BP&R Nov/Dec 2022

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ISSN 0307-6164

Incorporating Polymer Age and Rubber and Plastics Age.

Arecent update from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation found that key targets on plastic recycling and reuse are likely to be missed. The foundation is behind the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, signed by 80 corporate brand owners.

It’s disappointing that progress is falling short of what’s been agreed. However, certain areas have come further than others. 59% of signatory brands, for example, have decreased their virgin plastic use. That, unfortunately, is overshadowed in the report by the fact that total volume of plastics used in packaging has increased – including an increase in the volume of virgin plastics used. So despite positive action from brand owners, growth in overall demand for consumables has outstripped the progress being made.

A target for 100% reusable, compostable or recyclable packaging by 2025 is now highly likely to be missed. But that goal, set out in 2018, seemed lofty to anyone familiar with the recycling infrastructure in developed nations, let alone developing ones.

16% of signatories’ packaging is flexible, and this is in part what is hindering progress, in the eyes of the EMF. The foundation calls for a more radical rethink on the future of flexible packaging, but while no credible alternative has been proposed, that offers the same protective properties for foodstuffs, medical products and other consumables, it’s hard to understand why the 2025 goal was deemed realistic in the first place.

Food contact, of course, remains a challenge, with around 50% of all packaging produced. Being destined for food. And yet sadly the report from the EMF fails to take into account the challenges faced by stakeholders in this area. A recent update

to the rules from the European Commission are frustrating for food packaging manufacturers on – or selling to – the continent, as planned recycled content quotas will impact them more than other businesses. The EC has said that starting 10 July 2023, food contact materials containing recyclate must have had its source materials recovered using material containing only ‘suitable recycling technology’. However, as many new technologies are emerging, this well-meaning piece of bureaucracy needs to be backed up by a swift approvals process from the EC.

For example, from October 2024, quality assurance systems for the collection and pre-processing of waste plastics will need to be certified by a third-party in order to comply with the regulations.

This is a good thing, as it will mean–––more than 200 mechanical PET recycling processes can be approved with individual authorisations – however, the timeframe doesn’t leave much room for manouvre for any EMF signatories hoping to meet the 2025 target.

In other news, I’m pleased to introduce the newest member of our plastics media and events family. Danny Ball joins us fresh from his studies at Liverpool John Moores University, where he studied journalism. He has a keen eye for a story, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he makes of the plastics industry. Drop him an email at daniel.ball@rapidnews.com. Head of Content

Dave Gray

WHICH MOULDING DRIVES OFFER THE GREATEST FLEXIBILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY? KNOWING THAT HIGHLY DYNAMIC MOVEMENTS CAN HELP TO SHORTEN THE CYCLE TIME AND INCREASE COMPONENT QUALITY, NIGEL FLOWERS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SUMITOMO (SHI) DEMAG UK EXAMINES THE DRIVE OPTIONS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE PERFORMANCE, OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL CREDENTIALS AND MACHINERY LONGEVITY.

Deep d ve into MACHINE DRIVES

PWowering the moulding process, every year the gap between hydraulically driven machines and all-electric ones closes that little bit more. Traditionally, most machines on production floors were pure hydraulics. Although they remain a common sight in UK mould shops, the last two decades has seen a shift. This has really ramped up in the last five years, with eIMM now accounting for almost 30 percent of all new machine installed in the UK & Ireland in 2021.

That said, there remains a prolific volume of hydraulic machines installed in the UK and Irelandof the 12,000 machine imports in the last 20 years, only 2,000 were all-electric. Yet, over this duration there have been incremental improvements, with newer drive technologies and variants of these emerging all the time. These include hybrid drives, variable frequency, electric servos, electric belt drives, direct drives and more. Some are inherently more energy hungry than others.

POWERING PROGRESS: NEW DRIVE TECHNOLOGIES

A machine drive works much like any gearbox, in that it provides the force transmission. Although the science behind this transmission is always the same – it transforms the rotational speed into linear movement – not all drives are equal. As the infographic below illustrates, their relative efficiency now means that all-electric drives now tend to hold the upper processing hand.

Until recently, matching the motion force of hydraulics in larger tonnage machines was regarded as inconceivable. However, indicative of the innovation in drive technology, ‘servo’ variants fusing all-electric direct drives with high-speed servo pumps is now catering to the medium and high

clamping force range and further enhancing energyefficiency. The PAC-E packaging machine launch at K 2022 is testament. Other fields of applications include medium clamp force packages for multicomponent moulding, LSR and physical foaming MuCell.

Offering higher processing speeds, greater processing repeatability and reliability, plus improved energy efficiency, these new machines build upon existing technologies by integrating allelectric drive technologies.

One of the key processing advantages of electric drives is the ability to control the linear axis with velocities in excess of 500mm/s. These are typically controlled by a closed loop control system located in either the machine controller (software) or the servo drive itself (hardware). The hardware solution offers a key performance advantage as the position control calculations are performed in real-time in the servo drive hardware. Resulting in the maximum performance.

Drive design synergy is another critical difference. The requirements for sector and processing applications need to factor in so many varying aspects – including holding patterns, rapid changes in acceleration and deceleration, cooling times and component removal. The only constant is injection moulding is high speed with very fast acceleration and braking.

These aren’t off the shelf drives. Designed by our Japanese parent company and built purely for the injection moulding process by experts truly dedicated to motion control, our high torque drive is more reactive and reduces the risk of inertia. In certain conditions, moulders can achieve energy savings exceeding 70 percent and even faster cycle times in comparison to conventional moulding.

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OPTIMISING ALL PRODUCTION CONDITIONS

Compared to hydraulic machines, electric direct drives only consume electricity when operational. In addition, kinetic braking energy can be recovered by means of recuperation technology.

This increased efficiency gained from direct drives means that they use considerably less energy than hydraulic machines – in the case of the IntElect between 40% and 85% less than conventional solutions.

Heat transference is another consideration. A portion of this electrical power is used to directly heat the barrel to melt resin. Another to run the machine drive, inverters and motors, which in turn also generates heat. All of the heat generated must be dispersed either via thermal convection or – in most cases – an active cooling system.

Thermal imaging of the direct drive provides a good indicator of any inefficiencies and heat emissions. On the IntElect machines, the active air cooling (fan) is not activated until the motor reaches 55°C. If no heat emission on the drive, no additional energy is consumed. As the below graphic illustrates, the IntElect direct drive shows no hotspots.

Furthermore, active cooling systems provide another advantage. one consideration of drive size selection is the duty cycle, how much the motor is working compared to recovering. Active cooling

allows the recovery period to be reduced, often allowing a smaller motor to be selected.

Electric drives also reduce maintenance costs and breakdown callouts. A result of fewer mechanical components and fewer process steps, wear and tear is significantly lower. Because neither oil nor hydraulic hoses have to be changed, maintenance costs can be up to 50% lower.

Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) is another valuable KPI metric. As well as providing an accurate machine availability benchmark, this data can highlight when machines are not performing at the optimal cycle speed or quality.

With fewer moving parts, the time lapse between one failure to the next is significantly less for machines with electric drives. A recent study on machines under warranty revealed that the IntElect2 had an average MTBF of 4.2 years – double that of an equivalent hydraulic machine. Emergency call outs and time dedicated to servicing is also proven to be lower. A separate in-house study on a 130-ton hydraulic machine needed 30 hours of service work, compared to just six hours for an equivalent-sized all-electric model.

Finally, replacing a drive system can be costly. Many moulding machine suppliers source their allelectric drives from external OEMs. This can make it much more challenging to exchange or source replacement components or access service support. This is another benefit of having our own R&D centre dedicated to drive development purely for injection moulding. Having a modular drive design means users can replace a power module rather than spend thousands on a complete drive replacement.

As this Drives 101 feature clearly illustrates, electric drives not only hold their own in the efficiency, energy and sustainability stakes, but can now deliver the upper hand when processing heavier loads previously handled by conventional hydraulic workhorses.

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Your Sustainable Solutions Provider from Design to Production

ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT OR BOTH?

Reduce, reuse, recycle (and recover) have become the clear mantra for sustainability. In the polymer sector much has already been done in the area of reduce where thinner, lighter structures have been supported by the economics of yield and productivity, plastics also lends itself well to reuse in the form of reusable transit packaging, however the situation becomes more challenging when it comes to recycling; where apart from a few notable exceptions including PET, HDPE Dairy applications and uPVC from the construction sector, the majority of mechanical plastics recycling is often downcycling. Downcycling tends to create a lower price expectation as the material qualities are typically degraded when compared to the virgin polymers from which they are derived. With exception of rPET, recycled polymers are typically sold at a discount to virgin polymers and in any event the prices are related and herein lies a further issue as prime virgin polymers have high fixed cost, low variable cost economics whereas the opposite typically applies with recycled polymers and inevitably the economics of recycling polymers is less attractive whenever virgin polymer prices enter the lower regions of the price cycle. This dilemma is clearly publicised such as in the PIE daily newsletter published on October 18th with the following headline:

MStandard recyclate October 2022: Further discounts on all grades / Weak demand prevents transfer of high energy costs / Recyclers shut down plants / Downward pressure continues Virgin polymer prices also impact on the demand for recycled materials as many converters happily interchange; typically consuming more recycled material when virgin polymer prices are high and less when virgin polymer prices are more affordable. This phenomenon points towards the concept of economic sustainability, where business will choose profit over the environment, particularly when hard pressed by inflationary factors such as labour and energy cost inflation.

The following graph depicts the behaviour of virgin LDPE and various recycled grades in Euro/ tonne over the last price increase cycle. The price movement for the ‘translucent’ rLDPE almost doubled over the period, which is an indication of the economic desire to substitute prime virgin with a lower cost alternative, and whilst the other qualities did not experience the same inflation, prices increased significantly, until just after the point where virgin prices start to fall.

Mike Boswell is Managing Director of UK materials distributor, Plastribution, as well as the Chairman of the British Plastic Federation’s Polymer Compounders and Distributors Group and its ‘BREXIT Committee’. ‘Polymerman’ is the title used for announcements made via his Twitter account. This column is compiled using data from PIE (Plastics Information Europe) www.plastribution. co.uk | www.pieweb.com

As the current situation would appear to favour the economy, what can be done to restore the balance in favour of the environment? At a superficial level many would argue that the best solution is to apply legislation in the for of taxes and/or subsidies to ensure the viability of mechanical recycling over the medium and long-term. But this does not address the issue of downcycling and here we await the development of new technologies such as the nascent Advanced (Chemical) recycling which will enable the circularity of plastic products which cannot be recycled by other means.

Whilst the journey to sustainability in polymers is challenging, the journey has started and there is no doubt that innovation will drive future success in all forms of sustainability.

MIKE BOSWELL LOOKS AT THE MARKET FOR SUSTAINABLE RESINS, AND THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY FOR PRICES.

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interplas

AS THE UK’S LEADING PLASTICS EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE

TURNS 75 IN 2023, RAPID NEWS GROUP, THE ORGANISER OF THE EVENT, OPENS NOMINATIONS FOR THE INTERPLAS 75 @ 75 – THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN THE UK PLASTICS INDUSTRY DURING THE 75-YEAR HISTORY OF THE EVENT.

Interplas to honour

75 MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES OF THE UK PLASTICS INDUSTRY

TAhe plastics industry has undergone several transformations over the past 75 years. From the post-war period which saw the introduction of the vinyl record, not to mention the arrival of Airfix kits, to the fifties which saw HDPE and polycarbonates come into commercial use. By the seventies, the PET bottle was in mass production, and all of a sudden, plastic had become the most used material in the world.

Inevitably, engineers and innovators kept seeking new uses for the ‘material of the future’, and by the 80s and 90s, plastic was replacing metal, glass and wood in automotive, construction and electrical applications. Attracted to its light weight, aesthetic potential and performance characteristics, designers and OEMs continued to be increasingly drawn to plastic.

The last twenty years have seen plastic play an increasingly important role in society’s most important applications, from military to medical, aviation to infrastructure. But the latter period has also been marked by challenging publicity, with the recyclability and renewability of plastics becoming a major cause for concern. Once again, however, the pioneers of the sector have risen to the challenge, delivering solutions from chemical recycling to biodegradable resins.

Throughout this remarkable journey, certain individuals from the UK plastics community have been impactful in driving change and innovation. To coincide with

Potential nominees could be inventors, engineers, designers, innovators, polymer scientists, academics, researchers, business leaders, sustainability pioneers or outspoken advocates for the use of plastics. The key criteria states that nominees must have made an important contribution to the growth of the UK industry. Nominations can be made via the survey here:   https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/75at75

The final line-up will be announced at Interplas 2023. Given the lengthy period of time covered by the honorary roll-call, posthumous nominations are also welcomed from the industry.

Duncan Wood, CEO, Rapid News Group, said: “Interplas has been a focal point for the UK plastics industry for seventy-five years and as we reflect on that history it is a timely point to recognise those individuals who have played their part in driving the UK industry forward during that period. I encourage everyone in the community to have their say and look forward to seeing the final line up next September.”

Dave Gray, Head of Content, Interplas Insights added: “The plastics industry has a rich history of innovation – no other material has made such strides in such a short space of time. The past 75 years have seen entire sub-sectors of the plastics industry built around the work of specific individuals.”

the 75th Anniversary edition of Interplas, Rapid News Group is inviting the industry to nominate the individuals who’ve made a significant impact to the UK plastics industry.

