EPPM 19.1

Jan/Feb 2017 Volume 19 | Issue 01

MAD FOR MAGNETICS: Bunting all set for world domination Cover Story | Page 8

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IN THIS ISSUE Pg 6

Pg 23

INDUSTRY NEWS

COMPOSITES

There was no gentle start to 2017 with an acquisition, a launch and a big name signed up to the New Plastics Economy making up our Industry News highlights for the month.

One of the most fashionable subjects in plastics processing, Composites are being put to all sorts of exciting uses. We caught up with some of the sector’s innovators.

Pg 8 COVER STORY: BUNTING After a year that ended on a high, Bunting has been quick out of the starting blocks in 2017 with a major acquisition, a strategy that will raise its profile in new markets and being cleaned out of display models after a roaringly successful ArabPlast.

Pg 10 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING Think desktop 3D printing is just for the hobbyists? Think again, as MakerBot and product design company Minima believe there is a place for desktop in the development chain. Plus, we home in on the new HP Jet Fusion technology via UK partner Europac and Solvay’s work in bringing 3D printing materials to more applications.

Volume 19 Issue 01

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

production

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art & production robert wood

INJECTION MOULDING You saw it here first - EPPM is the first to publish a technical piece from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag on injection moulding clamp force.

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

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EVENTS

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A new year means a new calendar of shows. We look back on a successful 8th ArabPlast and ahead to two of the biggies: Fakuma and CHINAPLAS.

qualifying readers europe - free, ROW - £249 outside qualifying criteria £249 please subscribe online at www.eppm.com

Pg 34 EUREKA SERIES Can a computer game surreptitiously teach a generation of kids about polymer science? One study has evidence to suggest Minecraft can lay the foundations for plastics knowledge.

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European Plastic Product Manufacturer is published by Rapid Plastics Media Ltd. Each issue is distributed in print and digital format to 17,845 buyers and specifiers in the European plastic processing industry. © January 2017.

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RECYCLING We speak to Luxus about its recycled material for automotive interiors after it passed a stringent testing process, and we go through the doors of Birmingham Granulators.

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From The Editor

Where do we go from here?

The words are coming out all weird* Last year some big decisions plunged us into an ocean of uncertainty (I’m talking Brexit and President Trump, of course), but 2017 is going to be the year in which we kick our legs out and come up for air to witness the consequences, for better or for worse.

We begin a new year with a new President in the White House and a European Union waiting for the UK to file for divorce. It is still impossible to predict the global ramifications, but to think European plastics will be unaffected by either would be ludicrous.

Still, months on from the votes being counted in both cases and we haven’t learnt a great deal, so for my Editor’s letter, I have felt compelled to draw upon the positive, progressive statements made by the subjects of some of our most exciting features, because the way this industry works together and the way we relate to each other as colleagues and friends is much more sophisticated than borders or ballot papers.

Here are some of the messages that resonated with me in compiling this issue. Solvay has reiterated that for the additive manufacturing industry, we should be concentrating on collaboration and not competition because

2017 is going to be the year in which we kick our legs out and come up for air

we’ll progress faster and the results will be better, Luxus has proved that perceptions can change by bringing a material to commercialisation that can match, if not beat, the prime equivalent in terms of both mechanical and visual performance, and MakerBot tells us you never know if you don’t try - even if you try and you fail.

In 2016 we all took a deep dive into the unknown, but as we come back up to the surface in 2017, as an industry we’ve got to take care that we decompress.

Rose Brooke, Editor *For non-Radiohead fans, this is the opening line of their song The Bends, another name for decompression sickness, which I have used as a metaphor.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

TOMRA joins New Plastics Economy

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lastics has a problem concerning its environmental reputation but the New Plastics Economy is set to change the industry's role in global sustainability and TOMRA has signed up to play its part.

The global sensor-based solutions provider has signed up as a member of the New Plastics Economy, a three-year initiative working towards a global plastics system guided by the principles of the circular economy.

Led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the initiative brings together stakeholders from business, government and science and research to accelerate the transition towards a more effective global system for plastics. The three main objectives of the project are the creation of an improved after-use plastics economy, the reduction of leakage of plastics into natural systems, and decoupling the production of plastics from fossil fuel-based feedstocks.

TOMRA is one of five new members of the New Plastics Economy initiative, which works with more than 40 organisations from across the plastics value chain, and is supported by academics, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.

"Working with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as a member of the New Plastics Economy network is a good opportunity to further our efforts to reshape the way plastic is used and recycled around the world," stated Stefan Ranstrand, President and CEO

of TOMRA. "The initiative’s objectives complement our own vision of leading the resource revolution and help to develop a circular economy for plastics.

"Our technologies are capable of changing the way plastics are recycled, in terms of both quality and quantity, and we are looking forward to making a significant contribution to the development of an improved global plastics system." www.tomra.com

Kiefel gets US automotive boost with Paragon Molds acquisition

K

iefel has positioned itself as a stronger player in the automotive business in the US following Brueckner Group USA’s decisive acquisition of Paragon Molds on January 1st 2017.

For over four decades, Michiganheadquartered Paragon has been a successful partner to many US automotive companies, developing tools for the production of interior components such as door and instrument panels, canter consoles and foamed and back-foamed components.

“This acquisition expands our North American capabilities and footprint allowing us to better serve our customers,” stated Brueckner Group USA President Steven D. Hoenig. “With the addition of Paragon’s locally manufactured tools and support, the Kiefel division of Brueckner Group USA will be able to offer a complete manufacturing solution for the important North American market.”

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“In 2016 the Automotive Technology Center in Livonia, Michigan, was put into operation. Besides laboratory facilities for laminating and punching there is also a milling robot cell and the equipment for prototype and pre-series products at our customers’ disposal,” said Thomas J. Halletz, Kiefel CEO. David M. Smoger and Daniel V. Smoger, former owners of Paragon will take on the roles of Vice-President of Operations, and Vice-President of Tooling, of the Kiefel Automotive Division of Brueckner Group USA and will be responsible for all Kiefel Automotive activities for the NAFTA market.

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www.kiefel.com

K debut launches Moretto X-COMB mini-dryer into the market

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fter its auspicious K 2016 premiere, Moretto’s X-COMB mini-dryer has springboarded into the marketplace, complementing the Italian plastics processing technology leader’s family of high performance dryers for batches and engineering resins.

The X-COMB mini-dryer has been optimised for medical applications where stringent requirements on performance and design are compulsory and the machine packs a wealth of Moretto industry leading technologies into a compact design.

Immediately obvious upon first inspection is the inclusion of Moretto’s patented OTX hopper technology.

OTX takes a radical new approach to drying hopper technology utilising a unique internal geometry that significantly improves material mass flow and airflow distribution throughout the hopper. Beyond the signature Spyro shock-proof casing is a hopper capable of treating the same material as conventional hopper designs, while requiring 40 per cent less hopper volume, drying time and airflow.

An integrated colour touch-screen control comes standard with either model of the X-COMB series. The simple and easy to use interface allows for quick selection and control of all dryer parameters.

“The X-COMB dryer brings together some of our most innovative technologies in developing a revolutionary dryer that again proves we are challenging the status quo,” said Benjamin Sutch, Chief Marketing Officer, Moretto S.p.A. “We engineered this dryer to be medical ready, Industry 4.0-compliant, and all the while optimising energy consumption for small batch and engineering resins.” www.moretto.com

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COVER STORY

Mad for magnetics: Bunting all set for world domination The New Year has ushered in some big plans and big news for Bunting Magnetics, with a shrewd acquisition and a strategy that pinpoints untapped markets setting the growing company up for some serious growth in 2017.

and industry knowledge. There was a high level of interest in our Drawer Filter Magnets, especially when we demonstrated the strength of the Tube Magnets and how easy the system was to clean. Next time we need to bring more stock."

He continued: "This is a developing market and we are really excited by the potential. We intend to start appointing distributors across the region to provide local support."

Simon Ayling (R), Managing Director of Bunting Magnetics Europe, and Adrian Coleman (L), General Manager, Master Magnets

B

unting Magnetics Europe has been flexing its muscles as a leader in magnetic equipment, signing a major acquisition deal and branching out into virgin territory as its strategy for growth unfolds.

Headquartered in Berkhamsted, UK, Bunting came home from K 2016 having delivered on its objectives. Central to the company’s aggressive export strategy is a presence at key trade events - especially those in new territories where there is opportunity to broaden its network of distribution partners. K 2016 laid the foundations for the pioneering that is to follow, having secured 18 units, including 13 FF Drawer Magnets, making more than 200 leads and meeting potential distributors in six countries.

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Dispelling doubts

Straight off the stand ArabPlast 2017 kicked off a year of plastics shows for Bunting, where the company exhibited for the very first time, with display equipment being purchased straight off the stand - a Metal Separator and a Quicktron Metal Detector.

The UAE is a key market for Bunting, which is targeting emerging markets; and as the Emirates are producing a quarter of all the plastics manufactured in the GCC, ArabPlast 2017 was an opportunity not to be missed.

