EPPM 21.4

SEPTEMBER 2019 | VOLUME 21/ISSUE 4

ENGEL — MAKING CIRCULAR SMART REAP WHAT YOU SOW

EREMA GROUP BRINGS ITS FULL RANGE OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO K AS IT SOWS THE SEEDS FOR BETTER PERFORMANCES

EASY DOES IT

PIOVAN EXPLAINS HOW AQUATECH’S EASYTHERM TCU WON A COVETED IF DESIGN AWARD.

LONG LIVE THE CLING

VFSE PRESIDENT ROBERTO BOZZI EXPLAINS WHY A POTENTIAL DESELECTION OF PVC CLING FILMS IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE

© Stäubli 07/2019 - GettyImages/Westend61

© Stäubli 07/2019 - GettyImages/Westend61

The smart way Thehigher smart productivity. way to higher productivity. to Today, the plastics industry faces a rapidly increasing demand for smaller volumes of more product types. This requires a higher number of mould changes, decreasing the Overall Equipment Effectiveness Effectiveness and impacting your competitiveness. Reducing durations of downtime during mould changes is therefore essential.

By analysing your production cycles, Stäubli can recommend various efficiency efficiency improvements utilising your existing equipment. Our Quick Mould Change Solutions are adaptable to your company’s strategy and future business plans.

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FAST MOVING MOVING TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY FAST Stäubli (UK) Ltd - Mail: connectors.uk@staubli.com - Phone: +44 1952 671918 Stäubli (UK) Ltd - Mail: connectors.uk@staubli.com - Phone: +44 1952 671918

Visit us at our booth Hall 11 - Booth H21

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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 rob coker robert.coker@rapidnews.com assistant editor grace nolan grace.nolan@rapidnews.com

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BPA Worldwide Membership ISSN No - 2052-4811

IN THIS ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2019

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FOREWORD

Sophi MacMillan, Chief Executive of the Vinyl Council of Australia, introduces the September edition with some thoughts on circularity, sustainability and K.

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A K IN THE LIFE

Making circular smart

Editor Rob Coker sets the scene for EPPM’s fourth 21st anniversary edition, and looks ahead to his K debut.

Cover star, K stalwart and circular economy champion ENGEL shares its latest contributions, and reminds us that it’s not just the machines that are green.

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RECYCLING MACHINERY

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K PREVIEW SPECIAL

FILM & SHEET

The Erema Group will be bringing its full range of recycling products and services to K as it sows the seeds for better performances all along the value chain.

Some of the K trade fair’s regular exhibitors tease what innovations, developments and concepts we can look forward to seeing at their booths, and EPPM’s editorial team look back on some exciting pre-K press conferences.

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HEATING & COOLING

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Piovan explains how Aquatech’s Easytherm TCU won a coveted iF design award.

CAPS & CLOSURES

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Chairman of the board: Rogier Heijning of Amsterdam-based WasteBoards is ready to roll out his awesome idea.

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Polytechs’ Mathieu Rioult discusses what’s new in film and sheet

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VFSE President Roberto Bozzi explains why a potential deselection of PVC cling films is not a sustainable choice

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CLASSIFIEDS

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EUREKA

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COLUMN

FOREWORD Sophi MacMillan, Chief Executive of the Vinyl Council of Australia

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mid challenging times for the plastics industry, the triennial K Show provides a unique and valuable platform for key global players to think forward and shape strategies for the future of their businesses.

With over 3,000 exhibitors from more than 60 countries, including several VCA members, and attended by some 230,000 trade visitors, this prominent event provides a great opportunity for plastics professionals to network, discuss current trends, share knowledge and best practice.

It also creates vital opportunities to communicate the industry’s progress towards sustainability, recycling initiatives and circular use of resources.

As an association focused on sustainable development of the industry, we welcome the 2019 show’s emphasis on innovation, environmental and circular economy themes.

We know that the global PVC industry has come a long way in the past two decades.

Our own PVC Stewardship

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Sophi MacMillan, Chief Executive of the Vinyl Council of Australia (VCA) and a member of the Global Vinyl Council, looks ahead to the K Show and its role in uniting the plastics sector to drive forward a circular economy.

Program has been driving continual improvement in the vinyl industry in our region for 17 years. The PVC industry in Australia has been proactive in improving the lifecycle of PVC materials and products sold into the market, including encouraging recycling and the use of recyclate.

We believe that raw material suppliers, product manufacturers, product distributors and consumers are joint stewards for the safe and beneficial production, use and disposal of PVC products.

It’s a shared responsibility

throughout the entire supply chain that is leading to greater industry engagement in the circular economy.

Much of the momentum for the circular economy at present has centred on the need to respond to waste and how to better manage it at end of life. However, that can focus attention and resources on recovery and recycling at the expense of product design, consumption, ecoefficiency, waste minimisation and avoidance. What’s particularly important is that products are designed to be

durable, as the majority of PVC applications are.

In Europe, VinylPlus, the voluntary commitment to sustainable development of the European PVC industry, has proven to be a frontrunner with regards to the Circular Economy. Since 2000, cumulatively more than five million tonnes of PVC have been recycled via its Europeanwide Recovinyl scheme.

Such significant achievements can only grow as the plastics sector continues to demonstrate that it is taking action to advance the sustainability of its products. Plastics are an intrinsic part of modern life and they are here to stay.

PVC products add significant benefit to society, including environmental benefits, as a function of their excellent performance, durability and affordability.

While the Australian vinyl industry is a relatively small market, we are part of a much bigger, global ‘plastics picture’ where building connections with experts worldwide has been essential to us to move forward, tap into fresh knowledge and develop collaborative initiatives throughout our region.

Consequently, the ANZ vinyl industry is seen as progressive, innovative and highly connected to Asia Pacific supply chains.

Trade fairs like K 2019 that bring plastic industry experts and stakeholders together perform a valuable function in promoting new connections, innovative thinking and exchanges of ideas that can only bring positive benefits.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

A 'K' in the life Dear readers, Welcome to the fourth 21st anniversary edition of EPPM. Next month I will be making my K debut, which is why I am marking EPPM’s anniversary by delving into the archives for a look at the magazine’s own K debut in 2001.

Every stakeholder I have spoken with on the subject of the world’s largest plastics trade fair has promised a focus on recycling, sustainability or the circular economy. Be in no doubt that the message from environmentalists and NGOs is getting through to manufacturers. They are committed, as will be witnessed in Düsseldorf between 16-23 October.

It was for this very reason that I travelled to Austria in June. In Linz and Schwertberg, I met with representatives from Engel, Erema, Borealis, Borouge and Nova Chemicals, as well as with numerous colleagues from the world’s plastics-centric media, and you can look forward to contributions from the former two within the pages of this edition.

My esteemed colleagues Grace Nolan and Thomas Walker travelled to Antwerp and Düsseldorf respectively for similar reasons, as you will also see in the K special supplementary.

With recycling the word on everybody’s lips, the September edition sees the return of the recycling machinery feature, in which some of the industry’s biggest names share the necessary innovations that are helping them to meet demands.

Similar demands are placed on the producers of films and sheets, as well as on those manufacturers producing heating and cooling equipment, both of whom get their say within.

The caps and closures feature returns with a slightly different angle as I speak with Netherlands-based entrepreneur Rogier Heijning, whose idea has been baking waves – yes, baking waves – in sports and leisure markets.

Linking me nicely back to the circular economy theme of K 2019, I hope to get ‘round’ to meeting as many of you as I can during the week.

Be in no doubt that the message from environmentalists and NGOs is getting through to manufacturers

Rob Coker, Editor

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21 ANNIVERSARY

K Tripper EDITOR ROB COKER IS MAKING HIS K DEBUT THIS YEAR. HERE HE TAKES A LOOK BACK AT EPPM’S OWN K DEBUT IN 2001.

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n the ‘Biggest issue ever’ of EPPM in October 2001, the K trade fair manages to be ubiquitous without jumping off of any pages. Every other headline teases ‘New machinery’, ‘New masterbatches’, ‘New products’ from ‘Conair at K’, ‘Arburg at K’, ‘Netstal at K’ amongst the many, many contributions. Yet the enduring K logo doesn’t appear until page eight, and that in the corner of a Spheriglass ad.

Furthermore, it’s on page 24 that K makes its presence felt, reiterating the early EPPM’s conservative, pragmatic directory format, although we are treated to the only piece of editorial on the world’s largest plastics trade fair: ‘The K-Show is finally upon us. After all the build-up and the plethora of press announcements and news, plastics industry professionals will now be able to see for themselves the latest in plastics processing equipment, materials and services.’

The four dedicated pages are an A-Z glossary of exhibitors and their respective booths – and that’s it. This edition is committing 12 pages to the Düsseldorf event to highlight just how things have changed for plastics and their places in the economy, society and the environment.

LOOKING BACK AND MOVING FORWARD One notable absence of the 2001 event is that of circularity. At no point is the term mentioned, which illustrates how

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both EPPM and K have changed with the times. Just one article from Ensinger GmbH hints at it: ‘Tecarim is completely recyclable. Scrap parts, sprue or overflow can be collected separately and used again as reclaim’; and another provided by Bühler titled ‘PET Recycling Technology’ represents the field of plastics recycling in the entire edition.

To get to the bottom of why these changes have come about, I looked into K’s own debut in 1952, when, according to K-online, visitors found ‘the unbreakable plastic bottle’, ‘a rain cape’ and ‘plastic tiles for the bathroom and kitchen’ ‘particularly attractive’.

Almost 70 years on and such everyday applications for plastics seem twee when considered alongside the high-tech,

high-performance applications for which they are currently manufactured. The convenient, unbreakable plastic bottle may have caught the consumer’s eye, but the way it was marketed as disposable is exactly what has led to the circular economy theme of this year.

What goes around comes around and, with EPPM’s K preview edition coming around again, let’s hope manufacturers continue to keep consumers and retailers in the sustainable production, marketing and consumption loops.

21 years from now, at K 2040, plastics will remain part of our everyday lives, and how interesting to be able to see during that trade fair the almost inconceivable ways we will produce, consume and reuse them.

PLATES

THE RIGHT PLATE FOR EVERY PROJECT Large selection of standard plates available, with short lead times All plates are heat-treated for stress relief and available in the usual high quality Special plates in many different versions and customised dimensions

16. - 21.09.2019 Hall 5 Stand E23

COVER STORY

GÜNTHER KLAMMER, HEAD OF THE PLASTICIZING SYSTEMS DIVISION AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY EXPERT, SHARES SOME OF ENGEL’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO K AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY.

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onserving resources has always been firmly anchored in ENGEL's corporate philosophy.

For example, the company, headquartered in Austria, was quick to address the question of what concrete contribution it can make as an injection moulding machine manufacturer and system solutions provider to support the establishment of a circular economy for plastics. The focus was put on processing recycled material, improving process stability, and the trend towards design for recycling.

Sandwich-moulded components with a core of processed plastics scrap are playing an important role in advancing the circular economy. ENGEL skinmelt makes it possible to achieve high recycled content levels, even when working with complex component geometries. At K 2019, ENGEL will be manufacturing transport boxes to demonstrate how processors can ensure highly economical production. Due to their shape, the boxes pose a special challenge for sandwich injection moulding. Despite this, a share of recycled material of over 50 per cent is achieved. Both the recycled and virgin material are polypropylene. The grade purity ensures that the sandwich-moulded products can also be easily recycled at the end of their service life.

SPACE-SAVING SYSTEM DESIGN Unlike classical co-injection, the skinmelt process involves fusing the melts prior to injection. The skin – the virgin material – is first to reach the cavity. It is pushed forward by the inflowing recycled PP and pressed against the cavity walls, while the core is filled with recycled material.

The amount of recycled material it is possible to accumulate in the core depends crucially on the geometry of the moulded part and the flow pattern in the cavity. The injection position chosen and the relative viscosity of the skin and core materials have a significant influence on this outcome.

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Excellent reproducibility in the moulding process is necessary to also ensure dimensional reliability and stability in products with a high level of recycled content. For this purpose, ENGEL has engineered an especially compact production solution based on a duo dual-platen injection moulding machine.

On the duo 3660H/1560W/450 combi exhibited at K, the second plasticising unit for the skin material is located at a sharp angle above the horizontal injection unit, inside which the recycled material is melted – a space-saving design. Other stand-out features of the ENGEL solution are its easy-to-use visual display and the animation of the entire process on the injection moulding machine’s CC300 control unit. As a result, it is extremely easy to set the mixing ratio to achieve the ideal recycled content level.

RECYCLED MATERIAL FROM POSTCONSUMER SOURCES ENGEL is teaming up with partner companies to make this exhibit a reality. The mould is sourced from Haidlmair, an Austrian firm specialising in manufacturing moulds for the production of storage and logistics containers, which will use the transport boxes produced at the K show for its own in-house logistics.

As for the recycled material, ENGEL is working with the German Green Dot company (DSD; Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland), which has set standards that are recognised industrywide to facilitate the recovery of raw materials from post-consumer sources.

We’re opening the door to a significantly wider range of applications for recycled material

DSD’s PP regrind, produced under the Systalen brand, originates from household refuse collected in the yellow bags and bins used to dispose of lightweight recyclable packaging, before being sorted and processed in separate categories.

Making much wider use of recycled material is exactly what is needed to keep plastics in a closed loop system.

USING RECYCLED MATERIAL MORE WIDELY THROUGH INTELLIGENT ASSISTANCE The stability of the injection moulding processes is key to being able to use recycled materials for up-market products, because recycled materials are naturally subject to greater batch fluctuations.

ENGEL masters this challenge with the help of intelligent assistance. During injection, the iQ weight control software from ENGEL's inject 4.0 programme adapts the quality-relevant process parameters for each shot individually to the current conditions. This reliably compensates for fluctuations in the raw material, as well as in the ambient conditions, and produces 100 per cent good parts. iQ weight control has very successfully and quickly established itself in the processing of virgin materials. The software’s ability to also operate reliably with recycled material was demonstrated

by ENGEL and recycling specialist Erema in a comprehensive series of tests. By offering this solution, we’re opening the door to a significantly wider range of applications for recycled material, making an important contribution to the circular economy. Industry 4.0 is an important enabler for closing material flows.

Outside virgin material, inside recycled material from post-consumer waste. At K, ENGEL is producing transport boxes using the skinmelt process.

RECYCLING IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Designing for recycling means that the subsequent recycling process is taken into account as early as in the development of a new product, and that the requirements of the circular economy

ENGEL developed a particularly compact manufacturing cell for the skinmelt process.

and sustainability are taken into account in the product design. Further examples where this is already working well can be found in the packaging industry and in composite lightweight design, among other applications. In the production of thin-walled packaging in the in-mould labelling process, for example, there is a trend towards mono-material systems in which the label and pellets are made of the same material.

Wherever you look in composite lightweight design, thermoplastic-based solutions point the way to the circular economy. The non-recyclable fibre composite materials, which have so far mainly been based on thermosets, represent a major challenge in the further development of electric mobility. With the ENGEL organomelt process, we are making a contribution to solving this challenge. Fibre-reinforced prepregs with a thermoplastic matrix such as organic sheets and tapes are heated, inserted into the mould, formed there and directly overmoulded with a thermoplastic from the matrix material's material group.

