EPPM 20.3

June/July 2018 Volume 20 | Issue 03

HIGH PERFORMANCE POLYMERS for the Healthcare Industry

Are now selling and distributing Cumberland machinery in the UK and Ireland MACHINERY TO THE PLASTICS MANUFACTURING AND RECYCLING INDUSTRY

An example of the impressive Cumberland range is as follows:

T50 Series

X Series

With a full range of size and design options to choose from, the T50 Series Granulator is the best choice for applications ranging from large injection or blow moulded scrap, furniture components and appliance parts. The tangential design offers the capacity to process many types of scrap with improved ingestion at a lower power requirement, while the offset design allows for higher throughput of lower density parts. Energy efficiency paired with heavy-duty design and ease-of-maintenance results in a granulation system with a low total cost of ownership.

X Series granulators offer strong, versatile, reliable power and performance. With a full range of size and design options to choose from, X Series granulators are your logical choice for applications ranging from large injection or blow moulded scrap, furniture components, and appliance parts.

Tangential Granulators

BTP Series Beside-the-Press

BTP Series Beside-the-Press Granulators offer solutions for processing edge trim, runners, and rejects in a compact footprint. BTP Series Granulators are offered in a range of sizes and throughput to deliver the right solution for your process.

Standard Features • 3 knife open rotor design for efficient size reduction • Rotating end discs for minimized friction and low heat granulation • CE controls • 5mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10mm screens • Safety interlocks • Low-profile, sound attenuated infeed system • Machined, bolted cutting chamber for simplified cleaning • Drop-down screen cradle for quick removal and maintenance

Central Granulators

Reduced Energy Consumption • Made possible by the TwinShear™ “scissor cutting” action rotor design.

• Uses lower energy consumption without sacrificing throughput performance.

Easy Accessibility & Cleanout • Due to split chamber design, which raises the upper half of the cutting chamber, and lowers the screen cradle and discharge assembly via hydraulic cylinders.

• Simplifies access for knife adjustments.

• Air evacuation piping system does not need to be disconnected.

Application Flexibility • Configurations are available for many types of applications and client specific requirements.

• Multiple options available for: Infeeds, rotors, cutting chambers, and evacuation systems.

Birmingham Granulators Ltd continues to supply used machinery and offers overhaul and refurbishment programs as well as on-site breakdown and routine service visits. They also supply a full range of spares, including blades, screens, blowers, cyclones and pipework, together with a blade sharpening service.

UK & Ireland Agents for An ACS Group Brand

For more information contact Tim Aaronricks, Managing Director, Birmingham Granulators Ltd Tel: 0044 1827 838840 Email: info@granulators.org Website: www.granulators.org

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Volume 20 Issue 03

IN THIS ISSUE Pg 6

Pg 24

INDUSTRY NEWS

TPES/TPUS

The VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2018 in Madrid has been one of the highlights of our year so far, so our issue opens with our report of the two-day conference. We also touch on how plastics technology is supporting the World Cup 2018 in Russia.

The technology in your sports shoes is much more sophisticated than you might think.

Our reporter Grace Nolan explores how Lubrizol is advancing TPU materials for high-performance footwear.

Pg 10 COVER STORY Risk management in the medical supply chain is a huge part of getting parts to market – and for plastics, ALBIS can help you navigate the labyrinthine process.

Pg 12 MEDICAL Our Medical spotlight is ram-packed with technical insights from the likes of SABIC and KraussMaffei, while we return to Sutrue and how the handheld suturing device is now a working prototype thanks to 3D printing.

Pg 20 TESTING & INSPECTION Crash testing new composite materials for automotive manufacturing is expensive, but the experts at e-Xstream Engineering enlightened us at JEC World in Paris this year, where they were launching a new testing program.

Pg 22 ENGINEERING PLASTICS Engineering plastics are a hugely competitive field, as chemical resistance and heat resistance become ever more crucial in a growing number of metal replacement applications. We stop in on Stratasys, which is developing engineering plastics for 3D printing, and leader in this field Solvay.

head office Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, Chester, CH4 9QE. Tel. +44 (0) 1244 680222 Fax. +44 (0) 1244 671074 Web: www.eppm.com C.E.O. duncan wood

editorial editor rose brooke rose.brooke@rapidnews.com editorial assistant grace nolan grace.nolan@rapidnews.com

production

Pg 26 NPE REVIEW NPE2018 was one of the heaviest shows on the planet this year and it wasn’t just the mega-tonnage of the machinery on the show floor that caught our eye.

art & production robert wood

advertising head of media sales lisa montgomery lisa@rapidnews.com senior sales executive david roberts david.roberts@rapidnews.com

Pg 30 CHINAPLAS REVIEW We look back on another record-smashing CHINAPLAS, which took place at its new digs in Shanghai’s NECC.

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Pg 32 PLAST 2018 REVIEW Beautiful Milano, the home of Italy’s most iconic fashion houses, most delicious pasta with fresh porcini and saffron, and the number one plastics show for Italy’s plastics processing industry. We review the three-day event.

outside qualifying criteria £249 please subscribe online at www.eppm.com Address changes should be emailed to subscriptions@rapidnews.com European Plastic Product Manufacturer is published by Rapid Plastics Media Ltd.

Pg 34 FINAL WORD Injection moulding has a serious gender balance problem. Rose Brooke looks into the economic consequences of having such a gaping diversity gap.

Each issue is distributed in print and digital format to 17,845 buyers and specifiers in the European plastic processing industry. © June/July 2018 While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained within European Plastic Product Manufacturer is accurate, the publisher accepts no liability for information published in error, or for views expressed.

All rights for European Plastic Product Manufacturer are reserved, and reproduction in part or whole without written permission is strictly prohibited.

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The experts in pigments and additives for the plastics sector Venator is the new name for Huntsman Pigments and Additives. We’re still the same worldleading experts in titanium dioxide pigments and performance additives, which include color pigments, functional additives, timber and water treatment chemicals.

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Our products are essential to thousands of everyday items that are part of millions of lives around the world. They bring color and add vibrancy; reduce energy consumption; protect the environment; extend shelf life and help improve the quality of life of consumers everywhere.

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From The Editor

Just for kicks Just like roundabouts, coffee and croissants, football is a quintessential part of European culture and there is no escaping it in-season or out. So, it is little wonder that the World Cup 2018 in Russia has made it into this edition of EPPM, seeing as the international soccer tournament is now in full swing.

We’ve covered the use of polymer science in sportswear and training shoes between these glossy covers many times before, and yet it is always exciting to see how plastics are helping advance a sport, enabling players to achieve incredible things with their athletic bodies, while making the experience all the more comfortable for spectators.

I find it fascinating writing about plastics processing and the chemistry, engineering, research and marketing that goes into every aspect of manufacturing plastic products, especially when you can relate to the end product. That’s why it was so wonderful to get the chance to tour the Bernabéu Stadium and museum in Madrid, as part of the VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2018 delegates’ agenda.

It was eye-opening to compare the modern game to football of just a few decades ago. It’s hard to imagine football being the fast-paced game it is today with stitched leather balls on the pitch, rather than the nippy Telstar 18 in use at the World Cup, while the athletes playing in the early 20th Century practically wore army boots compared to the super light footwear that enables today’s athletes to run faster, control the ball more accurately and kick more powerfully. You can learn more about the technology that goes into modern sports shoes in our TPEs/TPUs section.

The VinylPlus Sustainability Forum has become one of the hottest tickets on the continent for information-sharing about how the

It’s hard to imagine football being the fast-paced game it is today with stitched leather balls on the pitch, rather than the nippy Telstar 18

plastics industry can be more circular, and this issue opens with our coverage of the event, before launching into our special medical feature starring ALBIS on the cover, discussing the thorny issue of supply chain risk management for medical plastics. We also return to Sutrue, the handheld suturing device made possible with 3D printing.

I hope you enjoy this latest issue of EPPM, and best of luck to your teams in Russia this month.

Rose Brooke, Editor

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INDUSTRY

VSF2018 puts Circular Economy under spotlight The annual VinylPlus Sustainability Forum was in Madrid in May 2018 and shone the spotlight on how Circular Economy really applies to contemporary PVC applications.

WORDS | Rose Brooke

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he cultural melting pot of glorious Madrid made for a fine backdrop for the VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2018, where the theme of the two-day meeting of minds in PVC manufacture, recycling, best practice, legislation and converting explored the topic of Meeting Societal Needs.

General Manager of VinylPlus Brigitte Dero opened proceedings on May 16th 2018, touching on the shifting sands of international politics and how circular economy in plastics has evolved since the last meeting in Berlin in 2017.

“The perception of plastics has become very negative,” she stated. “PVC has made enormous progress but we cannot relax. In the context of negative public opinion we must continue to make PVC even more sustainable.”

Sustainability challenges The first session homed in on the PVC industry and sustainability challenges facing the American, Australian and Indian markets, as well as the international PVC windows market.

General Manager of Formosa Plastics Corporation Dick Heinle took a holistic standpoint on the challenges facing the PVC industry, which needs to encourage

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more young people into it to help bring sustainable solutions to help the industry serve an ageing population, align with industrial capacity reform, and shrink its carbon footprint.

