EPPM 16.5

July/August 2014

Half a century

Meusburger. page 10

Reduced waRping duRing machining

VeRy stRict quality guidelines

easy-to-handle oRdeRing methods

peRmanent aVailability

VeRy shoRt lead times

JULY/AUGUST 2014

Volume 16 | Issue 05 JULY/AUGUST 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 1

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Visit our Automotive Solutions Blog for free access to insightful articles

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Volume 16 Issue 5

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IN THIS ISSUE P5

THE NEXT GENERATION OF MICROMOULDING Ultrasion’s Enric Sirera talks us through the evolution of micro-moulding technology.

P7

INDUSTRY NEWS The latest announcements from major industry innovators and regulators.

P10

COVER STORY: MEUSBURGER TURNS 50 Meusburger is celebrating 50 years in the industry. We look back on half a century of growth and progress.

P12

MACHINERY NEWS Sumitomo embraces automation in a doublepage feature, while Nordson unveils a portfolio of fluid coating products.

P15

PRINTING AND DECORATING NEWS

head office Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, Chester, CH4 9QE. Tel. +44 (0) 1244 680222

P23

Fax. +44 (0) 1244 671074

INDUSTRY FOCUS: RECYCLING Boomerang Plastics explores the uneven playing field of recycling plastics in Europe.

Web: www.eppm.com C.E.O/publisher mark blezard C.O.O duncan wood

editorial

P24

editor rose brooke

APPLICATIONS: SOLAR FILM Amut has been using its expertise in EVA processing for the production of solar panels.

rose.brooke@rapidnews.com

production art robert wood production tracey roberts

advertising

P26 & 29

advertising manager

MATERIALS NEWS

lucinda nicholls

The latest materials news to make the plastics papers.

tel: +44 (0) 1244 680222 lucinda.nicholls@rapidnews.com

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STUDENT PLASTICS DESIGN AWARD We spoke to winner Michael Tougher about his design for a tactile keyboard with stackable keys.

qualifying readers europe - free, ROW - £115 outside qualifying criteria UK - £80, ROW - £115 please subscribe online at www.eppm.com

P30

TPEs NEWS Kraiburg explains its use of TPEs in window applications, while PolyOne and Elasto unveil new offerings.

Address changes should be emailed to subscriptions@rapidnews.com.

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.

A roundup of some of the biggest printing and decorating news to hit the industry.

© June 2014.

While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained within European Plastic Product Manufacturer is accurate, the publisher accepts no liability for information published in error, or for views expressed. All rights for European Plastic Product Manufacturer are reserved, and reproduction in part or whole without written permission is strictly prohibited.

P18

TESTING AND INSPECTION NEWS The latest testing and inspection announcements that made us sit up and listen.

BPA Worldwide Membership

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ISSN No - 2052-3912

JULY/AUGUST 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 3

“

From The Editor

A New Chapter I am delighted to give a very warm welcome to all of our EPPM subscribers this summer.

I am privileged to be taking on the role of Editor of this leading industry publication and I am lucky to be following in the footsteps of David Gray, who has made the enviable decision to pursue his career in magazine publishing in Cornwall.

We at Rapid News Communications and many of you who have had the pleasure of working with David over the years will miss him, and I intend to continue building up EPPM as a quality industrial periodical on the foundations he laid.

I’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on some of the fantastic work David has achieved during his EPPM editorship. For example, the very look and feel of this magazine is a different animal from when David took it on. The early product, many of you will remember, was much more tabloid in format and has been transformed to incorporate materials development, design innovation and industry movements, while David has also ensured the quality of the news and features, both in print and online, has vastly improved over time, working tirelessly to produce content that is unique and interesting.

David has worked hard piecing this issue together ahead of his departure, so the magazine you are about to read is predominantly his work and not mine. I therefore leave you with a message from the man himself.

“Wishing the readers all the very best for a successful future manufacturing in Europe.

Whilst the global economy continues to present challenges, the plastics sector is one of those markets which adapts with great fluidity, always ahead of the game.”

David Gray, Outgoing Editor I would like to add how happy I am to be starting a new chapter for EPPM and together with the rest of the team I intend to further evolve this fantastic publication with more unique content, interviews and exclusives. My door is always open both metaphorically and literally and I am looking forward to working with you.

Rose Brooke, Editor

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INDUSTRY NEWS: FEATURE

When it comes to the moulding of plastic parts, OEMs have had to choose from various technologies that are to a greater or lesser extent based on traditional injection moulding processes. With the trend towards miniaturisation in many industry sectors, some suppliers have attempted to adapt this injection moulding technology in order to better service the demands for small and precise parts. However, as is often the case, adaptations of macro technologies and processes to the moulding of precision and micro plastic parts is not always the best solution. In the area of micro moulding, OEMs now have a new and innovative technology to assess as they strive for a cost-effective, accurate, and efficient manufacturing technology.

This new micro moulding process is based on the use of ultrasonics as the agent of polymer melting, and as this article describes, is designed specifically for OEMs of small and precise plastic parts, and therefore addresses the specific problems associated with this sector. With no need for a screw and barrel, the technology is extremely energy efficient and minimises waste. At the same time, as ultrasonics induces extremely low viscosity in melted materials, product designers can now innovate as they have never been able to before.

The next generation of micro moulding Words | Enric Sirera, Sales Director, Ultrasion Sl

Ultrasonics versus traditional injection moulding While in the world of precision and micro plastic part design and manufacture, some of the aspects of the production process require special consideration when compared to the macro world, in essence all OEMs are looking for the most costeffective and accurate technologies for their specific purposes.

The “go to” technology for many plastic part manufacturers is injection moulding, a tried and tested technology with a pedigree going back decades. So ingrained in the psyche of the plastics industry is this manufacturing process that when technologies targeting the requirements of micro and precision plastic part manufacturers were needed, micro injection moulding machines were developed, scaling down the size of machines, but in essence using the same process.

Injection moulding machines, whether for macro or micro applications, work on the same principles. Plastic pellets are placed in a hopper, melted in a screw and barrel surrounded by heating elements, and then injected into the mould under pressure. As such, they require a continual source of energy, and there is significant wastage of material that is melted and not required in production, and there is the age-old necessity to purge machines between cycles. In addition, as the injection pressures in traditional micro injection machines are typically quite high, expensive tooling is required.

Taking into account these basic inefficiencies in the injection moulding process — inefficiencies that are exacerbated when looking at the particular contingencies of the precision and micro moulder — Barcelona-based company Ultrasion spent a number of years researching and developing a brand new plastic moulding technology.

Encapsulated in the Sonorus IG machine that is now being sold commercially worldwide, Ultrasion designed a process based around the use of ultrasonics as the melting agent, which opens up enormous potential for manufacturers to save on energy, material, and tooling costs, while at the same time providing a technology that is extremely accurate and induces characteristics in the melted polymer that allows product designers to overcome previously assumed limitations and truly innovate.

Ultrasion decided to work on a technology and machine that catered for the precision and micro moulding sector that had a small footprint, which used as little energy as possible, reduced material wastage, reduced tooling costs, and optimised the properties of melted plastics.

How the technology works Most seasoned plastic manufacturing professionals looking at the Ultrasion machine would immediately notice that there is no screw and barrel. In the Sonorus 1G, ultrasonic waves are used to melt plastic granules that are fed directly into the mould, are contacted by an ultrasonic horn, and are melted in milliseconds.

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Using a dosage system that delivers the correct quantity of standard pellets for every shot, the production cycle begins with the mould already closed and dosed with raw material at room temperature. The material is then contacted by an ultrasonic horn or “sonotrode” which is lowered, and as well as melting the material forces the polymer to flow into the mould cavities. The sonotrode then returns to its original position, and the cycle begins again.

The ultrasound moulding technology is extremely precise, uses no heaters, and the process means that there is no material residence time, and no material degradation. In addition, as the energy needed in the process is only at the point when the ultrasonic horn contacts the raw material to induce melt, it uses upwards of 90% less energy than a traditional micro injection technology.

Material wastage, a problem in all sizes of injection moulding machines, is a massive issue in precision and micro moulding applications, where in some instances upwards of 99% of material processed will be scrapped. Where this material is expensive as is the case of some critical medical mouldings, this becomes an even bigger problem. In the Ultrasion process, only the material required is dosed, and so runner and sprue wastage is all but eliminated.

The nature of the ultrasonic moulding process is such that material melt characteristics are very different from those produced in injection moulding machines. The application of high intensity mechanical vibration that transmits energy directly into the polymer molecular structure results in an extremely fast and efficient melting process “inside out” rather than “outside in” which is how melting occurs in injection moulding via the electric heater bands. In addition, the new sprue concept in the Ultrasion technology means that it behaves as an energy director, orientating the waves in the flow direction meaning that molten material and waves travel together towards the mould cavities, which induces extremely low viscosity (almost as low as water) in the melted plastic.

Application results The Ultrasion technology was commercialised towards the end of 2013, and is being sold worldwide into all industrial sectors, with early sales and interest centring on the medical, aerospace, electronic, and military sectors where precision and accuracy are key. Sales are coordinated from the company’s Barcelona headquarters, with distributors and representatives being installed globally to cater for demand.

The technology has been designed for ease of use, and requires no more than a short orientation and training session as the machine is installed.

There are a few simple adaptations necessary to the tooling for the Sonorus 1G, which are covered in the installation training and in specification documents that the company issues to all customers.

There are no materials that cannot be processed using the ultrasonic moulding technology, with successful moulding projects using everything from standard polypropylene to high density polyethylenes. The Sonorus 1G machine — which has been designed specifically for precision and micro applications — can accommodate shot weights from 0.05 g to 1.5 g.

In all materials, the reduced viscosity allows for the attainment of especially long parts or parts with extremely thin walls. The machine can easily mould 15 mm long parts with wall thicknesses of 0.075 mm, and achievable tolerances are in the region of 0.01 mm.

The results achieved by some OEMs using the Ultrasion technology show the versatility of the machine and the precision achievable. One was for a healthcare project for a medical device using coloured polypropylene.

This tissue management application required a particularly difficult to manufacture tip. By using the Ultrasion technology, this OEM managed to produce a tip that was 43 mm long, weighing 0.22 g, with wall thicknesses of 0.075 mm, and with an outside diameter of 0.35 mm and an inside diameter of 0.2 mm.

In another application for the manufacture of a cap with a filter for an ear protection device made from raw polyamide 12 (PA12), the ultrasonic moulding process successfully manufactured a part weighing 0.02 g, with a 0.5 mm wall thickness, and outside diameter of 4.4 mm and an internal diameter of 2.9 mm. Of enormous interest with this part (pictured), was that the part — with a membrane overmoulding — was achieved in one operation. This proved impossible to achieve using a conventional micro injection moulding process, the alternative to Ultrasion’s ultrasonic moulding process being to mould the part using one process, and then to glue the membrane in a secondary process. The manufacturer reported a 300% increase in productivity using the Ultrasion technology.