GLOBAL OBLIGATION The circular economy is a worldwide innovation driver. With our experience from Europe, we can contribute to taking the first steps towards a circular economy in other regions. The better we network in the plastics industry, both between disciplines and internationally, the faster we can close the material cycles. This conviction is expressed in the Global Commitment to the New Plastics Economy. ENGEL was one of the first plastics machine manufacturers to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's initiative, which networks global players and thus gives more voice to our common concern.

2019

RECYCLING MACHINERY NEWS

WIMBLEDON'S FIRST REVERSE VENDING MACHINE SERVES UP SUSTAINABILITY FOR TENNIS FANS.

TOMRA's reverse vending machine makes Wimbledon debut

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nvironmentally conscious tennis fans were able to use new technology from reverse vending company TOMRA within the new ‘Sustainability Demonstration Space’ at premier tennis tournament Wimbledon this year.

The easy-to-use, compact reverse vending machine accepted plastic bottles to help recycling and reduce littering across the site.

The RVM played a key role in tracking the number of bottles collected for closed loop recycling, and data from the machine will be used by environmental charity Recoup to report on recycling at the tournament.

The sustainability space, named ‘Wimbledon 2030’ and located in the Southern Village, aimed to inspire

fans with a vision of a more sustainable future for the tennis club.

Truls Haug, Managing Director of TOMRA Collection Solutions UK and Ireland, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity for our leading reverse vending technology to be used on such a high-profile stage, in line with Wimbledon’s ambition to increase recycling this year. It’s exciting to be part of encouraging sustainable habits for the future at the world’s oldest tennis tournament.

“The Championships are hugely committed to protecting the environment whenever possible, and we believe that the presence of our reverse vending machine represented a significant step towards further realising those sustainability ambitions.”

TAIWAN-BASED MACHINE MANUFACTURER MATILA’S UFO IS A 3-IN-1 SINGLE-STAGE RECYCLING MACHINE THAT PRODUCES PLASTIC PELLETS FROM HD, LD, LLDPE AND PP FILM AND SHEET.

MATILA IS FLYING WITH ITS SINGLESTAGE RECYCLING MACHINE 10 WWW.EPPM.COM

EXTRUPET INCREASES CAPACITY WITH SECOND STARLINGER LINE EXTRUPET GROUP (PTY) LTD, SOUTH AFRICA'S FIRST AND LARGEST RECYCLING OPERATION FOR POST-CONSUMER PET BOTTLES, HAS ORDERED A SECOND STARLINGER PET RECYCLING LINE TO MEET THE COUNTRY'S GROWING DEMAND FOR RPET.

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xtrupet's PhoenixPET plant near Johannesburg converts more than 2.5 million PET bottles per day into high-quality flakes and pellets.

Recycling activities at Extrupet developed around the turn of the millennium out of the necessity to put a stop to the landfilling of PET bottles.

Extrupet's Group Director Ravi Chanrai said: “In addition to the upcoming expansion in South Africa, the group also plans to increase the capacity of its Nigerian recycling operations. The market in West Africa is highly dynamic and shows a strong demand for products made from recycled PET, such as PET bottles and textiles made of polyester fibres.”

Having established a network of collectors,

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ith a dual slide plate type filter that can be cleaned and changed without ceasing machine operation, and a double self-clean slide plate type filter, the UFO can simplify the machine operation with no need to clean the filter manually – when the pressure reaches its limit, the filter cleans itself.

the company set up a state-of-the-art recycling plant and in 2014 added a Starlinger recoSTAR PET recycling line that satisfies the strict food safety requirements of many local and multinational brands.

Demand for recycled material has been steadily growing in South Africa, to a point where Extrupet began investigating the purchase of a second recycling machine. With the new Starlinger

line, a recoSTAR PET 165 HC iV+ that will be delivered early next year, Extrupet will significantly increase recycling capacity.

The new line will achieve a throughput of approx. 1,900kg/h – slightly more than the first recycling line – and will be equipped with a larger solid-state polycondensation unit to further increase the cleaning efficiency and set a new benchmark in terms of rPET pellet quality.

Powerful centrifuge ensures pelletising with low power consumption and high production, Matila’s entire range of plastic recycling lines is equipped with washing, crushing, and pelletising systems.

The company’s specialist recycling machinery is present across the world and at sites in Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia,

Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and Serbia.

Matila will be presenting from Hall 16, Booth F60 at the K trade fair 2019.

Formerly known as

TM

Europe Ltd.

SAME COMPANY. NEW LOOK.

Bunting: Bringing a New Name and More to K2019 Bunting has been removing metal from virgin and recycled plastics for over 60 years, and will be the focus of the Bunting stand at the international K 2019 exhibition. Metal contamination is an issue for any company producing plastics products or managing plastic waste.

Metal contamination is an issue for any company producing plastics products or managing plastic waste. In virgin plastic manufacturing processes, metal damages processing equipment and the quality of the end-product. Recycled plastic commonly has both ferrous and non-ferrous metal contamination, and removal is vital to enable the reuse of the waste material. Bunting will have application experts from the UK, Italy, and the USA in the K 2019 stand to help with your product application questions.

A sample of what you will see in the Bunting stand Standard FF Drawer Magnet Plate Magnet - Tapered Step

Round Grate Magnet

Pneumatic In-Line Magnet (PIM)

Hi-Temp FF350 Drawer Magnet HF Manual Self-Cleaning Drawer Magnet

Torpedo In-Line Magnet (TIM) Plate Magnet - Flat Face

Square Grate Magnet

+44 (0) 1442 875081 / BUNTINGEUROPE.COM Machine Mounted All-Metal Metal Detector

Design by:

SOME SEE JUST DIRT

Stand Number 10J47

OTHERS SEE A MASTERPIECE

ITALIAN MELT FILTER

facebook linkedin

follow: @AreyouR.recyclingcommunity

- fimic.it 16 - 23 October 2019 DĂźsseldorf Hall 9 - Stand E28

RECYCLING MACHINERY

REAP WHAT YOU SOW K 2019: EREMA GROUP PRESENTS ‘SEEDS FOR YOUR PERFORMANCE’.

Manfred Hackl © Borealis

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t K 2019, the EREMA Group will be showcasing its full range of products and services for the plastics recycling process more comprehensively than ever before. For the first time, a total of seven companies and business units – EREMA, POWERFIL, KEYCYCLE, PURE LOOP, 3S, UMAC and PLASMAC – will be representing the EREMA Group.

technology, introduced to the market as a world-first, will be headlining. It is a combination of the proven VACUREMA process with newly patented, vacuumassisted solid state polycondensation (SSP) by Polymetrix for the production of food-grade rPET pellets. What makes this combination so special is the thermal process steps that take place in a nitrogen and/or vacuum atmosphere.

Despite its relatively brief history, EREMA has developed from a pioneering company to an innovation and world market leader in plastics recycling systems. "Today, we offer our customers technologies and components, as well as consulting, service, engineering and planning services and, of course, the expertise and dedication of our employees. All of these are success factors contributing to the performance of our customers, which is why the EREMA Group appears at K this year under the motto ‘Seeds for your performance’,” said Manfred Hackl, CEO.

In the in-house and industrial sectors, the new INTAREMA ZeroWastePro system is a compact solution that is precisely tailored to the requirements of recycling production waste. The optimised design of the machine makes integration into the existing process chain even easier and enables significantly shorter delivery times.

PURE LOOP, an EREMA Group subsidiary in the shredder-extruder technology segment, will be displaying the new ISEC evo series as a supplement to its existing product range. This will enable output rates of more than 1,500kg/h to be achieved for the first time. In post-consumer applications, the focus is on an increasingly diverse range of applications for high-quality recycled materials using contaminated plastic waste that can be processed using innovative

TECHNOLOGICAL HIGHLIGHTS EREMA is sure that the latest recycling systems presented at K will also be successful. The VACUNITE bottle-to-bottle

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EREMA recycling technology. The most recent example is the shower gel bottles of a well-known brand manufacturer made from 100 per cent HDPE post-consumer recycled material from Austria's yellow recycling sacks – a world first in the cosmetics sector.

BLUPORT – A NEW IOT PLATFORM EREMA will also be demonstrating its pioneering role in Industry 4.0 applications. BluPort, a newly developed customer portal, brings together decisionrelevant information and service offers in a clear, user-friendly way. Hackl said: "The networking of virtual data levels with real process sequences will create new solutions for plant operation and new smart service offerings in the future. With a focus on data security and customer benefits, BluPort will be an exciting platform for new applications, which will enable our customers to make the most of the diverse potential that digitalisation already offers."

CIRCULAR ECONOMY LIVE AT THE CIRCONOMIC CENTRE The EREMA Group hopes that the Circonomic Centre will be amongst the highlights for visitors to K 2019.

"Circonomic is a word we created from ‘circular’ and ‘economy’ to express what we as the EREMA Group want to achieve, namely the integration of recycling knowhow into the plastics value chain, so that our industry, the environment and society as a whole, can gain ecological and economic benefits from it," Hackl continued.

Recycling must become a fixed link in the plastics chain. The players in the plastics industry can only achieve this together

2019

"We make it possible for trade fair visitors to experience the circular economy in the truest sense of the word," added Marketing Manager Gerold Breuer.

Injection moulding and film waste collected during the trade fair will be recycled and processed on site. In co-operation with raw material manufacturers, processors, branded goods companies and recyclers, EREMA will also present a number of other lighthouse projects that demonstrate the different starting materials and recycling technologies that have already been used to successfully produce recycled materials for the production of new, high-quality plastic products.

Summing up his expectations for the K trade fair, Hackl concluded: "Recycling must become a fixed link in the plastics chain. The players in the plastics industry can only achieve this together.

The EREMA Group is the central force behind the realisation of the circular economy for plastics. We want to promote working together and at the same time demonstrate that we can provide the best possible recycling technologies for the requirements of the circular economy."

Vacunite © EREMA Group

Milliken presents

Millad® NX® 8000 clarifier for PP helps processors & brand owners on the path to better sustainability At K 2019, Milliken Chemical will clearly demonstrate how it is “Enhancing plastics with Color, Care, Clarity and Performance. Together.”

Its Millad® NX® 8000 clarifier for polypropylene (PP) not only transforms the resulting resin, NX® UltraClear™ PP, into a lightweight, crystal-clear replacement for alternative materials, but also reduces processor cycle times and helps lower related CO2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in injection molded products.

The independent UL Environment has documented through trials that use of Millad NX 8000 can yield significant energy savings when injection molding transparent PP products. Use of the clarifier can lower required processing

temperatures from 235°C to 190°C – much lowlow er than required by third-generation clarifiers to achieve the desired transparency. This results in energy savings of between 8 and 12%, as well as lower CO2 emissions.

Those using NX UltraClear PP can add the UL Environmental Claim Validation (ECV) label to their products, offering a marketing advantage while also helping to confirm to all involved that they have made the more sustainable choice when it comes to doing the right thing for the planet.

Visit us at Booth A27 in Hall 6 at K 2019, and learn how you can gain a clear advantage with Milliken. Learn more at k-2019.milliken.com. © 2019 NX, Millad, and Milliken are registered trademarks of Milliken & Company. UltraClear and the Milliken logo are trademarks of Milliken & Company.

NEW AT LINDNER AT K 2019:

LIVE DEMONSTRATION AT THE OUTSIDE AREA Three years have passed since the last K and everything has changed. We accept this challenge and show at this year’s K show highly productive, turnkey system solutions for plastics recycling that create the perfect material for subsequent extrusion. Moreover the next generation of the tried-and-tested Micromat shredder series and an exciting new hotwash system will be presented. More information: lindner.com/k2019

HALL 9, D78 & E75 OUTSIDE AREA 15.2

RECYCLING MACHINERY

DALY PLASTICS TRANSFORMS USED FILM INTO HIGH-QUALITY REGRANULATE USING LINDNER MACHINERY.

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aly Plastics is one of the largest plastics waste processing companies in the Netherlands. At the Zutphen site, the subsidiary, Caroda Polymer Recovery, recycles agricultural and packaging films to produce virgin-quality regranulates.

Two Jupiter 2200 and four Micromat 2000 shredders from Austria-based Lindner Recyclingtech are in continuous operation and provide the recovery facility with the ideal particle size.

A Jupiter located outside the sorting hall shreds the agricultural film so that the drum screen can filter foreign materials.

Daly Plastics Owner and MD Peter Daalder said: “Agricultural film often contains foreign material such as lumps of soil or stones. Even large foreign matter in the feed material doesn’t make any difference to Jupiter. That’s one of the main reasons why we decided to buy Lindner shredders.”

SHREDDY, STEADY, GO The second Jupiter is installed in the hall and shreds post-consumer film to A4 size.

Alongside the low energy consumption, energy-efficient drive, flywheel energy storage, and easy operation and maintenance, Lindner’s shredders feature formidable safety qualities that prevent damage caused by foreign parts and non-shreddables. Even its hydraulic maintenance door has proven its worth.

being damaged … Then you simply let the cutting system run back a little, remove the foreign material and close the maintenance door. All in all, that only takes a few minutes.”

Both stationary and mobile shredders for waste processing form just part of the portfolio alongside complete systems for plastics recycling, SRF and waste wood processing.

Lindner’s machinery and aftersales service has exceeded Daalder’s expectations: “Long downtimes are virtually non-existent, and I am very satisfied with the overall system and would choose Lindner’s innovative machines again.”

The shredders can be used for municipal solid waste, commercial and industrial waste, waste wood, plastics, packaging material, paper and light scrap.

The Lindner family business offers both innovative and tried-and-tested shredding solutions. At its production facilities in Spittal an der Drau and Feistritz an der Drau, Austria, Lindner manufactures machines and system components that are exported worldwide.

Lindner Jupiter 2200 is used at Daly Plastics to shred agricultural film.

LINDNER AT K 2019 In addition to the indoor exhibition space in hall 9, booth D78/E75, Lindner Recyclingtech and its subsidiary Lindner WashTech will be showcasing their equipment in the outside area, booth 15.2, for the first time. Here Lindner’s system solution – consisting of a shredder and a mechanical dryer – will be on display and recycling plastics live.

2019

Daalder added: “It can happen that metal parts or even stones get into the Jupiter despite pre-sorting. The safety clutch prevents the cutting system from

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RECYCLING MACHINERY

EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY IN PLASTIC RECYCLING

HERBOLD MECKESHEIM IS TAKING ITS INNOVATIVE PROCESSES AND MACHINES TO K 2019.

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he machine and plant manufacturer will be presenting plastic waste process solutions and its wide range of machines in Düsseldorf. The solutions from Herbold are based on 40 years of experience and continuous innovation in post-industrial and postconsumer applications.

Herbold granulators grind all plastic waste materials, whether injection, blow, or roto moulded, flat sheet or blown film extrusion, or waste generated during pipe, profile, sheet, or other plastic products manufacture.

Herbold has also invested in the area of washing lines, having assembled a team of process technicians and project engineers. The company can now offer complete high-performance solutions.

New developments from the washing line product area to be presented at K include

Werner Herbold said: “Size reducing, washing, separating and drying, and agglomeration are our main processes.

Our customers value our wide range of machine options and the ability to obtain custom plant designs from a single source. With our focus on the circular economy, we are fully in line with the current spirit of the times and with one of the main topics of the K 2019 trade fair.”