PVC is primarily a North American and European technology. This was one of the main hypotheses presented

by Matthias Koch, Head of Strategic Marketing for VEKA, who presented the changes and obstacles facing the international PVC windows industry.

Koch revealed that the key to bringing more sustainable PVC solutions for construction to emerging markets is ‘glocalisation’, which means combining the global essence of companies such as VEKA, with a local footprint and competence of a management team.

Bright future in emerging markets Where infrastructure is required on scale, Reliance Industries’ Aruna Kumari revealed the Indian market is at an interesting point in its evolution thanks to industry reforms, efficient access to capital, and the Modi government initiative of Make In India.

“There are new emerging opportunities for PVC in India with sewerage systems,

sustainable cities, affordable furniture and so on. PVC in India has a very very bright future,” said Kumari.

She noted that maintaining a sustainable PVC industry should be a priority and with the guidance of the global PVC industry, India can achieve this. This sentiment of support from the wider PVC industry was echoed by Chief Executive of the Vinyl Council of Australia Sophi Macmillan, who noted that thanks to its collaboration with VinylPlus and the ECVM, her organisation has been able to “punch above its weight” as a relatively small group.

Australia is pioneering best practice for the global PVC industry with medical PVC recycling schemes, pushing PVC in sustainable construction with PVC permanent form work and signatory company compliance, creating a culture for stakeholders to achieve 100 per cent compliance to achieve the gold standard benchmark set by the Vinyl Council of Australia.

More communication An interesting panel discussion followed, bringing together decisionmakers from Japan, Thailand, the ECVM and North America.

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Moderator Aine Curran, President of the Vinyl Institute of Canada and Chair of the Global Vinyl Council, was not afraid of admitting the sector’s shortcomings, namely communication with the public compared to environmental groups such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

“We haven’t spent a lot of time talking to the public and I think one of the decisions we’ve made is to make an effort to decide what audiences to focus on,” she said.

ECVM Senior Manager Arjen Sevenster added that in construction, PVC continues to be the sustainability champion, and with new directives for renovation and deep renovation, there is ample opportunity for windows, pipes and roofs.

Circular over-simplification Day two of the VinylPlus Sustainability Forum 2018 tackled the thorny issue of whether policy framework regards sustainability is fit for purpose.

The keynote presentation from Club of Rome Co-President and former European Parliament member Anders Wijkman set the tone for the morning, who was straightforward in

his assessment of the global economy and the inconvenient truths relating to global population and climate change.

He was not afraid to raise the issue of the over-simplification of Circular Economy. All materials lose value after the first cycle and in plastics 90 per cent of the original value is lost. A Circular Economy implies 100 per cent energy recovery, but some will always be lost.

Nevertheless, Wijkman was optimistic.

When referring to big brand owners such as Unilever and P&G, he said in 10 years they have come a long way as sustainability pioneers.

the Spanish Environment Ministry said that although in Spain many young people put the environment first, the biggest differences in opinion are between countries rather than between age groups.

The VinylPlus sustainability forum certainly supports the bigger message of global communication to achieve sustainability, and as VinylPlus Chairman Josef Ertl put succinctly: “VinylPlus is a lighthouse project in the quest for a plastics circular economy.”

Indeed, it is an organisation that is taking its stewardship seriously.” www.vinylplus.eu

“Don’t let the laggards decide the future,” he stated.

The weight of the challenge facing the global economy through the certainty of mathematics was reiterated by UNIDO’s Nilgun Tas, who revealed that 65 billion tons of raw materials are used every year. This is 22 kg every day for every person on the planet. Shockingly, one seven per cent will be re-used or recycled,

COMPEO

Next a panel discussion put the magnifying glass over the governmental standpoints either supporting or curtailing progress for sustainable PVC production, use and recycling. Circular Economy loomed large, and Timoteo de la Fuente Garcia of DG Grow, supported the theme of scrutiny by reminding the PVC industry that Circular Economy focuses only on the material resource, and that there is energy hiding within that.

The new BUSS compounder generation. Incredibly different.

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“Many legislators don’t understand that,” he said, adding that a strong contribution to carbon footprint reduction can be made in energy savings outside of the circular economy formula.

No such thing as unsustainable material Brigitte Dero took to the stage again in the afternoon looking forward to VinylPlus’ global engagement strategies to 2030 including working to become climate neutral and supporting the Green Cities for the Future Initiative.

This segued nicely into the final session of the day, covering the theme of PVC Products Contributing to a Sustainable Future. Wavin T&I’s Frans Alfernik explored the topic of PVC pipe versus bottled water, revealing that some studies show bottled water to have 30 times the environmental impact of PVC pipe for potable water.

In the following panel discussion, Mark Everard of the University of the West of England reminded the industry there is no such thing as a sustainable or unsustainable material, what matters is how it is used.

And in looking at differences in opinion about the importance of living sustainably, Belen Ramos Alcade of

Brand-new in Essen!

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29.05.18 11:00

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INDUSTRY

EU adopts new rules on waste management after EU Green Week New rules could have a big impact on plastic packaging processing and manufacture, as the EU launched new legislation following its Green Week event.

T

he EU announced during EU Green Week it has adopted new rules on waste management, including stricter city-waste recycling and landfill reduction targets.

Another target is to ensure that only 10 per cent or less of municipal waste reaches landfill by 2035 and a separate collection of bio-waste will become obligatory by 2023.

EU Green Week, Europe’s biggest environmental event dedicated to greening our cities took place from May 21st-25th 2018.

The rules aim to help cities to cut waste and boost recycling, improving the circular economy.

The new rules set targets for 55 per cent of all municipal waste to be recycled by 2025, 60 per cent by 2030 and 65 per cent by 2035.

Through events across Europe, and a policy conference in Brussels, EU Green Week showcased how the EU is working for cities and citizens.

One focus of the discussions was on EU rules on waste, water and air efficiency.

To help cities with developing sustainable urban strategies, Green Week also saw the launch of the new Green City Tool which allows cities to assess its green performance and rate themselves against other cities. www.eugreenweek.eu

IKEA products I to be made from renewable materials by 2030

KEA has collaborated with Neste in an ongoing project to eliminate virgin fossil-based raw materials in its plastic products.

Initiated in 2016 this collaboration has allowed IKEA and Neste to turn waste and residual raw materials, such as used cooking oil and sustainable vegetable oils into polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) plastic.

The pilot at commercial scale of PP and PE plastic, which will start in autumn this year, will produce materials with 20 per cent renewable content, while the production of bio-based plastics will be based on Neste’s 100 per cent renewable hydrocarbons.

Stylish, affordable and sustainable?

Has IKEA made the modern consumer’s furniture dreams come true by announcing its pledge to go virgin fossil fuel-based plastics-free?

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IKEA will use the new plastic in products that are part of the current product range, including plastic storage boxes. Starting with a limited number of products and as capacities improve, more products will follow.

Erik Ljungblad, Category Manager Plastic Products at IKEA of Sweden, said: “This new material represents a significant step towards a fossil-free future. No one has ever before been able to produce PP plastic from a fossil-free raw material other than on a laboratory scale. Together with Neste, we are ensuring that there is an opportunity to scale up the production of this material.” www.neste.us

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Plastics in the beautiful game

INDUSTRY

Plastics technology takes every major sporting event further in terms of player performance, the quality of the fields and spectator comfort, and the World Cup 2018 has yielded some big success stories for plastics processing for international soccer.

W

orld Cup Fever is back with the FIFA World Cup taking place across Russia for June and July. All eyes will be on the stars of the pitch, but what about the unsung heroes of internationallevel football? We mean of course, the materials science behind the beautiful game.

Ker-ching!

The Bank of Russia has issued polymer 100 rouble banknotes to commemorate the June 14th - July 15th event. Russian news agency Tass reported that 20 million notes of plastic currency will be circulated in every region of Russia, covering all 12 stadia. The front of the note shows a boy dreaming of playing worldclass football, while the back of the note depicts a soccer ball.

Golden balls Ball technology is always a hot topic at World Cup time, with the Adidas Telstar 18 ball getting the honour for this outing.

The official ball of World Cup 2018 contains the biobased EPDM rubber Keltan Eco from ARLANXEO, one of the world’s leading suppliers of synthetic rubber, and polyurethane Impranil and Dispercoll coatings developed by Covestro. The innermost layer of the ball skin is an adhesion coating that connects the textile substrate to the layers above. On top of this is a polyurethane foam layer, roughly one millimeter thick, made up of millions of gas-filled microspheres.

The EPDM rubber Keltan Eco 6950 is the rubber basis for a sponge rubber layer directly underneath the Telstar 18 ball’s outer cover. It serves as a mouldable cushion for the ball and supports optimal bounce characteristics during games.

Given the boot Ocean plastics and their use as a material in sportswear have been getting a lot of interest in the mainstream and Adidas – which manufactures sportswear containing ocean plastics in partnership with Parley for Oceans – will be bringing this message to the Women’s World Cup. Adidas is an unmissable brand at big sporting events and its Creativity is the Answer campaign, which unites creativity with green innovation, will be on show at the Russian football summit.

Adidas recently launched its UltraBOOST Parley, which has an 85 per cent ocean plastic Primeknit Upper.

