EPPM 19.2

April/May 2017 Volume 19 | Issue 02

ONE STEP AHEAD - with standardisation Cover Story | Page 8

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IN THIS ISSUE Pg 6

Pg 28

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

MATERIALS HANDLING

For a change of pace, instead of Industry News, we are featuring a five-page spotlight on the plastics Circular Economy, including interviews with Fidra and Plarabel, and a review of Identiplast 2017.

The unsung hero of plastics processing, Materials Handling has to be just as efficient and just as clean as the rest of the processes along the value chain, which is why we spoke to Labotek and Spiroflow about how to get it spot on.

Pg 8 COVER STORY: MEUSBURGER Standardisation is the key to efficiency in mould and tool making and the Austrian market leader has shared with EPPM readers just how choosing the standardisation route can benefit them.

Pg 14 PACKAGING Our Packaging feature carries on from our Circular Economy spotlight, bringing the importance of better design and end markets for recycled plastics into the packaging sphere.

Pg 18 PIPE & PROFILE Featuring thought leadership from battenfeld-cincinnatti and Molecor, our Pipe & Profile section gives a broad crosssection of the industry in 2017.

Volume 19 Issue 02

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

editorial editor rose brooke rose.brooke@rapidnews.com assistant editor john carlon john.carlon@rapidnews.com

production

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art & production robert wood

THERMOFORMING We take a peek at the top Thermoforming news stories to hit the headlines in recent weeks.

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advertising group advertising manager Lisa Montgomery lisa@rapidnews.com senior sales executive neil bamford neil.bamford@rapidnews.com tel: +44 (0) 1244 680222

MATERIALS & MACHINERY Our Materials and Machinery bulletins round up the best of the rest - the top plastics processing stories making a real difference to manufacturers and customers.

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EUREKA SERIES Separating different types of plastic using just tap water? Impact Solutions’ BOSS technology works, and is ensuring high quality streams of recycled plastics.

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Pg 22 AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS Automation is the kingpin in a working smart factory, so we caught up with vanguards of this industry Fanuc Deutschland, Stäubli and Mitsubishi Electric on how their innovations are enabling Industry 4.0.

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From The Editor

Coming round to circularity If Industry 4.0 was the defining zeitgeist of 2015-2016, then I’m willing to put money on Circular Economy being the big trend in plastics processing for the next few years, with both the Petcore Europe Conference and Identiplast making this the theme of their events in February.

Because of the sheer volume of innovation and disruption occurring across the entire plastics processing spectrum in its quest for circularity, I have dedicated our Industry News section to the Circular Economy, shining a spotlight on the key issues being raised by top industry decision-makers, as well as a roadmap from An Vossen of Plarabel and EPRO and a feature on the work being carried out by Fidra to raise awareness that improper materials handling can lead to pre-production plastics escaping into the environment.

But as is always the case in plastics processing, no one issue can eclipse the entire industry, so we return to Meusburger, who are our cover stars, to talk about part standardisation - something that will of course be of interest to you if you have picked up a copy of EPPM at Moulding Expo 2017 (welcome new readers too from FiP, Plastpol, VinylPlus, MeetingPack and Interpack).

Packaging is a big focus in this issue, and of course as plastic packaging is essentially single-use, packaging is plastics’ bête noir when it is incorrectly

I’m willing to put money on Circular Economy being the big trend in plastics processing for the next few years

disposed of. The Petcore Europe Conference highlighted how PET processors and users need to change their product architecture and mindset to stem the flow of plastic packaging escaping the waste stream. As well as packaging, we stop in on our friends at Fanuc and Mitsubishi Electric in our Automation and Robotics feature, battenfeld-cincinnati and Molecor in Pipe and Profile, and Labotek in Materials Handling to name but a few.

This is one of our most jam-packed editions of EPPM for interviews, thought leadership and industry news. I really hope you enjoy reading, and please get in touch to tell me your thoughts.

Rose Brooke, Editor

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CIRCULAR ECONOMY

The problem with pellets Fidra is working hard to raise awareness in plastics processing and the wider materials handling and transportation industries that waste plastics are not just a problem at the consumer end of the supply chain.

Words | Rose Brooke

© Copyright The Great Nurdle Hunt, via Facebook

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he threat waste plastics have on the environment is well covered, but while the media and big business are caught up with microbeads and food packaging, an equally sinister waste plastic is leaking, not out of the waste stream at the consumer end, but the manufacturing value chain.

Improving the transparency of Operation Clean Sweep would help show customers how companies are handling pellets responsibly

Fidra, the East Lothian-based environmental charity, is working with industry to raise awareness for Operation Clean Sweep, the plastics industry-devised scheme that encourages the adoption of best plastic pellet management practice. The scheme is backed by the British Plastics Federation (BPF) and PlasticsEurope.

Madeleine Berg, Projects Officer, and Sarah Archer, Project Manager, engage directly with companies, and visit plastics processors, producers and distributors of all sizes, gathering data to ascertain how serious pre-production plastic leakage is, boosting the profile of the issue.

The Great Nurdle Hunt Fidra has captured the attention of the public via The Great Nurdle Hunt project, which aims to illustrate how mismanaged materials handling can lead to 'nurdles', or plastic pellets, appearing on beaches. The Great Nurdle Hunt rallies together members of the public to take a survey of how many pellets they find on their local beaches, returning the information to Fidra to add to its growing body of evidence that pellet leakage into the environment is a real concern.

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Operation Clean Sweep communicates directly with anyone in industry who handles plastic pellets, powders or flakes. It encourages simple, low-cost best practice measures where improper materials handling may be the source of plastic leakage.

"We've been visiting companies to raise awareness that this is an issue so they can put measures in to prevent pellet loss," said Archer. "Operation Clean Sweep was devised by industry, for industry, and it's entirely voluntary. Presently there isn’t a way for companies to communicate what measures they are putting in place. Improving the transparency of Operation Clean Sweep would help show customers how companies are handling pellets responsibly. This shouldn’t be burdensome, and could be incorporated into an auditing process that many companies already carry out."

Citizen Science Fidra has been working with its 'citizen science' data to gather evidence to back its cry to businesses to integrate better handling systems into their operation and feed into the Government consultation on microplastics, but with only a fraction of British businesses committing to the guidelines Operation Clean Sweep sets out, Fidra has its work cut out, which is why Government support is needed.

"The companies we've dealt with closely have really done a good job," Berg stated. "Some companies have really run with it especially in terms of staff awareness, training and supply chain communication. However, it isn’t always so clear what other companies have done. Our position is, therefore, that Government support could be critical, especially as a way to support companies that are doing the right thing."

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Such Government support could take a great many shapes, but Fidra feels that the end result should make responsible pellet handling systems attractive to implement, rather than wrapped in red tape, incentivising best practice so nobody is at a disadvantage.

The message is ultimately positive. As Berg said, nobody wants pellet loss because not only are they undesirable in the natural world but losing them also wastes material.

"In the Circular Economy, we often think about end of life materials, but there are also leaks throughout the production process," Archer remarked. "This is an entirely avoidable source of microplastic pollution but we and the BPF still aren't reaching everybody.

Low-cost prevention “Companies that don't necessarily engage with industry organisations or those who don’t see themselves as part of the plastics industry, such as transporters, may be missing out on hearing about this issue," Archer explained.

"All companies who handle plastic pellets, powders or flakes need to be aware of the risks. Spills will happen but it's about people knowing if spills do take place then they're cleared up properly. Even having vacuum cleaners available when unloading to clear up spills straight away can make a massive difference at a cheap cost and it's also relatively easy in terms of staff training."

QUALITY HIGHLIGHTS.

All companies who handle plastic pellets, powders or flakes need to be aware of the risks

She added that involving staff in training and making it visible that management takes the matter seriously would help engender good habits when handling pellets, powders or flakes.

There is limited information available on the number of pellets that are lost to the environment – although it has been estimated that in the UK as much as 53 billion pellets could be lost to the environment each year. However, both Berg and Archer believe Government support and upstream brand-owner influence could have a positive influence on stopping pre-production plastics from escaping the value chain altogether.

