturation of the wine combined with oak amendments is a "green" solution: Virtually 100% of the oak is used in a controlled manner to give the flavor desired by the winemaker. Tank sealability Plastic tanks have another feature that makes them more useful than variable capacity tanks. One of

S E P T E M B E R 2013

FEATURES the problems of variable capacity tanks is the seal at the top. Leaks frequently occur, and the seal deflates, exposing the wine to air and microbiological contamination. The wine may degrade and ultimately reduce the profits for the winery. This also happens with standard winery stainless steel tanks because the pressure vacuum release valve at the top allows air to go in and out based upon daily wine volume changes in air pressure inside the tank. It is common knowledge that winery tanks have about as much relative strength as a beer can with respect to the wine pressures in the tank, and so they must have a method to relieve even the slightest differential pressure. Liquids expand and contract in volume directly with temperature. For example, water has a thermal coefficient of expansion of 0.00021ml/1°C at 20°C. This number equals the change in volume of water either one degree more or one degree less than 20°C. If a 1,000L tank were completely sealed from the outside, and the cellar air warmed the wine inside from 17°C to 18°C, the wine inside the tank would change its volume by 210ml. The larger the temperature change, the larger the volume change, resulting in a bulge and possible rupture of a wine tank--if it were completely sealed. However, no standard wine tank is completely sealed, and stainless steel wine tanks are designed to let that volume of air ebb and flow. This air reacts with the wine at the top of the tank and reduces the effectiveness of the free SO2 in the headspace. The exchange of SO2 with air may allow surface film yeasts that have come into the tank along with the air to grow and P L A S T I C S N E W S

prosper in the headspace. The Flextank, like a barrel, is sealed. The same temperature variations occur, but the plastic is flexible and allows for changes in volume without danger of rupture under normal temperature fluctuations in a winery environment. In this type of tank, the wine is microbiologically maintained in the same condition as when it was placed in the tank. Larger plastic tanks, however, are effectively inert to oxygen transfer due to thick walls needed for structural integrity. Cost savings Anyone purchasing stainless steel equipment for the wine industry is well aware that the cost of stainless steel has gone through the roof. Plastic offers a cheaper alternative as well as an energy savings, in that it is lighter in weight from a shipping standpoint. In addition, there are significant savings that occur with the use of a plastic tank instead of oak barrels. Using the Pallet Tank as an example, there is up to a 90% savings on cooperage costs by choosing the Flextank alternative. A barrel imparts flavor for three to five years, and a Flextank claims a useful life of at least 20 years. In the real world, the useful life numbers would most likely be lower for barrels and higher for the Flextank, as long as it does not suffer from abuse, such as "forklift puncture disease." Other cost comparison studies show that a Flextank Pallet Tank barrel is about 12% of the cost of an equivalent volume in conventional oak barrels. The savings are due to the cost for the actual wood used in wine production and the labor saved

in handling the amount of wine. Future Articles Subsequent articles will discuss the newest innovations in small plastic tanks, including pallet rack tanks, wine skins and a new 300L (80 gallon) Dexter tank system, as well as innovations in large format plastic tanks. Manway and specific fittings One of the important factors in Flextank plastic tanks is that th ey are designed for the wine industry. They have a 17-inch manway in the top of the tank. The lid has a screwed bung that can seal the tank or can be made to fit a fermentation lock. The manway can be sealed by a clamp fitting, and the valve flange fitting at the bottom can be outfitted to match any winery hose configuration. The tanks can have a standard sample valve installed in the front recess to protect it. A patent has been applied for on a newly designed, simple sample valve that can be placed in the tank recess as well. To take a sample, the valve head can be pushed in for as long as necessary. The flow stops when the valve head is released. A safety lock prevents accidental release as well as a lock open so that inert gas can be bubbled into the tank. (R.C. Richard Carey, Ph.D., is president of Vitis Wine Center and winemaker for Tamanend Winery in Lancaster, Pa. He has written numerous articles on new technologies for the grape and wine industry as well as a series of articles on laboratory analyses in Wine East magazine. Please send your comments and questions about this article, as well as ideas for the basis of future articles, to Carey at rcarey@ vitisresearch.com

S E P T E M B E R 2013

FEATURES

Better plastics can improve drip irrigation etter quality plastic materials can improve productivity in India's drip irrigation industry, helping to overcome challenges that have kept the water-saving agricultural systems from being more widely used.

At least that's according to resin supplier Borouge Pte Ltd., which told a plastic conference recently that better materials can lower energy costs for drip tubing makers and reduce some of the manufacturing and quality problems that happen now from mixing different grades of polyethylene and masterbatch material, a common practice in the drip irrigation industry. The company has developed a single grade of linear low density polyethylene, using its bimodal technology, that meets processing requirements for a wide variety of applications in the industry, said Chanchal Dasgupta, the Mumbaibased application marketing manager for pipe for Abu Dhabi-based Borouge, a joint venture of Vienna, Austria-based Borealis and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.

But such drip systems can cost several times as much as sprinklers, a tough initial investment for some of the country's farmers, 80 percent of whom are small landholders with less than two hectares of soil under cultivation, Dasgupta said. "Though the capacity of drip pipe manufacturing in India has grown very well over the past 15 years, the adoption has not been as strong as hoped," Borouge said in its paper. "The rate of adoption is still a long way short of full potential." According to the Global Water Policy Project, India last year led the world last year in land under cultivation with micro irrigation, with nearly 2 million hectares, or about 5 million acres. But Borouge said the Ministry of Agriculture estimates the full potential for drip

Drip irrigation systems, also called micro irrigation, use small plastic tubes and dispensing systems to deliver precise amounts of water directly to plants, rather than flooding a field under more traditional irrigation methods. Drip advocates say they can reduce water use 3075 percent compared with traditional flood irrigation.

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systems in India is 27 million hectares. It said India has 17 percent of the world's population but only four percent of global water resources. Dasgupta said Borouge is working with India's largest drip irrigation equipment suppliers and major international brands that sell into the country. Barrel heating system increases injection molding process control, cuts energy use, enhance safety The first completely “cool-to-thetouch” heating system for injection barrels and melt pipes delivers heat more uniformly and reaches start-up targets more rapidly than band heaters, while substantially reducing energy consumption, it was announced by Nordson XALOY, which will introduce the technology at K 2013. Called SmartHeat™, the new barrel coating consists of two layers of plasma-sprayed metallized ceramic with a nichrome wire wrap sandwiched in between, plus a thermal insulation cover. Because the heat from the

S E P T E M B E R 2013

FEATURES wires is conducted throughout the ceramic material, the system raises the temperature of the barrel to target levels more quickly than with band heaters, maintains it more uniformly, and uses less energy. The tightly strapped thermal insulation wrap over the ceramic coating virtually eliminates heat losses to the workplace, saving on air conditioning costs and reducing the risk of operator injury. Another safety beneﬁt of the new system is the elimination of the fire hazard from having numerous exposed wires connected to multiple heater

bands. Instead, all SmartHeat wiring is run underneath the thermal insulation. The speed and uniformity of heating with the SmartHeat system appears in a side-by-side comparison with an injection press using conventional band heating, showing the effects on four zones. While the SmartHeat system brings the zones to the same target temperature within 15 minutes and then maintains all four at exactly that level, the start-up with the band heaters takes 23 minutes, and there continue to be wide temperature variations in each zone thereafter. Overall, the SmartHeat

barrel coating is 30 to 60% more efficient than band heaters, according to David Hotchkiss, global product manager. “The consistent, reliable performance of SmartHeat barrel coating enhances process control, increasing output of on-specification product and reducing scrap,” said Mr. Hotchkiss. “The system is designed to last the life of the barrel and eliminates the maintenance tasks associated with heater bands.” The SmartHeat system can be used for process temperatures up to 750 ºF (400ºC). It is available with new barrels or can be readily retrofitted

Plastic Art in San Francisco Airport Is From City’s Waste Stream f you pass through San Francisco Airport at any time before October 27, 2013 allow yourself some time to appreciate the artwork that has been placed on display in Terminal 3, Boarding Area F by the SFO Museum. The exhibit, which is called The Art of Recology: The Artist in Residence Program 1990-2013, contains more than 100 pieces from 45 artists and offers a wide variety of artistic styles and media. The pieces all have one unusual thing in common: garbage.