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Herbold is a family-owned company currently managed by the fourth generation, Karlheinz and Werner Herbold, who look forward to welcoming visitors to the stand in Hall 9 Booth 9B42.

With our focus on the circular economy, we are fully in line with the current spirit of the times

Modern film washing lines with hot washing © Herbold Meckesheim

Pre-shredding is an essential process step when the feed material is too bulky to process or when it has to be coarsely broken up before sorting, visual inspection, or testing. The demand for highperformance shredders that can process entire bales is increasing, especially when used in washing lines. Herbold will present the EWS 60/210 for the first time at K 2019, as will the new two-shaft shredder with the stator positioned in the middle.

the modified VWE 700 prewashing unit, which captures coarse foreign bodies and features an integrated baffle plate thickener to clean the process water, therefore removing contaminants directly on the unit; and the HERBOLD HLR label remover, which has undergone numerous minor improvements to bring forth a new generation to the market.

2019

Herbold SB granulator with force feeding ©Herbold Meckesheim

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The World’s No. 1 Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber

Efficient Decontamination:

MRS Extrusion F o r P e o p l e , P l a n e t & P l a s t i c s .

K 2 0 1 9 T h e f u t u r e b e g i n s a t K 2 019 . A n d t h e f o c u s is more than ever on pioneering concepts, technologies and recycling processes aiming at a successful and sustainable circular economy.

Around 3,200 international e xhibitors at K 2019 will be showing you the latest de velopments and groundbreaking innovations on all the trending topics in the plastics and rubber industry. Welcome!

Unique technologies, innovative solutions, comprehensive technical support, high expertise in all kinds of plastics applications.

In others words: typical Gneuss.

Hall 9 Stand A38

www.k -online.com/ticketing

gneuss.com Messe Düsseldorf GmbH P.O. Box 10 10 06 – 40001 Düsseldorf – Germany Tel. +49 211 4560 01 – Fax +49 211 4560 668

www.messe-duesseldorf.de

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RECYCLING MACHINERY ETTLINGER’S CONTINUOUS, HIGH SPEED ECO MELT FILTER ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO CONVERT PET MATERIAL FLOWS INTO AN EVEN HIGHER QUALITY – AND HENCE MORE PROFITABLE – END PRODUCT.

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ith unprecedented filtration fineness of 60µm, Ettlinger’s ECO melt filters aim to simplify treatment of recycled material for the film, packaging tape and fibre industries, as well as help plastics recyclers remove contaminants including paints, silicones and gels from the melt.

The new filter screens could also enable cost-efficient conversion of postconsumer PET bottle flake and fines into recycled material.

Recycled PET from post-consumer bottle flake is highly sought-after as a raw material for thermoforming packaging, fibres or packaging tapes. Such products are also widely accepted among consumers. Depending on the application, the recycled materials often have to meet high requirements in terms of appearance and mechanical properties.

The purity of the recycled material is central to its usability. Therefore,

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the efficiency of the melt filtration process is far more critical in the PET world. Conventional screen changers and screens have limitations here, whereas Ettlinger’s self-cleaning ECO filter systems enable compliance with the strictest specifications. The core component of the ECO filter is a rotating, cylindrical steel screen with millions of conical, laser- drilled holes.

Microperforation, as far as PET recycling is concerned, thereby became the decisive market breakthrough.

Limitations of woven steel mesh screens Woven steel mesh screens are made of fine metal wires, with square mesh being the simplest, most ubiquitous type. The side length of the openings corresponds to the screen’s nominal mesh size. However, a square mesh allows much larger particles (factor 1.41) to pass. Furthermore, the wires are linked loosely so, as the filter cake grows and the pressure rises, some meshes may be enlarged and enable larger particles to slip through. The resulting scrap pushes up the cost and leads to negative impacts on the downstream extrusion process – the build-up of a filter cake, strong pressure fluctuations and frequent screen changes create extra work, as does cleaning with backflush.

LASERED MICROPERFORATION Ettlinger’s rigid filter screens and laserdrilled microperforation have improved separation efficiency. The woven steel mesh screens have a mesh size corresponding to the cross section of the conical holes in the filter screen, which are tapered in the direction of

the melt flow. When melt flows through, all contaminants larger than the hole remain on the filter surface. Due to the 60µm filtration fineness, the few residual contaminants are no longer visible to the human eye.

The PET recycling process also has the ability to convert recycled material into new products with visual, mechanical and organoleptic properties that are indistinguishable from virgin material.

The significantly reduced occurrence of contaminants helps make the line more efficient because there are virtually no torn tapes or fibres.

COMMERCIAL VALUE Ettlinger’s continuous melt filters create new possibilities for materials considered heavily contaminated or contain problematic contaminants. The new 60µm filter screen makes the use of PET fines from recycled bottles an even more commercially attractive option. Ettlinger’s ECO melt filter allows PET material conversion flows into an even higher quality, more profitable product.

The PET recycling process also has the ability to convert recycled material into new products with visual, mechanical and organoleptic properties that are indistinguishable from virgin material

RECYCLING MACHINERY

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Z NE

GOPLASTICPALLETS.COM RECYCLES 124 TONNES OF PLASTIC IN SIX MONTHS.

G

oplasticpallets.com has recorded recycling figures for the first half of 2019. Since making its Recycling pledge in February, promising to recover and recycle all of the plastic pallets and boxes it supplies to customers, the company has recycled 124 tonnes of plastic waste.

This plastic waste includes used or unwanted plastic pallets, pallet boxes and smaller containers and trays, which are recovered by Goplasticpallets.com and taken to its partner’s recycling factory in Belgium.

Managing Director Jim Hardisty said: “I couldn’t be happier with the response we’ve had from customers following the

MIXING NOZZLES CO 2 / N 2 DOSING UNITS

launch of our Recycling pledge. The 124 tonnes of plastic we have recycled to date is enough to produce over 7,500 new medium duty pallets; pallets that have a working life of up to 10 times longer than a wooden pallet.”

From humble beginnings in 2001 with a team of just five, Goplasticpallets. com has successfully grown to become the UK’s leading independent suppliers of plastic pallets and boxes.

Hardisty added: “Our mission is to help our customers create more sustainable supply chains by providing long-lasting, reusable plastic pallets and boxes and ensuring they are responsibly recycled.”

K SHOW LDORF DÜSSE 3rd 16 th –2 ER 2019 B O OCT HALL 9 E32 BOOTH FOAM EXTRUSION SYSTEMS

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RECYCLING MACHINERY

OLIVER BRANDT, MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR BKG PRODUCTS AT NORDSON CORPORATION, DISCUSSES PELLETISING AND FILTRATION SYSTEMS FOR PET BOTTLE-TO-FIBRE RECYCLING.

D

emand for fibre based on recycled PET is showing strong growth in automotive applications. To meet it, many companies have switched from ‘bottle-to-film’ recycling to ‘bottle-tofibre’ processes. In global markets, this changeover has also been driven by OEM specifications switching from PP to PET. Nordson has already supplied BKG pelletising and melt filtration systems to bottle-to-fibre processors in Belarus, Italy, Turkey, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the US. The filtration systems extend the working life of screens and reduce purging losses by nearly one half. Likewise, they contribute to extending the working lives of spin packs, thus reducing downtime.

In fibre extrusion, the polymer is spun and stretched to form the product. It is necessary to minimise the drop in intrinsic viscosity (IV) that normally occurs in recycling, since a reduction in IV correlates with loss of tensile properties. At the same time, high production volumes place a premium on melt filtration systems with maximum efficiency and minimum material loss.

BKG underwater pelletisers are widely used for post-consumer PET flakes.

Because the melt residence time is transient, the IV drop is almost completely avoided. One advantage of the BKG pelletisers is their flexibility, because different die plates can be used depending on the IV level. Combined with suitable materials for die plate and cutters, this flexibility results in a long working life for the cutting system.

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Upstream, in melt filtration, the filter design and flow channel geometry are critical for minimising IV drop and temperature control. The BKG HiCon V-Type 3G screen changer is therefore designed to be free of ‘dead’ zones and to provide constant shear and flow rates, resulting in longer filter life and easy handling.

The new FlexDisc filtration device, for use with the HiCon V-Type 3G and Nordson’s other piston-activated screen changers, provides a larger filtration area than standard screen packs, achieving finer filtration, higher throughputs, and longer filter service life. Due to the larger filtration area, it might be possible to use a smaller screen changer.

The FlexDisc also contributes to reduced backflush volume. Backflushing, a hydraulic process and self-cleaning feature of many BKG screen changers, removes contaminant while maintaining throughput, flow and pressure.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, NORDSON CORPORATION WILL BE SHOWCASING BKG PRODUCTS AT K 2019 (HALL 9, BOOTH 9A44/48).

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HEATING AND COOLING NEWS Addex brings second-phase Intensive Cooling technology to K

A

ddex Inc., a leading supplier of highperformance blown film cooling equipment, will launch phase 2 of its Intensive Cooling technology at K 2019.

Addex’s patented design change from the common aerodynamics of present-day blown film air rings is responsible for dramatic increases in stability and output, and the company continues to refine the system for even greater gains.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Addex enjoys strong commercial success with Intensive Cooling, due largely to repeat orders.

The system optimises

performance for both high- and low-melt strength processes.

Bob Cree, Addex President, said: “Our customers are buying the first unit and they are not stopping there.

They see what it can do and they continue purchasing.”

Phase 1 Intensive Cooling R&D focused on adapting the technology to run a range of materials. Step by step, Addex has garnered success with what the industry considers ‘hard to run’ materials. Now in Phase 2, Addex is taking a fresh look at the design of other components within the blown film cooling process.

TAILORED TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR BANKNOTE PRINTING

I

taly-based cooling equipment manufacturer Eurochiller have recently supplied an Italian OEM specialised in the production of printing systems with a multizone temperature control unit of its newest 3FLEX line, which will be included into a wider banknote printing line destined for North Africa.

The main feature of the 3FLEX line is its total automation during the switch on and off phases. The unit is able to control air discharge independently from the printing cylinders, as well as the cool-down phase of the line optimising the cliché cylinders.

The system has six independent zones and is completely monitored by a 10" touch panel reporting and controlling the operational functions (set points and alarms), as well as the flow rate and the pressure of each single section, to the user.

Another peculiarity of the line is its plugand-play function. In the event of ordinary or extraordinary maintenance, each section can be quickly removed due to the use of ‘quick couplings’ on the water-side and of Harting-type connections on the power/signalside. Furthermore, an additional spare section enables the user to then

safely and comfortably complete maintenance operations.

The system is also Profinet-interfaced to the rotogravure line for the basic start/stop functions, the set-point change and the alarms control, being equipped with a remote service interface.

HEATING AND COOLING

2019

EASY DOES IT PIOVAN GROUP WINS THE IF DESIGN AWARD 2019 WITH AQUATECH’S EASYTHERM TEMPERATURE CONTROL UNIT.

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asytherm, the new temperature control unit developed by Piovan Group’s Research and Development team in collaboration with MM Design, was chosen earlier this year from a field of 6,400 entries from over 50 countries as winner of the coveted iF Industrie Form award.

“A prize that rewards the hard work during the design phase,” said Alex Terzariol, owner of MM Design. “From the outset we concentrated on man-machine interaction, with correct positioning of a clear, legible display and with a handle for easy mobility. Every detail has been carefully styled, defining a new design language for the brand."

The form of industrial technical equipment is often overlooked in favour of function. Mould temperature control is a crucial parameter in the processing of plastic materials, but the fresh approach – oriented towards constant innovation – resulted in Easytherm, the new mould temperature control unit to be sold under the Aquatech brand name.

Piovan CCO Peter Dal Bo added: “We are proud of this award, achieved through our determination to be constantly innovative, even in the choice of materials and in the design of our solutions. Easytherm derives from in-depth analysis of the market's needs with the aim of providing a product that would successfully combine outstanding performance with quality of materials and modern design.”

PLAYING IT COOL Piovan takes great care over all its products, even those intended for industrial use, and is always seeking

22 WWW.EPPM.COM

materials and solutions that combine performance with a distinctive brand identity. A temperature control unit is usually installed on the moulding machine – the challenge was to come up with a practical product tailored to users' needs.

While keeping its function clearly in mind when designing Easytherm, MM Design also ensured the control panel would be perfectly legible by mounting it with a tilt.

The panel is protected by tempered glass and features six capacitive touch keys for immediate access to Easytherm's main functions. Easily transportable from one moulding machine to another, wheels and a retractable handle greatly improve the manoeuvrability of the unit.

HOT NEW DESIGN Creating optimal styling for the chassis, MM Design came up with two steel shells that protect the unit from impact.

These also help to disperse heat on the internal components. Sheet metal covers and a polycarbonate display mounting panel combine ruggedness with visibility.

A new internal and external layout, a redesigned ergonomic control unit, and high-level components are all combined in a versatile machine that guarantees reliability, precision and intelligent management.

Easytherm currently operates with temperatures up to 90°C, but the range will soon be expanded up to 180°C. Modern, user-friendly, and with high chemical resistance even to aggressive fluids, vapours, humidity and extreme temperatures, Easytherm's innovative character is completed by Industry 4.0 compatibility, adding connectivity and convenience to form and functionality.

With Easytherm, Aquatech extends its product range with a truly innovative temperature controller, thanks to design oriented towards versatility and convenience, energy optimisation and digital integration with the plant's other machines.

Easytherm's innovative character is completed by Industry 4.0 compatibility, adding connectivity and convenience to form and functionality

HEATING AND COOLING

2019

WITTMANN EXPLAINS THE SUCCESS BEHIND ITS DECISION TO CO-LOCATE ITS TEMPERATURE AND FLOW CONTROLLERS FOR TRAINING PURPOSES.

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ll areas wherein Wittmann is active – robots, automation and auxiliary equipment – have seen considerable continuous growth since the turn of the millennium. In view of the global success and rapidly increasing market shares, it was decided to give every product group its own location.

The facility for temperature control technology and flow control in Vienna has recently been extended by adding a showroom that is also used as a demonstration room.

At the beginning of 2016, the Temperature Control Technology Department moved into its own Viennese quarters nearby to the facility for robots and automation systems. Here, the production of temperature and flow controllers takes place alongside the relevant Research and Development, Construction, and Service and Sales Departments.

Sustainability is not only just a popular buzzword, it stands for one of the goals to which Wittmann is committed on all levels. In order to pursue this idea, including all of its sales-related, technological and economic aspects, it was considered indispensable to create a central place where the complete range of temperature control technology could be presented together. This led to the construction of a special showroom for Wittmann temperature and flow controllers with state-of-the-art equipment.

Following meticulous planning and careful design, the showroom was officially opened in autumn 2018.

In November 2018 and February 2019, the new showroom/demonstration room had to pass its first stress tests, when special training courses were held for service

engineers from across Europe. Apart from such special events, the showroom is also used for sales training.

Various appliances can be closely inspected and tested to the limit of their capacities: from simple flow controller models and temperature controllers with frequency-controlled pumps, to selfoptimising FLOWCON plus flow controllers in combination with temperature controllers with the SpeedDrive option.

The positive feedback from international Wittmann subsidiaries has led to the implementation of subsequent customer training sessions with representatives from the respective subsidiaries. Training of this kind has contributed to more customer loyalty.

