Canadian Plastics July/August 2009

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contents

CanadianPlastics JULY/AUGUST 2009 VOLUME 67 NUMBER 5

LOOKING BACK...

Here’s a statement about the NPE trade show from the Society of the Plastics Industry, which operates the event: “Coming at a time when many questions about the economy still remain unanswered, the enthusiastic showing by a unified plastics industry clearly demonstrates its commitment to continued vigorous growth.” Must be a recent comment about NPE2009, right? Wrong. The quote appeared in the November 1975 issue of Canadian Plastics, which reported that 298 companies had registered to exhibit at NPE1976, a boost of 11 per cent from the previous show in 1973.

page 17

Number of the month:

*$5.3 million

* Amount invested by the Government of Canada in the new BioPotato Network, a portion of which money will be used to develop new potato starchbased bioplastic products. (see pg.5)

page 11

page 27

cover story 4 Editor’s View: • “Addicted to plastic”? Absolutely 5 Ideas & Innovations: • Creating eco-friendly bioplastics from potatoes 6 News: • Q&A with CPIA president and CEO Mark Badger • Signs of life at NPE2009 • News Briefs and People 9 Special Report — Energy Savings: • Free program produces significant cost savings 10 Executive’s Corner: • Logistics: The last savings domain in the plastics industry 24 Technology Showcase 27 Advertising Index 28 Plastics Data File 28 Classified Ads 29 Design Ideas: • Unusual architecture 30 View from the Floor: • Three dirty little secrets of successful processors

11 PACKAGING REPORT The world over, packaging manufacturers are looking for the same thing: quick, efficient answers to their technical problems. Canadian Plastics spotlights solutions to three different packaging dilemmas in three different countries by three different equipment suppliers. Also, there’s a new biodegradable packaging supplier on the Canadian scene: meet EcoSmartPlastics, and find out what makes them different.

PLUS: See it here first! A showcase of new packaging equipment.

features

16 NPE2009 PANEL OF EXPERTS With so much of the pre-show hype focused on who was and wasn’t exhibiting, it’s easy to forget: NPE2009 was really about new equipment. Good thing our panel of experts didn’t forget. Inside, they highlight some of the best of the injection molding, blow molding, and extrusion machinery, plus new materials, on offer at the show.

19 INJECTION MOLDING Here’s a question: as an injection molder, do you want to thrive or just survive?

During tough times, the urge to get by on auctioned equipment is strong — but transitioning into new markets is what it’s all about these days, and used machinery isn’t always up to the job. If you want to claim those markets — and leave the competition in the dust — take a closer look at some of the new equipment on display at NPE2009.

22 WOOD-PLASTIC COMPOSITES Yes, housing markets are down...but that doesn’t mean wood-plastic composites for the building industry are out. With some of the best and brightest researchers leading the charge, new technical developments continue to open up new markets for processors.

Visit us at www.canplastics.com www.canplastics.com July/August 2009 Canadian Plastics 3

editor’s view

“Addicted to plastic”? Absolutely

F

irst of all, a confession: I’m no Roger Ebert. Like most of us, I enjoy watching movies, but — also like most of us — don’t consider myself any great shakes as a film critic.

But when it comes to a new Canadian documentary that you may or may not have seen called Addicted to Plastic, I’m going to dip a toe into the water, if only because the movie offers a look at some of the forces that are trying to make “plastic” a dirty word.

First shown on CBC last year, the film has now landed on video store shelves. Call me oversensitive, but right away the title put me off. To describe something an addiction is to label it something that we’d be better off without — something to be kicked, in other words, like a methamphetamine habit. Would anyone call a documentary about the carpentry industry Addicted to Wood, or the housing market Addicted to Concrete?

Unlikely.

Plastics are no less essential, so why the pejorative?

On that point, the description on the back of the DVD case isn’t exactly subtle: “Addicted to Plastic is a shocking and global journey to investigate what we really know about the material of a thousand uses and why there’s so darn much of it. On the way we discover a worldwide waste and toxic legacy, but also we meet the men and women dedicated to cleaning it up.”

You get the message: those reprobates creating plastics are the bad guys, the “dedicated” men and women laboring to tidy up the mess are the good guys.

Try as it might, though, that breathless prose can’t quite hide the value of plastics.

Why is there “so darn much” of it? Because it does indeed have “a thousand uses”.

The “thousand uses” message is one that the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, and its EPIC environmental advocacy arm, are trying to drive home. With a streamlined staff, and new president and CEO Mark Badger at the helm, CPIA and

4 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

EPIC recently launched a new PR blitz to fight the recent slew of negative publicity.

(See pg. 6) It’s a noble idea, and something we all should wish them well at, and involve ourselves in however we can — if only as “ambassadors” (as CPIA puts it) of industry goodwill.

Maybe it’s just me, but CPIA’s initiative seems to link with the recent NPE2009 event in Chicago.

Call me an incorrigible optimist, but I can’t help thinking that the summer of 2009 will go down as the point when our industry begins to turn things around, on both the PR front (witness CPIA’s initiative, and others like it) and the economic front (witness — I think — NPE2009).

While it’s still too soon to tell, we’re all hoping that NPE2009 marks the beginning of an economic recovery. Most of us have read the dry statistics by now: the preliminary total of visitor registrations by the close of the show was 44,000, and yes, that was about 30 per cent less than the corresponding number of attendees for NPE2006. But the feeling on the show floor — at least from my experiences — was that the number of serious inquiries from attendees with real buying power didn’t decline at all when compared to previous events.

It remains to be seen whether positive discussions in Chicago will be clotheslined by the hard reality of budgetary restrictions back home, but at least for one week many of the industry’s top players seemed to enjoy the feeling that exhibiting at the event would help to move their companies in a positive direction.

At the very least, the products and technologies shown at NPE2009 reaffirmed the truth lying at the heart of Addicted to Plastic — a truth the filmmakers were too predisposed against plastics to see. Why are we addicted? Because, regardless of what product you need to make your life better, plastic delivers it.

Got it? Now go tell someone.

Mark Stephen, managing editor mstephen@canplastics.com

Canadian Plastics magazine reports on and interprets developments in plastics markets and technologies worldwide for plastics processors, moldmakers and end-users based in Canada.

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ideas and innovations

Creating eco-friendly bioplastics from potatoes

T

wenty years ago, then U.S. vice president Dan Quayle gave the gift of a potato to a generation of thankful comedians. He didn’t actually mean to, of course, but by publicly misspelling “potato” as “potatoe”, he provided comics with enough ammunition to keep their audiences laughing for months.

Today’s Canadian plastics processors looking to cash in on the ever-increasing demand for “green” products are also getting the gift of a potato. Specifically, they’re getting bioplastics made from potato starch, courtesy of the new BioPotato Network.

And they may wind up being just as grateful.

Funded by a $5.3 million investment by the Government of Canada, the broad goal of the BioPotato Network is to bring together scientists from governments, academia, and industry to collaborate on commercializing potato extracts, and, not incidentally, help to develop new markets for potato farmers.

The narrower bioplastics part of the initiative involves collaboration between plant breeders, food scientists, molecular biologists, and plant production specialists from across Canada.

IT’S ALL ABOUT STARCH First cultivated in the Andes of South America over 8,000 years ago, the potato is the world’s fourth largest food crop, a staple food for much of the planet — and rich in vegetable starch, which is the key component to any successful bioplastics initiative.

Currently, corn is the preferred source for starches used in bioplastics in North America, but researchers with the BioPotato Network believe that, due to the plentiful nature of potatoes — which grow in every Canadian province and contribute nearly $6 billion to the national economy — the starch-heavy crop makes an ideal substitute. “The potato is a starch factory, so there is a lot of raw material available for bioplastics,” said Dr. Qiang Liu, a food scientist at the Guelph Food Research Centre in Guelph, Ont., who heads the BioPotato Network’s research team.

The potato starch by-product is already used by the food processing industry as a general thickener, binder, texturizer, and anti-caking or gelling agent. It’s also used in yeast filtration, and as additives in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

All of these characteristics, researchers believe, add up to make it an ideal component for a new generation of bioplastics.

According to Dr. Liu, the potato starch is converted into a plastic-like resin that can be heated and shaped into a variety of products through an injection molding process. The resulting material is completely degradable by composting, and is an excellent material for food packaging because it allows the food to breathe.

“Food packaging made with

“Scientists believe that research with potato starch can improve bioplastics, help broaden their applications, and create bioplastics with greater water resistance, stronger mechanical properties, and greater processability.”

a blend of potato, wheat, and tapioca starch has proven durable enough to be baked in an oven and heated in a microwave, and a few companies have already started selling these bioplastics in Canada,” Dr. Liu said.

WORK TO DO Scientists believe that further research with potato starch will continue to improve bioplastics, help broaden their applications, and create bioplastics with greater water resistance, stronger mechanical properties, and greater processability.

“By examining every aspect of potato starch from molecular properties to the final product, we are working together to create a new generation of degradable bioplastics for the benefit of the future generations,” said Dr. Liu. Perhaps even Dan Quayle would approve.

BioPotato Network (Fredericton, N.B.); www.biopotatonetwork.ca; 506-452-3511 www.canplastics.com July/August 2009 Canadian Plastics 5

news

Q A

Q&A: MARK BADGER, CPIA president and CEO

How does your experience, including your time as vice president of Royal Group, prepare you to lead CPIA? I’d like to think that over the past 25 years in the industry I’ve made a lot of contacts, and understand the issues facing people in the industry. We have our own subset of issues here in Canada, and I think I understand them pretty well. I’ve also had experience putting together joint ventures and partnerships, working creatively to marshal the resources that are needed to get the job done. I believe that we enjoy a wonderful lifestyle as a result of plastic, and I’m passionate about telling that story.

QA

What’s the current state of the organization?

The truth is that CPIA is a smaller organization than it was one year ago, but so is the plastics industry in Canada. But while there is a smaller staff than in the past, it’s a very dedicated staff.

The important thing is to find creative ways of bringing value to our members, and hopefully partner with other organizations to do a better job for our members.

Q A

How do you plan to confront some of the specific issues facing the industry?

Wave number one is to help companies understand the fiscal challenges that we face. We held a breakfast in May, for example, with experts talking about which areas are hot and which are not, as well as best practices for dealing with cash-flowconstrained environments. In June, we had a webinar involving EDC, BDC, Canadian Plastics magazine and the government to talk about existing and new funding programs that are available to the plastics industry.

Wave number two is to become very aggressive in tell-

 ☛

ing the story of plastics. Unfortunately, a lot of people forget the role of plastics in developing life-saving products such as blood bags and IV tubes, and plastics in automobiles so they won’t rust.

We’re going to go mainstream with communication, and hopefully find a way to increase the resources to mobilize for this initiative.

Regardless, we’ll work with whatever we have.

Q A

Do you have plans to battle the rise of bans and antiplastics legislation?

While some chemicals are toxic in their precursor form, by the time they’re folded into a product there’s no toxicity left at all, and we have to make people understand that. We must work with Ontario, and with the federal government to make sure that legislation protects the interests of all Canadians, while at the same time considering reminding legislators of the science, and of the impact any new legislation will have on our industry. This will be a very important initiative at CPIA.