Artist Andrew Junge creating the polystyrene Hummer. Not that the art is garbage. On the contrary, the pieces on display are striking. They literally stop trafﬁc in an airport filled with people in a hurry. Each work of art in the exhibit is made with P L A S T I C S N E W S

materials reclaimed from the City of San Francisco’s waste stream. Recology, formerly called Sanitary Fill Company, is the city’s waste and recycling hauler. Many of the artworks in the exhibit make use of various plastic items taken from the waste stream. Jeremy Carroll’s article in Plastics News about the exhibit focuses on one of the artworks that is catching the interest of many passers-by — a lifesized sculpture of a Hummer made of polystyrene (PS) foam plucked from Recology’s waste stream by the artist Andrew Junge. The SFO Museum’s 45

exhibit in San Francisco Airport also includes “Evening News by Sandy Drobny, a dress made of plastic newspaper delivery bags. The piece is called “Styrofoam Hummer H1 (low mileage, always garaged).” “Styrofoam” is Dow Chemical’s trademark for the insulating foam it produces. The polystyrene foam used to protect everything from small appliances to large pieces of furniture is expanded polystyrene (EPS) or S E P T E M B E R 2013

FEATURES PS foam, a detail the general public continues to ignore. The Artist in Residence Program at the Recology waste handling facility has been going since 1990. Artists chosen for the program have 24-hour access to studio space and are able to scavenge in the Public Disposal and Recycling Area of the Recology facility, or “The Big Store” as many of them call it. The artist spends four months collecting, cleaning and creating a body of work that goes

into a two-day exhibition attended by people from the community and the company. Unusual is in San Francisco’s DNA. For instance, you might think the SFO Museum mentioned above is simply a catchy title. In fact, it is an actual museum, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and the only accredited museum in an American airport. It maintains 20 galleries throughout the airport and a

rotating schedule of art, history, science, and cultural exhibitions.

Washington DC bridge made of FRP bridge deck replacement work due to logistics challenges associated with utility lines that ran beneath the bridge.

omposite Advantage’s FiberSPAN™ ﬁbre reinforced polymer bridge deck has been used in the reconstruction of a vehicular bridge crossing the canal running through Georgetown, Washington DC.

Crumbling reinforced concrete and exposed, rusting steel rebar, coupled with a requirement to reduce dead load on old stone canal walls, demanded a lightweight bridge deck solution for the District of Columbia’s 29th Street Bridge. The project also had to be completed in half the time normally reserved for

P L A S T I C S N E W S

To meet these requirements, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) chose Composite Advantage's FiberSPAN fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge deck product. FiberSPAN is a prefabricated bridge element that is moulded as a complete panel section for ease of installation. FiberSPAN is a sandwich panel consisting of thick ﬁbreglass facesheets on top and bottom of a fibreglass reinforced closed cell foam core. The DDOT and its consulting engineer evaluated several design options. This conﬁguration was chosen because bridge depth was very restricted. The bridge had to clear tour boats using the canal but match the existing street level. Using longitudinal steel beams for high bending stiffness, we designed the FiberSPAN deck within

an allowable depth of 5 inches and tested it to demonstrate its ability to support required truck loads Scott Reeve, president, Composite Advantage Five lightweight, corrosion resistant FiberSPAN bridge deck panels were installed in just 1 day on a steel beam superstructure. It took only one more day to bolt the panels to shear studs welded to steel beams and add a ﬁbreglass reinforced polymer (FRP) sidewalk. The new FRP short span bridge, 39 ft long by 32 ft wide, has a ﬁbreglass reinforced sidewalk panel bonded across its west side. Granite curbs are attached on the deck’s edges. The bridge deck has an asphalt wear surface while pavers added to the sidewalk match its surface to adjacent walkways. The bridge helps support the canal’s older stone walls and maintain their vertical position. The FRP sidewalk is a new feature Composite Advantage made available to designers.

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UK plastics recycling levels need to grow nited Kingdom plastics recycling levels will

recycling rates is still range below 5 percent, Roger

need to grow if mandated targets are to be

Baynham of the British Plastics Federation (BPF)

met, according to speakers at the 16th International

reported. Household collections will therefore need to

Conference on Recycling of Plastics, which took place

expand dramatically, he added.

last month in Bad Neuenahr, Germany.

Baynham criticized the current PRN system, which

Approximately 2.5 million tons of plastic packaging

he said leads to waste being exported rather than

enters the UK market every year. In 2012 around 644,000

reprocessed in the UK. In 2010 736,000 tons of waste

tons (25 percent) were recycled; by 2017, 42 percent will

plastics were exported from the UK to China, he noted.

be recycled, predicted waste consultancy Wrap. In order

Barry Turner of Packaging and Films Association

to achieve this target, current efforts will need to double,

(PAFA) also slated the PRN system. Collections will

added the organization.

have to be harmonized with recycling targets, exports

Today, more than 40 percent of plastic bottles are

regulated in a better way and demand for secondary raw

recycled due to the development of collecting systems

materials stimulated, he told his audience.

in the last 10 years. For household rigids and ﬁlms the

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biax@andritz.com www.andritz.com

S E P T E M B E R 2013

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Carpet Recycling UK Seeks to Boost Recycling Efforts rganization says that the reuse and recycling of carpet tiles provides opportunities in the U.K. Increasing the reuse and recycling of the estimated 58 million individual carpet tiles removed annually in the United Kingdom is a key focus for Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) as it strives to divert more material from the country’s landfills and to help organizations in the U.K. achieve zero-to-landfill targets. In 2011, an estimated 750,000 carpet tiles were reused or recycled, representing a diversion rate of about 1.4 percent.

However, the sector is expanding with 15 CRUK member organizations comprising ﬁve reuse organizations and 10 recycling or fuel ﬂock specialists able to increase the recycling and reuse of the 64,000 metric ton waste stream.

Several projects being developed to boost carpet recycling and reuse efforts include flooring manufacturer DESSO’s nationwide collection and recycling Take Back program and Greenstream Recycling’s national reuse and recycling collection for local social benefit. “Raising awareness within these sectors is crucial for us in finding useful second lives for carpet tiles and diverting a readily recyclable resource from landfill,” says Laurance Bird, director of CRUK. “Having made a great start, there is still much more we can do.” DESSO, a CRUK core funder, provides nationwide collection and recycling facilities through its Take Back program, which accepts used tiles from any source, except PVCbacked tiles. Established in 2008, the

initiative strives to eliminate landfilling of any tiles. Instead, the company seeks to recycle the tiles into new flooring products or use them in other recycling initiatives. Greenstream Flooring CIC, based in South Wales, diverted more than 36,500 square meters of unwanted carpet tiles from landfill in 2012, 70 percent of which was reused, either by Greenstream or one of the company’s national networks of community resellers. “Creating a second life for carpet tiles for low-income families and individuals in the U.K. provides the FM sector with a set of unique quantified social outputs that any other ‘waste option’ can’t beat,” says Ellen Petts, managing director of Greenstream

Klöckner Pentaplast invests in capacity in Asia, Americas, Europe he Klöckner Pentaplast Group has added to its global production capacity in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. The company is investing €45.6 mln as part of its 2013 and 2014 expansion plans, which include facilities in Cotia,Brazil; Suzhou, China; Newport/Crumlin, Great Britain; and Santo Tirso, Portugal.

Klöckner Pentaplast is the only rigid film solutions producer with manufacturing sites located on four continents – Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. KP will add to its UK and European production capacity for polyester ﬁlms. Primarily P L A S T I C S N E W S

used for food and consumer packaging applications, the new capacity will be located at the company’s Newport/ Crumlin, Great Britain, manufacturing facility. The start-up of the state-ofthe-art extrusion line is targeted for July 2014 and will add 15 employees. The €6 mln investment will add 8,000 metric tons of capacity. KP opened its first Chinese production site in the Suzhou Industrial Park (Suzhou, China) in July 2013. The site is producing packaging films for the growing domestic Chinese and Asian markets. The first phase of operations has focused on transverse-direction oriented shrink-label films and houses 53

state-of-the-art production equipment, high-tech production control systems, and an extensive laboratory. The site has increased Klöckner Pentaplast’s global shrink-films capacity by 6,600 metric tons to meet double-digit shrink-sleeve growth in Asia. The €22.5 Mio investment employs 76 people. In Spring 2013, KP added 8,000 metric tons of polyester ﬁlm capacity to the company’s Santo Tirso, Portugal, manufacturing facility. The €5.5 mln investment supports KP’s growing European food and consumer packaging ﬁlms markets. The expansion added 25 employees.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Con-Pearl gearing up production in South Carolina uilding on the versatility of its recycled, lightweight polypropylene boards and sleeve packs, Con-Pearl North America Inc.. a unit of Friedola-Tech GmbH of Geismar, Germany is growing its operations in Greenville, S.C. ConPearl is a unit of Friedola-Tech GmbH of Geismar, Germany.

The company, which started up its ﬁrst conversion line in June, is ra pidly doubling its workforce from to 20 employees from 10. "Our next step is to integrate further up the value chain by 2015," said Con-Pearl Vice President Stefan Hoedt in a telephone

interview. The company operates out of a 60,000-square-foot facility and expects to have 50-60 employees within a few years. Hoedt said the basic Con-Pearl board consists of two flat pieces around a vacuum formed piece."It is like an egg box with a laminated outer sheet and creates a hollow product with a high degree of stiffness," he said. The boards are made in thicknesses of 3-11 millimeters. The big application has been in packaging. When they are used on pallets, the sleeves provide protection and after use, they can be collapsed to about 12

New report studies gasification opportunities in the U.S. new report examining the challenges and opportunities for gasification of waste has been prepared by Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. for the American Chemistry Council.