"Being at ArabPlast enabled us to learn about the market," explained David Hills, Bunting Magnetics Europe's Head of Sales. "We found that visitors were searching for quality products

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Bunting has recently appointed new distribution partners in Denmark and Turkey and is not letting uncertainty concerning the changing political situation in Europe or the rest of the world hamper its vision for growth. Hills was reassured by the response Bunting received at K 2016, where interest in the company, positive feedback and the opportunity to sign up new distributors put any apprehensions about the company’s timing for actively achieving its ambitions to bed.

"There is no doubt that there are some concerns, but the feedback from the show has been very positive," said Hills.

"Customers and distributors are not overly concerned about the UK leaving the EU. K 2016 demonstrated that export success is based upon being present and seen in the market."

Hills told EPPM that Bunting was some 18 per cent ahead in export sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2016, with good business coming from France, Belgium, Spain and Italy especially, where the mark of quality is always going to stand out in the marketplace.

A master stroke With this confidence in its key markets, Bunting has made a decisive acquisition that will further expand its customer reach, while gaining new manufacturing capabilities and accessing new markets such as mining, quarrying and aggregate.

The announcement of the acquisition of Master Magnets, a UK-based manufacturer of magnetic separation equipment, was made at the very beginning of the year, sending a clear signal to the plastics processing industry that Bunting is serious about becoming a leader in magnetic sorting solutions.

Master Magnets was founded in 1978 and the company of 26 staff provides a complete line of magnetic separation, recycling and metal detection equipment through a worldwide network of distributors, which Bunting can immediately benefit from.

Simon Ayling, Managing Director of Bunting Magnetics Europe, will assume management responsibility of this new division when the acquisition is complete.

Adrian Coleman will become the General Manager of Master Magnets, retaining day-to-day operations management.

Ayling revealed that both companies have been in talks since April 2016 and that there is excitement on both sides about the opportunities that now lie at their feet.

"It's a fantastic company and we've known them for a long time," he told EPPM. "They have a fantastic reputation in the market for customer care, quality and technology and with them we will be able to expand our work into plastics.

"Master Magnets has deep customer relationships in new markets for us.

We are especially excited to now be able offer a large range of ATEXapproved electromagnets and mineral separation equipment, as well as the company being a recognised, trusted brand in magnetic separation which has remarkable products created by remarkable people. It’s exciting to combine our strengths and expertise.

Together, we have nearly 100 years of experience in magnetic separation."

Bob Bunting, the President & CEO of Bunting Magnetics, the parent company of Bunting Magnetics Europe based in Kansas, US, added that the company is "thrilled to add Master Magnets Ltd to our family of companies".

"We value the longstanding success of Master Magnets and are committed to sharing engineering and manufacturing strengths while providing their employees with the resources they need to build on this success," he said.

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"Master Magnets perfectly complements Bunting Magnetics in terms of innovation, quality, products and providing magnetic solutions through individual components and complete systems. Joining forces decisively extends Bunting's status as a leading global supplier of magnetic equipment and is a significant milestone in the company’s history."

The acquisition was described as a coup for Master Magnets, with the British company looking forward to expanding its work on a more international scale within Bunting.

And the key to Bunting's success on an international scale? Quality is arguably one of the most important selling points and it is quality that Bunting proudly deals in. Hills told EPPM that Bunting's FF Series Drawer Magnet filters are "probably the highest quality" on the market due to their strength and the Bunting-designed magnetic arrays, which have undergone a 60-year evolution since they were first marketed in the 1960s.

"We bring a very high quality product to the marketplace that's competitively priced," Hills told EPPM. "What we do is offer maximum protection with the highest quality and that's what people are looking for - not just any magnet to protect their equipment."

www.buntingeurope.com

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Solvay asks ‘why not additive manufacturing’?

Sinterline Technyl powders for SLS are now well established as a benchmark 3D printing material, but as ever with Solvay, the question is always: where can we take it next?

Words | Rose Brooke

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olvay's Sinterline Technyl powders for selective laser sintering (SLS) are benchmark-setting for their category of 3D printing materials, and now the advanced polymers leader is trying to make Tier 1s aware of how additive manufacturing technology could broaden their horizons.

At K 2016, EPPM sat down with Sinterline Programme Leader Dominique Giannotta and Brian Alexander of Solvay's Additive Manufacturing Business Incubation Platform about how Solvay is positioning Sinterline and itself in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

"Choice is out there," said Alexander, "But just as you could buy any car, you buy the one you're comfortable with that you trust - that's why we are building our leadership position in additive manufacturing."

Joined-up thinking Sinterline is already established as an excellent choice for producing functional prototypes but now Solvay wants to look at the next step: production.

"It's very easy to say this is going to be difficult," admitted Giannotta, "I believe we need a change in mind set. When you are a designer and you know how to design plastic injected parts, it's a challenge to then switch to considering a 3D-printed part. But this is our ambition."

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Solvay has joined up the thinking between injection and 3D by applying its predictive simulation solution MMI Technyl Design, a proven technology in the injection arena, taking the next step towards the design optimisation of 3D-printed technical parts paving the way to more opportunities for lightweighting and design optimisation.

When you are a designer and you know how to design plastic injected parts, it’s a challenge to then switch to considering a 3D-printed part

By simulating the performance of a Sinterline prototype it makes more of a case for metal replacement. As Giannotta explained, the engineer who has come from a metal background will not switch to plastic unless they know a plastic alternative is feasible to make, and equivalent or superior in performance.

"Combining what we have done with injection, we can predict the performance of these parts and we can decide what will be the best orientation in the machine for strength," Giannotta explained.

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For Giannotta and Alexander, it makes sense for Tier 1s to choose injection moulding for production overall, but for short runs where this is less economical, additive manufacturing might have been overlooked due to the lack of performance data available.

"If you have good knowledge of the material and we can predict its performance, why don't we go for short additive manufacturing production runs," Giannotta stated. "In automotive it's a challenge, but it's a place where some small runs could be possible.

Stronger, lighter One of Sinterline's most notable applications is in the plenum chamber for the breakthrough Polimotor 2 all-plastic engine project. Using Solvay's understanding of the parameters of Sinterline materials and the SLS process the MMI Technyl Design predictive performance simulations showed the plenum's original design could be up to 30 per cent lighter than originally thought possible.

"Automotive lightweighting is a challenge but additive manufacturing is perfectly well positioned to further push the boundaries and save weight in ways injection can't," Giannotta stated. "We should really be asking 'why not additive manufacturing'."

Alexander added that Solvay is already a major supplier to the healthcare and aerospace sectors

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where 3D printing is being used for short production runs, and Solvay is already a trusted supplier of materials for injection moulding and extrusion, so it "absolutely makes sense" for Solvay to approach challenges that are currently applicable to additive manufacturing in automotive, particularly where a minimum order for spare parts is 2,000, when only one was necessary in the first place.

"I'm talking about efficiency, economy, the environment, space ... additive manufacturing can benefit [automotive] so much," Alexander stated.

Collaboration not competition As SLS hardware continues to evolve and following its acquisition of composites business Cytec in December 2015, Solvay's scope for making weight and performance improvements becomes broader still.

"We cannot do this alone," Alexander stated. "It's a very open world and there's room to become even more open and more collaborative - collaboration not competition."

"Take Polimotor 2," added Giannotta. "You have to combine the technological processes and that's why collaboration makes sense. We're developing a kind of ecosystem and this is what I am pushing for." "[3D printing is] a small world but I think it's now too big to be ignored. If you see major improvement in the productivity of the machine and better materials, you can increase the confidence of customers to use additive manufacturing. There's no doubt that OEMs and Tier 1s are already using additive manufacturing and this is an open door for us to launch many products."

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Putting 3D printers back on the desktop MakerBot’s message is clear, that desktop 3D printing is a tool for innovation in the professional space. EPPM sat down with the company at TCT 2016 to learn more about why one of the biggest names in additive manufacturing believes there’s still space for a 3D printer on the desktop.

Words | Rose Brooke

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ravity for a while did not exist in the 3D printing universe, as the idea of manufacturing everything from your spare computer parts to trainers at home gripped the world. The notion of a desktop 3D printer in every home, happily squirting out the things we needed in a trice, was disruptive the next industrial revolution.

And then the bubble burst. The democratisation of manufacturing and other grandiose forecasts did not blow in from the hallowed halls of International CES and a desktop machine did not appear in every home. Desktop 3D printing has its limitations, but then doesn't every technology?

MakerBot, thanks to its charismatic founder Bre Pettis, became the Santa María galleon of the desktop 3D printing movement and Pettis its Columbus. After MakerBot was bought over by Stratasys in 2013, Pettis was replaced on the helm by Jenny Lawton, the company's President, and then after a difficult post-hype period in 2015 Stratasys' Asia Pacific and Japan General Manager Jonathan Jaglom took over what is arguably the most recognisable name in additive manufacturing. Jaglom chose to step down in January 2017, with the company’s President Nadav Goshen taking over - which was unfortunate, because he had given an interview intended to be published in this edition of EPPM.