“

There are no materials that cannot be processed using the ultrasonic moulding technology, with successful moulding projects using everything from standard polypropylene to high density polyethylenes.

”

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Finally, ultrasonic moulding was successfully used in the production of an eye retina surgery tip (pictured) made from raw polypropylene. The final part weighed 0.1 g, had an internal diameter of 0.6 mm with a 0.17 mm wall thickness, and a wall thickness at the tip of 0.1 mm. The tool for this application used two extremely small core pins sitting head to head, which would have broken using the high pressures of conventional micro injection moulding.

While these achievements are in themselves impressive, the bottom line is that Ultrasion do not know what the limits are. In the case of the “tip” part mentioned above with 0.075 mm thickness along 15 mm with PP, when working on this project, Ultrasion generated flashes at the top of the tip due to a mould misalignment. The company has been unable to measure such flashes precisely, but they are definitely at least as thin as 0.003 mm along 3 mm. The customer was astonished as they felt that PP was not supposed to flash at such thicknesses, and this led to the development of parts that it had previously thought impossible to manufacture.

KraussMaffei grants exclusive Middle East distribution to IPS

INDUSTRY NEWS

Integrated Packaging Systems has been granted an exclusive distribution deal for the prolific KraussMaffei brand in the Middle East and Africa.

“

Our KraussMaffei customers will benefit from this partnership

”

KraussMaffei has announced that with immediate effect, Integrated Packaging Systems (IPS, Dubai) has become the exclusive partner for the KraussMaffei brand in the key markets across the Middle East and Africa.

As a partner of the Netstal brand for many years, IPS has been chosen to strengthen the KraussMaffei brand in the region.

“IPS has been working very successfully for years as a sales and service partner for Netstal. I am convinced that we will strengthen and further develop the sales and service activities also of the KraussMaffei brand in the short term, based on this partnership and through the use of the existing infrastructure of IPS,” said Dr Hans Ulrich Golz, President of the Injection Moulding Machinery Segment at the KraussMaffei Group, who has recently been appointed to the IPS Board of Directors “in order to further maximise the synergies of the two companies”.

The new partnership extends over large parts of the Middle East, including the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region, as well as key areas of Africa, including the North, East and West African markets.

“An important target of this partnership will be to strengthen especially the service and after-sales business, by developing a network of efficient local service engineers for the KraussMaffei and Netstal brands. I am convinced that our KraussMaffei customers will benefit from this partnership as our Netstal customers did in the past,” added Dr Golz.

LANXESS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH I BU HIGH PERFORMANCE MATERIALS | 51369 LEVERKUSEN | GERMANY | LXS-HPM-057EN

The firm says that the objective of partnering with IPS is to develop a combined strategy to strengthen sales and after-sales services.

HEAT HERO ENERGIZED BY When things start heating up, you need to keep your cool. As modern engines get ever more compact and powerful, they get hotter too. With Durethan XTS you are justifiably putting your faith in high-performance materials that remain composed even in extreme situations thanks to their extraordinary heat stability. Find out more about the excellent performance of our new XTS grades by visiting www.durethan.com

JULY 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 7

INDUSTRY NEWS

EU backs new project to source more recycled PET Polymark - an ambitious EU-funded research project - has been launched with the aim of increasing the availability of recycled PET from used bottle to new bottle, and to contribute to the EU’s circular economy.

The search for perfect polyolefins Is intelligent compounding the key to boosting customer appeal, quality and economics in the world of polyolefin materials?

PET combines the ability to be used for innovative packaging with the capability to be recycled, and is by far the most recycled plastic material in Europe.

In the global competitive plastics marketplace with re-shoring of manufacturing increasing, what can give products the edge that closes the deal?

More than 60 billion PET bottles were collected and recycled in 2012, representing 52 per cent of all discarded PET bottles sold in Europe. Almost 30 per cent of the total amount of recycled PET is already being used to produce new PET bottles. The circular bottle-tobottle use is growing rapidly.

Three factors are key: customer appeal, quality and economics. In the world of polyolefin materials, intelligent compounding can aid all three of these criteria and put factories on the fast track to success.

Currently, the availability of recycled PET suitable for reuse into beverage packaging is limited. This is because collected beverage bottles can be mixed with other PET bottles that are unsuitable for use in food packaging. The Polymark project aims to dramatically increase the availability of recycled PET for the production of new beverage containers. It will develop a technology for the automated detection and sorting of suitable PET bottles.

The use of recycled plastics for food contact is wisely and strictly guided by EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority.

Noru Tsalic of AMI Consulting is addressing the Polyolefin Additives 2014 conference on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the industry in October in Cologne, Germany. Cristina de Santos, Market Analyst at AMI, will follow this with an outline from a 2014 study on the opportunities for polyolefins in Africa.

Polymark is an EU-funded collaborative project under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) scheme. The Consortium consists of Petcore Europe, the European Federation of Bottled Waters (EFBW), Plastic Recyclers in Europe (PRE), the European Association of Plastics Recycling and Recovery (EPRO), 4PET Recycling BV, and Closed Loop Recycling Ltd. The Research and Technology Developers are ColorMatrix, Fraunhofer Institut IPMS, Pera Technology Ltd (UK Health & Environment Research Institute) and S+S (Sesotec).

From the technical viewpoint, there are current advances in polyolefin materials and applications and Borealis is looking at whether the additive industry can keep up with the new demands. Clariant International has a fresh approach of differentiating additives for each application sector.

“PET is the largest plastic material recycled in Europe,” said Roberto Bertaggia, President of Petcore Europe, the Coordinator of the Polymark project. “The technology developed will help meet the growing demand for high quality PET suitable for food contact applications.”

“We are thrilled to be contributing to the Polymark project,” said Patricia Fosselard, Secretary General of the European Federation of Bottled Waters. “All packaging used by the bottled water industry is 100 per cent recyclable. By enabling us to sort the various types of plastic packaging, we will be able to recycle more PET back into bottled water packaging or other beverages bottles, hereby further increasing the sector’s contribution to circular economy.”

The project’s budget is €2.2 million, of which the EU has contributed €1.478 million.

INEOS to buy BASF’s Styrolution share for €1.1 billion INEOS will acquire BASF’s 50 per cent share in Styrolution, a joint venture between the companies.

The purchase price to be paid by INEOS amounts to €1.1 billion. A call option in favour of INEOS to buy BASF’s share in Styrolution was already included in the shareholders’ agreement signed in 2011.

The transaction is subject to approval by the appropriate antitrust authorities. Styrolution will continue to operate as an independent company until the completion of the deal, which is expected in the fourth quarter of 2014.

“Styrolution has fulfilled its promise as a globally competitive business that competes effectively with large-scale producers from Asia and the Middle East. We are pleased to bring Styrolution fully into the INEOS family. After the purchase, Styrolution will be run separately as a standalone company within INEOS, and continue to operate as it does today,” said Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman, INEOS Capital.

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Songwon of Korea has studied the conservation of polyolefin properties during melt conversion.

Everspring Middle East has new developments in stabilisation and Adeka in Japan has studied selecting the right hindered amine based light stabiliser package for each application. In addition Addivant is pushing additive blends for product differentiation and value creation.

Some of the latest technical research will be presented at Polyolefin Additives 2014, for example Norner has produced PP with an extended service life in contact with extractive media and the Indian Oil Corporation has analysed the interaction of acid scavengers with primary antioxidants. Tosaf Compounds has looked at quality control in masterbatch related to migrating additives and Wells Plastics is involved with oxo-biodegradable technology. In Spain, the University of Alicante continues to work with natural plant extracts including sage as an antibacterial and antioxidant in bio-based polyethylene composites.

There are product innovations in polyolefins in construction applications such as the work of BASF in improving anti-UV functionality in roofing membranes.

The cables company Kabelwerk Eupen is focusing on research into flame retardants, with similar work on nano-materials in progress in Iran at Parsa Polymer Sharif. Fillers can be functional and add properties to a compound such as flame retardancy and can also be used to reduce material costs. Alpha Calcit has reviewed the use of minerals as fillers and Exxonmobil Chemical has processing aids that permit high filler loading with better dispersion. UHMW silicones from Dow Corning Polska are also used as processing aids in polyolefins and can add flame retardant and surface property benefits too, while 3M has focused on processing aids for widening the processing window for multilayer blown film extrusion. The influence of additives on the compounding process is the subject of a review by Coperion.

Closure design takes thrills and spills out of motor maintenance With a growing availability of differing oil specifications on the market, RPC Containers is producing a glug, spill and splash-free oil pack for Millers Oils.

RPC Containers is producing a bespoke five-litre oil pack for Millers Oils featuring a newly designed dispensing closure that allows the oil to be fully controllable and to flow freely and easily.

The closure has been jointly designed by RPC and Millers Oils from an original concept devised

by Millers to solve a long-standing problem in the market. Lubricating oils have traditionally been very difficult to control during pouring and this often leads to glugging, spills and splashes - and the situation has got worse in recent years due to the increasing availability of differing oil specifications.

This has resulted in a rise in the use of these containers for every specialist variety rather than bulk packs, according to Millers Oils joint Managing Director Nevil Hall.

“With these different variants, it was necessary to find an on-pack solution that enabled them to be poured easily with no danger of glugging,” he explained.

Millers’ solution is a closure incorporating a special valve that twists open and shut to control the flow of the oil. As the oil is dispensed out of the spout, a smaller opening below sucks air back through the closure and into the base of the container. This prevents a vacuum forming to keep the oil flowing freely.

Having developed the concept, Millers worked with RPC to create a suitable container design that could incorporate the new closure. For user convenience a side handle was required and the pack needed to retain the same height as the previous container in order to run on current filling lines and fit on existing shelves.

The closure itself is injection-moulded in PP while the container is blow moulded in HDPE and this created a further challenge in ensuring the two parts could fit together easily.

The resulting Flowcontrol bottle produced by RPC features a ‘straight curved’ shape, where each curve comes to a defined edge, similar to several recent car designs. This, together with a wide labeling area, helps to create a distinctive presence for the pack on shelf. The handle extends into the distinctive closure on top of the container; the closure itself is produced in a contrasting colour to the main pack – grey and silver for the premium range and a silver and blue for the workshop range.

“This was a major challenge to turn a great concept into a workable container,” said Hall.

“We have been delighted with RPC’s input and their willingness to fully engage in what is for them a relatively small specialist project.