There are more than three dozen facilities either operating or under development in the United States looking to advance the use of gasiﬁcation of solid waste, including plastics. A new report examining the challenges and opportunities for gasification of waste has been prepared by Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. for the American Chemistry Council.“Plastics are a valuable resource, and we need to recycle them whenever it makes sense to do so,” said Steve Russell, ACC’s vice president of plastics, P L A S T I C S N E W S

in a statement. “But not all plastics can be recycled in a way that’s economically and environmentally efficient. Emerging technologies that can convert waste into electricity, higher value fuels and chemicals can help us capture plastics’ high-energy value and put it to work to help power communities across America. ”The report indicates 21 demonstration gasification facilities currently are operating in the United States and 17 commercial-scale sites are under development.“Gasification is one of a growing number of exciting new technologies under development that may one day harness the potential of waste as an abundant source of domestic energy,” said Harvey Gershman, president of Gershman, Brickner & Bratton. 54

percent of their volume for shipment, then reused. The company is also coming out with its new Octa Flow Box, an octangular sleeve pack for preforms and regrind. It will be introduced Sept. 23-25 at Pack Expo in Las Vegas. Besides packaging, the products can be used for insulation in construction, as a replacement for sheet rock.

Plastics distributor in US receives tax based incentive California-based company is moving its Ohio ofﬁce to Twinsburg from Brooklyn Heights and has committed to growing its payroll by $250,000 in the near term, in part because Twinsburg has granted it a taxbased incentive to buy a vacant property.Professional Plastics Inc., a distributor and fabricator of industrial plastics out of Fullerton, California will relocate eight people "with additional staff being hired" also wanted to move to Twinsburg to be closer to existing and potential customers and because the building has significant warehouse space, Boris said. Professional Plastics is a supplier to the medical market, plus the aerospace, military and defense, and food processing industries. For ﬁve years, the company will receive a grant of 25 percent of the payroll taxes it pays to the city of Twinsburg.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

PRE says Plastics recycling rate to increase over 60% plastics recycling target of 62% is achievable by 2020. Plastics Recyclers Europe released a study showing that a higher recycling rate for plastics will create beneﬁts for the European Union environment, economy and resource efﬁciency. “This study, commissioned to Bio Intelligence Service, aims to put forward the most suitable scenario in order to further improve the sustainability of plastics via recycling in Europe in the period to 2020. This study proposes crucial measures that should be taken in order to achieve this.”

The implementation of the Vision for Resource Efﬁciency will:

Efficiently use all plastic waste generated by putting 11 mln tons of plastics recyclates on the market

Divert more than 24 mln tons of plastic waste from landﬁll;

Recover energy from 7.5 mln tons of residual waste;

Create around 360 000 jobs (of which 120 000 directly employed by recyclers)

Save more than €4.5 billion (by substitution for virgin plastics);

Avoid emissions of more than 26 MtCO2

New guide on use of HDPE for cables he American Association of State Highway and Transportation Ofﬁcials (AASHTO) is helping governments and businesses get more miles out of the protective properties of plastic for electrical and ﬁber optic cable systems.

The non-proﬁt group published a new standard about using high density polyethylene conduit to shield the power and telecommunication cables being buried along the sides of U.S. highways.AASHTO engineers worked with the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) to come up with the speciﬁcations and requirements for HDPE conduit to protect the nation's power grid and information highway.

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The document, which covers material, workmanship and performance requirements, will be a guide for power applications, such as highway and airport lighting, electrical distribution and transmission lines. Communication applications include Intelligent Highway Systems, closedcircuit TV, and fiber optic cables that run along rights of way. Other applications include pipeline control, positive train control technology, and trafﬁc control and monitoring. The standard addresses typical installation methods, such as trenching, plowing and horizontal directional drilling. The document about its use is formally called "Standard Practice for Solid Wall High-Density Polyethylene 55

Italian foods firm moves to RPC plastic jars talian specialist foods company Citres has repackaged its range of pickles, pestos and sauces in a range of new polypropylene jars produced by RPC Group.Supplying both retail and foodservice sectors particularly in northern Europe, Citres has worked with RPC to develop a solution that meets its requirements for long shelf life (up to 36 months), lightness, resealability, recyclability.

According to Citres, some markets have restricted and in certain cases banned the use of glass in foodservice kitchens, requiring instead the introduction of safer and lighter weight jars. The jars developed by RPC all feature a multilayer PP/ EVOH/PPconstruction that can be pasteurised and sterilised to provide a long ambient shelf life. Citres claims to be the only Italian company offering products in plastic 2300g and 3700g sizes, thanks to the company’s own specially developed filling technology, which ensures that the containers do not deform during the pasteurisation process.

Conduit for Non-Pressure Applications Used for the Protection of Power and Telecommunications Cables," or "Standard Practice R 63," for short. S E P T E M B E R 2013

BUSINESS NEWS

Mangalore SEZ permitted to set up units with products besides petrochemicals he Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), limited to petrochemicals until now, has been permitted to set up units with products from other sectors as well.

According to reports The Board of Approval (BoA) also approved the conversion of the 624.786 hectare Mangalore SEZ, Mangalore from a sector-specific SEZ to a multiproduct SEZ. This change would enable the SEZ to invite units to be set up in a variety of sectors after this was made possible on account of the recent amendments to the SEZ rules following the April 18, 2013 SEZ reforms announced by the

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma. It is learnt that the decision was taken at the 59th meeting of the BoA on Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and the fourth meeting of 2013 series on Export Oriented Units (EOUs) held this month under the chairmanship of Commerce Secretary S. R. Rao.

(GPMP). Anyone can “walk in” to the SEZ and get advantages that were not possible ﬁve years ago. He can get land, water, electricity, pollution control, efﬂuent treatment, and access to labour from all over India.

G. Giridhar Prabhu, industrialist and former president, KCCI, said, “Now there will be demand for land offered, as more units will approach the SEZ. Even a small unit can start export activity.

Dow plans investment outlay of US$1 bln in two new polyolefin plans

The area is open for all types of investments in any category of industry. That is what we were asking for, general purpose multiproduct

Alfa Laval Wins SEK 185 million energyefficiency order in India lfa Laval has won an order to supply Alfa Laval Packinox heat exchangers to a petrochemical plant in India. The order is booked in the Process Industry segment and has a value of approximately SEK 185 million. Deliveries are scheduled for 2013 and 2014.

The Alfa Laval Packinox heat exchangers will be used in the production of mixed Xylenes, ingredients in the manufacturing of synthetic nylons and PET bottles. P L A S T I C S N E W S

"This is the second large order, within a short period of time, for our highly energy-efﬁcient Alfa Laval Packinox heat exchangers. This order proves that our customers value the superior performance of Packinox heat exchanger in the demanding petrochemical and refinery applications", says Lars Renström, President and CEO of the Alfa Laval Group

ow Chemical Co. plans to invest US$1.06 bln to build two new polyolefins plants and upgrade its ethylene capacity at the its existing site in Plaquemine.

Construction on the new polyoleﬁns plants is set to begin by the end of the year, with work on the ethylene efﬁciency upgrade to start immediately. The expansion should be complete by the end of 2016. One of the new plants will produce next-generation synthetic rubber while the other will produce high-performance polyethylene.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

BUSINESS NEWS

Assam Petro firms up of debt component of upcoming petrochemical project ssam Petrochemicals has achieved financial closure with the ﬁrming up of the debt component of its upcoming petrochemical project by raising Rs 635 crore of debt from a consortium of bankers led by the State Bank of India.

The project has seen long delays. With this, the Assam state government-promoted project is likely to commission the country’s maiden gas-based petrochemical project by Q4-2016. With natural gas sourced from Oil India, Assam Industrial Development Corporation,

a unit of the state government has been implementing a 500 tonne a day (tpd) methanol and 200 TPD acetic acid project with an estimated project cost of Rs 1,028 crore at Namrup. The ﬁnancing of the project was initially conceived with a debt equity ratio of 2.5:1 with a debt component of Rs 734 crore. Public sector oil and gas explorer Oil India proposes to acquire 49% stake at Rs 228 crore. Following this, the debt part was later brought down to Rs 635 crore or a debtequity ratio of 1.6:1. SBI Capital Market was then given the mandate

Swiss converting equipment maker Bobst looking for opportunities in India obst Mex SA, a Switzerlandbased maker of machinery used by converting and packaging companies, is scouting for a possible acquisition in India.

The Lausanne-based company believes India is a strategic market for future growth. “India is key market for us and we are looking for potential acquisition in ﬂ exible packaging,” Eric Pavone, business director for BU Web-Fed, told Plastics News at the recently concluded Film and Flexible Packaging Conference in P L A S T I C S N E W S

Mumbai.“It could happen any day, this year or next year,” he said.Bobst entered the India market about 15 years ago and later set up a plant in Pune in 2001 under the Bobst India Private Ltd., manufacturing cutters and related equipment.“We have around 60 people working in product, engineering, sales and services division to support our presence in India,” Pavone said.Bobst has a presence in 50 countries, including 11 production facilities in eight countries.

of syndicating the debt, which has now okayed raising a 14-year tenure loan. Assam Industrial Development Corporation will now hold 51% equity in the project.