New jersey Polymer science is lending itself to the ultimate compression shirts, enabling players to play in hot conditions without it affecting their performance too much. Puma has provided jerseys for ten World Cup teams including Uruguay, Senegal and Italy featuring its ACTV flexible technology, which promotes energy supply to specific muscles in the torso.

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Luzhniki luhking good One of Russia’s best-known stadia, Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow has been given a revamp for the World Cup, with plastics technology giving the 60-year-old arena a new lease of life. Now, the whole structure can be controlled to offer shelter in inclement weather, while comfortable plastic seating has replaced wooden benches, offering seating capacity to 81,000 spectators. The old roof has been coated with an anti-corrosive coating as well as a coating of polycarbonate offering shock resistance and a good finish that is weather-proof.

Moreover, the new-look stadium has had installations of 5.4km of pipe for sanitation and 76.5km of cabling making it a major triumph for plastics technology.

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COVER STORY

Risk management in the plastics supply chain for the healthcare sector Plastics can face challenges at every point along the medical and healthcare supply chain, but Albis has the expertise to make the journey a smooth one.

P

lastics have been used in healthcare applications for decades and, for the most part, without major issues. In fact, they have brought many benefits to professionals and patients alike in terms of both single use and more durable devices. They achieve this through improved treatment flexibility and accessibility, making home care more manageable for both patients and carers, while allowing for improved drug delivery systems by contributing added Plastics have an important functionality, properties and design role to play in the healthcare potential. Plastics have an important to play in the healthcare sector sector and can rightly claim role and can rightly claim to play a vital to play a vital role in helping role in helping advance medical care.

This role is not always recognised, advance medical care and high-profile cases often shed the plastics sector in a poor light.

ALBIS works with all stakeholders to ensure the correct material selection and appropriate specifications are used managing and controlling a key risk in the supply chain.

This article will look at the medical plastics supply chain; what the drivers are, who is involved, how are things managed (differently), and how Albis can support its customers to manage these difficult waters.

For Albis, the critical focus of the supply chain is on sharing information, regardless of whether it is ‘good’ or ‘bad’. It has to be the main attribute of all medical plastic support packages, regardless of the specifics of that package. Consider a self-medicating drug delivery such as an asthma inhaler or insulin pen; devices can vary greatly in terms of design complexity and the number of materials used/needed. So with that in mind, let’s focus on the supply chain possibilities.

The plastic will be supplied either direct by the polymer producer/ specialist compounder or via a distributor. Numerous factors will influence the choice of supplier but it is key that a partner with expertise in the healthcare sector is chosen to help ensure management of risk in the supply chain.

Use of colour is common in healthcare applications as an increasingly important safety guide, providing a simple way to ensure the patient knows they have the correct device or medication regardless of age, fitness or literacy level. Colour can be added using masterbatch at the injection moulding machine or during the compounding process; either way this introduces more complexity into the supply chain.

The device specification usually comes from the OEM while material selection may be controlled either by the OEM or could be delegated to their system/contract supplier, design house or consultancy firm. In order to meet the device specification and to control the materials of construction, a further specification is required and may be delegated somewhere else along the supply chain, again increasing complexity.

For colouring plastics; a masterbatch can be purchased as an ‘off the shelf’ solution, or customised. It may also be designated by the masterbatch producer as “medical” offering similar change control and certification as the base medical resin.

Who is involved?

The OEM could produce the device themselves. They may have one or several converters produce device components and then assemble themselves or they might use a contract or system supplier who produces, assembles and potentially fills the device for them.

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Albis can help select the right material with the correct support level as well as address the material-related challenges faced with the change of MDD and IVDD to MDR and IVDR

Indeed, lack of information and management around standard masterbatches may lead to choosing the proprietary/’medical masterbatch’ route despite less choice and higher cost. However, even when the masterbatch is controlled, the converter still has to ensure dosing validation and maintain those parameters. Alternatively, coloured compounds can be used. The specification of the compound covers the plastic, the colour, any additional functional additives and the mixing process removing a validation step, control of a second material and second producer (where third party is used to compound in colour). The choice will depend largely on the risk/reward balance considering the cost, the specific component, expertise of the converter, reliability of the masterbatch/compound supplier and their product.

Compounds have further and a possibly more significant benefit.

The number of plastics supported in Healthcare are limited as are the support packages and properties, but a compound can be designed to allow tailor-made, bespoke solutions considering all customer needs, increasing flexibility and delivering more design opportunities, improved device safety and functionality. Infinitely better and safer than using “a material not intended for use in medical applications”.

Just like medical resins suppliers, the compound manufacturer has specified formulations, process parameters, additive suppliers all of which need to be carefully controlled; Albis manage this with the Alcom Med product range.

Drivers and what’s done differently With this background, it is clear there are various supply chain possibilities where controls are needed at multiple interfaces, to ensure selection of the right material, consistent products and processes.

Responsibility for this, while ultimately remaining with the OEM, could have been delegated to the “experts” in any particular stage.

Therefore. it is crucial to share information and understand what is critical for risk management along the whole chain. This may involve inter alia, change control, sharing specifications, quality

agreements, site audits, safety stock, and managing lead times etc.

Most of these are not in general supported by plastic producers for standard businesses, but are a key part of the new healthcare legislation like MDR 2017/745.

Information sharing often includes an initial medical request or risk assessment form from plastics suppliers and/or a material/ quality questionnaire from the evaluator of materials. These forms can be met with some frustration because this is different for standard products/applications and is time-consuming, but this method does formalise sharing and recording information. Thought from both sides has gone into developing them and they help to select the appropriate materials, with correct levels of support; it avoids potential issues, costs and delays in the future regarding inappropriate material selections.

How is Albis supporting the use of plastics in healthcare applications?

Albis recently strengthened its Healthcare Business team to create market-leading, pan-European coverage with a primary function to globally support new applications to market.

Through their broad portfolio of dedicated healthcare plastics, Albis can help select the right material with the correct support level as well as address the material-related challenges faced with the change of MDD and IVDD to MDR and IVDR, and the introduction of new USP chapters like 661.1. Albis work directly within industry committees and expert groups (such as MedPharmPlast Europe and USP) as well as supporting medical focus group within wider reaching organisations (such as VDI), and has a unique perspective as a distributor of medical plastics and as a licenced compounder to supply coloured versions of medical resins.

In addition, and as a complementary offering to the broad portfolio of distribution products, Albis is launching the tailor-made ALCOM MED brand of healthcare compounds to fit function and regulatory requirements of customers and thus minimise the complexity mentioned above.

To deliver this customer orientated offering, Albis has initiated implementation of a specific medical quality management system.

Aligning with the MDR requirements on Quality Management Systems, the validation will be supported by a dedicated Quality Manager for ALCOM MED.

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www.albis.com

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MEDICAL

Live-in skin

Booster pack

Polyplastics’ TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer has been employed to injectionmould a cutting-edge new insulin delivery device from Valeritas Holdings’ V-Go. The device offers patients with Type 2 diabetes a simple, affordable, all-inone option that is worn like a patch and can eliminate the need for taking multiple daily shots. Available in the US, the device is made with TOPAS COC. After thorough research and evaluation, the material was selected over competitive thermoplastics due to its purity, drug compatibility, biocompatibility, and dimensional stability.

In response to changing labelling demands, global packaging leader Amcor has given its Cramlington, UK, plant a financial boost to help meet customers’ needs across Europe.

Amcor’s latest digital printing press is now online at the site and is the company’s third major investment in new presses across its European operations since 2016. This new press joins two UV-Flexo presses already in operation at Amcor’s sites in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, and Alzira, Spain, as well as other existing digital printing capabilities. Using the trio of presses, Amcor is manufacturing packages for healthcare-product companies, large and small - offering greater flexibility and achieving lower costs, even in shorter runs.

www.polyplastics.com

www.amcor.com

Another dimension Opening up more routes for 3D printing in medical, materials giant DSM has entered a partnership with specialist firm Chromatic 3D Materials to introduce thermoset materials for 3D printing. The two firms will jointly develop thermoset materials that DSM says its customers are looking for to 3D print end-use applications. Initial products to be rolled out by DSM include industrial-grade soft and durable thermosets, which are complementary to the firm’s current portfolio of thermoplastics for fused filament fabrication (FFF).

On your marks For traceability and labelling in medical manufacturing, FOBA marking solutions have been optimised for sensitive plastics. The M3000-UV 2 watt UV-laser marking station with optional integrated camera completes an existing range of wave lengths in the M-series. The UV laser is most appropriate to mark sensitive material, as it creates only low heat level.

The range of applications includes materials like silicone, HDPE, PET or PVC. FOBA’s marking systems with integrated camera enable pre- and post-inspection of parts and marking results, and provide exact alignment of the marking relative to the position of the product. www.foba.com

www.dsm.com

Silicone queen The Queen’s Award for Enterprise has been awarded to Trio Healthcare for its silicone adhesive that prevents abdominal stomas from leaking. Abdominal stomas are surgically created intestinal openings which are a result of treating conditions such as colorectal and bladder cancer, Crohn’s or colitis. The stoma outputs waste in an odourproof bag. Ostomates occasionally have to deal with some leakage and damaged to the skin, which has a dramatic impact on their wellbeing.

Trio developed the secure Trio Responsive Silicone adhesive to address the issue. The company’s research team modified the chemical make-up of the silicone formulation to develop a silicone that allows the skin to breath normally, while maintaining a secure seal.