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COVER STORY

One step ahead

with standardisation In a fast-paced manufacturing world, standardisation can be the difference between being able to compete, and falling behind.

Meusburger takes EPPM readers through the advantages of standardisation for die and mould making.

Words | Andreas Sutter, Meusburger

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tandard parts by Meusburger help to optimise the entire process chain. With the systematic use of standard parts in die and mould making as well as for the subsequent production of components, substantial cost savings can be made. Furthermore, the operational reliability and production speed will be considerably increased when using standardised components.

Standard parts are becoming more and more important in modern die and mould making due to a variety of reasons. When you take a closer look, you can see that the use of standard parts has numerous advantages for all people and companies involved in the development, construction and production of dies and moulds.

The products are becoming more and more complex. Consequently, the requirements for stamping dies and injection moulding tools are ever more challenging. Another reason for the increased use of standard parts are the very short timeframes for new developments, considering that it often is impossible to manufacture certain parts in a very short time, not to mention the fact that this would be just plain inefficient.

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High-quality standard parts by Meusburger are a reliable basis for moulds and dies. To start with there is the die design; for this purpose, Meusburger provides the CAD data required for the selected components and therefore makes designing quicker and easier. The designer simply imports the standard part with a few clicks of a mouse directly from the catalogue software into the CAD program and then positions it in the desired position on the die. Automatic tips and hints are then provided for the correct installation of the product and its specific use.

In the event a special design is needed, typically there is very little experience on hand regarding layout, dimensioning and wear characteristics. But here, too, standard parts design offers distinct advantages. Every ready-made standard part has been repeatedly tried and tested and, compared with an individually designed part, does not carry any risks regarding functionality and production reliability. Compared with special solutions, designing with standard parts consumes less time and therefore helps save costs. The costs saved by using Meusburger standards parts will pay off several times when considering the entire life of the die, particularly in the case of parts subject to heavy wear.

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CO ST E F F I C I E N CY By making consistent use of Meusburger standard parts, the user benefits from a great number of advantages: Cost-effective due to economical production

Delivery from stock within 24/48 hours

Shorter lead times for all areas

High production reliability

2D and 3D CAD data for all components

Easy maintentance and service.

The above mentioned advantages for the design of the die also apply to its construction. Manufacturing individual constructions can be difficult, whereas standard parts can be easily implemented in the die construction. It’s precisely the most time-consuming and costly processes like hardening, coating or heat treatment for stress relieving that you can eliminate by using standardised components

by Meusburger, owing to the fact that they are already provided with these characteristics as standard.

At the end of the process chain are the processing companies. They are the ones who benefit most from using Meusburger standard parts. Usually, these companies are under very tight deadlines, and it can be assumed that any leeway time has already been used. This is why it is really important to have dies that allow for a smooth and trouble-free production. When the tools break down in the course of a serial production, the consequences for the production plants, not being able to fulfill their delivery obligations with their

customers, are disastrous. Usually, spare parts have not been made beforehand, so replacements would have to be procured as soon as possible. This can take 2 or 3 weeks (including installing and adjusting new components) until the die is ready for operation again.

Meusburger standard parts are the best solution as the ready-toinstall components are already adjusted and can be exchanged quickly and easily in the part manufacturer’s own repair department.

Additionally, standard parts by Meusburger are available from stock and rapidly delivered to the customer.

Taking into consideration all the possible problems mentioned above, the savings in time and costs accrued by using standard parts are substantial. In addition to a reduction in costs, the user benefits from the high quality of tried and tested standard parts.

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www.meusburger.com

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CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Reaching past the lowhanging fruit In order to make plastics a circular economy, we must reach beyond the low-hanging fruit.

Words | Rose Brooke

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his is an industry-wide call to action from An Vossen, Executive Manager of the Belgian non-profit plastic recycling thinktank Plarebel and European Association of Plastics Recycling and Recovery Organisations (EPRO) board member. Vossen believes the entire supply chain - from materials developers, to converters, to brands, to consumers - needs to dig a little deeper to put a stop to landfilling plastic waste.

"For the consumer, plastic is plastic. I'm more and more convinced that the easier the message is, the more likely the consumer is to sort their waste for collection," she stated.

The other obstacle between plastics and circularity is that recycled plastics must have a value, and putting recycled plastics back into the production chain has to be economically viable.

"It's not something that collection systems or recyclers can solve, it's something the whole chain should work towards. It's chicken and egg; do you collect it first or have an outlet for it?"

Vossen believes that change and innovation will be able to flow more easily if best practice is set within industry, as opposed to being trickled down through the legislative process. In the Netherlands, for example, materials developers are around the table with collectors and legislators finding possible solutions and putting them to the test.

Distorting value Innovation needs to be applied to collecting, sorting and recycling, but also finding end markets for recycled plastics giving them value.

One way to streamline all of these issues is a deposit system, but while these are popular for bottle collection around the world, Vossen is reluctant to champion deposit systems as an incentive for consumers to recycle.

Vossen explained that deposit systems are a distorted form of giving value.

At present, there are two main systems for sorting plastics in the waste stream: infrared and visual sorting. Neither of these systems are working perfectly to improve the quality of the recycled plastic material, but Vossen believes a digital watermarking scheme could be the answer.

"Digital watermark for me is very interesting," she stated. "You're not adding something to a bottle, you're not spraying anything or mixing anything in to the material."

In order for a recycling system to be viable, Vossen explained that it has to be cheap, detectable and it cannot be removable until it is recycled. If it worked, it could potentially make a clear PET waste stream for food contact recycled materials, bringing value to a huge amount of incoming plastics.

"Digital watermarks are just changing the surface of the packaging and are detectable by technology," she explained. "Of course waste packaging is deformed so you have to investigate if you deform a bottle what influence it has on the accuracy of the reading."

Everything beginning to change "At the moment everything is beginning to change," Vossen stated.

"Now is an exciting time for recycling. It's beginning to seep in that recycling is important and to understand that polymer producers can help us. It's very exciting to see because they have all the technology and we can use that knowhow combined with the recyclers' knowhow."

Vossen believes the time is also right for brands and retailers to use their platform to educate consumers about the materials, giving civilians a better foundation of knowledge to help them understand waste and recycling.

"We need to learn the value of our waste if we want a truly circular economy, and that involves everybody along the supply chain."

"If you want to change the consumer's mind and turn plastics into a resource, you need a more holistic approach," she explained.

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CIRCULAR ECONOMY

IdentiPlast 2017: Striking the Circular Economy balance IdentiPlast 2017 brought together stakeholders across the plastics processing value chain to discuss how harnessing the potential of plastics in the waste stream closes the loop and adds value.

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ithin the magnificence of Vienna's MuseumQuartier, IdentiPlast 2017 presented new and upcoming legislation, technology, materials science, case studies, targets and challenges facing plastic waste management in Europe.

The keynotes from Senior Vice-President of Innovation and Technology at IdentiPlast sponsor Borealis Maurits van Tol, and Rob Opsomer from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation represented both sides of the coin: the real-world plastics industry versus a harmonious sustainability agenda.

Van Tol expressed Borealis' passion for helping shape the Circular Economy in practice through collaboration. "This is a call to action," he said. "We must set targets and stick to them."

Opsomer insisted that the position of the Foundation's New Plastics Economy is not to move away from plastics, rather create a positive vision recognising the benefits of plastics while addressing their drawbacks as waste.

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Circular standard Representing the European Commission, Hugo-Maria Schally pinpointed consumer education as a foundation for Circular Economy success.

"It's a big challenge. The train has left the station but we have a couple more stops until we reach the end," he said.

Legislation was tackled in a panel discussion which investigated how Croatia and Bulgaria are progressing compared with the more established waste management systems such those in Germany and Wales in the UK. Wales has accelerated its recycling rates from bottom to 'top of the league', according to panellist Andy Rees from the Welsh Government.

There, a kerbside waste removal system has paved the way for better waste management at consumer level thanks to government funding, an understanding of best practices and strong legislation.

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Burn baby burn Ella Stengler, MD of the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants raised the incineration moot point, proposing unrecyclable plastics be sent to energy conversion, heating homes and producing electricity and hot water - "a proven solution for decades".

