EPPM 18.6

Nov/Dec 2016 Volume 18 | Issue 06

IN PURSUIT OF QUALITY AND ULTRA-EFFICIENCY: LABOTEK CUSTOMERS REVEAL THE BENEFITS OF EFFICIENT MATERIALS HANDLING. Cover Story | Page 8

TEAM UP. Score a touchdown with Lusin® and Ultra Purge™!

Lusin® and Ultra Purge™ form a winning combination Huddle up! Chem-Trend proudly announces that Ultra Purge™ has joined our team.

Now, Ultra Purge™ and Lusin® are together in the same line-up to provide thermoplastics processors with a full range of powerful purging compounds, release agents and mold maintenance products. Our game plan focuses on helping our customers score big with increased efficiency, less scrap and reduced operational costs. Don’t stand on the sidelines, get into the game – contact Chem-Trend today!

ChemTrend.com

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IN THIS ISSUE Pg 6

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INDUSTRY NEWS

PRINTING AND DECORATING

We get our November/December issue off to a flying start with a conversation with Albis CEO Philip O. Krahn about the direction the company is talking under his leadership.

Packaging can decide whether a product is going to be a hit or a miss and printing and decorating technology is allowing brands to be ever-more adventurous in their designs. We give an overview of the latest.

Pg 8 COVER STORY: IN PURSUIT OF QUALITY AND ULTRAEFFICIENCY Two of Labotek’s customers detail just how smart materials handling has transformed their production line into a smart factory.

Pg 10

Pg 24 Has it really been that long since K? We had a lot of fun in Düsseldorf so we’ve rounded up some of the biggest stories from the show and gathered the official show data to summarise what an epic event it was.

Pg 29

Our annual automotive spotlight is always full of exciting developments, but this one is extra special with news and features on Ascend, DSM and BASF covering their K launches and their vision for car-making in the future.

EUREKA

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Tel. +44 (0) 1244 680222 Fax. +44 (0) 1244 671074 Web: www.eppm.com C.E.O/publisher mark blezard C.O.O duncan wood

editorial editor rose brooke rose.brooke@rapidnews.com

production art & production robert wood

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

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Plastic recycling technology has been democratised. A simple design for a range of recycling machines has been made public, allowing anybody to build the machines and reuse waste plastic anywhere in the world.

outside qualifying criteria £249 please subscribe online at www.eppm.com

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

MOULD-MAKING Mould-making forms the building blocks for the plastics processing production chain and we pay it its dues, with a look at how Schneider Electric is complementing mould-making with 3D printing.

head office Carlton House, Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, Chester, CH4 9QE.

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K REVIEW

AUTOMOTIVE

Volume 18 Issue 06

Flip this magazine over for the latest from the Middle Eastern plastics market and the major shows taking place across the region.

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. © November 2016.

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.

Pg 20 BLOW MOULDING Kautex brought new blow moulding technology to K and EPPM was lucky enough to be at the premiere. We report on what this industry stalwart is doing to raise the jerrycan production game.

BPA Worldwide Membership

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A new generation takes shape.

Take the proven and tested, make it even better and explore something new – that is what makes ENGEL and their customers so successful.

Following our claim be the first, we present a new generation of injection moulding machines setting new standards. For now, we will entice you with this: We do not compromise on energy efficiency, ergonomics or precision. Do you want to know more?

www.engelglobal.com

From The Editor

The whole world talking plastic We are bookending 2016 - which brought you such headline-generating events as Chinaplas, the K previews, K and Formnext - with a backwards glance at the behemoth of Düsseldorf, where it seemed the whole world was talking plastic.

This is why this issue is ram-packed with exclusive insights we gathered during our time at the show, giving the magazine an auspicious start with our tête-à-tête with Albis CEO Philip O. Krahn. You can trace our K interviews through our eight-page automotive spotlight, where we stop in on Ascend for a comprehensive look at how the PA66 specialists are shaping the future of efficient automotive engineering, and we hear what DSM has to say about its latest automotive performance plastic ForTii Ace. Our K insights can also be espied in Blow Moulding, where we dropped in on the launch of Kautex’s KBB200 and KBB400 blow moulding systems for jerry cans, while other noteworthy K announcements are wrapped up in our four-page K Review.

Before K, however, there was TCT Show, where we stopped in on Stratasys to discuss its exciting partnership with Schneider Electric, which is demonstrating how additive manufacturing is making mould-making faster, cheaper and less wasteful.

Our cover story echoes the efficiency theme, but this time from the point of view of the customer. Two of Labotek’s customers shared their stories of how market-leading materials handling systems can go far in tackling the three-headed beast of inefficiency, bringing down cost, energy and materials wastage in one fell swoop.

There are some great stories of how plastics processing innovators are making progress across the whole spectrum of manufacturing in this issue and I enjoyed reflecting on all of them just as much as I enjoyed reflecting on K 2016 and all the interesting and entertaining meetings we had with many of you. As ever, we’re never standing still for too long at EPPM and in 2017 we are on the road again, starting with the flagship Middle Eastern plastics frontier event, ArabPlast... but more on that on the other side of the magazine, where you’ll find the annual print edition of Middle Eastern

There are some great stories of how plastics processing innovators are making progress across the whole spectrum of manufacturing in this issue.

Plastics.

Until ArabPlast, or one of the many other events we’re attending next year, I hope your 2016 comes to a happy close and I wish you a prosperous new year.

Rose Brooke, Editor

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INDUSTRY NEWS

ALBIS’ view from the top ALBIS’ busy 50th year included the appointment of new CEO, Philip O. Krahn, who sat down with EPPM to reflect on 12 months of global growth and the decisive deal with William Barnet and Son. Words | Rose Brooke

A very good partner

Phase of consolidation

Consistent with the overall market, Asian growth has slowed, while Europe and North America are still robust, yet mature, markets.

Within those regions, however, ALBIS has its ears to the ground, identifying accelerations in Eastern Europe, Mexico and pockets where the William Barnet partnership will be the catalyst for growth.

Krahn added that he can see this trend picking up in China, where ALBIS is already enjoying success thanks to its good customer relations that 'push and pull' ALBIS to innovate both for the customer and the global market.

"Barnet is a very good partner," stated Krahn. "They came with an existing infrastructure and a running business we can just dock our activities on to. We are building up our prime factory on the same premises we use for Barnet's business, so that gives us a very good base."

The ALBIS Barnet Polymers partnership will recycle, repelletise and market post-industrial raw materials for compounding Altech Eco products and strengthens both parties' influence in the South Carolina automotive hub.

We will focus on our strategic targets and put more growth into Europe and specifically our UK line, our North American business and Chinese business.

"After the crisis in 2008-09, the US radically reacted in such a way when it was over that automotive production returned to pre-crisis levels more quickly while Europe took much longer," explained Bernd Sparenberg Vice-President Technical Compounds. "The US market is strong and from our perspective, as we do not have the footprint there like we do in Europe, it's a great opportunity to be there with Barnet.

"We are taking something that's already functional and well managed and we are adding our competence - it gives us a jump start into growing our business and allows us to build our eco portfolio as the market becomes more sustainability-driven."

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Looking ahead to 2017, Krahn feels that after such an active 2016, the company needs a 'phase of consolidation' to nurture its worldwide operations, its customers and ultimately its growth.

The CEO also alluded to more partnerships along the lines of the William Barnet deal, but remained tight-lipped.

"We will focus on our strategic targets and put more growth into Europe and specifically our UK line, our North American business and Chinese business," he said. "Other countries of great interest I think include Turkey, where we've had a good distribution presence now for 12 years, and we have a lot of interest in Iran with the shift in the political situation. We are not active there yet, but it is definitely of interest."

It seems Krahn's 'period of consolidation might be as ambitious as other companies' periods of aggressive strategic growth, but the new CEO's enthusiasm will not be curbed.

"Coming into the global role now is very exciting," he admitted.

"And we will definitely continue the good work as part of our strategy to 2020."

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www.albis.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

PlasticsEurope launches Plastics Packaging Circular Economy Group

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lasticsEurope has introduced its new Plastics Packaging Circular Economy Group, a body that will work within the value chain to capitalise on plastics as a resource.