Q A

echnical advancements are key to continued T growth in any industry. Do you have any plans to strengthen ties between the plastics industry and university research programs?

The vision is to create innovation forums involving university professors, who are doing research in specific areas, outlining what type of research they’re doing in front of industry members. We then have breakout sessions between that professor and an industry professional to talk about how they could jointly fund and jointly conduct the research to complete a product or process development.

For the complete, two-part interview with Mark Badger, check out http://www.canplastics.com/video/episode27.asp and http://www.canplastics.com/video/episode28.asp

MORE CPIA NEWS • CPIA has moved to a new, smaller office.

The organization’s new address is 5955 Airport Road, Suite 125, Mississauga, Ont., L4V 1R9. Telephone, fax and email addresses will remain the same.

• Greg Wilkinson, vice president of public and

6 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

government affairs at Nova Chemicals in Pittsburgh, Pa., has been elected chairman of CPIA. He replaces outgoing chairman Dave Birkby.

• The Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC), the environmental advocacy arm of CPIA, has introduced a three-pronged campaign to promote and protect the plastics

brand. The “Intelligent Plastics” program features three key initiatives: providing information to industry constituents so that they can act as “ambassadors” to industry, establishing a media communication program to showcase plastic innovations, and setting up a website (www.intelligentplastics.ca) that provides the foundation for the communication program.

news

Signs of life at NPE2009

W

ith the outside temperature topping almost 100°F, Chicago was more hot than windy during the last week of June — but that didn’t stop plastics professionals from nearly 19,000 companies from turning out for NPE2009.

eral manager, Negri Bossi Inc. Co-located with NPE2009 was the Society of Plastics Engineers’ ANTEC

2009, the MoldMaking Expo 2009 show, and a variety of seminars, design awards, presentations and other events.

Want to see more of NPE2009? Visit http://www.canplastics.com/video/episode30.asp

 ☛

Familiar faces at the show included Paul Teutul, Sr. star of the hit TV show “American Chopper”. Teutul is posing with a chopper that was custom-built by his company, Orange Country Choppers, for NPE exhibitor Aaron Equipment Company, made from pieces of Aaron Equipment’s used and reconditioned processing equipment.

Checking out the equipment.

Held from June 22 to June 26, the trade show portion of the event had 1,851 exhibiting companies. The preliminary total of visitor registrations by the close of the show on was 44,000.

According to the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), which operates NPE, attendee registrants from Canada and Mexico made up the largest national groups attending the 2009 show.

While the total registration figure was about 30 per cent below the corresponding number for NPE2006, the number of companies represented by registrants was down only 17 per cent, indicating a relatively strong level of buying power.

“Attendance has been down in general at the show, but what we found is that the people who are here are serious, and I was delightfully surprised to see more Canadian interest at this show than at the previous show in 2006,” said Larry Pascucci, gen-

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news

Hubert Misera, president of Mississauga, Ont.-based equipment supplier Blowmoulding Technologies Inc., passed away on June 17, 2009. He was 61. Wife Brigitte, daughter Claudia, and family survive him.

The Canadian Plastics Pioneers (CPP) held a reunion and citation awards dinner in Toronto in June.

Tom Thomas (middle), former CPP chairman and co-founder of plastics processor Canada Cup, was honoured for his longstanding involvement in the industry. The evening also included the handing out of ten “Half Century” citations to members with a 50-year history in the industry.

NEWS BRIEFS

ville, Ont., has been named the Canadian representative for Frigel North America, an East Dundee, Ill.-based manufacturer of process cooling equipment.

tics Sector Council. She replaces Charlie Brimley, who left for a position as CEO of the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation.

Sheet extruder Orion Plastics Inc., of Edmonton, Alta., has appointed Mike Orr to the position of vice president of operations.

Dave Belleperche hoisting the Memorial Cup, won in May 2009 by Ontario Hockey League champs the Windsor Spitfires.

Dave Belleperche, former president of Windsor, Ont.-based moldmaking component supplier DMS, has come out of retirement and purchased DMS’s North American operations from Rubicon, an investment company headquartered in Doncaster, England. DMS North America will operate as a privately-held company, with Belleperche as it owner. There will be no changes in personnel. Frank Iatonna will remain as president, Mike Hicks will remain as North American sales manager.

Machinery supplier Auxiplast Inc., of Sainte-Julie, Que., has been named Representative of the Year by Colortronic North America Inc.

PEOPLE Steven Hamilton has been named president of Mississauga, Ont.-based equipment supplier Hamilton Avtec. Richard Hamilton becomes the company’s CEO. Amelia Siva has been named as the new executive director of the Canadian Plas-

Flint, Mich.-based auxiliary equipment maker Colortronic North America Inc. has appointed Keith Larson to the position of vice president of sales and marketing for all of ACS Group, Colortronic’s parent company.

Resin pricing and market research firm Resin Technology Inc., of Fort Worth, Tex., has promoted Lowell Huovinen to vice president, global business of its recently expanded Polypropylene Division.

Jürgen Arnold has been named to succeed Wolfgang Studener as president and CEO of Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik GmbH in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.

Saginaw, Mich.-based robotics integrator Centennial Technologies, Inc. has appointed John Nelson to the position of automation manager.

Plastic Automation Engineering Inc. is the new sales agent in Ontario for Atlanta, Ga.-based SISE Plastics Control Systems Inc. Plastic Automation Engineering can be contacted through Nick Doiu at 416237-1307, or email pae.inc@rogers.com.

Dier International Plastics, of Union8 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

Mike Orr

Lowell Huovinen

Jürgen Arnold

Speciality chemical supplier Struktol Company, headquartered in Stow, Ohio, has named Paul Danilowicz to the position of director of sales and marketing.

special report: energy savings

FREE PROGRAM PRODUCES SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS

By Graham Knowles

A

free program being delivered by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) has the potential to result in significant cost savings for plastic processors. The energy conservation program is made available through funding from the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) in order to help the province reduce electricity usage, while also helping businesses save money on their electricity bills. The CPIA program includes mini-assessments, workshops, and webinars.

Mike Bannon, vice president of production, Tempo Plastics, and Rick Hardwick, vice president of quality, Tempo Plastics, were involved in the program first hand by taking part in a mini-assessment and a subsequent workshop. The two individuals were pleasantly surprised at the electricity savings potential that could be realized from implementing a few simple energysavings measures at the plant.

“We can probably save between eight and 10 per cent a year in electricity costs, as a direct result of this assessment,” Bannon said. This translates into thousands of dollars per year.

THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG Consultants from Mississauga, Ont.-based Hatch Energy previewed the energy use and production data of Tempo Plastics’ Barrie, Ont. blown film extrusion facility before conducting an on-site walk-through assessment. The total time spent was less than one day.

“The mini-assessments are designed not necessarily to uncover all of the potential energy-savings opportunities, but rather to highlight key opportunities that the site team can get enthusiastic about, and get involved in implementing right away,” explains Jon Feldman of Hatch Energy.

BIG-TICKET ITEMS One of the most significant energy-savings opportunities came from the running

of the company’s two air compressors.

Tempo Plastics had been operating both a 150-horsepower and a 75-horsepower compressor at all times.

“During the mini-assessment, it came to light that we could run only the smaller one on the weekends, instead of running both compressors all of the time, and save around $7,500 per year,” Bannon said. The estimated savings were later verified with a power data logger.

Compressed air leaks are common occurrences at many manufacturing facilities, with a single 1/8” leak costing upwards of $1,800 a year in wasted electricity. The mini-assessment included the use of an “ultrasonic detector” that revealed many opportunities to reduce energy use by repairing leaks.

“We generally listen for leaks, but the leak detector showed us that there were many leaks that we couldn’t hear,” explained Hardwick, who adds that the company eventually invested in its own detector for $1,000 to guard against future leaks. The estimated savings from preventing leaks are $9,000 a year.

Another recommendation from the mini-assessment was for the site to investigate installing “free cooling” for the chiller circuit when the outside temperature falls below 10°C. In Tempo Plastics’ case, this could be for as many as six months of the year. Estimated savings are $14,000 a year.

ABOVE AND BEYOND In addition to the significant “big-ticket” savings noted, the consultants also pointed out a few other measures that could contribute to increased savings. These include reducing the compressed air pressure by 10psi, using outside air as intake for the compressors in the cooler weather, and shifting loads to reduce peak demand costs.

Lighting was another area that could produce additional savings, as was reduc-

ing the number of chilling systems in use on the weekends to support the printers.

MORE TO COME The recommended on-site energy-conservation savings discovered through the miniassessment were complemented by the identification of two government programs as potential sources of incentive funding for Tempo Plastics. The consultants suggested that the company investigate funding from the Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) retrofit program for small and mediumsized industrial facilities for any capital item expenditures (such as bringing outside air to the compressors), as well as the Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program (ERIP) for funding for lighting upgrades and motor efficiency upgrades. This latter program is delivered through local distribution companies in partnership with the OPA.

TEAM EFFORT Perhaps one of the most effective outcomes of the mini-assessment was the increased awareness and focus on energy conservation — on the part of everyone at the facility. The assessment included an evaluation of the team’s work practices around energy management, and the outcomes promise to deliver more energy conservation measures for Tempo Plastics in the future.

“One of the things that started changing was our staff,” explained Bannon. “The program made them more aware of energy savings. There hasn’t been a day that has gone by that someone hasn’t brought something to my attention. That’s probably a bigger gain than all of the others. It’s not just a couple of people anymore who are looking out for these opportunities — it’s everybody.”

Graham Knowles is a consultant with the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, and is running the Ontario Power Authority CPIA program. He may be reached at 905678-7405, ext. 232 or at gknowles@cpia.ca. www.canplastics.com July/August 2009 Canadian Plastics 9

executive’s corner

Logistics: The last savings domain in the plastics industry

By Mark Borkowski, Mercantile Mergers & Acquisitions Corporation

M

ore and more plastics companies, both large and small, are outsourcing all or part of their supply chain functions. In today’s competitive economy, the constant need to improve productivity and do things “faster, cheaper and better” has created a growing market for specialist providers of third-party logistics services.

Outsourcing offers significant potential advantages to the customer. Some of the key attractions include: • Reduced capital investment in real property, capital equipment and information technology infrastructure.

• Access to specialized “best-in-class” expertise and new technology (e.g., RFID).

• Better visibility for the customer on supply chain costs.

• Opportunities for process improvement and better risk management (e.g., labor disruption).

One of the key challenges for customers in completing a third-party outsourcing arrangement is negotiating the pricing arrangements. There are generally two pricing models in the supply chain context:

1

ASE FEE PLUS B UNIT PRICING

In the first model, the price charged by the service provider includes two components: a base fee, usually paid monthly, to cover fixed costs such as facility lease costs and capital equipment leases; and a variable fee, also usually paid monthly, to cover costs — such as labor — that flex with changes in product volume moving through the supply chain.

10 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

Another adaptation of this model is per-unit pricing with minimum volume guarantees. If the minimum volumes are not achieved, the customer must compensate the supplier.