Commercial break Cellene TPEs from Colorite, a Tekni-Plex business unit specialising in custom medical-grade compounds, are growing in commercial popularity worldwide. While PVC compounds still command the majority of market share, TPE alternatives are ideal for those desiring non-phthalate containing materials. “The material is gaining traction globally in a number of applications—such as drip chambers, IV and peristaltic pump tubing — looking for alternatives to PVC and silicone,” said Heath Schmid. Cellene compounds are formulated to be silicone, latex, phthalate, halogen and PVC-free using FDA-compliant raw materials to meet USP Class VI and ISO 10993 standards.

triohealthcare.co.uk

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www.tekni-plex.com/colorite

MEDICAL

Perfecting design through multi-typing with 3D printing Medical device prototyping is a time-consuming process, but Alex Berry has been perfecting his Sutrue suturing device using 3D printing technology and a system he calls ‘multi-typing’.

WORDS | Rose Brooke

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wo and a half years ago, EPPM first introduced Sutrue to the European plastics processing community. Back then, the company was little more than founder Alex Berry and his Formlabs desktop 3D printer who, together with surgeon Mr Richard Trimlett of the Royal Brompton With additive Hospital in London, was developing a unique manufacturing, suturing device.

you can progress a design faster by prototyping it in plastic

Today, Sutrue is at an interesting chapter of its development. A team of three with new offices outside of London, Berry’s invention is now a working prototype, so EPPM thought it was time to find out more about how the processing and materials development has helped to evolve the Sutrue device.

Berry has coined the phrase ‘multi-typing’ for developing the prototypes for both his designs, namely a handheld suturing device and an endoscopic/robotic suturing device.

“So the whole process of the evolution of the robotic device was in plastics, while the final version will be in steel,” Berry explained.

“With additive manufacturing, you can progress a design faster by prototyping it in plastic.”

He explained that 3D printing plays an important role in select parts of creating the Sutrue devices. While 3D printing is ideal for aspects such as the head of the robotic device, the materials available for working prototypes are simply not strong enough for some components such as the arm of the endoscopic robot. But where 3D printing is the best technology for the job, it excels.

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Multi-man hours Berry produced some 38 different prototypes and designs, testing over 1,500 parts amounting to some 15,000 hours of development resulting in the now patented automated suturing technology that is a functioning, working demonstration model. Berry’s man hours into the Sutrue project would have been far greater, however, had it not been for multi-typing.

“With the head of the robotic device, in a surgical scenario there isn’t much room to manoeuvre. Our device has to go inside and the head has to rotate so it can engage,” Berry explained. “It goes in, and the head turns and you’ve only got 12 mm to work that mechanism because that’s the diameter of the tube everything in an endoscopic procedure has to fit through.”

“So with multi-typing, I would have a thought on how the head is going to rotate ... It has to rotate, it has to engage, it has to articulate in that little area. So as I was going along the process of finessing where everything would be positioned, instead of 200 hours of trying to design it and not knowing how it was going to work, I could design it loosely and have three or four ideas I could print at the same time. This is the multi-typing idea, allowing me to see which one was closest to the mark then redevelop that three or four times.

Multi-typing allowed Berry to prototype without having to start at the beginning if one design concept was not perfect enough.

Desktop 3D printing on the Formlabs Form 2 was the ideal tool and its photopolymer resin the ideal material for efficient, quick-fire workbench prototyping.

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It doesn’t seem like anybody else is taking the step of producing medical products with lots of internal components by printing it and making it work as a prototype

Historical accuracy Some of Berry’s prototyping has been carried out using ProJet additive manufacturing technology developed by 3D Systems.

Berry uses a service bureau to access ProJet technology, which allows him to create ultra-accurate prototypes, because while the Form 2 offers desktop convenience, ProJet technology offers Sutrue ‘historical accuracy’, which is essential for such miniscule precision parts to function in a demonstration scenario.

“For one particular component, which is the track the needle goes around, it has to be very smooth so that nothing catches the needle, and very accurate because it's not a big needle,” he explained, adding that Sutrue may try producing this part in nylon because if it's in nylon, theoretically, the whole device could be sterilised.

Nylon prototypes are on the table to allow the Sutrue technology to meet regulatory requirements and be fully compliant, but for now, as the prototype functions but is not being used in any human surgery, the incumbent materials will suffice.

Berry speaks very highly of the Form 2, treating it almost like a lab partner he works alongside, allowing him to develop prototypes within three or four hours. While using a ProJet via a bureau guarantees accuracy, there is the additional aspect of time and cost, so when multi-typing, the inventor multitypes at four times the scale as he would on a Form 2.

For working parts, ProJet 3D polymer 3D printing materials are the best Berry can hope for. The Form 2 produces parts with support material on the parts that require the greatest amount of accuracy, which can be challenging to remove at the scale required to ensure the mechanism works with the utmost smoothness. While at prototyping stage this is not so much of a problem, Berry noted that at any scale larger than creating prototypes, it would be too time-consuming to add this process into producing a single device. Berry tried other 3D printing technologies but settled on the ProJet for its superior results.

BENEFITS OF SUTRUE ROBOTIC/ENDOSCOPIC SUTURING DEVICE Vs FORCEPS • Reduction in number of open operations • Increased speed of suturing – one-third of a second compared to 25 seconds per stitch • Increased access to hard-to-reach places • Increased accuracy of suturing due to reduction of human error.

While Sutrue technology comprises metal moving parts, the 3D-printed components in plastics are vital to making it work as a prototype.

“It doesn’t seem like anybody else is taking the step of functioning medical products with lots of internal components by printing it and making it work as a prototype,” Berry said.

The device is printed so the metal parts can be dropped in and set with locking liquid. Aside from the handle, which contains the motor for the device, a Sutrue suturing device can be put together in 10 minutes.

So what next for Sutrue? Berry and his team celebrated the robotic arm fully functioning in demonstrations in February 2018, and now it is a case of putting the Sutrue technology into the market.

BENEFITS OF HANDHELD SUTURING DEVICE Vs TRADITIONAL SUTURING • The potential to save the NHS £10.7 million a year • Safer and more accurate • Increased needle force and the option to reduce needle size • Reduction of needle stick injuries • Procedures can be performed in the field by less skilled users.

www.sutrue.com

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MEDICAL

SABIC champions AM for medical manufacturing At NPE2018, SABIC launched three new 3D printing filaments – two of which have been optimised for medical manufacturing, allowing medical device manufacturers to take a design from prototype to end part seamlessly without compromising on quality.

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he SABIC stand at NPE2018 was a colourful showcase of the very cutting edge of plastics materials science, with 3D printing technology for medical at the sharpest point.

In addition to launching ULTEM AM1010F filament for 3D printing products for hightemperature applications and tooling, the chemicals leader proudly showcased ULTEM AMHU1010F and LEXAN AMHC620F for healthcare.

The main benefit of these new materials is the fact they can be used both for prototyping and end-use parts. This is key to SABIC’s strategy of extending the scope of 3D printing – especially in high-accountability environments.

To complement this ongoing materials development, SABIC is also applying its broad expertise in materials, processing and design optimisation – as well as deep knowledge and experience in healthcare – to enhance additive manufacturing technologies in a broader sense.

The launch of these three additional filaments ... continue expanding our additive manufacturing product portfolio

EPPM was lucky enough to get a tour of the SABIC stand in the Orange County Convention Center’s impressive South Hall at NPE2018 in Orland in May, where the SABIC experts were on hand to demonstrate ULTEM for healthcare, which takes the material from filament to a complex part seamlessly through 3D printing.

The star of the show was the 3D-printed cast for supporting the adult forearm. Produced in attractive colours, the cast was a good demonstration model to showcase the benefits of 3D printing with ULTEM for design flexibility and customisable medical products – a growing trend. Alongside the cast, there were many examples of ergonomicallydesigned handles and medical device trays, quickly produced for maximum efficiency.

The new ULTEM AMHU1010F and LEXAN AMHC620F filaments are made with SABIC healthcare-grade resins and offer traceability. SABIC states that new healthcare application development can become more efficient by using these filaments in prototypes, as the same base resin materials are available in injection moulding grades for production.

ULTEM AMHU1010F filament is a polyetherimide, manufactured from ULTEM HU1010 healthcaregrade resin that provides inherent high heat resistance. The unpigmented filament is biocompatible and sterilisable with gamma radiation, ethylene oxide or steam autoclaving. It is UL94 V-0 compliant at 1.5 mm and 5VA compliant at 3.0 mm. LEXAN AMHC620F polycarbonate filament, available in white, is also biocompatible and can be sterilised with gamma or ethylene oxide and meets UL94HB rating at 1.5mm.

Both new filaments deliver excellent mechanical performance and are potentially suitable for a wide variety of medical devices, as working prototypes and for manufacture at volume. The new 3D printing materials are well-suited to customised or personalised applications including surgical instruments, single-use devices and casts/splints such as the one holding court at NPE2018.