Throughout this remarkable journey, certain individuals from the UK plastics community have been impactful in driving change and innovation.

compression moulding

UK COMPRESSION MOULDER UNDERGOES ‘SPECTACULAR TRANSFORMATION’

General Manager Barry Davidson made the job a priority after being appointed last year, shortly after the business, which is more than 100 years old, had been sold to a new owner.

FThe project required precise planning to ensure production was not affected and that customer demands continued to be met.

Davidson was full of praise for the work of his team – and a collection of contractors involved in the job –for completing the transformation seamlessly.

Prior to the project the factory was ‘ruthlessly’ cleared of unrequired stockpiled products, with old unused machinery also shown the door.

This allowed flooring which had been in place for around five decades to be removed, consisting of vinyl floor tiles adhered to the concrete with asbestos formulated bitumen.

“This job has been a year in the making since I arrived and required considerable planning,” said Davidson.

“The factory I took over was very disorganised and congested, which didn’t lend itself to good production performance, or good housekeeping and safety standards.

“We realised that we were going to have to engage the services of a number of specialist contractors who had the skills and experience to manage the job, and we couldn’t have worked with better people.

“Obviously, you can’t just shut down a factory to have a new floor laid, so it took some meticulous planning from our team to ensure we had as little downtime as possible, and that customer deliveries were unaffected.

“I can’t praise the work of Dawn Stavers, Jonathon Hutchinson and Sean Hovvels from our team enough, as they planned our continued production around the project.”

Davidson selected Elite Surface Preparation Limited to remove the hazardous flooring waste from site, with their team, led by director James Eade, working day and night to complete the job on-time.

This allowed North-East-based flooring specialist Reprotec to get onsite and complete the floor transformation, including painting and markings. Davidson added: “I can’t praise the contractors we used enough, it has been a spectacular transformation.

“When you have a big job like this happening you of course want to be reassured that nothing is going to take longer than planned, and Reprotec’s Business Development Manager Adam Holland and Project Manager Peter Forbes stayed in close communication with us throughout the work.

“I’ve used a number of flooring contractors in the past for jobs like this but I can honestly say that Reprotec went the extra mile and delivered a firstclass job. The proof is in the pudding the floor looks absolutely fantastic.”

With the job complete, Davidson says the five-figure investment will ensure greater production efficiencies, and help boost staff morale.

“This was a job we needed to do given our increasing orders and the need to ensure the continuing safety and welfare of our employees,” he said.

“Also, let’s not forget, it’s nice to work in a clean working environment, and we have that now.

“Not only have our team bought into the project but they have been involved in the design of the new layout from the very beginning.

“Jonathon and Sean literally chalked out the proposed layout of the factory before the painting of walkways, production cells and Kanban areas could be completed, so watching it come together has given them so much pride and motivation.

“We have changed the way we work and in doing so have changed the culture on the shop floor. A lot can be said for a well-organised and clean environment to work in, as not only does it improve efficiencies in the workplace but it also does a lot to lift the morale of the people and keeps them motivated.

To ensure the investment is protected in the future, Fairgrieve has also purchased new material handling equipment fitted with non-marking tyres, from Pegasus Material Handling, and a new floor cleaning machine from GT Cleaning Machines Ltd.

“Considering the aftercare of the new floor was important, as we need to make sure we maintain it in this excellent condition,” added Davidson.

“It has been a pretty significant investment at a time when other companies are having to tighten their belts, but it has been a must for us.

“Our business is continually attracting additional new enquiries from new market sectors and this shop floor transformation will only help to reinforce our reputation in the market place. I can’t wait to show potential new customers around.”

FAIRGRIEVE COMPRESSION MOULDING HAS COMPLETED A ‘SPECTACULAR TRANSFORMATION’ OF ITS FACTORY IN TYNE & WEAR WHICH IT SAYS WILL HELP FURTHER IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES AS THE BUSINESS CONTINUES TO TAKE INCREASING ORDERS.

This was a job we needed to do given our increasing orders and the need to ensure the continuing safety and welfare of our employees

Fairgrieve’s General Manager Barry Davidson in the newly refurbished factory

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packaging

Mars chooses chemically recycled grades for food-contact packaging

AT K 2022, FOOD GIANT MARS WAS ANNOUNCED AS THE LATEST BRAND OWNER TO OPT FOR CHEMICALLY RECYCLED PLASTICS FOR FOOD CONTACT APPLICATIONS. CHEMICALLY

On the opening morning of K 2022, Sami Al-Osaimi, Acting VP, Petrochemicals, SABIC, announced that the firm has joined forces with Mars and Landbell in an advanced recycling project designed to close the loop on flexible packaging using certified circular polypropylene (PP) from the company’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio.

In a joint initiative with major market players, biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film based on SABIC’s certified circular PP from feedstock recycling of postconsumer, used plastics will be introduced by Mars in the packaging of their KIND primary healthy snack bar brand.

“We are very excited about this pioneering closed-loop project that demonstrates the feasibility and speed of implementing circular plastic innovations when leading actors from across the entire value chain are closely collaborating,” said Lada Kurelec, General Manager PP, PET, PS, PVC, PU & Elastomers Businesses for Petrochemicals at SABIC.

“Used flexible packaging has a high feedstock value for new materials, and our TRUCIRCLE polymers and services form an instrumental element in tapping this vast potential.”

The new mono-material packaging incorporates advanced recycled content in healthy snack bar packaging.

“At Mars, we want to contribute to a circular economy where packaging material never becomes waste, but is recycled, reused or composted. For this to happen, we need new solutions and infrastructure to change the recycling landscape and to complement mechanical recycling,” said Barry Parkin, Chief Procurement & Sustainability Officer at Mars.

“Today marks another important step in accelerating our sustainable packaging journey and in our collaboration with partners like SABIC that are enabling new opportunities to provide consumers with packaging designed for circularity.”

“Mixed used plastic from flexible consumer packaging is difficult to sort and recycle mechanically,” adds Uwe Echteler, Chief Operating Officer for Landbell Group. “However, as demonstrated in this closed-loop project, we can facilitate effective advanced recycling solutions that allow plastics and packaging manufacturers as well as OEMs and brand owners to reclaim and benefit from

the value of mixed used plastics while at the same time reducing fossil depletion and enhancing their carbon footprint.”

Collection of mixed used plastics is coordinated by Landbell Group, a provider of environmental and chemical compliance services. Landbell works with Hündgen Entsorgung to sort the mixed used plastics and delivers the mixed material to Plastic Energy, a specialist in advanced recycling technology, where it is converted to pyrolysis oil in a patented thermal anaerobic conversion process. The pyoil serves as alternative feedstock in SABIC’s production process of virgin-quality food-contact approved PP polymer, which is pelletised and supplied to Taghleef Industries, a provider of biaxially oriented PP (BOPP) film.

From there, SIT Group, a supplier of printed flexible plastic packaging to the European consumer market, uses the BOPP film to create printed BOPP roll-fed packaging for KIND brand snack bars and delivers it to confectionary giant Mars.