Grand River Rubber & Plastics buys unit of UK company rand River Rubber & Plastics Co. in Ashtabula, Ohio, a maker of washers, gaskets and vacuum cleaner belts, has acquired the ﬂat-beltdrive division of Icon Polymer Ltd. of Retford, England. The acquisition is said to help employee-owned Grand River expand its global reach into Europe.

Grand River employs about 200 people and has annual sales of about $45 million.Icon Polymer has pioneered technology in drive belts, including a lowtension range of belts using "LoTenz" technology, according to Grand River. The sale solidiﬁes the British company's focus on the aerospace and defense industries.Grand River said the companies plan to pursue other collaborative projects.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

BUSINESS NEWS

Mexichem, Pemex form JV for VCM EMEX Petroquímica and Mexichem entered into a joint venture which will enable greater competitiveness of the domestic petrochemical industry. The two have entered into a joint venture, which will enable greater competitiveness of the domestic petrochemical industry in the global market through the integration of a new company, which will create value to the Chlorine-Vinyl Chain.

The Pajaritos complex is expected to produce in the ﬁrst year 24,000 additional tons of vinyl chloride monomer, 146,000 tons in the second year, and in 217,000 tons in the third year in order to reach a capacity of 400,000 tpa, which in turn

will generate proportionate increases in the production of all products related to the Chlorine-Vinyl Chain. The joint venture includes a cash investment and assets contribution up to US$518 mln, of which PEMEX will participate with US$228 mln in assets while Mexichem will contribute with both, US$90 mln in assets and US$200 mln in cash in order to modernize the Pajaritos complex. Likewise, this joint venture will generate additional jobs in the region. Once the cash is contributed to this joint venture, the Pajaritos complex and Mexichem will increase all their products manufacturing

Rs 300 crore industrial park for high end plastic planned in Chennai 300-acre industrial park for high-end plastic components manufacturing units is to come up to the North of Chennai. The State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Sipcot) and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco) will ﬂoat a joint venture, which will implement the project.

Tidco has submitted the final proposal to the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India, for an Rs 40-crore grant eligible for such facilities. The total project cost is P L A S T I C S N E W S

estimated at about Rs 243 crore, for the park planned on Governmentowned land near the Ennore Port and the L&T Port at Kattupalli. The industrial park will have common infrastructure facilities for investors planning to set up medium and small-scale units for manufacturing high-end engineering plastics, auto components and machines for making such plastic products. Over 70 such units can be accommodated at the industrial park, which can generate over 25,000 jobs. 58

r e l a t e d t o t h e C h l o r i n e - Vi n y l Chain, eliminating soda imports, significantly decreasing the import of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and directly integrating the production and supply of chlorine to the complex. With all the aforementioned, the Pajaritos complex will become modern, efficient and profitable. It is important to emphasize that this joint venture will enable the development and improvement i n e ff i c i e n c y o f t h e d o m e s t i c petrochemical industry, as well as guarantee the permanence of Mexican capital in the country, reducing reliance on imports and capital outflows to other countries

Saudi Aramco mulls acquisition of 30% stake in ONGC Petro Additions Ltd audi Aramco plans to buy a 30% stake in a petrochemicals project at Dahej in India and is currently negotiating the purchase with ONGC Petro additions Ltd (OPAL). According to reports the agreement will be beneﬁciary for Aramco as oil exporters are seeking markets in Asia due to increased oil and gas production in the Americas leading to lower imports.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

BUSINESS NEWS

Bangladesh Petrochemical Company collaborates with DEFTA Partners angladesh Petrochemical Company Limited (BPCL), the first petrochemical company in Bangladesh to produce food grade PET plastic using recycled plastic bottles, hosted an investment agreement signing ceremony to join hands with DEFTA Partners.

This is the ﬁrst time that DEFTA Partners invested outside the technology arena, with the focus to

help Bangladesh step forward with innovative eco-solutions. DEFTA Partners is a venture capital ﬁ rm primarily making investments in early stage IT companies with global opportunities to accelerate their growth. Their vision is to use advanced technology to realize a better future for the 21st century

A refinery petrochem project in eastern China put on hold An 8.3 bln lb project to build a reﬁnery and petrochemical plant in eastern China involving Royal Dutch Shell has been shelved .According to reports the plant has been shelved after losing political support. The plant in the eastern city of Taizhou was planned to reﬁne 20 mln tons of

crude and produced 1.2 mln tpa of ethylene. Construction on the plant, that was planned to be a collaboration between China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and Gulf energy giant Qatar Petroleum, was due to start last year.

Lukoil to invest $81.5 million in seven projects at Karpatnaftokhim ussian oilcompany Lukoil plans to invest US$81.5 mln in seven projects at its Ukrainian petrochemical plant LLC Karpatnaftokhim. According to company this year, plans are underway to overhaul heat supply systems at a cost of US$2.4 mln.

P L A S T I C S N E W S

There are plans to carry out two projects in 2014, including expanding process of gas to 35,000 tons per month using natural gas liquids as feedstock at a cost of US$9.3 mln and the installation of a fire fighting and fire alarm system at a cost of US$0.7 mln 59

BASF to invest $42 million in polyurethane systems house ASF Corp. will invest $42 million in a new polyurethane systems house in Geismar, creating 22 new jobs and more than 160 construction jobs. The house will blend polyurethane raw materials to deliver customized products to customers in the transportation, furniture and construction industries.

Construction on the site is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2014.Tom Yura, senior vice president and general manager of BASF's Geismar site, said the project further strengthens BASF's position as a leading supplier of chemistry for sustainable solutions. He added that the project demonstrates the company's commitment to the future growth in the region. BASF, the North American afﬁliate of BASF S.E. in Ludwigshafen, Germany, now has 40 system houses in its global network.BASF's manufacturing presence in Louisiana includes operations in Geismar, Zachary and Vidalia, employing nearly 2,000 in the state.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

PRODUCT NEWS

Sumitomo Demag to introduce new technologies at K 2013 umitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH based in Schwaig, Germany, will present two new technologies for injection molding at K 2013, activeColourChange, a pigment dosing system for very fast color changes, and the SL plastification system, which works without a compression zone. With activeColourChange, the liquid pigment is dosed, in a closed system, directly into the melt-ﬁlled metering zone of the plastification unit. The upstream zones — the feed zone and compression zone, remain completely free of pigment.. That means a shorter length of the screw must be rinsed during a color change. The metering zone of the screw is equipped with a special mixing section. The new dosing and color-change system is designed for up to five colors. Switching on and off of the dosing is

integrated into the injection molding machine’s NC5 plus controller. The SL plastification system allows a low-feed screw without a compression zone. Material feed gets controlled using an upstream dosing screw. One benefit over conventional systems: the controlled operation results in a very homogenous melt, with no variations in viscosity. Combined with a switchcontrolled non-return valve, this plastification without compression is especially effective during the molding of technical, precision parts, and parts that demand a high level of purity, such as optical components. At K, Sumitomo Demag will present the SL on an SE 180 EV press with 180 metric tons of clamping force. Also at the show in Germany, Sumitomo Demag will show its 280-tonne Systec SP — a new packaging machine

Seljan launches injection molding unit otational molder and metal fabricator Seljan Co. Inc. has added an injection molding division, buying six small-tonnage Boy presses for its giant 500,000-square-foot factory in Lake Mills, Wisconsin .President Scott Seljan, a journeyman toolmaker, said injection molds were his ﬁrst projects at the family business when he entered that career in the 1970s.

Seljan ended up going in another direction, of metal fabrication and then, in the early 1980s, fabricated molds for P L A S T I C S N E W S

rotomolding machines, which evolved into rotomolding. But hands-on tool and die expertise have remained a foundation of the company. Getting into injection molding, the company has come full circle. "I've been wanting to do injection molding for 30 years. This is the ﬁrst time we've had the space," Seljan said. Seljan moved from its 30,000-square-foot headquarters rotomolding plant, and an unwieldy metal fab plant, into the cavernous structure.

based on the Systec platform — running polypropylene buckets with in-mold labeling. The “SP” stands for speed performance, as the press has a hybrid drive system. Another press, a 210-tonne System, will produce a touch display using PETbased coating foils with thin metallic conduction structures are inserted into the mold, then spray-coated with polymethyl methacrylate in an IML process.

Battenfeld Cincinnati launching singlescrew gearless extruders Vienna-based extruder maker Battenfeld Cincinnati will launch the GL version of its solEX series of single-screw extruders.The “GL” stands for gearless — a new drive system that does not use a gearbox. Instead, the high-torque motor more energy efficient than the standard motordrive combination. Other benefits include low noise and vibration, and virtually no maintenance requirements, company officials said. Getting rid of the gearbox also gives the GL a smaller footprint.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

PRODUCT NEWS

Frost & Sullivan presents Mondi ased on its recent research on the natural fibre composites market, Frost & Sullivan presents Mondi with the 2013 Global Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation Leadership Award for FIBROMER®, its natural fibre composite that offers superior mechanical performance with significant weight reduction. This makes it an ideal replacement for polymers and polymer compounds in a number of industries, including the automotive sector. Mondi has leveraged years of expertise in the paper and pulp industry to develop this innovative and revolutionary product.