The technical equipment of the showroom supports practice-oriented training courses. For example, the appliance island equipped with high-end temperature controllers is available for use, making it possible to simulate processes under conditions which come very close to those in real production environments.

Particular emphasis should be placed on the fact that success in sales depends not only on the quality and reliability of the appliances, but also to a considerable extent on the quality of service to be expected. The Wittmann service trolley, a tool trolley carrying the complete set of tools required for repairs and maintenance, helps service engineers train for troubleshooting and carrying out repairs.

In this way it is ensured that the training sessions held in the showroom and training room are not based on theory alone, but in learning-by-doing too so the required success is put into practice.

The Wittmann Group will present its innovative products on two booths at K 2019. The injection moulding machines from Wittmann Battenfeld will be shown in hall 15 booth C06, the robots and peripheral equipment from Wittmann Kunststoffgeräte will be on display in HALL 10 BOOTH A04.

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Never-ending trending sending OR, WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT HOW I FEEL ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND PLASTICS WHILST DISCUSSING THE ROLE OF INDUSTRY PLAYERS IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY WHILST AT A PRE-K PRESS EVENT IN AUSTRIA, BY ROB COKER.

I

t has not gone unnoticed that social media is very antiplastics. With multiple hashtags inviting us to tell everyone how good it feels to be #PlasticFree, how important it is to #BanPlastic, and of course how incredibly satisfying it is to #SayNoToPlastics.

In my mind, social media is the attractive tip of a big, ugly iceberg, where trendy young people acquire followers by following the latest fad – whether buying fresh, ripe tomatoes to photograph

26 WWW.EPPM.COM

and express outrage at the packaging, or PhotoShopping a polar bear asleep with a Coke bottle as a pillow – its lip service of the fingers; a vacuous absence of validation.

If they wanted real discourse, responses and solutions, they would get themselves to events such as the K Trade Fair and engage, such as I did, with stakeholders during day one of this year’s pre-K press event hosted by Engel, Erema, Borealis and Borouge, and Nova Chemicals, in Schwertberg and Linz,

Austria.

They call it ‘plastics bashing’ among the chiefs at the Schwertberg-based machine manufacturer Engel, or, as Chief Sales Officer Christoph Steger said during a June heatwave: “The weather is nice, but the situation is probably not so nice anymore … the plastics discussion is basically about the right treatment of plastics to avoid marine littering.

There is no way around plastics in the global economy, or in our way of living.

“Addressing the plastics waste discussion, the circular economy and recycling represent great opportunities to our investors. Engel therefore signed as the first injection moulding machine manufacturer to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and we are really pushing towards

recycling.”

Head of Plasticising Günther Klammer concurred: “The circular economy is one of the most important topics in the world … we have different possible circles and the main focus in the plastics industry is on recycling material. How, from our point of view, can we close the circle?”

From Canada to China, England to India, members of the world’s plastic-centric press gathered to take up the discussion. We will – of course – be accused of bias by our social media-based counterparts, but at least we can say we were there, listening, engaging, and taking on the big topics.

THE K WAY Day two saw the same group coached to Chemiepark Linz in the east of the city, where Borealis, at its Innovation Centre, hosted a series of

workshops delivered by representatives of Borouge, Nova Chemicals, and Erema, whose CEO Manfred Hackl told us that “by giving three ‘seeds’ – Products, Technologies,

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the wrong messages

and Innovation – to our customers, we can achieve more productivity, higher quality, and drive the circular economy … We will sow these ‘seeds’ at five different locations

at the K show.”

Using the Intarema TVEplus line, Erema will be demonstrating some live recycling at its Circonomic Centre, as well as using ‘BluPort’, its real-time customer

interface, to interact with customers in situ.

What Hackl also promises to put on display at K 2019 is the co-operation between the plastics industry and Erema, as well as how the circular economy can and must be driven for the future: “In the Circonomic Centre, we will have an Engel machine making boxes out of fish nets; we will show an exhibition on ocean clean-up products wherein waste products are collected from the ocean and used as a business model; and beside our tent will be the VDMA tent, which will also focus on the circular economy. This area will open on the first day of K – so do not miss it.”

Agreeing that all things circular are promising business opportunities was Nova Chemicals’ Vice President of Strategic Projects Daryll Harrison, who discussed in

Taking photos of asparagus in Aldi is not engaging with stakeholders, nor is it dialogue with policy makers; it’s being a difficult customer in the hope of gaining a freebie his workshop how innovation enables plastics to become healthier, easier and safer.

“What drives us and what we fundamentally believe is that plastics are of strong value for society. The values that we work towards every day in our business are the same values that drive our work in collaboration with our customers, delivering reliable performance products into the market, and with an increasing focus on sustainability.”

Plastics have demonstrated their value through many applications. The challenge is that these plastics are in the environment and are causing a great deal of anger, understandably.

The message from all the speakers, and their respective companies, is that they do not belong there. There are steps that need to be taken, as Harrison concluded,

and plastics reuse can still bring benefits to society: “With investment, through collaboration, and with innovation, we can increasingly penetrate into the plastics circular economy.”

The plastics industry clearly understands the anger and the disappointment of those social media users hashtagging their way through young adulthood, but taking photos of asparagus in Aldi is not engaging with stakeholders, nor is it dialogue with policy makers; it’s being a difficult customer in the hope of gaining a freebie; it’s falsepositive marketing of the self; and it’s not going to address the challenges at hand.

I just think it’s time for mending to take priority over trending, and – as old-fashioned as it seems now – I prefer my information to come from the experts, thank you.

?

Join us at K2019

Hall 6 - Booth C61

28 WWW.EPPM.COM

technyl.com

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Hall 11, Booth H21

Injection Moulding 4.0: Productivity and flexibility AT K 2019, STÄUBLI WILL SHOWCASE ITS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THE AUTOMATION OF INJECTION MOULDING PROCESSES.

F

rom quick mono and multicouplings, to tool service stations and fully automated Industry 4.0 solutions, Stäubli has carefully evaluated SMED analyses from customer applications in order to increase productivity in injection moulding.

Mould changeover times, selecting the right clamping system, using one’s own mould maintenance station, selecting quick-release mono and multicouplings, and what type of mould change is most efficient under certain operating conditions are among the problems Stäubli’s experts can answer.

André Lucchetti, Connectors Group Division Manager, said: “We’ve used the time since K 2016 to further expand our expertise and develop our products. Today we can provide state-of-the art solutions ranging from small to large corporations. These solutions are tailored to specific requirements, and we will showcase them at K in Düsseldorf.

A RANGE OF SOLUTIONS Industry 4.0 will share the focus at K 2019,

particularly where integrated automation for injection moulding machines is concerned.

Stäubli has extensive experience here due to expertise in fluid connectors, electrical connectors and robotics, for example.

Thierry Parent, Plastics Marketing Manager, added: “With Stäubli, plastics processors can move along the path to automation. Our entire range of quick mould change solutions allows users to invest in multi-coupling systems on a small budget and achieve major gains in productivity.”

APPLICATION DEMONSTRATION The level of automation targeted for a specific application or company can be determined with the Overall Equipment Effectiveness indicator.

Stäubli’s specialists take into account the factors of availability, performance and quality to find customised solutions.

Stäubli’s unique exhibit will focus on what currently comprises the automation of injection moulding machines.

Live at K 2019, visitors can experience how individual processes

influence each other and how they can be optimised through Industry 4.0. The complete system illustrates how Stäubli technology makes a complex task simple – and quick.

In optimal clamping, Stäubli has every possible solution in its programme, including mechanical, hydraulic and magnetic systems. “Based on our experience, Stäubli evaluates the expected payback time. User data – such as the number of mould changes, time required and the associated costs – is taken into account,” Robert Neubauer, QMC Sales Manager, said.

The QMC 122 magnetic clamping system will show how, with simple operation and increased data flow, greater process reliability can be achieved. The system can be used without modifications on almost all injection moulding machines and moulds, and it is compatible with Euromap, SPI and JIS interfaces.

For the first time at a trade fair, Stäubli will demonstrate the advantages of an integrated service

station for injection moulds. These innovative, flexible systems offer the perfect solution for cleaning, inspection and maintenance, and are created in exact accordance with customer specifications.

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE “Concepts of preventive or specific maintenance can be optimally implemented in practice … and before the mould is used again it can be fully tested.

Fatal failures of freshly maintained moulds and the associated, costintensive downtimes are thereby safely excluded,” Neubauer added.

At K 2019, Stäubli will demonstrate how quickly and easily the complete positioning and clamping process of a mould can be implemented in the service station. For cleaning and inspection work, the two mould halves are brought into an ergonomic working position on the station.

This allows all work and cleaning steps to be

implemented in a safe and efficient manner – even with a robot.

Mould maintenance is thus integrated into the production process quickly, safely and justin-time.

Before returning to the press, the programme includes functional tests of the core pullers and the ejector system.

With Stäubli coupling technology, external devices for testing and cleaning can be included. The complete mould is fully inspected on the service station.

“At K, we will be showcasing the benefits of integrated, digitally networked automation.

Stäubli is the only manufacturer in the world that can offer solutions from a single source for each step of the mould change,” Lucchetti concluded.

Stäubli’s unique exhibit will focus on what currently comprises the automation of injection moulding machines

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Hall 16, Booth A05

Hall 3, Booth B55

AMUT GROUP WILL PRESENT IN OPERATION THE BRAND-NEW ACS 2000 CAST LINE FOR STRETCH FILM PRODUCTION AT K 2019.

AMUT BRINGS FILM, THERMOFORMING AND ‘GO GREEN’ TO K

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he Q-Catcher concept, a recently developed patented system, was introduced during the Stretch Film Conference in Barcelona, but the first live demo will be at this year’s K Show.

The Q-Catcher permits the repetition of previously saved parameters with the reproduction of the film having exactly the same mechanical properties.

The ACS 2000 has a seven-layer, five-extruder configuration and a width of 2,000mm.

With output around 1,300Kg/h and film thickness ranging from 6-25µ, the upgraded technology includes the

T-Die Essentia (AMUT branded) with die splitter, movable vacuum box, jumbo type chill roll unit, AD Scan X-Rays, and the Prowind 4.0 super-fast winder.

‘GO GREEN’ CORNER AMUT Group carries the ‘Go Green’ motto launched during Chinaplas and offers several solutions supporting the circular economy. The friction washer performs intense PET/HDPE/LDPE washing and pollutants removal. Due to the strong cleaning force, the outgoing flakes have the quality required to be re-used in many applications.

Great visibility will be dedicated to the project carried out in partnership with Ecoplasteam wherein the entire treatment process of Ecoallene is completed using AMUT equipment.

Ecoallene pellets are suitable for extrusion, thermoforming and injection moulding.

The ACF820 thermoforming machine to be presented at K has three stations and includes additional chain rails, an 80-tonne forming press, an 80-tonne cutting press, real-time monitoring, pick and place stacking robot, and a vision system for quality control.

CMS RAISING STANDARDS 2019 is a year of important appointments for CMS, particularly the K trade fair, in which CMS Plastic Technology promises to be a protagonist with its largest stand to date and many new features, including the new software CMS ThermoProphet.

This riole of this software – to monitor machine production in real time and intervene on machining parameters

to maintain the highest quality standards – is of paramount importance.

Business Unit Manager Massimo Guerra: "We are working to expand our range as we aim at making our way in specific sectors such as the mass-produced automotive industry or public transportation sectors, which require extremely high levels of productivity … We want to assert our leadership in the plastic sector too.”

Hall 10, Booth A22

Brabender focuses on the future ‘Our focus on your future’ – this is the motto under which Brabender GmbH & Co. KG and Brabender Messtechnik GmbH & Co. KG will showcase their products and services at K 2019.

The two Duisburg companies are setting the course for the future with their solutions for quality testing and development of sustainable plastic products and formulations.

The joint booth will include a running laboratory film extrusion line consisting of the Stand-Alone Extruder KE 19 and a blown film take-off unit in a new, user-friendly design to process polymers into films.

The Brabender Group members are looking forward to receiving numerous interested bvisitors.

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PREVIEW Hall 14, Booth A32

JOMAR LAUNCHING TECHNODRIVE 65 AT K

Jomar Corp., a leading global manufacturer of injection blow moulding machinery for the pharmaceutical, healthcare and household products industries, will launch the TechnoDrive 65 PET machine at K 2019.

Specifically designed to run PET resins (but can easily switch back to PP and PE resins), the TechnoDrive 65 PET machine evolved from Jomar’s TechnoDrive 65,

a high-speed production machine unveiled in 2018. It has a dry cycle time of only 1.7 seconds, making it one of the fastest injection blow moulding machines in the industry.

Jomar Sales Manager Ron Gabriele: “At the 2019 K show, we will be continuing to demonstrate our ability to work with different materials in projects that are considered unusual for IBM.”

Hall 5, Booth A19

IMD PUR dual-technology Coating manufacturer Leonhard Kurz has developed a process for combining IMD with PUR technology in a process called IMD PUR, wherein plastic parts are decorated during injection moulding by means of in-mould decorating and then overflooded with PUR within the same clamping unit.

This produces sophisticated designs under a crystal clear, high-gloss surface. PUR

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layer thicknesses of between 0.3-15mm can be created that exhibit a marked depth effect.

The PUR coating also provides a high level of surface protection. Kurz will be demonstrating the production and decoration of components with complex geometries and the new IMD PUR process at K 2019 on an Engel duo 2460/900 injection moulding machine.

Hall 3, Booth A16 WM THERMOFORMING BRINGS UNIVERSAL SOLUTIONS WM Thermoforming Machines has vast experience in developing and building machinery for the packaging industry.

The company is recognised for being one of the world’s major thermoforming machine builders.

Committed to research and product development whilst striving for disruptive innovation, WM’s machinery can now be utilised easier due

to the new Flex-series and the possibility of using existing moulds on the first ‘Universal Thermoforming Machine’, saving the trouble and costs when buying new technology.

What Sales Director Luca Oliverio promises to be one of the K 2019 highlights, the Flex-series will be operational with engineers on-hand to discuss the latest developments.

Rob Buntinx, EMEA President, Styrolution

Plastic has made the world more revolutionary …

We need to bring plastic back into its original state

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KHEMISTRY

ASSISTANT EDITOR GRACE NOLAN JOINED A HOST OF JOURNALISTS IN ANTWERP, BELGIUM, FOR A PACKED TWO-DAY EVENT WHERE SEVERAL COMPANIES HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR K 2019 PRODUCTS, STORIES AND INNOVATIONS.

I

n June, more than 20 journalists gathered in Belgium to attend the Sixth EMG Pre-K press conference. During the two-day event, companies such as Ascend, Clariant, DSM, INEOS Styrolution, Perstorp, SABIC and Songwon all had the opportunity to present their K 2019 products, stories and innovations.

BioBased Delta kicked of the conference by spearheading green chemicals to bring about the transition to a bio-based economy, whilst INEOS Styrolution announced it will focus on styrenic solutions for the circular economy at K 2019.

Plastic was a hot topic throughout the presentation with EMEA President at Styrolution Rob Buntinx explaining: “Plastic has made the world more revolutionary; however, there is inadequate waste disposal.

We need to bring plastic back into its original state.”