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Despite Jaglom's departure, MakerBot's mission remains on course to find its home in education and in product design and engineering, with new machine, software and materials launches in 2016 drawing a line in the sand between MakerBot as a tool for learning and production, and the hobbyist movement.

Desktop 3D printing for the professional space "So there's a very interesting play going on - a shift in the industry where 3D printing has a play in manufacturing. Look at GE, look at HP, look at Stratasys, look at Siemens. Then there's the other play in desktop addressing prototyping," the former CEO told EPPM. The new MakerBot Replicator+ was launched in September 2016 especially for the professional space and Jaglom explained that the main change in approach for the company would be building solutions around specific audiences. For educators, the Replicator+ and its little brother the Replicator Mini+ is complemented by Thingiverse Education, which is loaded with lesson plans and projects. For product designers and engineers the easy-to-use interface and a range of high quality WWW.EPPM.COM

material products including the Slate Gray Tough PLA Filament Bundle means desktop 3D printing graduates away from lime green chess pieces to something a little cleaner cut. The new Replicator has undergone some 350,000 hours of testing to hone the quality of its output.

"We wanted to make sure we got that spot on, which is key to a designer and engineer," Jaglom stated.

Moreover, the unboxing experience taking the customer from sealed box to powering up their MakerBot for the very first time, takes less than 10 minutes. This easy unboxing is a trend in consumer and prosumer technology that is becoming increasingly important as the need for intuitive, handbookless technology takes over.

Desktop 3D printing alongside the bureaux But why would product designers need a MakerBot in their office? Why not tinker with the CAD file and have prototypes made at a service bureau?

"Desktop 3D printing is so powerful because it really gives that ability to experiment. In the MakerBot professional space, it's right there beside you. Is this

the design I was thinking about? Let's just print it out," Jaglom said.

Content, community, workflow

But, he added that for the big innovators like GE and Siemens, it is not enough to have one Replicator between 40 to make the most of the joinedup thinking between CAD reiterations and the 3D-printed prototype.

MakerBot may be more easily recognised by the man on the street than its parent company Stratasys, but it is Stratasys that leads additive manufacturing technology and innovation, from bringing FDM to the global marketplace to making the first aerospaceapproved 3D-printed parts airborne.

"We say, take five printers between 20 and see what happens there and hopefully they get a good experience. It just makes sense. Engineers can have this beside them along with the tool shop and the Stratasys equipment three buildings down run by an operator who will send your print back in five days.

I see these working very nicely together - [having] a desktop 3D printer beside you for initial product development while Stratasys 3D printers do the high level prototyping and functional testing. It's a very nice balance that gives you more exposure to 3D printing."

Collaborating with Stratasys has made MakerBot stronger, particularly on the materials side but also with software. Additionally, MakerBot has smartened up by following Stratasys' lead by providing material data sheets for engineers, but the company thinks for itself and is blazing its own trail to run parallel with Stratasys, not behind it.

"For me, MakerBot has to always be about ideas in the making - and that's a powerful statement about the experience from start to finish. We look at content, community, workflow. Those three pillars are what connects us in this experience of offering an educator or professional how to bring ideas to life. We believe there's an innovator in everyone," Jaglom stated. www.makerbot.com

It came out of the hobbyist movement, and Makerbot led that, but it turned out there wasn’t a play there.

There are barriers. In the production supply chain, 3D printing on an industrial level for prototyping, obsolete parts, customisation and short runs is well established, but there is a barrier between this world and desktop 3D printing which MakerBot believes it can break down.

"There's still a scepticism," Jaglom remarked. "It came out of the hobbyist movement, and Makerbot led that, but it turned out there wasn't a play there."

"I really don't criticise," he added, "because you never know if you don't try and we've always been that company that tried new things but at this point in time the challenge with the professional zone is educating those audiences."

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13

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Taking on production with 30 million jets of fusion and heat After announcing its partnership with HP in September 2016, Europac 3D Managing Director John Beckett showed EPPM just what all the fuss was about with the new HP Jet Fusion (SLS) 3D printer.

Words | Rose Brooke

O

f all the tech giants out there, HP has been the goliath of the industry for eight decades, which is why its launch of a new industrial 3D printing technology in May 2016 was one of the year's biggest stories in 3D printing.

Just in time for TCT Show in September of that year, HP announced that its UK partner in pushing the frontier of additive manufacturing would be 20-year-old Cheshire-based 3D scanning and inspection technology frontrunner Europac 3D. Managing Director John Beckett met EPPM at TCT Show to demonstrate the exciting new player in SLS technology and to discuss the partnership between the organisations.

Jet Fusion technology that's 10 times faster The appointment of Europac as HP Channel Partner in the UK puts the business in charge of handling sales and servicing for HP's 3D printing systems and accessories in the UK, including all sales and servicing for the new HP Jet Fusion 3D 3200 Printer and the HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200 Printer, products that are set to revolutionise additive manufacturing by providing a faster solution that is also economically viable for short-to-medium production runs.

"We’ve now got a 3D printer that can almost print as fast in medium-to-low volumes as injection moulding processes - this is the first time this has been achievable and HP has achieved it," Beckett stated.

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He continued that HP began investigating the technology that would be a real rival to injection moulding for this category of production volume almost three years ago. The technology enables OEMs to 3D print production parts with the right tensile strength and toughness to the same standard as an injection moulded part.

The Jet Fusion SLS technology can produce parts 10 times faster than its rival 3D printing machines using its area wide technology, while crucially the properties of that part can be altered with chemical additives. One such high-performance material optimised for the Jet Fusion system has been developed by HP materials partner Evonik. VESTOSINT - a modified polyamide-based powder - produces 3D-printed parts that have a good processing quality.

The grade has been developed as part of Evonik's involvement in the Open Materials programme to boost the quality of additive manufacturing materials for large-scale components for highaccountability applications such as automotive and aerospace.

The material - VESTOSINT or otherwise - is cured layer by layer within a generous build area of 406 x 305 x 406mm at up to 4500 cm3/hr.

"We can produce the whole [production] volume - either one big component or lots of little components - in 10 hours irrespective of what it is you're making," Beckett explained. "How? Because we've got a bed with a single layer of nylon. One pass cures all the parts in one go with 30 million droplets/second across every inch of the build volume jetting the fusion additive and heat to create the component. One pass of the whole volume in 2 seconds and you've completed the first layer of all the parts in that time."

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At what point is injection moulding viable?

Automatic maintenance

Aside from the impressive capabilities of the Jet Fusion technology, the machine itself is surprisingly economical, because in addition to offering a 50 per cent reduction in cost-per-part to plastics processors, the machine itself is on the more affordable end of the industrial 3D printing hardware spectrum, making it an even more realistic rival to injection moulding for small-to-medium batch production.

HP has even taken care of the maintenance, which is where Europac's involvement comes into play. Thanks to Internet of Things technology, HP will be notified if a component is wearing out or if the machine is due to be serviced while the printer is under warranty.

"At what point is injection moulding viable and up to what point do you not use injection moulding? We're talking probably producing 60,000 components on the Jet Fusion 3D printer without going to injection moulding to make it economically viable - and that's a lot of parts," Beckett explained.

The Jet Fusion technology also saves time, as the parts do not have to be left for 48 hours to cool on the build plate unlike other SLS technologies. Instead, they are pulled out on a trolley and inserted in the accompanying cooling station. A second build plate trolley can then be installed in the additive manufacturing system We’ve now got a 3D printer allowing for another batch to be produced straight away. that can almost print as

fast in medium-to-low volumes as injection moulding processes

At the end of the process, the manufacturer has end use parts that do not require a chemical wash or post-processing with a vacuum or gas.

"So you have one machine take your design to print in 24 hours or you can speed up the research and development of your new technology.

It's a breakthrough."

"They'll monitor it, they'll know if a component's wearing out, the next day there'll be a part in the post telling you what you need to do," said Beckett - and all of this will be reported to the Europac office system. "We'll tell you when you run out of material and we tell you when your machine is due for maintenance."

You have one machine take your design to print in 24 hours or you can speed up the research and development of your new technology. It’s a breakthrough

Beckett expressed Europac's pride in becoming HP's Channel Partner in the UK after HP's Sales Channel Manager for the UK Peter Hansford said in the official announcement of the appointment that Europac's reputation in the industry would make the partnership a successful one.

"Our new 3D prototyping and manufacturing system will reinvent the $12 trillion manufacturing market and ignite the next industrial revolution. We are pleased to partner with Europac 3D, who is a proven and trusted player in the industry in the UK and will deliver a best in class customer experience to HP 3D customers," he stated.

"These are exciting times for the 3D printing industry," Beckett remarked. "HP’s technologies are set to revolutionise the marketplace." www.europac3d.com

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Formnext 2016 presents the ‘3D future’ F

ormnext Powered by TCT, springboarding off its hugely successful 2015 debut, maintained its trajectory for growth in 2016, welcoming more exhibitors and visitors to see the future of 3D printing in Frankfurt.