SABIC said in a statement, “The new flexible BOPP packaging structure made with circular PP food-grade is another important milestone towards enabling monomaterial applications that facilitate end-of-life recycling in existing collection and conversion streams without compromising on quality or ease of processing”.

Mars has already incorporated certified circular PP polymer from SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio in the primary packaging of some of its popular wet pet food brand SHEBA. After successful piloting, the certified circular PP food-grade will now be introduced into the KIND snack bar wrap as part of the group’s plans to increase its volumes of recycle content also in other brand products packaging.

SABIC’s certified circular PP polymer is verified and authenticated in a mass balancing approach under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS scheme. The certified circular products from the supplier’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio offer a carbon footprint reduction in the range of 2 kg of CO2 per each kilogram of polymer produced based on the diversion of post-consumer used plastic from incineration.

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on the cover

GLAZPART LOOKS TO THE FUTURE WITH ENGEL TECHNOLOGY

AGlazpart recently took delivery of its most recent investment in a collection of ENGEL injection moulding machines with viper robot automation. With an ongoing energy efficiency programme that involves replacement of less efficient machines and the addition of digital solutions, Glazpart says it is looking to the future with its partnership with ENGEL.

moulding machines and reduce our capital outlay by ensuring that we only invest in the clamping force we actually require. The open access to the mould area allows space for large moulds and barrier free access for our technicians enables comfortable working conditions. We currently have over 30 ENGEL machines ranging from 28 - 220 tonnes.”

K 2022, ENGEL

Banbury-based Glazpart is a technical and custom injection moulder, originally established in 1985 by Ken Hanley, and still owned by him today. Since its inception Glazpart has evolved into a one-stop-shop for product design, tooling manufacture and injection moulding across a comprehensive spread of industries. Glazpart’s injection moulding platform includes medical component manufacture in a specifically designed area, twin shot moulding and inmould labelling. Glazpart produces in excess of 200 million parts per year, and manufactures a comprehensive range of its own products for the fenestration industry.

O’Mahoney outlined the reasons Glazpart has chosen ENGEL injection moulding technology to support the firm’s growth acceleration. “We were originally attracted to the ENGEL brand by the tie-bar-less feature of the machines, which give us a breadth of specifications” he said.

“The tie-bar-less design of the victory machines allows us to utilise smaller footprint injection

The tie-bar-less design of the victory machines allows us to utilise smaller footprint injection moulding machines and reduce our capital outlay by ensuring that we only invest in the clamping force we actually require.

AT

UK WELCOMED MARK O’MAHONEY, OPERATIONS AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF GLAZPART LTD AND ANDREW ROSE, MANUFACTURING MANAGER, TO VIEW DEVELOPMENTS IN ENGEL’S MACHINE DESIGNS AND TECHNOLOGY AND DISCUSS THE RECENT SUBSTANTIAL AND CONTINUAL INVESTMENT BY GLAZPART IN ENGEL TECHNOLOGY.

LEFT: Two 160 tonne ENGEL victory injection moulding machines with viper automation and an ENGEL e-mac injection moulding machine at Glazpart.

Baker added: “Our customers report greater efficiency and economy when fully utilising the tie-bar-less design. It creates the ideal environment for automation, allowing faster part removal. As Mark has already remarked these victory machines are compact, and energy efficient. The victory series - from 280 to 5,000 kN clamping force - offers our customers the perfect modular system for the production of diverse technical parts. The patented force dividers, which distribute the clamping force evenly over the entire clamping surface, guarantee consistently high part quality, even with multi-cavity moulds.”

The viper robots which Glazpart are using with their victory machines are a flexible and powerful linear robot. Thanks to the construction of laser-welded steel profiles, the dead weight of the viper linear robots is low. At the same time, the stability is high. Due to the integrated control concept, the linear robot can be operated entirely from the CC300 machine control which guarantees optimal interaction of the components. The grip tools from ENGEL ensure efficient use of the linear robot. Both standard robot grippers for different areas of application, and individually designed grippers in special versions are offered.

O’Mahoney said the fastcycling capabilities of the e-mac range of machines are another advantage. The e-mac combines precision, cleanliness and efficiency with minimal floor space requirements. The encapsulated toggle lever requires less lubricant and increases the service life. Oil leakage at the toggle joints is avoided and enables clean production for products

from the food and medical technology sectors. The significantly lower cleaning requirement also reduces downtime. Glazpart has been able to

equip its e-mac machines with specific options for specific applications.

During the visit to the ENGEL stand at K, the subject of digital solutions was a topic the Glazpart team was keen to investigate. Mark Mahoney and Andrew Rose emphasised that they were anxious to embrace all the technology ENGEL has to offer. All the machines that the company are currently purchasing from ENGEL are fitted with the e-connect feature. This digital solution is a remote maintenance tool which allows Glazpart to get remote maintenance assistance from experts immediately. Glazpart is situated near to the ENGEL UK HQ in Warwick, but the firm still finds this tool invaluable for remote support when needed.

A further digital solution being utilised by Glazpart is the i.Q Melt Control, a plasticising assistant for higher melt quality, which works by automatically optimising the screw speed. i.Q Melt Control is part of the standard equipment on every ENGEL injection moulding machine delivered since 2020. By automatically optimising the screw speed, the plasticising assistant exploits time reserves, especially cooling time. The software enables optimum adjustment of the dosing parameters. Glazpart is able to get to series production faster, while freeing up in-house technicians. Thanks to the optimised plastification time, Glazpart can also minimise the deflection of the screw and thus the abrasion on the screw flight. Using the i.Q Melt Control assistant ensures a significantly longer service life for the plasticising components.

ENGEL offers injection moulding training courses digitally or on-site, in the training centre or directly on the cutomer’s machine. The training programmes ensure effective knowledge building when it comes to shorter cycle times, higher process quality and less scrap. Glazpart’s team have utilised both training opportunities at ENGEL UK premises and with trainers from ENGEL UK visiting the site when the circumstances were more suitable for that option.

(Left to right) Andy Rose, Glazpart, Nigel Baker, ENGEL UK, Mark O’Mahoney, Glazpart

Exhibi t w it h u s

Interplas is back in 2023, bringing with it the opportunity for you to experience the UK’s largest plastics industry exhibition showcasing the full spectrum of plastics processing machinery, materials, software, services and ancillaries in one place.

It’s also the only plastics event in the UK where visitors can see working machinery LIVE on the show floor and where they’ll come to compare, contrast and buy.

With an expected 12,000+ attendees across the three-day event, as well as new features and an expanded floorplan, now is the time to position yourself as a company that can offer solutions, showcase innovation and offer expertise to an audience known for its quality and purchasing power.

DIP AWARDS

DESIGN INNOVATION IN PLASTICS WINNER GETS THE COVESTRO TREATMENT

TZara was welcomed by Covestro UK, to its offices and Technical Center near Manchester by managing director, Steve Gormley, and his colleagues, along with DIP chairman, Martin Sixsmith.

and service manager, Andre Durand. This machine conditions, meters and mixes materials to produce cast polyurethane parts.