At K itself, Clariant will reveal specific partnerships and solutions advancing its ‘Symphony of Collaboration’ as a key theme. Lynette Chung, Head of Corporate Sustainability Strategy and Advocacy, explained: “Plastics have significant advantages, as well as disadvantages that we see

as exciting, as this can lead to opportunities.”

Chung added that the company will be revealing the partnerships created as part of a collective responsibility to embrace plastics and take them into the circular economy, and further adding: “We are rethinking the challenges of plastic waste as all stakeholders need to be on-board for it to be a success.”

Clariant’s Head of Innovation, Richard Haldimann, said: “Plastic is critical to our way of living. It has unparalleled versatility, inspiring innovation – especially in the medical and automotive industries.”

He believes there are three core elements needed to address this: a portfolio of products; collaboration; and knowledge acros the value chain.

Perstorp discussed the launch of its new Pevalen Pro, a polyolester plasticiser based on partly renewable raw materials, while SABIC says it is the first in the industry to scale-up an innovative chemical recycling process to return mixed plastic waste back to the original polymer.

The Saudi Arabia-based petrochemicals giant is using feedstock made from mixed plastic waste

to produce certified circular polymers at its production site in Geleen, the Netherlands – one of many highlights to expect at K 2019.

Ascend Performance Materials plans to unveil a new portfolio of specialty polymers at K 2019. The company has invested in ADN and PA 66 capacity, diversifying its portfolio with more specialty products and looking at multiple opportunities to expand its global operations.

Under the theme ‘It’s all about the Chemistry’, SONGWON will showcase how chemistry plays a role in daily lives, the sustainable chemistry base behind SONGWON’s solutions, and the importance of ‘chemistry’ between people.

SONGWON Board Member Dieter Morath said: “Plastic is not the problem. It’s what we do with it.”

DSM concluded the conference by explaining how the markets for engineering plastics increasingly require innovative solutions that make people’s lives safer, more convenient and healthier. DSM says it will showcase products and solutions addressing just such challenges at the K Show.

PREVIEW

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Hall 11, Booth D76

SCHENCK BRINGS NEW LINES TO K 2019 Schenck Process is expanding its offering with the new ProFlex C100, the smallest of the ProFlex C family for small extruders.

The C100 is a quickchange hopper option in the ProFlex line for fast and clean changeover without disassembling the feed screw, and the asymmetric design prevents bridging and plugging of sticky material. Equipped with an integrated gearbox for turndown ratios of up to 1:120, the C100 is NEMA drive ready for compounding and masterbatch, which is crucial for US markets.

Schenck is also adding to its SIMPLEX Flat Bottom (FB) feeder family by introducing the SIMPLEX FB 650 alongside the Simplex FB 1500, which debuted at K 2016.

The FB 650 is the perfect solution for feeding plastic flakes, cellulose, hemp, glass or carbon fibres and other virgin or recycled materials for plastic film or compounding applications.

A high-capacity stainless steel feeder designed for materials handling, the SIMPLEX FB is perfect for hard-to-feed materials such as chopped PP or PET.

Hall 11, Booth D76

DRY CLEANER FarragTech GmbH, developer of the world’s first compressed and sustainable air dryer technology, will exhibit at the K trade fair in Düsseldorf in October.

The bulk materials dryers CARD E/S, CARD M and CARD L/XL, as well as the internal cooling units Blow Molding Booster and Blow Air Chiller, will be presented

by CEO Aaron Farrag, the son of FarragTech founder Rainer Farrag.

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Headquartered in Austria with production facilities in Slovenia, FarragTech was originally founded in 1991 as FASTI

by Rainer Farrag and Bernhard Stipsits under the belief that resin drying using compressed air will become the industry standard.

Hall 16, Booth A43 DAVIS-STANDARD AND MAILLEFER WILL SHOWCASE A RANGE OF NEW EXTRUSION AND CONVERTING TECHNOLOGY AT K 2019.

DAVIS-STANDARD AND MAILLEFER BRING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO K 2019

H

ighlighting the ways DavisStandard, Maillefer, Brampton Engineering and Thermoforming Systems LLC (TSL) deliver technology, value and market expertise to customers, DavisStandard’s support of a circular economy in terms of sustainable processing practices, waste reduction and alternative polymer use will be at the fore.

Davis-Standard President and CEO Jim Murphy said: “The K show is always a tremendous opportunity to connect with our global customer base. Our exhibit will highlight an

excellent cross-section of technology at our booth. We will also share progress on our product lines and continual efforts to improve customer service responsiveness.

K 2019 will also mark the second anniversary of our acquisition of Maillefer.

This partnership has significantly broadened Davis-Standard’s reach and capabilities throughout Europe and the MEA regions.”

Alongside sustainability and circular economy, Davis-Standard’s K 2019 highlights will include DS Activ-Check, a smart technology system that enables real-time predictive maintenance;

Bluebox, Maillefer’s Industry 4.0 data strategy developed for high-speed acquisition and storage; Elastomer developments including silicone technology and elastomer capabilities for automotive applications; Profile capabilities for pipe, tubing, wire and cable; and a new extrusion die for coating applications, amongst other areas of interest.

Davis-Standard offers multiple services to support product line performance, including a full range of spare parts, feasibility studies, resin changes and product developments.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CORRECT

SURFACE TREATMENT As the inventor of the Corona technology, Vetaphone offers vast knowledge and experience with Corona & Plasma surface treatment and has an extensive portfolio of solutions for any type of application in the web processing industry.

Our expertise ensures the perfect surface adhesion – so you can deliver the perfect end result.

Visit us at Stand 10A59 October 16-23th 2019

www.vetaphone.com | sales@vetaphone.com

PREVIEW

Three days in Düsseldorf, by Tom THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY AND MEDIA DESCENDED ON DÜSSELDORF FOR ANOTHER K 2019 PREVIEW, THE FINAL EVENT BEFORE THE SHOW ITSELF. MORE THAN 75 JOURNALISTS GATHERED AT MESSE DÜSSELDORF WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY HIGH ON THE AGENDA.

T

he preview opened with a discussion featuring exhibitors such as extrusion specialist Reifenhauser’s CSO Ulrich Reifenhauser, who heralded K as having “the highest density of innovation of any show in the world,” and committing his company to sustainability with the slogan ‘Reifenhauser is ready for recycling’.

The conversation touched numerous times on the threat of plastics to marine life, and how this can be prevented through a circular economy.

Boris Engelhardt, from WDK, said: “Conversing with those outside the industry is key to improving the image of plastic. Plastic is not just waste, it is also key to providing the solutions for it.”

Battenfeld Cincinnati then announced it will be releasing its new Spider NG PVC pipe head series – with a redesigned distribution system, twin compression concept, and innovative die clamping system – at K2019.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag closed the day by announcing its new series of IntElect mid-size range of machines, and its new product strategy, which

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will see the company’s All-Electric machines made in Germany and Japan, with Germany having a focus on medical, electronics, and automotive, and Japan the package orders, consumers and standard markets.

DAY 2 Wacker kicked off the second day with a flurry of announcements, including a booth that will feature next-gen 3D printing and a live injection moulding machine showcasing its new LR 5040 grade; and an addition to its electroactive polymer application portfolio, with NEXIPAL joining ELASTOSIL and SILPURAN for food, medical, and technical applications.

Speciality chemical company LANXESS will have a focus on the three ‘megatrends’: New Mobility, Urbanisation, and Digitalisation.

Covestro offered a long look at how sustainability and digitalisation can impact the industry and the environment. CEO Markus Steilemann said: “Digitalisation and AI can be utilised to help sustainability and close the carbon loop.”

Following on from K 2016, where it debuted

its Car for the Future, the 2019 show will see Covestro unveil its Interior of the Future, with novel seating concepts, innovative display dimensions, and striking lighting surfaces.

The day was ended by a presentation from BASF covering chemical recycling and the circular economy, with clients Südpack, Storopack, Jaguar Land Rover and Scheider Electric also involved.

BASF then announced its collaboration with Adidas on a 100 per cent recycled training shoe.

Another focus was the opportunity for BASF materials to be used in the burgeoning electric mobility market, with Abdullah Sheikh presenting on the benefits of the Ultramid Advanced portfolio.

DAY 3 The third and final day began with a series of announcements from KraussMaffei: the release of a new Agile product line; Polymore, a B2B digital marketplace for the circular economy; and a renting system for its machines. It also revealed its combination with NETSTAL into one injection moulding brand.

At K 2019 KraussMaffei will be showing off its

retrofitting technology on a 2006 CX machine to display its digital connection programme, meaning older machines can now integrate into Industry 4.0.

Asahi Kasei presented its AKXY concept car that will be on show at K2019.

Huntsman announced it will release IROPRINT, a urethane-based

3D printing material expected to be utilised by footwear manufacturers for greater design freedom and customisation options, as well as faster time to market.

The final exhibitor was Hong Kong-based Chen Hsong, which gave an overview of its company before announcing its new German subsidiary.

Conversing with those outside the industry is key to improving the image of plastic

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Hall 12, Booth A51-06

Minger commits to purity

High purity in materials is essential for processing plastics, as well as a crucial feature for product quality. To meet these high rising demands, Minger Kunststofftechnik introduces an online inspection and sorting system from Sikora in its recycling process.

Purity requirements in advanced applications are very high. Minger has operated in recycling for more than 30 years, producing clean, monofractioned regranulate

and customised compounds.

Whether sorting, cleaning, crushing, grounding, dedusting, granulating or compounding, Minger aims to produce regranulates equal to virgin plastics, relying on sustainable recycling concepts for an ideal material flow.

The Swiss manufacturer uses innovative technologies in its processes to ensure highest quality and

process optimisation.

Minger provides a sustainable recovered substance cycle. Thereby, sorted plastic regranulate is getting a competitve alterantive to virgin plastics.

K 2019: LINDNER FOCUSING ON SYSTEM SOLUTIONS Lindner has decided to tackle the technical aspect of increasing recycling quotas head-on. At K 2019 the bespoke recycling equipment manufacturer will showcase highly productive, turnkey system solutions for plastics processing alongside the next generation of Micromat shredders and a new hotwash system.

Harald Hoffmann, Managing Director at Lindner WashTech, said: “Consumers around the world are demanding that resources – and particularly polymers – are used sustainably and responsibly … Current developments also place ever higher demands on

recycled materials. As a result, more and more companies are requesting input materials of high quality and purity.’

In addition to the indoor exhibition space, Lindner Recyclingtech and its subsidiary Lindner WashTech will be showcasing a shredder

and a mechanical dryer in the outside area (booth 15.2) for the first time.

Come and enjoy everyday plastics recycling live and in colour.

Hall 9, Booth D78/E75

WENZ Kunststoff GmbH & Co. KG

+49 2351 45 90 40 info@we-ku.de www.we-ku.de

Besuchen Sie uns! Halle 10 / B78

PREVIEW Hall 9, Booth C41

Gamma Meccanica makes possibilities Gamma Meccanica SpA will participate in its 11th K by exhibiting the latest development of its technology, the GM90 Tandem. An intermediate model developed to recover contaminated and high humidity materials, Gamma makes possible the recovery of plastics that would otherwise be landfilled.

The GM90 Tandem guarantees results 10 times greater than other systems.

It can be equipped with different screen changers based on specific needs.

Production capacity is between 250 and 500kg/h.

After K 2019 the GM90 will be installed in Gamma’s new test centre to test and verify materials. Recyclers can use these lines and receive reports concerning all possible and relevant data.

Gamma's technical staff continues to develop increasingly high-performing lines according to the highest expectations.

Gamma Meccanica is working to solve the problem of plastics recovery and make the circular economy principle effective.

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Hall 3, Booth E90

KIEFEL SIMPLIFIES THERMOFORMING WITH NEXT-GEN SPEEDFORMER KIEFEL GMBH HAS CREATED THE SPEEDFORMER KMD 78.2 SPEED TO SHOWCASE AT K 2019 IN DÜSSELDORF, WHERE VISITORS ARE INVITED TO EXPERIENCE THE MACHINE LIVE.

T

he new generation of Kiefel steel rule machines offers the usual quality with even greater productivity and energy efficiency.

Erwin Wabnig, Director Packaging Division at Kiefel, said: "The new generation of machines is fast and reliable, and can also process novel film materials and produce even complex products whilst consuming a

minimal amount of energy."

The Kiefel designers focused on higher productivity, process control and availability, as well as trendsetting intuitive user guidance with considerable added value in operation and maintenance.

The new KMD generation not only saves energy, but film.

A newly developed film feed table guides

the film to the film transport system.

The proven station drives stabilise and work symmetrically, and the optimised forming air vacuum system enables customers to produce superior moulded parts.

The ergonomic tool change systems, one among many improvements, can significantly shorten set-up times too.

The new KMD generation not only saves energy, but film

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PREVIEW

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Hall 11, Booth C68

Hall 5, Booth A34

ALSO TO BE ANNOUNCED AT K 2019 IS THE FORMATION OF A NEW NETWORK COMPRISING 15 SERVICE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND ONE EACH IN THE US, CHINA AND JAPAN.

INTOUCH HAS A FINGER ON THE INNOVATION PULSE

Roemheld Rivi to promote magnetic die clamping at K L ast year Roemheld Rivi, a manufacturer of magnetic clamping plates for securing dies and moulds, enjoyed growth in sales in all areas of the plastics processing industry, as well as in forming technology.

In 2019, order numbers and revenue continue to grow with products now available in the UK through Roemheld UK, Hitchin.

At the K 2019 trade fair, the company will stress its prominence in both the plastics and rubber industries. It is the only magnetic die clamping company to have the technology to operate in the latter sector due to the ability of its M-TECS series plates to withstand temperatures up to 240°C. Dies and moulds made from ferromagnetic materials can be clamped and subsequently released over their full surface area and high plate stiffness resists bending. The systems

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work without electrical power and require only a short current pulse lasting a few seconds to activate and deactivate the magnets.

Permanent magnets generate a field that penetrates a few millimetres into the tool and hold even heavy mould halves weighing several tonnes in the correct position, bringing them together with absolute parallelity.

Even moulds with complex geometries can be precisely clamped without deformation.

Uniform distribution of the clamping force ensures low die wear.

Every magnetic clamping system is customised by Roemheld Rivi using standardised components and is virtually maintenancefree. Solutions can be configured flexibly with regard to size, geometry, clamping force and fittings, and are available on short delivery. They can generally be retrofitted to existing machines within just a few hours.

At Intouch, we believe that all manufacturers should have the tools to make the best production decisions.

Intouch has spent more than 20 years ensuring that our system gives users the visibility and control to easily make decisions which consistently lead to significant improvements in OEE and profitability.

Installed in over 300 sites worldwide, the Intouch real-time monitoring, scheduling, reporting and analytics system is suitable for a multitude of industries

and processes including packaging, automotive, medical, aerospace, injection moulding, thermo-forming, extrusion, printing, CNC cutting/machining, metal-stamping and food processing.

Our flexible and easy to use systems integrate easily with ERP software and is available as an on-premise solution (Intouch i4 Custom) or our new subscriptionbased Intouch i4 Cloud.

Hall 10, Booth B78

qip the customer satisďŹ ed

More than twenty years of experience in resin drying and material handling led to a joint venture between Wenz Kunststoff GmbH and qip GmbH, which enabled products with better energy efficiency.