Karl-H Foerster, Executive Director, PlasticsEurope, and Patrick Thomas, President of PlasticsEurope and CEO of Covestro, presented the new venture for the first time at K 2016, highlighting plastics as a contributor to growth, jobs and sustainability, with a crucial role to play within the Circular Economy.

QUALITY LIGHTENS.

"If managed the right way, I am convinced the Circular Economy, this massive innovation capability in Europe, will contribute to overcoming some of the environmental challenges we are facing," stated Thomas.

"Plastics is already contributing to resource efficiency in the EU and we are still wasting resources that could have a second life. Every tonne of plastics that goes into landfill is utterly ridiculous.

"If reuse and recycling is not the sustainable choice, energy recovery is preferable. We have to make sure you don't lose any plastic pellets during production, we want zero plastics as marine litter and zero plastics to landfill."

PlasticsEurope is engaging with the industry value-chain in realising a vision towards a Resource Efficient European Circular Economy and aims to foster an economy where materials are not landfilled and littered, but are recovered for use in tomorrow’s products or as an energy resource.

"Life-cycle thinking is at the heart of our actions," stated Foerster. "The Circular Economy proposals should also aim to bring environmental benefits over the product’s full life cycle; it is only through the lens of resource efficiency that new approaches and holistic packaging solutions will be developed."

Lightweight design is an important and deciding factor in future mobility. This means engineering plastics and composites will play a central role, because they meet many of the requirements for low-weight construction, including stability, durability, safety, and aesthetics. Our high-tech products Durethan ®, Pocan®, and the thermoplastic fiber composite material Tepex® are always opening up new lightweight design opportunities for our customers. In addition to high-tech materials, LANXESS offers extensive experience as well as advanced design and simulation techniques for the development of sophisticated lightweight design applications. LANXESS quality keeps lightweight mobility solutions moving forward. lightweight.lanxess.com

The new plastics packaging group has been established in collaboration with the European Plastics Converters and the Plastics Recyclers Associations for added clout and to represent the industry fully as the Circular Economy's measures are rolled out. www.plasticseurope.org

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COVER STORY

In pursuit of quality and ultra-efficiency Labotek has shared two of its central drying system customers’ stories detailing just how effective materials handling technology can bring about the ultimate in efficiency and control - without compromising on quality.

Words | Rose Brooke

C

ost is no longer king in plastics, instead sharing its throne with quality. So as manufacturers invest wisely to deftly walk the tightrope between quality and cost, energy efficiency is the pole with which they keep their balance.

The energy we consume for drying our raw materials is constantly adapted to the actual consumption, and this ensures that we are not wasting precious resources.

Labotek has been ahead of this market trend for a long time, identifying that ensuring the highest standard of energy consumption management in materials handling, and drying in particular, can benefit the entire plastics processing value chain and offer customers the attractive prospect of a rapid return on investment.

Headquartered in Frederikssund, Denmark, Labotek's mission statement is to achieve continuous drying without costly interruptions to production, made possible through high quality equipment, operating at the lowest possible emissions. Labotek delivers on this with its innovative GraviDryer, drying technology that only uses the energy required for consumption, providing a solid return on investment and ultimate energy efficiency.

Winzeler Gear did not wish to sacrifice control of its costs in its pursuit of productivity gains and the highest possible quality.

The company's attitude to creativity is apparent right from entering its building in Chicago, where stunning 'gear art' rushes up to meet visitors in a riot of colour and shapes, and it is this artistic flair that makes Winzeler think differently about design and manufacturing.

Winzeler is open to intelligent solutions for automation and its plant is a well-oiled demonstration of this. The company first invested in a Labotek materials handling system back in 2002 and since then, Winzeler has built on this system step by step.

Now, in 2016, Labotek's drying, dosing and conveying system at Winzeler has been treated to the Gravi-Dryer upgrade, which tracks the filling and discharge of plastic raw materials in the most energy efficient way possible with accuracy at plus or minus 0.5 per cent and full control and tracking for material consumption per hopper.

Quality without compromising on control Gears are synonymous with control and therefore it is no surprise that precision plastic injection-moulded gear manufacturer

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Moreover, the system includes an SQL database, which stores raw material process values allowing Winzeler and other Gravi-Dryer users to secure the track record of its processes.

"You might say that we have now once more geared up to the latest technologies within materials handling," said John Winzeler, the third-generation of Winzelers to take helm of the company.

"Even though our initial Labotek system components have been in operation for almost 14 years, we have been able to optimise and expand the Labotek hardware components through the use of the latest software and Gravi-Dryer Labotek External Heat Recovery (EHR) load cell technology. Presently, we are operating one of the most sophisticated materials handling systems available in the market. The energy we consume for drying our raw materials is constantly adapted to the actual consumption, and this ensures that we are not wasting precious resources."

Care and consistency

"This is also of advantage in the dimensioning of the hopper size," Steiner explained. "We did not have to select the hopper size as stringently according to expected throughput. We have been able to choose the hoppers a little larger than actually needed and we just do not fill them to the top."

The dry air generator is regulated by frequency to provide the exact amount of airflow required and the process air directed at the drying hoppers is heated up using a heat exchanger from the cooling of the compressed air unit, which provides a consistent hot water temperature of 70 degrees Celsius. This Labotek External Heat Recovery (EHR) brings customers energy savings of up to 85 per cent.

EHR utilises external hot water from compressor cooling or other plant processes, transferring this energy into the Labotek drying system through efficient air and water heat exchange devices.

"Compared to the single units, we can now dry the material using significantly less energy," Steiner stated. "Furthermore there is less effort for our employees to operate the system. The material is automatically conveyed from the storage to the dryers and from there to the machines. This results in less spillage of material and a cleaner production with less impurities."

Every plastics processing

Command centre

Every injection moulder is different and Labotek knows that its technology has to be able to be optimised to provide solutions to a range of challenges. Ultra Reflex presented an interesting proposition for the materials handling innovator. Based in a small town in Germany's industrial heartland of Baden-WĂźrttemberg, Ultra Reflex injection moulds safety reflectors and optical components, and with 12 injection moulding machines at its plant - some of which are equipped with all-electric drives - the company is directing its investment in keeping Marcus Steiner, Ultra Reflex its busy production line up to date.

Because Ultra Reflex' products are manufactured from optical or lens-grade resins such as PC, PMMA, amorphous PA and transparent polyolefins COP and COC, the onus was on finding materials handling solutions that would treat the materials with care, ensuring the materials are consistent throughout the supply chain. Having 12 separate drying systems, however, put pressure on the company in terms of upkeep, so General Manager Marcus Steiner landed on a solution that could do the job of multiple drying units in a single central dry air generator system.

facility has daily changes in their capacity demand, which is why our GraviDryer technology is favoured by our customers for its adaptive behaviour.

The central material handling system is overseen by the central Labo-Net control centre, which comprises a visualisation of the image, overdrying protection and Labotek Energy Savings Systems (LESS) solutions including frequency regulated vacuum stations, adaptive air flow regulation and an SQL database.

Moreover, Ultra Reflex has configured its system to enable remote servicing via a VPN connection for up to three central DFDs and stores 500 recipes in its material database.

"The control allows to store and preset drying parameters as recipes centrally. The control will only allow the conveying of material to the machine if the drying quality needed is reached. All process and drying parameters are documented, alarms are stored and the system is able to record the energy consumption. With that, a comprehensive traceability is ensured," Steiner concluded.

"It is such a joy to see the Labotek equipment integrated and gradually expanded," said Labotek Marketing Manager Thomas Ringheim. "Every plastics processing facility has daily changes in their capacity demand, which is why our Gravi-Dryer technology is favoured by our customers for its adaptive behaviour."

labotek.com

Using Labotek's Gravi-Dryer technology, the DFD (Desiccant Flex Dryer) Series - which supplies up to 450 m3 per hour of dry air for ten drying hoppers - is equipped with load cells. This means that instead of a volumetric level control reporting different fill weights depending on the bulk density of the material, the system can adapt if the machines are running at different speeds, taking into account rising or falling material usage.