The company’s combination of creativity and functional design skills have produced a container that delivers on all levels, while the closure itself is truly revolutionary and has already generated a huge impact among our customers.”

INTAREMA® The new system generation from EREMA.

Efficiency at the fore.

High capacities have never been as easy to achieve as with the new INTAREMA®. Counter Current technology makes it possible.

Because the extruder handles more material in a shorter time.

And this means for you: constant, top throughput within a considerably larger temperature range. For more productivity, flexibility and process stability.

INTERPLAS / Birmingham 30.9.-2.10.2014 / Booth F20

CHOOSE THE NUMBER ONE.

JULY 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 9

cover „eppm“

sprache: en

Format: 240x340

MACHINERY NEWS: COVER STORY

+ 3mm

thema: 50-Jahre

duk: 22.07.20

14

July/August 2014

From toolmaker to leading manufacturer in the field of standard components

Half a cen

tury

Meusburge

r.

page 10

Reduced waRpin duRing machin g ing

VeRy stRict quality guidelines

easy-to-handl e oRdeRing metho ds

peRmanent aVailability

VeRy shoRt lead times

JULY/AUGUS T 201

Volume 16 |

4

Issue 05

JULY/AUGUST

2014 • WWW.EP

T

he leading manufacturer in the field of standard parts for tool- and mould-making is celebrating an important event: 50 years of business. Meusburger’s customers benefit from the decades of experience the company has in working with steel. Continuing investments in enlarging the facilities, expansion of the product ranges and a targeted sales policy have generated a huge increase in Meusburger’s turnover, year after year. In 1999, the annual turnover totalled approximately €28 million (£22 million), whereas in 2013 it was more than €160 million.

From a one-man business to a leading manufacturer

Guntram Meusburger assumes management of the company

After five years of apprenticeship and travel (19571962) throughout America, the toolmaker Georg Meusburger returned to Austria and established in 1964 a one-man-business in Dornbirn.

In 2007 Meusburger set a new course for the future.

The family business transferred the management of a sustainable company to the next generation – at the age of 35, Guntram Meusburger M.Eng. (University of Applied Sciences) assumed the management of Meusburger Georg GmbH & Co KG. This transfer had been planned for a long time. Guntram Meusburger had been working in the company since 1999, when he concluded his Business Studies. He additionally took the university-entrance diploma in Mechanical Engineering. The young businessman assumed the management of the company having clear objectives.

Georg Meusburger has stayed within the company and continues to support even today with his professional knowhow.

“Back then I had the idea of establishing a small handicraft business in the field of tool making with approximately seven or eight employees,” the company founder mused. Business was good, new employees were hired; it could have gone on like this. But after 14 years of business, Georg Meusburger restructured the company fundamentally. The businessman had the right ‘nose’ for the market and specialised in quickly accessible and precision-machined mould tools. Because of this trendsetting step and thanks to the strong demand, Meusburger’s business activities soon expanded to cover the whole of Europe.

50 years of constant growth In 1980 - just two years after the restructuring - the company with its then 35 employees moved to Wolfurt, where it continues to enjoy top business conditions.

Its facilities have constantly been adapted to the growing business activity and in the years that followed, continuous investments in the expansion of the premises have been made.

The Meusburger premises in Wolfurt (Austria) >

Picture credits: Photos (Meusburger GmbH & Co KG)

10 • WWW.EPPM.COM • JULY/AUGUST 2014

PM.COM • 1

Meusburger 50 years of progress in a nutshell In 1964, Georg Meusburger established a one-manbusiness

––––––– 1964 ––––––– Meusburger founded as one-man company

by Georg Meusburger. Company’s floor space starts at 130 m sq (roughly two squash courts).

––––––– 1978 ––––––– Meusburger begins producing standard moulds and publishes its first catalogue.

––––––– 1980 ––––––– The company moves to Wolfurt, north-west Austria, growing to employ 35 members of staff and covering 3,230 m sq in floor space (about half a football pitch).

Investing in success In 2010, the punching tools sector was activated by introducing innovative Meusburger products.

Starting in 2011, products for workshop equipment were added to the existing product range. In 2013, Meusburger launched a separate catalogue ‘Workshop Equipment for Tool and Mould-Making’, thus becoming the reliable partner who provides its customers with both standard parts and products for workshop equipment and allows them to save time and money by reducing their number of suppliers.

Meusburger worldwide Beside the expansion of its range of products, Meusburger focuses on developing the European and world markets.

Guntram Meusburger, Managing Director, stated: “By hiring additional staff in field service, we can perform a targeted development of the market.

Our sales offices in China, Turkey and in the USA are pursuing their positive development and our key data already shows a positive trend for the current fiscal year.”

––––––– 1992 ––––––– Meusburger constructs its first high-bay warehouse, ramping up its floor space to 5,860 m sq (15 basketball courts).

––––––– 2003 ––––––– The company builds its new office facility, quadrupling its floor space to 26,100 m sq (just larger than London’s Trafalgar Square).

––––––– 2007 ––––––– Guntram Meusburger, Georg Meusburger’s son, announced as the company’s new Managing Director. By this point the business employs 260 people and records an annual turnover of €73 million.

––––––– 2010 ––––––– Meusburger adds punching tools to its production portfolio and ups its staff by nearly 50 per cent. By now the company’s floor space is twice that of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City at 34,500 m sq.

––––––– 2011 ––––––– Meusburger becomes the leading manufacturer in the field of standard parts employing more than 500 members of staff with over 8,000 customers.

––––––– 2012 ––––––– Meusburger constructs new office premises and its turnover hits €148 million.

––––––– 2014 ––––––– r tool Standard parts fo ing ak m and mould

50th anniversary celebrations!

Meusburger employs 800 members of staff and serves 12,000 customers worldwide.

JULY/AUGUST 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 11

MACHINERY NEWS

Sumitomo: Embracing automation

L

ike many processes, injection moulding can benefit hugely from automation involving robotics. While the move towards offshoring work in the early 2000s impacted its adoption across Europe, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and its IM robotics specialist and partner Sepro Robotique are reporting a change in attitude and reversal in this trend, with a growing number embracing automation to stay ahead of their competition.

For the French-based Sepro Robotique, 2013 was the best for UK sales since 2000 and a record year for the wider group. Likewise, Sumitomo has seen a massive increase in interest for automating processes in the plastics sector - around 20 per cent of IM machines it sold last year had some sort of robotic feature.

“

Those who make that investment will often see payback in less than a year

”

Investing, developing “Many businesses now appreciate that, wherever production is located, there is a cost to getting higher quality products,” said Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Technical Sales Manager Dave Raine. “On the flipside, UK moulding companies have needed to reduce costs and ensure competitiveness. Including a robot in an IM machine can typically amount to an additional £25,000, but what you get is available 24-hours a day.

Those who make that investment will often see payback in less than a year.”

The simplest robot applications involve sequencing with the moulding cycle to remove finished parts from the machine and placing them on a table.

Another common task involves stripping sprues and waste from around the mould and placing them in a granulator for recycling.

In-mould labelling (IML) is another prime area for automation, and in recent years European and UK adoption in packaging applications has really taken off. Speed is all-important in this role and Sepro offers a series of high-speed side-entry robots, incorporating label dispensing and placing technology. IML offers clear operational efficiencies and improved graphics to maximise the on-shelf impact of consumer brands. What’s more, IML is increasingly being used to double up pack barrier layers, which extends the shelf life of food products.

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In-mould insertion is also common practice when creating automotive parts, according to Paul Goodhew, UK Managing Director of Sepro. In particular fabric insertion, which is a major feature of many IM installations. Other examples in motor industry applications involve the exposure of moulded bumpers to a gas flame in preparation for downstream spraying.

Vision can be added to IM robotics to monitor quality and create a traceability record. Sumitomo is currently building a cell whereby the master computer connects to the robot, a tiny camera inside the part, and the laser marking station. If the software detects a defect, the part is automatically placed to one side for manual inspection.

“This type of integrated system goes well beyond simply automating a manual process,” Raine enthused. “It’s actually the only way of guaranteeing repeatability and quality to the levels required by the customer.”

For hygiene sensitive markets, such as medical and healthcare, it is possible to attach a robot to the frame of the IM machine, enabling manufacturers to automate functions like handling and packing within a compact and enclosed cleanroom-standard cell. “Once you have the filter and laminar airflow, the robot is sitting in a cell that’s cleaner than the average operating theatre,” Raine explained.

“

Innovation today is happening in software and programming

”

Speed, yield, repeatability, reliability, multi-tasking and cost saving Around one-third of the installation typically comes down to integrator’s expertise and making sure the robot fits perfectly with the wider IM operation and common standards endorsed by the European Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association (EUROMAP). “Most of the innovation today is happening in software and programming, making it just as easy to programme a highly- flexible 6-axis articulated arm robot as a 3-axis Cartesian-style system,” Raine said.

All these improvements and better tailoring to specific end uses have made it easier for IM customers to justify investment in automation.

“Over the past 20 years, size-for-size, the price of a 3-axis system has stayed effectively the same. In some cases, it could be 10% or less,” said Goodhew. Factoring in inflation, this represents a dramatic price reduction in real terms. “What’s more, greater affordability of 6-axis robots means that the cost differential between 6-axis and 3-axis options has also been eroded.”

Speed, yield, repeatability, reliability, multi-tasking and long-term cost saving are all reasons why end users might opt for a robotic injection moulding solution. The latest robots are easier to integrate, and today’s improved designs often have fewer parts, making them easier to maintain. When considering a move to automation, Demag and Sepro suggest that plastics manufacturers should look to work with a system integrator who has access to a wide range of options, including entry economical level solutions, as well as bespoke custom designs for complex handling applications.

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MACHINERY NEWS

Nordson pours knowledge into fluid coating technology The company has created a portfolio of fluid coating products borne out of its slot die technology expertise.

N

ordson Corporation has developed a portfolio of fluid coating products, originating from the firm’s experience in slot die technologies.

The new range includes fluid delivery, slot-die application, and die positioning systems for applying hot melts, solvent- and water-based materials, inks, magnetic media, and many other materials. Viscosity capabilities range from 1 to 250,000 cps. Taken all together, these fluid coating systems have extensive application histories in markets such as automotive, construction, electronics, energy, food packaging, tapes and labels, and textiles.

The technologies now available from Nordson include well-established slot die systems originally developed by Nordson itself, as well as EDI, Premier Dies Corporation, and Liberty Coating Equipment. EDI, acquired

by Nordson in 2012 and now known as Nordson Extrusion Dies Industries, had previously acquired the Premier and Liberty businesses. Nordson has expanded the international sales and technical service available for these acquired systems through its network of directly operated facilities in 30 countries. The company has seven trial labs and numerous slot die manufacturing facilities across the US, Europe and Asia.