The event was a showcase of additive and other manufacturing technologies with a focus on the next generation of intelligent production solutions.

“Formnext 2017 is for me a fixed date, whatever happens,” noted Ralf Deuke, Managing Director Creabis.

“For us Formnext is every year the starting point for developing our 3D future,” stated Massimo Petrilli, Sales and Marketing Manager at SISMA, Piovene Rocchette, Italy.

Formnext 2016 had a distinctly international flavor, with 44 per cent of visitors attending from outside of Germany. They included representatives from global OEMs and leading firms from a range of industries.

Over the course of the four-day event delegates were treated to a diverse array of groundbreaking developments. 307 exhibitors presented their cutting-edge portfolios to 13,384 attendees and informed them about the efficient realisation of parts and products from design to serial production.

In addition the conference featured prominent speakers such as German Paralympic champion Denise Schindler and numerous world-renowned experts from the field of 3D printing. The conference drew a total of 647 attendees from 25 countries.

“Formnext 2016 sets a clear statement,” said Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice-President Formnext at event organiser Mesago Messe Frankfurt. “[Its] success is underlined by an increase of more than 50 per cent exhibitors from 28 countries and an increase of 49 per cent trade visitors.”

The show’s attendees also praised the quality of everything Formnext had to offer.

“The trade fair is a good trendsetter for sure and the displayed technologies are simply breathtaking. Definitely a highlight for me this year,” said Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Schech, Head of Sales Baumüller Reparaturwerk, Nuremberg, Germany.

Also attracting considerable interest were two competitions: the Start-up Challenge and the Purmundus Challenge. The creative ideas submitted to these events from the world of 3D printing allowed attendees a glimpse of the future possibilities in additive production. In the Start-up Area, visitors also had the opportunity to marvel at exhibits of the year’s winning entries from young entrepreneurs. www.mesago.de/en/formnext

Arburg welcomes 40 to 3rd Freeformer User Day

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rburg welcomed 40 participants to its third Freeformer User Day on November 29th 2016, bringing together additive manufacturing users to share their experiences.

The successful combination of theory and practice, which included presentations on improving standard machines, material preparation and live demonstrations, was reported to be well received by all.

“There is clearly a great deal of mutual interest in the further development of the Freeformer and ARBURG Plastic Freeforming.

Let us achieve new advances from all the experience gathered,” stated Eberhard Lutz, Director Freeformer Sales at Arburg.

Some of the developments on show at the User Day will be showcased again at the upcoming Arburg Technology Days in March 2017. www.arburg.com

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

‘The paradigm shift’ for product design T

quantec ® 85 G3-14 C

he roots of 3D printing are firmly planted in prototyping and Minima, a product development and design company based in Suffolk, UK, is well-versed in using 3D printing to prototype for electrical, medical and consumer applications.

“The way we use 3D printing now is a paradigm shift,” he told EPPM. “The way we work has completely changed, and that includes desktop 3D printing and service bureaux. You can design products to justify designs to an advanced level.”

Minima uses 3D printing for mouldand tool-making, particularly for producing silicone moulds, allowing them to test products and determine the design is suitable for manufacture more efficiently than traditional toolmaking prototyping.

“A lot of what we do is de-risking tooling cost,” McCulloch explained, “while the tools we 3D print for silicone moulding aren’t quite production parts, they give a very good indication of why a tool works.”

There is still some way to go in educating non-engineers as to the potential of additive manufacturing either on a professional level or even using desktop technology and for McCulloch the desktop 3D printing at home dream is still possible with advanced 3D printing materials - be they rubber-like for toys, conductible for printed circuit boards or otherwise.

“The technology is fantastic for a product designer to prove a concept and prove a mechanism... to give a prototype the right look and feel. We will always need desktop 3D printing for adding value to prototyping and product design.” www.minima.co.uk

WWW.BUSSCORP.COM

For Director Dr Andrew McCulloch, the magic of a 3D-printed product has not worn off in all his years of experience.

Economical PVC compounding redefined BUSS Kneader series quantec ® G3 The specialists in heat and shear sensitive compounding are setting new benchmarks for quality and productivity. quantec ® G3 – an ongoing success story in the third generation > More cost effective due to increased throughput > More flexible due to a larger process window > Improved plant availability due to minimal product changeover times

Buss AG Switzerland www.busscorp.com

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RECYCLING

Inside Birmingham Granulators EPPM caught up with Tim Aaronricks at Birmingham Granulators, where a customer-first outlook and a deep understanding of recycling machinery are keeping the Tamworth-based business in good health.

Words | Rose Brooke

The plan is to continue to expand our engineering side to provide an on-going customer service to take care of all their machinery requirements

R

ecycling machinery is in demand and Birmingham Granulators in the UK is busier than it has ever been, but how is a business with a staff of seven keeping up with a changing marketplace and competing with eBay for secondhand machinery sales?

Tim Aaronricks, Managing Director at Tamworthheadquartered Birmingham Granulators, pays close attention to market trends and prides itself as a company that works for the customer and not the best sale.

"Customers say they need a new machine but we will sit down and ask them why? Are you changing application, do you need a bigger machine, tangential feed, soundproofing or updated safety system? Sometimes they won't need a new machine and sometimes they will, but we try and advise them on the best alternatives, new or used, with an emphasis on what is best for their business. Once you have the customer's confidence, you have them for the long-term," Aaronricks stated.

Changing trends Birmingham Granulators is the official reseller of Inan Plastik machinery, which includes granulators, shredders, pulverisers and extruders and while Birmingham Granulators is adept at blade changes, sharpening, service and giving machines a second life, Aaronricks feels strongly that the company’s relationship with Inan Plastik is providing their customers with top-of-the-line machinery that is capable of meeting current trends for safety and sound-proofing.

Recycling machinery demand is shifting, with larger units becoming more fashionable. Bigger

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conveyors and added technologies such as metal detection and dust extraction keep Aaronricks busy both on the new and used machinery sales side of the business, but also in retrofitting systems to older machines.

"The market is no longer a case of 'you granulate it'. We offer all these add-on systems because we've seen a rise in awareness of contaminated materials.

You can't get away with contamination in your engineering plastics," he said. "But there is still vast amounts going to landfill because people don’t know what to do with it."

Our way or eBay One of the reasons Birmingham Granulators is so busy is due to the fact there are simply so few businesses that offer what Aaronricks and the team are offering. While auction websites offer an easy option for buying second-hand granulators and shredders, Aaronricks can source the same machine, restore it to a good condition and provide a wealth of experience to support the customer when they come to install it at their facility.

"The plan is to continue to expand our engineering side. Even though we may only deal with a customer twice a year or sell one set of blades a year we're still servicing that industry and the more customers we can deal with gives us the incentive to hold more stock.

"We always encourage customers to come to us, where we have the facilities to demonstrate the machinery and give them the opportunity to sample their product." www.granulators.org

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RECYCLING

PET collection and recycling up 5% in Europe PET collection and recycling rates are on the rise in Europe, but there is plenty of work still to be done.

This is according to a report shared by Petcore Europe, which revealed 2015 PET collection and recycling volumes rose by five per cent year-on-year, which is 90,000 tonnes out of 1.8 million tonnes.

This means that over half (59 per cent) of all bottles placed in the European marketplace are being collected for recycling.

This data was included in the annual PCI Wood Mackenzie report on postconsumer PET collection and recycling in Europe, identifying Europe's successful rate of PET recycling but also the challenges the PET recycling industry faces.

"Continuously trying to improve the growth rates in collection demonstrates the need to increase consumer awareness of and involvement in recycling, as well as improvement in collection systems and action by many Member States," said Helen McGeough, Senior Consultant responsible for the area of recycling and sustainability in PCI Wood Mackenzie. "The value of these resources needs promoting across society, from consumer to government, to ensure it is treated in the right way throughout its life and beyond."

Transparent bottles accounted for less than 15 per cent of the stream, continuing the downward trend for clear bales in the total share of the available stream and highlighting the need for greater expenditure in sorting

activities. The process loss rate is on an upward trend, which equates to a mounting cost to the industry and backs the calls by the industry for improved collection within the Circular Economy proposals, McGeough added.

Bühler sorting solution boosts recycling yields by over 30% An investment in Bühler sorting technology is an investment in increasing productivity, as the company’s sorting system has proved it is capable of improving PET recycling yields by more than 30 per cent.

www.petcore-europe.org

IdentiPlast brings waste innovation to Vienna IdentiPlast will be bringing its strategies for plastics recycling, recovery and waste management systems to Vienna in February 2017.

Some 311 million tonnes of plastic were produced in 2014 and as plastic production continues to rise, only five per cent of waste plastic is recycled effectively. Bühler, in a strategic partnership with US-based National Recovery Technologies (NRT), can now offer plastics recyclers a complete solution for plastic bottle and flake sorting, helping to address the challenge of plastics as a scourge on the environment.

Collecting and recycling PET has the potential to reduce millions of tonnes of waste each year by processing waste plastics into packaging and consumer products.