The key advantages of this price model are the ability to combine price certainty, for both customer and supplier, with the flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions. The disadvantage, from the customer’s perspective, is the lack of visibility on the supplier’s cost structure and profit margins.

2 “TRANSACTIONS COST-PLUS”

An alternative pricing model for supply chain outsourcing is the “cost-plus” transaction. In this approach, the outsourcing service provider is compensated for its costs plus an agreed percentage margin, sometimes capped at a total dollar amount.

The advantage for the customer in a cost-plus transaction is that it has full visibility on the supplier’s costs and profit.

The challenges to implementing this model include agreeing on the yearly budget and productivity measures, encouraging the supplier to reduce costs (e.g., gain sharing), and allocating shared costs (e.g., supplier IT platform) between customer and supplier where many customers may share the same supplier infrastructure.

Another important financial issue that frequently arises in supply chain outsourcings involves termination rights. More and more customers are demanding maximum flexibility in their supplier relationships,

and in particular the right to terminate supplier contracts on short notice. Since a supply chain outsourcing may require significant long-term investment by the supplier (e.g., real estate, IT systems), there is a risk that early termination will expose the supplier to substantial financial losses.

To mitigate this risk, suppliers will often require the customer to compensate it for unamortized capital costs if the customer wants an early termination right.

Customers will want to ensure that they understand the nature of these costs before agreeing to this approach.

Outsourcing of supply chain functions offers many potential competitive advantages to customers. Pricing will generally be one of the most important considerations in making the decision to outsource, and there are different pricing models that may be appropriate, depending on product profile, operational risks, and the customer’s financial goals. Since outsourcing is ideally a long-term relationship, both customer and service provider have a vested interest in ensuring that the chosen pricing model provides appropriate financial benefits to both parties.

A large number of progressive plastics manufacturers and distributors have adopted this new logistics philosophy.

Those that haven’t are being left behind.

Mark Borkowski is president of Mercantile Mergers & Acquisitions Corporation. Mercantile is a brokerage that specializes in the sale of privately owned, mid-market businesses. He can be contacted at 416-3688466 ext. 232, or mark@mercantilema.com

AC AR KAG OU ING SO ND T LUTIONS H E W O RL D

packaging report

P Select a group of countries at random, and odds are that all of the manufacturers will want the same thing: quick, efficient answers to their production problems.

Canadian Plastics spotlights solutions to three different packaging dilemmas in three different countries by three different equipment suppliers. If they worked there, they’ll work for you here.

By Mark Stephen, managing editor

HUSKY IN COLOMBIA: SOLUTION HELPS PRODUCTS STAND OUT

THE CHALLENGE: It sounds like the same old story: Grasyplast SA, a leading plastic packaging company situated in Colombia, wanted to differentiate their product on the grocery store shelves with attractive, yet complex new packaging. Adding to the problem, Grasyplast — which had previously been using external suppliers to manufacture their margarine containers — wanted to begin manufacturing these containers in-house. Their existing thermoforming solution was very limiting, however, and produced containers with flimsy walls, as well as poorly printed labels.

THE SOLUTION: The existing product may have looked runof-the-mill, but the company didn’t want the solution to be. They turned to Husky Injection Molding Systems for help.

Working with other suppliers, Husky provided Grasyplast with a complete integrated solution that included hot runner, mold, machine, in-mold labeling (IML), and auxiliaries, and also offered suggestions to streamline the entire manufacturing process.

Husky’s system provided interchangeable modules for lids and containers that significantly reduced the amount of downtime between every mold change, and resulted in faster cycles: the container system now runs between 5.5 and 6.5 seconds, while the lid system is running between 4.8 and 5.5 seconds. Also, the containers were significantly lightweighted, one container by as much as five grams. Finally, the difficult application of the two label oval container — one wraparound container and one label on the bottom — demanded that the placement of the labels needed to be perfectly synchronized.

THE RESULT: Grasyplast is currently producing four containers of various sizes ranging from 125 grams, 250 grams, 500 grams, and 1,000 grams. The old-style thermoformed containers and lids have been replaced by lighter, better-looking packages that incorporate eye-catching labeling with more dynamic colors and graphics. “Not only did Husky help our product to better stand out

on store shelves, but they helped us to run a more efficient, leaner operation,” said Gustavo Barrera, Grasyplast’s general manager.

Husky Injection Molding Systems (Bolton, Ont.); www.husky.ca; 905-951-5000

WITTMANN IN AMERICA: CULTIVATING GROWTH WITH HIGH SPEED ROBOT

THE CHALLENGE: McConkey & Co., a Sumner, Wash.-based supplier of disposable plastic planter pots to the horticultural industry, wanted to increase capacity to satisfy new orders without having to purchase another injection molding machine.

THE SOLUTION: The company called on Wittmann, who took a close look at the operations on the 72,000 square foot facility.

They decided that the existing robots, not the parts, limited the machine cycles of McConkey’s two 550-ton injection machines.

One of the molds, a four-cavity mold for planter pots, was running a 7.1 second cycle, but was limited by the robot’s speed. To make matters worse, parts often fell off the existing end-of-armtooling (EOAT) during removal, meaning that the robots had to be even further slowed down in an effort to hold the parts. The end result: significantly lower output than the molds and machines were capable of.

Wittmann proposed their W732 UHSS (Ultra High Speed Servo) robot, and recommended specialized EOAT from SAS www.canplastics.com July/August 2009 Canadian Plastics 11

packaging report Automation suitable for high speed applications.

Critical to the success of the project would be the speed of the robot, and the ability of the EOAT to hold parts during robot motion. No worries, according to Erind Condon, McConkey’s maintenance supervisor. “We haven’t even come close to taxing the robot, and are looking at what other operations it might perform,” he said. “Also, the robot interfaces with the conveyor like a glove, eliminating the need for our operators to run around the machine to clear the conveyor.”

THE RESULT: The W732 UHSS robot allowed McConkey & Co. to gain 1.85 seconds per cycle for just one machine, resulting in approximately 1,250 hours of extra machine time per year, or more than a 25 per cent reduction in cycle time. Also important is what the shop didn’t have to gain: another injection molding machine, with resulting loss of floor space. The company did, however, subsequently purchase a second Wittmann robot. “Instead of spending US$600,000 on an injection molding machine, we simply bought two Wittmann robots for US$150,000, which is one-quarter of the cost,” Condon said.

Wittmann-Battenfeld (Richmond Hill, Ont.); www.wittmann-canada.com; 1-888-466-8266

KIEFEL IN GERMANY: TECHNOLOGY SATISFIES ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD

THE CHALLENGE: Recycled polyethylene bag manufacturer Pakufo GmbH, based in Sinsheim-Duhren, Germany, had a colorful-sounding problem: keeping its Blue Angel while sticking to the Green Dot. Translation: the company needed to expand to meet increased production requirements, but still wanted to retain its Blue Angel symbol of regenerated products, given out in accordance with Germany’s Green Dot waste reduction program.

THE SOLUTION: The family-owned, 45-employee-strong company called on Kiefel Extrusion GmbH, a specialist in blown film extrusion lines.

After visiting the facility, Kiefel suggested the installation of one of its Kirion generation of blown film extrusion systems, capable of processing up to 100 percent of recycled plastic — which was in accordance with the requirements of some of Pakufo’s customers.

The monolayer line installed at Pakufo consisted of a Kirion 120 30D extruder with die diameter of 350 mm, and a Kirion T 2200 film take-off fitted with deep-fold gusseting equipment.

Gravimetric dosing, a two-color inline printer, and slit-seal equipment were also integrated in the line. A Kirion W 2200S1 winder is used to wind the films. The established Kirion C unit with the C2 profile control system performs control.

The Kiefel technicians came up with a special solution to master the high throughput of the line, together with high bubble 12 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

stability, and optimum strength: the company’s Perfect Cool Vario high-output cooling system, which makes it possible to operate a cooling ring with step-less height variation, depending on the film production and product requirements.

THE RESULT: Pakufo GmbH successfully completed its expansion — which also required the construction of a 20-meter high building to house new equipment — and now produces over 18,000 tons of film per year. And the company was able to keep its Blue Angel.

Kiefel Inc. (Wrentham, Mass.); www.kiefel-extrusion.com; 508-384-1200

ECOSMARTPLASTICS: ALL-NATURAL PACKAGER COMES TO CANADA

Nothing says summer in Canada like mosquitoes and other nuisance insects. But they’d better beware: a new plastics packager has come to town with a product designed to keep them, as well as a host of unwelcome animals, at bay.

EcoSmartPlastics is the manufacturer of two distinct lines of biodegradable packaging products. The company’s Repellem green garbage bags use all-natural ingredients to (as the name implies) repel everything from dogs to wasps; Eco-Smartbags, meanwhile, are a line of unscented trash bags designed to meet the toughest industry standards.

After several years in business, the Bohemia, N.Y. company recently added Montreal-based Larry Schwartz as its executive vice president and Canadian representative.

According to company president Terry Feinberg, both Repellem and Eco-Smartbags are 100 per cent biodegradable, compostable, non-toxic, and chemical-free. But while many allnatural packagers can, and do, make that claim, few can assert the following: neither of the products requires oxygen, light, moisture, or heat to break down.

“Our technology utilizes the microbial environment that is living in a landfill, compost bin, or ocean, and doesn’t degrade without that,” Feinberg said. “This means that our products won’t degrade under the kind of heat that might be encountered on the top shelf of a warehouse or supermarket, which is a problem for packaging products made using cornstarch or oxygen-dependent additives.”

The active ingredients in Repellem and Eco-Smartbags, which Feinberg prefers to keep confidential, take between nine months

packaging report to seven years to biodegrade, depending on landfill conditions, meaning that the bags themselves will disappear completely in that time.

“We have two different additive technologies,” Feinberg said.

“Our Eco-Smartbags are made with our biodegradable technology, while our Repellem products utilize our scented techology and bio-technology.”

Whatever the active ingredients are, Repellem bags were singled out for notice in the 2007 Cool New Product Expo held

by Stamford University.

While important to its growth, the addition of Canadian representation is just one part of EcoSmartPlastics’ bigger plan. “We have two production plants in Wisconsin, and others in the U.S. that are on standby,” Feinberg explained. “We’re also finalizing deals to have several U.S. plants that will produce our products for many different retailers across the globe, including some larger corporations that are very interested.”

The company is also looking to license its technology for the production of a variety of non-packaging products.

“We’re a little company that wants to grow,” Feinberg said.

EcoSmartPlastics (Bohemia, N.Y.); www.ecosmartplastics.com; 631-273-3992

grocery bags can pose a public health risk.

The report, entitled “A Microbiological Study of Reusable Bags and ‘First or single-use’ Plastic Bags”, was based on laboratory testing of reusable grocery bags carried out in spring 2009 by two independent Canadian laboratories. A third, Toronto-based laboratory was engaged to provide oversight and evaluative commentary of the results.

The results show that reusables are a breeding ground for bacteria, and pose public health risks — food poisoning, skin infections such as bacterial boils, allergic reactions, triggering of asthma attacks, and ear infections.