Keith Wheeler, Director of Nordson’s fluid coating business, explained: “Drawing on 200 years of combined experience with high-precision coating systems and on our comprehensive global service capability, Nordson offers converters worldwide the opportunity to discover the many advantages of slot die technology over conventional fluid coating systems like roll coating.

“As pre-metered systems, slot dies apply to the substrate all of the coating fluid fed into the die, and as closed systems they do so with consistency and without contamination or emission of volatiles. The greater accuracy and uniformity of slot die application makes possible increased line speeds and improved finished product yields per given quantity of coating fluid.”

Slot die systems now available from Nordson include three types whose application mode is “contact/wipe,” in which the die lip is used to wipe the coating material directly onto the substrate, and one “non-contact/ draw” system, in which the die exit is a small distance from the substrate and the motion of the backup roll or tension web draws the coating into a thin layer.

Along with these slot dies, Nordson manufactures a range of related equipment for fluid coating accuracy and productivity. Fluid delivery systems provide a non-pulsing, consistent feed of fluid to the die, ensuring consistent coating volumes. Die positioners or coating stations provide repeatability and adjustability. Vacuum boxes help to control the length of the coating bead and the processing window for developing surface properties.

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APPLICATIONS: PRINTING AND DECORATING

Perfect printing on plastic pipe Plastic pipe manufacturer Uponor is now using 1610 dual head and 1620 continuous ink jet printers (CIJ) for its extrusion lines, which have reportedly increased overall yield by five per cent.

The equipment is sold by Videojet Technologies, a specialist in coding, marking and printing systems.

The latest generation of Videojet printers is high-speed and has a larger variety of inks, which enabled Uponor to focus the printing on its secondary coating lines.

Because of efficiencies achieved through the installation on the new printers, the company says that it improved uptime and simultaneously reduced the number of printers necessary for upstream operations by almost two-thirds.

Reducing waste With its legacy coding solutions, Uponor was experiencing ink waste during bottle replacement, including spills and residual ink in the old bottles. Since upgrading its printing equipment and inks, the company has seen a 90 per cent reduction in waste associated with printing errors and a 40 per cent saving in ink and make-up costs. This is achieved using the Videojet self-contained cartridge, which is designed to eliminate fluid spills and ensure all fluids drain from the cartridge before replacement.

Prior to installation, Uponor experienced many delays, causing downtime on the production lines and leading the company to seek out a new, more reliable coding solution. Producing thousands of feet of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) piping every day, Uponor had to make sure its product was properly and clearly coded. The company looked for trustworthy equipment that would comply with coding requirements set by regulatory bodies, such as the pipe marking standards issued by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the European Union. They also needed to find inks that would withstand extreme temperatures and adhere to extruded pipes throughout their life.

Brian Czapiga, Electrical Control Engineering Supervisor at Uponor, explained: “We have partnered with Videojet for more than 20 years and the ease of integration has been one of the biggest reasons we chose the Videojet solution. The value of having a partner like Videojet is pretty high, especially when we can call the service technicians and receive help with the change. That support was invaluable to us as we were rolling out the printers on the production floor.”

Robots to perform plasma treatment on plastic parts

Saving time and money A flexible, user-friendly interface handling graphics, symbols and trademarks helps operators set up new jobs, virtually eliminating human errors and streamlining the printing process.

Czapiga said: “Before we had to have a graphic set burnt, but now we can create our own graphics and just send them down to the printers. This flexibility was one big win for us. We can just print graphics on the fly or easily create new graphics from scratch — saving us precious time and money.”

With a dual print head that automatically calibrates itself and an integrated core that consolidates the ink system into a single part, Videojet 1610 dual head and 1620 ink jet printers require less maintenance while ink change-outs are quick and mess-free, enabling operators to spend less time cleaning and preparing the printers.

“We originally planned to dedicate two internal positions to service the printers and prepare them to be placed on the lines,” said Czapiga. “The printers, however, are pretty self-sufficient and don’t require much maintenance, so now those employees can work elsewhere on the lines.”

Jose Gomez, Business Unit Manager for Continuous Ink Jet Products at Videojet Technologies, said: “Our objective has always been to provide manufacturers with printing systems adapted to their exact application specification in order to help them improve productivity. With the implementation of Videojet 1610 dual head and 1620 ink jet printers, this objective was achieved as Uponor increased its output by five per cent. The reduction in maintenance and downtime caused by out-dated coding solutions allowed the company to get a return on our investment in only a few months.”

Henniker has announced the release of its new automated atmospheric plasma robot for surface activation of polymers to improve adhesion.

The fully automated device is available in tabletop or cart-mounted configurations and can accommodate Henniker’s single or dual nozzle atmospheric plasma sources. A five-phase stepping motor drives the plasma head over three axes to deliver accurate and reproducible surface treatment of a wide range of materials. Standard options allow for up to 500 x 500mm of XY motion and 150mm of Z motion. The unit is fully programmable and has the capacity to store up to 255 programs each with up to 30,000 data points.

Both the table-top and cart mounted versions can be delivered with optional safety light guard and are perfectly suited to routine production tasks where localised treatment of surfaces is required to increase surface energy prior to dispensing adhesives.

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APPLICATIONS: PRINTING AND DECORATING

New packaging trends point to double-sided and metallic IML

Packaging specialist Verstraete IML has launched several in-mould labeling (IML) innovations in the past year. According to its order books, double-sided and metallic IML systems are showing increasing demand amongst major brand owners.

Galbani (Santa Lucia) and Maison Raymond are some of the first brands to adopt the double-sided IML technology. Both firms use it to include recipe suggestions with the packaging, while there is a growing trend for premium-look metallic IML. The paint, cosmetics, storage box and high-end food markets have

reportedly shown the most interest in metallic IML technology. Various brand owners appreciate the extra branding and diversification opportunities offered by metallic IML. The transition from metal to plastic packaging using metallic IML is a cost-efficient solution to retaining consumer appeal. Paint producer Jotun distinguishes its paint on shelf by using this type of label, taking the benefits of plastic, whilst keeping the metal look.

Koen Verstraete, CEO of Verstraete IML, explained: “Brand owners’ marketing budgets are decreasing and should be spent wisely. Multiple studies have proven that the

consumer makes his choice on the shelf, evaluating price-quality and – even more important- the ‘look’ of the packaging.

“The European market has already picked up on multiple IML innovations. As the ‘orange peel’ and ‘glossy’ look have become a market standard, brand owners look more and more to differentiate themselves through look and feel innovations ... IML has a great potential for growth on a worldwide scale ... we believe mould labeling is only at the starting point of becoming a global packaging decoration technology.”

Collaboration develops printable multi-layer lidding film Reifenhäuser Kiefel Extrusion and DuPont joined forces to create a peelable, surface printable, multilayer high barrier lidding film, which seals directly to mono-APET trays.

The film was made possible by combining Reifenhäuser’s 11/9-channel ‘Evolution’ barrier blown film technology and a new PET based DuPont ‘Appeel’ sealant resin.

The use of a co-extruded Appeel sealing layer provides additional packaging properties, including higher fat barrier, perforation resistance, gloss and transparency. As a result, trims can be directly recycled, the bottom web costs can be reduced by up to 40 per cent, and the total weight of the tray can be up to 15 per cent lower without loss in stiffness.

Unlike other lacquers and peel systems, the new Appeel lidding sealant resin provides a fusion seal to APET, providing outstanding seal integrity even through surface contamination caused by fat or meat juices. This is also true for antifog-coated films.

Reifenhäuser Kiefel’s Evolution Ultra Range extruders are designed for processing complex film structures

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with all kind of resins, allowing flexibility in terms of polymer choice, including the potential to use highbarrier grades, adhesives and sealants.

Depending on the required film structure, the extruders permit both very high and very low output rates at low melt temperatures. The possibility of combining up to 11 channels enables the production of asymmetric films with minimum curling.

UK firm to sell Japanese surface treatment technology Chestech, a specialist chemicals and processes distributor in the electronics industry, has signed a deal with the Japanese company Yamamoto-MS to be a sole distributor. Yamamoto-MS designs, develops, and manufactures wet surface treatment equipment for the electronics industry.

Chestech has a wide range of customers including those working in the semi-conductor, printed circuit board, electronic and industrial metal finishing, photovoltaic and advanced packaging technology industries.

Managing Director of Chestech Jon Sellers said: “We are delighted to be working with Yamamoto-MS in what is an important contract for us. Yamamoto has a fine reputation worldwide and their products are well known in the semi-conductor production industry as well as in the fields of research and development.

We will be selling their complete catalogue of equipment as the sole distributor for the UK and Ireland.”

Yamamoto-MS specialises in plating equipment and solution analysers.

The product range covers plating tanks, filters and agitators, anode and cathode plates, cathode rockers, jigs, power supplies, heaters, barrels, brush platers and testers.

Chestech is the sole UK and Irish distributor for Dow Electronic Materials and its customer base includes Micro Chem Corporation, Micro Resist Technology, Electra Polymers, Trimite, Gower, PK Plating Technology and Micropulse Plating Concepts.

Injection Moulding Rotational Moulding Extrusion Blow Moulding Thermoforming Vacuum Forming Film Extrusion Recycling Materials Design

R E T S I RE G

. . .

W NO

30 September-2 October 2014

NEC, BIRMINGHAM, UK

www.interplasuk.com

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APPLICATIONS: TESTING AND INSPECTION

Spectroscopy spots harmful additives in waste plastics Identification of waste plastic materials can now be completed in a few seconds with the use of newlydeveloped Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometers.

The principle of FTIR spectroscopy lies in the ability of the molecules to absorb infrared radiation at a characteristic wavelength, generating an absorbance spectrum unique for each substance. Unknown substances can then be identified within the specimens by analysing and comparing the spectrum of the virgin (reference) and the spectrum of the contaminated plastics.

More precisely, the harmful compounds within the plastic samples show significant absorption

bands in the IR region (2000 cm-1 to 600 cm-1), enabling a fast qualitative identification.

The key to providing fast and straightforward sample IR testing is the advanced Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) technique. The sample can be tested simply by pressing it with the pressure clamp onto the surface of the ATR crystal.

Subsequently, the IR radiation penetrates a few microns into the sample and the detector of the FTIR spectrometer analyses the radiation absorbed.

The fast and straight-forward spectra collection using the ATR–FTIR technique is being coupled with the development of FTIR software able

New rheometer adapts to the user

to analyse reference spectra from databases and identify the polymer and the additives used. Eg. a small piece of plastic from a computer monitor was tested using a Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS10 spectrometer with the ATR diamond accessory.