Bühler is already a leader in the PET recycling industry, accounting for a quarter of the recycled PET (rPET) recycled stream in Europe and approximately 10 per cent of the global market.

The company is now helping PET recyclers with an innovative, two-machine process solution that delivers bottle-to-bottle grade rPET flakes, at the highest yield currently possible in the market.

Bernhard Gabauer, Segment Development Manager for Plastics at Bühler said: “Our new flake sorting technology enables our customers to recycle more plastic, more efficiently and to a higher grade. It is a perfect fit with Bühler’s environmental goal of a 30 per cent reduction in energy, water, and resources in all core processes by 2020.” www.buhlergroup.com

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IdentiPlast 2017 is embracing the Circular Economy initiative being driven by the European Union to benefit member states and the wider natural world by ensuring more careful management of end-of-life plastic products. Concurrent with its Circular Economy event, Identiplast 2017 will be providing a forum to showcase ‘life cycle thinking’ for plastic waste management.

The two-day event will host expert speakers from the US, Turkey, Japan and Europe, who will present their experience and knowledge in plastic waste management, and how best practice can be applied to different European regions to increase the recovery of plastic waste and prevent it from being landfilled.

IdentiPlast 2017 will comprehensively deal with plastics recovery, starting with collection and sorting while touching on the economical, legislative, political and societal framework, reuse solutions, recycling and the provision of recycled plastics into the market. www.identiplast.eu

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RECYCLING

Hycolene: The recycled material that rivals prime Luxus’ automotive-approved recycled material Hycolene matches the mechanical properties of prime and following successful tests, is now available at full commercial scale.

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ecycled plastics have an unfair reputation: odour, lower mechanical properties and lower quality. So what if a recycled material could match prime on the data sheet? And better yet, what if a recycled material could pass the rigorous tests of an automotive leader such as Jaguar Land Rover?

Luxus has just celebrated the completion of its €1.4 million (£1.2 million) Recyclite project co-funded by the EU's Eco-Innovation initiative, from which the Hycolene thermoplastic range was developed in partnership with International Automotive Components (IAC), JLR and Coperion.

Same but better Luxus Technical Director, Dr Christel Croft explained that for the team, the focus was on developing a lightweight material that included recycled content while presenting a high mechanical and What we are visual performance.

doing is providing a material that has the same mechanical properties as a prime material but is even better in terms of scratch performance

Dr Christel Croft

benefitting from a car part that requires less prime plastic which of course means less CO2, and you have the quality and environmental aspect."

Hycolene can be made using recycled materials or 100 per cent prime polymer, but Dr Croft explained that the customer tends towards the recycled option, staying mindful of their corporate responsibility. Either way, the product has been developed to ensure high enough quality to pass the JLR testing process.

Testing times

"What we are doing is providing a material that has the same mechanical properties as a prime material but is even better in terms of scratch performance," she said.

Hycolene satisfied the demanding materials trials for Jaguar Land Rover and IAC in October 2016.

Tests were performed on various aspects of material properties (VOCs, odours, fogging, resistance to weathering, accelerated ageing). The trials followed previous positive material moulding tests, delivering high scratch-resistance, lightweight advantages and a rapid moulding cycle earlier that year.

"We wanted to make a material that is light.

We also wanted to provide something with additional environmental benefits and from a scientific perspective that means using up to 50-60 per cent recycled material. So with Hycolene you have the overall package. You are

Dave Jenkins, Product Engineer at International Automotive Components, who has been closely involved in the moulding and testing phase, revealed that JLR's requirements were strictest regarding scratch and mar resistance and durability - and the recycled element of the product was the metaphorical cherry on top. The remarkable thing about Hycolene, he stated, was that its capabilities as a material were practically unattainable not so very long ago.

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"20 years ago we were looking at recycled materials and trying to push the ‘green’ story but at that time it was the case that recycled plastics could not meet the virgin material properties," he told EPPM. "Any customer wants fantastic quality and durability, so if it's a recycling story as well, that's a bonus."

JLR pushed the limits of Hycolene through a series of atmospheric tests for tackiness, grain loss, blistering, distortion, cracking, spotting and other aesthetic imperfections.

"What we've shown is that we passed the test and we're now in a position to manufacture significant volumes of environmentally friendly material." Dr Croft stated. www.luxus.com

RECYCLING

Ampacet takes ownership of Circular Economy

Ampacet has taken ownership of the Circular Economy movement by putting the spotlight on its green solutions that banish odour and discolouration.

T

he European Commission adopted an ambitious Circular Economy Package, which includes revised legislative proposals on waste to stimulate Europe's transition towards a circular economy to boost global competitiveness, foster sustainable economic growth and generate new jobs.

The revised legislative proposals on waste set clear targets for reduction of waste and establish an ambitious and credible longterm path for waste management and recycling. Europe entered in the transition from a linear to a circular economy. Instead of extracting raw materials, using them once and throwing them away, the new vision is for a different economic model. In a circular economy, re-use, repair and recycling become the norm, and waste is a thing of the In a circular economy, past. The priority objective is to turn re-use, repair and recycling the EU into a resource-efficient, green and competitive low-carbon economy. become the norm, and

for rigid and flexible applications. In films, it is suitable for general purpose industrial and consumer goods packaging and flexible infrastructure applications.

Odour is over Odor Scavenger 1000258-E is a powerful wide-spectrum odour absorber that neutralises odours of post-consumer recycled material and keeps them enclosed inside the polymer.

By neutralising the odours of the recycled material, Odor Scavenger 1000258-E allows to increase significantly the ratio of post-consumer resin by keeping the odour level down and as consequence it helps to reduce significantly the expenses related to the purchasing of polymers and it decreases significantly the carbon footprint. Odor Scavenger 1000258-E has been specially formulated for injection and blow moulding, films and for some applications in extrusion such as geomembrane.

waste is a thing of the past.

Ampacet has taken ownership of this and attaches a lot of importance to its sustainable development programme, working constantly on new green solutions. The new Masterbatch Odor Scavenger 1000258-E, the additive Masterbatch Blue Edge 78 (7600078-E) and sustainable Black Masterbatch REC-O-BLACK 216 have been specifically formulated to enhance aspect and functionality of post-consumer resin.

Black Masterbatch REC-O-BLACK 216 is made from 95+ per cent RECycled and RECOvered post-consumer feedstocks, more precisely from recycled polyethylene carrier resin and carbon black pigment recovered from post-consumer recycling of rubber products like tyres. REC-O-BLACK 216 Masterbatch is designed

So fresh and so clean Recently launched Blue Edge 78 (7600078-E) is another additive formulation that is dedicated to PET recycled resin. It is a highly efficient masterbatch that counteracts the unattractive yellowish effect in PET post-consumer recycled plastics and enhances bottle brightness with a lighter bluish tone giving it a clearer, fresher look that is more appealing to the eye.

Masterbatches Odor Scavenger 1000258-E, Blue Edge 78 (7600078-E) and REC-O-BLACK 216 can be used in combination with a wide range of anti-oxidant and desiccant additives allowing processors to optimise the use of post-consumer recycled resins in end-articles. www.ampacet.com

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RECYCLING

Plastics recycling presents opportunity in 2017 Words | David Wilson, Managing Director, Vanden Recycling

T

he plastics recycling sector faced some challenges in 2016, but in spite of these there was much to be positive about - and 2017 looks set to be a good year for plastics recyclers providing material to manufacturers.

The last quarter of 2016 was a bit of a rollercoaster. For example, PET bottle recycler Evolve Polymers was sold to Plastipak Packaging after a troubled history and a number of other plastics recyclers were reported to be undergoing financial difficulties.

But along with the lows, there were highs. Veolia took over the former Closed Loop Recycling plant in Dagenham that recycled HDPE bottles and investments like these will be key in 2017.

At Vanden we are investing in plastics recycling, as we see opportunity. We

also recognise that companies with supply and customer base diversity are the ones that are thriving.

In the second half of 2016 prices for recycled material were largely stable, reflecting a constant (albeit low) oil price and, by association, a largely constant virgin polymer price. Two exceptions were PP and PS. An excess of PP supply and low virgin prices made this market difficult and low user-demand for PS had a downward impact on the price of scrap.

Continuing the trend of late 2016 into the new year of strong PMI growth in Europe, the US and China, there is likely to remain strong demand for scrap plastic to be recycled. This, together with OPEC's November 2016 announcement that its members will cut oil prices, and the expected oil price rise that followed, this could

lead to some price increases for virgin polymer. Scrap plastic prices could rise as a result, but it should remain a good-value option for manufacturers.

At Vanden, we don’t expect to see a hugely volatile market in 2017, and this stability should enable the recycled plastics sector to continue to provide a competitive and sustainable alternative to virgin.

Stability should enable the recycled plastics sector to continue to provide a competitive and sustainable alternative

www.vandenrecycling.com

WE CLOSE THE LOOP. EREMA. EďŹƒciency in plastic recycling.