Winzeler Gear headquarters

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AUTOMOTIVE

arded SPE RadiciGroup jointly aw Automotive Award together with

A. Schulman launches new lowemission interior grad es

A. Schulman has launch ed two new low-emission grades to help automoti manufacturers meet new ve standards for interiors for bidding polyoxymethyle compounds to emit mo ne re than 2ppm of forma ldehyde if they are nat and 5ppm if they are ural coloured. A. Schulman’ s Schulaform 9D LE nat and Schulaform 9D DB ural LE black are both low-em ission and exhibit a high melt flow reducing melt shear and friction during the mould ing pr oc es s, wh ich als o facilitates low emission rates on the final parts. Fur ther colours could be match ed on customer request. www.aschulman.com

otive Award awarded an SPE Autom s RadiciGroup has been their clever use of plastic for er -Polytec and Daiml ma Jo 339 ies 0W pan 35 RV com r S n tne par ed Radilo diciGroup’s heat-stabilis d in a truck powertrain. Ra valve body assembly an the in in d ede ne nce ista res t pe hea sha the the BK provided ed to optimise al iterations were requir elbow innovation. Sever tual of the part and vir ed spe to d lpe simulation he the of n tio lisa rea up the final mould. use the Furthermore, ls too n high-precisio of as t, en ipm equ and -art well as state-of-the and ses injection proces y ver a ed sur assembly, en in el lev ve ati alit qu high component production. www.radicigroup.com

pertise to Konika brings tech ex automotive interiors

instruments for the two new handheld ing nch lau cG, a’s olt Min Konika ectrophotometer CM-25 o the market: the Sp , ors eri int g rin asu me automotive industry int lised features for cia spe h wit r r ete ete tom a spectropho angle spectrophotom eter CM-M6, a multiand the Spectrophotom e two new instruments Th . hes obile exterior finis tom au g rin asu me for close were developed in ding lea h wit n collaboratio find to ers tur fac nu ma car ir the et solutions to me n ctio du pro in challenges l tro con y alit qu us oro and rig ply sup throughout the these chain. By introducing nts, me tru ins le liab highly-re m fro customers will gain d an ity ctiv increased produ s. ion uct red thus cost

Huntsman wins BMW Supplier Innovation Award Huntsman’s polyuretha nes division has won a pre stigious Supplier Innova Award from BMW Gro tion up for developing a tec hnology that reduces emissions from the hig total h performance polyuret hane seating foam use its vehicles. Huntsman’s d in automotive team develo ped a unique MDI system novel polyol and forma , ldehyde ‘scavenger’ tec hnology. This innovativ chemistry enabled e BMW to reduce total emiss ions from its seating foams by a factor of ten – wit hout compromising comfor t or quality. Huntsman is the only supplier to meet the BMW Group’s ambit ious requirements for mo ulded foams.

www.konikaminolta.eu

www.huntsman.com

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag premiers compact IntElect More compact, dynam ic, precise and efficie nt than ever, at K 20 Sumitomo (SHI) Dema 16 g presented its secon d-generation of all-ele injection moulding ma ctric chines. The latest IntEle ct generation, featuring 500kN model, has bee a n designed with the au tomotive sector in min closes the price and per d and formance gap between hydraulic and all-electr machines. The foo ic tprint of the new IntElect is 20 per cent smaller tha n its predecessors. Moreover , the new IntElect range fea tures direct servo drives, enabl ing higher levels of precis ion, improved repeatability and shorter cycle times than indirect electric drives. uk.sumitomo-shi-dema g.eu

Smart-M foam Sonderhoff presents new pensing cell Smart-M

of its dis wcasing the precision Sonderhoff will be sho is foam sealing the new T-M ber 2016. SMAR cem De in . The ris Pa est at Mid por K31 Low-Emission m seal system Ferma parts e Th nt. fro the polyurethane based foa on ed with a lifting door ipp equ is l cel g ing sin glu , pen SMART-M dis for foam sealing cell on the working area the o int l ed cel g ert sin ins pen ally dis nu are ma parts to the off booth the feeding of erh ° nd So 180 a the h At wit g. le tin tab pot ng or indexi dly by means of a rotary ds. is made ultra user-frien turning within 1.5 secon n itio pos rk wo a and ion ert ins an for ing partition atic For the semi-autom of ess acc part feeding, the the at a are ion the insert light cell is secured by a the y, Alternativel grid. ly ful fed be o parts can als er nsf tra a via ly cal ati autom cell. belt running through the www.sonderhoff.com

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AUTOMOTIVE

Eurotec introduces new automotive grade

Siemens and Stratasys add volume

Eurotec is introducing a new automotive grade to its extensive portfolio of solutions to meet the ever-evolving challenges faced by the automotive industry.

An exciting new partnership between Siemens and Stratasys will expand the benefits of additive manufacturing by optimising it for volume production.

The Turkish innovator plays an active role by working with Tier 1 and Tier 2 level companies for many well-known OEMs and is growing its services and product portfolio by bringing new solutions to its partners.

Eurotec's new versatile addition to engineering plastics with polyketone for automotive applications and other industrial applications will be released under the brand name Tecoket KT. Tecoket KT compounds have high performance parameters including excellent gas barrier property with outstanding chemical resistance, impact strength and exceptional hydrolysis resistance for standing up to acid, glycol and calcium chloride in particular. The material also has excellent oxygen and water barrier capability. www.eurotec-ep.com

At Formnext Powered by TCT in Frankfurt, Siemens announced the partnership, which is intended to benefit automotive, transportation, aerospace and industrial tooling manufacture. Stratasys and Siemens have been collaborating on multiple projects including the direct link from Siemens’ NX software for CAD/CAM/CAE to Stratasys’ GrabCAD Print platform – enabling a seamless design-to-3D print workflow – and the recently previewed Stratasys Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator that incorporates Siemens’ product lifecycle management (PLM) software and its motion control and CNC automation technologies, to produce strong, lightweight performance parts.

“Stratasys is excited to formalise our partnership with Siemens and views it as a major catalyst for the industrialization of additive manufacturing,” said Dan Yalon, Executive Vice-President, Products, Stratasys. “Together, our companies are joining forces to create a cohesive, best-of-breed technology foundation that enables large-scale manufacturers to enjoy the benefits of additive manufacturing in traditional production environments.

We believe that the impact on production practices will begin sooner rather than later with the aerospace, automotive and factory tooling industries expected to benefit first.” www.siemens.com www.stratasys.com

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AUTOMOTIVE

Shaping the future of automotive with PA66 The car is a different beast to what it was ten years ago and the supply chain faces a future wrought with lightweighting, performance, fuel efficiency and cost challenges.

Ascend Performance Materials is tackling all of these head on.

Words | Rose Brooke

C

arbon reduction targets are bringing about a lightweighting revolution in car-making.

Plastics provide flexibility and performance and facilitate lightweighting, this much we know, but the challenge is how to achieve this and much more without compromising on power.

OEMs value innovation and leading brands are investing their resources to support these technical challenges, and in order for these to come to commercial fruition, materials suppliers have to respond

One man who has the answers is Vikram Gopal, Vice-President, Technology, at Ascend Performance Materials.

"Nobody wants to compromise on power while achieving fuel efficiency and one of the routes to do that is of course with turbocharging resulting in the advent of charge air cooling systems," Gopal explained. He added that most drivers are not doing long stretches on highways, instead giving their clutch hell on the city streets.

"That's also driving lightweighting," he said, "because clearly if you don't have to start and stop that mass you would be able to improve your efficiency. Also, a significant part of the energy efficiency can be gained by improving the efficiency of power transmission systems. If one

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were to run on the correct gear, you could maximise fuel efficiency, which is why we're going to see powertrains with 9-12 gears in gasoline and diesel engines. These challenges of fuel efficiency and power requirements are also driving the adoption of hybrid electrics and electrics. The ability to downsize electric motors versus gasoline engines to get the same power along with energy recovery during braking via regenerative braking systems, makes electric motors a very attractive choice."