The spectrum obtained was analysed using the advanced OMNIC Spectra software.

that these peaks correspond to the banned additive tetrabromobisphenol (TBBP), widely used as flame retardant. As a result, FTIR analysis coupled with the ATR attachment and the advanced software was able to identify hazardous compounds from waste plastic components very fast, accurately and with the minimum sample preparation.

Initial spectrum analysis with OMNIC, using reference spectra databases revealed that the basic absorbance peaks of the sample match with the ABS/PC copolymers, with a match value higher than 90 per cent.

However, several small, unmatched peaks between 1000 and 1400 cm-1 have also been identified.

Further spectrum analysis, showed

Impact Solutions, a UK-based firm, runs an R&D and consultancy laboratory, which is equipped with a Thermo Scientific iS10 FTIR spectrometer combined with the ATR attachment. The group offers a service for recyclers and moulders to obtain a full and accurate identification of their products.

Method for differentiating virgin and recycled PP emerges

Industrial QA/QC laboratories that analyse the rheological properties of a wide variety of samples can now increase efficiency and reduce user error with an intelligent rheometer that adapts to an individual’s measurement routines and conditions.

The Thermo Scientific Haake Viscotester iQ rheometer’s ‘Connect Assist’ function automatically detects the measuring geometry and temperature module, providing real-time feedback that makes it easy for customers to set up sample testing procedures with minimal errors.

Several new options make the rheometer more useful and versatile than the previous generation. The Haake Viscotester iQ rheometer can be used as a standalone instrument with its touchscreen interface or by using the unique Thermo Scientific Haake Viscotester iQ RheoApp software on a USB flash drive to provide extended capabilities. In addition, the instrument can be operated with full software control from a desktop computer. The instrument’s “Temperature Assist’’ function in concert with its Peltier temperature control system enables customers to measure the true sample temperature as well as reduce the measuring time.

“The Haake Viscotester iQ represents a significant evolution in our Viscotester portfolio,” said Birgit Schroeder, product line director, material characterisation for Thermo Fisher Scientific. “The instrument’s new features are a significant improvement over the well established Haake Viscotester 550 instrument, and signal our continuing commitment to excellence in viscometry and rheometry.”

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Lacerta Technology – a specialist in the manufacture of plastic testing in the production area – has demonstrated the ability to differentiate raw PP and material that has been blended with recycled material.

Working on materials supplied by Innovia Films, the identiPol OIT system has been found to correlate the Oxidative Onset Temperature (OOT) of the plastic with the level of anti-oxidant present in the PP. Material that contained a portion of re-worked,

or recycled, PP gave measurably lower OOT values and this could be used to provide a quick PASS/ FAIL result and prevent poor material going onto the production line.

An application brief providing an overview of this work can be downloaded from the identiPol website and a paper covering the full is available upon request from Lacerta Technology.

Shelf-life tests to be improved for bottle packaging Responding to the increasing demand for lighter weight bottles, Agr International, in conjunction with Container Science, has introduced an update to its PPT3000 testing systems with the ‘M-Rule’ shelf-life model that will reportedly provide more accurate shelf-life estimates verses current, time-consuming methods such as Zahm-Nagel, Septum and other long-term tests.

Key among the changes made to the PPT3000 is the ability to directly enter wall thickness data.

This enhancement provides a more accurate estimation of shelf-life on current bottle production. Sudha Christy, Agr’s product manager for the PPT3000, said: “We made improvements to the PPT3000 in the way that we define material utilisation. This is intended to give the user a better understanding of how shelf life performance relates to material utilisation in a given bottle design.”

When PPT3000 was introduced, it offered a means to test bottle shelflife as part of a test that could be

ELASTO UK tel +44 161 244 9628 dex@elasto.co.uk www.hexpolTPE.com

performed at or near the production line. A number of these systems are now taking the place of traditional long-term shelf-life tests in bottle production plants around the world.

According to Mark Rule, President of Container Sciences, PPT3000, using the M-Rule shelf life model, provides a much more consistent and accurate representation of shelf-life measurement over results derived from real-time, long-term tests.

“There are many variables that affect the outcome of long-term tests. These can cause disparity between samples and batches.

With the M-Rule shelf-life model, the variability is a non-issue. All samples are subjected to the same testing criteria and environment.

Furthermore, you can get your results within the current production window and can use that data to pro-actively manage the process.”

In under a minute, pressure and volume expansion data on a bottle is captured by the PPT3000 tester and analysed by a version of the

M-RULE software.

This data is used to map material utilisation in relation to shelflife for the bottles being tested.

To address the unique attributes of individual bottle designs, a custom “fingerprint” is created by Agr that holds the recipe for shelflife testing of a particular bottle design. Fingerprints can be built for the specific end-use requirements such as CO2 egress on CSD bottles as well as oxygen ingress or water loss on lightweight water bottles.

The M-Rule Container Performance Model is a web-based predictive tool that operates by integrating the fundamentals of permeation with critically evaluated physical data for the component materials and other pertinent data affecting

the permeability of a container.

When used in conjunction with the PPT3000 tester, results of the analysis are displayed on the PPT3000 system’s display screen along with pressure and expansion data, providing operators with a fast and reliable method to identify material utilisation and predicted shelf-life characteristics of individual containers.

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APPLICATIONS: TESTING AND INSPECTION

3D scanning takes a look inside complex parts The 3D scanning of complex parts is becoming increasingly important as the drive for increased inspection capability for less cost intensifies across the industry

“

Making the inspection of injection moulded parts and components faster and less expensive

Capture Geometry Internally’s (CGI) Pearl 3D scanning machines are now available through UK-based company Plastic-IT, making the measuring and inspection technology readily available for OEMs across Europe.

Plastic-IT claims that for European OEMs, accessing this technology will not just provide results in terms of accuracy, but also significant savings in the time and expense involved in inspecting plastic parts. It is suitable for personnel involved in first article inspection of injection-moulded parts, reverse engineering, tooling qualifications and failure analysis.

The easiest way to understand how the technology works is to imagine a rapid prototyping machine working in reverse, instead of building a part layer by layer, the system captures a series of 2D images of each slice.

The plastic components to be inspected are “potted” in a slow-curing resin before the slicing process begins and the nature of the process means that any part can be inspected.

The process uses Spec.Check proprietary software to cross-section parts anywhere and in any geometry. The technology is also able to measure and inspect assembled components

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and there are no restrictions in terms of the plastic materials and types of fillers that can be measured.

Once set in motion, the fully-automated CGI 3D scanner can be left unattended, making the inspection of injection moulded parts and components faster and less expensive. It is this automation that is a key difference between the 3D scanning technology and other inspection processes, as is the 100 per cent accuracy and repeatability of the process, claims Plastic-IT. The difficulty or expense of using the only other technology able to produce accurate 3D data for internal geometries (CT scanning), often leads manufacturers to find ways to avoid having to measure the internals of complex plastic parts. The CGI 3D scanning technology — for the first time — makes the attainment of reliable and accurate internal inspection open to all OEMs, it being about a tenth the price of a CT scanner and requiring much reduced operator skill than alternative measuring technologies.

When compared with the use of CMMs, the ease-of-use of the 3D scanning technology becomes obvious, says the group. Unlike

”

CMM inspections, when using the 3D scanning technology, there is no need for a time consuming and costly inspection plan that identifies areas of potential trouble or interest. Also eliminated is the amount of educated guesswork about where problems are most likely to be detected before any actual inspection has taken place.

There is also no need for expensive part fixturing before inspection. For 3D crosssectional scanning, once potted, the part analysis produces a detailed point cloud, which allows quality interrogations time and time again with no necessity for rescanning.

The CGI technology captures sharp corners, deep pockets, and internal geometry in a single scan. Its use eliminates the time-consuming requirement for post-process assembling of data to create a complete data set.

As the drive for increased inspection capability for less cost intensifies across the industry, Plastic-IT believes that more and more OEMs will be attracted to this innovative inspection tool. The firm runs a bureau service so that potential buyers can trial the technology before committing to purchase for in-house use.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Interplas 2014: Two months to go With just two months to go, the ball is rolling and organisers of Interplas 2014 are preparing for the biggest UK plastics event of the year. 2014 is, after all, an Interplas year!

COO and Interplas Event Director Duncan Wood says: “We are extremely excited about the forthcoming show. On the back of a hugely successful event in 2011 the expanded exhibition floor is on track to sell out with almost 400 exhibitors taking their place in the hall.

The ‘must attend’ plastics event of the year is fast approaching and Interplas 2014 is shaping up to be an exciting three-day showcase of the best and most advanced developments in the industry.

More than 12,000 people are expected to attend, with over 400 companies including Arburg, Engel, Demag, Summit Systems, Romi Sandretto, Ferromatik, Milacron Extrusion, Krauss Maffei Group UK and Boy exhibiting on the expanded show floor, which will include engaging presentations, rousing keynotes and informative workshops.

The show floor will give attendees the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane in a unique collaboration with the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), which is asking visitors to turn detective and explore the ‘10 most-wanted’ objects in its collection, while British artist Glenn West will be pushing the boundaries of polyethylene and plastic sheeting in his melted artworks, inspiring and enlightening visitors by utilising everyday materials in a very creative way.

The British Plastics Federation will kick off proceedings with Director-General Philip Law

“Anyone involved in designing and manufacturing plastic parts will find a wealth of new products, innovations and intelligence across the three-day event. We look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to the NEC in September.”

Glenn West at work presenting the opening keynote on September 30th, throwing the major industry body’s weight behind Interplas 2014 and ensuring the three-day event gets off to an auspicious start. In addition, the Polymer Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMMDA) has thrown its support behind the show, along with the GTMA and Materials KTN, with leading industry magazine and fellow Rapid News publication British Plastics and Rubber returning to the event as lead media partner.

EPPM’s September issue will be our on-site edition at Interplas 2014, so please be in touch with Editor Rose Brooke as soon as possible with your news and announcements for the show. Email her at rose.brooke@rapidnews.com.

Furthermore, we will be reporting and tweeting live from the event, so add www.EPPM.com to your favourites and follow @EPPM_Magazine on Twitter for all the latest.

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Visit the British Plastics Federation online shop!

Our Bookshop features over 600 plastics industry specific books and reports from the world’s leading publishers.

INCLUDING FREE EBOOKS

www.bpfshop.com Visit the British Plastics Federation on stand A88 at Interplas

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Stronger

Together

APPLICATIONS: FOCUS

Recycling on an uneven playing field Summit Systems’ Boomerang Plastics has called out the uneven playing field for recyclers in the UK and EU, but who is really to blame for the growing problem of waste?