The CD-, ID-, FD-, UD- and HD-series of compact and intelligent drying systems have hopper volumes from 1.5 to 3,700 litres. Centralised or decentralised drying system solutions with or without centralised or decentralised material handling systems, as well as customised solutions, are supplied

on the highest level of energy efficiency and with possibilities for data communication.

All the gathered experience enables us to supply our systems at the highest standard in plastic resin drying.

Benefit from our carbon emissions reduction knowhow to ensure process reliability and provide high transparency in your material handling.

We are looking forward to a future with optimised quality and our contribution to a better and clean environment, as well as your engagement at K 2019.

50% L SS P CK G NG 2019 K-Show

3 r 16 - 2 Octobe A75 | Booth Hall 13

IS STILL 50% TOO MUCH. The KHS solution for more sustainability: New avenues in packaging technology.

We are continuously improving our packaging. By applying innovative technologies and switching over to mono-material packaging we have halved our packing materials over the last ďŹ ve years. And we are soon to take another big step forward in using new, thinner types of ďŹ lm. khs.com/packing-systems

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PREVIEW

Hall 1, Booth C05

BMS enables easy handling

The BMS Slide Moving Table allows injection moulding tools to be easily handled for maintenance by enabling a mould to be opened in order to reach its various parts, and closed again in just a few seconds.

This specialist equipment has many options to be adapted for all types of moulds, for optimal efficiency and safety, making many opening, closing and access operations to the various parts of a mould easy, whether for maintenance, repair, cleaning, preparation for injection, or assembly for manufacturing and fitting.

Advantages in productivity include time- and spacesaving, and ease of implementation.

In terms of safety, advantages include equipment protection and a reduction in work loads.

The table comes in a range of 1.5-6 tonnes with optional magnetic and mechanical brackets.

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Hall 9, Booth B59

VECOPLAN bringing efficient solutions to K

IN HALL 9, BOOTH B59, VECOPLAN AG WILL BE EXHIBITING MACHINES AND SYSTEMS THAT SHRED, CONVEY AND PROCESS PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS.

V

isitors will be able to get their first glimpse of a highly efficient shredder equipped with a flexible drive concept.

One of the key challenges facing today’s world is to maintain an environment worth living in for future generations. However, a future without plastics is barely conceivable and the downsides are visible everywhere – for example, in the form of uncollected waste that pollutes the land and the seas.

This can be prevented by means of correctly functioning recycling management. The demands on recycling activities are very exacting. The purer the material, the more easily it can be processed and used to produce new high-quality products.

Thanks to its solutions, Vecoplan AG is part of this value chain and has been a successful, reliable partner to the recycling industry

for many years.

These solutions can be perfectly adapted to the technical characteristics of plastic and the downstream recycling process. They meet the high demands in terms of availability and profitability.

At K 2019, Vecoplan will be demonstrating a further milestone in mechanical processing to industry specialists in the form of a singlestage shredder from its new VIZ series (Vecoplan Infinity Shredders). The machine has been designed in such a way

that, depending on the requirements, it can be equipped either with the high-torque, quick-start HiTorc drive from the proven VAZ or with the ESC, Vecoplan’s frequency-controlled, belt-type direct drive.

Both systems are patented and impress through their great energy efficiency.

Visitors to the K will be able to find out more detailed information.

Vecoplan offers solutions for mechanical and

chemical processing.

The mechanical engineering company is thus represented at the VDMA Circular Economy Forum in Düsseldorf. ‘Plastic-tofuel’ systems convert different types of waste plastic into diesel or petroleum fuel, for example.

Vecoplan provides the high-performance shredding technology required by these systems in order to process the input material appropriately.

The Branson GSX Series Ultrasonic Welding Platform is a highly configurable system, designed and customised to meet your specific plastic joining needs. The Branson GSX Platform helps to transform your ideas into realities, while still respecting your budgetary considerations. Enhanced process control and improved energy delivery ensures quality welds and fewer rejects. This enables you to increase production throughput and meet project timelines that deliver expected return on investments.

For product information: Emerson.com/Branson

The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. Š 2018 Emerson Electric Co.

CAPS AND CLOSURES NEWS

Marchesini presents Compact 12 counter at Pack Expo Las Vegas THE MARCHESINI GROUP WILL PRESENT A MONOBLOC UNIT AT PACK EXPO LAS VEGAS (SEPTEMBER 23-25) THAT FILLS AND CAPS BOTTLES FOR PILLS, TABLETS OR CAPSULES.

E

quipped with special applications to guarantee total product control, the Compact 12 showcased is one of Marchesini’s top-ofthe-range electronic counters solutions.

The HarleNIR vision system, which exploits an NIR hyperspectral camera to chemically distinguish pharmaceutical products, was debuted

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in April during the Open Factory dedicated to Industry 4.0.

Marchesini is the first company in the world to implement this technology in blister packs.

Compact 12 integrates a variety of operations on one machine to handle all capping systems (screw-on, press-on, crimped) and offers the widest possible array of applications.

The various types of control systems can be activated together or partially, depending on the market, product and customer requirements.

By verifying the exactness of the active ingredient, this spectral analytic function provides important indications in the case of mixed-up ingredients, which is one of the main causes for a pharmaceutical to be withdrawn or blocked.

BERICAP offers optimised recycling characteristics

G

ermany-based family company BERICAP constantly reviews how products can be refined to pay for efficiency, convenience and sustainability efforts.

One such contribution to the recyclability and sustainability of food packaging is the silicone-free BERICAPValve for ketchup, mayonnaise and spreadables.

Most bottles are equipped with hingecaps that are easy to reclose, and around 40 per cent of these closures have an additional valve that allows precise and convenient dosing.

BERICAPValve has taken a leading position in this segment.

Christoph Thünemann, Group Director Communications and Marketing, said: "We continuously find that seemingly small changes with no negative effect on the quality or durability of our products have great effects in terms of processing, convenience and sustainability, and whenever we manage to identify the right changes for closures in product segments with still growing popularity, we have made a major contribution."

Most valves currently in use for ketchup, mayonnaise and spreadables are made

of silicone, which contaminates the PET and/or the HDPE/PP recycling stream. More and more countries are removing silicone from recycling streams since it is considered a nondesired contaminant.

France, for example, has established an eco-tax on silicone which is not applicable to polyolefinbased solutions such as the BERICAPValve.

Recycling, however, is a prerequisite within a closed-loop economy for plastic packaging, and the recycling of PET, HDPE and PP, which are often used for closures, is very efficient and attractive.

BERICAPValve possesses the same characteristics, but is made using TPE – a polyolefin that is compatible with the HDPE and PP recycling stream, suitable for sweet, sour and fatty products, and of course tested and certified according to the Commission Regulation 10/2011 on plastic materials.

Let‘s get the act together and meet the challenges of the future – Process engineering for efficient plastics extrusion of tomorrow.

Our innovative solutions: • allow the use of recycled material, • produce in an energy-efficient manner • and guarantee your lasting investment.

Visit us at the World‘s No.1 Trade Fair for Plastics & Rubber in Düsseldorf from 16.-23. Oct. 19 in Hall 16 at Booth B19 www.battenfeld-cincinnati.com

EPPM_Sep_Oct_2019_issue .pdf 1 12/08/2019 8:14:51

Quality oriented towards a sustainable tomorrow NATURAL RESOURCES EFFICIENCY

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BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT

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& Molecor Tecnología, S.L. | T: +34 911 337 090 | www.molecor.com | info@molecor.com

CAPS AND CLOSURES

The lids are alright TEKNI-PLEX PURCHASES CLOSURE LINER MANUFACTURER GERALDISCOS.

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Tekni-Plex subsidiary has purchased Brazilian closure liner manufacturer Geraldiscos, which will become part of Tekni-Plex’s Tri-Seal business.

Headquartered in Santana de Parnaiba, a suburb of São Paulo, Geraldiscos is known for manufacturing innovative closure liners and induction seals for a wide variety of container types, including PP, PE, HDPE, PVC, PET and glass. Closure solutions are provided for market segments such as food, beverage, personal care, healthcare, agriculture, chemical and others. Geraldiscos is also known for its sustainable manufacturing practices, including the use of recycledcontent materials.

Tekni-Plex President and CEO Paul Young said: “We continue to drive our strategy

by growing our business organically and through mergers and acquisitions.

Specifically, Geraldiscos allows us to expand our geographic footprint into South America to support the large Brazilian closure market and our multinational customers. We have followed the company for a long period of time, and have always been interested in its high-quality innovative products, excellent manufacturing capabilities, and its very strong management team.”

certified to ensure that customers receive products that meet demanding quality standards.

Geraldiscos is the 13th acquisition TekniPlex has made in the past five years.

The acquisition adds 140 experienced employees to the 3,000-strong global Tekni-Plex team. Geraldiscos General Manager Gabriel Sahyao Leal Dos Santos will continue to oversee the operation.

The company’s vertically-integrated manufacturing facility is also ISO 9001:2015, 14001 and FSSC 22000

THE LIDS ARE UNITED

UNITED CAPS LIVES UP TO ITS COMMITMENT WITH MORPHOTONIX COLLABORATION AND WINS BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR HOLOGRAPHIC CLOSURE TECHNOLOGIES.

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nited Caps, a Luxembourg-based international manufacturer of caps and closures, received an In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA) award for Best Technical Achievement: Holographic Closure Technologies, for a holographic inmould label jointly developed with high-tech brand protection company Morphotonix.

The IMDA is a trade association representing moulders, label printers, material suppliers, equipment suppliers and others committed to the development and growth of in-mould labelling and decorating products, technologies and markets.

United Caps CEO Benoit Henckes said: “We also showed this innovative approach to security closures at ProPak Asia 2019, where it received rave reviews due to its unmatched anti-counterfeiting performance and its attractive, attention-drawing appearance. With an estimated $460bn (~€409bn) in counterfeit goods worldwide, counterfeit prevention has significant economic benefits, including protection of jobs and prevention of deaths due to counterfeit drugs. In this case … we have improved usability and productivity by making it easier to identify a genuine product.”

To create this unique, secure, bioinspired and sustainable closure design, Morphotonix nano-engraved steel cavities with 130,000 dpi precision

The company is headquartered in Wiltz, Luxembourg, with manufacturing facilities in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Spain and Malaysia.

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custom diffractive holograms, which were replicated by United Caps into the closures through injection moulding. The cavities are seamlessly integrated in the moulding line, with the closures produced at standard speeds and no additional consumables.

The irremovable security designs provide immediate verification without scanning.

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CAPS AND CLOSURES

d r a o b e h t f o n a m ir a Ch CAPS AND CLOSURES ARE ESSENTIAL IN PROTECTING A PRODUCT AND MAINTAINING BRAND IMAGE, YET BOTTLE TOPS ESPECIALLY REMAIN A ‘THROWAWAY’ PRODUCT – AMONGST COTTON BUDS, CIGARETTE ENDS, STRAWS AND CUTLERY, THEY ARE THE MOST COMMONLY FOUND ITEMS IN BEACH LITTER. BUT WHAT CAN ANYONE DO WITH THEM ONCE THEY HAVE FULFILLED THEIR FLEETING FUNCTION? ROGIER HEIJNING OF AMSTERDAM-BASED START-UP WASTEBOARDS HAD A GOOD IDEA, SO EPPM GOT IN TOUCH TO FIND OUT MORE. THE IDEA OF USING WASTE TO CREATE RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS SEEMS SIMPLE, BUT HOW MUCH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WENT INTO THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING PROCESSES? Quite a lot actually. Although it seems simple, it’s not at all. First we had to learn about materials that we could use. A skateboard needs strength, but also flexibility, which influenced which materials we could use, the design of the product, and how to make it. The specific material properties and the design must be in the right balance to create a great skateboarding experience.

I come from a graphic design background (no technical skills whatsoever), so when we discovered that we could use pressed plastic caps to make a skateboard, I loved the communication aspect: you see the logos on the caps and you understand they are recycled.

By discovering that caps pattern, we’ve created something that we’ve not seen before, but that also had its implications.

Because we were unable to use injection moulding to maintain the cap pattern, we had to press the heated plastic, and that causes air bubbles – air bubbles and skateboards do not work well together.

We asked a professor from TU Delft to help and, after a day of looking at our process, he said “call me if you know how to solve it”. From then we knew we were pioneering.

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We would never have tried to make a skateboard by melting plastic if someone told us that it’s virtually impossible.

But nobody did, so we tried it.

We also worked with the School of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam to find the right materials and baking temperatures, and yet we had to fall and pick ourselves up again for more than two years before we developed a strong, flexible skateboard; one we could produce enough of in a day to eventually set up a company.

That’s always been our focus: make it a company to create maximum impact.

DO THE BOARDS MEET/EXCEED PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS FROM THE END USER AND IS PERSONALISATION AN OPTION? We’ve made two WasteBoard models but only sell the latest. This skateboard is designed to do more tricks than the first and has been developed in collaboration with street skaters in Amsterdam. When skaters step on the board they’re usually surprised at the good skating experience, but it’s not a wooden skateboard meant for dangerous tricks. It’s a plastic skateboard meant for cruising the streets.

People think the board breaks easily; that because the caps are melted together, you can easily break them at the edges.

We have an Instagram movie in which we drive a car over one and it’s still good, but we have to show it to people to convince them.

We want to add personalisation online and are currently working on a web application. It would really add something to the buying experience, but it complicates things on the production side. Anyone has the option to make their own skateboard in our WasteBoard Bakery in Amsterdam. We even had a kid from America who came to make his own skateboard for his birthday.

THE BRAND NAMES ARE STILL VISIBLE IN THE CAPS – DOES THIS ADD TO THE APPEAL OF THE PRODUCT AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE FROM BRAND OWNERS? The logos really add to the message: this board is made from recycled bottle caps.

We think it’s the most brilliant part of the design.

When it comes to companies protecting their logos, I think times have changed.

Brands know that this

is the time to look for solutions and partnerships to make the world more sustainable, and reusing their packaging is part of that. They often come to us and we like to work with them. We’ve sold many boards to different brand owners and have even organised workshops with them to create skateboards and other product ideas. We’re an inspiration for people, especially for children, showing what can be done with waste. We’re not against plastic, but we do think reusing and recycling and being imaginative can create something cool, something that makes a big impact.

THE EUROPEAN RESPONSE HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE, SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE REST OF THE WORLD TO PROMOTE THE PRODUCT AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY? Europe is very positive indeed but our sales don’t stop at the border. It makes no difference where you are. We’ve sold WasteBoards in America, Russia, China, Australia – you name it. People think our skateboards look cool and think the story behind them is fantastic.

We’re on the verge of starting our first campaign and have deliberately communicated little because we wanted to test our products locally, to learn from mistakes before introducing WasteBoards to the world. Now we’re ready. We have a great product, a great story, and we hope for a lot of publicity. We’ve already found our first distributor in the UK, Satorial, and we’re curious about the reactions of the stores and the skaters.

GIVE US A ROUGH IDEA OF HOW MANY BOTTLE CAPS YOU HAVE POTENTIALLY SAVED FROM THE OCEANS/LANDFILL? We receive our caps from various organisations, festivals and clean-up campaigns. I think we've used 800,000 caps so far, but our goal is not to create impact through savings because we use too few for that. We want to create impact by showing that plastic is a fantastic raw material for creating cool things.

We want to inspire people to think differently about waste.