Valuing innovation With engines looking so different from what they once were, the entire design of the car has shifted, with lightweighting playing perhaps the most important role in this evolution. So how is Ascend enabling automotive engineers to maintain power and the quality of the driving experience and how easy is it to encourage OEMs and Tier 1s to try something different?

"OEMs value innovation and leading brands are investing their resources to support these technical challenges, and in order for these to come to commercial fruition, materials suppliers have to respond," stated Gopal. "At Ascend, we are more than a participant, we want to be the ones shaping the future and this is where PA66 and its unique properties come along."

PA66 offers OEMs a balance of easy processability, heat and chemical resistance, and toughness, putting the material in a sweet spot for structural parts, cooling applications and in fasteners and cable ties for the increasing number of electronics required in automotive.

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"Our goal is to be the material solution provider to overcome some of these challenges," said Gopal.

If you can't stand the heat Gopal started with the air inductment cooling systems to counteract the enormous heat build-up in smaller turbo-charged engines, which result in air temperatures of 180-200 degree Centrigrade, and necessitates that materials exposed to this temperature exhibit good performance after prolonged exposure.

"Typical Nylon 66 in the past could only get to 170 degrees," explained Gopal, "and all of a sudden we're talking about 180 to 200 degrees as a common requirement, so we launched a new material, the Vydyne PA66 HT series which can get you up to 190 degrees of continuous heat."

A combination of new technologies like turbocharged engines and designs to minimise drag are also resulting in reduction in engine compartment size, which is causing under-hood temperatures to rocket. This is where cooling loops come into play, where engineering plastics have to withstand higher coolant temperatures over a longer duration of time, and maintain their mechanical properties.

The higher temperature, hydrolysis resistance and durability of Ascend's R530HR has been recognised by a luxury car brand as 'best in class', which came as a pleasant surprise to the Texas-headquartered company, which had no prior direct contact with the carmaker in question.

"That's kind of the recognition we've been given as a company that's going from being a participant to being a player," Gopal remarked.

Compatible chemistry Another area PA66 is helping OEMs make their vehicles ultra-efficient is in exhaust gas recycling.

A typical exhaust system can pump fumes of 600 degrees Centigrade (deg C) or higher containing nitrogen dioxide and nitrous oxide along with a small percentage of unburned fuel which is sent through a catalytic recovery system (CRS) that has to work at 650 degrees Centigrade. In order to improve fuel efficiency, a newer technology called exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is being widely introduced where 30-50 per cent of the exhaust gas containing unburned fuel is redirected into the engine via the air induction system instead of everything being sent to the CRS. This hot gas has to be cooled from 650+ deg C to 55-60 deg C in an EGR cooler to be able to be directed back into the air intake manifold.

But a further challenge is presented in the EGR loop because the condensate containing NOx are highly acidic with a pH level in the range of 2-4 making it corrosive to metals.

"Once again PA66 being a chemically compatible material can be compounded to provide hydrolysis resistance to meet industry requirements," said Gopal. "And in Europe with its CAFÉ requirements for 2020 and in the US where these efficiency targets have to be met by 2025, it's not an option to not have systems like these any more."

E&E evolution PA66 provides both a chemical and functional solution to the challenges posed to contemporary carmakers. The rise and rise of in-car electronics means keeping cables organised within housings and those ties and fasteners cannot have any affect on sound quality within the vehicle. Ascend boasts that it has the world's largest portfolio of PA66 products for cable ties and fasteners which are UV, heat and weather resistant, while maintaining their toughness.

A combination of toughness, an inherent characteristic of PA66, and rigidity can be achieved by fibre-reinforcement for structural composites, which is an ongoing project for Gopal and the experts at Ascend.

"In order to get to the lowest weight possible you need something with a high specific strength and specific modulus. One of the best options is continuous glass fibre. Now carbon fibre is a step better but the cost goes up, while short glass fibres give you lower strength so how does one now harness the strength of continuous fibres?" said Gopal.

"Look at it from our perspective, those are things we're trying to figure out: how do we participate correctly so we can influence the growth of these types of structural composites on a scale where it becomes more mainstream? We make oriented PA66 fibre which is a high tenacity fibre for tyre cords and so on, so there's various competencies we have that can enable the larger adoption of PA66."

What about the other 90% Lightweighting, performance and cost are the three items everybody along the automotive supply chain needs to get right but at some point will lightweighting not fall of the cliff? Not for a while, explained Gopal. The average car weighs 2,000kg and of that only 200kg is plastic.

"We are only 10 per cent of the total automobile weight so you can imagine where [lightweighting] can go."

Gopal ventured that the question of reaching peak lightweighting for a vehicle cannot be answered without asking where metal is the better material choice.

Once again PA66 being a chemically compatible material can be compounded to provide hydrolysis resistance to meet industry requirements

"Metals are great," he stated - not something often said by a company vying to become a materials innovation leader in automotive.

"The beautiful thing about metals is that 80 per cent of the metal gets recycled 100 per cent of the time, when it goes to the scrapyard. The challenge in engineering plastics is how do you recycle these when there's at least 30 types of polymer in one car? One idea is design for disassembly but it's a challenge for the whole industry - or an opportunity."

There is clearly work to be done and the challenges facing OEMs, and those Ascend has taken upon itself to crack with PA66, demonstrate the company’s willingness to be an innovation partner in automotive and not, as Gopal put it, as merely a participant.

"We've got to be responsible corporate citizens, however, materials developers can't do it all themselves. We need the whole value chain. Our goal is to support industry, support customers, support the market and support the applications in order to make this successful." www.ascendmaterials.com

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AUTOMOTIVE

Hyundai RN30: The perfect platform for BASF automotive innovation The Hyundai RN30 is a lesson in automotive innovation in plastics by BASF and the Concept Car proved a popular attraction when it made its K debut.

O

ne of the highlights of the K 2016 show floor was the RN30 Concept Car on BASF’s stand.

The slick vehicle - which was buried deep in crowds of curious visitors for the duration of the event - is the pinnacle of BASF automotive technology, bringing aerodynamic design and high mechanical properties together on four wheels.

Sandwich structure The RN30 had to be lightweight and have a low centre of gravity for ultimate racetrack performance. Usually, carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRP) would be the OEM's first port of call given such a brief, but the design team expanded its horizons beyond CFRP, exploring instead new lightweight technologies from BASF that are suitable for high-performance cars. These included BASF's Elastolit rigid integral foam and reaction injection moulding (RIM) systems for body panels, lending more flexibility of design.

The RN30 also features semi-structural sandwich solutions for the floor of the boot, bringing lightweighting and efficient processing to production. This and BASF's Elastoflex E spray polyurethane for super-light, rigid sandwich structures were the perfect choice for these applications.

In automotive, where reliability is essential to ensure safety, BASF employed Infinergy expanded TPUs. Combined with an elastic coating it is used in the roll bar padding of the RN30 because of its long-term outstanding resilience.

Naturally, fast cars also need high-performance brake systems, which is where Hydraulan 406 ESI comes in, extending the durability of the brake elastomer.

For the complex electronic assemblies of the RN30, BASF’s new Ultramid Advanced N was employed, allowing for miniaturisation, functional integration and freedom of design.

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'Pure driving pleasure' The new Concept Car was created to offer pure driving pleasure on the racetrack and BASF’s material solutions helped Hyundai to realise even the most daring design concepts both inside and out.

RN30 designers and racing experts from Hyundai Motorsport worked closely together to deliver an interior layout that helps the driver focus. For parts with complex geometry such as the seat shell and pan, BASF's thermoplastic composite Ultracom offers continuous fibre reinforcement in injection-moulded structures, allowing the seat to be lighter while still maintaining optimum strength and rigidity.

"We are very proud to be a vital part of the RN30,” said Raimar Jahn, President of Performance Materials at BASF. "Based on our great partnership and our innovation power, Hyundai Motor has invited us to demonstrate the capabilities of our materials in this unique concept."

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15

AUTOMOTIVE

DSM ‘claims back’ metal replacement with ForTii Ace DSM brought a big launch to K 2016: ForTii Ace, a real plastic alternative to die-cast metal for structural automotive parts. EPPM sat down with Commercial Director DSM Engineering Plastics Joost d’Hooghe to learn more.