CHOOSE THE NUMBER ONE.

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COMPOSITES

Conductive gelcoat for composites slashes curing times An AIMPLAS-coordinated project has led to the development of a conductive gelcoat that would tackle two major challenges facing automotive composites: VOC emissions and long curing times.

A

n AIMPLAS-coordinated project has led to the development of a conductive gelcoat that would tackle two major challenges facing composites: VOC emissions and long curing times.

With respect to CO2 emissions, the automotive industry is stringently legislated. Composite materials play a key role in tackling CO2 emissions by facilitating lightweighting without compromising on rigidity or mechanical performance, but there are obstacles facing manufacturers.

Another benefit of using powder coatings is the reduction of storage and energy costs, as the catalytic systems do not require refrigeration, while the recyclability of the coating means excess applied on the mould can be recovered by a vacuum system and reused downstream.

In addition to the automotive sector, the coatings could also be applied in the construction, leisure and sports, and aviation and wind power industries. In construction in particular, the coating's antistatic properties could be applied to fuel tanks and pipes.

The AIMPLAS-coordinated ECOGEL Applying the ECOGEL CRONOS The project, funded by the Seventh CRONOS project centred on the coating to the mould reduces Framework Programme of the European development of a powder gelcoat with Union (FP7/2007-2013), under grant electrical conductivity properties by curing times to just minutes agreement no. 609203, has the participation incorporating carbonaceous fillers. of other 12 European organization: Whereas conventional coatings of this ECOINNOVA and CIDETEC (Spain); kind have limitations such as VOC (Volatile Composite Integration, AXON, FAR- UK, Organic Compounds) emissions and long curing times, applying the ECOGEL CRONOS coating to and NetComposites (United Kingdom); CLERIUM (the Netherlands); the mould reduces curing times to just minutes, while reducing Indupol International N.V. (Belgium); e-Xstream engineering VOC emissions and styrene emissions during the coating's (Luxembourg); University of Bielefeld (FHBI) (Germany); KETEK (Finland); Megara (Greece); and Steel Belt Systems Powder Coating polumerisation.

Division (SBS) (Italy).

Furthermore, its electrical conductivity eliminates secondary painting stages for the final finish with electrostatic paint, thereby www.aimplas.net reducing manufacturing costs and raising the production ratio.

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R O F E T A AD !

Y R A I D YOUR

Exhibit at Med-Tech Innovation Expo 2017 Now is the time to boost your share of the UK’s medical device manufacturing market.

The UK and Ireland’s medical device manufacturing sector is worth in excess of £27 billion and the show floor at Med-Tech Innovation Expo is your route to this market.

100% dedicated to the research, development, design and manufacture of medical devices

Prime locations booking fast, call us today on +44 (0)1293 710042 to secure your booth on a rapidly expanding floorplan.

www.mtiexpo-uk.com

COMPOSITES

New paint spraying facility for ARRK Composites Centre "The European market for composites is growing due to increasing demand not only for exterior for lightweight opportunities but interior for the cosmetic look of the parts, this is especially prominent in automotive," Patterson told EPPM. "The impact on ARRK has been that we have had to source coloured materials and explore greater tinting options to meet the demand, which the new painting facility helps us achieve."

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RRK has begun the year with the opening of a new paint spraying facility at its Composites Centre in Nuneaton, UK.

ARRK Corporation President Yasuo Suzuki opened the facility in January 2017 while visiting the site on his tour of ARRK’s Engineering, Prototyping, Tooling and Low-Volume Production companies around Europe.

General Manager of the Nuneaton operation Paul Patterson believes the investment in this additional in-house service for composites solutions indicates the growing demand for composite products.

The new painting facility will reduce ARRK's reliance on outsourcing its painting work to other businesses, complementing its composites service and reducing lead times. www.arrkeurope.com

The expansion includes a new 15 m sq Dalby Genesis Q Spray booth, along with a number of preparation and polishing rooms, and a dedicated mixing room. Five new staff have joined the team, who will help ensure the delivery of premium painted components which includes anything from composites to partial models for show events - using new state-of-the-art equipment.

"Our composite production capability here in Nuneaton is at the front end but we are also backed up by our sister companies around the world, from P+Z Engineering in Germany, who work on the design elements, to ARRK Shapers, in France, who produce composite tooling and associated tooling services," Patterson stated.

"Working together as one, along with other ARRK sites globally, puts us in an excellent position to support our customers’ needs wherever they may be around the world."

Coloured carbon fibre speaker wows judges at CES

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The floor-standing loudspeaker was designed and manufactured by British audio specialist Wilson Benesch using F1 technology from Hypetex to create a monocoque that delivers “ultimate audio performance”. The gadget is available in a range of colours and boasts excellent stiffness and damping to produce a great sound.

nternational CES is the place for showcasing the very latest in consumer technology and carbon fibre is playing an increasingly important role in bringing durable, lightweight and attractive products to market.

One company that has pushed carbon fibre composites’ visual appeal is London-based Hypetex, an engineering and design consultancy - and the creator of the world’s first coloured carbon fibre brand.

Craig Milnes, Design Director of Wilson Benesch, explained: “The control and management of resonant energy is an engineering problem, which requires the best engineering materials if you want to achieve better results.

At CES, Hypetex showcased the first ever audio product made using Hypetex coloured carbon fibre, scooping a coveted CES Innovation Award in the process.

“The aesthetic language of this high performance component has to date been limited to black.

Hypetex has not only changed that paradigm it has provided new opportunities to enhance the acoustic performance of this component.”

Marc Cohen, CEO of Hypetex, said the team was “delighted that the ACT One Evolution P1 loudspeaker” had been handed the accolade.

“Our partnership with Wilson Benesch is truly groundbreaking and we look forward to further collaborations in the future,” added Cohen.

The CES Innovation award is judged by a panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to recognise outstanding design and engineering in consumer electronics.

www.hypetex.com

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INJECTION MOULDING

MHS marks 15 years

Continental receives 10th Allrounder

Mold Hotrunner Solutions (MHS) is marking its 15th anniversary in 2017, over which time the company has become a well-respected and recognisable name in injection moulding solutions around the world.

MHS enjoyed record growth in 2016, with revenues climbing by 40 per cent year-on-year.

The company also welcomed new staff members to handle this increase in demand, growing its workforce in North America by 25 per cent. “We are a young, dynamic team,” said Harald Schmidt Founder and President. “Being a specialised business with a high ratio of plastics engineers and a healthy mix of hot runner experts, we strive to be more agile, more proactive and more handson with every project.”

Arburg’s Allrounder is a key fixture on the Continental production line, with the company taking delivery of its 10th injection mo ulding mac hine in November 2016.

The new Allrounder is being employed for the production of aspherical mirrors for head-up displays.

Continental has been cooperating with Arburg on an exclusive basis in this highly demanding segment since 2010, for which it solely uses specially equipped electric machines from the Alldrive series. Demand for head-up displays is growing: annual production increased by 70 per cent to around 600,000 parts between 2015 and 2016 alone. There is no end in sight for this growth.

www.mhs-hotrunners.com

www.arburg.com

ENGEL presents 2nd injection moulding forum

Ube Machinery and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries merge IMM biz

ENGEL AUSTRIA is bringing back its inject injection moulding forum after the success of its 2016 premiere.

Taking place in Schwertberg, Austria, on March 7th and 8th, the forum enables injection moulders to harness the latest research and development findings faster, and to promote the mutual exchange of experiences.

Ube Machinery and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are pooling their manufacturing talents by combining their injection moulding machinery businesses under the name U-MHI Platech on the Mitsubishi side and U&M Plastic Solutions on the Ube Machinery side. Both firms have merged their technologies, products and sales and servicing networks, widening their influence in the global injection moulding machinery market. By joining forces, U-MHIPT and U&M Plastic Solutions will offer superlative proposals and deliver products and services of great satisfaction to customers around the world, offering more advanced technological capabilities, product line-up and product servicing.

The two-day forum, which will be held in German, is aimed at injection moulders, plastics technicians, process optimisation specialists, quality managers, production managers and company directors.

www.ubemachinery.com www.mhi-global.com

www.engelglobal.com

KraussMaffei teams up with KSF in Iran The Iranian marketplace is thriving for plastics processors and KraussMaffei has made a key partnership to strengthen its market position in injection moulding and reaction process machinery in this region. KaranSimaFam, a family-run company in the Iranian plastics industry with over 50 years of experience,

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now represents KraussMaffei within the new company Krasifam (KSF). “We are very proud to have gained KaranSimaFam, an established and experienced partner in the Iranian plastics industry,” said Klaus Bange, Director of Sales IMM EMEA at KraussMaffei. www.kraussmaffei.com

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Getting a grip on injection moulding clamp force The clamp force in the injection moulding game can be the one deciding factor between perfection and disaster. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK’s Process and Training Engineers James Hines and Darren Vater-Hutchison explain why correct clamp force is so important.

Words | James Hines and Darren Vater-Hutchison, Process and Training Engineers, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag

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lamp force is the pressure required to counter the material pressure during the injection and holding phase of the plastic injection moulding process.