IS THERE THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE RANGE INTO RELATED PLASTIC PRODUCTS SUCH AS SAFETY GEAR OR HALF-PIPES? The current plan is not to make more skate products. We rather look at other people and other organisations to inspire them to do more with waste. For example, we’ve just developed chairs made from recycled caps, which you can view at thecapsconnection.com. We make these chairs on a B2B basis with collected plastic or from waste streams. They look really cool and show both the problem and the solution in one, and they’re real conversation starters.

THESE BOARDS ARE HELPING MAKE PLASTICS DESIRABLE AGAIN. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE CREATED AN ATTRACTIVE, CIRCULAR PRODUCT THAT PEOPLE CAN ENJOY ALL OVER THE WORLD? As an entrepreneur you always see what could be improved and what still

needs to be done. We don't sit back and pat ourselves on the shoulder, but we’re naturally very proud when we meet skateboarders, organisations or municipalities that use our WasteBoard as an example for the circular economy.

We’ve noticed that many such products are not very communicative. You can’t see what they’re made of. With WasteBoards we want to make this stand out. That’s what makes WasteBoards unique: they show waste in combination with a cool product: a skateboard – and skateboarding is just cool so that helps.

We would never have tried to make a skateboard by melting plastic if someone told us that it’s virtually impossible to do it. But nobody did, so we tried it

CAPS AND CLOSURES

SEAL APPEAL AIR LIQUIDE MAINTAINS QUALITY AND SAFETY WITH ESSENTRA COMPONENTS’ CUSTOM CAP SOLUTIONS.

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ir Liquide is a global leader in gases, technologies and services for industrial and healthcare applications. With a presence in more than 80 countries, serving more than two million customers and patients, the valving on their argon gas bottles required additional protection. Primarily used for metal fabrication and the inflation of diving suits, a cap is needed to protect the industrial valves from ingress of dust and dirt, as well as to ensure the bottle has not been subject to leakage.

Air Liquide were using an insufficient off-the-shelf capping solution which was not completely secure and rendered the gas bottles vulnerable to contamination, damage and spillage. The company needed to win back the confidence of its customers by proving consistent quality and safety.

Essentra Components was aware of the problems with the previous solution and knew that a speedy response was required.

Using its extensive knowledge and years of experience, Essentra designed a custommade thread protector cap to Air Liquide’s specific requirements through rapid prototyping.

The tamper-evident blue valve caps have printed custom branding, which includes the words ‘Valve protection’ on each.

This helps to differentiate Air Liquide’s products from its competitors.

The team of experts at Essentra Components were able to assist Air Liquide in acquiring a new solution to market in a timely fashion, simultaneously helping them improve customer service and enhance delivery. The solution provided the immediate result of improved customer satisfaction, with customer complaints relating to the caps falling off being quickly eradicated.

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With the added benefit of improved supply-chain efficiency, the custom solution from Essentra Components safeguards Air Liquide’s product from manufacture through the whole delivery process.

Since there is now no requirement for Air Liquide to replace bottles with possible contamination, there is also a significant cost saving.

Overall the buyers at Air Liquide are delighted: “Essentra Components and Air Liquide have a longstanding relationship of over 16 years. Delivering tailor-made solutions is what makes Essentra Components distinctive. Creating a bespoke cap for our gas bottles ensured we were able to safeguard our product from production through to storage and shipping.”

The caps are made from LDPE, which is used due to its flexibility – the strap bends easily around the gas valve – its ability to break fairly easily to provide tamper evidence, and its value for money, as well as its recyclability.

The tool produces four cap sizes to fit four different gas valves. These can be customised with logo insert options to make the parts customer-specific.

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FILM AND SHEET NEWS AS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE ERDE INITIATIVE, RKW HAS COMMITTED TO COLLECTING AND RECYCLING 65 PER CENT OF ALL SILAGE AND STRETCH FILMS SOLD ON THE GERMAN MARKET BY 2022.

RKW and ERDE Initiative:

Voluntary Commitment for 2022

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RDE members also agreed to extend the return system to other agricultural plastics such as bale nets and asparagus films.

The voluntary commitment was presented in Berlin during a parliamentary evening of the plastics processing industry on 26 June to Federal Minister Dr Regina Dube.

ERDE will review the effectiveness of the voluntary commitment by 1 May 2023 and define further measures and objectives in co-operation with the German Federal Ministry.

Thomas Gröner, Director Corporate R&D and Sustainability RKW Group, said: "It is of utmost importance

to us that agricultural films which are no longer used are collected and recycled instead of remaining in the environment.

This way, we live up to both our responsibility as a manufacturer and towards the environment."

ERDE collected 13,433 tonnes of agricultural films in 2018.

ERDE was founded

by RKW together with three other film manufacturers under the umbrella of the Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V. association and in co-operation with the disposal specialist RIGK.

Poligal acquires second metallisation line from BOBST

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oligal, one of the leading European manufacturers of BOPP and CPP films, has confirmed the installation of a K5 EXPERT 2450mm line with AluBond and Hawkeye Pinhole Detector, which will be installed at their plant in Poland.

This metallisation line is the second that Poligal has acquired from BOBST, the first being a K5000 with AluBond and AlOx for the Portugal plant in 2015, which was the first machine in Europe for the production of AlOx on BOPP. Poligal has been manufacturing bioriented polypropylene films for more than 25 years and has an extensive catalogue of films for flexible packaging, lamination, labels and a variety of applications.

Operations Director Antonio Viladomiu said: “We are very happy with our existing BOBST machine so when we decided to purchase a metalliser to install in our new factory in Poland, there was no question that we would

buy a second BOBST metalliser. We are also very happy with the barrier results from the AluBond process on our film produced in Portugal so had no hesitation in adding this to our new machine.”

The plant opened at the heart of the flexibles market in Poland in 2017 with the objective of improving service to customers in Central Europe.

The new machine has been purchased to increase capacity and production with the AluBond process, which has been shown to greatly increase metal bond strength and metal adhesion on the most commonly used substrates (PET, BOPP, CPP and PE) during aluminium vacuum metallisation.

The new machine also includes the Hawkeye Pinhole Detector, a benchmark-setting monitoring system that at full metalliser speed detects, counts and categorises pinholes and other defects from 0.1mm upwards.

The new generation of ALLrollEX 3000 keeps scoring ‘personal bests’

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he new generation of ALLrollEX 3000, Colines’ cast line for stretch film production, keeps scoring new ‘personal bests’. Due to the amazing job done by Colines’ R&D Department, the latest version of the ALLrollEX 3000 (which boasts lines running on four

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different continents) has reached a new high level for quality and production efficiency.

The main features in a case study regarding the production of a 12µmthick film – considered one of the most suitable for present and future markets – show that the produced film is gel-free

and with a very short tail.

It has a standard structure of seven layers (with five extruders), a maximum stretching ratio of 300320%, and a production operating speed of up to 650m/min. Maximum power consumption is 0.45kW/kg (not including the chiller).

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FILM AND SHEET

POLYMERS, PRODUCTIVITY, PARTNERSHIPS EPPM SPOKE TO EUROPEAN SALES, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AT POLYTECHS MATHIEU RIOULT ABOUT WHAT’S NEW IN FILM AND SHEET.

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olytechs is an innovative, Francebased family-run company close to reaching forty years in existence with a production capacity of 30,000 tonnes and currently generating a €35m turnover. With international capabilities and more than 35 distributors worldwide displaying its products – including its specialty masterbatch – EPPM spoke to European Sales, Marketing and Communications Manager Mathieu Rioult about what’s new in film and sheet, and the company’s plans for K 2019.

Through the launch of strong investment plans in research and development, as well as a 2018 investment of €7.5m on a new line, Rioult mentioned the clarification of Polytechs’ offering via two distinct activities: its toolmanufacturing services ‘Polytechs Solutions’, and its specialty masterbatch range ‘Polytechs Products’.

Launching a stronger, new brand strategy supported by the ongoing digital transformation happening at the company, Polytechs ensures development of its productivity by reinforcing existing brands with new product development, including PW (cling masterbatch for PE stretch films) and Clean Xpress purging compounds – as well as launching and promoting new brands at K.

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The product offering is split into three pillars: SURFACE MODIFICATION MASTERBATCHES FOR POLYOLEFIN MARKETS Alongside other innovations that will be revealed on Polytechs booth, K 2019 will provide the opportunity to showcase the new PW grade as a booster for silage film in agricultural applications, and antifog masterbatches for PE films for cold temperatures (with ongoing developments on freezing temperatures) and food shelf life extension masterbatches for fruit and veg – both technologies delivered by the new SW range.

PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS FOR THE POLYMER PROCESSING INDUSTRY Polytechs’ two flagship brands are the Flow Xpress products range, which is more of a package since the products already exist on the market, and the Clean Xpress purging compound brand, which has developed a strong market awareness in films and sheets by delivering fast-performing cleaning effects during material and colour transitions.

Rioult said: “We are proud to have extended the product range – reaching the ability to clean a large number of extrusion and injection moulding

processes using many resins, including bioresins; polyolefins; TPEs; styrenics; PC; PMMA; polyamids (6, 6/6, 10, 11, 12); SMMA; and polyesters.

“We have the processing aid where we try to broaden the offer not only for blown but for cast films; on the other hand, we have a viscosity modifier for PP which can be useful for recycled films to increase the MFI of the PP.” Working with OEMs on the purging step and collaborating with polymer equipment manufacturers reinforce the Clean Xpress statement. One partnership involves an EM producing blown film and cast film lines in Germany, who worked with Polytechs on a common issue in the film market – that of cleaning between continuous productions of barrier films.

Rioult had been involved in developing solutions through the Clean Xpress upgrades: “We will be able to clean the extruders producing different layers of LDPE, LLDPE, tie layer, EVOH and PA6/ PA66,” he said, “which have an adhesion to metal affinity. This caused the barrier film producer a lot of issues in terms of cleaning times, impacting negatively their productivity, but this is now something we can solve with our new Clean Xpress grades. During this trial, with Clean Xpress we cleaned G-PET and PA6 extrusion

lines six times faster and with close to 10 times less material than processes using virgin resin for purging.”

PARTNERSHIP WITH AN FDM FILAMENT PRODUCER FOR 3D PRINTING APPLICATIONS Polytechs produces Olesteel 3D – a specific compound designed for FDM filament and exclusively sold for this market application to its partner Francofil.

“Together, we promote the Olesteel 3D filament as a mechanically strong material solution with an attractive cost/ performance ratio to print custom tools for OEMs.” A BIG FOCUS ON RECYCLING AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY “During K 2019,” Rioult continued, “there will be some very interesting discussions that people can get involved with – whatever their role in the value chain.

A Virgin Resin Team, a Recycled Resin Team and a Biodegradable Team from Polytechs believe in discussion and will be on hand to answer questions.”

Beyond its existing product range, servicing the needs of the industry and end-markets, Polytechs has a huge R&D plan to release with advanced projects and some very long-term projects, most of which relate to process modification and smart packaging.

“We are reviewing new applications wherein our existing range can bring some value, and adapting our existing range to new trends such as recycled products and biodegradable resins …

When you get recycled materials back you will not have the certification of knowing exactly that this resin does not contain slip agents or other additives, or at which dosage, which will be challenging for many film producers. We will have to really work on the effects, e.g. how to remove or improve effects in recycled resins. We will review the biodegradability aspect as well, in which we also have R&D projects, and we can adapt existing technologies with a petroleum-based carrier for specific markets requesting biosolutions.”

It’s always important to connect with other stakeholders in the industry, and this is something else that K will provide for Polytechs, which recently invested in a new website for Clean Xpress.

This investment enables a farther reach to more industries.

“We personally keep close contact with our existing and potential customers as well, particularly with regards to what can be done at Polytechs, as well as on what they demand in terms of product improvement or issue resolution.”

The Polytechs Communication Manager concluded by explaining how as film is often blown, so have the winds of change, leading to huge changes for the company: “We recently invited our distribution network to attend the ‘Polytechs Distributor Days’ during L’Armada 2019 in Rouen, France, where we displayed the organisation revamp and the latest innovations that will be showcased at K. The event took place on a 17th Century Ship – L’Hermione – where we used the metaphor of the ‘fleet’ that Polytechs had gathered around it in order to conquer new markets and face the ongoing challenges of tomorrow.”

2019

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FILM AND SHEET

2019

BLOWN FILM MANUFACTURER IN BENIN SWITCHES FROM POLYETHYLENE-BASED TO BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS WITH HELP FROM COPERION.

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operion has enabled Benin-based blown film manufacturer Asahel Benin Sarl. to produce sustainable, bio-based plastic films by delivering a complete compounding system and sharing the corresponding process engineering expertise.

The system includes a ZSK 26 Mc18 twin screw extruder, four highly accurate feeders from Coperion K-Tron, as well as a water bath, an air wipe and a strand pelletiser from Coperion Pelletizing Technology.

Before plastic bags and packaging were banned in Benin in July 2018, this west African manufacturer had made its plastic films using PE. The company was forced to completely convert its production. Following a successful test and training phase at Coperion’s Stuttgart test lab, Asahel Benin Sarl. will produce biodegradable compounds with the aid of the ZSK twin screw extruder, and will then further process these on its existing blown film machinery into biodegradable bags and packaging materials.

When the law took effect, Asahel Benin Sarl. turned to the compounding experts at Coperion for a co-operative partnership and a new corporate strategy.

Based in the port of Contonou, Benin, the company ordered a laboratoryscale compounding system to develop a biologically degradable compound formulation that could be used in existing blown film manufacturing facilities. As well as the ZSK 26 Mc18, four highly accurate powder, pellet, and liquid feeders, a water bath, an air wipe and a strand pelletiser type SP 50 were included in the compounding system.

SHARING EXPERTISE Throughout the entire project Asahel Benin Sarl. could rely on Coperion’s comprehensive, process engineering expertise for the mastery of the system’s complexity and the seamless interaction of its components, particularly with regard to the twin screw extruder’s configuration.

Formulations with starch content, for example, represent a particular challenge as the melting zone in the extrusion process must melt polymers and plastify non-meltable starch while adding liquid. Moreover, David Romaric Tinkou, Development Leader of Asahel Benin Sarl., received comprehensive training on the machine’s operation: “I’m very happy that with Coperion I encountered experienced experts in the field of biodegradable compounds.

Coperion delivered not only the necessary technology, but also shared the necessary process engineering expertise with me so that we can manufacture biodegradable compounds ourselves now in Benin.”

sustainable alternative to petroleumbased raw materials such as PE.” Typical areas of application include flatware, bags and liners, food packaging, drinking straws, and agricultural films.

COPERION AT K 2019 Coperion will be introducing improved dual bearing strand pelletisers that have been re-engineered based on field experience and current market demands for the first time at K 2019.

These compounds represent a long-term, sustainable alternative to petroleum-based raw materials such as PE

Coperion’s experts designed the compounding system for Asahel Benin Sarl. to enable maximum freedom in developing a suitable formulation. In so doing, the system allows materials to be added from many different components, as well as intensive melt devolatilisation.