Words | Rose Brooke

T

hirty years ago, DSM made the automotive world sit up and listen when it launched its Stanyl PA46 product into a marketplace where - at the time - metal was all that mattered.

Now, the materials science innovator is doing it all again with the 'game changer' ForTii Ace, which it launched at K 2016.

A PA-based on 4T chemistry, ForTii Ace offers metal replacement technology with the same high performance as PEEK, with thermal, chemical and mechanical properties allying it perfectly with the needs of automotive.

After a period of testing and tweaking among select OEMs and Tier 1s, DSM brought the constant-use temperature of ForTii Ace up to 150 degrees Celsius and increased resistance to automotive oils and chemicals to a standard comparable or even superior to PEEK, making it a real option for die-cast metal replacement in powertrain, transmission, thermal management and chassis applications.

"At DSM we claim to be the inventors of the high temperature polyamides with Stanyl," said Commercial Director DSM Engineering Plastics Joost d'Hooghe when he sat down with EPPM at K 2016. "With ForTii Ace, I think we're claiming back our space for high temperature. We've taken this material and set the standard and increased the envelope."

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Hesitation The automotive industry has come a long way since the launch of Stanyl in 1986 and metal replacement is one of a myriad ways OEMs are meeting efficiency targets, but there is still some reluctance to take the plunge into plastics where structural parts are concerned.

"Some are somewhat hesitant," d'Hooghe said.

"The automotive industry is fearful - they want higher reliability and safety. Fortii Ace is gives them all of this because we push the transition temperature way above 150 degrees where we're actually measuring 160 degrees to be on the safe side."

The strategy for ForTii Ace is to offer a high-spec engineering plastic that can dominate automotive across the spectrum of what normal polyamides can do up to PEEK level. PEEK, d'Hooghe explained, is really the only alternative to die-cast metal, but the advantage of ForTii Ace is once the associated costs of milling, drilling, and die casting metal are taken into account, ForTii Ace is very competitive and this could be the nudge hesitant OEMs need to move out of metal and into plastic. Moreover, the material offers acoustic advantages, which is a particular draw for the luxury car market.

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Trend-watching Three-years in the making, ForTii Ace is causing ears to prick up across a wider range of applications than just automotive.

"We're starting to get questions even though we didn't introduce it to other industries. It's a unique experience to get so much pull from the market," d'Hooghe stated.

But ForTii Ace has been optimised for structural parts and DSM is aligning itself to this section of automotive first and foremost, even though there is a wide horizon of opportunities in electronics applications.

"We are looking at the larger trends and convergence of automotive and electronics, which is quite good because those are our number one and two markets," d'Hooghe said. "We're seeing connected cars or connected appliances on wheels - whatever way you approach it, for us all these trends are very positive."

Pushing the envelope Research and development is important to DSM and d'Hooghe pointed out that DSM outspends the competition in R&D - both in application development and in developing new polymers.

"This is important, especially with the ForTii Ace which really is a new polymer, not just an additive added to a compound," he said. "We start from new chemistry to make sure we achieve these high performances because there was a plateauing of the polyamide family and by using our own in-house chemistry we could take innovation to a higher level.

"We're committed to pushing the envelope and innovating." www.dsm.com

The automotive industry is fearful - they want higher reliability and safety. Fortii Ace is gives them all of this.

The automotive industry is fearful - they want higher reliability and safety. Fortii Ace is gives them all of this.

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17

MOULD-MAKING

Stratasys and Schneider make innovation match Stratasys is known for bringing the next advancements in 3D printing technology to market and now it has met its pioneering industry equivalent in Schneider Electric.

EPPM sat down with Stratasys to talk about the match made in innovation heaven.

Words | Rose Brooke

S

tratasys is known for pushing the frontier of additive manufacturing further and now the 3D printing pioneer has met its innovation match in Schneider Electric.

The French multi-national is using Stratasys technology to deliver time and cost reductions of up to 90 per cent in making injection moulds, tool prototypes and product prototypes.

What we want our factories to be

Efficiency gains

"Schneider is an example of where additive manufacturing is going," Stratasys Marketing Manager North and East EMEA Simon Brandon told EPPM. "A couple of years ago they bought printers for prototyping, as did everybody, then they started prototyping jigs and fixtures and they started 3D printing their injection moulds as well as prototyping. What they're doing is saying this is where we want to be in the future, 'this is what we want our factories to be'."

For a company that launches 400 new products a year, the kind of time-to-market savings additive manufacturing offers the business are seriously advantageous, with the cost of producing injection mould inserts using Stratasys technology coming down to just €100, when previously the same mould insert made in aluminium would cost €1,000.

3D printing jigs and fixtures is still far from the mainstream approach, with metal dominating "because it's what we've always made things out of", stated Brandon.

"But people like Schneider are proving that plastic is more than strong enough for what they want to do.

It's lighter, it keeps its strength, it keeps its heat resistance and it’s good enough for the job."

Schneider is using a combination of Stratasys PolyJet and FDMbased additive manufacturing technologies managed via its internal model shop Openlab across its operations in Grenoble.

“This technology has changed the way we work and changes the way we think about doing things in the future,” stated Yann Sittarame, Schneider Electric. “Looking ahead, we plan to 3D print the final tools, which is perfectly achievable given the accuracy and durability of our 3D printing process."

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"On the injection moulding side, we can produce moulds quicker and cheaper than machining them out of metal, so as far as 3D printing being in competition with injection moulding is concerned, it's a complementary process and it's innovative companies like Schneider that demonstrate this."

Using Stratasys’ Connex multi-material 3D printing technology, Sittarame and his team can produce new manufacturing tool prototypes in just one week. In the past, it would have taken at least three weeks to produce the same tools using CNC machining, which amounts to a timesaving of approximately 70 per cent.

"When it comes to the materials and energy and cost savings and you’re constantly hearing figures like 70 and 80 per cent savings from customers, you kind of wish the data was a little bit worse because it makes it sound more realistic," Brandon joked.

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www.stratasys.com

HASCO makes calculated app upgrade

MOULD-MAKING NEWS

The HASCO app puts a range of practical features for mould-making in the palms of the hands of mould-makers, technicians, designers, buyers, teachers and students - and now the programme boasts another clever feature.

An innovative cutting data calculator for tool steel has been added to the core functions of the app, which include material selection, hardness value conversion, DIN/ISO tolerances for shafts and holes, a tool for the layout and dimensioning of locking cylinders, and a thread tool for recognising pitch and outside, core and flank diameters.

HASCO's new cutting data calculator makes milling data immediately accessible and by entering individual parameters, users can have the feed, rotational speed or cutting volume displayed while on the move and applied straightaway.

All the core functions can also be used without an internet connection. www.hasco.com

Meusburger makes ejection safer for complex parts Meusburger has launched the new E 1522 ejector, which is the ideal device for the safe and targeted ejection of complex parts.

A single ejector is additionally accelerated by which snagging of the injection moulded part is avoided. The injection pressure is absorbed by the ejector base plate thus the ejection accelerator does not bear any load and has a longer service life. Due to the small component size, a flexible positioning of the ejector accelerator in the ejector set is also possible when retrofitting.

The three different sizes available allow designers to install ejectors in the diameters of 3 – 11.5 mm at will. The small component size enables a flexible positioning of the ejection accelerator in the ejector set. Therefore the ejector accelerator can also be installed quickly and easily when retrofitting the mould. www.meusburger.com

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insightready.com 19

BLOW MOULDING

Kautex premieres jerrycan blow moulding technology at K There is no better platform for new plastics technologies than K 2016, which is where Kautex Maschinenbau premiered its new KBB200 and KBB400 blow moulding technology.

K

autex Maschinenbau had the perfect platform for unveiling its new KBB400 model for stackable jerrycans at K 2016, where the manufacturer of extrusion blow moulding machines showcased more new products than ever before.

Following the success of its KCC MK3 series launch at CHINAPLAS 2016 earlier in the year, as well as the

launch of its new suction blow moulding machines and drum machines, Kautex kept the new KBB200 and KB400 machines up its sleeve and ready to impress the crowds in Düsseldorf.