The topic was raised again later by denkstatt Senior Advisor Harald Pilz. Pilz stated: "It’s always recycling is the 'good guy' and incineration is the 'bad guy'. That's not the picture the figures give us".

This is a call to action ... we must set targets and stick to them

"Incineration is a waste," argued Carlos de Los Llanos of Eco-Emballages. "It's the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

The value disappears ... [relying on incineration] could stand in the way of real recycling innovation."

MTM Plastics' Michael Scriba tempered the argument by conceding that the unofficial First Law of Thermodynamics is that waste flows into "the cheapest hole" and that we could tax incineration and landfilling to make recycling more competitive.

Enfant terrible Total's Hermann van Roost made the interesting comparison between plastic and paper, waste's former enfant terrible. With good design and end markets, he said, plastics too could achieve successful circularity.

Fittingly, day one ended with the EPRO Best Recycled Plastic Product Award, won by Spain's RoofEco Systems, a modular roof tile system made with recycled polymers.

On day two, Craig Cookson of the American Chemistry Council highlighted how some plastic packaging saves energy along the supply chain, even if by the end of its life it is difficult to recycle, whereas more recyclable materials such as glass use more energy in production and transportation, even if their loops are 'closed'.

But 'difficult to recycle' materials could become more recyclable, with new technologies tackling some of the trickiest recycling challenges.

It’s always recycling is the ‘good guy’ and incineration is the ‘bad guy’

Ernie Beker of RTT Steinart presented Unisort Blackscan, which has been developed to identify black trays by scanning them in free-fall with a technology that can pick up valuable plastics, returning them to the value chain, while Steven Burns of Impact Solutions presented the oscillating Boss technology that separates PP and PE cheaply using baffles and water [page 34].

Gerald Rebitzer from Amcor concurred that exploring and encouraging recycling innovation in plastics presents opportunity for jobs and for growth alongside the obvious environmental advantages.

"Efficiency is not enough," he added. "We have to look at other externalities but recycling and recovery has to be a priority for the whole value chain."

"Far better to look at a tonne of material in terms of greenhouse gas recovery," he said.

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www.identiplast.eu

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PACKAGING

Image courtesy of: https://petcore-europe.prezly.com

PET project The Petcore Europe Conference 2017 focused on how PET processors navigate the Circular Economy. But just how much does the industry need to do, or can do, and how much is up to consumer choice?

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takeholders gathered in Brussels on February 1st 2017 for the Petcore Europe Conference to discuss what must be done to achieve circularity in the PET value chain.

Chaired by Patrick Peuch, Executive Director of Petcore, a line up of expert speakers thrashed out a possible roadmap for the PET product lifecycle, extending into the wider plastics value chain in the process.

vacuum packaging extend to reduced food waste, increased shelf life and premium appearance, he stated.

Continuing in the theme of re-thinking packaging, Françoise Poulat, Head of the Sustainable Material Team at the Danone Research Plastic Material

topics of the day was P&G's Head and Shoulders shampoo bottle [page 17] and a new PET fabric softener bottle which contains 50 per cent PCR and is wrapped in a removable label to allow the clear bottle underneath to be recycled.

"With concerted effort to redesign after-use systems, recycling would be more economically attractive," Defruyt stated.

Vice-President of the Committee of PET Manufacturers in Europe (CPME) Antonello Ciottti began by identifying PET's contribution to lightweighting and reducing packaging waste, but the industry must continue to invest to ensure recycling rates do not plateau.

Executive Manager of PLAREBEL and EPRO An Vossen added more urgency to this call to action pressing that we need to stop concentrating our recycling efforts on the 'low-hanging fruit' of PET bottles, which are easy to recycle [page 12], while ignoring other PET packaging - and other plastics entirely. "It has value," she concluded.

"There is a bright future if we keep investing. Without redesign and innovation, 30 per cent of all plastics packaging will never be recycled," he stated.

Rethinking PET packaging Nicolas Rivollet from Husky added his forecast to Ciotti's, remarking that PET bottle production is going up with still water bottles dominating, while the fashion for smaller bottles will grow - presenting an opportunity for PET processors to rethink product architecture.

Senior Project Manager of Technology and Development at Faerch Plast Carsten Lauridsen added that there is a big opportunity for PET in meat packaging, particularly in vacuum packaging, which presents opportunities for amorphous PET (APET). The benefits of utilising APET

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Encouraging collaboration and open innovation, Research Analyst for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy Sander Defruyt stated we cannot afford to ignore difficult-to-recycle or rarely recycled waste including small items such as sweet wrappers, multi-material products and nutrient-contaminated products including coffee pods.

Techno Centre, set out Danone's two main pillars for sustainable plastics packaging innovation: biomaterials and recycling. Danone wants to use more sustainable resources and lightweight its designs in a bid to put zero industrial plastic waste in landfill.

Likewise Procter and Gamble is blazing a trail for circularity as a brand owner.

Gian de Belder, Principal Scientist in Research and Development for Sustainable Packaging gave real-world examples of how recycled plastics are being used to replace traditional materials, such as switching a detergent bottle from HDPE to PET, which slashed the packaging weight from 78g to just 30g. Furthermore, one of the biggest

PET as a commodity The afternoon sessions focused on the sustainability of PET as a valuable commodity. Team Leader for Plastics and Waste Recycling at the European Commission Eric LiĂŠgeois was first to speak, encouraging all stakeholders to assist the Commission in building its Circular Economy roadmap by submitting ideas-based evidence.

"We have to address three columns," he said. "Dependence on virgin fossil feedstock, low recycling and reuse rates, and leakage of plastics into the environment. Oil feedstocks are cheap, but a diversification of feedstock should be studied fairly."

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Vice-President of Plastics Recyclers Europe Casper van den Dungen agreed and put that it was up to the plastics packaging value chain to help navigate the circular economy.

The day may not have come to any firm conclusions about how the PET industry achieves optimum circularity, but the preparation for the journey has begun, with the task seeming more daunting with every query raised.

What is important is that at no point did any of the presenters, or indeed anybody participating from the audience in the panel debates, state that it cannot be done. www.petcore-europe.org

PACKAGING

MeetingPack 2017 faces food packaging challenges head on M

eetingPack 2017, the international meeting for the packaging sector organised

by AIMPLAS and AINIA, will analyse current challenges facing food packaging, presenting new solutions to hundreds of participants.

Changes in consumer habits have driven the growth of packaging solutions that facilitate ease of opening, design to ease preparation, and portability. Modern packaging must maintain high standards of quality, sustainability and shelf life, driving innovation.

The development of innovative barrier materials will be one of the biggest topics on the MeetingPack 2017 table, along with packaging for convenience and reducing food waste.

Under the theme 'Convenience: driving barrier innovation', MeetingPack 2017, which takes place from May 30th-31st 2017 at Feria de Valencia, is an essential event for the entire

food packaging value chain, bringing together multinational companies with representatives from the distribution sector and other agents to spark innovation and make connections.

proof packaging, new manufacturing systems, additive manufacturing, industry 4.0, sustainable packaging, testing and quality control and waste reduction.

The previous edition of MeetingPack brought together more than 300 experts, and this latest outing aims to be bigger and better, covering the topics of raw materials, barrier materials, sealable and reclosable materials, microwavable and oven-

MeetingPack2017 is a strategic alliance between the technology centres AIMPLAS and AINIA and is a wholly European platform supporting innovation and research in plastic packaging for food. www.meetingpack.com

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PACKAGING

All eyes on IML packaging When it comes to creating head-turning packaging, In Mould Labeling (IML) using injection moulding has the advantage over adhesive labels for quality, cost, sustainability and emotional brand connections. Kevin Heap, packaging expert at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK explains why.

Words | Kevin Heap, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag

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rom a quality perspective, IML leads the way. An unlimited range of colours, images and graphic designs can be applied to lids and containers using IML, resulting in photo-like images to create highly decorative and visual shelf displays. Likewise, brand owners can opt for matt or gloss finishes.