“Our commitment to provide customers with advanced, high-performance compounds and filaments for additive manufacturing remains strong,” said Keith Cox, Senior Business Manager, Additive Manufacturing, SABIC. “[The] launch of these three additional filament products, together with plans to continue expanding our additive manufacturing product portfolio, demonstrate SABIC’s determination to further the evolution of this technology and enable application innovation.” www.sabic.com

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MEDICAL

Precision processing PX 25 FACTS • 250 kN clamping force • Micro-injection moulding with LSR • Precise shot weight consistency

From micro to max: KraussMaffei has optimised its PX 25 for medical precision injection moulding with liquid silicone.

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raussMaffei welcomed hundreds of customers, friends, international staff and the media to its Competence Forum in Munich in Whether solid or liquid, June 2018, where it made numerous KraussMaffei makes announcements, silicone processing including the launch of a new process for safe and simple silicone processing for small parts.

The new, small PX 25 manufactures sealing rings made from LSR by micro-injection moulding. HTV sealing mats are formed on the CX 200. The new AZ50 material feeding unit completes the material conveying, while KraussMaffei’s APC Plus control technology ensures the most consistent component weight on both machines.

The APC Plus machine function ensures the most weight-consistent components.

It regulates the changeover point from the injection to the holding pressure phase individually for each shot and levels out the viscosity fluctuations in the melt. The specific property patterns for various materials are stored in the machine in a database, as are the low-viscosity LSR and solid silicone. APC Plus adjusts the injection process precisely to the application and the material within the same shot.

Applications for silicone processing extend beyond medical, but the PX 25 is optimised for producing precision silocone parts for medical. The market for silicone processing is growing by double digits worldwide because the material has excellent chemical properties along with flexibility and temperature resistance, while it is resistant to aging, fire and bacteria.

Partners to the PX 25 showcase included Dow Silicones (material), ACH Solution GmbH (mold), AVR Tech Innovations GmbH (HoloLens) and gwk Gesellschaft Wärme Kältetechnik GmbH. www.kraussmaffei.com

KraussMaffei showcased a PX 25 with a 250 kN clamping force for the first time at its Competence Forum and 180th anniversary, and used the event to demonstrate the manufacture of products with low shot weight for use in medical technology.

"The current application with a cycle time of just 14 seconds illustrates that [it is optimised for medical]. A radial seal made from LSR with an intricate undercut and a weight of only 0.15 grams a product in the micro-injection moulding business area is being produced.” said Jochen Mitzler, Manager of Market Intelligence and Product Management at KraussMaffei.

"Whether solid or liquid, KraussMaffei makes silicone processing safe and simple.”

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MEDICAL

War on Plastics: The case for medical As the war on plastics continues to rage, with new levies and surcharges proposed, and emotionally charged environmental counterarguments, the truth becomes increasingly clouded and harder to discern.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK’s Nigel Flowers explores the medical manufacturing side of the argument.

WORDS |Nigel Flowers, Managing Director, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK

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lastic pollution is the environmental issue of the moment but rather than suggesting new ways to staunch the flow of plastic waste into our oceans, perhaps we should reflect on the impact if plastic left our world altogether.

depending on prosthetic limbs, a number of components are now made from plastic to improve comfort and offer increased flexibility.

Developments in 3D polymer printing technology will open the door to custom made joints and limbs.

What’s undeniable is the impact on modern day living would be considerable and certainly not as comfortable. We’re not just talking convenience packaging. Mobile phones, or any electrical device for that matter, would be virtually eradicated or uneconomical to produce. As the third Disposable devices are biggest user of plastics, after packaging proven to significantly and construction, without it innovation reduce the risk of cross would stall.

Plastic remains a fundamental component in hearing devices and ear implants, and for the 70 per cent of us who wear glasses and prescription lenses, plastic is now widely deployed to reduce weight, aiding transportation costs and preventing breakage. And for every disposable contact lens that’s manufactured, injection moulding creates a bespoke mould.

infection among patients.

Examining the medical field, plastic has revolutionised patient care, increasing safety and making procedures simpler and faster to perform. Notably, plastics have contributed to a reduction in medical costs, infectious disease and improved pain management for millions of people.

Medical items we take for granted, such as disposable syringes, intravenous blood bags and heart valves are made of plastic.

Disposable devices are proven to significantly reduce the risk of cross infection among patients. Sterile plastic packaging and plastic medical disposables in particular contribute to keeping the rates of Staphylococcal infections low.

By 2030, most vehicles on the road will be electric. This phasing out of conventional petrol and diesel vehicles will lead to a greater reliance on plastic, due to its lightweighting properties.

Alternative materials continue to be developed, and although we could potentially reduce our dependence on plastics derived from fossil-based resource, right now bioplastics represents around one per cent of the annual plastics production.

In truth, making a real difference will require a joint effort, with industry stakeholders, manufacturers, suppliers and consumers being better informed and educated about the challenges, and having legislative and regulatory frameworks that actively promote sustainable development and supports innovation.

Modern day prosthetic devices use high tech polymers to improve mobility for some 45,000 people in England alone. For those

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www.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu

Whatever the material – Tinius Olsen has the solution The VEM Series of Video Extensometers

KILL HARMFUL BACTERIA that leads to infections with COMBAT™ antimicrobial silver ion-based compounds • Blended directly into the polymer or available in universal masterbatch carrier format • Let down ratio from 2% to 10% (depending on the polymer) • Can be incorporated into many polymers (ie: TPU, PC, ABS) • Kills rates up to log 6 reduction (depending on polymer and bacteria)

• • • •

Sub-micron resolution Multiple modules Non-contacting

• Record, playback • Strain mapping/DIC • Scaleable LED lighting

The Combat™ antimicrobial product line includes fine particle size (Combat™ AD) with high proportioned ionic silver and larger particle size (Combat™ AK) with lower proportioned ionic silver.

Post-process functionality

www.tiniusolsen.com sales@tiniusolsen.co.uk 01737 765001

PH: +49 251 32266-0 Email: foster@medneteurope.com www.fostercomp.com

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TESTING & INSPECTION

eXstream brings disruptive tech to automotive testing Digimat 2018, launched by Hexagon’s e-Xstream engineering at JEC World 2018, promises to shake up automotive composite parts testing. We caught up with the company at the show in Paris earlier this year.

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WORDS Brooke engineering, whose parent company MSC Software mid the slick finishes and ice-cool design of JEC World 2018| Rose e-Xstream in Paris in March, one product launch promised a special was acquired by Hexagon in 2017, uses 3D design software to kind of disruption. validate designs using Digimat. The truly disruptive part of this technology is that it allows for slight adjustments to be made On the first day of the event, e-Xstream engineering launched a to the simulation to ensure thorough testing without having to new material modelling platform which could revolutionise how return to square one every time – saving crucial time and money. automotive and aerospace manufacturers test their composite parts, saving time and money and bringing “With composite technology, you have a very strong plastic part new innovations to market in notoriously that is high performance and low weight, but you have to know Digimat can tell you conservative industries. how to manufacture it,” explained El Hachemi. “Digimat can tell how it will perform you how it will perform using the material data without making EPPM was lucky enough to sit down with multiple prototypes.” using the material data without making multiple e-Xstream’s electric Worldwide Sales Director Zoubida El Hachemi who explained prototypes that the business of testing composites is Speedy development in the 15-year-old company’s DNA.

“Digimat software is named after ‘digital material’, and we’re focusing on composite materials,” she explained. “As with bringing any new material into production, you have to know how that material is going to behave, so you test it. But that costs a lot of money.”

Design validation The latest edition of Digimat 2018 offers OEMs advanced efficiency on a highly intuitive platform connecting them to moulding manufacturing data and extended additive manufacturing material, process and part performance capabilities.

Digimat helps OEMs to record heat resistance, creep and the structure of the composites to know how they will perform in the instance of a crash, providing detailed structural analysis. As testing a car crash just once costs around €1 million, being able to test a composite material’s performance 1,000 times digitally is a vital resource.

“Digimat 2018 provides CAE engineers, materials scientists and specialists in manufacturing with a comprehensive, reliable solution that speeds up the development process for composite materials and structures,” noted Dr Roger Assaker, Chief Material Strategist of MSC Software and CEO of e-Xstream engineering.

“This market-leading platform plays an integral part in the concept-to-production workflow.” www.e-xstream.com

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TESTING & INSPECTION

Bunting tech installed at plastics training centre An FF Drawer Filter Magnet from Bunting Magnetics Europe has been installed at a major plastics technology training facility in the UK. The Polymer Training and Innovation Centre in Telford has acquired an FF Drawer Filter Magnet from Bunting Magnetics Europe.

The magnetic separator has been installed in a plastics production line allowing users taking advantage of the facility to include the technology in their mock-up plastics processing production line.

The Polymer Training and Innovation Centre has working production-sized plastics manufacturing equipment for injection moulding, blow moulding, thermoforming, materials handling, and a wide range of other important ancillary equipment.

“We have great support from the industry and equipment manufacturers such as Bunting,” said Technical Trainer, Andrew Dermody. “This support means that we can deliver practical training, with a hands-on approach, and that is the best way for our delegates to learn. Having the Drawer Filter Magnet installed exactly as it would be in a production plant, is an ideal way to show our students best-practice and highlight the importance of metal removal.”

Bunting supplied the FF Drawer Filter Magnet in March 2018. The Magnetic Separator has a transparent front plate so that operators are able to see the material passing through or held within the system. Virgin plastic beads fall from the hopper through two rows of high strength Tube Magnets, which attract and hold any magnetically susceptible materials. The Tube

Magnets use ultra-strong, permanent, Neodymium Rare Earth Magnets.