Both models were specially developed for the manufacture of stackable jerrycans and the KB400, which was demonstrating the process live on the show floor at K, was equipped with a Kautex threelayer head for a cost-efficient ReCo process.

Compact, efficient, fast Like the KBB machines presented at the last K in 2013, the all-electric jerrycan machines are setting new benchmarks for speed and efficiency. “[In designing the] jerrycan machine we put in a lot of effort to ensure flexible and efficient production,” explained Andreas Lichtenauer, Managing Director, in a media conference during K 2016. “The machine is compact for ease of operation and it’s already sold in the US.”

In-keeping with the ‘smart factory’ and Industry 4.0 trend that was rife at K 2016, the new KBB technology features networked post-production modules, ensuring that downstream equipment can become an integral part of the Kautex blow moulding system.

There is also a new generation of virtual machine from Kautex. Following the success of its introductory virtual machines, Kautex Maschinenbau is now launching Version 2.0 - this time with a modular concept. Virtual machines eliminate the need for training We want to apply on actual machines as well as potential risks the German of damage. In addition, philosophy of costs re l a te d to quality and material consumption are cancelled out. The production new, considerably more efficiency - but flexible virtual machines be more local to are also able to work with a variety of control our Chinese and s y s t e m s f o r Asian customers added flexibility.

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Lichtenauer summarised Kautex’s complete offering succinctly at K as “first class equipment for first class products,” and this is the case for the company’s worldwide offering.

The brand new conical extruder series with its new processing unit is extremely flexible & energy-efficient

Kautex is continuously investing in its Chinese operations to ensure that customers in Asia have the same quality of service from Kautex as its customers in Europe and North America.

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“We want to apply the German philosophy of quality and production efficiency,” explained Dr Olaf Weiland, CEO, “but be more local to our Chinese and Asian customers.”

Currently, Kautex has regional offices in the US, Russia, China, Italy and India complemented by its headquarters in Bonn. The German company employs 410 at home and a further 140 at its overseas offices and has an annual turnover of €110 million (£97 million). www.kautex.de

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BLOW MOULDING

oco blow Amcor completes Son moulding acquisition s Global Plastics

of Sonoco’ s completed its buyout co Amcor Rigid Plastics ha e closing of the Sono Th ca. eri in North Am the ced un no an s stic blow moulding business id Pla months after Amcor Rig cor acquisition comes two ition will increase Am uis acq e Th 16.

20 d 2n er mb the pte d Se an on t exp d en agreem employees an e by an additional 850 Rigid Plastics’ workforc footprint company’s operational plants in six l na itio add with an da. “This the US and one in Cana en our gth en str acquisition will on in siti po pro ue val customer sonal per the pharmaceutical, food lty cia spe and care mitt, Sch e Mik d sai segments,” ent. sid Pre s stic Pla id Rig Amcor

Sidel tech ensures ‘sen sitive drinks’ are protected Sidel is highlighting ho w beverage producers can safely handle sen and natural beverages sitive such as juices, teas and sports drinks. Sidel’s lat model for HR bottle pro est duction - the Sidel Ma trix eHR blower - add innovative dimension to s an the company’s hot fill sol utions. By using electricit instead of oil to heat y the mould for the PET bottle body, the Sidel Matrix eH R enhances operator saf ety preventing hazards. Pro bes are directly locate d in each mould shell to reg ulate the temperature as closely as possible to the PET bottle as it is forme d.

The process is very res ponsive, heating at a rat e three times quicker tha n oil, resulting in higher quality at ou tputs of up to 2,000 bottles per hour per mould. www.sidel.com

www.amcor.com

ICE Bottle wins Horners award

Accuform 300 global licences for blow moulding sim tech

simulation Accuform’s global moulding w software for blo s been ha ing rm and thermofo since ry ust ind the g supportin gy olo hn tec 1995 and now the s nce lice 0 30 e can boast som ector Dir d an er nd Fou e. worldwid and B-Sim Dr Karel Kouba’s T-Sim d money, an e saves users tim and ms ble pro pre-empting s ion cat difi eliminating tool mo s ha a ub Ko Dr packages with and part changes. h a 3D version of both wit lio rtfo po the d nte now compleme t thicknesses and any allowing users to inspec es, tur fea n tio isa tim new op r down the line. ting time wastage furthe ven pre ors err l tia ten po www.accuform.com

moulding tech OMMP-MOULDS blow cuts cycles to 25 secs est extrusion blow

S’ lat making, OMMP-MOULD Four decades in the litre HDPE jerrycans can 10for s uld h 2+2 cavity mo s built a complete moulding technology wit ds. OMMP-MOULDS ha on sec 25 t jus in le cyc complete its of and complex system h wit , intensive cooling to , ling coo st shell and po er a guarantee the custom on, uti sol te ple com d an t fas d an ling coo including postn. tio sta e on at de-flashing www.ommp.it

The 2016 Horners Bottle makers Award has gone to the ICE bottle

by R&D Tool and En gineering Ltd. Initially created for the cosmetics market, the glasslike bottle is produced using injection stretch blow mo ulding.

The result is a stackable bottle with a sleek, high-end , almost architectural look. Ma de from a copolyester supplied by Eastman, square shoulders of the the bottle allow for a simple engraving process tha can be easily read. Th t e Horners Bottlemaker s Award is jointly run Worshipful Company of by the Horners and BPF. www.bpf.co.uk/events/ the_horners_award

ST Soffiaggio Tecnica co mmands blow moulding 4.0 ST Soffiaggio Tecnica has earned its position of excellence in pariso suction technology. At n K 2016 ST exhibited the new ASPI 150.3 machi Compared with the AS ne.

PI 150.2, the new mo del offers larger platen accommodate moulds s to up to 1650mm long. Th e machine is equipped a 21,5” full HD multi-tou with ch screen that integrate s all machine functions new job-oriented and in a context-sensitive naviga tion concept. Operator login simply and quick s can ly through a personal RF ID card instead of inputt alphanumeric codes. All ing ST machines can be netwo rked and the production data made accessible to the production supervisor’s computer.

The same function can be exten ded to other factories and made available on smartphon es or tablets via the ST App. www.st-blowmoulding .com

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21

PRINTING & DECORATING

Verstraete IML to open first US production site Work has begun on Be lgium-based Verstraete IML’s first production facility in the US. Tog ether with parent company Const antia Flexibles, Verstraete IML will be abl e to use the site in Clarksville, Ten nessee to get closer to its customers in its largest growth market for IML labels outside Europe. Production wil l begin in the second half of 2017 and will have multiple printing press and finishing lines. So me 55 jobs will be cre Verstraete IML expects ated. to invest €18 million (£2 0 million) in its new US within a period of three plant years. www.verstraete-iml.co m

KraussMaffei innovates oneshot for highgloss Together with Swiss OEM Weidplas, KraussMaffei has innovated the world’s first series application of the tion moulding and painting with high ColorForm one-shot process for injec yread the g Weidplas has been producin gloss surfaces. Since June 2016, ory in new Peugeot 3008 SUV at its fact the for to-install A-pillar paneling tion reac and lding mou tion bines injec Rüti. The ColorForm technology com -step one a in g turin ufac man ed mat auto process machinery enabling fully which lastic base body forms in a mould, production cycle. First, a thermop PUA ent pon com twoa g nd cavity usin is then flow-coated directly in a seco d uere lacq red desi the with ent pon ed com or PUR paint. The result is a finish ute. min one in -quality surface, produced colour assignment and a premium

www.kraussmaffei.com

Kurz develops on process for fib e-step decorating re-reinforced parts Leonhard Ku rz, in collabo ratio

SunJet premieres new nanosilver technology SunJet has premiered its nano-silver inkjet chemistry for functional, industrial and ions int 2016. SunJet presented new edit specialty print applications at Inpr the for r cate to d lope deve y arra ls eria to its advanced conductive inkjet mat . ions licat app touch-screen technology growth in printed electronics and icles part ver o-sil nan g tions incorporatin These include new conductive solu ls tures, advanced dielectric materia pera tem r lowe at r sinte for improved al Glob rs, tions and masks. Peter Saunde as well as its latest etch-resist solu used nology is finding itself increasingly tech jet Business Director, said: “Ink that re futu ting exci this is it esses, and in all manner of manufacturing proc ent of lopm deve and arch rese the in ent continues to drive our commitm ground-breaking solutions.”