According to the study, over 30 per cent of the bags had unsafe levels of bacterial contamination, 40 per cent had yeast or mold, and some of the bags had intestinal faecal bacteria embedded in their surface.

According to EPIC, the test results have been shared with the federal Sub-Committee on Food Safety — which is currently looking into the safety of Canada’s food supply chain — federal and provincial ministers of health, medical associations across the country, as well as public health officials for immediate action.

“There is a growing trend to reusable packaging overall in an effort to encourage reduction. The position of the plastics industry is clear,” EPIC said. “The industry strongly supports reduction and 10:39 recognizes of reusables as good environmental New CM and 1 reuse, 7/3/09 AM use Page 1 practice, but it does not want to see these initiatives inadvertently REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS MAY compromise public health and safety. The industry believes that POSE PUBLIC HEALTH RISK: STUDY A new report funded by the Environment and Plastics Industry appropriate research and investigation must be pursued. This testCouncil (EPIC), a division of CPIA, has concluded that reusable ing sample is but a first step.”

CPL

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packaging report

TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE

PET bottle/jar blow molding process for food, beverage applications Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI) has introduced the oPTI lightweight foamed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle/jar blow molding process, based on MuCell microcellular foam injection molding technology licensed from Trexel, Inc., to provide desirable features for those brand owners looking for a distinctive new visual presence.

The capability will now provide food and beverage brand owners with a broader range of PET container aesthetics and performance capabilities than previously possible. The process enables white or silvery colored bottles to be made without additives that can limit package recycling. Containers also have a unique surface feel, and provide tactile “traction” which minimizes slipping. This process also blow molds details more prominently, enabling decorations, such as embossed logos, to stand out better.

In addition to white or silver, blue and green hues also can be used since those color streams already exist in traditional PET recycling. The technology is also capable of producing bottles in a variety of pastel colors (amber, yellow, and pink). However, these cannot be recycled as part of the clear PET stream. Containers can be made from slightly translucent to opaque, depending on the desired aesthetics and performance characteristics.

Because the foam process adds stiffness, lightweighting of up to five per cent is also feasible without significant loss of performance. Further, the technology can produce bottles with significant light barrier characteristics of up to 95 per cent reduction in transmitted light.

Plastic Technologies Inc. (Holland, Ohio.); www.plastictechnologies.com; 419-867-5400

Surface winder reaches new widths Davis-Standard’s newest PAC 60 surface winder is capable of winding film in widths up from 80 inches (2,000 mm) to 140 inches (3,500 mm) with a single or dual winder configuration.

The winder, developed from the successful platform of the PAC 60 introduced a few years ago, uses a centre shaft support for three-inch (75 mm) cores to wind multiple slit rolls to a 30-inch (750 mm) outside diameter, while 40-inch rolls are wound on sixinch (150 mm) shafts.

This model is equipped with a motorized roll cart and shaft puller that are fully integrated into the winder’s PLC-based controller, reducing operator lifting of shafts, and automating the winding process to a higher level. A hydraulic pressure control system for lay-on arms and centre assist winding motors facilitate 14 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

good roll starts, which lead to high quality large rolls. For stretch film, a special lay-on roll is utilized on the surface drum in-feed to eliminate air, and improve film relaxation prior to winding.

The PAC 60 is well suited for stretch film winding or large roll mill operations where films are converted in lamination or made into bags or sacks off-line. The winder is designed with lay-on pressure control to prevent blocking at the core, and features a shaft accelerator to bring the new core to higher line speeds, and make transfers via an auto-cut traversing knife.

The PAC 60 is capable of speeds exceeding 200 meters per minute. While available in 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90-inch models (1,000 to 2,300 mm), the new winder extends that range to 165 inches (4,200 mm).

Davis-Standard LLC (Fulton, N.Y.); www.bc-egan.com; 315-598-7121 Auxiplast Inc. (Sainte-Julie, Que.); 450-977-0282

Small bottle system with dual parisons Wilmington Machinery’s SB (Small Bottle) system now features dual parisons, making the system 30-40 per cent more cost effective.

This latest SB system features a 50-cavity, sixlayer HDPE coextrusion system capable of more than 2,000 lbs. per hour, and 18,000 bottles per hour, depending upon the size. The system is supplied with multiple sets of molds, bottle conveying, and trimming, achieved by a combination of proprietary developments in mold design, bottle handling, high speed parison extrusion methods, and processing.

The SB system utilizes Wilmington’s mechanical cam actuated modular clamp design, and is sized to match the container size with either a 1.0 or 1.5 ton model with various mold sizes for different bottles.

SB machines are sized to match production demand with 18 to 60 cavities or more. The wheel speeds are designed to accommodate the estimated cycle time, which can be a little as six seconds for light weight dairy, juice, and yogurt containers.

Wilmington Machinery (Wilmington, N.C.); www.wilmingtonmachinery.com; 910-452-5090

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NPE2009 panel of experts

HIGHLIGHTS OF NPE2009 (ACCORDING TO OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS, THAT IS) Compiled by Mark Stephen, managing editor

MATERIALS Additives and application solutions drew attention at NPE2009 EXPERT: Dr. Donald V. Rosato, sr. research analyst, plastics, technical insights, Frost & Sullivan (Concord, Mass.)

CONTACT: www.frost.com; gander.psi@verizon.net; Tel: 978-371-0749

VERSATILE PC/ABS FR CABLE CONDUITS AND CONDUCTOR RAILS

“Who’s attending, who’s not attending” may have been the hot topic in the weeks leading up to NPE2009, but the real story of the show was new technology.

Now that the dust has settled, our experts share their views on some of the more intriguing technologies and applications on

Extruded cable conduits and conductor rails for building and construction end uses are being produced from a market-leading, halogen-free, flameretardant (FR), polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC/ABS) blend, Bayblend FR 3030, from Bayer MaterialScience.

The PC/ABS resin blends offer a favorable combination of mechanical and thermal properties.

The material has good heat resistance, rigidity, dimensional stability, easy processing, as well as high toughness even at cold temperatures, and good color stability in indoor lighting. Bayblend FR 3030 used in this application has a Vicat/B 120 temperature-rating equivalent to 115°C, a UL94 V-0 rating at 1.5 mm, and is halogen-free.

It also has good extrusion and vacuum-forming behavior. Plastics used in housings for electrical and electronics applications need to exhibit a combination of performances including high impact resistance, high stiffness, good dimensional stability, and compatibility with specific FR regulations.

display in Chicago. FLAME RETARDANT-FILLED

HALLOYSITE NANOTUBES

To replace halogenated flame-retardants, some are turning to nanotechnology. NaturalNano Inc., a developer of advanced nanomaterials and additive technologies based on halloysite clay nanotubes, is developing a range of products with extended release properties including flame-retardants for furniture applications based on its family of Pleximer products.

The nanotubes, with their hollow structure, can be filled with additives to create a slow or extended 16 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

release of the additive concentrate. For FR applications, the company believes it can develop flameretardant compounds that would release only under extreme heat conditions.

NaturalNano believes that commercializing Pleximer with extended release capabilities is not only the next step in expanding their product offerings, but also is an important next stage in the evolutionary development of nanocomposites.

THIN FILM SOLAR CELLS Less fragile than crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells, and less expensive to manufacture, the recently developed thin film solar cells (TFSC) — also referred to as thin film photovoltaic cells (TFPV) — by DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions are expected to grow at a faster rate than c-Si: from 10 per cent of the current market to about 40 per cent within the next 10 years.

TFSC may be either rigid or flexible. They are made by depositing one or more thin layers of photovoltaic material, using a variety of deposition methods, onto an array of thin substrates such as glass, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel) or plastic (e.g., polyimide). Unlike c-Si, which have light-absorbing layers on the order of 200 to 350 microns thick, TFSCs have light-absorbing layers which range between a few nanometers to tens of micrometers.

These thin film cells use one of three major semiconductor materials: a-Si (amorphous silicon), CdTe (cadmium telluride), or CIGS (copper-indiumgallium selenide). Their electrical efficiency ranges between six per cent and 20 per cent, depending on the semiconductor. Thin film solar cells that make use of other photovoltaic materials, including organic solar cells and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC), are also in development.

NPE2009 panel of experts

INJECTION MOLDING Doing more with less at NPE2009 EXPERT(S): Mark Bonifacio, principal of Bonifacio Consulting Services (Natick, Mass.)

(Assisted by) John Thomas, associate at Bonifacio Consulting Services CONTACT: mbonifacio@ymail.com, Tel: 310-683-3257

NEW HYBRIDS, MICROMOLDERS AND MORE Engel showcased an integrated energy calculator feature that displays energy consumption of individual machine motions (mold open/close, injection/holding pressure, and others), and then allows for optimization of the machine (motion) profile without affecting the cycle time. This feature on their new CC 200 controller claims to generate energy savings of 15 to 20 per cent.

Negri Bossi introduced their Janus line (160 to 900 tons) of hybrid machines that combine both hydraulic and electric motion technologies. Optimizing function and energy savings, direct drive servos run the mold clamping and screw rotation, and smart pump hydraulics run the inject, eject, and carriage movements.

Their technology uses no ball screws in the injection or eject units, while allowing for multiple (overlap) movements, application flexibility, and (optional) accumulators for high speed injection.

Wittman Battenfeld’s new generation MicroSystem 50 production cell for microparts offers two clamping forces, two new sizes of injection units, and various Wittman Battenfeld’s new generation MicoSystem 50 production cell for microparts offers two clamping forces, two new sizes of injection units and various add-on modules.

add-on modules. Their combination of plasticizing screw feeding a plunger injection unit allows parts the size of one resin pellet (or smaller) to be produced with accuracy and repeatability.

Schottli AG (Germany) displayed a 96-cavity tool in the Sumitomo-Demag booth, running their “X-light screw cap” weighing one gram (a 30 to 40 per cent reduction over conventional caps) at an impressive three seconds.

MULTI-COMPONENT MOLDING: SYSTEM FLEXIBILITY The MGS Mfg. Group displayed a multi-component, multi-material medical device that they were getting ready launch as of show time.

After more than a year of development, MGS produced the tool, and will also run the parts for their client. In addition to the whole package that MGS can offer, they also can produce bolt-on injection units that can be customized to specific applications or existing presses, as well as mounted on the platens or mold for either top or side injection. This allows the mold to be designed around the part, instead of being dictated by the limitations of a two-shot machine, helping to get to the most efficient system possible, in addition to lower investment cost, and added flexibility. Multi-component projects can now be done without purchasing a full multi-component machine that may or may not be utilized for other projects. This is especially critical for custom/contract molders.

EXTRUSION Trends and how-to in extrusion EXPERT: Allan L. Griff, consulting engineer (Bethesda, Md.) CONTACT: www.griffex.com; algriff@griffex.com; Tel: 301-758-7788

MATERIAL SAVINGS With most processors not buying much new equipment, I’ve decided to be a maverick journalist and talk about extrusion trends on evidence at NPE2009, and directions and how to follow them.

It should never be forgotten that material — not equipment — is by far the major cost in most extrusion (power is a distant third).