THE 2022 DESIGN INNOVATION IN PLASTICS WINNER, ZARA KING, HAS PAID A VISIT TO THE UK HEADQUARTERS OF COVESTRO, WHICH IS THE HEADLINE INDUSTRY SPONSOR OF THE AWARD.

Steve was able to give Zara a fresh insight into the world of polymers and Covestro, as well as giving an insight into its goal to become fully circular, helping to accelerate the transformation to a climate-neutral and resource-conserving economy.

The group held a roundtable discussion about the products and the industry. Colleagues at Covestro were able to see Zara’s prize-winning product, EasyMode a bed pan for use in the NHS and other healthcare settings, and learn how it has been designed to make life easier for both nurses and patients.

Zara was given an introduction to the world of elastomers – the versatile material which has superior elastic properties. Covestro provides a wide range of high-performance engineering polymers which includes cast polyurethane elastomers, along with technical support and the machine technologies which enable products to be processed with high quality, accuracy, and at scale.

The group then went into to Covestro’s Technical Center where they were given a demonstration of the Alpha 3L low pressure polyurethane dispensing machine, by technical sales machines

Steve Gormley said: “It was a delight and an honour to be able to welcome Zara to our UK headquarters and to see and discuss her product first hand, as well as generate a few thoughts on how it can be developed.”

Zara said: “As a future product designer, I found my visit to Covestro fascinating. I received such a warm welcome from Steve and everyone at the headquarters. To get a real in-depth look at how Covestro manufactures elastomers was vital information for a field in which I will probably spend a substantial amount of time.

“Most notable however, was learning about Covestro’s ethical standards. They are truly trying to make the changes the world needs. Their dedication to sustainability is very impressive.

“I received some excellent advice and support from the team and I’m looking forward to what the future holds. Thank you Covestro!”

Zara is back at university this autumn, starting her third year of study at Teesside.

Colleagues at Covestro were able to see Zara’s prize-winning product, EasyMode a bed pan for use in the NHS and other healthcare settings.

testing

ASPECTS OF THE TEST

Flexure tests, also called bending tests, are used to test, or compare plastics, including their compounds. Flexure tests provide a reliable test method with a relatively simple test arrangement. They are used to determine the stress-strain behaviour of a material in the range of low specimen strain.

The most common result is the flexural modulus, but yield points, maximum flexural stress or flexural strain at break can also be measured on low-ductility materials. The direct measurement of deflection using

a displacement transducer presents the most precise form of measurement, leading to reliable, accurate test results.

Determination of the specimen dimensions, especially the specimen thickness, is of particular significance since the specimen thickness value has a quadratic effect in the calculation of the flexural stresses. A measurement error as small as 0.1 mm causes an error of approximately 5% in the calculation of flexural stress. An accurate cross-section measurement is therefore critical for reliable test results.

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testing

A very important factor in obtaining accurate and reliable test results is to ensure minimum influence of the displacement transducer on the test. Deformation effects from the load frame and load cell must also be excluded. Displacement transducers can prevent these influences by being mounted directly onto the flexure table. These displacement transducers measure with high accuracy, independent of the test temperature.

The flexure test provides a stress-strain curve and different characteristic values such as flexural modulus, yield point and, if applicable, the fracture point. The standards normally differentiate among three types of curves: a, b, and c.

ABOVE: Quick and reliable alignment with an adjustment gauge

Indentation takes place at the support points and in the area of the loading nose(s), which is dependent on the hardness of the material, the magnitude of the acting force and the radius of the loading nose and the support. If the deflection is measured by the movement of the loading nose compared to the supports, the indentation seems to increase the measured deflection. This can normally not be compensated by any compliance compensation. By using a centrally attached displacement transducer, the indentation of the loading nose is compensated.

BELOW: The supports and loading nose generate surface pressure, leading to indentations. Influences on the test result can be eliminated by direct displacement measurement.

A flexural modulus can be determined for all curve types. According to ISO 178, the measurement is taken between 0.05 % and 0.25 % flexural strain. ASTM D790 defines the modulus measurement as secant (chord modulus) or as a tangent to the slope of the curve.

Additional results include the maximum flexural stress, the flexural stress at break, the flexural strain at break, the strain at maximum flexural stress and, if applicable, the flexural stress at the defined deflection limit.

BELOW: Typical stress-strain curves from flexure tests on plastics

Unlike in the tensile test, flexural stresses cannot simply be determined from the ratio between force and crosssectional area. The deflection applied to the specimen generates bending moments and shear forces. The bending moment increases steadily between the support and the loading nose, while the shear forces in this range remain constant. In a three-point flexure test, the highest bending moment occurs directly under the loading nose. In a four-point flexure test, the bending moment is constant between the loading noses. This range remains free of shear stresses, which is a benefit that this method provides for materials with low shear strength.

Unlike in the tensile test, flexural stresses cannot simply be determined from the ratio between force and cross-sectional area

review

WORDS | MARK VICTORY SENIOR RECYCLING EDITOR AT ICIS

K 2022:

Industry players met at the K Plastics Fair, the largest trade fair and networking event for the European polymers and plastics industry.

In part, this is because pyrolysis-based players – the leading form of chemical recycling in Europe – can generate electricity as part of the process, although for PET chemical recycling processes electricity costs this is not generally possible.

INevertheless, even for pyrolysis, electricity costs remain a potential challenge – depending on set-up – and particularly in the initial months of operation when throughput is limited.

Some players have speculated that this could also lead to delays in plant start-ups, as players await more favourable energy costs.

Although investment in the sector from industry has not reduced, the sector is facing additional unexpected cost burdens as a result, they may result in additional funding requirements.

In recent weeks, some players have noted a slowdown in private investment, and that preparing business plans to present to potential investors was becoming increasingly difficult due to the uncertainty of future energy costs.

At present, pyrolysis is the dominant form of chemical recycling in Europe, although much of the existing capacity remains pre-commercial.

Waste managers remain concerned over a growing disconnect between available waste material with high enough quality for pyrolysisbased chemical recyclers, and announced future capacity.

Some players expect advances in mechanical recycling sorting technology and number of sorting stages to lead to reductions in reject volumes and non-mechanically recycled waste available for chemical recycling.

Pyrolysis typically requires the minimisation of chlorine content (typically to 0.1% or less) due to its corrosive effect, the removal of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) because it oxygenates the process and does not depolymerise using pyrolysis, and the avoidance of nylon and flame retardants.

There has also been speculation that lack of sufficient feedstock availability in the mid-term could increasingly place chemical recyclers in competition with mechanical recyclers.

This is something that chemical recyclers have generally been keen to avoid historically, both from an economical perspective and environmental impact perspective.