Manufactured through a proprietary compounding technology that homogenously mixes pulp with polymer granules, FIBROMER(R) exhibits superior performance attributes when compared to shortglass fibre, other natural fibres, and talc-filled composites. The lower density of the material combined with the incorporation of cellulosic fibres in optimal proportion makes the finished components much lighter than before. Since FIBROMER® is highly compatible with injection moulding processes; it also helps reduce fabrication time by up to 30%. "This is very relevant today as OEMs and Tier-I suppliers are increasingly relying on high volume processing," said Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Deepak Karthikeyan. "FIBROMER® also enables higher productivity, higher tensile strength, increased stiffness, higher heat distortion temperature, and lower density of the final composite part." Given these P L A S T I C S N E W S

features, the material is expected to rapidly penetrate its targeted markets. The automotive market, in particular, is demanding sustainable solutions. In the wake of European carbon emission legislations, which mandate all carmakers to achieve a target of 95g per km by 2020, as well as end-oflife vehicle legislation, FIBROMER® will help address a signiﬁcant part of the challenge by making cars more recyclable and sustainable. Further, easy processability and parts integration will enable considerable cost reduction, translating into increased return-on-investment (ROI) for customers. Apart from automotive

applications, it can be used for other forms of transportation, such as trucks, buses, trains, aircrafts and ships as well as in logistics, electronics, and furniture applications. "The Mondi is continuously testing its product in collaboration with leading Tier-I suppliers and OEMs for further optimization and development," noted Karthikeyan. "Customers can choose from a variety of solutions under the FIBROMER® brand, which offer customization in terms of ﬁbre content, resin matrix type, impact strength, tensile strength and modulus, heat distortion temperature, and melt ﬂow index."

New low-smoke, flame-retardant TPE compound provides halogenfree alternatives new low-smoke, flameretardant thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compound enables manufacturers of power and other flexible cords for appliances and consumer electronics to produce non-PVC insulation and jacketing that does not contain phthalate plasticizers or halogen additives. Halguard® E 59001 halogen-free, flame-retardant (HFFR) compound is designed for flexible cords that meet UL 62 requirements and for appliance wire that complies with UL 758. In addition to appliance wire, potential uses include power

cords for computers, HDMI cables for televisions, wiring for device chargers and USB connectors, and other electronics applications. The new compound enables cables to meet the requirements of UL VW-1 and Cable ﬂame tests as well as the IEC 61034 smoke test. When tested in accordance with UL 1581, Halguard E 59001 meets deformation and heat shock requirements at 150 ºC, compared to 121 ºC for PVC. As a TPE-based formulation, Halguard E 59001 is inherently elastic, eliminating need for plasticizer.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

PRODUCT NEWS

Perstorp launches Pevalen - non phthalate plasticizer lasticizers are a vital component in soft PVC plastics where durability and ﬂexibility are important properties - in flooring, artificial leathers, tarpaulins, toys, automotive interiors, and cables. Perstorp has launched Pevalen™ as a nonphthalate plasticizer meeting market demand in sensitive applications. Pevalen™ is a plasticizer based on well-proven, reliable chemistry. As a non-phthalate plasticizer alternative it does not compromise performance in any way. In fact performance is equal to or better than other plasticizers

used today. Pevalen™ is very efﬁcient, which means your formulation requires less plasticizer. In combination with low migration and volatility the performance is unmet by other plasticizers. It also displays excellent UV stability making it a perfect choice in applications exposed to sunlight. It is easier and faster to blend with PVC than most other plasticizers. This reduces processing time, helps you increase capacity of your existing production line, and maintains a low production cost ensuring a robust manufacturing process. It is a well-proven product

Teknor Apex launches impact-modified Polyamide for fasteners and cable ducts new toughened polyamide 6.6 compound for injection molding provides good ﬂow properties for intricate or multi-cavity parts, along with ﬂexural strength and lowtemperature impact resistance for demanding automotive applications, has been introduced by Teknor Apex Company. The flexural and impact strength of Chemlon® 104 polyamide enables components such as automotive fuel line fasteners to withstand the stresses of assembly and end use and endure exposure to cold, according to Peter Verhooren, transportation market manager for the Engineering Thermoplastics Division of Teknor Apex. Property information

P L A S T I C S N E W S

appears in the accompanying table. “When un-reinforced polyamide 6.6 provides insufficient flexibility or toughness for an application, Chemlon 104 compound can often ﬁll in the gap,” said Mr. Verhooren. “This is a new alternative for automotive manufacturers and is available at a price that is very competitive with toughened polyamides already on the market.” Teknor Apex can supply identical formulations of Chemlon 104 compound worldwide from production facilities in Europe, the U.S., and Singapore. The material is available in natural, black, or any color speciﬁed by the customer 62

that is REACH-registered. It is based on food-approved raw materials and the process for obtaining food contact approval for Pevalen™ is underway. As a high performance non-phthalate plasticizer Pevalen™ contributes to a more sustainable PVC solution

PolyOne markets new TPE Versaflex CE for electronic devices olyOne Corp.'s GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers business has targeted electronic applications for growth by creating a TPE that it said improves an electronic device's performance, design and appeal. The TPE, called Versaﬂex CE, was introduced in time for the Industrial Designers Society of America's annual conference in Chicago in late August. The product, the company said, bonds to polycarbonate and ABS blends used frequently on consumer electronics, and it also resists scratches and chemicals such as sunscreen that frequently come in contact with phones, watches and music players.

The company claims Versaﬂex CE also improves a product's aesthetics, giving the device a smooth feel.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

PRODUCT NEWS

Invibio Biomaterial Solutions launches PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced Polymer nvibio Biomaterial Solutions has launched “PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced Polymer” .The implantable biomaterial grade uniquely combines two clinically proven advanced biomaterials for enhanced bone apposition: PEEK-OPTIMA, the principal PEEK-based biomaterial with over ten years of proven history in clinical use, and Hydroxyapatite (HA), a well-known osteoconductive material.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is fully integrated into the PEEK-OPTIMA Natural grade to provide a complete homogeneous compound which ensures that HA will be present at all surfaces of a device. John Devine, Emerging Business Director

explained, “Although PEEK is the most popular chosen material for interbody fusion applications, surgeon feedback has indicated that a version of PEEK that enhances bone ongrowth on all sides of the device could be more effective. Invibio has invested in this new grade that offers the same advantages of PEEK-OPTIMA® and additionally a superior solution for bone apposition. With HA available across the whole device the opportunity for bone on growth is virtually unmatched with alternative bone apposition technologies.” The biomaterial provides excellent mechanical properties and

Clariant recieves ISCC for sunliquid lariant, has received the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) for its sunliquid® demonstration plant in Straubing (Germany), which was opened in July 2012. The certiﬁcate conﬁrms that the cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues produced with the sunliquid® technology is compliant with the sustainability criteria set out in the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED).

"The certiﬁcation of the Straubing plant is a further milestone in the commercialization of the sunliquid® technology," says Hariolf Kottmann, P L A S T I C S N E W S

CEO of Clariant. "The biofuel produced in Straubing fulfills and exceeds the sustainability criteria defined in the RED and can be counted toward the climate targets – this is an important prerequisite for establishing the process in the European market." Alongside REDcert, ISCC is one of two certiﬁcation procedures for the sustainability of biofuels that are recognized in Germany. ISCC focuses on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable land use, the protection of natural habitats and social sustainability.

performance, proven biocompatibility, a modulus similar to cortical bone, reducing stress shielding and a high degree of radiolucency that allows for clear fusion assessment.

Weyerhaeuser developing cellulose fiber reinforcement for plastics eyerhaeuser Co. is getting into the plastics business, developing cellulose ﬁber reinforcement for plastics, which could be used in place of glass.

The initial product under the Thrive brand uses cellulose as a reinforcement in polypropylene and the first products are already in the marketplace, including a cutting board that has been a top seller at retailer. Weyerhaeuser, which is based in Federal Way, Wash., plants and harvests trees from multiple sites. The bulk of the wood goes into lumber. The wood pulp is also processed into cellulose fibers used in textiles and other products. Disposable diapers, for instance, use cellulose fibers.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

PRODUCT NEWS R

STEER HMI for Co-rotating Twin Screw Extruders

he Human Machine Interface (HMI) is the central

STEER allows for customization of the HMI screens,

point for visualization, controlling and monitoring

integration of peripherals, other plant utilities and material

the co-rotating twin screw extruder and peripherals through

system to achieve complete plant automation. The software

suitable communication links and protocol. With an HMI

used by STEER is highly reputed (for example, Siemens

system, the drive is controlled from the touch screen of

WinccFlexible or WinCC or equivalent).

the HMI (Multi Panels or PCs with appropriate pointing

The essential features of the Automation system are;

devices), which operates through Programmable Logic •

Controllers (PLCs).