Words | Rose Brooke

Recycling is something of a moot point in the plastics industry, with as many industry innovators laying claim to biodegradable and fully recyclable plastics as those denouncing these promises as unworkable.

Nevertheless, recycling is a matter the sector needs to square up to, with EU legislation tightening the screws on large manufacturers who fail to meet green targets. Indeed, in the last month alone, the EU launched Polymark, an ambitious research project with a budget of €2.2 million (£1.74 million) and a mission to increase the availability of recycled PET, with PET being the largest plastic material recycled in Europe.

Part of multi-award-winning Summit Systems Ltd Boomerang Plastics is one business looking to change how we use, re-use and discard plastics in Europe. Established in 1990, Boomerang’s ‘Landfill Diversion Strategies’ have been implemented by big brands throughout the UK and Europe for reusing everyday items such as yoghurt pots, disposable cups, plant pots and toiletry bottles and other packaging.

Boomerang Plastics Commercial Manager Dan Jordan believes design and changing how the EU approaches rewarding companies for their recycling initiatives could be the key to making recycling more efficient and attractive to manufacturers, but admits there is no panacea for ‘plastic recycling’ in general.

“There is a definite misconception that plastic is just plastic and can be recycled,” he explained.

“That actually stems the rate at which plastics are recycled.”

“

There is a definite misconception that plastic is just plastic and can be recycled

“

Exporting is not recycling, yet exporters are rewarded more than local EU recyclers

Nevertheless, Boomerang Plastics is in favour of the positive EU forces moving through legislation and regulation in favour of recycling, but Jordan explained that even such ‘orders from above’ are not helping the industry as a whole.

Of course, one of the biggest factors behind the accumulation of waste plastics ending up in landfill is packaging, which is what Boomerang Plastics specialises in. While the company helps other businesses adhere to their corporate social responsibility promises by helping them to recycle responsibly and locally, thus reducing their waste and carbon footprint, the millions of consumers who toss their waste plastics without a second thought present a bigger problem. When asked if it is packaging design that has a lot to answer for this disregard for plastic waste Jordan agreed, but added that brands and retailers are also to blame for this unsustainable attitude.

“[I’m] in favour, [but it’s] not a level playing field for UK or EU recyclers versus export. Exporting is not recycling, yet exporters are rewarded more than local EU recyclers. This is unfair.”

However, progress is being made across Europe. In a recent K 2013 report, it found some 47 million tonnes of plastics were consumed throughout the EU, Switzerland and Norway in

He added that the stigma against the recyclability of plastics is neither misguided nor ill-informed, rather “it’s too diverse an approach to pigeon-hole plastics” and expect an accurate and workable solution for an entire industry to emerge like a rabbit from a hat.

”

”

2011, with 25 million tonnes of waste plastics collected, while countries such as Switzerland and Luxembourg are achieving more than 92 per cent collection rates for their waste plastics.

But, just like Jordan explained, some plastic waste - such as products that contain multiple materials that cannot be separated efficiently - are causing obstacles for recycling. The Commercial Manager remarked that the biobased economy could even be perceived as a danger to recycling.

“It is a threat,” he said. “Certainly to postconsumer recycling. There needs to be a law against bio-degradable packaging in rigid containers, [and] green washing has a lot to answer for.”

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APPLICATIONS: SOLAR FILM

Amut now offering EVA extrusion Extrusion leader Amut is growing its EVA processing expertise for the production of photovoltaic solar panels.

On Amut lines, the sheet width can be from 1050 mm up to 2100 mm, with a thickness range from 0.3 to 0.8 mm.

with the capacity to not cross-link.

The foil enables a perfect sealing and a high adherence with the outer glass sheet and with the back sheet.

During the vacuum lamination of the various elements with the silicon cells, the dimensional stability prevents deformations or shrinkages.

EVA foil protects the photovoltaic cell, which encapsulates and wraps the silicon cells. The production process has to deliver a foil with the maximum light transmission and

The gravimetric dosing and extrusion/ die units supplied, which have been developed for this application, can process both liquid and solid additives, thus ensuring an optimal

Italian extrusion specialist Amut is expanding its presence in the field of EVA processing for the production of photovoltaic solar panels.

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melting of the polymer in order to give the foil the necessary resistance to UV rays and avoid the yellowing effect, which causes a lack of efficiency in energy production.

The calendar has three rolls with a special surface treatment to handle EVA material and independent drives. It is also equipped with a stabilisation unit. To control the cooling phase and reduce the tension at minimum level, the cooling phase must be progressive, Amut explained. Therefore, the built-in

thermoregulation system is essential for both extrusion and cooling processes.

The calendar is purpose-built to reduce deformation of the foil, with the option to emboss on one sheet layer allowing the adherence with the glass sheet and to laminate in-line a silicone paper sheet.

The winding system can wind-up directly in-line, the foil in reels or permit the insertion of an additional film sheet to separate and better protect the EVA foil.

23rd Fakuma – International trade fair for plastics processing

.

Injection moulding machines Thermal shaping technology Extrusion plants Tool systems Materials and components

.

.

14. – 18. OCT. 2014 . FRIEDRICHSHAFEN www.fakuma-messe.de

JULY/AUGUST 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 25

MATERIALS: NEWS

Wood you believe it – bioplastic made from trees Biome has developed an innovative bioplastic using complex hydrocarbons from trees.

A research project led by Biome Bioplastics has demonstrated the feasibility of extracting organic chemicals from lignin for the manufacture of bioplastics.

The results stem from a grant from the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, awarded to a consortium led by Biome Bioplastics in early 2013 to investigate lignin as a new source of organic chemicals for bioplastics manufacture, which could significantly reduce costs and increase performance of these sustainable materials.

Lignin is a complex hydrocarbon that helps to provide structural support in plants and trees. As a waste product of the pulp and paper industry, lignin is a potentially abundant and low-cost feedstock for the high performance chemicals that could provide the foundation for the next generation of bioplastics.

The research was undertaken in conjunction with the University of Warwick’s Centre for Biotechnology and Biorefining led by Professor Tim Bugg, whose team has been working to develop methods to control the breakdown of lignin using bacteria and extract these chemicals in significant quantities.

The project has successfully demonstrated that bacteria can be effective in the selective degradation of lignin and that the breakdown pathway can be controlled and improved using synthetic biology. Crucially, several organic chemicals have been produced at laboratory scale in promising yields that have potential use in bioplastic manufacture.

Initial scale-up trials on several of these target chemicals have demonstrated the potential for them to be produced at an industrial scale, suggesting the commercial feasibility of using lignin-derived chemicals as an alternative for their petrochemical counterparts.

Biome Bioplastics has also transformed these chemicals into a material that shows promising properties for use as an advanced bioplastic.

Bugg explained: “Scientists have been trying to extract chemicals from lignin for more than 30 years. Previously, chemical methods have been used but these produce a very complex mixture of hundreds of different products in very small amounts. By using bacteria found in soil we can manipulate the lignin degradation pathway to control the chemicals produced.

“This is groundbreaking work. We’ve made great progress over the last year and the results are very exciting.”

The next phase of the project will examine how the yields of these organic chemicals can be increased using different bacteria and explore options for further scale-up of this technology. The first commercial target is to use the lignin-derived chemicals to replace the oil-derived equivalents currently used to convey strength and flexibility in some of Biome Bioplastics’ products, further reducing cost and enhancing sustainability.

26 • WWW.EPPM.COM • JULY/AUGUST 2014

Lubrizol and Velox announce European TPU distribution Velox has announced a new distribution partnership with Lubrizol for its Merquinsa legacy TPU technologies.

Distributor of raw material specialities for the plastics, composites, rubber, paints and coatings industries across Europe, Velox will offer Lubrizol’s speciality thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) brands Pearlthane, Pearlcoat, Pearlbond and Pearlstick for adhesives, injection moulding, extrusion and compounding applications in France, the UK, Ireland, Benelux, Italy, Turkey, Czech Republic, Romania, Poland and other European markets.

Guillaume Fromont, Velox Product Manager, said: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement. By combining Velox’s expertise in the field of speciality products and chemicals distribution with Lubrizol’s proven excellence in speciality TPU materials, we are further expanding our constructive cooperation with Lubrizol – and we look forward to strong growth for our product range as a result.”

Lubrizol’s Pearlbond and Pearlstick TPU product lines include TPU specialities used as additives to increase crystallisation speed in PUR hot melts and in heat-sealable fabrics for technical textiles and footwear.

Lubrizol Engineered Polymers’ speciality TPU resins can be biobased, recyclable, light stable and optical clear (aliphatic), fast-cycling and high-performance polycaprolactone copolyester- or copolymerbased specialties for the industrial, automotive, electronics and sports and recreation markets and applications.

JULY/AUGUST 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 27

MATERIALS: FEATURE

A unique vision for creativity and play Michael Tougher, a Glasgow School of Art student, has taken home the coveted Design Innovation in Plastics Student Plastics Design Award for his tactile keyboard. We spoke exclusively to the young designer about his concept.

Words | Rose Brooke The Design Innovation in Plastics Student Plastics Design Award is one of the most respected and coveted accolades in the industry for up-and-coming product designers and this year’s winner struck the right chord with judges with his tactile, interactive keyboard.

“I do feel this product is something that hasn’t been done before and innovation is something I strive for. [Winning the prize] feels great - it really does to get that kind of recognition and also two very good placements and the money. The whole experience has been great and my tutors who gave me a lot of support at university are chuffed.

It wouldn’t have happened without them.”

Fourth-year Glasgow School of Art student Michael Tougher walked away with a £1,000 cash prize in addition to an industry placement at Bayer MaterialScience in Leverkusen, Germany, and an internship at Hasbro in the UK for his Dots concept. The origins of which lie in his passion for music.

“I started looking at basic, introductory instruments and simple keyboards,” he explained, adding how he explored how people particularly non-musical people - interact with instruments and how they struggled to create tunes or limited themselves to playing one note at a time.

“I wanted to create something simple - an instrument that would empower people to create music.

One thing about keyboards is that they are linear in layout and in the tests I did, people just hit the white notes, not the black,” which

Michael Toucher and Richard Northcote

led Tougher to explore plotting the keys in a way that would encourage different arrangements and chords, teaching the user about music as they play.

Tougher used young relatives as his test group and spotted how they interact with Dots and play it alone or in a group. This tactile, interactive quality is as much to do with the colour and user-friendliness of the design with its unique stackable buttons, as it is the materials.

“Because the buttons are quite flexible themselves, it adds a percussive element to it and that’s what people struggle with - the rhythm side of it.