This means that anything that can save material is worth talking about. The show was full of devices that allow closer control of thickness (gear pumps, automatic die-lip adjustment, and better data acquisition systems to locate and help fix out-of-gauge problems), additives that can reduce material costs (including foams,

and filler/reinforcements), and both equipment and materials that can increase re-use of scrap, trim, and purchased recycle in ways that truly replace new material. Such equipment includes finer grinders, melt indexers, and moisture testers. Resin-saving additives include compatibilizers, antioxidants, and chain extenders.

HIGHER OUTPUT ISN’T HIGHER PROFIT Increasing production rate always takes top headlines, as processors think that if they can make it faster, they can save money.

Higher output rate isn’t always higher profit, however, as it may affect wall thickness control (more scrap, thicker aim to avoid service failure), and increase linear orientation, which affects www.canplastics.com July/August 2009 Canadian Plastics 17

NPE2009 panel of experts physicals, forming behavior and post-extrusion shrinkage. Also, if you can’t sell more, making more lb./kg per hour might get the product to the customer faster, but won’t help the bottom line much, if at all.

Don’t confuse higher screw speed with higher production rate.

A very fast screw in a smaller barrel can often produce as much as a slower, more conventional machine, and may even reduce degradation because of shorter residence time even at higher melt temperature. There may be feeding problems with some materials, however; also, be sure to compare output per unit investment at equivalent quality, rather than just output per inch of barrel size.

In cases where higher speed does lead to savings, static mixers will help in cases where mixing is the limit to rate. Remember that

sometimes changing concentrate carriers, and/or using smaller particle sizes and/or a dispersing agent, can have similar effects.

This is not to say that there weren’t unusual extrusion applications at NPE2009. Two extrusion applications won awards for innovative product design: a filtration assembly that combined tiny lumen tubes in an extruded-net enclosure, and a “wrap” of UHMWHDPE sheet to protect wooden pilings for piers and docks.

Further questions? I presented a 1-hour web-seminar on Extrusion at NPE for IDES-The Plastic Web on July 7, which is archived on the IDES site (www.ides.com) and may be accessed through their site at no charge. I would also be glad to reply to emails or phone calls related to this or any other extrusion question.

BLOW MOLDING Fewer blow molding machines than at previous shows, but interesting applications EXPERT: Ottmar Brandau, OB Plastics Consulting (Wasaga Beach, Ont.) CONTACT: www.blowmolding.org; mainpagelist@blowmolding.org; Tel: 705-429-1492

EXTRUSION AND COMPRESSION BLOW MOLDING A noteworthy display of extrusion blow molding was Techne Technipack Engineering from Italy, which showed two large shuttle machines. The single shuttle System 10000-S900 produced 2.5-gallon multi-layer containers in three cavities.

More dramatic was the Advance Model 4-510 shuttle that uses a brand new concept to boost productivity. Previous Techne models had featured a head-to-cavity ratio of 1:1, while most double-sided machines from other manufacturers use a ratio of 1:2. The Advance model, however, has only one head to supply four cavities, giving it a 1:4 ratio. This is accomplished by having two separately controlled blow clamps on either side of the 5-head, moving them back and forth as they pick up parisons and then blow them. The allelectric machine has a dry cycle time of two seconds, and molded a 22-gram bottle at 8,000 bottles per hour in 20 cavities.

Bekum America Corporation uses a very different concept to boost output. Previous designs had featured two bottles spaced vertically (“Tandem Blow”) but the machine featured (but not running) at NPE2009 showed a mold with two bottles spaced horizontally. This “Multi-Parting Line” is similar to what injection molders know as a stack mold. It uses the same machine frame and controls, with a special head and blow pin station. The machine on display was set up to mold a 30-gram bottle in 16 cavities at a rate of 5,250 bottles per hour.

Sacmi of Italy showed a new compression molding machine for containers that molds a preform, then blows a container similar in principle to the injection blow molding process. The CBF range of machines excels in lower power consumption, and quick color changes, and is geared towards the market for smaller pharmaceutical containers. Outputs of up to 21,000 bottles per hour 18 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

Bekum America’s BM-406D MPL machine, featuring a “Multi-Parting Line” mold.

are said to be achievable.

Another machine shown running was an 88-ton IBM machine at the booth of PET All Manufacturing Inc. The model, 300/700 with inverted head, was molding a 30-ml, six-gram bottle running with 16 cavities at an output rate of 5,000 bottles per hour.

STRETCH BLOW MOLDING On the PET stretch blow molding side, SIPA of Italy showed three machines with two, six, and 12 cavities respectively. The exhibited SFL 2 machine was molding two four-gallon containers at an output rate of 1,100 containers per hour. The same machine can also produce a 40-litre container in a single cavity. The displayed rotary SFR 12 EVO heat-set machine uses molds that are electrically heated rather than with high viscosity oil. This allows an easy switch between hot-fill and standard applications, a “hot” topic for many companies that need this flexibility to adjust to seasonal demand fluctuations.

Canadian moldmaker Wentworth also showed improvements in heat-set molds. The Wentworth mold shells are thermally isolated from the carrier, resulting in energy savings, and reduced temperatures in the blow machine.

When it comes to linear stretch blow machines, all-electric (i.e., non-hydraulic) machines are becoming more and more popular. As in injection molding, solving the large clamp tonnage requirements is key. Canadian machinery producer Amsler Equipment showed single and dual-cavity machines that can blow up to 1,800 bottles per cavity per hour, and feature several servomotors, including the stretch rods.

CPL

injection molding

INJECTION MOLDING: THE FUTURE IS HERE

By Mark Stephen, managing editor

For injection molders looking to thrive, not just survive, inexpensive used equipment bought on auction won’t cut it for long. Like it or not, getting into new markets like medical parts molding involves getting cutting-edge technology. NPE2009 was the place to see it...and this is the place to read about it.

A

sk most plastics professionals and they’ll tell you that in the processing world, injection molding commands a lot of attention. If it were a country, it would be America. If it were a crime fighter, it would be Superman.

If you wanted to actually see the Man of Steel, you’d probably have to settle for going to the video store. For the latest in injection molding technology, the best place to be was in Chicago, at NPE2009 in June.

Whether you did or didn’t attend the show, here’s some of what was new in hydraulic, allelectric, and hybrid technology.

HYDRAULICS

Battenfeld’s new TM Xpress is designed for high speed, thin-wall packaging applications such as in-mold labelling (IML), with standard high performance features that provide precision, accuracy, and repeatability for the most demanding short cycle applications, the company said.

Milacron’s new PowerPak is available as an all-electric on all four machine axis’s (clamp, injection, ejection, extruder), or as a combination of the ejector and injection axis as hydraulic.

Photo Credit: Milacron Inc.

Hydraulic accumulators allow high injection speeds up to 2,209 cm3 per second, and acceleration rates up to 10,000 mm per second, which are required for thin-wall parts. The accumulators are also used to allow ejector or core pull movements to take place parallel with the clamp movement, as well as for simultaneous injection during clamp pressure build-up.

The TM Xpress also features an optimized toggle design to reduce lubrication to a minimum.

And there are no moving platen bushings, so the tie bars are free of lubrication. High precision linear guides are used to support and guide the moving platen, eliminating the need to make adjustments for heavy molds.

The AC servo screw motor is standard and offers plasticizing independent of all other machine functions. Injection, hold, and back pressure are controlled via servo valves. The machine is designed for quiet operation, producing less than 72 dbA. Besides IML, the TM Xpress can handle a variety of other products, such as caps and closures, buckets, and medical parts.

New from Boy Machines is the Boy XS unit, intended for high precision micro and sprueless single-cavity injection molding.

An 11-ton clamp machine, the XS is available in both horizontal and vertical configurations, with a compact footprint: the horizontal XS machine needs 0.81 m2 of floor space, while the vertical Boy XS V requires just 0.63 m2.

The two diagonally positioned tiebars allow easy access to the mold area, the company said, while the ejector is also easy to get at. Both configurations come with 12-mm plasticating units, and Boy Machines’s Procan Alpha Controls.

Engel introduced the new duo pico line of two-platen machines, a hydraulic product line www.canplastics.com July/August 2009 Canadian Plastics 19

injection molding

Engel’s new duo pico line of two-platen machines, a hydraulic product line built for mid-size molding applications, and described as compact, fast, and economical.

Photo Credit: Engel

built for mid-size molding applications, and described as compact, fast, and economical.

Designed for quality requirements, and available in sizes from 500 to 770 tons, the pico design provides a minimal footprint (under 24’ for duo 550 pico), low weight, and a dry cycle of 2.6 seconds.

The duo pico achieves energy savings similar to fully electric machines, Engel said, but has the ability to maintain that energy-efficiency in applications utilizing hydraulic components, such as hydraulic core pulls, hot runner needles, and mold mounting systems. The variable drive motor is intended to achieve the right operating point for each movement.

The machine is equipped with an electric plasticizing unit, which allows the hydraulic pumps to idle during plasticizing, for additional energy savings.

ELECTRICS & HYBRIDS Available with clamping forces between 66 to 352 tons, the new Allrounder H/ Hidrive series from Arburg is designed for shorter cycles.

The machines have hydraulic injection units from the company’s Allrounder S Advance line, coupled with an accumulator, and a servo electric screw drive for plastication.

According to Arburg’s sales director Helmut Heinson, the Hidrive machines can offer energy savings of up to 40 per cent

over a standard hydraulic machine, compared with 50 per cent for an all-electric machine. Part of the reason for the energy savings is the Hidrive’s use of energy recovery during braking, Heinson added.

Changing of the hydraulic accumulator is dynamically regulated, Heinson said, meaning that the pressure level is automatically adapted to the actual demand, thereby using the minimum required pump capacity.

The new Mars series from Haitian is designed to integrate all of the features of the traditional hydraulic Haitian Saturn series, but with the enhancements of a servo motor dynamic control system to improve molding precision, and reduce energy consumption.

The response time of the drive system is very fast, according to Glenn Frohring, president of Absolute Haitian. “It requires 0.05 seconds to reach the maximum power output,” he said. “Cycle time is substantially shortened compared with traditional hydraulic machines, and efficiency is significantly improved.”

Compared with conventional hydraulic machines, energy savings of between 20 per cent and 80 per cent can be reached, Frohring said.

Milacron’s new PowerPak unit has power in the form of an accumulator offered on the injection end to give comfort to processors who might not normally consider a hybrid machine. Designed to

20 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

incorporate and extend the company’s Powerline NT series, the PowerPak is available as an all-electric on all four machine axis’s (clamp, injection, ejection, extruder), or as a combination of the ejector and injection axis as hydraulic.

According to Andy Stirn, Milacron’s market development manager, the model offers processors flexibility with machine design, and provides the low energy consumption in the packaging industry for thin-wall, high-speed consumer products.

Standard features of PowerPak include Mosaic control with enhanced capabilities and multiple language capabilities, SERVTEK feed screw technology including the BARR VBET feed screw, elimination of servo valve technology, and split base design for easy rigging and installation.

“Initial models will be available in sizes of 440 and 550 tons of clamping force, and we plan to follow with models up to 1,125 tons,” Stirn said.