Removing all metal contamination ensures that the final plastic product is free from defects and reduces the amount of waste and potential damage to moulding machines. buntingeurope.com

Mettler Toledo publishes expertise on conformity for food packaging The importance of conformity in the realm of food packaging should not be underestimated, according to a new white paper from Mettler Toledo.

Ensuring Conformity of Packaged Food is a new white paper published by Mettler Toledo, which addresses the importance of conformity in food packaging manufacturing, as pressure rises to ensure high-quality, uniform, safe packaging to meet industry requirements.

“Official recall figures show that non-conforming food products, due to unwanted contaminants or inaccurate labelling, are at an all-time high,” said Daniela Verhaeg, Mettler Toledo the Product Inspection. “Packaged food manufacturers clearly need a thorough understanding of conformity and what it entails: not only to avoid costly product recalls, but also to retain and grow their reputation for quality and consistency. Our aim with this white paper is to give all manufacturers and brand owners – irrespective of size or trading location – the knowledge needed to be game changers in a highly competitive packaged food environment.”

The white paper addresses numerous important challenges such as the definition of conformity and compliance, and what is driving different stakeholders to achieve conformity and how they can achieve it with cutting-edge technology and other systems.

Repeated conformity of packaged food delivers top- and bottom-line business benefits.

Compliance with food safety regulations gives manufacturers access to trade in certain markets and helps to secure repeat business through honouring retailer supplier agreements and meeting consumer brand expectations.

Mettler Toledo’s informative white paper details which type of advanced product inspection technology is best suited to achieve specific conformity objectives. www.mt.com

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ENGINEERING PLASTICS

Space, the final frontier 3D-printed parts made using a PEKKbased high-heat thermoplastic could be put to the test in space and on the Moon thanks to a new partnership between Stratasys, PADT and Lockheed Martin.

Stratasys and Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies are teaming with Lockheed Martin Space to deliver next-generation 3D-printed parts for NASA’s Orion deep-space spacecraft. Key to the project are Stratasys advanced materials – including an ESD variant of the new Antero 800NA, a PEKKbased thermoplastic offering high performance mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties.

Orion is NASA’s spacecraft that will send astronauts to the Moon and beyond. The first mission, EM-1, will launch the world’s most powerful rocket, where an un-crewed Orion will fly beyond the Moon on a three week mission.

The EM-2, will also go near the Moon, but with astronauts on board, a first since 1972. The mission will use more than 100 3D printed production parts on board, engineered in conjunction with Lockheed Martin, Stratasys and PADT.

The production-grade, thermoplastic 3D printed parts for NASA’s Orion vehicle are produced at the Additive Manufacturing Lab at Lockheed Martin in conjunction with PADT, which now employs the latest in Stratasys 3D printers and materials. Using advanced materials such as ULTEM 9085 resin and the new Antero material incorporating critical electro-static dissipative (ESD) functionality – NASA could meet key requirements for 3D printed parts to perform in the extremes of deep space.

“The demands of space travel require extremely high performance materials and the most rigorous manufacturing processes in the industry. Part integrity and repeatability are essential and must pass NASA’s demanding testing and validation process,” said Scott Sevcik, Vice President of Manufacturing at Stratasys. “Stratasys technology is ideally suited to match the high-reliability manufacturing processes required for production parts in space exploration.” www.stratasys.com

J ed R l ny ch Te h it w g n ei ag t ea h Superior at he er-engineered polymers for highov of ge en all ch the to up g rin ua Sq Technyl Red J. applications, Solvay has launched

turbocharger sed material specially designed for iled Technyl Red J, the polyamide-ba unve has es amid Poly ance orm olvay Perf peratures up to 220°C. systems running at continuous tem agement systems,” said Didier peratures needed for thermal man tem g ratin ope real the ning refi “Auto makers have recently been Polyamides Global Business Unit. g Manager for Solvay’s Performance Chomier, Automotive Global Marketin ems,” he continued. “The superior ring for thermal management syst offe Red nyl Tech our of rs, cylinder k bloc ing air coolers, turbo air ducts, resonato “Red J is the top-of-the-range build such as air intake manifolds, charge ions licat app ets targ J Red nyl property profile of Tech head and engine covers.”

0 hours). Based (at 2,000 hours) or 210°C (at 3,00 ageing performance of up to 220°C heat aspect.

-term ace long surf ing llent tand exce outs and rs e Technyl Red J offe high chemical resistanc nyl Red J flows like PA66, ensures Tech gy, nolo tech 6/6T PA6 nted on pate nsive pulsated burst pressure levels confirmed in exte n and hot gas welding, delivering high significantly atio are vibr s both ture for pera ble tem suita ld ly mou high is and it In addition, centres. Recommended melt ing Test ance orm Perf ion . licat ing time air pressure tests at Solvay’s App processing and minimises part cool resins, which saves energy during offers lower than competitive PA4.6 or PPA s, Solvay Performance Polyamides Red thermal management solution nyl Tech ictive its of pred l ntia des pote inclu full ring the applications. This offe To help customers leverage ing to speed the time to market of new d test gne part desi as ices well as serv l ders nica pow tech of PA6 a complete array al prototypes in Sinterline tion func ed -bas PA6 of ting prin , 3D simulation with MMI Technyl Design1 ation centres. at fully equipped APT Technyl Valid

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www.solvay.com

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March/April March/A / pril 2018 /A

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Volume 20 | Issue 02

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PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY AT ITS PEAK Cover Story | Page 6

Plast 2018 and NPE 2018 exhibitor previews inside

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British Plastics

and Rubber

bp&r may/june 2018

PLASTICS TAKE ON A NEW SHADE

AS YIZUMI MAKES UK EXHIBITION DEBUT: SEE PAGE 4 BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS Specifying the right plastic pipes for the future of UK infrastructure

UK PLASTICS LEADERSHIP WRAP launches pact for “wholescale transformation” of the plastics system

STAYING CIRCULAR VinylPlus sets record straight for global PVC sustainability

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TPES/TPUS

Sports and recreation TPU innovation New materials from Lubrizol, Estane TRX and BounCell-X, allow for innovative solutions for sports and recreation.

WORDS | Grace Nolan

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dapting to consumer trends in terms of sportswear can be difficult to keep up with, and Lubrizol believes it can bring unique, meaningful solutions to its customers with new materials optimised for training shoes.

Addressing the biggest trends in sportswear production can be difficult to maintain. With a growing demand for sustainability, comfort, aesthetics and customisation, There’s a strong push to the needs and wants of consumers are continuously changing. fast-track development

to respond to consumer style preferences and to enable customisation

Julie Shlepr, Business Development Director for Engineered Polymers, said: “There’s a strong push to fast-track development to respond to consumer style preferences and to enable customisation.

We see colour, texture, haptics, structure, cushioning, lightweighting and novel fabrication methods as ways to enable this and allow close-toconsumer production.”

Lubrizol’s new brand statement says it addresses these trends by advancing materials that elevate performance.

The company’s newest product launch displays lightweight footwear designs that use less material and fewer components, processing and assembly steps, with the aim to reduce waste and provide greater use of recycled content.

With sustainability, the hot topic in recent years, brands have set ambitious targets for growth, along with stated goals for reducing their environmental footprints.

Inevitably this has influenced material technologies, and Lubrizol highlights high-performance features that materials must contribute to footwear design, including greater demand for solutions that improve sustainability and automation.

The way products are designed and produced from materials, how products benefit consumer lifestyles and what happens

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throughout the product lifecycle are all factors the company takes into consideration.

The evolution of its materials, Estane TRX and BounCell-X, are designed to focus on a sustainable material replacement.

The incorporation of Lubrizol’s unique engineered polymer Estane TPU utilises the gap between flexible rubber and rigid plastics, with a variety of physical and functional property combinations.

Estane TRX has been designed as an alternative to traditional thermoset rubber, therefore opting for Estane TPU and 3D printing allows for greater design freedom, as 3D printing displays the possibility to produce complex designs at mass scale which previously would not have been possible.

A single material in a shoe sole along with 3D printing can deliver multiple performance benefits, such as density, support and cushioning.

Estane brand of TPUs also allows for overlays moulded parts, composites, with Estane TRX TPU used for the outsoles.

To achieve a foam of cushioning in the base of the trainer, BounCell-X nitrogen-infused TPU foam technology is used.

“We also have novel fibre technology which brings a new dimension to comfortable stretch and fit, as well as innovative texture and design,” Shlepr noted.

Additionally, Lubrizol continues to grow its portfolio with new adhesive and adhesive film technologies that can help eliminate the need for solvent-based adhesives in footwear production, reducing the need for sewn seams in performance apparel.

“We don’t measure ourselves ‘against the pack’. We measure ourselves in terms of how successful our customers are in achieving their goals, winning new consumers and deepening the loyalty of their current consumer base by continually delighting them,” said Shlepr.

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lubrizol.com

KRAIBURG TPE develops bio-based TPEs using modular system

TPES/TPUS

KRAIBURG TPE has announced its new campaign to develop custom-engineered thermoplastic elastomers containing variable proportions of renewable raw materials.