Shaped packaging containers also lend themselves well to IML. Brands are increasingly turning to unique, geometric and asymmetrical packaging forms and shapes to create visual intrigue. Some emerging developments, especially in the cosmetics and personal care markets, include wavy rectangular or bulb-like containers. In the food sector, products with dual compartments, such as yoghurt pots or snack dips, are also more commonplace. It can be more challenging to stick printed self-adhesive labels onto these less traditional packaging styles. However, because injectionmoulded labels are applied in the mould, it is much simpler for converters and manufacturers to achieve a consistently high quality finish.

Flexible friend

There are sustainability benefits too. Because the label is printed directly onto the packaging material, householders can recycle the packaging as a single container, making packaging more environmentally friendly. From a manufacturers’ perspective, printing the text and visuals directly onto packaging also means fewer resources are being used.

The thin thing While label substrates have become thinner - most filmic IML labels are around 40 microns - they have also advanced from decorating a small portion or strip of a pack to covering the entire container.

For fresher foods, such as baked items, this is a big development as labels can incorporate multilayer barriers and From a manufacturer’s even provide full coverage, minimising perspective, printing the oxygen penetrating the pack, extending text and visuals directly shelf life and reducing product waste.

onto packaging means

Compared to other decorative techniques, IML is much more flexible. For instance, you can easily adjust the format of the label to the packaging. It is even feasible to change the artwork during the production process.

For markets like confectionery, the adoption of IML is especially beneficial. Eager to eliminate the secondary decoration process, move to lighter weight containers and reduce scrap rates, IML caters varied tub sizes, seasonal gift packs and anniversary editions, generating full-colour IML graphics easily, to provide strong visual and brand reinforcement with quick processing changeovers.

Previous challenges, such as label fewer resources are distortion on deeper containers - for instance ice creams and spreads - have being used also been solved. It is now possible to apply labels to containers 80mm deep, while staying consistent. Smaller production runs are also feasible, with digital technology especially suited to shorter IML runs.

Application station When it comes to application, techniques vary. In injection moulding the most common approach is to index pre-cut labels into the mould using a dedicated robotic arm, and immobilise them using vacuum or static electricity. The polymer is then rear-injected into the mould, while heat and pressure are carefully adjusted to deliver the required degree of melt in the film.

Industry commentators predict that injection-moulded IML will continue to grow the most rapidly of all primary-packaging label technologies between now and 2020. In part this can be attributed to widespread adoption of thin-walled packaging. Based on global IML volume the injection moulding format (IML-IM) dominates at 68 per cent in comparison to 31 per cent for IML extrusion blow moulding, and a mere one per cent for thermoforming. This reflects the much deeper penetration of the technology in Europe, where, currently 95 per cent is IML-IM compared to the other IML alternatives.

uk.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu

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PACKAGING

P&G Head & Shoulders ahead in circularity

P

roctor and Gamble (P&G) is blazing a new trail for brand owners as a champion of circularity. In January, the company launched a new bottle for Head & Shoulders shampoo made with up to 25 per cent recycled beach plastic developed in partnership with TerraCycle and Suez.

The company has announced that by the end of 2018, more than half a billion bottles per year will be manufactured with up to 25 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic, representing more than 90 per cent of all the hair care bottles sold in Europe across the P&G portfolio.

"For the bottle there are two messages," said P&G Packaging Research and Development Principal Scientist Gian De Belder, "First, we launch a limited edition [bottle] at Carrefour France with recycled HDPE plastics collected from beach clean-ups. This will be followed by introducing high volumes."

P&G is also working alongside plastics processors to develop new end markets for recycled plastics and to ensure plastics packaging is recyclable by establishing a working group within Petcore Europe called ODR (opaque and difficult-to-recycle PET containers), which held its first workshop the day after Petcore Europe Conference on February 2nd, encouraging both Petcore Europe members and non-members to join the working group's discussions.

P&G is also working together with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy on standardising watermark sorting to increase sorting efficiency levels at material recycling facilities, holding a pioneering workshop with stakeholders on April 4th 2017. www.info-pg.com

Potenza, adding, "the Pationic portfolio can also be used to prevent fog formation on the surface of film packaging for applications such as salad bags."

Based on edible, fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, Corbion's Pationic emulsifiers are optimised for the PP, PE, PVC and styrene industries and an established base in North America has prompted the biobased technology leader to expand its reach into Europe and the MENA regions.

In addition to ensuring the best possible appearance in a plastic package, Pationic is also a processing enhancer. Potenza revealed that expanded polystyrene producers opted for Pationic for its cooling and processing properties, as well as its antistatic and mould-release qualities.

Corbion Pationic ‘addresses unique packaging challenges’

O

Of course, the product is undergoing a constant evolution and their demand is growing, as their biocharacteristics are appealing to large food companies with sustainable packaging programmes.

ne of the most important challenges plastics processors face when manufacturing packaging products is appearance, but thanks to its innovative Pationic range, Corbion has tackled these unique aesthetics issues head on.

with any product include static charge, which results in a product picking up specs of dust, and fogging, which can make food products such as bagged salads less appealing to the consumer if they are more difficult to see through their wrapping.

Polymer Additives Sales Manager at Corbion Michele Potenza revealed that the aesthetic challenges that most plastics packaging processors want to conquer

"An antistat can be used to prevent the charge, which can cause handling issues and even pose the risk of fire when packaging electronics," explained

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"The Pationic product range supports polymer producers, compounders and converters with their specific processing and product challenges," said Potenza. "Our target customers are located across all industrial regions in Europe, and any country that has a strong plastics industry stands to benefit from our product range." www.corbion.com

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PIPE AND PROFILE

Pipe extrusion trends to 2019 In the face of rising cost pressures, demand for short delivery times and smaller batch sizes, leader in pipe extrusion technology battenfeld-cincinnati addresses how the industry has to operate in order to thrive.

WORDS | Dr Henning Stieglitz, CTO, battenfeld-cincinnati

I

n recent years, the cost pressure faced by manufacturers in pipe extrusion has been rising continuously. Material costs amount to about 80 per cent of total production cost and energy prices are rising. Increasingly shorter delivery times and smaller production batches are also a challenge. In addition, it can be expected that the trend towards thicker walls will also continue.

The economic efficiency of a pipe extrusion line is determined essentially by five factors: Output / line speed Energy consumption per kg of output

Wall thickness tolerance Flexibility in (dimension) change processes

Continuous dimension change systems will gain more and more importance as production batches are becoming smaller and smaller. This also means that colour changes increase continuously.

A significant reduction in purging times can only be achieved if the steel surface touching the melt is kept as small as possible. According to this, the design of the pipe head has to follow the principle. Outer layers should be applied just before the melt exits the pipe head.

The die set can also be optimised, if the gap has a conical shape and the position of the die can be adjusted against the position of the mandrel. By the help of such a system, the die set is suitable for a number of diameters and pressure classes and changing it is no longer necessary.

Material usage.

New developments have to address these topics.

The quality of the pipe and the length of the necessary cooling section are strongly dependent on melt temperature.

A low melt temperature can only be reached with a sufficiently high specific throughput, i.e. kg output per screw revolution, as well as a screw concept that ensures the complete plastification of the material and prevents unnecessary increases in temperature.

Continuous dimension change systems will gain more and more importance as production batches are becoming smaller and smaller

battenfeld-cincinnati’s new solEX NG series offer reductions in melt temperature by up to 10°C thanks to a completely redesigned feed zone with a new screw and barrel concept and grooved bushing. As the load on the system is reduced, energy consumption is decreased by up to 15 per cent and outputs for each machine size increase by up to 25 per cent compared to the original solEX series.

The new plasticising concept offers a lot more possibilities than the conventional technologies, so that further improvements can be foreseen.

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Beside the extruder, the tooling is the second core component of every pipe extrusion line. The pipe head is the determining factor when it comes to wall thickness tolerances and has further gained in importance in recent years due to the increase in the production of multi-layer pipes. This trend will continue over the next years.

Several systems for dimension change during production have been developed. battenfeld-cincinnati’s FDC (fast dimension change) system enables fully automatic pipe dimension and wall thickness changes during running production across a range of diameters from 75 to 630 mm, which is unique in the market.