Negri Bossi’s new range of Janus hybrid machines combine electric actuators for mold clamping and screw rotation with hydraulic actuators for injection phase, and offer overlapping movements, as well as a high degree of configuration flexibility.

According to Larry Pascucci, general manager of Negri Bossi Inc., the Janus line marks the first time that the company has offered a fully hybrid unit, previous combined machines having been restricted to

injection molding

hydraulic machines with electric screw drive.

Negri Bossi has engineered the new Janus series to achieve the same energy consumption of a full electric machine on all the clamping unit functions, Pascucci said. The technical solutions adopted are the same as the company’s Red Devil series.

The clamping unit movements are achieved by means of an electric torque motor directly coupled to the recirculating ball-screw. The core puller solution is the same as that on the Canbel full electric machines.

Janus machines can be supplied with either variable delivery pumps, when the molding is a technical part requiring an injection speed up to a maximum of 100 mm per second; or accumulators and servo valve for speeds up to 250 mm per second for thin-wall parts, or very short cycle times.

All-electric machine pioneer Nissei showed its NEX series, which offer automatic clamping force correction function, and high precision metering control as standard equipment.

The toggle-type automatic clamping force mechanism can automatically correct the clamping force that was affected due to the rise of mold temperature during automatic or continuous operation of a molding machine. This function also allows users to change the clamping force during automatic operation.

High precision metering control permits the selection of a control mode “Pre Pack” or “Precision Metering,” which materialize high precision metering during molding operation.

One of the models, the all-electric NEX 110-18E, has been crafted specifically for molding bioresins such as polylactic acid.

Sumitomo Plastics Machinery, recently affiliated with Demag Plastics Group, introduced the new SE-DUZ direct-drive all-electric model at NPE2009, running a 64-cavity medical pipette mold on a 10-second cycle.

Like the predecessor SE-DU series, the SE-DUZ features four direct-drive, Sumitomo AC servo motors with full closedloop control, and digital sensors for plasticizing, injection, clamping, and ejection.

All four motors are beltless, Sumitomo said, providing mechanical efficiency, repeatability, and durability, and avoiding the problems associated with belt adjust-

ment and dust.

Designed for clean room environments, Toshiba Machine’s all-electric EC180 series uses no hydraulic oil, eliminating spills, contamination, and disposal, and cutting machine electricity usage up to 80 per cent, the company said. It also runs quieter, reducing the need for ear protection, and improving work conditions.

At NPE2009, Toshiba Machine showcased the all-electric EC180NII, with IML technology from Imdecol, to mass-produce ready-to-use plastic containers in a single turnkey operation.

According to Toshiba Machine’s technical sales manager Mike Werner, Imdecol’s IML complements Toshiba’s EC180NII, a 180-ton, high speed, high cycling, high performance system that is well suited for packaging, medical, food processing, and other applications. CPL RESOURCE LIST Absolute Haitian (Worcester, Mass.); www.absolutehaitian.com; 508-459-5372 Shadow Automation (Uxbridge, Ont.); 905-649-2652 Lutek Plastic Equipment Inc. (Dorval, Que.); 514-421-8963 Arburg Inc. (Newington, Conn.); www.arburg.com; 860-667-6500 Dier International Plastics Inc. (Unionville, Ont.); 905-474-9874 D Cube (Montreal); 514-272-0500 Boy Machines Inc. (Exton, Pa.) www.boymachines.com; 610-363-9121 Plascom Plastic Machinery (Toronto); 416-491-8450 Barway Plastic Equipment Inc. (Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.); 450-455-1396 Engel Canada Inc. (Guelph, Ont.); www.engelglobal.com/na; 519-836-0220 Milacron Canada Inc. (Burlington, Ont.); www.milacron.com; 905-319-1919 Accuplast Solutions (Kirkland, Que.); 1-866-630-0808 Negri Bossi Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.negribossi.com; 905-625-7257 Nissei Plastic Industrial Co./En-Plas Inc. (Toronto); www.en-plasinc.com; 416-286-3030 Sumitomo Plastics Machinery (Norcross, Ga.); www.sumitomoPM.com; 770-447-5430 Plastics Machinery Inc. (Newmarket, Ont.); 905-895-5054 Toshiba Machine Co. America (Elk Grove, Ill.); www.toshiba-machine.com; 1-888-593-1616 CNSmith Plastics Machinery Sales (Georgetown, Ont.); 416-917-3737 Wittmann Battenfeld (Richmond Hill, Ont.); www.wittmann-canada.com; 1-888-466-8266

Photo credit: Trex Company Inc.

wood-plastic composites

WPC UPDATE:

ALL PROCESSORS ON DECK

W

e all know that the U.S. housing market — the source of so much business for Canada’s wood-plastic composites (WPC) manufacturers — has seen better days.

How bad is it? According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, housing starts in May 2009 were down a whopping 42 per cent from 12 months earlier.

And while this certainly doesn’t spell good news for Housing markets WPC suppliers, there is a silver lining, according to the may be down, experts: new markets are being identified, and researchers are at work improving product quality to allow WPC but that doesn’t suppliers to begin making inroads as soon as possible.

mean WPCs are

OPPORTUNITIES

out. New technical With homeowners trying to spruce up the homes they developments are can’t afford to sell, one of the biggest areas of WPC opening up new opportunities for processors. The only trouble is, not all of the kinks have been worked out yet.

By Mark Stephen, managing editor

growth, everyone agrees, is in decking. According to Chicago-based market research firm The Freedonia Group, U.S. demand for WPC decking is forecast to rise 9.5 per cent per year through 2013, while demand for the smaller plastic decking segment is projected to advance 10.2 per cent annually.

No one familiar with the benefits of WPC materials will be surprised by the reasons given for this. “Consumers will be attracted to these decking materials due to their long life spans, minimal maintenance requirements, and imperviousness to degradation caused by general wear and tear, and long-term exposure to moisture,” the company said. “While decks made from these materials generally cost more initially, they require less annual maintenance than most wood decks, thus offering customers savings in the long term.”

Papers presented at the 10th International Conference on Wood & Biofibre Plastic Composites, held in May 2009, detail some of the challenges of delivering these characteristics. They also spotlight other new market opportunities, as well as technical developments needed to make WPCs more palatable to the decision makers.

According to Dr. Robert Tichy of Washington State University and Dr. Paul Smith of Penn State University, the fencing, door, and window parts segments are

22 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

showing encouraging signs of growth, continent-wide.

“The demand in North America for WPC fencing and siding is expected to expand, and so is the need for trim boards and molding, door and window components, and roofline products,” they said. “Building professionals want WPCs to show long term durability, which the industry is working to improve,” he said. “A second issue facing WPC molders in this market, however, is one that they can’t directly control: building codes and standards need to be developed to cover the use of WPCs.” Drs. Doulgas Gardner and Yousoo Han, University of Maine, suggested other areas of growth in structural engineering markets, in particular construction (foundation elements), marine infrastructure (pilings, decking and beams), and transportation infrastructure (recreational bridges).

They also mapped out some of the technical challenges facing WPC processors looking to pursue these markets. “Current concerns about property and performance of structural WPCs are stiffness limitations, creep, brash failure, impact resistance at cold temperatures, and stiffness reductions due to moisture up to 50 per cent,” they explained. “What’s necessary to cross into these new markets are modification of the thermoplastic/wood fibre mix into stiffer, more resin-like materials; and also better bonding between matrix and fibre by advances in additive and cross-linking technologies.”

OBSTACLES In all of these markets, long term durability and cost remain the crucial hurdles for WPC products to clear.

“Product issues continue to be mold and discoloration, weathering, decay, and high prices,” said Dr. Jeffrey Morrell, Oregon State University. The solutions, he continued, include adding fungicides, anti-oxidants, UV stabilizers, and pigments to prevent mold and discoloration; and adding water repellants, smaller wood particles, and preservatives to combat weathering and decay. “These are all useful measures, but cost becomes an issue the more we resort to them,” he said. “It’s a problem the WPC industry still has to solve.”

CPL

technology showcase

AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT

Five-servo axis robot for stack molds Wittmann’s new W823 dual arm telescopic robot with five-servo axis is designed for automation of stack molds and other applications requiring two vertical arms.

The W823 dual arm telescopic servo robot allows simultaneous or sequential operation of each vertical arm in order to remove parts from stack molds in medium tonnage machines up to 400 tonnes (440 U.S. tons). The independent control also permits operation with family stack molds where parts have different designs and handling characteristics.

The W823 servo dual arm telescopic robot has a fixed kickstroke beam, and two telescopic vertical arms on the Y-axis, offering payloads of three, five, or 10 kg for each arm. The Y-axis provides fast strokes of 1,000 mm or 1,200 mm with minimum vibration, while reducing the clearance requirements for applications with low ceilings or other obstacles like cranes, mezzanines, etc., and where robot automation may not have previously been possible.

Wittmann Canada Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ont.); www.wittmann-canada.com; 888-466-8266 Anplast Inc. (Anjou, Que.); 1-800-387-4590

Compact and portable railcar unloader A compact and portable unit for moving resin in and out of silos is now available. The bulk unloading power pack from Hamilton Avtec has a combination filter receiver and air lock built into a single platform.

It is skid mounted, and can be moved with a forklift.

The components are modular, so the unloader can be retrofitted to various applications. It features high level sensing controls that are easily customizable.

24 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

Filter cleaning is automatic.

Rates start at 5,000 lbs./hr, and up.

Hamilton Avtec Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.) www.hamiltonavtec.com; 1-800-590-5546

Metal detecting screenless granulators

Rapid Granulator has unveiled its next generation RG-Series screenless granulators with Integral Metal Detection (IMD).

The RG-Series is a family of eight basic models ranging from the very small RG-1, dedicated to grinding the smallest sprues and rejects, to the RG-4 Twin, capable of granulating very large injection moldings such as dashboards and bumpers. Of key importance to processors is that integral to these next generation granulators is the latest technology to protect them from damage, and ensure operator safety, enhanced capacity, and simplified maintenance.

Specifically designed for beside-thepress grinding of hard and brittle materials, the RG-Series slow speed, screen-

less granulators feature Rapid’s patented IMD technology. IMD virtually eliminates the risk of damage to the machine from metal fragments that may have entered the regrind chain undetected. Additionally, it minimizes the possibility of these small metal fragments passing through the machine to damage downstream equipment, such as injection feeder screws, or even molding tools.

Rapid Granulator (Cranberry Township, Pa.); www.rapidgranulator.com; 814-437-7164 Dier International Plastics Inc. (Unionville, Ont.); 905-474-9874 DCube (Montreal); 514-272-0500

Conveyor fits into tight corners The new Low Profile Conveyor from Dynamic Conveyor fits into tight spaces, makes a positive environmental impact, and offers a lower cost of ownership to businesses in the plastics industry.

The conveyor offers a sustainable conveying option for organizations whose conveying needs change, whether every week, every six months, or every five years. Using conveyor modules as short as 6.5 inches in length, companies can easily lengthen or shorten the conveyor in a matter of minutes without compromising the integrity of the conveyor.