Single Point monitoring , operation and control of Extruder and Peripherals

•

15” HMI Touch screen

•

Recipe for barrel temperature and Feeder Set Outputs

•

Compact ﬂash card for storing data and recipe

•

Copy data to USB memory from Flash Card

•

Rugged and reliable HMI and hence less downtime

•

Audible alarm annunciation with acknowledge and reset provision

•

Online Extruder Trends of Extruder parameters STEER also offers basic control system as an option

depending upon application. The basic control system will also have reputed make HMI control as well as push buttons and relay control. Temperature controls are sourced from globally recognized suppliers. For more details please write to; Mr. Arunachalam A Sr. Manager – Technical Services STEER Engineering Pvt. Ltd. #290, 4th Main, 4th Phase, Peenya Industrial Area

STEER is well known for its innovations and bringing out game changing generation next products from time

Bangalore – 560058. India

to time. In the Co-rotating Twin-Screw Extruder segment,

Tel: +91 80 23723309/10

STEER has demonstrated game changing innovations that

Email: arunachalam.alagappan@steerworld.com,

are paying rich dividends not only to its customers but also

info@steerworld.com

in the area of energy efﬁciencies.

www.steerworld.com

P L A S T I C S N E W S

S E P T E M B E R 2013

PRODUCT NEWS

Be empowered, ‘Pick Your Blown Film Line’ A new paradigm from Rajoo Engineers, to be unveiled at K 2103 Buying a standard Blown Film line, is a concept of the past, a range to choose from (Economic, Balanced and Advanced) with enormous flexibility within the range helps you PICK just the right machine to fit your needs; this revelation from Rajoo, will completely redefine the market dynamics.

The endeavour here is to MEDIA CONTACT highlight that features and Khushboo Doshi flexibilities all come at a Email: kcdoshi@rajoo.com price. Prudence needs to be Survey No. 210, Plot No. exercised by the buyer before 1, Industrial Area, Veraval (Shapar), he decides; it is important to Rajkot – 360 002, Gujarat, clearly segregate needs from INDIA wants and desires. This is Phone: +91-2827-252701, 2, 3 more so important when the Fax: +91-2827-252700 quality of the output (your ﬁlm) is not so affected by the economics of the options available.

The distinction continues at K 2013 as well! At K 2013, Rajoo would proclaim to the world its unique business approach for processors and convertors as a ‘One Stop Solution Provider’. The pre-sale consultative approach will come with a newer dimension Post show Press release K 2013 when customers will be updated with the three broad solution categories offered by Rajoo for Blown Film lines – Economical, Balanced and Advanced. Named simply to suit their positioning, each of the ranges comes with adequate options for further personalisation.

Post show Press release K 2013

Every solution comes with different price-points. Very clearly, the Economical Model (produced mostly indigenously) provides the best value proposition to the buyer. ‘It is very important to understand needs. You would be surprised to know that 80% of the films can be very conveniently produced on the economical model itself’, says Sunil Jain, President, Rajoo Engineers. ‘Anyway, buying a standard Blown Film line is a subject of the past. It is time for you to PICK just the right machine to fit your needs; this revelation from Rajoo, will completely redefine the market dynamics’, adds Sunil.

Technical Snapshot

While lowering your capital expenditure, the Economical Model will also provide you with the necessary nimbleness to upgrade and adapt to newer technologies with a minimal fuss.

A speciﬁcation synopsis of each category is indicated here to serve as a quick buying aid.During a recent Open

The Balanced Model is an intelligent hybrid of localised manufacture along with critical components sourced from the collaborators - Hosokawa Alpine, Germany. The natural extension being the Advanced Model, completely sourced from Hosokawa Alpine, Germany, which competes with the best in the world. Balanced and Advanced Models are offered in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania.

P L A S T I C S N E W S

S E P T E M B E R 2013

PRODUCT NEWS During a recent Open House conducted in India that showcased the Economical and Advanced Models, Rajoo received an overwhelming response from the Indian polymer industry who appreciated this understanding. With the success of this event, Rajoo pays a tribute to its founder and mentor Late Mr. Chandrakant N Doshi. With K 2013, it is the world which will take cognizance of this highly beneﬁcial approach…looking forward to seeing you at our booth Stand B-58, Hall 15.

360º oscillating haul-off with dynamically balanced turning bar and CFR rollers for excellent thickness randomization

Fully automatic duel station FLEXIWIND surface/centre/ gap winder in back to back arrangement with trim winder

Material Conveying, 14 Component gravimetric batch blending and gsm control system from Plastcontrol, Germany

Automatic thickness control system with capacitive C-Scan non-contact sensor and automatic air-ring PROCON

Integrated supervisory touch screen control system from Plastcontrol, Germany

Web Guiding System from E+L

Corona Treater from SOFTAL

The machine on display at K will be the Economical Model with the following salient features:

Roller width : 1600 mm

Output for barrier ﬁlm : 350 kg/hour

Extruder -60 / 40 / 40 / 40 / 60 with barrier screw, special mixing section for homogeneous melt and direct coupled motor to reduce transmission losses

Feed section with MTC to maintain temperature of grooved feed section

Specially designed ﬁve layer CSD (Cylindrical Spiral Die) 400mm die head with rheologically optimized melt ﬂow path

About Rajoo Based in Rajkot, Rajoo Engineers Limited, having made a modest beginning in 1986, has today emerged as an undisputed global player in blown ﬁlm and sheet extrusion lines. Owing to its focused efforts in blown ﬁlm, sheet extrusion lines and thermoformers, the Company enjoys premium market position in this segment.

Internal Bubble Cooling with 3 ultrasonic sensors

Being a technology driven Company, product innovations, adaptation, world-class quality, state-of-the-art workmanship, increased energy efﬁciency and high levels of sophistication and automation have become the hallmark of Rajoo products during all these years, positioning the Company's products on a global platform, competing with the established world leaders. With representations in many countries of the world and customers in over 53 countries, the Company's exports have multiplied after its debut in the international market in 1990. (www.rajoo.com)

P L A S T I C S N E W S

S E P T E M B E R 2013

PRODUCT NEWS

NGR: NEXT GENERATION: NEW S GRAN

The dual diameter screw extruder technology as used with the E:GRAN has a larger extruder screw diameter in feeder intake area. It is applied for edge trims solutions such as ﬂexible packaging ﬁlms etc.

NGR vision had always been to provide “World-class technology with low operation and energy costs” while designing machines. As a state-of-the-art company we develop flexible solutions to suit customer requirements for processing the most difﬁcult materials. Customers worldwide are testimony to our approach. NGR‘s unique technology makes it one of the best recycling solution in the industry. •

The feeder-extruder combination is applied for F:GRAN machines to convert ﬂakes into value added granules/ pellets. Some of the Key Advantages associated with NGR:

The integrated Cutter-Feeder-Extruder combination is the true NGR ONE-STEP technology

Talking about in-house recycling, where in most cases an inevitable portion of 2% to 5% production waste occurs which can be considered as re-usable material in the production, again opens a major potential. This is good not only from the environmental point of view but also adds a huge saving potential in raw material purchasing for all in-house recyclers. This scenario can be widened over commercial recycling of industrial waste streams, up to recycling of postconsumer materials. The repeated use of materials is a present megatrend. The vast increase of oil price –which causes raise of polymer prices too – makes inhouse recycling of polymers increasingly important. Polyethylene and Polypropylene already, which both are polymers of a comparable low market price, are worthwhile recycling nowadays. The more important are the materials streams of more precious materials as e.g. Nylons or Polyester

Direct “One-Step” processing

•

No pre-cutting required

•

Excellent energy balance

•

No operator dependency & simple operation which in terms “Lowest cost of Operation”

•

Low maintenance

•

Small footprint

•

High ﬂexibility because of modular design

•

Full PLC control with automatic processes

•

Highest quality of pellets

•

Most Versatile

NGR process engineering is characterized by low operation costs due to low manpower requirements and optimized energy balance. For more info please contact:-

The unique NGR ONE-STEP technology is a solution here which is applied to A:GRAN, L: GRAN, S: GRAN and X:GRAN recycling lines. An additional pre-shredding or grinding is not required!

P L A S T I C S N E W S

•

Reifenhauser (India) Marketing Ltd. Ph.No.:- +91 22 26862711 Fax No.:- +91 22 26862722 Email:- info@reifenhauserindia.com / rohit@reifenhauserindia.com Website:- www.reifenhauserindia.com 67

S E P T E M B E R 2013

TECHNOLOGY

Going Bananas in the Search for Greener Composites n the ever-growing search to ﬁnd cheaper, greener solutions to today’s inorganic advanced composites, scientists in Columbia are hoping to make the waste material from banana farms compete with modern glass and carbon ﬁbre products.