The FDC calibration sleeve operates with stainless-steel sheets that are moveable into each other. Thus, they enable flexible dimension changes across the diameter range and ensure there are no markings on the pipe surface.

Downstream equipment with FDC functions is available to offer complete, synchronised lines where dimension changes can be started at the push of a button.

Beside the above mentioned topics, new combinations of different materials, especially the use of fibres or other reinforcements, might gain in importance. The goal is on the one hand to reach higher pressure classes in order to replace steel pipes. On the other hand, it will be possible to use thinner pipes for today’s applications and therefore to reduce the material consumption dramatically. The first products are already available and it can be expected that processing technologies will be developed in the field.

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www.battenfeld-cincinnati.com

consumer bags

l

textile packaging l consumer bags l recycling

eppm_outline_print.indd 1

03.04.2017 09:48:18

The most ecoinnovative Oriented PVC pipe

New freshly ideas come into the Oriented PVC (PVC-O) sector.

New, more effective and eco-efficient solutions for the conveyance of water under pressure with the exclusive TOM® pipe.

An internationally patented cutting-edge technology, developed by Molecor, which brings new advantages in the transportation of water.

PVC-O pipes, with insurmountable technical qualities, obtained thanks to the improved mechanical properties, always committed to the environment.

From DN90 to DN800 mm PN12,5 to PN25 bar

The widest range of pressures and diameters in the market.

With its unique integrated socket, made in the same orientation process than the rest of the pipe.

Molecor solutions that today expand and ow throughout the world.

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PIPE AND PROFILE

Davis-Standard hosts extrusion masterclass Leader in extrusion technology DavisStandard is hosting a two-day course covering the basics of extrusion, as well as the composition and properties of various polymers and the mechanics of essential downstream processes. Seminar topics include extruder components, temperature control, maintenance and screw design.

As well as the classes, which will be held at its American HQ in Pawcatuck, Connecticut on October 3rd – 4th 2017, participants will tour Davis-Standard’s Technology Centre and factory, and speak to its polymer process engineers and technicians. The fee is $750 (€700) per person, with a 10 per cent discount for groups of three or more. Course books and materials are included and class size is limited to promote student/teacher interaction.

For bookings email Debbie Crowley at dcrowley@davis-standard.com. www.davis-standard.com

KraussMaffei Berstorff transforms twin-screw extruder into coex combi KraussMaffei Berstroff’s long-time customer Schüco Polymer Technologies is having a KMD 114-32/P twinscrew extruder, which has been running for more than 10 years, transformed into a new coex combination, which is also equipped with two KMD 63 K/P conical machines.

The newly-commissioned coextrusion combination will be housed at Schüco’s Weißenfels plant this year.

“With our concept of twin-strand coextrusion, we have met a special requirement from Schüco,” said Marc Stramm, Sales Representative for Germany at KraussMaffei Berstorff. “The machine, which has been in operation as a single extruder for more than

solEX NG single screw:

s: Visit u 7 AS 201 L P A N CHI 1 4 1J hall 1 .

www.kraussmaffei.com

conEX NG conical twin screw: • Enlarged processing window through balanced energy input • Fully insulated barrel for up to 10% energy savings compared to standard executions • Up to 20% energy savings through optimized processing

New conEX NG extruder

w w w. b a t t e n f e l d - c i n c i n n a t i .c o m • w w w.y o u t u b e .c o m / B a t t e n f e l d C i n c i n n a t i

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“We have been using twin-screw extruders from KraussMaffei Berstorff for profile extrusion for many years,” stated Joachim Papenheim, Supply Chain Manager at Schüco Polymer Technologies KG. “The machines are highly compact and robust and we are confident that the revised configuration will continue to manufacture in such a reliable, hassle-free and, above all, substantially higher-performance fashion.”

battenfeld-cincinnati: Presenting the new, powerful „Next Generation“ extruder series

• Up to 25% higher outputs • Up to 15% less energy costs • Up to 10 °C lower melt temperature with excellent melt homogeneity & mixing quality

New solEX NG extruder

ten years, has been integrated into the new, efficient and high-performance twin-strand extrusion machine that produces coextruded window profiles with a high output of 700 – 800 kg/h.”

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PIPE AND PROFILE

No more pipe dreams: Molecor takes Spanish technology around the world Molecor’s 11-year success story has taken its pipe technology around the world thanks to its TOM PVC-O pipes’ superior mechanical properties and environmentally friendly credentials.

Words | Cristina Onieva, Marketing, Molecor

In recent years, there have been significant advances in the field of Molecular Orientation Technology applied to pipelines, in particular, those used to transport water under pressure.

Molecor, founded in Spain in 2006, has lead this process of change as an innovation frontrunner.

Molecor’s commitment to the environment is clearly noticeable in its PVC-O pipes, which are some of the most environmentally friendly on the market

The main breakthrough, on which the success of the 11-year-old company is based, is its Genuine Air System which consists of a 'completely dry system' that distributes air through the pipe in a specific way, allowing the attainment of the maximum degree of orientation in both the hoop and axial directions.

Molecor technology also provides key advantages including high security and reliability as it uses air instead of boiling water preventing leakages. Molecor technology is also known for its flexibility, efficiency, productivity and compatibility with standard PVC extrusion systems.

Superior whole-life data Thanks to its innovative manufacturing process, Molecor is now capable of manufacturing not only the most eco-friendly pipe on the market, with PVC-O pipes offering superior whole-life environmental data, but also the largest pipe currently available to the market.

In 2015, Molecor became the first company in the world capable of manufacturing PVC-O pipes of DN800 mm, surpassing all the dimensions developed up to that point in PVC-O material.

TOM for Tommies The proven benefits provided by TOM pipes explain their growing international popularity.

In 2014, Molecor only distributed TOM pipes in four areas of the UK: Scotland, Yorkshire, Northern Ireland and the South West, but by 2016 this figure had grown to 12.

The Severn Trent Water projects in Lower Wytch, Madresfield and Hare Edge; the Wessex Water scheme in Dorchester; and Anglian Water in Poringland, are just a few examples of projects where TOM pipes are playing a key role.

The TOM pipes used in the UK meet the National Standard BS ISO16422:2014 and count on the DWI and WRAS Certificates which demonstrate that the high quality of these pipes comply with stringent health standards.

Pride in the product As well as meeting health and safety regulations, Molecor's commitment to the environment is clearly noticeable in its PVC-O pipes, which are some of the most environmentally friendly on the market with approval from the Sustainable Life Foundation and the Environmental Footprint FVS quality seal.

Molecor is deeply proud of its major technological achievements, among which we can boast the ecoFITTOM project that has been awarded at Smagua, the International Water and Irrigation Show in Spain, with the denomination 'Outstanding technological Novelty'.

Thus, Molecor has demonstrated once more, its capacity and capability in R&D and specialised knowledge, which puts it firmly at the forefront of the industry.

Molecor's technology manufactures TOM pipes with features that make it considerably superior to pipes produced with other technologies, facilitating a greater internal pipe bore section that gives TOM pipes a larger internal diameter and greater flow section.

As a result TOM pipes offer between 15 and 40 per cent more hydraulic capacity than pipes made of other materials.

www.molecor.com

Furthermore, oriented PVC is immune to corrosion and to natural chemical substances, as well as to aggression from micro- and macro-organisms, therefore TOM pipes will not degrade or corrode.

TOM pipes also possess a high resistance to shock, meaning they suffer minimal damage during installation or during on-site trials and thanks to their elasticity, they can bear large deformations to their internal diameter, returning to their original shape. Their water hammer resistance offers internal pressures of up to two times the nominal pressure (32 bars in PN16 bar pipes or 400 psi in PN200 psi), which means that they can bear sporadic excessive pressure occurrences. Furthermore, material creep is very low, ensuring pipe durability working at nominal pressure for 100 years.

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PIPE AND PROFILE

In it for the long haul:

Fanuc’s secret to success Reliability is the key to a long and happy relationship with a Fanuc robot, which is why Fanuc Deutschland is proud to be working with customers who have had the same machine for decades.