n with Bond developed a process that Laminates an enables a com d ENGEL, ha processing st s ponent to be ep. A Tepex co decorated in ntinuous-fibrefinished com one reinforced ther posite from moplastic sem Bond Laminat with plastic in ies is formed the mould, an an d ov d the compone mould foil in nt is then deco ermoulded the same sh ot. rated with inThis efficien t one-shot process significantly shortens the time required to decorate co mposites, as the customar y lacquering and polishing steps are no longer require d. www.kurz.co. uk

www.sunchemical.com

Tampoprint p resents Modu le

One at K

Tampoprint ga ve its Modul e One univer solution its K sally deployab debut last mon le building-se th. The Modul Fakuma 2015 t e One - which - is a semi-aut was introduced omated modul medium-size at ar system deve batches. The loped for smal central elemen base frame, w l- to t of Module O hich can be as ne is formed sembled flexib and can be ou on a ly. Module One tfitted with has eight stat up to thre ions e machine satellites. Pa d printing units are se lected and the remaining positions can be outfi tted with infrared or in termediate drying system s and part recognition te chnology. www.tampopr int.de

r Print leader Coveris recognised fo conversion solution

of leader Coveris scooped Flexible Pack Packaging, coatings and printing ll-fi form icalvert ble rds for its re-closa the Year at the UK Packaging Awa have to d prou very are “We berries. seal packs for dried nuts, fruits and the nt investment and development in rece our n give rd awa this ived rece on Sim ctor Dire s Coveris’ Flexibles Sale area of functional films,” stated Buswell. “Having won many awards in the past for print, this victory provides major recognition for Coveris’ conversion technical combining es, biliti capa expertise in film, labelling and print to arrive at an solution award-wining that addresses a growing consumer need.” www.coveris.com

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PRINTING & DECORATING

Coca-Cola makes smart labelling partner Coca-Cola European Partners has collaborated with its waste management company Viridor, PET UK and labelling giant Avery Dennison to meet its sustainability targets.

C

oca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) is on a mission to cut its carbon footprint and in doing so, it has identified Avery Dennison as a key labelling partner.

The beverage giant has ambitious recycling targets for its Smartwater brand and Avery Dennison, waste management company Viridor and PET UK are contributing to Coca-Cola achieving its goals.

The PET liners that carry Avery Dennison’s self-adhesive labels on the bottles can be removed and extruded ready to be reused as PET stable fibre, strapping or thermoformable sheet. Meanwhile, the Smartwater bottle is shredded by partner company PET UK for recycling.

More than 50 million bottles of Smartwater were produced in 2015 and the PET liners alone generated more than 40 tonnes of waste. This new system is expected to save around 180-200 tonnes in CO2 emissions in 2016.

Sustainability Director for Avery Dennison Materials Group Europe Xander van der Viles wants to improve on this data further as Europe adopts the Circular Economy state of mind.

“Avery Dennison was a natural choice of partner for this project, given our ambitious year-on-year sustainability goals, and the various initiatives we promote around the reduction of waste created in the self-adhesive label value chain,” he said. “We have close relationships both with PET UK and with CCEP’s waste management company Viridor, and together we have been able to establish a strategy that saves on waste and emissions while at the same time giving CCEP concrete business benefits and cost reductions.”

“Since we launched this initiative with PET UK in 2014, we have signed up many wine, spirits, beer and beverage brands. Avery Dennison has set an ambitious sustainability goal for 2025 of eliminating 70 per cent of liner waste from the industry value chain,” he added. www.averydennison.com

Busted!

This company’s QA program AND reputation With our broad spectrum of physical testing machines, software, and technical support, Tinius Olsen can help you assure quality from material to end product. To international standards and your toughest specifications. Reputations (yours and ours) depend on it.

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23

2016 REVIEW MATERIALS

K 2016 ‘a buyers’ fair’ T

he buyers flocked to K 2016, with leading industry voices indicating that the plastics industry’s purchasing power was indeed present at the leading event.

Some 230,000 visitors flooded through the doors over the course of the show, with especially high numbers of Asian visitors. This was head and shoulders above the 218,000 visitors recorded for the last outing in 2013.

Exhibitor numbers rose from 3,220 to 3,285 across the 19 exhibition halls, with companies reporting a host of new business leads and deals, many of which closed before the doors closed on the show’s final day.

“I have never seen such a vast number of decisive customers willing to buy at a trade fair before,” commented Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman of the K 2016 Advisory Board. “The number and magnitude of deals, some of which were concluded here spontaneously, as well as the many concrete enquiries about new projects by far exceed our expectations. It was clear from day one that customers wanted to not only find out about new technologies but also purchase them.”

K 2016 was a truly international event with the visitor body representing some 160 countries. Indeed, 70 per cent of visitors were from abroad and nearly 30,000 of these were from Asian powerhouses including India, China, South Korea and Iran.

The North American contingent accounted for six per cent of all foreign visitors, while neighbouring countries were represented by over 10,000 Dutch visitors, 6,700 French, 6,300 Belgian and 5,000 visitors for both Spain and Poland. Furthermore, there was a stronger interest from Turkey, Hungary and Greece.

“The breakdown of trade visitors was of an exceedingly high standard,” said Werner Dornscheidt, President & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf. “We can register a constantly good level of demand from Germany and a disproportionately high level of interest from abroad. A visit here is simply indispensable for everyone wanting to stay ahead of the competition.”

K 2019 will take place in Düsseldorf from October 16th-23rd 2019.

EUROMAP and VDMA present the plastics picture Global plastics processing is a shifting landscape and where better for the industry’s leading voices to put all their cards on the table than K 2016?

In the joint EUROMAP and VDMA press conference on October 18h 2016, Dr Karlheinz Bourdon, Vice-President of EUROMAP and Luciano Anceschi, EUROMAP President, together with, Managing Director of VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Thorsten Kühmann and Chairman Ulrich Reifenhäuser, furnished us with some key insights on the state of plastics today.

Dr Karlheinz Bourdon on China: “In 2015 we see a downturn and we will also see this in 2016. The economic situation in China is very difficult.

But those who have invested in China see good growth rates.

European manufacturers can be happy that the growing market in China is helping us with more demand for a higher end product.”

24

Luciano Anceschi on Europe’s plastics and rubber machinery sales “This forecast [of 1.8 per cent this year and for the next two years] means that the industry in the member countries of EUROMAP will continue to grow.

Between 2005 and 2015, sales in our countries rose from €9.3 billion to €15.5 billion - up by 46 per cent albeit less than the 83 per cent growth recorded worldwide for the same period.”

Thorsten Kühmann on Industry 4.0 standardisation: “You have to have common standards for Industry 4.0 to work. We now have the EUROMAP 77 standard. The good news for the customer is you have the choice and that’s the reason why we are encouraging companies to do standardisation. EUROMAP 77 defines the interface between the machine and the central computer.”

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Ulrich Reifenhäuser on the maturation of Industry 4.0: “We have some really good resources pumped into this project. It’s still in its ‘kinderschühs’. Industry 4.0 has to have a reason and this reason means customer value and its productivity: it’s efficiency, it’s quality and predictive maintenance.”

2016 REVIEW MATERIALS

Machinery Roundup Hybrid Allrounder 1120 H

PX Series and ELIOS 7500-4200

As tradition now dictates, Arburg unofficially got K 2016 started by launching its hybrid Allrounder 1120 H – a new machine size in a new design with the new Gestica control system. The largest high-performance machine extends the portfolio in the clamping force range up to 6,500 kN. Managing Partner Juliane Hehl launched the machine while introducing Arburg’s new slogan ‘wir sind da’, ‘we are here’. “Today we mark a major milestone, we are starting out a new era,” she said. “You are the first to see our new vision for the future.

Our world premiere.

A new pi o n e e r i n g machine design.”