Chemical recycling typically has a higher production cost than mechanical recycling, although this could change with economies

of scale and the gap between the two has narrowed for some pyrolysis-based processes because pyrolysis can - depending on set-up - generate its own electricity to partially off-set rising energy costs, while mechanical recyclers cannot.

Although there remains an absence of independent, directly comparable life cycle analyses (LCAs), chemical recycling is broadly seen as having a higher environmental impact than mechanical recycling.

Coupled with this, the narrow geographical spread of new plant locations could intensify competition between chemical recyclers chasing the same pool of local waste volumes.

The first half of 2022 had already seen many chemical recyclers pushed out of the mixed polyolefins waste sector, because of increased captive use by waste managers, and material being contracted by mechanical recyclers due to shortages of monomaterials.

The influx of mechanical recycling demand pushed mixed polyolefin prices to record highs

INVESTMENT IN CHEMICAL RECYCLING FROM THE INDUSTRY HAS CONTINUED AT PACE IN RECENT MONTHS, DESPITE GROWING NEGATIVE MACROECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

Europe chemical recycling investment continues but waste supply access remains a challenge

during the first half of 2022, and saw chemical recyclers increasingly look to source other grades of material such as refuse derived fuel (RDF).

Chemical recyclers require RDF bales with high plastic content – typically more than 90% – while demand from the burn for energy sector has led to increased biomass in RDF bales.

As a result, the market for RDF has fractured in to multiple grades.

RDF with higher biomass, that typically serve traditional burn-for-energy applications such as cement and lime, and unsorted bales, which typically serve burn-for-energy units which have sorting-centres attached, continue to trade at negative values, with buyers paid to remove waste based on saving for the waste manager against alternative disposal costs.

RDF with high plastic content, suitable for recycling, meanwhile, has been trading at positive values throughout 2022.

Prior to Q4 2021, this material had always traded at negative values.

Since July, monomaterial availability has been lengthening due to macroeconomic bearishness, particularly in non-packaging grades, and there has been downward pressure in the market, with the low-end of high-density polyethylene and polypropylene bale prices falling substantially since the start of the third quarter.

As monomaterial prices have fallen, mixed polyolefin bales have also seen downward pressure – although not to the same degree.

In early October, 90% mixed polyolefin prices reached parity with the low end of both monomaterial polypropylene (PP) mixedcoloured post-consumer and post-industrial bale values, and above 95/5 low density polyethylene (LDPE) mixed-coloured postconsumer flexible bale low-end price.

The high end of the mixed polyolefin range, meanwhile, also reached parity with the low end of the monomaterial high density polyethylene (HDPE) bale prices range, and above the high end of the rigid LDPE post-consumer mixedcoloured bale price.

Although the low-end of mixed polyolefin prices has fallen since early October, the top-end remains at parity with a number of monomaterial bale values, and monomaterial bales continue to face downward pressure.

Nevertheless, there are a wide range of monomaterial bale prices currently in the market, which is predominantly the result of varying energy and storage and cashflow positions across firms across Europe.The average price for monomaterial bales remains above mixed polyolefins.

Despite weak demand, the market remains structurally tight following increased captive use by waste managers following the onboarding of sorting capacity in the first half of 2022, which has left more limited volumes of mixed polyolefins on the market.

Coupled with this, with monomaterials in tight supply throughout the second half of 2021 and first half of 2022, many players in nonpackaging sectors turned to mixed polyolefins to try to bridge shortfalls of monomaterials, with multiple players signing volume framework agreements, which has also counterbalanced the falls in ad hoc activity.

This has pushed access to waste up the agenda for many in the market, and there have been moves by chemicals majors such as Lyondell-Basell’s joint venture (JV) with 23 Oaks Investment to build a new waste sorting plant to feed its planned Wesseling pyrolysis-based chemical recycling plant.

There has also been speculation that lack of sufficient feedstock availability in the mid-term could increasingly place chemical recyclers in competition with mechanical recyclers.

MACHINERY | NEWS

Introduced at K 2022, in Dusseldorf the MP1200 is Wilmington Machinery’s latest addition to its medium pressure large part injection moulding machines first introduced at NPE 2018.

It boasts dual 130mm reciprocating/ compounding injection units with Wilmington’s in-line first-in, first-out 50lb accumulators. Like its sibling that is already on the market, the new machine accepts both hot runner and cold runner moulds.

The machine is ideal for moulding large gas assist or foam products requiring superior

cosmetics and highcapacity production. For foamed products, the machine boasts direct gas injection into the extruder barrel using Nitrogen or CO2 gases.

Like Wilmington’s other medium and low-pressure machine models the new machine is available with integrated robotics, gas assist control, resin blending, gas generation, hot runner control and other accessories.

This is the second announcement in successive years concerning new medium pressure machinery. The addition of the MP500 last year represented a

makeweight between Wilmington’s low pressure and medium pressure machines, boasting the ability to produce automotive and recreational parts. However, the MP1200 marks a return to more powerful machinery.

Wilmington's low pressure and medium pressure machines can produce automotive parts [...] however, the MP1200 marks a return to more powerful machinery

Erema launches double filtration machine for cleaner, greener postconsumer recycling

At K 2022, recycling machinery giant Erema officially launched the Intarema TVEplus DuaFil Compact, a new machine for particularly challenging postconsumer materials, with significantly reduced energy consumption.

A key feature of the double filtration machine is the gentle treatment of the melt through the process. Erema says that this is the result of combining TVEplus technology, with the new DuaFil Compact technology.

“Because there is no discharge metering zone

and the melt pump is custom designed to the application, the pressure build-up required for the second filtration unit is especially efficient and only needs a much lower temperature”, said Sebastian Sochor, R&D Engineer at Erema.

“The extruder does not need to build up pressure and can be built much shorter, 10 L/D shorter compared to the previous Erema double filtration solution. The lower melt temperature of the DuaFil Compact in this area has a positive effect on the melt quality and significantly reduces energy consumption”, said Sochor.

The new Intarema TVEplus DuaFil Compact 1108 achieves a melt temperature upstream of the second filter unit that is 18.5˚C lower than the previous Erema double filtration solution when processing LDPE supermarket film

containing paper, and consumes 10% less energy overall (specific energy consumption kWh/kg), according to the company.

Processing LDPE/ LLDPE material streams can give varying degrees of moisture and contamination due to impurities such as paper labels, wood particles or foreign polymers. These can get into the material stream through splinters from pallets or strapping bands and can lead to the formation of odours and discolouration. Erema claims that this is where the DuaFil

Compact Zone comes into its own, because operating at a lower melt temperature effectively prevents the combustion that would otherwise cause these odours.

“Ultimately, the high quality of the recycled pellets that we achieve with this system creates the opportunity to increasingly replace virgin material with recycled material in end products, meeting the current market trend and sustainability requirements,” said Michael Heitzinger, managing director, Erema GmbH.