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RAIBURG TPE, manufacturer of thermoplastic elastomers, says it aims to meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable thermoplastic elastomers, by developing customer and application-specific compounds using renewable raw materials.

The modular system can develop customerspecific materials with different proportions of renewable raw materials and performance characteristics including mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elongation, processability, heat resistance and adhesion to ABS/PC or PP and PE. It is technically possible to produce biobased materials with high proportions of renewable raw materials in classical approaches, however, materials of this kind can provide limited mechanical properties and suffer from very high raw material costs.

Its potential use extends to all TPE applications in the industry, consumer and automotive markets, such as toothbrushes, hypoallergenic elastic watch straps and fender gaskets.

“Part of the challenge involves considering the environmental balance of the materials’ whole life cycles, including their impact on ecosystems and people’s health,” said Franz Hinterecker, CEO at KRAIBURG TPE. “It has also become apparent that what our customers expect from the properties of ‘bio-materials’ varies widely depending on the application.”

Hinterecker added: “The approach we’re taking is being well received particularly by customers who are looking for sustainable solutions but don’t want to do without costeffectiveness and performance.”

The modular system enables KRAIBURG TPE to resolve this problem almost completely by following a new approach.

www.kraiburg-tpe.com

Huntsman TPUs bring connection protection Protecting casings for wires and cables is an increasingly challenging arena for plastics processors, but Huntsman’s new TPUs have found the connector.

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elivering a major breakthrough in the physical and mechanical performance of flame retardant cabling materials, Huntsman has developed IROGRAN FR TPU - a unique family of halogen-free, flame retardant cable jacketing materials that can outperform benchmark products when it comes to strength, durability, and environmental performance.

This testing has proved that IROGRAN A 90 P 5014 FR TPU performs better over time than benchmark products when it comes to heat resistance. After seven days of heat exposure, this novel material will typically retain 80 per cent of its original tensile strength. - a 14 per cent improvement on competitive materials tested under identical conditions.

Providing substantially improved reaction to fire properties alongside unprecedented strength and fatigue resistance in both flexion and torsion, Huntsman’s IROGRAN FR TPU grades set a new standard for flame retardant cable protection, passing rigorous industry and in-house tests and wire and cable producers’ own tests.

The initial tensile strength of IROGRAN A 92 P 5016 FR TPU is significantly higher than benchmark cable jacketing materials with the material performing better over time when it comes to oil resistance. When exposed to oil at 100°C over 42 days, IROGRAN A 92 P 5016 FR TPU samples were up to 45 per cent stronger than the competitor.

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Huntsman’sIROGRANFRTPUproductsaredesigned for use in automation, transportation, energy and consumer electronics applications, where flame retardancy is essential, and product failure is not an option.

Franz Michel, Sales Development Manager TPU EAIME at Huntsman, said: “With a stateof-the-art reaction to fire, our IROGRAN FR TPU products offer significantly improved oil and heat resistance to competitive materials.

These are incredibly valuable properties in an increasingly automated world, which demands more from wire and cable products.” www.huntsman.com

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NPE REVIEW

Heavyweight champion of the world Bigger, heavier, and in more demand, NPE2018 continued to break records and prove the US market is a thriving one.

N

PE 2018 opened with aplomb at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando on May 7th, where it was announced by organisers that the show was already reaching milestones – and these benchmarks continued to be hit long after the show’s doors closed on May 11th.

We heard terrific

feedback of a fantastic show filled with innovations and new technology to help people make things better and faster

President of the PLASTICS (the Plastics Industry Association), the show’s host, Bill Carteaux, announced at the opening ceremony that the show was its heaviest this year, bringing in some 21.7 million pounds of freight, while the show had a waiting list for the first time, making room for over 2,100 companies across 1.2 million net square feet of sold-out exhibit floor space.

The triennial NPE is the highlight of North American plastics processing calendar and PLASTICS prides itself on breaking records every time the show comes around.

In 2018, attendance rose by 1.7 per cent over that of NPE2015 to 56,034 confirmed registered attendees from almost 19,000 unique companies.

This is, PLASTICS revealed, according to show data that were evaluated and validated by a third-party data analytics company.

Nearly half (49 per cent) of exhibiting companies and 27 per cent of registrants came from outside the US representing 121 countries with 3,351 and 3,965 registrants from China and Latin America, respectively.

United States. In descending order, the ten countries with the largest number of participating exhibiting companies were: China, Canada, Taiwan, Italy, Germany, India, France, Turkey, Switzerland and Austria.

NPE2018 gave a boost to the local economy too, with hotel rooms increasing 3.2 per cent to 65,632 rooms booked within the local area that week.

“We sold out our exhibit floor nearly 14 months in advance of the show and worked diligently to accommodate the companies who were unable to secure space during our Space Draw,” said Carteaux. “We heard terrific feedback of a fantastic show filled with innovations and new technology to help people make things better and faster.”

Several exhibiting companies were reported by PLASTICS as saying that sales activity on the trade show floor was heavy from day one and continued through the week.

“We had a tremendous amount of booth activity, with a lot of new visitors plus many existing customers who stopped by to see our latest innovations,” said Paul Caprio, President of KraussMaffei Group. “We also topped our lead count with over 1,200 leads versus about 900 from three years ago.”

Exhibiting companies came from 35 nations with representatives from those companies hailing from 63 countries outside the

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EMBOSSING PROCESS DRYING OF PLASTIC PELLETS Crystallization and drying of PET, PPS, PLA Curing of paints on plastic Softening process Forming process Bending process Vulcanization processed in rubber industry Drawing of plastic tubes SEALING

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NPE REVIEW

SEPRO champions North America with leadership

BASF presents green composite pallet

Leadership and partnership are central to Sepro’s mission to support Collaboraissance.

Speaking at the company’s NPE2018 press conference, CEO Jean-Michel Renaudeau explained that by combining collaboration, with understanding and the ability to adapt and evolve, Sepro is closer to realising its dream of becoming the world’s number one leader in robotics and automation technology for plastics processing. “Clearly the ambition of Sepro is to be number one. We are number two and when you are number two, the only choice is to try to be number one,” Renaudeau remarked. The company’s global reach is building muscle, with Renaudeau announcing that to galvanise operations in Sepro America, Sepro Canada and Sepro Mexico, the company has harnessed the expertise of Raul Scheller as Managing Director of Sepro operations in North America. www.sepro-group.com

ENGEL launches WINTEC Americas ENGEL used NPE2018 to officially launch its midmarket Wintec brand of injection moulding machines into the North American market. The move, CEO Stefan Engleder explained, was to open up a new sales channel for the general purpose market in the regions. “There is a big general purpose market in the Americas and this market has a strong demand for standard machines,” said Engleder. “Our two Wintec products fit perfectly for these needs.” The Wintec t-win and e-win injection moulding machines, one all-electric and one servo-hydraulic, will have a short lead time for delivery in America.

BASF chose NPE2018 to show off its eco-friendly, lightweight and costefficient composite pallet developed in partnership with Lightning Technologies. The composite pallet is stronger, more durable and safer than traditional wooden or plastic pallets and is said to be the first of its kind to offer a hermetically sealed surface. It protects against insects, bacteria, mould and other harmful organisms that can damage shipments or cause delays. Lightning Technologies’ composite pallet combines a sustainably sourced substrate, which is fabricated with a newly formulated proprietary hybrid polyurea spray coating. www.BASF.com

KraussMaffei: ‘The future is digital’ K r a u s s M a f f e i demonstrated just how crucial digitisation is to its growth at NPE2018.

CEO Dr Frank Steiler emphasised that the company has survived and thrived for 180 years owing to its willingness to adapt, adding that now, North America is its largest single market. “We should be investing in growth,” he said. “We believe this market has much more potential for us and we are set to tap into that potential.” Two ways KraussMaffei is reaching as yet untapped potential is through research and development and digitisation.

The digitisation of KraussMaffei machines adds value for customers in the form of data collection, cloud solutions for monitoring, intelligent machines for communicating and interactive service concepts. www.kraussmaffeigroup.com

www.engelglobal.com

Kautex Maschinenbau expands recycled plastics horizons Kautex Mascninenbau has expanded end markets for recycled plastics with its KBB40D bottle machine. Introduced at NPE2018, The KBB40D is producing 600 ml flat oval bottles for the personal care industry, with Amcor already placing an order. The bottles are produced on a double station machine with 10 cavities in a three-layer ReCo process, only adding colour to the bottle’s outer layer. The middle layer of the product uses regrind or PCR in line with circular economy principals, while the inner layer uses virgin material to minimise the migration of impurities into the filled product.

US ‘ready for large ARBURG machine’ At NPE2018, ARBURG stated that the American market is ready for its new large machine, with the model already receiving high demand from US customers. Premiering its Allrounder 1120H injection moulding machine, Managing Director of Sales Gerhard Böhm said the company sold the machine on display at the expo and has already received further enquiries. “At the NPE, our Allrounder 1120 H is celebrating its American premiere. This will please injection moulding companies in the US in particular because they have in the past often expressed the wish of obtaining larger machines from Arburg,” said Böhm. “With our new large machine, we have expanded our clamping force range upwards by 30 per cent. The market for the Allrounder 1120 H in America is ready.”