There were rumblings of a KraussMaffei machine launch ahead of K and the plastics processing technology did not disappoint, welcoming the PX series into its growing family and finally unveiling Netstal’s new ELIOS 7500-4200. Dr Hans Ulrich Golz, Managing Director of KraussMaffei, presented KraussMaffei’s new slogan ‘Power Meets Passion’, under which, he launched the new PX series of all-electric injection moulding machines, which incorporate modular design for the clamping and injection units. He was followed on stage by Markus Dal Pian, Netstal’s Vice President Sales and Marketing, who presented the much-hyped but as-yet unseen ELIOS 7500-4200. “What is special about this machine? It’s the fastest machine in this dimension in the world with an injection speed up to 2,200 mm/s for thin wall thicknesses,” he stated. www.kraussmaffei.com

www.arburg.com

ELE Negri Bossi commenced a year of celebrations marking 70 years of manufacturing innovation with the global premiere of a new generation of all-electric injection moulding machines at K 2016. Company CEO Craig Ward unveiled ELE, which boasts improved physical specification and performance designed to have a wider appeal for packaging and medical applications. The product features a new multi-touch controller known as Tactum, which has features including remote access, an in-built camera and gesture navigation thanks to the introduction of multitouch technology. “The product is targeted at markets which require the performance that an all-electric gives and as such the specifications reflect this,” said Ward.

CAREFORMANCE EREMA demonstrated in real-world terms just how effective its industrydefining CAREFORMANCE Recycling Centre was live at K 2016. The Recycling Centre was given an auspicious opening with members of Plastics Recyclers Europe, EuPC and Borealis supporting EREMA under the “We recycle the K” motto. EREMA recycled over 30 tonnes of plastic waste live on an INTAREMA TVEplus 1108 recycling system over the course of the show, where it also demonstrated its Industry 4.0 package for plastics recycling under the CAREFORMANCE brand.

www.negribossi.com

www.erema.at

Polyreactor Jump Gneuss unveiled the Polyreactor Jump IV Booster at K 2016, which is to be installed directly downstream from the Gneuss Processing Unit and thanks to its ingenious process ensures an accurate and controllable IV boost of the PET by up to 0.3 in the melt phase. The Jump system is a compact, quick and efficient alternative to conventional SSP (solid state) systems and enables direct reintroduction of the polymer into the production process without the need to remelt the PET. www.gneuss.de

PEARLO Maag’s PEARLO Underwater Pelletizing System took pride of place on its stand at K, where the leading manufacturer of gear pumps, pelletising systems, filtration systems and pulverisers has launched it into the market.

The PEARLOFLEX System has been specially designed to manufacture spherical pellets of compounds, masterbatches, blends and recyclates. It is compatible with a wide range of polymers and thermoplastics, and can reach production rates of up to 500 kg (1,100 lbs.) an hour. evolution-of-maag.com/en/microsite

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2016 REVIEW MATERIALS

Materials Roundup Technyl 4earth

New from PolyOne

Performance materials leader Solvay chose K 2016 to launch Technyl 4earth, a ‘breakthrough’ PA 66 material with environmental advantages. “Technyl 4earth significantly reduces the environmental impact of polyamide parts to a level that has never been reached before,” said Richard Bourdon, Project Director for Move 4earth, a scheme supported by the European Commission.

“Solvay’s initial cradle-to-gate assessment shows outstanding results: carbon footprint reduced by a quarter; consumption of nonrenewable resources divided by two; and water use decreased by over two-thirds compared to traditional compounds.” Solvay is already developing a number of applications using Technyl 4earth with major players in automotive and consumer goods markets.

PolyOne used K 2016 technology to showcase new additions to its portfolio of colourants, additives and polymers. IM3D Surface Enhancement Technology creates the appearance of depth and texture on flat surfaces, offering an exciting new branding experience for packaging, personal electronics and other applications. Impress High Gloss Metallic Effect Concentrates give packaging an attention grabbing look at point-of-sale.

OnCap Laser Marking Additives are available in new formulations that enable excellent legibility at even the highest production rates. Finally, LubriOne Wear-Resistant Solutions are now available in new formulations that further improve part performance and manufacturability.

www.solvay.com

www.polyone.com

Songwon stabilisers for coatings Polymer stabilisers leader Songwon used K 2016 to premiere its new range of stabiliser solutions for coatings. The launch of Songwon’s broad range of products for the coatings market is part of the company’s expansion strategy and business development drive. Specifically designed to meet the needs of this increasingly demanding industrial sector, the new antioxidants (AOs), UVAs and HALS effectively protect coatings against the negative effects of light and heat in wood substrates for furniture and flooring, as well as applications such as automotive, transport, decorative, architectural and many others. www.songwon.com

LUMISIL 740 and LUMISIL 770 WACKER launched two new encapsulation compounds for LEDs at K 2016. The encapsulants LUMISIL 740 and LUMISIL 770 cure to form highly transparent silicone elastomers. Both silicones withstand exceptionally high operating temperatures and strong light radiation without yellowing or becoming brittle. They are thus ideal for encapsulating high-performance LEDs. A special feature of LUMISIL 740 and LUMISIL 770 is their extremely high heat, light and thermal-shock resistance.

Corresponding aging tests confirm this. After 500 hours of storage at 245 degrees Celsius, LUMISIL 740 test specimens display neither yellowing nor embrittlement. www.wacker.com

Dryflex Touch TPE HEXPOL TPE brought the latest TPE technology for wearables to K in the form of its Dryflex Touch range of TPEs designed to give a superior silky feel and touchably soft sensation.

Several Dryflex Touch series have been developed with properties designed for applications such as wearable technology, consumer electronics, smartphone and tablet protective cases, wrist straps, grips, cosmetics and packaging. Dryflex Touch TPE compounds have a smooth and velvety feel that is non-sticky and easy to clean. They also offer good scratch and abrasion resistance; all of which helps to enhance the durability, appearance and aesthetics of the final application. Dryflex Touch grades are available in a range of hardnesses from 30 to 90 Shore A and are easy to colour in a variety of vibrant shades.

SABIC PP copolymer SABIC has developed a new high-gloss polypropylene impact copolymer (ICP) grade, which is aimed at demanding home appliances as well as highend cosmetics, furniture and other household consumer goods. This material could offer new design opportunities for aesthetical parts alongside traditional engineering plastics such as ABS, at reduced cost level and high efficiency.

It offers superior aesthetic properties – such as high gloss, excellent scratch resistance and low stress whitening compared to regular ICP. “Fastmoving technology and ever-changing consumer preferences require suppliers to have flexibility, broad product portfolios, deep R&D and applications expertise, and a global footprint. We check all of these boxes,” said Alan Tsai, Director for Display & Electronics for SABIC.

www.hexpolTPE.com

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www.sabic.com

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www.granulators.org 21/01/2015 16:43

EUREKA SERIES

Democratising recycling Words | Rose Brooke

Recycling plastics presents a massive challenge to brands and consumers, but one innovator has made his invention opensource, democratising plastics recycling and enabling waste packaging to become a resource.

Netherlands-based Dave Hakkens is already ‘thinkering’ about Version 3.0 of his Precious Plastic system, a series that enables anybody to recycle their plastic waste and then produce products with the re-processed materials.

Most importantly, the instructions and kit required to make these machines are available to everybody.

“We love to see plastic getting recycled all over the world,” Hakkens says in his concise but animated promotional video for the Precious Plastic. “So we share the blueprints for these machines online, but also step-bystep instruction videos, lessons about plastic, tips and tricks and useful templates.”

These machines allow everyone to create new things from plastic, set up a production, start a business, clean up the neighbourhood.

Precious Plastic V 2.0 was launched in March 2016 and features four technologies: shredding, extrusion, injection and compression. The consumer or business owner can shred waste plastic packaging into flakes, which can then be used to make something new. The flakes can be compressed or the Precious Plastic users can make their own moulds, forming functional parts and “turning plastic waste into something valuable”.

The modular design of the technology allows users to upgrade their machines and to create systems of their own depending on how they wish to use the recycled waste plastics.

“These machines allow everyone to create new things from plastic, set up a production, start a business, clean up the neighbourhood,” Hakkens states.

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