Words | Rose Brooke

W

hile plastics processing is all a-twitter and all over Twitter with Industry 4.0, factory automation giant Fanuc insists that reliability outperforms as a customer magnet against any hype or trend.

Raff stated. "We develop products which are usable for each industry ... and overall the price is good, reliability is good, production costs for customer are low and most of the time that fits."

EPPM sat down with Fanuc Deutschland's Robomachine Sales Manager Stefan Raff and Marketing Specialist Nils Tersteegen to talk about customer retention and the importance of looking after 'smaller' customers.

Reliability across the board Tersteegen added that many smaller customers are even integrating their robotic technology directly into their machinery, which works very nicely for smaller operations where space is limited. This is a current trend Fanuc is seeing within electrode manufacture and one of the joys of a Fanuc system, is that a customer does not have to research an applicationspecific system, as Fanuc technologies are designed to work across the board.

"Fanuc is a mass production company that produces 5,000 milling machines per month, 5,000 robots per month, 25,000 CNC machines per month,"

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"When I am [at the Japanese headquarters] I see spare parts going out to repair [machines] that are 30 years old and the customer still wants to keep it," Raff said.

"It's like having an 'old timer' car. It's not the cheapest to run but we're very proud that the customer wants to keep it. They like it and they want to keep it going. I think that's the policy of our founder and that's the biggest effort at Fanuc, maintaining long-term reliability."

Reliability and safety are paramount in a Fanuc system, which is why the increase in uptake of small integrated robotic systems calls for collaborative human-robot technology such as the green CR-35iA, which works alongside a human operator, learning by being guided by its human partner, while being sensitive to their whereabouts, halting or slowing where necessary to prevent injury.

"Human-robot cooperation is very safe and very simple and a smaller customer can immediately integrate their machine [into their systems] very easily," said Raff.

replacing a system, rather the old system is moved to the deburring unit, for example.

Looking after old and new This business model means customers who bought their first Fanuc robot 20-30 years ago and still use it to this day, are not left out in the cold when they contact Sales and Services for support. The company supplies over 25 years of spare parts - which would be impossible to do if Fanuc made custom machines for specific applications - and has a long list of happy customers keeping their technology going for decades.

"We have machines in the field that have been running for over 20 years - that's a big deal for our customers," Raff stated, adding that for many, it is not a matter of how long a machine runs for, rather how long that machine is effective for their business.

For many, when they upgrade machinery it is not

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For smaller companies, reliability is paramount, as there is neither the staff or the cashflow to accommodate chopping and changing hardware.

Raff and Tersteegen agreed that Fanuc's large customer base of smaller organisations is something the company 50 customers puts a lot of effort into with one machine looking after. is even more "50 customers with one machine is even more important than one with 50 machines," said Raff.

important than one with 50 machines

The Fanuc Deutschland team hopes to meet plenty of mould-makers at Moulding Expo (Hall 6, Stand C17) in Stuttgart (May 30th to June 1st 2017) and is inviting interested parties to visit its stand, which will focus on milling machines, electric plastic injection robotics and CNC systems. And those who need more information can visit Fanuc's facility 10 minutes down the road. www.fanuc.eu

International Exhibition for Polyurethane Solutions

Discover the innovative capabilities of PU solutions – Applications for new markets!

• •

Live presentations of machines and solutions Feature areas for networking and knowledge exchange

27 – 29 June 2017 MOC Munich, Germany • Raw materials

Organisers: Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd

• Materials/semi-finished

products • PU products/systems • Processing machinery, systems & equipment • Services For various industries

www.pse-europe.com

AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS

Communication, connectivity and control: Stäubli's '3 Cs' for industry 4.0

S

täubli Robotics is writing the roadmap for industry 4.0 with its '3 Cs'. All of its industry 4.0-ready systems are optimised for communication, connectivity and control.

Communication is vital for a smooth-running smart factory, whether that's between a robot and another machine or a robot and a human operator. Stäubli robots do not require their own protocol; they can communicate using a wide array of industry standard communication channels, which means they can adapt to any production environment. The TX2 line of robots and CS9 controller's connectivity options are based on real-time Ethernet field protocols, providing unrivalled communication speeds, extreme flexibility, a high level of reliability, and user-friendly implementation - and they enable data exchange between human and machine.

Connectivity means data capture and sharing for a well-oiled production line with minimal downtime between runs or for maintenance. The CS9 controller, for example, has a built-in server so it no longer needs specific software. Giving customers access to realtime production data over the web helps to cut costs and provides remote monitoring, assistance and diagnostic operations, thereby boosting productivity.

Stäubli machines are also capable of relaying production data to computer systems upstream

of the production chain and operators can access production data via their smartphone or tablet.

"This solution is particularly beneficial for OEMs that distribute standard machines worldwide," stated Christophe Rocchini, Support Engineer.

"We even offer a standard remote maintenance model that lets you monitor the status of our robots and manage maintenance remotely. Any defects that may arise will be identified online by our Stäubli service team," stated Gerald Vogt, Divisional General Manager of Stäubli Robotics.

www.staubli.com

Control means safety and TX2 robots' movements are sensor-controlled, making them ideally suited for interactions of all kinds: operations without physical safety barriers, applications where human and machine share the same workspace, or even tasks that require man–machine cooperation.

Stäubli's uniVAL drive allows users to control their robot using an industrial plc - this system is compatible with the entire Stäubli robot line. The solution works with the leading real-time Ethernet protocols on the market.

PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

IN PLASTIC

> R&D Projects > Technical Assistance > Analysis and Testing > Competitive Intelligence > Training

Accredited laboratories AIMPLAS laboratories have the widest range of accreditations, in compliance with the international standards ISO 17025, in the plastics industry in Spain.

Over 2.000 companies already rely on us www.aimplas.net

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AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS

Mitsubishi Electric: Bringing mould-making up to speed

T

he supply chain is quite literally all down hill from mould-making.

Unlike almost every subsequent process upstream, mould-making is a slow process, which in itself presents unique challenges where automation is concerned.

Mitsubishi Electric Deputy Division Manager of Mechatronics Machinery Michael Klinge spoke to EPPM about how the Japanese-headquartered automation giant is bringing mouldmaking up to speed.

"I think the challenge in the processing of mould-making is that it's very slow," he stated. "EDMs (electrical discharge machines) run very slowly, so maintenance is not the issue. What is more necessary is not the maintenance, it's more the productivity. The moulder needs to know when to ask for new jobs."

Mitsubishi Electric's predictive maintenance e-F@ctory solutions are, as Klinge explained, automation for maintenance as well as production overview and control. Although Mitsubishi Electric's EDMs are all stand-alone, the next step towards

smart factory harmony is connecting all these machines and being able to monitor them remotely. The e-F@ ctory tool makes it possible to control the production process from anywhere and also gives the operator a forecast for maintenance performance.

Meanwhile in the US, the system has been rolled out to 250 customers.

Klinge and the team in Germany are working on data anonymity to comply with current EU data protection laws.

Once these requirements have been met, Mitsubishi Electric EDM machines will be ready to join the Internet of Things. www.mitsubishielectric.com

"So the machine gives you the information 'In ten hours, I'll need maintenance, please send engineers'," said Klinge.

The system which also allows the engineer to create his or her own 'dashboard' for individual ease of information interpretation - is currently in a testphase in Germany after starting in Japan where data-sharing laws are less strict.

NEW Desiccant Mobile Rotor Series (DMR) for Drying Maximum Energy Efficiency and Flexibility!

Designed together with customers The Labotek DMR Series offers new innovative technology, ensuring stable and uninterrupted production with significant energy savings.

• No cooling water or compressed air needed • Air flows from 30-90 m3/h • Range of drying 60-140°C • Labotek Energy Saving System (LESS) • 3 phase power supply

Constant dew point of -35°C or better Thanks to the desiccant rotor technology. guaranteeing large absorbing capacity and no dust emission.

rint footp l l a ² Sm .60 m 0 y l n of o Siemens PLC control Capacities of 40, 75 & 110 litres - ideal for small and medium sized applications.

Comprehensive 3 year warranty, excluding wear parts.