Wilmington introduces new medium pressure injection moulding machine

Independent Volvo

manufacturer Polestar has introduced Ineos Biovyn in its brand new Polestar 3 SUV.

Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO describes the new model as: “defining the heart of Polestar in terms of size, luxury, ambition and design.”

Features in the vehicle include MicroTech seat upholstery which is made from BIOVYN.

At the launch of the Polestar 3, Maximillian Missoni, Head of Polestar Design said: “We decided that we wouldn’t choose the easy way of quoting old paradigms of traditional car design. On

this path, we asked ourselves how we could combine the benefits of vinyl upholsteries with a better process to achieve our sustainability target, and the solution is MicroTech.”

MicroTech uses on BIOVYN to reduce the carbon footprint of the upholstery. BIOVYN bio- attributed vinyl. It is made of 100% renewable feedstock that Polestar claim does not compete with the food chain. It replaces fossil based raw materials with renewable materials obtained from crude tall oil, a byproduct of coniferous tree pulping.

It has the same properties as traditional PVC, but polestar is the world’s first bio-attributed PVC available for commercial use that enables a carbon footprint reduction of over 70%. It is also the first PVC product certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials.

Geir Tuft, CEO of INEOS Inovyn said of the collaboration with Polestar: “It’s a great honour for our company to be associated with a brand as ambitious and forward- thinking as Polestar. This shows just how much the automotive industry is evolving and how INEOS Inovyn’s continuous innovation and investments in more sustainable processes and products are paying off.”

Petrochemical manufacturer, SABIC has launched a polycarbonate-based copolymer resin, well-suited for photovoltaic connector bodies.

SABIC claims the new LNP EXL9334P copolymer resin achieves the highest comparative tracking index, delivers low-temperature ductility, good dimension stability, excellent heat resistance, good durability and weather resistance and flame retardance.

SABIC believes this specialty resin surpasses competitive materials such as glass-reinforced nylon, polyphenylene ether (PPE) and standard PC.

SABIC’S Director of business management, Joshua Chiaw said: “Our next-generation LNP EXL9334P resin grade, which meets stringent international standards for 1.5 kilovolt components, can facilitate adoption of this efficient, cost-effective technology. In addition to addressing changing industry requirements, this new material supports our sustainability strategy by helping to promote greater use of renewable solar energy.”

The emergence of 1.5 Kv PV systems is a major industry trend that offers efficiency improvements and potential system cost reduction. However, the transition from 1.0 Kv to 1.5 Kv systems is also leading to more-stringent performance and safety standards for all components.

Such safety measures have been a major focus for the company while developing new technology, Jenny Wang, Director, Formulation and Application said: “Developing a flame-retardant copolymer that could achieve the highest CTI level was difficult, but our experts were up to the challenge”.

Non-carbon black makes ice cream tubs recyclable

Norwegian ice cream producer Diplom-Is’s now uses non-carbon black containers from Berry Superfos, making it possible for them to be recycled.

Contrary to traditional carbon black, which the company used previously, new non-carbon black packaging is detectable by the Near Infra-Red (NIR) scanners used for waste sorting processes.

This means that the containers can be identified for recycling purposes. Berry Superfos uses a non-carbon black masterbatch with special pigments to improve NIR technology detection and sorting.

“We are always on the lookout for more sustainable and affordable packaging solutions for our products so when we got the opportunity to switch our premium ice cream brand Royal to non-carbon black containers, the choice was easy,” said Anne-Lene Molland, communications manager at Diplom-Is.

“We are very satisfied with the result. The new black enables proper sorting of Royal ice cream containers at local recycling and sorting facilities, which can save significant amounts of virgin plastic material. We have been very thorough in our approach by successfully testing the non-carbon black containers at two local recycling plants in Norway, as well as at a sorting plant in Germany.”

Diplom-Is is one of the biggest ice cream producers and a

household brand in Norway. Therefore, the shift to a non-carbon black container has caught the attention of the market.

“We get a lot of positive feedback and have raised awareness of the challenges with the colour black for packaging through articles and social media,” said Molland. “We believe these initiatives may encourage others to switch to non-carbon black for packaging.”

spin-off and electric car

INEOS and Polestar launch new partnership

SABIC launches new polycarbonate copolymers for photovoltaics

case study

Borring plast A/S’s search for SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

BACKGROUND:

The Danish automotive parts manufacturer EVBiler ApS was looking for a more environmentally friendly and material-smart solution for one of its products.

For nearly 20 years, Polykemi ApS in Denmark has worked closely with Borring Plast A/S, a Danish company that has been a prominent name in injection moulding of plastic components for the industry since established in 1964. Borring Plast’s customer EVBiler ApS, like many other companies, has the desire to improve its environmental profile and reputation within the industry.

Martin Lindegaard Pedersen Project Manager at Borring Plast A/S. said: “Over recent years, the trend has been clear. More companies have a green profile and are working to improve their choice of materials. They want to use world-class customer adapted materials, that also lower their carbon footprint.”

He added: “When EVBiler ApS contacted us with their request, I immediately turned to Polykemi. They have the knowledge on how to change the material to

a more environmentally friendly alternative, while maintaining function, quality and colour.”

In 2021, Polykemi Group conducted a scientific study and developed a new simulation tool to demonstrate the CO₂ footprint of their materials when they leave the company’s factories in Ystad, Sweden and Kunshan, China. Once Polykemi has completed its new manufacturing facilities in Chongqing, China, and in Gastonia, NC, USA, similar studies will also be conducted there.

THE PROBLEM:

EVBiler ApS manufactures and sells products for electric and hybrid cars, mobile and stationary charging stations and various related accessories. The company has a strong environmental profile and therefore wanted to change the material in one of its flexible holders for charging cables. It was originally made in ABS and printed by a 3D printer, However the company needed an environmentally stable method of production that would keep up with increasing demand and not compromise the quality of the product.

Ole Tietze, sales and technical support for Polykemi in Denmark and Benelux said: “Historically, many customers focused primarily on having a low material cost, but today there is more interest in developing sustainable products that reduce the carbon footprint, without compromising on function or quality,”

Tietze continued: “This project with Borring Plast A/S and EVBiler ApS is really about cooperation and being material smart, i.e. finding the right material for the right product, adapted to the customer’s mechanical requirements while also being environmentally friendly.”

THE SOLUTION: Initially, the parties discussed whether to continue with their current material choice with ABS or whether a recycled ABS could be an option, but after listening carefully to the customer’s needs and demand profile, the experts at Polykemi and Rondo Plast suggested a recycled PP with 20% glass fibre - a This material change meant a saving of 4.25 kg of CO₂ per kilo of material, which means a CO₂ saving of more than 80%, increasing economic efficiency.

Tietze said: “The choice was based on the fact that we wanted the same strength of the material but with lower CO2 emissions. We also looked at the recycling of the material after the lifetime of the product,”

Michael Ford Folkmann, CEO of EVBiler ApS. also acknowledged that the production of materials in Asia had been something that they had moved away from for both economic and environmental resons: “We had been developing the product for a long time and were about to start production in China when we realised that the price was not competitive in terms of transport and other factors.”.