Conveyor modules connect and reconnect to form low profile modular conveyor systems from four to 60 inches wide and

of varying lengths up to 50 foot long. Low profile plastic modular conveyors feature high-impact polycarbonate construction, which provides strength and durability.

Dynamic Conveyor (Muskegon, Mich.); www.dynamicconveyor.com; 1-800-640-6850 Plastics Machinery Inc. (Newmarket, Ont.); 905-895-5054

technology showcase

Film-scrap reclaim system for extrusion The ScrapSaver, a new integrated filmscrap reclaim system from The Conair Group, recovers trim scrap, roll scrap, and hand-fed film scrap, grinds it, and then reintroduces it to the extruder without hang-ups, surging, and clumping.

The system can handle film-fluff addition rates of 25 per cent or more, and keeps virgin and ground fluff separate until just before they enter the extruder feed throat.

The ScrapSaver machine is designed to deliver a consistent ratio of ground scrap and virgin pellets. Two hoppers keep virgin and fluff separated until it reaches the feed throat and is introduced to the screw flights. An auger in the fluff hopper ensures consistent feeding of the scrap, while the virgin pellets are gravity fed.

Four different auger sizes are available to match virtually any extruder size or throughput rate.

The ScrapSaver auger is driven by a variable-speed AC drive motor, and controlled from a touchscreen operator panel displaying the motor load and speed.

The Conair Group (Cranberry Township, Pa.); www.conairnet.com; 1-800-654-6661 Hamilton Avtec Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.); 1-800-590-5546

the throat of the processing machine.

The Opti-Mix blender comes standard with the new TSM Auto-Clean system, which allows for automatic cleaning from the floor level, reducing production downtime, labor costs, and any unnecessary safety risks associated with employees reaching elevated machines.

TSM Control Systems Inc. (Alpharetta, Ga.); www.tsmcontrols.com; 770-8866630

CONTROLS & MONITORING Energy-saving controls can be retrofitted

Omron Canada has introduced two new technologies to the industrial control market: GTC (Gradient Temperature Control), and OCC (Optimum Cycle Control).

Originally designed for silicon wafers and the manufacturing of large flat screen TVs, GTC saves energy by co-coordinating zones: when a neighboring zone has excess heat, the system will detect this and use this power by anticipating the transfer from zone to zone.

Gravimetric blenders save resin TSM Control’s new Opti-Mix range of gravimetric blenders are designed to allow processors to reduce their raw material usage by increasing their regrind processing capability, while improving product quality.

The mixing technique virtually eliminates variations due to bulk density by delivering consistent, homogeneous mixing of materials of all densities. The mixing auger also creates a downward force to cram difficult regrind materials through

Energy-savings are also significant with the G3ZA energy management module, which uses OCC to sequencefire Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) in a multi-zone application. The module accepts the MV signal from each loop connected, and switches at zero-cross ordinary SSRs. At half cycle 60Hz, this is 8.3 milliseconds, which allows for faster, more precise application of power compared to the previous method of switching SSRs. In addition, the module can stagger

the half cycles in which the multi-zones fire, dramatically reducing peak power.

Both units can be retrofitted to existing processing quipment using Omron’s “Plastics Retrofit Kits”. The retrofit kits are designed to provide the installer with the exact components packaged up in a cost-effective kit, developed for specific machine types such as injection molding, extrusions, blow molding, mold hot runners, and blown film.

Omron Canada Inc. (Toronto); www.omronworksforme.com ; 416-286-6465

Pressure sensor for small parts molding The new miniature type 6184AA pressure sensor from Kistler Instrument Corp. is designed for molding small thermoplastics components.

Highly articulated components for precision medical devices is a particularly suitable application where advanced process control can often extend quality expectations.

The integral cable with side exit permits placement in confined molds and resists twisting within the mold. With a sensing face of 1.2 mm, and short body, a supplied sleeve further eases integration and adaptation to molding arrangements where up to eight sensors may be used.

With a measuring range to 2,000 bar, the piesoelectric element reacts quickly to pressure dynamics for exact mold filling.

Kistler Instrument Corp. (Amherst, N.Y.); www.kistler.com; 1-888-547-8537 Ontor Ltd. (Toronto); 416-781-5286

EXTRUSION

Compact, easy to operate extruder The ZE Basic compounding extruder from Krauss Maffei is a compact and easy-tooperate machine offering a superior cost/ performance ratio. www.canplastics.com July/August 2009 Canadian Plastics 25

technology showcase

ZE Basic extruders are available in six sizes featuring screw diameters of 26, 34, 42, 52, 62, and 77, covering a performance range of 25 kg/h to 3 t/h.

These state-of-the-art machines, with a ratio between internal and external screw diameter of five and a specific torque factor of 10.5 Nm/cm3, are well suited for 80 per cent of all traditional compounding applications. The process-technical spectrum of this series includes simple alloying and blending, as well as the production of filled or reinforced plastics and of masterbatch compounds.

The heating capacity in the melting zone was substantially improved by providing an increased number of heating cartridges. In addition, a modified feed zone was introduced to further enhance the flexibility of this machine. This newly developed feed zone can be combined with all elements of the modular system.

Krauss Maffei Corporation (Florence, Ky.); www.kraussmaffei.de; 859-283-0200

Vacuum sizing tank for medical tubing applications New from CDS - Custom Downstream Solutions, the medical highprecision vacuum sizing tank is designed for the precise shape requirements of medical tubing.

The unit provides efficient filter water cooling, while maintaining an enhanced heat transfer rate.

The stainless steel retractable water reservoirs allow for easy cleaning access, reducing maintenance downtime, and increasing overall productivity.

An exterior adjustable standpipe and three exterior product support rollers allow the operator to make adjustments without halting production, increasing line productivity.

The tank is controlled by manual knobs for horizontal and lateral movement, and an easy PLC controlled longitudinal adjustment, allowing for three-axis movement.

CDS - Custom Downstream Solutions, Inc. (Lachine, Que.); www.cdsmachines.com; 1-877-633-1993

TESTING & COLOR MATCHING

Color formulation software packed with features Datacolor’s new Match Pigment 2.1 intelligent color formula26 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

tion software expands the functions and capabilities of previous versions by offering improved features including next generation matching algorithms, product line options critical for decorative paint manufacturers, and the new Q function.

Collectively, the features and functions of Match Pigment 2.1 provide a solid foundation for an integrated solution from the color laboratory, through the supply chain, to the final product by helping each department innovate faster, reduce product costs, and ensure consistent color quality. Match Pigment 2.1 also serves as a major upgrade for all previous versions of Datacolor Match Pigment software.

Engineered algorithms provide faster, more accurate, and consistent matching for opaque, transparent, and translucent materials.

Based on the industry leading Sybase database, Match Pigment 2.1 provides referential integrity, flexible data access throughout the enterprise, and fast performance for even very large databases.

Datacolor (Lawrenceville, N.J.); www.datacolor.com; 609-924-2189 Prism Instruments (Pickering, Ont.); 1-888-717-7476

MOLD COMPONENTS

Baffles provide faster mold cooling times D-M-E Company has introduced its new Turbulent Flow Plastic Baffles for faster mold cooling, and reduced cycle times.

The Baffles feature a proprietary design that eliminates cooling blowby, and seals the plastic blade of the baffle within the mold’s cooling channels to ensure uniform cooling. The innovative plastic baffle design creates turbulence within the cooling liquid — typically water or oil — serving to increase heat transfer, and cool parts more quickly than traditional baffles.

Made entirely with an engineering grade thermoplastic — nonhygroscopic, glass-reinforced polypthalamide — Turbulent Flow Plastic Baffles perform extremely well even in high heat production environments, and maintain their rigidity and other physical and mechanical properties at high temperatures over time. They are less expensive than brass baffles; and because they can be cut to length with standard shears, there is no need for secondary procedures associated with cutting and soldering traditional brass baffles.

Incorporating a Turbulent Flow Plastic Baffle into a mold’s design nearly eliminates stagnant laminar flow cooling, as turbulent flow dissipates about three times the BTUs compared to laminar flow.

D-M-E of Canada Ltd. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.dme.net; 1-800-387-6600

technology showcase

Full color mold ID plaques

New from DMS are mold plaques printed in full color with high resolution (300 dpi), an improvement on difficult-to-read black and white plaques.

The plaques are high heat thermoset graphics printed on an aluminum substrate. They are protective coated and alcohol and kerosene tested. The cost is $12.50 per plaque, and they can be ordered with a one to two day turnaround.

Also available are larger mold identification plaques, magnetized to stick onto molds to make it easy to find them in storage.

The plaques are made by ICS Laser Technologies Inc. DMS has been appointed the exclusive North American distributor.

DMS North America (Windsor, Ont.); www.dmscomponents.com; 800-265-4885

HOT RUNNERS

Hot runners for high cavitation molding Incoe Corp. has developed a series of hot runner systems designed for the processing of commodity-grade resins used in high cavitation molding.

Quick-Flo (QF) systems are used specifically for caps/closures, medical disposables,

pharmaceutical, and packaging applications that demand maximum output, repeatable part quality, and superior cosmetics.

Nozzles are available in three popular sizes with flow channel diameters of 3 mm, 5 mm, and 8mm, and with shot ranges of 3g—375g. Gating options include thermal tip and valve gate with tips manufactured using highly conductive materials for optimal thermal response.

For added processing value, QF systems that use Opti-Flo manifolds with Beaumont Technologies Inc.’s MelfFlipper technology can provide improved cycle times and processing capability.

QF systems are packaged in standard cavity layouts common to the high cavitation markets, and they are to be sold as complete injection halves.

Incoe Corp. USA (Troy, Mich.); www.incoe.com; 248-616-0220

Hot runner system saves costs Mold-Masters has introduced their new Sprint hot runner system, for cycles between three and six seconds.

The Sprint system uses a unique nozzle tip design coupled with Mold-Masters leading manifold technologies to provide significant performance benefits for

beverage closure molders.

Sprint systems have 10 per cent lower pressure drops, greater than 90 per cent fill balance, and 25 per cent faster color changes than comparable systems in the field. This allows molders to reduce part weights, and bring molding costs down to new thresholds.

Mold-Masters (Georgetown, Ont.); www.moldmasters.com; 905-877-0185

MATERIALS

New family of opaque blends Eastman Chemical Company and PolyOne Corp. are commercializing a new family of opaque blends based on Tritanbrand copolyester. The new products are blends of Tritan and ABS, and are being marketed as Edgetek XT brand high performance blends.

The new materials — made at PolyOne’s headquarters site in Avon Lake, Ohio — have exceptional chemical resistance and hydrolytic stability, as well as superior toughness, high gloss, and ease of processing.

Edgetk XT is well suited for handheld device applications, and products that require aesthetically pleasing and durable housings, like hand-held GPS and PDA systems, binoculars, small electronics, battery powered tools, housewares, and sporting goods.

The new Tritan-based products can replace polycarbonate in injection molding with minimal retooling.