Filling of the mould during this phase takes place at high pressure and this must be countered if the mould is not to be forced open. It is usually quoted measured in metric tonnes, imperial tons or the more technically correct kiloNewtons (kN).

Toggles are the most commonly built and used clamping system in Europe. Almost two-thirds of all injection moulding machines of over 100 tonnes clampforce employ toggles as the clamping system. The design is constantly being developed and optimised, and it is the most reliable and dependable type of clamping system, with distinct technical and economic advantages.

At Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, machines are available with clamp forces ranging from 250 kN and 20,000 kN.

In the case of a toggle clamp machine, the clamp force applied is generated by the stretching of the steel tie bars - the greater the stretching of the bars, the higher the clamp force applied to the mould tool. The amount of stretch induced is maintained within the limit of proportionality for the chosen tie bar steel and is monitored using linear strain gauges to ensure consistency of force application.

Locking design options There are only two principal ways to build a clamp unit: a mechanical lever that is actuated either hydraulically or by electric servo motors (such as a toggle system); and the fully hydraulic type with closing cylinders and a large clamping cylinder.

Selection of the appropriate clamp force for a particular combination of machine,

mould tool and material is an important factor and it is important to consider early in the manufacturing process and purchase of a moulding machine. This is because, once set, the clamp force cannot conveniently be adjusted.

Very often machines are simply set with the maximum available clamp force (e.g.

100t, 300t, 750t). However, this clamp force setting may not necessarily be what the mould tool requires. As a result, technicians may be led down the wrong path of process correction, potentially leading to other process-related issues.

Most common are: • Premature wear of mould tools. When tools are built they are designed to have venting cut into the tool steel. Prolonged running with too much clamp force will destroy them, leading to gas burns/traps on the components. continued overleaf >

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• Increased power consumption - using high clamp forces results in the machine essentially using more power.

• Faster wear and tear of the machine, leading to increased maintenance periods and reducing OEE. Although in general the larger the component the greater the force required to counter the material pressure, the clamp force is calculated not, as is often believed, by the physical size of the mould, but where the plastic flows inside it. It is a function of geometry and of the type of material being processed. Important factors to consider include the: • Viscosity of the plastic and whether it has a filler - clamp force increases with higher viscosity plastics, and conversely decreases with low viscosity • Number of cavities in the mould • Flow path length - the required clamp force will increase as the plastics flows out at a 90° angle to the sprue bush.

There are a few ways to calculate clamp force, however, some of the information is not easy to come by. As a general rule, clamp force can be calculated using a simple rule-of-thumb formula.

Firstly, measure the plastic flow at a 90-degree angle to the sprue bush, then

multiply the area by the formula 0.3t/cm2 (low viscosity) to 0.6t/cm2 (high viscosity).

This is an approximation and consideration must also be given to whether a hot or cold runner system is used and the number of cavities. An experienced engineer may be able to further optimise the clamp force during setup by decreasing the clamp force by small incremental adjustments and noting any changes to weight/dimensions that fall outside the required quality.

a machine with a 10:1 intensification ratio, you can set the injection pressure to 30bar hydraulic (or 300bar specific) and allow a full barrel to inject into the mould, noting the screw fully forward position to determine your final dosage stroke. The objective here is to create equilibrium between injection and clamp pressure so that the clamp Selection of force is not overwhelmed. the appropriate

Once the necessary calculations and/or software derivations have been performed, the estimator will usually apply a safety factor, generally in the region of 10-15 per cent. As an example, a predicted clamp force of 270 metric tonnes would be rounded up to 300 tonnes.

To conduct an exercise like this requires engineering confidence and competence.

Moreover, there needs to be careful consideration with cold runner moulds, with respect to the runner system length and pressure drop, as well as the selection of melt and mould temperature and injection speed.

Advanced techniques A benefit of using this formula is that a confident and experienced engineer may be able to use it to determine the dosage stroke for a given component that, due to mould geometry, is unable to be subjected to a short shot technique. In other words, the component sticks in the mould.

For example, if using polypropylene with 0.3t/cm2, this is equal to 300kgf/cm2 and 300bar specific pressure. Assuming

clamp force for a particular combination of machine, mould tool and material is an important factor and it is important to consider early in the manufacturing process

If in any doubt about clamp force, seek advice before investing in a new machine. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag will shortly publish a comprehensive whitepaper about clamp force and including locking options which will be available online.

uk.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu

326 Vetaphone EPPM mag.qxp_326 Vetaphone EPPM mag 11/01/2017 12:41 Page 1

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EVENTS

AIMPLAS seminar squares up to bioplastics challenges

B

ioplastics is entering a new epoch and AIMPLAS is on the cutting edge, bringing 20 experts together to square up the challenges the next chapter of bioplastics faces.

In the sixth edition of its international Biopolymers and Sustainable Composites seminar, which takes place on March 1st and 2nd 2017 at AIMPLAS' headquarters in Valencia, Europe's leading companies and innovators in bioplastics will discuss the obstacles and opportunities facing the sector and share their expertise in raw materials and commercialisation.

The seminar, sponsored by BASF, Kuraray and Novamont, has been spread across two days.

On the first day, trends and the role of bioplastics in the economy of the future will be tackled, then the main developments in raw materials and innovative applications in the packaging sector will be discussed.

The second day will begin with a review of the current regulations on the use of biopolymers at industrial level, as well as an overview of biotechnology and biopolymer production. The seminar will end with a discussion between different speakers, which will touch upon real life cases of success and the state-of-the-art industrial applications in the food, construction, textiles, fishing and agriculture industries.

As in previous editions, the meeting will also feature an exhibition area, allowing participating companies to show their latest innovations and launches. www.aimplas.com

Fakuma shines light on digitisation, electrification & conservation

F

akuma is bringing the digitisation, electrification and resource conservation trend to European plastics when it opens its doors in October 2017.

Returning to Messe Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, Fakuma 2017, which will run from October 17th-21st October, is anticipating 1,700 exhibitors to set up shop across the 85,000 m sq show floor.

At 25 years of age, the show is deeply rooted in the plastics processing marketplace in Europe and the world, and witnesses the changes being made at the cutting edge of manufacturing to bring efficiency, quality and sustainability improvements up and down the value chain.

"Not only will all of the European and global market leaders be on hand, the big players from Asia will demonstrate increased presence as well," said Fakuma Project Manager Annemarie Schur. www.fakuma-messe.de/en/fakuma

In addition to resource efficiency and lightweighting, plastics processors are embracing micro injection moulding, two-component and multi-component processes, process and functions integration with creative tooling design, CFRP lightweight engineering and reduced metal consumption thanks to thin-wall technologies, new dimensions of extrusion precision, thermoforming with high reproduction accuracy, and 3D printing.

All of these trends are bringing more dynamism and innovation to plastics than ever before and these themes will be on show across the halls at Fakuma 2017.

Moreover, the trend for electrifying drive units for injection moulding machines will be represented and there will be a spotlight on automation and material flow, as well as the ability to integrate components, modules, subsystems and equipment into Industry 4.0 structures. Digitalisation evolves in parallel with automated plastics processing, from CAD and design engineering, through to quality assurance, further processing and packaging, and logistics and distribution.

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CHINAPLAS 2017 captures plastics trends with concurrent events CHINAPLAS 2017’s side events are proving to be must-see attractions for the global plastics industry, bringing the latest technology, expertise and challengebusting solutions to the modern production line.

Words | Rose Brooke

C

HINAPLAS will be raising the profile of key plastics trends in Guangzhou in May with three concurrent events.

Focusing on the theme of ‘Intelligent Manufacturing, High-tech Materials, Green Solutions’, CHINAPLAS organiser Adsale Exhibition Services will host a package of sideshows during the event: the second Industry 4.0 Conference, Design x Innovation, and the third Medical Plastics Conference. Visitors can explore cutting-edge technologies and inspiring case studies at these side events, allowing them to hop on the bandwagon and understand market dynamics from multiple dimensions.

Prime focus: Industry 4.0 China has quickly become the world’s second largest economy and labour costs have risen sharply. It is no longer a low-wage low-cost country – all kinds of cost pressures force businesses to opt for more automation equipment and advanced technology in the production processes.

According to Stanley Chu, Chairman, Adsale Exhibition Services, China is still a developing country and as far as Industry 4.0 is concerned, there is still work to be done.

“Only a few companies are making use of networking production technologies,” he said. “Industry 4.0 is still a vision for many Chinese companies, but an attainable one, and attainable in the foreseeable future, if it is desired that something be done to cope with cost pressures.”

brought together world-renowned enterprises such as Arburg, KraussMaffei, Engel, Wittmann Battenfeld, Beckhoff, Volkswagen AG, Haier and SAP, but it attracted nearly 600 local and overseas professionals, who relished the case studies of Industry 4.0 in practice, promoting the ‘smart factory’ model, production efficiency, improved product quality and lean production.