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CHINAPLAS 2018 concludes with the highest visitor count to date The 32nd edition of the largest plastics industry event in Asia concluded with a record breaking visitor count.

WORDS | Grace Nolan

This relocation to the new venue is good for the long-term development of CHINAPLAS

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It is an international hub that facilitates exchanges between suppliers and buyers from all over the world, and provides a platform for the introduction of high-end technologies.

A

highly successful CHINAPLAS 2018 concluded its four-day show on 27th April 2018, in Shanghai, PR China.

Over four days a total of 180,701 professional buyers from 151 countries and regions visited the exhibition, which has been recorded as the highest visitor count in the events history.

The second day of CHINAPLAS 2018 turned to the hot topic of medical plastics, latest innovations and applications in the medical and healthcare fields, as well as the 3rd Industry 4.0 Conference.

CHINAPLAS organiser celebrates 40th birthday

Accounting for 26.5 per cent of the total, the show welcomed 47,900 overseas visitors from 150 countries and regions, including Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, the UK and United States.

The Adsale Group, organiser of CHINAPLAS, celebrated its 40th birthday during CHINAPLAS 2018, with a 40th Anniversary "Honourable Partner" Awards Presentation Ceremony held on the show's first day.

New record for exhibition space

“Over the past 40 years, Adsale has weathered the struggles of early industries and benefited from the current economic take-off,” said Stanley Chu Adsale Group Chairman.

More records were set at CHINAPLAS 2018, with exhibition space exceeding previous years.

Some 3,948 market leaders exhibited and brought cutting-edge solutions to the world stage over 340,000 sq m, an increase of 100,000 sq m compared to the Shanghai edition two years ago.

According to Adsale Exhibition Services, the show's organiser, exhibitors and visitors have been demanding more and better exhibition services at CHINAPLAS, which contributed to the move of location.

"Previously, when we held the show at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in Pudong, we had used up all the indoor exhibition halls. We even built outdoor temporary exhibition halls, but still couldn't meet the huge demand from our exhibitors,” said Ada Leung, Adsale's General Manager.

“We have witnessed China's transformation from a ‘factory of the world’ to a powerhouse of innovations,” observed Chu. “In the early years, CHINAPLAS was organised to introduce overseas technologies and provide a procurement platform for local companies. Now, it is an international hub that facilitates exchanges between suppliers and buyers from all over the world, and provides a platform for the introduction of high-end technologies.”

New journey in 2019 CHINAPLAS 2019 will rotate back to Guangzhou, running from May 21 -24th, 2019. www.chinaplasonline.com

“By moving to the new venue, NECC, Adsale can fulfill the strong demand for exhibition space immediately. This relocation to the new venue is also good for the long-term development of CHINAPLAS."

• 180,701 professional buyers from 151 countries

Recap of concurrent events Facilitating the plastics and rubber industries in business transformation and upgrading, this year the event focused on smart manufacturing, innovative materials and green solutions.

A series of concurrent events were held during the exhibition, including ‘Tech Talk’ and ‘CMF Inspiration for Design x Innovation’.

TOTAL NO. OF VISITORS No. of overseas visitors

FAST FACTS • 47,900 overseas visitors 26.5% of the total • 16.4% increase in visitors from last year • Record size of exhibition space at 340,000 sq m • More than 120 global or Asian product launches

CHINAPLAS 2018

CHINAPLAS 2017

CHINAPLAS 2016

180,701

155,258

148,575

47,900 (26.5%)

40,048 (25.8%)

39,454 (26.6%)

Growth (CPS18 vs. CPS17)

16.4%

Growth (CPS18 vs. CPS16)

21.6%

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31

PLAST 2018 REVIEW

Italian industry’s collaboration celebration at PLAST 2018 Italy’s triennial showcase of its plastics processing industry came to an end at the beginning of June, after a successful outing bringing together its Innovation Alliance partners.

P

LAST 2018 was a very special show, not just for the Italian plastics and rubber industry, but for the wider Italian industry.

The opening press conference for PLAST 2018 (May 29th 2018) was carried out in true Italian style. Attracting the local media, the event marked the bringing together of the Innovation Alliance, the collaboration of industries to bring The trade-fair project known as the best of Italy’s exports into one place, in a mass showcase of the Made in Italy stamp of quality and The Innovation technical precision.

Alliance has proved to be a winning choice

As well as PLAST 2018, Fiera Milano played host to IPACK-IMA, MEAT-TECH, Print4All and INTRALOGISTICA ITALIA; all of which represent the country’s most lucrative supply chains both at home and abroad.

The PLAST 2018 portion of this enormous trade event hosted 15,000 exhibitors, with Italian companies accounting for over half (57 per cent). The remainder represented 55 countries, covering 55,000 m sq of floor space.

The buzzing show floor represented Italy’s prized export: plastics processing machinery. Over 70 per cent of national production is exported, amounting to a record sum of €4.6 billion in 2017.

“First of all, because our decision to introduce - together with the organisers of the other four exhibitions - the trade-fair project known as The Innovation Alliance has proved to be a winning choice: the more than 150,000 operators who participated were treated to an exhaustive range of plastics and rubber technology without precedent,” stated Grassi. “The Innovation Alliance takes its place as the second largest tradeshow after the Salone del Mobile. From day one through to the closing, Corso Italia and the seventeen halls at Fiera Milano were packed with visitors.”

The Innovation Alliance covered Fiera Milano’s 17 halls - a total of 140,000 m sq, with 3,501 exhibitors from a total of 65 countries.

The organisational office estimates over 63,000 visitors, and foreign visitors made up 27.5 per cent of the total from a total of 117 countries, with Spain, France, and Germany being the most represented.

Each of the industries represented are experiencing growth.

While plastics and rubber machinery experienced 10 per cent growth in 2017, government figures revealed that packaging and processing machinery recorded a 5.9 per cent uptick last year, printing and converting machinery is up 13 per cent, and logistics and materials handling machinery logged a 5.4 per cent boost over the 12-month period.

PLAST 2018’s sponsorship from the Italian Ministry of Economic Development was acknowledged in the opening ceremony, and Alessandro Grassi, President of AMAPLAST, thanked the office for its support.

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FINAL WORD

Women make up just 5% of IMM manufacturer boards We investigated the gender diversity of the boards of ten of the world’s biggest injection moulding machinery companies and found that just five per cent of boardroom positions are held by women.

WORDS | Rose Brooke

Y

ou don’t need to take a headcount to realise plastics has a serious boardroom inequality problem.

I took a look at the boards of ten of the world’s biggest injection moulding machinery companies and counted 59 senior management executives and directors. Of those 59, three are women.

That’s five per cent.

Narrowing it down to injection moulding machinery companies with headquarters in the European Union, this figure does not improve, with just six per cent of boardroom positions being filled by women. Yes, Europe may be leading the world with industry 4.0 and the Circular Economy, but when it comes to gender representation, we are still very much mired in the Dark Ages.

The Old Boys Network is alive and well in plastics processing in Europe and it remains a contemptible institution that promotes elitism, nepotism and chumocracy. I am not against family businesses – growing up with a family business engenders a pride and understanding in a brand that takes a long time to cultivate among normal folk, but I am always in favour of an individual’s advancement based on their own abilities, and the qualities they can bring to a role and an institution.

Looking at the most profitable injection moulding machinery companies of the world, there is a serious gender gap that, unless action is taken, may take generations to close, and there are many reasons why companies should accelerate their efforts to invite more women into their places of business.

Data published by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has revealed that in the EU, demand for STEM professionals is expected to grow by eight per cent by 2025, which is much higher than the three per cent growth forecast anticipated for all occupations. At this pace of growth, manufacturing, engineering and other STEM professions cannot afford to ignore their current poor uptake of skilled women, as bringing more females into the market ensures economic growth.

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The work needs to begin before these women enter the jobs market, with only 12 per cent of female graduates taking a STEM subject at university compared to an average 37 per cent of men. But even this gender gap isn’t as gaping when compared to the male/female disparity in boardrooms.

Engineering currently operates with an 81 per cent male, 19 per cent female employment split, while manufacturing is almost even with a 51 per cent male, 49 per cent female split, but for some reason none of these women are being enabled to advance to the most senior positions.

Why is that? The EIGE data indicates that as men get older, their share of STEM jobs increases and while mothers are underrepresented in male-dominated professions, the opposite can be said for fathers. There is also a trend for men to work longer hours if they work in a male-dominated profession.

A modern attitude towards flexible working and a workplace culture that supports worklife balance are definitely inhibitors for females to progress – even more so if they are mothers.

The European plastics organisations that make their workplaces better for women, be in terms of culture, flexible working, or simply breaking the board room executive mould, will benefit. EIGE believes that with improvement in gender equality, improvement in GDP will be up by €130 to €180 billion, or between 0.7 and 0.9 per cent GDP per capita by 2030, with this going up to as much as €820 billion improvement in GDP – or three per cent improvement in GDP per capita by 2050 with rapid improvement in gender equality.

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What else does this mean? It means 1.2 million jobs in 2050. And for a European plastics processing company looking to continue to grow, their pool for talent will be greater if they open it up to more women, who can help their company to evolve, succeed and hopefully lead.

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Whatever your mission, find your insights, intelligence and inspiration at TCT Show.

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