In Colombia, banana cultivation provides employment to over 170,000 people, according to data collected by the Ministry of Agriculture and rural development in 2011 353,297 hectares were cultivated, with a production of 2,815,693 tonnes. The leaves and stalks that are leftover from this farming, instead of being wasted could be used in the creation of banana ﬁbre brining in additional revenue to the industry. A project from the Department of Industrial Engineering of the National University of Colombia, in Manizales, managed to use the plant’s stalk to obtain a high quality reinforcing material.

Natural fibres in contrast to inorganic materials such as glass and carbon fibre are irregular due to their cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin composition, which makes them unsuitable for reinforcing materials. In order to change this, Lady Johana Rodríguez, Master in Industrial Engineering, developed a chemical process which modifies the internal structure of banana fibres. This innovation makes it possible to obtain more uniform surfaces, with a better resistance to environmental corrosion, high temperatures and water absorption (they are hydrophobic) The treatment consists in their submersion, for 24 hours, in a compound made of epichlorohydrin, an anhydrous acetic reactant and acetone. They are washed in acetone and distilled water and dried in an oven for a day. They are afterwards tested for resistance, hydrophility (water absorption), heat and alkalinity.

Once treated the fibres repelled water by up to 33.3% and resistance to air moisture increased by 32.43%, extending durability. Additionally, using micrographs made with scanning electron microscopes, it was observed that the surface was smoother, leading to a perfect adhesion to the polymer matrix,” stated the researcher. Thermal tests, which measured the resistance to high temperatures, showed an increase in their ability to withstand heat of 6.84%. This property is required to develop bio composites because industrial machines are used to melt the polymers adhered to the fibres. In view of these positive results, more studies are set to be carried out, it is hoped that the advances will result in an additional income for the farmers, who will be able to process the fibres using special machines

Novel polymer to help oral medications reach the bloodstream i r g i n i a Te c h , P u r d u e researchers have developed a novel polymer that helps oral medications reach the bloodstream. In a special edition of Carbohydrate Polymers, they introduced an allnatural polymer that can be used with a range of medicines to prevent crystallization during transport and storage; it then traverses the digestive tract until the still fully potent medicine is

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released from the polymer in the small intestine, where it is best absorbed into the bloodstream.Many medicines locked into crystals don't dissolve fast enough to work properly. If that happens, they can't reach their target. Polymers are introduced to interfere with crystallization. "But the polymers that are presently FDA approved are not effective in meeting all the challenges," said Edgar. "They may 68

prevent a process called nucleation but not stop growth of the crystal if it gets started. we needed to design a better polymer." The Virginia Tech and Purdue groups have discovered that the effective design for pharmaceutical applications is cellulose omegacarboxyesters, which are cellulose esters that the researchers have enhanced with acids that already occur in the human body S E P T E M B E R 2013

TECHNOLOGY

Report: bio-based plastics not dependent on biofuels new paper from the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. argues that the bio-based plastics industry is not necessarily tied to a robust bioreﬁning industry.Developed by the group’s Bioplastics Council, the 10-page paper looks at ways and implications that allow the bio-based plastic industry to grow independently of biofuels.Bio-based plastics represent less than 1 percent of all plastics and with the advent of shale gas, “it is even less probable that bio-based plastics would displace all conventional plastics” in the future, the report said.Consumers are environmentally conscious, showing preference for products containing bio-based plastics, “but only if price and performance are not compromised,” the report said. Consumers won’t pay a premium for bio-based plastics.

The resources used to make plastics continue to evolve, the paper said, with food and feed crops used for biomaterials including canola, cassava, corn, flax, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets, sugarcane and wheat.“While these feedstocks could be used for food, the diversity of crop options offers the opportunity to select the most efﬁcient and least ecologically disruptive choice for a given locale,” the report said.Many brand owners, including Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Unilever and Nestlé, have stated they want to move packaging to renewable feedstocks. “In addition to the societal and environment advantages of using nonfood feedstocks, there are economic P L A S T I C S N E W S

ramifications. As buyers of huge amounts of food commodities, it would be counterproductive for these companies to take actions that could drive up food prices,” the report said. “It is quite reasonable to assume that the bioplastics industry will follow the same pattern that the petrochemicals and traditional plastics industry followed a century ago in being dependent on the byproducts of fuel production,” said Carol Van Zoeren, technology manager for packaging and industrial products at

DuPont Co. and chair of the Bioplastics Council’s Beginning of Life Committee, in a statement. “We have examined the fundamental differences — demand, technology, infrastructure — between then and now and our determination is that while bioplastics could certainly beneﬁt from a robust biofuels industry, these differences suggest that other patterns may be possible.” The paper can be viewed online and SPI plans to hold a webinar at 11 a.m. Sept. 10 to discuss its ﬁndings.

Physicists develop polymer that aids in truly white organic LED y inserting platinum atoms into an organic semiconductor, University of Utah physicists were able to "tune" the plastic-like polymer to emit light of different colors – a step toward more efficient, less expensive and truly white organic LEDs for light bulbs of the future. "These new, platinum-rich polymers hold promise for white organic lightemitting diodes and new kinds of more efficient solar cells," says University of Utah physicist Z. Valy Vardeny, who led a study of the polymers. Certain existing white light bulbs use LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, and some phone displays use organic LEDs, or OLEDs. Neither are truly white LEDs, but instead use LEDs made

of different materials that each emit a different color, then combine or convert those colors to create white light. In the new study, the team inserted platinum metal atoms at different intervals along a chain-like organic polymer, and thus was able to adjust or tune the colors emitted. That is a step toward a truly white OLED generated by multiple colors from a single polymer. Existing white OLED displays – like those in recent cell phones – use different organic polymers that emit different colors, which are arranged in pixels of red, green and blue and then combined to make white light. This new polymer has all those colors simultaneously, so no need for small pixels and complicated engineering to create them.

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TECHNOLOGY

Memory Plastic Reverses Shape 250 Times new material developed by researchers at the German Institute of Biomaterial Science can change its shape and return to the original one 250 times, something new in the world of temperaturecontrolled shape memory plastics. The basic deﬁnition of shape-memory plastics is that they can be temporarily changed and ﬁxed into another form, then changed back when heated to the material's preset switching temperature. But they're not all created equal. The big questions about a selfhealing polymer are usually:

"How many times can the material switch back?" "To what extent does it fully recover its original form?" and "How much does it degrade in the process?" Usually the answers are: "Only once or twice," "not completely," and "a lot." One element (1) of a drive in an engine made of a new shape-memory plastic cools, opens, and moves a gear rack, which in turn drives a wheel. When the same element heats up, it reverses movement, and so does the gear rack. The drive unit's rotational speed can be controlled by speciﬁc temperature programming. When the rack is moving forward, a second element (2) made of the same material forces the gear rack against the wheel and releases the wheel when it moves back. For example, we've told you about a shape-memory plastic co-developed

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by the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) and Bayer MaterialScience. The Desmopan DP 2795A SMP material, a hermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) produced by Bayer MaterialScience, makes quick response (QR) codes on labels readable only when they're in their permanent, original shape. It may prove useful in product and brand protection. We also told you about a much tougher self-healing hydrogel that can stretch to more than 20 times its original length. The team, led by Andreas Lendlein, director of the Institute, describes its work in an article in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The new materials, which the design team calls temperature-memory polymer actuators, can change shape and recover hundreds of times. This is due to the behavior of their structural elements at the molecular level, which affects how they can be programmed. There's a range of possible temperature threshold values and kinds of shapechanges that can be selected. They are based on cross-linked copolymer networks with a broad range of melting temperatures. So far, the researchers say they have achieved more than 250 cycles of thermically controlled actuations "with almost constant performance."

Possible applications are quite broad. One mentioned by the researchers is automatic window blinds that would work without the

need for electricity. Instead, their slats could open and close based on the room's temperature. The speciﬁc threshold temperatures for opening or closing can be selected by users. Another possible use, which made me think a bit of Rube Goldberg systems, is one the research team built in an experiment. An element of a drive in an engine cools, opens, and moves a gear rack, which in turn drives a wheel. When the same element heats up, it reverses movement, and so does the gear rack. The drive unit's rotational speed can be controlled by speciﬁc temperature programming.