The choice was based on the fact that we wanted the same strength of material, but with lower carbon emissions. We also looked at the recycling of the material after the lifetime of the product.

“Since EVbiler Aps wants to have a green profile, it was natural to have our product manufactured locally in Denmark. It has also saved us a lot of problems with transport etc. Martin at Borring Plast suggested that we should try a new product from Polykemi, based on recycled plastic, and it turned out to be a great solution,” Ford Folkmann added.

BP&R’S DANNY BALL LOOKS AT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR AUTOMOTIVE PARTS

ASSEMBLY

ULTRASONIC WELDING

InControl Ultrasonics Ltd (FFR Ultrasonics Ltd)

PO Box 10380, Sileby, LE12 7ZX

T: 01509 621992

E: enquiries@ffr-ultrasonics. co.uk W: www.ffr-ultrasonics.co.uk W: www.incontrolultrasonics.co.uk

Telsonic UK Ltd

Unit 3 Vitrage Technical Park 27 Witney Road , Nuffield Industrial Estate, Poole, Dorset BH17 0GL

T: 01202 697340

E: info.uk@telsonic.com W: www.telsonic.com Blog: telsoniccuk.wordpress.com

CONTROL SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT

QUALITY MONITORING CONTROL

Kistler Instruments Ltd

T: 01256 741550 F: 01256 741551

E: sales.uk@kistler.com W: www.kistler.com Pressure transducers and associated monitoring/ control equipment for new and existing injection moulding applications.

PRINTERS

PRINTERS OF PLASTIC MOULDINGS

Total Print Ltd

Specialist Pad Printers Station Road, Gedney Hill, Lincolnshire PE12 0NP T: 01406 330122 F: 01406 330123

E: info@totalprintltd.com W: www.totalprintltd.com

Sub-Contract Pad Printers to the Plastics Industry

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COMPONENT PRINTERS

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This Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK Board of Directors will now include David Raine, who will assume overall responsibility for sales.

Raine, who has worked within the British and Irish plastics industry for 28 years, among others for Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and Fanuc, returns to the company on December 1, 2022.

By the end of 2023, Raine will assume overall responsibility for Sumitomo (SHI) Demag in the UK and Ireland, succeeding Nigel Flowers. After 20 years leading

SDUK, Flowers will move into new roles within the group before retiring.

Under Flower’s leadership, SDUK has maintained its position as one of the Group’s bestpositioned subsidiaries.

“We would like to thank Nigel Flowers for his 20 years of commitment, loyalty and successful leadership,” said Group CEO Gerd Liebig.

“The services and training delivered by SDUK are among the most widely used on the market. Based on strong technical expertise and advice, we now want to expand our automation offering and specifically strengthen our organisation’s presence in the Irish market,” added Liebig.

“Additionally, we are keen to continue increasing and sharing our industry-led expertise in both markets.

Given the current high energy prices, this includes showcasing our world leadership

in all-electric injection moulding machinery. As an experienced and recognised expert in the plastics industry, David Raine is the ideal candidate with a strong and stable outlook for growth.“

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has been present in the UK since 1974. The SDUK subsidiary holds an approximate 15 percent market share and specialises in supplying complete turnkey solutions.

The company’s extensive customer base comprises manufacturers of automotive, IT, packaging, electronics, pharmaceutical, life sciences, construction and leisure products and components. Currently servicing more than 1,800 injection moulding machines in the UK and Ireland, around 400 customers depend on the SDUK team to deliver quality guidance, service support and technical expertise.

RAINE at the reigns COMMENT

PMMDA CHAIRMAN DAVID RAINE PAYS TRIBUTE TO TWO INFLUENTIAL INDUSTRY FIGURES RECENTLY DEPARTED

Pover twenty five years. He leaves behind Lesley, his wife of thirty eight years and two grown up sons, Rich and Will. He will be sorely missed.

Although Simon worked for a competitor in the same field as me, I always found him to be both friendly and excellent company socially, and I’m reliably informed that he enjoyed camping and hiking, music (especially Queen) and was heavily involved in the scouts as a leader. He loved technology, especially IT, and also enjoyed riding his motorcycle and F1.

Meet the company that has been to every K

TKIT Electroheat, part of the Inhe & Tesch group of companies, celebrated being one of only a handful of companies that have exhibited at every K show.

Heating-Cooling combinations was the focus of Ihne & Tesch’s trade fair presentation. The HAK system is one such innovation.

“Through its compact design made of areacovering, highly heatconductive aluminium, very small temperature

di erences can be realised in the auger cylinder,” said UK Co-ordinator Abderahmane Ouhbi, describing the advantages. In addition, stresses and material deposits would be reduced and machine productivity and product quality would be increased.

Conventional systems such as HKK (ceramic) or HKC (ceramic with Cu cooling fins) allow rapid heating, but do not lead to nearly as homogeneous a temperature distribution as is achieved with the HAK system, claims the firm.

“The cooling capacity is significantly increased by the extra enlargement of the radiating surface and the use of aluminium as a heat conducting element,” said Ouhbi.

3D simulations showed the optimised temperature distribution and air flow with the HAK. Thus, the heating on the contact side acts over the entire length of the zone and thus ensures an even distribution of heat. In addition, the arrangement of the cooling fins ensures an enlarged radiating surface and good air circulation in the cooling jacket.

“Like all our products, the high-performance heating-cooling combination aluminium compact with cooling fins is manufactured 100 percent inhouse,” said Ouhbi

Here we have my first column as PMMDA Chairman, having formally assumed responsibility for the role at our AGM at the beginning of November.

My intention had been to use this article to remind readers what we do as an Association.  However, that thought was quickly and sadly overtaken by the very sad news that Simon Wrighton of Arburg UK and Karl Perry of STV have both sadly passed away recently.

Simon started his working career in the plastics industry in 1981 selling used blow moulding, extrusion, vacuum forming and injection moulding machinery before joining ARBURG in December 1997, working for them for

Karl started his working career in 1970, moving to Dennis Leader, toolmakers and then BOY agents soon after. Exhibiting a flair for sales, he was moved into this role, and he eventually helped found the Spaceminster Group in 1982, which he ran very successfully until its’ sale in 1997. After a short sabbatical, he worked for a time in the USA, returning to the UK in 2000 with STV.

Karl brought a unique approach to what was, at the time, quite a conservative industry, and many of his then ‘new methods’ are still in use today.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my condolences to Simon’s family and to Karl’s family, and to thank Colin Tirel and Richard Perry amongst others, who kindly gave me an insight into the careers of Simon & Karl – they will both be sadly missed.

David Raine to succeed Nigel Flowers at Sumitomo Demag UK

IMAGE: Nigel Flowers (left) will be succeeded by David Raine (right)

FROM

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