Peter von Hoffmann, General Manager Business Unit Engineering Plastics and Special Applications at Coperion, said: “We’re thrilled that we could support Asahel Benin Sarl. … Particularly for manufacturers of short-lived household, industrial and agricultural products, these compounds represent a long-term,

David Romaric Tinkou (right) joins Peter von Hoffmann, Levin Batschauer, Sales Manager Special Applications, and Markus Fiedler, Senior Process Engineer, at the Coperion test lab in Stuttgart. © Coperion, Stuttgart

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FILM AND SHEET

2019

BRÜCKNER MASCHINENBAU IS WORKING ON A MEANS TO MAKE FILMS WITH THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECYCLING CAPABILITIES PRODUCIBLE ON FILM STRETCHING LINES.

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he focus is on mono-material film with superior mechanical and optical properties, which will be able to substitute previous multi-layer films made from different materials. These are ideal for the use in new, single-origin packaging and guarantee good sortability in waste separation and optimal recycling.

COMBINATION OF BOPE AND BOPP PRODUCTION For K 2019, Brückner will introduce two completely new line concepts for the production of BOPE and BOPP films, as well as specialities such as UHB films and coated films for high-barrier uses and conventional packaging. As the demand for innovative BOPE films develops, film producers will be able to react swiftly and flexibly to market trends.

Even if recycling is at the forefront of a circular economy, new mono-material structures must fulfil the highest demands and must not be inferior to previous packaging films. This is why Brückner has developed a new inline coater for all BOPP and BOPE lines, installed in the line before the transversal stretching, it makes the production of extremely thin functional layers within the nano-range possible.

Due to the extreme thinness, the layers don’t disrupt the sorting and recycling, but cater for an improved adherence during metallising and excellent barriers in combination with the equally thin but effective aluminium oxide coating.

Despite all developments for the rapidly developing circular economy, Brückner Maschinenbau is keeping to its own

ambitious objectives for a decreasing raw material usage and an increasingly minimal energy consumption during film production.

Despite all legitimate demands about recycling and reusability, the challenge of climate change and the reduction of the carbon footprint throughout the entire packaging production chain must not be forgotten.

In the fight against climate change, plastic packaging production must be sustainable.

SPECIALITY FILM LINES Alongside stretching lines for the production of packaging films, machines for speciality films are becoming more important in Brückner’s portfolio. The company will be presenting various innovations for K 2019, including a new high-temperature concept for BOPP capacitor film; lines for the production of stone paper based on BOPP or BOPE with a calcium carbonate proportion of over 60 per cent; biaxially oriented polyester films (BOPET) for optical applications; and BOPI (biaxially oriented polyimide), which is suitable for flexible optical applications.

BATTERY SEPARATOR FILMS: NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR GROWING MARKETS In the field of battery separator film for lithium-ion batteries, Brückner Maschinenbau has made a good name for itself in the market with leading film

manufacturers thanks to its successfully running lines. At K 2019 the compnay will be presenting optimised simultaneous LISIM technology for less edge trim, higher film gain, and more flexibility in the stretching profile adjustment during operation; improved mechanical properties such as puncture resistance and optimised pore distribution for a longer lifespan; newly developed and patented relax chain for improved film properties in regard to battery safety; and continued development of its patented EVAPORE process, offering a more environmentally friendly alternative for the production of membrane films.

Brückner Maschinenbau is keeping to its own ambitious objectives for a decreasing raw material usage 59 WWW.EPPM.COM

FILM AND SHEET

VFSE PRESIDENT ROBERTO BOZZI DISCUSSES WHY A POTENTIAL DESELECTION OF PVC CLING FILMS IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE.

P

VC cling film preserves more resources than it consumes and saves more waste than it creates.

A new LCA study confirms that PVC cling film’s environmental benefits, in terms of reduced impact and avoided food waste, are much higher than the alleged issues.

In an environmental agreement recently signed in France by brand owners and retailers to phase out PVC cling films by 2022, PVC packaging was referred to as an ‘uncommon plastic’ resulting in ‘problematic’ waste. In other countries, anti-plastic packaging campaigns – with a certain degree of unjustified short-sightedness and fraught with consequences – have been launched by some NGOs. Unfortunately, these can have a major impact on the choices made by brand owners and retailers who are pushed to make decisions without appropriate analysis of the complete lifecycle of the product.

This will result in an automatic increase of food waste, costs and resource uses.

THE RIGHT STUFF Packaging plays a vital role in containing and protecting food as it moves through the supply chain, reducing food waste in transport and storage at the same time.

Scientific literature agrees in considering cling films a ‘high-quality food wrap film which makes food available with greater safety assurance from microorganisms, biological and chemical changes, keeps it fresh, and decreases the risk of food wastage by enhancing its shelf-life’.

Technical-scientific evidences show that PVC cling films produced by VFSE member companies represent a sustainable choice for fresh food packaging, not only for their technical, functional and environmental performance, but because they also contribute to reducing the environmental

60 WWW.EPPM.COM

impact of the food itself, extending its useful life and minimising waste, mainly at consumer and retail levels, where the main losses occur in developed countries.

A 2018 LCA by Life Cycle Engineering for VFSE and applied to PVC cling film production shows the benefits of PVC cling films in terms of avoided food waste and reduced environmental impact.

Based on FAO data, the study estimates the PVC cling films contribution to food waste reduction resulted in minus 67 per cent for meat, minus 40 per cent for cheese, and minus 47 per cent for vegetables.

The LCA study confirms that the environmental impact related to GWP, associated to packaging production (PVC film and EPS tray) and its disposal, is very small compared with the packaged food impact. Similar considerations can be made for energy and water consumption.

After comparing PVC cling films with existing alternatives, the LCA study finds that both alternative plastic and PVC films can provide effective and reliable protection; and while GWP is generally aligned, CED and fossil resource consumptions are significantly lower for PVC (-20% and -50% respectively).

Another main advantage of PVC film is the high permeability to water vapour.

This feature is particularly important in the packaging of fresh food products.

A low permeability to vapour can lead to the formation of condensation that favours the proliferation of bacteria and microorganisms, as well as altering the product from a qualitative and sensorial point of view.

Furthermore, the recognised excellent machinability of the PVC cling films utilised in the food industry or by retailers

generates further benefits in terms of lower machine maintenance, reduced consumption of materials, reduced waste of materials and efficient use of natural resources.

PROACTIVE VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS Through their participation in VinylPlus, VFSE members are contributing to the PVC value chain’s sustainability.

In terms of reduction of raw materials’ environmental impact – which, according to the LCA study, accounts for more than 80 per cent of the total impact of PVC cling films – VinylPlus targets include a 20 per cent reduction in energy consumption for the production of PVC resins by 2020; and the development of the ASF

(Additives Sustainability Footprint) methodology to assesses the sustainable use of additives.

VFSE members do not use Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) and are committed to continuously improving the environmental impact of their formulations.

More than 90 per cent of the waste generated in the production process is recycled either internally or externally. Since post-use cling film recycling is more difficult due to inadequate collection systems and possible contamination, VFSE members contribute to the VinylPlus collection and recycling schemes with the aim of recycling 800,000 tonnes of PVC by 2020, as well as by taking part in research for difficult to collect and recycle PVC waste streams.

Considering that food waste in the EU is estimated at 88,000,000 tonnes/year (20 per cent of the total food produced), deselecting PVC cling films for fresh food packaging would bring no environmental benefits, and prove to be a non-sustainable choice from economic and social points of view.

PVC cling films contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the food itself, extending its useful life and minimising waste

FILM AND SHEET

THE SHEET IS ON

2019

GRAHAM ENGINEERING TO SHOW INNOVATIVE EXTRUSION, BLOW MOULDING, AND SHEET SYSTEMS AT K.

O

n display at Graham Engineering Corporation’s K Show booth will be innovative extrusion-based systems for medical tubing, blow moulding, sheet, and other applications, each equipped with a proprietary Navigator control system for live demonstration of its accuracy and ease of use.

Extrusion systems on display at the Graham Engineering booth will include ULTRA MD systems, compact modular extruders, and the tri-layer tubing line, which consists of three compact modular extruders and the XC300 Navigator control with integrated TwinCAT Scope View high speed data- acquisition system.

Originally developed for Graham Engineering extrusion blow moulding systems and then adapted for Welex sheet extrusion lines, Navigator controls are now available for American Kuhne extrusion systems such as those for medical tubing, profiles, and wire and cable.

The Revolution MVP rotary wheel blow moulder system provides high output moulding with the flexibility to produce a range of package sizes and quick mould changes. Water manifolds through the platens facilitate quick mould changes, and individual clamps can be removed for offline maintenance to reduce downtime.

There are three levels of functionality: XC100 for stand-alone extruders, XC200 for one or more extruders in simultaneous operation, and XC300 for integrated production lines with the extruder and components such as a puller, water bath, or winder.

The Welex Evolution sheet extrusion system is a complete production line for use in sheeting, winding, and in-line thermoforming applications, equipped with XSL Navigator control.

While the equipment on display at K 2019 will be for thin-gauge PP, the Evolution system can be customised.

The Revolution MVP rotary wheel blow moulder system provides high output moulding with the flexibility to produce a range of package sizes and quick mould changes

Keep the change FIMIC INSTALLS A THIRD SCREEN CHANGER DEDICATED TO AGRICULTURAL FILM RECYCLING.

A

gricultural film is a complex material for washing, extrusion and filtration, and anything that can be removed upstream will improve performance.

The first installations of two FIMIC screen changers took place in Mexico on a Chinese and then a German recycling line.

The opportunity to recycle this material then arrived in Italy.

The experience gained in Mexico enabled FIMIC to adapt the filter to different contamination types, but all this data is identified at the time of the recycling process. Hence why manufacturers of recycling lines can no longer afford to make standard machines, but adapt them to specific applications.

62 WWW.EPPM.COM

In May, FIMIC hosted an internal agent's meeting to define all the innovations it has applied in its leading RAS-type melt filters. It was also an opportunity to present the new FIMIC melt filters: the ERA model (with double filtration), the TEN model (currently undergoing testing), and the latest model which will be revealed at K 2019 (Hall 9, Stand E32).

The ERA melt filter has been included in FIMIC’s standard production line and is now being offered to several customers.

The TEN model is the next generation of the NET model, which will be available by the end of the year.

FIMIC melt filter’s models now number five in total, a target that will define FIMIC as a melt filtration specialist at K.

The company’s website will soon be updated to showcase all five FIMIC automatic screen changers.

An Excellent Measurement Experience • Precision measurement for wall thickness, eccentricity and diameter • Quality at its highest level • A measurement to rely on

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FILM AND SHEET THIS K 2019, RAJOO WILL BE PRESENTING FROM THE COVETED HALL 16, RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH GLOBAL BLOWN FILM LINE MANUFACTURERS.

BIG

TANGLED UP reasons IN BLUE to visit Rajoo at K 2019 R AMPACET’S BLUE EDGE 226 MASTERBATCH BOOSTS THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY BY ENHANCING THE APPEAL OF FLEXIBLE PACKAGING MADE OF POST-CONSUMER RECYCLED POLYETHYLENE.

T

he global masterbatch leader introduces Blue Edge 226, a masterbatch that has been specially formulated to enhance the appearance and performance of postconsumer resins.

Developed for use in recycled polyethylene (rPE), Ampacet Blue Edge 226 improves the aesthetics of packaging made of post-consumer recycled plastics.

It increases film brightness by imparting a lighter bluish tone, for a clearer, fresher look with increased consumer appeal.

As an added benefit, Ampacet’s Blue Edge 226 reduces the risk of additional gel formation during rPE processing and minimises visible defects.

Furthermore, Ampacet Blue Edge

64 WWW.EPPM.COM

226 enables the use of commercially available recycled polyethylene without a detrimental impact on the aesthetics of end-use applications, demonstrating a positive impact on sustainability and a resulting boost to the circular economy.

Recent European Union proposals aim to boost recycling rates to advance Europe’s circular economy. More and more products are being produced using recycled materials, with retailers and manufacturers showing increased interest in post-consumer resins due to the significant cost savings, carbon footprint reductions, and the ‘greener’ brand image that many customers find more attractive.

ajoo’s presence always enthrals visitors, and Rajoo has not let them down.

Bringing something new each time, the result has always been ‘extrusion with value’.

Khushboo Chandrakant Doshi, Executive Director, Rajoo Engineers Limited, said: “I can today proudly say that our products are best-in-class and meet requirements globally.

I can confidently reaffirm to customers that we offer perhaps the best ROI. Power consumption, another big concern, is well optimised; the TUV certification is one step towards this end.”

At K 2019 Rajoo will become the first Asian company to showcase a seven-layer blown film line, alongside a twin screw sheet extrusion line for PET. Fully loaded with world-class automation, the seven-layer versatile machine can produce barrier film as well as work as a POD line.

Seven-layer blown film extruders are offered with direct coupled motor, water and oil temperature controllers for grooved feed sections, along with a

manual or a hydraulic screen changer.

Rajoo further expands its portfolio with Lamina rPET, efficiently converting bottle flakes into transparent sheets.

The demo will touch the 450kg/hr mark, and that too at an energy consumption of only 0.25 unit/kg.

Taking ‘excellence in extrusion’ for both blown film and sheet to the next level, Rajoo is also set to unveil a number of software utilities.

Headquartered in Rajkot, India, Rajoo Engineers Limited, had a modest beginning

in 1986 and has since become a global player in blown film and sheet extrusion lines. The company enjoys a premium market position due to innovation, quality, workmanship, increased energy efficiency and high levels of sophistication and automation.

2019

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Contact: David Roberts Tel: + 44 (0) 1244 952 348 Email: david.roberts@rapidnews.com

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L

ed by the Tokyo Institute of Technology, the researchers used AI to design and identify polymers with high thermal conductivity.

Professor Ryo Yoshida, Director of the Data Science Centre for Creative Design and Manufacturing at the Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Research Organisation of Information and Systems, said in a press statement: "Machine learning for polymer or soft material design is a challenging but promising field as these materials have properties that differ from metals and ceramics, and are not yet fully predicted by the existing theories."

Identifying conductive polymers is a regular Eureka! moment for material scientists since applications involve costeffective metal replacement in high-end applications such as automotive and engineering.

66 WWW.EPPM.COM

Researchers in Japan have found a high-tech way to simplify the creation and identification of new polymeric materials using AI. SMART STUFF The team of researchers developed a specific machinelearning workflow to help predict the properties of polymers. The two distinct prediction steps – forward and backward predictions – aim to create a set of prediction models that describe various polymeric properties, and then invert the trained forward models, creating a backward prediction model conditioned by a desired property requirement.

By solving this inverse problem, the machine-learning method could create, using

computations, materials that exhibit the desired properties.

Researchers reported on their work in a paper in the journal npj Computational Materials.

The study used a data set of polymeric properties from the world’s largest polymers database PoLyInfo, which is housed at NIMS. While the data set itself is massive, it has a limited amount on the heat-transfer properties of polymers, according to the press statement.

Researchers pre-trained AI models on proxy properties

where sufficient data were available. These pre-trained models captured common features relevant to the targeted properties and enabled the identification of thermal-conductive polymers.

Three were selected for synthesis and processing.

Tests have confirmed that these new polymers have a high thermal conductivity of up to 0.41 Watts per metre-Kelvin (W/mK), which is 80 per cent higher than that of common polyimides.

The team plans to continue its work beyond identifying polymers to discover other innovative materials.

Tests have confirmed that these new polymers have a high thermal conductivity of up to 0.41 Watts per metre-Kelvin

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