SERVICES AVAILABLE IN AIPMA HOUSE • Elegant Auditorium • Board Room • Business Centre & Ground Floor Hall at very nominal tariff for your business purpose • Library Free use of books and reports available S E P T E M B E R 2013

IN THE NEWS

Plastic balls bring savings for miners he European Commission, with a consortium of 10 European companies, led by Shell, has launched the PETROBOT project, which will develop robots to replace humans in inspections of pressure vessels and storage tanks widely used in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry. So far, to ensure inspectors' safety, oil, gas and petrochemical plants have to shut down during inspection operations: vessels have to be decoupled from live sections of the plant; then vessels are extensively cleaned to remove all products that can emit ﬂammable or toxic gases; scaffolding is then erected in larger vessels, so that inspectors can access all necessary areas. After inspection (which often lasts for a few hours) all this work is done in reverse. This long and costly procedure could soon be reduced thanks to robotic technology, thus reducing the exposure of personnel to potentially hazardous conditions, saving the industry time and resources, as well as opening up new markets for the European robotics industry and allowing for the creation of new jobs in robotics manufacturing and maintenance. When a pressure vessel is taken out of service, a robot (in the shape of a snake arm or a crawler) will enter it via a manhole or a nozzle; the robot will then scan along the vessel wall for damages. A robot will enter the storage tank while the product (petrol or intermediate products) stays in place; the robot will then scan over the tank bottom for damages. To scan vessel walls or tank ﬂoors, robots will be using specialist inspection tools. These tools allow robots to detect any damage, and have to provide the same

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inspection capacity as obtained from an inspector. European Commissioner for Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes said, "The Petrobot project illustrates our will to transfer cutting edge results from research to the market, opening up new markets for EU businesses and creating new jobs in Europe." PETROBOT will involve partners from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and Germany over a three-year period. The EU will contribute EUR3.7 mln to the EUR6.2 mln project. PETROBOT project mobilizes the complete value chain, including robot and inspection technology providers, inspection service companies and end-users. Inspection robots will be tested in the installations of the end-user consortium members. Special project activities aim at preparing the future user community

to maximize the uptake of the new technology. These new activities could create new types of jobs and open new markets. As a technology area, it may become a strong export product for the EU, by exporting the robotic hardware solutions or complete robot-inspection services. The PETROBOT initiative was born out of a R&D program performed by Shell Global Solutions International B.V., part of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, with support of Quasset B.V., a Dutch SME with expertise in condition assessment technology development. The ten-party project consortium, led by Shell, also comprises GASSCO AS, Chevron North Sea Ltd., Koninklijke VOPAK N.V., A.Hak Industrial Services B.V., Dekra Industrial AB - DEKRA, Alstom Inspection Robotics (AIR), OCROBOTICS, Innospection GmbH, and Quasset B.V.

HPCL’s 37,230 cr refinery cum petrochemical project likely to get Cabinet nod he proposal for Rs 37,230-crore reﬁnery-cumpetrochemical project by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) in Rajasthan is set to go for Cabinet clearance. This will be the largest investment item the state would see till date. The proposal will be placed before the Public Investment Board, as the petroleum ministry moves a note to take it up before the

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. The state government had recently decided to shift the site to Pachpadra, about 40 km away from the initially-planned location at Leelala village, both in Barmer district. Farmers in Leelala sought higher prices that rose from Rs 20,000 a bigha to Rs 40-60 lakh, after project announcement.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

IN THE NEWS

HPL bidders seek commitment from WB State government he West Bengal government’s legal dispute over the aborted sale of 155 million shares of Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) to its partner, The Chatterjee Group (TCG), could hinder the state’s proposed divestment of its 39.99% stake in the ﬁrm. Despite TCG being unable to legally block the proposed stake sale (which includes the 155 million disputed shares that comprise about 9.18% of HPL’s equity capital), bidders seek a firm commitment from the West Bengal government that they will be compensated in the event of court orders going in favour of

TCG. The question that troubles the buyers is, “What if the successful bidder pays a premium to acquire the shares held by the government and is eventually ordered by courts to transfer a substantial stake to TCG at Rs.10 a share (face value)?” This makes it vital for the state government to indemnify the successful bidder against any loss arising out of unfavourable court orders in respect of the disputed shares. The potential loss for the successful bidder may not be ﬁnancial alone. If TCG manages to legally secure these 155 mln shares, its stake will top.

Rich Freeman named SPE Thermoformer of the Year ich Freeman, owner of Freetech Plastics Inc., a thermoforming company in Fremont, California, is declared as the 2013 Thermoformer of the Year, by the Society of Plastics Engineers' Thermoforming Division. Freeman, spent 21 years as a board member of the SPE Thermoforming Division. He helped develop the Thermoforming Conference as both a speaker and organizer of the heavy-gauge part of the program. Some of the programs he pushed for focused on the need to improve quality in the thermoforming industry, examining areas such as heat sources and computer-aided design

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and manufacturing. "His call to arms about poor quality equipment helped get us advancements in five-axis routers that our industry needed to move forward," the SPE division said in its announcement. As chairman of the Asset Allocation Review Committee, Freeman managed the division's machinery grant program, which has placed equipment in more than 25 schools and universities.Freetech Plastics does close-tolerance, technically demanding thermoforming in Silicon Valley of California. Freeman is a vocal advocate of thermoformers working closely with product designers.

APR Publishes recyclability design guides he Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers, the leading trade organization representing the plastics recycling industry in North America, has published an executive summary version of their recyclability design guides for packaging and containers.

Steve Alexander, APR's executive director, stated that while the organization has published its DesignGuides for the past 14 years, recently many non-technical audiences, consumer product companies, marketing and brand managers, as well as packaging design experts have expressed the need for a quick reference summary version of the guidelines. "As one of its core missions, APR has always sought to provide packaging designers with specific information to allow for informed decisions," says Alexander. For the past 14 years, the APR Recyclability Guidelines, which are based on actual industry experience, have provided that guidance to industry. These guidelines describe how a package design might impact conventional mechanical plastics recycling systems, be improved to avoid recycling problems.

S E P T E M B E R 2013

EVENTS

Events and Exhibitions K- Plastics & rubber exhibition

India Composites Show

Date: 16 - 23. October 2013

Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

Venue: No. 1 for Plastics and Rubber Worldwide, Düsseldorf, Germany K 2013 is continuing where the thoroughly successful 2010 fair left off. Some 3,000 exhibiting companies will be participating in K 2013 from 16 to 23 October and presenting their offers from the ﬁelds of •

machinery and equipment for the plastics and rubber industry

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raw materials, auxiliaries, and

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semi-ﬁnished products, technical parts and reinforced plastics

to the global trade attendees. Suppliers from Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and the USA will again be particularly strongly represented, while the number of Asian manufacturers from China, Taiwan and India has again risen. K- Plastics & rubber exhibition, where the experts meet: -

The No. 1 trade fair for plastics and rubber worldwide

The biggest, broadest and most international range of exhibits

The marketplace for visionary themes and innovative, sustainable solutions

The most prestigious business and communication platform.

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Date: 24-26 Oct 2013

International Exhibition & Conference on Composites & New Materials Industry, "India Composites Show 2013" will be held at New Delhi, India from 24 - 26 October 2013. This event is the second time in North India, which will give a standard platform to connect suppliers and users to foster development and growth of the composites materials industry. India Composites Show and Conference 2013 is a gateway to new opportunities in the face of a challenging and demanding environment for better innovations, products, services and technology for the Composites and New Metals industry. The trade show is end-user oriented aiming to link and bring end- users & professionals from across all the International and domestic Composites industry segments. This event is a user-oriented show, has been conceived on an International scale to generate awareness and promote this sector. The conjunctively held India Composites Summit besides being an educative forum will be a place to make the right connections. The event will be 2.5 times bigger in terms of total area, in terms of exhibitors’ profile and participation from user industry 73

professionals. The trade show and conference aims to bring end users, molders, fabricators, raw material suppliers, manufacturers and service providers of composites & advanced materials industry at one platform to get new business opportunities, to share knowledge and expertise, and to build relationships by networking

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF PLASTIC AND RUBBER - PLASTEX 2013 Date: Oct 31- Nov 01 IEC - International Exhibition Center, 15 Brovarsky Ave, Kiev, Ukraine PLASTEX UKRAINE - a meeting place for interested visitors-professionals with the world leaders in polymer market: manufacturers of machinery and equipment for manufacturing plastics and rubber, raw and auxiliary materials, equipment, blow molding, waste disposal equipment, test equipment. The exhibition will be held October 30 - November 1, 2013 in Kiev in the best exhibition hall in Ukraine - International Exhibition Center (Brovarskoy Prospect, 15). ITE Plastex Division comprises 5 international events in Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The events cover the entire spectrum of products and services within plastics, rubber and related chemical and technology industries. S E P T E M B E R 2013

YUDO. ...........................................................................................................................................................cover Taitra ....................................................................................................................................................inside cover Madhu Machines & Systems ...............................................................................................................inside cover Anupam Heaters...................................................................................................................................................5 Polymechplast ......................................................................................................................................................6 Steer Engineering .................................................................................................................................................8 Ferromatik Milacron. .............................................................................................................................................9 FITCO .................................................................................................................................................................10 Satellite Plastic Industries...................................................................................................................................12 Leister Technologies ...........................................................................................................................................22 Plastivision India 2013 ........................................................................................................................................23 Reliance Polymers..............................................................................................................................................30 Plastivision Arabia 2014 .....................................................................................................................................31 Vodafone ............................................................................................................................................................34 Reifenhauser India Ltd. ......................................................................................................................................47 AIPMA Industrial Park.........................................................................................................................................48 KABRA Extrusion Technik Ltd. . .........................................................................................................................49 Vora Packaging. .................................................................................................................................................50 Merit Polyplast. ...................................................................................................................................................51 Andritz Biax . ......................................................................................................................................................52 R. R. Plast Extrusions.................................................................................................................Inside back cover Rajoo Engineers ................................................................................................................................... Back cover

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