Tritan/ABS materials can compete with polycarbonate/ABS blends, and can improve opportunities in product design, PolyOne Distribution Canada Ltd. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.polyone.com; 1-888-394-2662

advertising index Advertiser Arkema Canada Inc. Auxiplast Canadian Plastics Resin Outlook Conference Clariant Masterbatches Division Compact Mould Haremar Hosokawa Alpine American Kiefel Inc PCS Company Vortex Valves

Page 2 23 31 back cover 13 13 15 7 21 30

Telephone

E-mail

Website

800-567-5726 polymers.canada@arkemagroup.com 866-922-2894 info@auxiplast.com 416-510-5116 jnancekivell@canplastics.com 888-621-1282 905-851-7724 info@compactmold.com 905-761-7552 x 204 info@haremar.com 508-655-1123 bobh@halpine.com 508-384-1200 info@kiefel-inc,.com 800-521-0546 sales@pcs-company.com 785-825-7177 rbarragree@vortexvalves.com

mary.jankovic@arkemagroup.com www.auxiplast.com www.canplastics.com/Conference/ www.clariantmasterbatches.com www.compactmold.com www.haremar.com www.halpine.com www.kiefel-extrusion.com www.pcs-company.com www.vortexcanada.com

www.canplastics.com July/August 2009 Canadian Plastics 27

plastics data file

Get free information from the companies that interest you most.

Contact the company directly using the telephone number, e-mail address or web site listed below

WITTMANN INNOVATIONS

Innovations - Wittmann’s quarterly newsletter - offers plastics processors detailed insight into ways to improve their businesses with news and application stories covering Robots and Automation, IML, Injection Molding Machinery, Material Conveying, Drying and Blending, Granulation and Temperature Control. It is available in print and on-line.

Wittmann Canada Inc., 35 Leek Crescent, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4C2; Tel. 1-888-466-8266; www.wittmann-canada.com.

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MATERIALS

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

MOLDS

Aluminum Mold & Pattern Ltd. CAD design, patterns, 5 axis CNC, fixtures Locations in Toronto and Mexico Tel: 416-749-3000 Fax: 416-749-4701 www.seatmold.com

SERVICES INTEGRITY TESTING LABORATORY (ITL) INC.

20 YEARS IN SERVICE OF MAJOR PLASTICS, PACKAGING & RECYCLING INDUSTRIES ISO 9001:2000 and CGP registered

Comprehensive analysis, testing, R&D of plastics and polymers. Q.A./Q.C. - troubleshooting, customer returns; failure analysis; manufacturing process control, reverse engineering, case studies. RoHS, environmental, physical, chemical, mechanical testing. All major test procedures: glass transition, degree of curing, OIT, viscosity, surface/roughness analysis, microhardness, Vicat, etc.. DSC/ TGA/TMA, SEM/EDS, ICP, FTIR, XRF, UV-VIS,QUV, X-ray imaging analysis, Auger, optical interferometry (WYCO system), most ASTM standard tests, etc..

80 Esna Park Drive, #7-9, Markham, Ontario, L3R 2R7, Canada tel: (905) 415-2207; fax: (905) 415-3633; website: www.itlinc.com; e-mail: info@itlinc.com.

design ideas • unusual architecture

DuPont materials power Hawaiian research centre

Hawaii has long been known as a tourist mecca, as well as the setting for a lot of Elvis movies. Now, thanks to photovoltaic materials from DuPont, it’s also home to one of the largest solar energy facilities in the Pacific islands.

Built alongside DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred Waimea Research Centre in Kauai, Hawaii, the energy facility is comprised of 1,500 panels made from several DuPont photovoltaic materials — including DuPont’s Elvax EVA resins, designed to enable the transmission of sunlight to solar cells; and Teflon fluoropolymer film for front sheets and flexible panels, designed to offer mechanical strength and durability against cracking and abrasion, flexibility, and nearly 100 per cent transparency.

According to DuPont, the one-acre array, which opened in December 2008, is capable of generating about 85 per cent of the energy needs of the research facility: almost 706,205 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually, or enough power for 64 average-size homes.

“By using renewable energy, the facility will avoid the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 100 cars annually, saving Pioneer about US$200,000 per year in avoided purchased electricity costs,” said Marc Doyle, global business director — DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions. “This installation is a great example of our commitment to be both a key materials and technology supplier to the photovoltaic industry, and also a leader of solar power use.”

E.I. du Pont Canada Company (Mississauga, Ont.); www.plastics.dupont.com; 905-821-5193

BASF specialty foam decorates, insulates Spanish design hotel The next time you’re in Barcelona, Spain, with a really big secret to confide, do it at the newly built Barceló Raval design hotel, where sound absorbers made from BASF’s Basotect will ensure that you get some privacy.

The lobby of the 10 storey, four star hotel has approximately 2,200 ceiling baffles that are made from BASF’s flexible melamine resin foam, designed to ensure not only good speech intelligibility, but also maximum echo absorption.

According to BASF, the low weight of Basotect, and the possibility to easily manufacture different shapes, gave the interior designer great freedom of design when it came to decorating the lobby.

The acoustic baffles of different sizes were produced by the Spanish foam manufacturer Tecno-Spuma, SL, Sant Adrià De Besòs, of Barcelona.

The low weight of Basotect meant that, by using simples techniques such as cable structures, it was possible to fit cylindrical sound absorbers to the ceiling that look like free-floating elements, and blend in aesthetically with the design of the lobby.

In addition, the ceiling elements reduce echoes caused by multiple reflection of sound on reverberant surfaces.

Now available in several grades, BASF’s Basotect foam has also recently been used to protect the sensitive satellites that the Ariane 5 launcher delivers into space. Since last year, it’s also been used in Beijing’s Olympic swimming stadium as acoustic damping in a new type of suspended structure, and it will soon be found in the planes by the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

BASF Canada (Mississauga, Ont.); www.basf.ca; 1-866-485-2273

DSM resins boost Windy City’s Olympic bid Chicago’s not just the home of the triennial NPE show.

The Windy City is also bidding to host the 2016 Olympic Games — and Somos resins from DSM Desotech were instrumental in making a largescale model of the city designed to help promote that bid.

Unveiled by the Chicago Architecture Foundation in June, the model consists of more than 1,000 building structures, each made from SOMOS high-performance stereolithography (SL) resins, including WaterShed XC 11122, ProtoGen Gray 18920, and SOMOS 14122.

In addition to supplying all SL resin needed for the project, DSM staff helped to create each of the model’s structures, all of which were based on accurate digital models of the real buildings.

For example, the Sears Tower — created with the WaterShed XC resin — stands approximately 35 inches tall and, at a scale of 50 feet to one inch, is approximately 600 times smaller than the actual structure.

“These buildings, made from Somos material, were undeniably the best choice for models of this scale and importance,” said Catherine Tinker of Chicago-based Columbian Model & Exhibit Works, which oversaw the project. “The buildings have outstanding detail, stability, and are easy to finish and paint.”

The model, which encompasses an area of more than 800 square feet, will be on display until November 20 at the Chicago Architecture Foundation building in downtown Chicago.

DSM Desotech Inc. (Elgin, Ill.); www.dsm.com; 847-697-0400 www.canplastics.com July/August 2009 Canadian Plastics 29

view from the floor

Three dirty little secrets of successful processors

By Jim Anderton, technical editor

W

ell, here it is. I’ve been sitting on this viewpoint for a long time, wondering whether to release it or not...and now is the time. With a historic recession and the collapse of iconic OEM customers in several manufacturing sectors, for many businesses staying alive means dropping the gloves, and refocusing on what really matters. To do that, we have to reexamine some of the myths, misconceptions and outright lies that we’ve lived by for a decade or more.

1

OUR BUSINESS IS “ BUILT AROUND THE CUSTOMER”

Better not be! Your business should be built around profitability, pure and simple. If you’re bidding too low to get the business and delivering

quality you can’t afford, your days are numbered. This also goes for processors that win contracts that supply all or most of a critical component to an OEM...if you think that this gives them an incentive to ensure your survival, you’re wrong. Many customers — and more importantly, their procurement systems — think in terms of individual jobs, financial quarters or performance review cycles, not about the failure of a critical supplier.

2

OUR GOAL IS TO EXCEED “ CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS”

Why? Anything you do that goes beyond your contractual obligations and common sense simply costs you money. If you see something the customer has overlooked, by all means tell them, but don’t add value that the customer didn’t ask for, or doesn’t notice. I remember a sales engineer who would routinely scour the customer’s print/specs and find problems, then negotiate a solution that always involved a little more money; or, if pricing was fixed, a little higher volume. Why? Because to establish a value for that service, somebody has to exchange some value in return, whether it’s a higher price, or a steak sandwich and a beer.

Don’t give it away.

3 “WE STRIVE FOR ZERO DEFECTS” Great, but who defines “defects”? This in not trivial; mold or extrude

to wide spec parameters well within your machine’s capability and you’ll get there...at a cost. It’s expensive to use that new all-electric press to mold perfect swizzle sticks...is zero defects really a sensible goal here? I once saw an operation that fed tiny plastic insulators into an automated assembly fixture using a vibratory feeder...bad parts simply didn’t feed, and were just poured out of the hopper at the end of a run. It was cheaper to intercept defective parts at the customer’s line than mold for zero defects because the part could be run on an older, less capable press, saving everybody money.

Sometimes “defects” are a good thing.

My grandfather, who worked as a mill manager in the English textile industry almost 100 years ago, invented a machine that would spray water onto bales of cotton. Why? The cotton was sold by weight, and the spec allowed five per cent moisture, so dry bales were wetted appropriately. He delivered quality product, on time, and his customers were happy...as were the mill owners! I know this isn’t politically correct, and I expect many of you will disagree, but — as the flight attendants always tell you — when the plane decompresses, you put the oxygen mask on your own face first, because if you pass out you can’t help anybody else. There’s a lesson there.

CPL 30 Canadian Plastics July/August 2009 www.canplastics.com

HOW MUCH WILL YOU BE PAYING FOR RESINS IN 2010?

Find out at the 14th Annual Canadian Plastics Resin Outlook Conference Wednesday, October 7, 2009 NEW VENUE: Toronto International Centre 6900 Airport Rd. Mississauga, ON

Hear forecasts from experts on supply, demand and pricing for the major commodity and engineering resins.

Investment per person: Early Bird Registration – register and pay in full by Aug. 28 $395 plus g.s.t.

Regular Registration – after Aug. 29 $495 plus g.s.t.

Group Registration – 50% discount for second and subsequent attendees from the same company Organized by Canadian Plastics magazine.

Endorsed by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association.

Conference details are on the Canadian Plastics website at

www.canplastics.com/Conference/

Here’s what delegates at last year’s conference said they liked about last year’s conference: • Provided us with lots of info in a short period of time • Broad range of topics covered the majority of resins purchased by my company, with potential for new materials for new products.

• Always a great conference, with key attendees present.

• Good cross section of speakers.

• Insights into various resins and the variables that control the pricing of these commodities • Gained knowledge and confidence • Networking opportunities.

For more information, contact:

Judith Nancekivell, Tel: 416-510-5116, Email: jnancekivell@canplastics.com SPONSORS TO DATE:

“Earning your trust one stripe at a Cantec Polymers time.”

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