“The Industry 4.0 Conference was well received by members of the Association, and the delegates agreed that there was quite some useful details,” said a spokesman for the Anhui Plastics Industry Association. “We realised that Industry 4.0 is not an achievement overnight, but systems engineering of long-term hard work and perseverance in integrating theory and practice.”

Furthermore, the Smart Manufacturing Technology Zone, a showcase of cutting-edge automation technologies, will provide a boost to the movement from ‘Made in China’ to ‘Smartly Made in China’.

‘Design x Innovation’ enlightens up- and downstream Since its inception, ‘Design x Innovation’ has attracted a lot of attention.

As visitors’ needs get more sophisticated, the event itself grows in vibrancy.

The programme includes the ‘Innovation Gallery’, ‘Open Forum’ and ‘Meet the Designers’ which aim to introduce success stories of innovative industrial designs.

The second Industry 4.0 Conference, presented with the support from the VDMA, will be held on the afternoon of May 16th, on the morning of May 17th and in the afternoon of May 18th, in Conference Room 1, Level C, Zone B, China Import & Export Fair Complex, Pazhou. The conference will provide practical and operational solutions for enterprises targeting manufacturing upgrades.

At the ‘Design x Innovation’ event in 2016, the ‘Innovation Gallery’ showcased a wide range of creative products for use in everyday life, for example, in the stadium, and at transportation hubs, among which the e-floater received great attention. This solar-powered electric scooter could help solve the ‘Last Mile’ problem when applied to short-distance travel in the city. 80 per cent of its materials come from BASF composites and plastics, thereby reducing weight and increasing flexibility in design.

At the inaugural Industry 4.0 Conference, Arburg introduced the technology of additive manufacturing, which will be presented again at the sequel in greater depth and breadth. The Industry 4.0 Conference in 2016 not only

Moreover, innovative products such as the Elastopave permeable pavement, the running track with ETPU+EPDM composite and Volvo’s integrated leather PU sound-absorbing decorative engine covering left visitors deeply impressed.

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Nearly 400 professionals also participated in five ‘Open Forum’ sessions prepared by 16 heavyweight speakers in-line with the Design x Innovation theme.

The Medical Plastics Conference has been held successfully over the past two years, receiving positive feedback from the industry.

“Plastics, especially new materials, continue to emerge, providing enormous help to the designing process,” remarked Lian Zhen, General Manager of LKK Design, Shanghai, who was one of the speakers. “During its many years of development, plastics have been inspiring and providing an increasing number of possibilities of designs, including innovations in the upstream and downstream industries, which focus on plastics and injection, and have enriched our imagination, realising creative ideas that once could only be dreamt but not tried.

“At the Medical Plastics Conference, the technical experts shared the stateof-the-art technology of the industry and analysed development direction of medical applications and solutions,” praised the Shanghai Medical Device Industry Association. “At the same time, processing technology related to the production of precision medical polymer was introduced, offering enterprises knowledge of new materials and direction of development.”

“The ‘Design x Innovation’ open forum is a relatively new format, allowing exchanges between creative designers and technical personnel, through which different sectors manage to understand each other’s needs and demands, and leads to better co-operation. I learned a lot from them.”

‘Meet the Designers’ provided more opportunities for interaction and cooperation between industrial designers and end-users. Many acclaimed designers were present. Experienced industrial designers and user enterprises looking for product design came into direct communication, enlightening each other, answering questions and discussing cooperation possibilities concerning product designs.

Medical Plastics Conference uncovers treasures The growing demand for medical devices by a booming population and increased life expectancy is triggering a renewed growth of the medical device market.

China’s healthcare industry is at a stage of abundant potential, but is at the same time having a low level of technology, prompting manufacturers to find adaptive solutions to existing production lines and cost pressures.

New and better materials are the key to the future development of medical enterprises.

The second Medical Plastics Conference lasted two days, attracting 600 professional visitors. Topics covered included: the latest medical polymer materials, 3D printing in clinical and surgical model applications, medical laws and regulations, as well as application of surgical models. For instance, Shanghai MicroPort Medical Co. introduced the technology of precision medical polymer tube for invasive medical device, and Wego Holding Co. explained the opportunities and challenges of biomedical polymers development in China under the “new normal”. Attendees included delegates from 3M China, GE Medical, Poppelmann, UEG medical, Touren, GM, Renolit, Suzhou Baxter medical and other major enterprises.

The 2017 Medical Plastics Conference, to be held in the afternoon of May 17th and in the morning of May 18th in Conference Room 1, Level C, Zone B, will bring together the upstream and downstream sectors of the industry to discuss the latest applications of medical plastics and cutting-edge production technology.

CHINAPLAS 2017 will be held at the China Import & Export Fair Complex, Pazhou, Guangzhou, PR China on May 16th – 19th, 2017.

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EVENTS

ArabPlast 2017: The review

With 972 exhibitors and a total of 19,080 visitors from 39 countries, ArabPlast 2017 proved once again that it is the leading marketplace for the world to talk plastics in the UAE and wider Middle East.

The eighth ArabPlast was hosted by the Dubai World Trade Centre and the four-day event seemed to really be perfecting its focus on quality over quantity and bringing a sense of Middle Eastern identity to plastics processing in the MENA region.

Led by principal sponsor Borouge, the theme of corporate responsibility and sustainability loomed large, with recyclable packaging and efficient machinery pushing a new class of plastics processing that is low on material waste, low on downtime and low on carbon footprint.

Among the biggest machinery stories to come from the halls were Arburg’s Middle Eastern premiere of the Allrounder Golden Electric injection moulding machine, the electric entrylevel machine for the precise, energy-efficient production of sophisticated moulded parts.

WM Thermoforming Machines brought its new Twist 500 tilting concept to the Middle East for the first time after launching it at K 2016.

Bunting Magnetics came home with some quality leads, sold an FF Drawer Gate Magnet and even lightened its load home by selling its display equipment to a very eager buyer. Finally, ENGEL’s stand showcased how quality means competitiveness with its caps and closures systems and plastic pallet manufacturing machinery.

Gulf Print & Pack 2017 ‘to be 10% bigger’ The biennial Gulf Print & Pack is set to be 10 per cent bigger in 2017 than its last outing.

Taking place from March 26th-29th in the Za’abeel Halls at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the show will highlight the latest technologies and consumables from across the printing and packaging spectrum.

“The Middle East print industry is investment-rich and offers good growth prospects for printers over the coming years,” stated Lisa Milburn, Managing Director of Gulf Print & Pack. “Visitors will be able to see new products and machinery in action and network in close proximity with some of the biggest and most influential suppliers operating in today’s marketplace. 2017’s show also promises to highlight opportunities for entering niche markets, ways to add value and make businesses more sustainable.”

Gulf Print & Pack 2017 will take place from March 26th - 29th 2017. www.gulfprintpack.com

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On the materials side, A. Schulman and NATPET highlighted their Polyfort and Polyflam PP joint venture, Milliken shone the spotlight on its technology-leading clarifiers and nucleators for PP resin, and Borouge held a number of seminars to better inform visitors of how its advanced materials solutions for a range of applications including packaging, agriculture and energy are unmatched in the market.

“For the Middle East, this has become the main show,” ENGEL’s Andreas Leitner told us. “It’s good to be here to see existing customers and new customers. This is an exciting place to be.” www.arabplast.info

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EUREKA SERIES

Mining for materials science An expansion pack for the popular game Minecraft that covertly teaches players about polymer chemistry could equip the next generation of scientists for a future in materials development.

Words | Rose Brooke

F

After a period of 11 weeks, 13 students were given a quiz written in scientific language asking them to identify the chemical components of polymers based on their acronyms, in addition to asking them to draw a distillation tree for crude oil. Five of the University of Texas at Dallas students of mixed Maybe age and subject background could correctly researchers and educators should draw a crude oil distillation tree, while the following term, four of a fresh cohort of 13 drew start fostering the distillation tree correctly. Moreover, 17 of the these same kinds 26 identified that LDPE stands for low density of relationships polyethylene.

uture generations of materials scientists may have laid the foundations for their specialism while playing Minecraft, as a new expansion programme for the video game surreptitiously educates players about chemistry and the concepts of engineering.

Ronald Smaldone, Christina Thompson, Monica Evans and Walter Voit’s article published in Nature Chemistry, explores how users of the Polycraft World expansion pack have absorbed polymer science information while playing. The expansion introduces the concept of chemical ingredients to the Minecraft game, which requires players to build worlds and carry out quests.

with game designers and companies

In Polycraft World, players can access items requiring knowledge of chemistry such as knowing rubber is bouncy and good for using when building items that help the player to move around easily or jump, while more advanced players can create chemical reactions to synthesise materials such as Kevlar, which they can use for protective armour.

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“Symbiosis between the chemical industry and academic researchers has been greatly beneficial for the development of new pharmaceuticals, polymers, fabrics and many of the healthcare and consumer products that shape our modern life,” the study authors stated. “Maybe researchers and educators should start fostering these same kinds of relationships with game designers and companies.”

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