Labotek A/S - Tel. +45 4821 8411 - info@labotek.dk - www.labotek.com UK Plastics Machinery Limited - Tel. 0044 (0) 1564 822172 sales@ukplasticsmachinery.co.uk - www.ukplasticsmachinery.co.uk

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MATERIALS HANDLING

Mechanical conveyor choices: Everything to consider Words | Chris Brennan, Senior Application Engineer, Spiroflow Ltd.

S

electing the best mechanical conveyor for an application is crucial to processing success and for business profits.

This article breaks down what processors should keep in mind when working with a conveyor manufacturer.

Product Attributes The type of product you plan on conveying is one of the biggest determining factors when considering which conveyor to choose. How would you describe your material’s characteristics? Engineers will need to know the bulk density, particle size, moisture content, temperature, and abrasiveness of your product. Is it hygroscopic or likely to segregate? Is the product cohesive? Are there other properties that affect how it can be conveyed?

Functional Requirements and Performance What are your desired conveying rates and capacities? What are your layout requirements and constraints? What materials of construction do you require? Will your conveyor require multiple inlets or outlets? Must it elevate material or move it through multiple planes? Do you need the conveyor to provide a variable conveying rate? How will you feed your material into the conveyor? Will it need to provide gentle handling? Does the conveyor need to be enclosed to contain dust or prevent material contamination? Do you require a dust collection system? Do you need a weight measurement for the delivered ingredients?

Long Term Energy Requirements Consider how the conveyor’s energy use will affect its operating costs over the long term.

The Manufacturer We recommend that you work with a supplier who offers several conveyor types because they will have a broad range of experience to satisfy your conveying performance needs and to ensure that the conveyor selected will withstand your process’s service level throughout the life of the process.

Testing the Material Ideally, the supplier will also have a test lab with conveyors of various types to help determine which one can best handle your material and operating conditions.

Performance Guarantee Make sure that your supplier guarantees that the conveyor will successfully transfer your material and perform reliably and cost-effectively for the long run.

Spiroflow has a comprehensive range of conveyors that processers can choose from and our main objective is to provide our customers with the safest, most efficient, and most reliable conveying solution for their application. www.spiroflow.com

Operating Features Can the conveyor handle your required conveying distance?

Can it handle your current and future conveying volumes? Does the conveyor have high installation costs or high operating costs? Can it be installed in your existing operation? Will it operate in a sanitary environment? Do you require an integral bag/sack dump hopper? Do you require a mobile conveyor?

Does the environment require explosion proof equipment?

Service Life What is the projected work life of the operation this conveyor will serve? Some conveyors are light-duty units suitable for intermittent or short-term operation, while others are heavyduty machines designed for continuous long-term operation.

Consider what service life your conveyor must provide to ensure that it can handle your application.

Coperion & Coperion K-Tron launch new website

C

operion & Coperion K-Tron have launched their new combined website www.coperion.com.

The new platform gives an overview of Coperion & Coperion K-Tron products and services, including bulk material handling, pneumatic conveying, feeding and extrusion equipment. It also offers useful industry-specific information and application downloads for the food, plastics, chemical, pharmaceutical, minerals and non-wovens industries. www.coperion.com

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MATERIALS HANDLING

Labotek introduces new Desiccant Mobile Rotor series for free-flowing, granular plastic materials drying Labotek's new Desiccant Mobile Rotor (DMR) series offers maximum energy efficiency and flexibility for small and medium sized drying applications.

L

abotek has just launched a new addition to its market-leading line of ancillary equipment for the plastics industry.

The DMR Series will offer users new innovative technology that will ensure stable and uninterrupted production and significant energy savings.

Designed together with customers, for customers, the DMR Series features the Labotek Energy Saving System (LESS). The desiccant rotor technology supplies a constant dew point with no cooling or compressed air needed. With drying hopper capacities of 40, 75 and 110 litres and a footprint of only 0.6 m sq, the DMR Series is ideal for small and medium-sized applications.

"Labotek has been a market leader for close to 75 years," said Labotek CEO Kristian Askegaard.

"Our knowhow coupled with our pool of dedicated specialists and industry partnerships enabled us to take a step forward with the new DMR series, further strengthening our position in the industry." www.labotek.com

The next revolution in conveying

C

ontinuous evolution in resin conveying systems has pushed manufacturers to release additional new features, such as pipe cleaning management for conveying regrind material, self-cleaning receiver filters and loading failure alarms. All of these features have now become standard in modern centralised systems and pose the question, what is the next evolution to come to market?

Moretto has long sought not only to develop pioneering and industry-leading new products but also the management systems that control them - we call this system management the ONE WIRE SERIES. Included in the series are EXA, ONE WIRE 3 and ONE WIRE 6, which were developed with modularity and adaptability in mind.

The EXA system adapts a three-phase conveying system with an integrated central control for true management of the entire system. It is able to manage up to a total of six receivers. EXA system clients have a dedicated electronic board developed to create a mini-centralised system with only one vacuum pump and six total receivers.

To manage more than six clients, customers can choose to upgrade EXA to the ONE WIRE 3 series. ONE WIRE 3 provides a dual zone function that allows for management of two vacuum pumps connected to a single sorting station, and machine and materials queue management.

Further users can manage the system with both a touchscreen central interface.

Moretto’s ONE WIRE 6 series is the only system available in the market capable of automatically adapting to dynamic changes in plant status. Its VIBE technology allows the system to automatically setup and optimise the quantity of resin being conveyed and can manage up 80 users, up to eight suction units and manual and/or automatic manifold units. Included with the system is a touchscreen interface, which offers a configurable program for precautionary maintenance.

Both the ONE WIRE 3 and ONE WIRE 6 can be further connected with Moretto’s MOWIS integrated supervising system which provides for centralised and remote management of all Moretto equipment installed plant wide. www.moretto.com

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NEC BIRMINGHAM, UK | 26-28 SEPTEMBER 2017

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THERMOFORMING

Red or dead

Sheet just got real

WM Thermoforming Machines is capitalising on the Big Red Cup trend that has swept across the Atlantic from the US into Europe. An American house party staple, the big red PP cups are a popular choice of disposable beverage holder for their attractive colour, stackability, comfortable feel and rigidity. WM has shipped four INTEC FT 900/3 in-line plants (two to the US, two to Europe) in the last year. The line is equipped with the new extrusion group manufactured completely by WM, the N.EXT 75 which has a screw diameter of 75 mm and 2 co-extruders N.EXT 45 with a diameter of 45 mm. The total extrusion capacity of the group is 1,096 kg/h. The advantages of the In-line system is the real reduction of energy consumption, since it can produce 120,000 cups per hour, reducing waste and reducing the personnel necessary to manage all the system.

EuPC has established a new group to represent and promote the interests of the European PET film and sheet production industry on an EU level.

The PET Sheet Europe group met for the first time in January where Paolo Glerean from Aliplast was elected as President, Giles Peacock from Klöckner Pentaplast as Vice-President and Lubna Edwards from LINPAC as Treasurer. “We aim to improve the use of PET sheet, advocating its circularity and environmental benefits in terms of LCA,” said Glerean.

“We also aim to become a reference for the industry, packaging designers, brands and retailers to support them in more effective use of PET in thermoforming applications.” www.plasticsconverters.eu

www.wm-thermoforming.com

Cut and dried

Finishing line

AMUT COMI has applied a single station simultaneous forming and trimming operation with tilting mould to its AMP series, a version of which (the AMP 850-GP) will be on show at Interpack 2017 in Düsseldorf.

The machine is suitable for thermoforming a wide range of plastics such as PP, HIPS, PP and PET, and produce cups and round or square dairy containers. The AMP 850-GP is based on a modular concept and can be supplied in different configurations. In-line solutions are also available.

The machine on show delivers 200cc PP vending coffee cups (Ø 70 mm), with a weight of 1.6 - 2.2g and a capacity of 200ml. The concept includes high-speed performances, energy saving solutions and in-line grinding of thermoformed scraps to avoid raw material losses.

British plastics processor Belgrade Polymer Products is offering a new ABS carbon fibre-effect finish to its thermoforming offering. The effect can be applied to products of up to 2,000mm x 2,000mm x 900 mm draw depth with thicknesses of up to 5mm with lead times of six weeks. The new carbon fibre finish is well suited to automotive and leisure applications.