“I came back to polypropylene for the top and bottom parts of

28 • WWW.EPPM.COM • JULY/AUGUST 2014

the keyboard and I looked into TPEs and Dynaflex, which gave the keyboard a nice but durable feel. Each of the dots is designed with the principle of disassembly, so they clip together and there’s no adhesive. Disassembly is really important and I see the product as being something you can build up with collections of dots and pass them on to brothers and sisters,” Tougher explained.

Prototyping, putting your work out there and entering competitions are the best things young product designers can do if they want to succeed, Tougher believes.

“Go for it, keep working at it, do competitions and show your work to other people. If you have an idea then go for it.”

Fellow Glasgow School of Art student Helen Campbell’s Mü STACKPAKS was first runner up to Tougher’s Dots. Campbell’s entry was a system for stacking recycled dairy packaging to form a toy. Nottingham Trent University’s Nikian Aghababaie’s Musical Chairs - an interactive, educational toy for autistic, deaf and visually-impaired children - came in third.

Chairman of the judging panel Richard Brown praised the very high quality of this year’s entries and how talented this cohort of designers is.

“The judges are challenged every year with the excellence of the entries. It demonstrates the quality of the teaching at our universities and the design talent there is in the UK,” he said.

Next-gen PU-coated fabrics heralded by Bayer Bayer MaterialScience has heralded the next generation for PU-coated fabrics, promising a more flexible, safe and environmentally-friendly solution for producing materials.

Bayer MaterialScience has announced the launch of a new turnkey solution for a fresh generation of polyurethane- (PU) coated fabrics.

The organisation - which invented PU 75 years ago - announced the news on July 15th, marking a ‘new chapter’ in the footwear and apparel sector.

Exploring new possibilities Bayer offers brands integrated packages of pure waterborne PU technology, in addition to material co-development and a certified manufacturer partner programme for PU-coated fabrics, promoting a new approach to value chain collaboration. As such, with pure waterborne PU technology and a rich expertise in application in the design and creation of PU-coated fabrics, Bayer inspires brands to explore new possibilities in the design and creation of PU-coated fabrics within their INSQIN offering.

sources of environmental and health hazards among all types of coated fabrics.

Worker exposure to solvents and pollution risks have also been addressed. “INSQIN waterborne PU technology not only enables PU leather to be manufactured without solvent, it also reduces water consumption by up to 95 per cent and energy consumption by up to 50 per cent in the coating process,” said Bayer.

MATERIALS: NEWS

“

A practical solution that addresses the ongoing battle between sustainability and scalability

”

Global Head of Textile Coating at Bayer MaterialScience Nicholas Smith commented: “Today is an exciting and pivotal day ... as we look ahead to an innovative and sustainable way of producing coated fabrics with INSQIN. “Not only are we now able to join efforts with brand owners to shape a more productive innovation process, we are also contributing to a practical solution that addresses the ongoing battle between sustainability and scalability.”

Interacting with brands With state-of-the-art pilot-lines at dedicated laboratories in China and Germany, Bayer’s global team of textile experts is leading the world in new coated fabrics research, while the company will be addressing brand owners’ concerns regarding product design, manufacturing innovation and environmental performance as it works closely with brands.

Smith continued: “Our hope is that by interacting directly with brands as well as with manufacturers, we can reshape material innovation in the apparel and footwear industry.

We are committed to reducing harmful effects on people and the environment, by enabling manufacturing that eliminates worker exposure to solvents and lowers resource consumption.”

Over four billion m sq of PU synthetic leather is made annually, putting a heavy strain on local ecosystems. INSQIN enables the manufacture of a huge range of coated fabric to be carried out without solvent. The social and environmental benefits of waterborne PU technology are of particular importance to PU leather, which has been one of the largest JULY/AUGUST 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 29

TPEs NEWS

“

Kraiburg TPE

The goal was to produce a material that can meet the demands of the current and future market for window encapsulations.

High-flow materials for window encapsulations

”

Words | Josef Neuer, Automotive Development Team

T

he success of Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) is based largely on the trend toward multiinjection moulding. Thermoplastic Elastomers based on styrol block copolymers (TPS) are 100 per cent recyclable and feature excellent mechanical properties, making the product more lightweight than other material classes, such as PVC or many TPV materials.

State of the art

“

The trend toward TPE is apparent in automotive applications. KRAIBURG TPE develops and produces TPE for vehicle interiors, exteriors and for components under the hood. The TPE specialist implements innovative solutions to expand the market for TPS and to optimise the existing areas of application.

”

The material requirements for window applications are especially stringent. The challenge is to provide a material that features long flow distances while maintaining a homogeneous surface appearance. Another requirement of the automotive industry is excellent weather resistance.

Tailored precisely to these requirements KRAIBURG TPE developed an innovative class of compounds: high-flow materials.

New developments produce solutions To develop this optimal material solution a KRAIBURG TPE project team focused on market analysis. The goal was to produce a material that can meet the demands of the current and future market for window encapsulations. KRAIBURG TPE decided to use an innovative raw material composition and a different manufacturing process to implement the requirements.

It was assumed that there is a direct connection between the viscosity of the material and the surface quality. This assumption proved in retrospect to be the key to success. Viscosity is a central material property. Especially since the material is processed of injection moulding and the relationship between the flow distance and wall thickness plays a significant role in this process.

Viscosity test The viscosity of TPE can be measured using a spiral flow tool. KRAIBURG TPE conducts the measurement at 200°C, a mould temperature of 45°C and an injection velocity of 30 mm/sec and a specific pressure of 600 bar. This measurement simulates the injection moulding process with the relevant shear rate.

A disadvantage of the spiral flow tool is that there is no international standard defined for this measuring method.

Another method for measuring the viscosity of a material is the MVR (melt volume rate) or MVI (melt volume index). The melt volume rate is used to characterise the flow properties of a material. The measurement is conducted with a capillary rheometer in accordance with ISO 1133. The granules are melted in a cylinder and pressed through a defined nozzle by means of a ram. The advantage is the simple measurement of the piston stroke with a known piston diameter for determining the volume of molten material, Figure 1.

30 • WWW.EPPM.COM • JULY/AUGUST 2014

Fig. 1

However, MVR is not suitable for measuring Thermoplastic Elastomers.

The velocity of the measuring ram increases during the MVR measurement.

As a result, the shear rates in the capillaries increase and the viscosity decreases. The shearing action Fig. 2 in the capillaries and the velocity of the ram continue to rise. This causes the viscosity of the TPS to decrease further. The resulting cycle means that the MVR value steadily increases during the measurement of TPS materials. Figure 2 The viscosity of thermoplastics is much less affected by shearing as opposed to TPS, which means that the polypropylene MVI remains nearly constant for example.

A third method for measuring viscosity is to use a high-pressure capillary viscometer (HCV). This instrument determines the flow properties at different shear rates. For relative measurements, five shear rates from 185.53 to 10018.77 per second are tested at a defined temperature. Figure 3/4 The essential difference to a melt index measuring instrument is that the shear rate remains constant. In addition, the pressure loss in the capillary is measured and a viscosity point is calculated.

The disadvantages of the high-pressure capillary viscometer are high investment costs and the difficulty of interpreting the results. Otherwise the HCV provides the most accurate information on viscosity.

Additional advantage of high-flow materials The new high-flow materials, a further development of the TPS formulation

by KRAIBURG TPE, fulfils all requirements of the market. The modification of the viscosity while maintaining the TPS-specific material properties makes it possible for manufacturers to use TPS for window encapsulations around thinner glass or laminated glass. Applications with very long flow distances, such as rear window encapsulations or roof trims, are also now implemented with TPS. With this innovative compound, manufacturers have lengthened the flow distances by 134%. The internal mould pressure can be reduced from 1,000 to 550 bar and reduction of the mass temperature to 35°C enables a 20% shorter cycle time.

Conclusions The new development on the basis of technical modifications of the raw materials offers significant benefits to the automotive market.

Component manufacturers can increase their cost effectiveness with the injection moulding process. Energy is saved: the new formulation decreases the internal pressure, mass temperature and cycle times.

In addition, glass breakage is reduced as a result of less strain during processing. With its high-flow materials KRAIBURG TPE has created significant added value for OEMs and maintains its position as innovation leader.

“

With this innovative compound, manufacturers have lengthened the flow distances by 134%.

”

Fig. 3

Figure 1: The construction of a MVR measuring instrument.

Firgure 2: The MVR value of TPS materials increases steadily during the measurement.

Figure 3/4: HCV measurement with TPS high-flow compounds and comparison materials: the high-flow compound TC6HFZ has a significantly lower viscosity than other materials.

Fig. 3

JULY/AUGUST 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 31

TPEs NEWS

Case Study: Swiss precision using TPE Whenever fractions of 1 mm have to be measured in the lab or shop, a vernier caliper is needed. This measuring instrument, whether mechanical or digital, is standard equipment for many types of manual tasks.

The digital vernier caliper from Swiss measuring product specialist Tesa is called Twin-CAL IP67 and bears the label ‘Swiss Made’. Its digital display is now enclosed in a protective TPE from elastomer specialist Kraiburg. The grade, For-Tec E, gives the precision measuring instrument the necessary protection against usual non-polar media and grease.

With excellent adhesion to PA12 and resistance to grease, dust and oils the For-Tec E portfolio was selected. The housing complies with IP 67, a European standard for classification of the degree of protection of electronic components or devices in housings.

Protected by a steel plate and enclosed with the robust and highly resistant For-Tec E, the housing of the Twin-CAL IP67 ensures durability and optimal sensitivity during the measurement.

The material features good touch properties and the vernier caliper fits ergonomically in the hand for precise measurements. The instrument is designed for wireless or wired operation: measurement data can be sent to a PC or tablet computer either via USB, TWIN (Tesa Wireless Interface) or a Digimatic interface.

Skin-sensitive TPE ‘just right for wearables’ PolyOne GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers, the TPE division of PolyOne, has announced that its Versaflex CE 3620 material meets all ISO 1099310:2010 testing requirements with no signs of skin irritation. These results will support the material in design choices for the wearable consumer electronics segment.

“Our pro-active work in achieving compliance for our material helps leading consumer brands gain a competitive edge by indicating that their products are made with materials tested and approved for skin sensitivity,” said Charles Page, Director, Global Marketing, PolyOne GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers. “Additionally, brand owners can accelerate time to market with this innovative material, which meets the pace of the consumer electronics market.”

Recent industry recalls and consumer concerns in the wearable electronics market have heightened the need for materials that do not cause irritation when in contact with the skin. Several Versaflex CE materials have been used in wearable electronics applications without irritation for a number of years, so the recent ISO testing results confirm their suitability.