“The new ABS finish adds another string to our bow and greater choice for customers,” said General Manager Patrick Burke. “We work closely with clients on finding solutions to their new concepts and can undertake the complete process of product development from design, prototype to manufacture.”

www.amutgroup.com

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www.belgrade-polymer.com

MATERIALS

PolyFlexing muscles

Drive me crazy

A brace of TPU grades from Huntsman are helping transport car parts, ensuring that expensive vehicle components arrive at their destination damage-free and clean, saving car makers time and money. PolyFlex Products, a US-based manufacturer of specialist dunnage, is using Irogran and Avalon TPU grades to boost the performance and longevity of its custom trays, containers, nests and racks. Switching to TPU has helped PolyFlex ensure longevity of its dunnage – typically around five years.

BMW’s revival of the Mini has given the classic hatchback a more seamless, high-gloss look with new A-pillars.

The design was enabled by Evonik’s Plexiglas.

The material provides high-gloss Class-A surface with great depth of colour combined with toughness. Tony Halbländer, Senior Technical Marketing Manager at Evonik, said: “Our high-gloss material creates a very classy appearance like glass, which far outshines coated surfaces.” The Plexiglas surface is resistant to fuels and chemicals, and has excellent resistance to UV light and weathering.

www.huntsman.com

www.evonik.com

Secret smile

Prints charming

Solvay will apply its leading portfolio of high-performance polymers to a new dental care business line. ‘Solvay Dental 360’ is a material that can replace metal in removable partial denture frames, enabling dental technicians to digitise manufacture of frames.

DuPont Performance Materials launched new materials for the 3D printing industry at AMUG by showcasing high-performance materials in filament forms of its Hytrel TPEs, Zytel nylons, and Surlyn ionomers.

DuPont has developed the Hytrel, Zytel and Surlyn grades to offer high quality, reliability and performance in a wide range of industries. The application of these high-performance materials in 3D printing will help users achieve benefits of 3D printing - greater design freedom, lightweighting and reduced product development cycles, allowing for rapid prototyping, part production and mass customisation.

Removable partial denture frames replace missing teeth and are typically made of metal. Under Solvay Dental 360, Solvay’s new high-performance material allows for metal-free, biocompatible, more comfortable and natural-looking RPD frames which are over 60 per cent lighter than a metal frame. www.solvay.com

www.dupont.com

Ampacet launches newgen compounds for BOPP

A

mpacet, the market leader of matte compounds for BOPP applications, is proud to introduce its Next Generation MATIF. A few years ago, fashion shifted from glossy to low-gloss appearance, making matte the new luxury finish.

Next Generation MATIF achieves excellent matte performances with haze of more than 75 per cent, providing a high quality finish to graphic arts and luxury packaging items. The product covers a broad spectrum of seal initiation temperatures (SIT) going from 130°C to 75°C allowing the use of BOPP matte films on various packaging equipment.

Marcello Bergamo, Ampacet’s General Manager Europe, said: "Our strategic choice is to develop solutions for our customers and Next Generation Matte is all about that."

WWW.EPPM.COM

www.ampacet.com

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MACHINERY

Sepro signs robot deal with Milacron Europe Automation leader Sepro Group has signed a key deal with plastics processing technology giant Milacron, calling for Sepro to manufacture 3- and 5-axis robots to be sold along with Milacron injection moulding machines throughout Europe.

requirements,” stated Jean-Michel Renaudeau, CEO of Sepro Group. “It opens new market opportunities for both, Milacron and Sepro.”

The robot control is fully integrated into the Milacron machine controls, utilising the Sepro Visual platform developed by Sepro specifically for the injection moulding industry. With a common control for all robots – including 3- and 5-axis – Cartesian beam robots, operation is simplified and even inexperienced users can learn to create a pickand-place program in matter of minutes.

Denis Poelman, Managing Director of Milacron’s Injection Moulding Machinery business in Europe added: “Sepro robotic systems are ideally suited for all of Milacron’s machine series and perfectly adapt to our customers’ needs. All platforms are offered under the name of Milacron Standard Linear Robot for Pick and Place Applications and Milacron Performance Linear Robot for High End Applications. The new robot portfolio can handle weights from 3 to 60 kg.”

“This agreement creates new options for moulders who may prefer to deal with a single supplier for their injection moulding machine and automation

With this agreement for strategic cooperation, Milacron is expanding its supplier portfolio in the area of linear robots. The new offer includes

complete automation systems for all of Europe and beyond. Milacron will act as single source while combining all platform suppliers to provide turnkey solutions in combination with their injection moulding machines, hot runner technology and process control systems.

The robots are immediately available, with more than 15 robots sold under the agreement already. www.sepro-group.com www.milacron.com

I like to be in America

Go sorty, it’s your birthday

Demand for German plastics and rubber machinery is soaring in the US and Mexico, with exports to these regions jumping by four per cent in 2016, according to the VDMA. K 2016 in Düsseldorf is expected to have played a role in this uptick, making the US Germany’s most important trading partner for plastics and rubber machinery with €774 million in machinery sold last year. In Mexico, imports of German plastics and rubber machinery jumped by 51.9 per cent to €255 million. Meanwhile, sales to China slipped by 3.6 per cent, reflecting an on-going trend.

TOMRA is celebrating a record 2016 as well as its 45th birthday. The Norwegian company, recorded revenues of approximately €710 million in 2016, installing 90,000 systems in 80 countries - a stark contrast to the 29 systems it sold in 1972. The key to its success? Innovation. “TOMRA aspires to be a leader in the resource revolution by constantly exploring and enabling new means of optimising resource productivity,” stated Stefan Ranstrand, CEO. “We are proud of the success our company has achieved thus far, and look forward to building on this in the years ahead.”

www.vdma.org

www.tomra.com

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33

EUREKA SERIES

BOSSing it Sink-float technology could be the future of efficient, economical post-consumer plastics separation and Impact Solutions in Scotland is pioneering a proven system that produces streams of >99 per cent pure PP and PE. Words | Rose Brooke

One of the biggest obstacles facing circularity in plastics is the quality of the recycled material. Consumers sort their plastics for recycling the same way they do their glass, aluminium and paper; but individual plastic types are then difficult to identify with existing sorting technologies, leading to an end product with lower mechanical properties than virgin.

control of the solution required would be prohibitively expensive when taking into account the value of the end product.

polyolefins using this technology but using water as the medium, giving us a very lowcost solution.”

When the system did not even work to the desired level under laboratory conditions,

The BOSS unit is entirely self-contained, recirculating the water within the system.

The recycled material is then ready for compounding, producing streams of up to 98 or 99 per cent pure PE and PP.

Impact Solutions, based in Grangemouth, Scotland, has developed a technology that separates different plastics cheaply and effectively, allowing them to move into the correct stream for recycling.

That was kind of the eureka moment where we realise we can separate polyolefins using this technology

Burns revealed that one BOSS line in London is producing PP with a melt flow of between 20 and 30 g/10min - much higher than the usual 6-9 that recycled PP achieves. This means the compounder does not have to blend the recycled PP with virgin or more expensive single source materials to improve melt flow, further boosting the BOSS’s return on investment.

Head of Innovations at Impact Solutions Steven Burns revealed that BOSS (baffled oscillation separation system) technology was developed when a customer required a system for separating HDPE and PP bottle cap regrind. The research began by exploring sink-float technologies with a density controlled solution. Unfortunately, HDPE absorbs the alcohol and oils and as sink-float can only take on two per cent plastics, the amount and density

34

the team tried the system to ‘shoogle’ paddles in liquid gradually separating the flakes by introducing water flow.

“We set it up in the lab and it worked absolutely brilliantly first time,” said Burns. “That was kind of the eureka moment where we realise we can separate

WWW.EPPM.COM

“Compounders can now buy PP from BOSS clients such as Polymer Resource to be used as the grade they then blend lower grade materials into - and they’ll pay top dollar for it,” Burns stated. www.impact-solutions.co.uk

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The Plastics Industry Exhibition in France www.f-i-p.com

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