32 • WWW.EPPM.COM • JULY/AUGUST 2014

For applications in entertainment electronics, as well as for electric tools and plug-type connections, the feel and look of the materials used are extremely important. Thermoplastic Elastomers of the For-Tec E product group can be dyed to precise specifications in various colours.

Things are looking swell for Elasto UK

Elasto UK, part of the Hexpol TPE group, has reported a growing demand for its Dryflex WS range of hydrophilic or ‘water swellable’ TPEs. Dryflex WS is a range of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), which contain hydrophilic particles. They swell at a controlled rate and percentage, with swell rates from 300 to 1000 per cent when immersed in water. When there is no longer water present the compound shrinks back to its original size, a process that can be repeated an almost unlimited number of times.

Dryflex WS materials are used in applications to form a positive seal and prevent the ingress or exit of water. Elasto UK has also developed softer grades that offer excellent drapability. They can be used in water stop applications where the profiles may be coiled or need to be fitted around complex structures.

Compounded in any colour, the water swellable TPEs are 100 per cent recyclable and can be processed using conventional plastic fabricating methods, including extrusion and injection moulding. Applications include waterstops, water treatment plants, tunnels, drains, water tanks and seals.

Dominic Philpot, Managing Director at Elasto UK, said: “The Dryflex WS compounds have been a real innovation success for Elasto UK. They were developed to address an industry demand and have seen year on year growth since they were introduced. The rapid upturn we have seen in the UK construction sector over recent months is also fuelling demand, mirrored by a growing global trend and escalation in the signoff of infrastructure and new construction investments. The Dryflex WS compounds are being used in a number of large scale construction projects in Europe and Asia.”

PolyOne helps infant care brand meet food safety standards PolyOne GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers has helped a leading Japanese infant care brand to meet stringent food safety standards.

The company helped the business to develop a new feeding set for babies and toddlers using an advanced soft grip Versaflex TPE material in the bowl, cup and spoon.

Moreover, the manufacturer was able to meet critical food contact regulations in both Japan and China while simultaneously delivering an experience that reinforces their brand reputation.

Charles Page, Director of Global Marketing, PolyOne GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers, said: “We worked closely with this customer to understand the application’s needs and were able to formulate a solution that meets today’s increasingly rigorous food-contact safety requirements.

“At the same time, we helped the customer to create a distinctive product that is dishwasher safe and softer than silicone for a more child-friendly experience.”

The PolyOne specialty formulation helped the customer meet both Japan’s Fatty Food Migration test and China’s Guobiao (GB) Standards test. In addition, this TPE material uses existing moulds, eliminating the cost of new moulds and reducing development time, enabling the manufacturer to enjoy more cost-efficient production without delay while driving brand growth.

JULY/AUGUST 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 33

PRIVATE TREATY

SALE

By order of a retained client

EXCELLENT RANGE OF COSMETIC & PHARMACEUTICAL BOTTLE MOULDS (MAINLY UNUSED) This unique opportunity also includes 3 multi-cavity preform mould sets LOCATION: Rushock, UK

FEATURING: Unique opportunity to purchase an excellent range of cosmetic and pharmaceutical bottle moulds mainly unused) IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY • Generic, own label, industry standard product design and sizes • 230 Blow Moulds, 100ml to 1 litre (numerous modern designs) • Standard product categories, liquid soap, shampoo, shower gel, hand creams etc.

• Primarily twin cavity moulds - 125mm Centres • Manufactured for Boots by Beaubury Moulds UK • Each mould complete with grippers/masks and blow pins • Also available 3 multi cavity preform mould sets for Nissei (Injection Stretch) & Jomar (Injection Blow)

The moulds are located in the UK and are immediately available either as single units or in sets/suites - see downloadable documents for complete list

For further information, please contact:

TOM HUTCHINSON

Telephone: +44 7774652425 Email: tom.hutchinson@liquidityservices.com

To view and bid on the lots, please visit:

international.go-dove.com/en/event-18662

Over 35 Years of Service

2950mm wide Welex Davis Standard sheet extrusion line with 150mm DS extruder, 33D, Flex lip die, 2950mm x 500mm 3 roll stack, pump group, haul off, guillotine.

350x600mm Rapid Series 35 Granulator.

Soundproofed. 22kw With 5 Blade Rotor, And 2 Static Blades. 2003. Fan take off. Cyclone.

90mm Welex Beringer pelletising line.

2008. Comprises 90mm Welex single screw extruder, vented with crammer option. Screen changer, Beringer pelletiser, dryer.

Tel: +44 (0) 1793 827666 Fax: +44 (0) 1793 823826

1700mm wide Bandera Virginio Mai PMMA ABS sheet extrusion line. 80mm extruder, 1600mm Simplas die, 2-7mm thickness.

Complete line 1987.

1350mm Welex 3 Roll Stack. 300mm Dia Rolls. Silent Chain. Dc drive. 3 zone pump group. 2 roll haul off 1986.

Email: sales@transxl.co.uk Web: www.transxl.co.uk

1120mm wide EDI close approach PET sheet die model H100 with Flex lip and decals. Lip heater. Lip gap up to 2.5mm 1996

SHEET LINES

EXTRUDERS

2950mm Sheet line for HDPE 2300mm Sheet line for ABS 1700mm Line for ABS and PMMA 1500mm Bandera stack 1450mm Kaufman Sheet line 1350mm Welex/union sheet line 1300mm Battenfeld Sheet line 1000mm Omv sheet line 1000mm Esde 3 rollstack 890mm Welex 3 roll stack

50mm Welex extruder 60mm BC60 extruder 63mm Davis standard extruder 90mm Egan extruder 90mm Kaufman extruder 115mm Davis standard extruder 130mm Davis standard extruder 150mm Egan extruder

115mm Davis Standard Thermatic extruder model 45IN45T . 30:1 L/D with barrier PP/ HDPE screw, 305kw motor, Fan cooled electrically heated 6 zone barrel 2008!!

863mm wide EDI Ultraflex H75 flex lip sheet die. 0-1.9mm die gap. 480V heating.

MATERIAL HANDLING

Conair CD2400H Large Carousel Dehumidifier Dryer with 7000 litre hopper.

Conair CD 2400 dehumidifier unit Ferlin gravimetric blender Colourtronic Gravimetric Blender Una dyn twin desiccant pack dehumid dryer

890mm wide Welex 3 roll polishing stack, anti stat bath, pump group, edge trim winders, haul off and 2 station winder. 1991.

Running Pet sheet from 150micron.

2290mm wide Davis Standard sheet extrusion line. Comprising 115mm Sterling extruder, s/changer, melt pump, 1750mm die head, 2290mm stack, haul off cutter.

125mm diameter Speedex pipe downstream comprising 1 x 6m vacuum tank and 2 x 6m spray tank with 3 belt haul off and upstroking travelling saw. 1995

60mm Betol Extruder Model BK60. Approx 30kw dc motor and drive. 10 zone control pane. 25D non vented barrel. Serial number A8746.

PIPE EQUIPMENT 250mm Speedex vacuum unit 125mm Speedex vacuum unit 125 Speedex Saw unit Battenfeld coextrusion sheet line extruders; 2 x 90mm single screw extruders. 30:1 L/D Screen Changer. 1200mm Epoch Die.

65mm KweenB Extruder. 32/1 L/D vented 40hp Ac motor and Inverter drive, and strand die. 2007.

2.5in Welex model 25-30D coextruder with screen changer, gear pump, melt pipe.

Control Panel mounted on extruder base.

100mm Union single screw extruder. 35D vented with fan cooled barrel. Vacuum vent.

110kw dc motor and drive. Temperature panel 1987.

700mm wide Illig RDM 63/15B cup forming line with unwind stand, former, stacker, collator, rim roller, counter and sleever.

7oz 32 cav tool, 8oz cup tool 76mm.

4 component Ferlin gravimetric blender model FGB5-4 For up to 500kg/hr. Piovan hopper loaders.

1000mm wide Omv coextrusion sheet line.

120mm and 70mm extruders, melt pump, .

1000 x 500mm polishing stack, pump group, haul off, winder, updated.

TRANSXL INTERNATIONAL • THORNHILL • SOUTH MARSTON • SWINDON • WILTSHIRE • SN3 4TA • ENGLAND MORE MACHINERY, MORE PHOTOS ON THE WEB: www.transxl.co.uk

34 • WWW.EPPM.COM • JULY/AUGUST 2014

EPPM Classif ieds

To advertise here please contact Lucinda Nicholls: T: +44 (0) 1244 680222 E: lucinda.nicholls@rapidnews.com

USED MACHINERY

MATERIALS

BLACK MASTERBATCH Compounding Pipe Film

Moulding Recycling Conduit

Speciality Engineering Polymers Whitelands Mill, Whitelands Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6UG, UK Tel: Fax: Email: Web:

(44) 0161 308 2550 (44) 0161 343 2026 aml@abbeymb.com www.abbeymb.com

MATERIALS HANDLING

Extruder and Extrusion Lines

Maschinenhandel Borowski Used plastic processing machines Injection moulding, blow moulding and accessories

Tel: +49-2244-83041 email : pmh.gmbh@t-online.de www.pmh-extruder.com

RE-PROCESSING EQUIPMENT

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

eppm To advertise here, or place display adverts in print or online Contact Lucinda Nicholls Tel: +44 (0) 1244 680222 Email: lucinda.nicholls@rapidnews.com

Tel. 0049-2173-8950790 Fax 8950799 www.mhborowski.de info@mhborowski.de

To list a directory entry online,

visit www.plastrep.com and join the world’s fastest-growing plastics community for free!

Company Abbey Masterbatch ACS/Cumberland AIMPLAS Albis asiamold Birmingham Granulators Buss CMA Moldform Colines Engel EPPM Hasco Industrierat Koch Technik Lanxess Maguire Maschinenhandel Borowski Meusburger Netstal Plastic Investments Plastrep PMH GmbH Process Control Rawmec RUD Chaines Silvergate Plastics S.i.S.e Tinius Olsen TransXL

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APRIL / MAY 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 35 JULY/AUGUST 2014 • WWW.EPPM.COM • 35

You make great things.

We make great things happen.

In March 2015, more than 60,000 professionals from every aspect of the plastics industry and its vertical and end-user markets will assemble in Orlando, Florida for the largest, most influential trade event of the year.

Expect great things.

Register for free today at www.npeguestpass.org/BPR1

NPE2015: ThE INTErNaTIoNal PlasTIcs showcasE howcasE March 23-27, 2015 Orange County Convention Center Orlando, Florida USA

Face-To-Face, NPE2012 36 • WWW.EPPM.COM • JULY/AUGUST 2014