Canadian Plastics Magazine

Canadian Plastics www.canplastics.com

SEPTEMBER 2011

Packaging

REPORT

+

12

UNPACKING ALL-ELECTRIC BLOW MOLDING MACHINES p.

14

Blown film maker fulfills its vision p.

Engineering resins for stronger, lighter auto parts p.17 COOL NEW CHILLERS p. 22 Injection molder turns it around in cottage country p.6

NOVA TALKS ABOUT ITS NEW PE PLANTS p.8

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contents

Canadian Plastics SEPTEMBER 2011 VOLUME 69 NUMBER 4

LOOKING BACK...

In February 1961, Canadian Plastics reported on the largest injection molding order ever placed in the country to that time.

The Canadian Army ordered a whopping 1,000,000 PVC small arms ammunition pouches to be molded annually by Torontobased Furlong Plastics Ltd., using vinyl compounds created specially by material supplier Canadian Resins & Chemicals. The pouches, which replaced cotton bandoleers that required expensive stitching, were codesigned by Furlong Plastics, Canadian Resins and Army project officers. "The Canadian vinyl bandoleer revolutionizes military ammunition packaging throughout the world," our report concluded.

page 18

Number of the month:

54.5*

* Miles per gallon standard that car manufacturers will have to hit by 2025 according to the Obama Administration’s CAFE regulations. (See pg. 17)

page 14

page 24

cover story: packaging report in every issue 4 Editor’s View: • Welcome to Canada, Operation Clean Sweep 5 Ideas & Innovations: • A green bottle that’s truly green 6 News: • A phoenix rises in cottage country • Nova Chemicals to build two new PE plants in Canada • CPIA hands out 2011 industry awards 10 Executive’s Corner: • The Eight P’s of Productivity 26 Technology Showcase 26 Plastics Data File 26 Advertising Index 29 Classified Ads 30 View from the Floor: • Mulling over mold maintenance

12 Unpacking all-electric blow molding machines

With the trailblazing success of all-electric injection molding machines in North America, you’d think all-electric blow molding machines would be sweeping through processing facilities like a tsunami. Not quite.

Instead, sales are building slowly. The experts tell us why.

14 Blown film manufacturer puts the pieces in place

For Richmond, B.C.-based Flexstar Packaging Inc., the installation of a new three-layer blown film line caps a building process that began with the company’s inception more than six years ago. Inside, we look at how Flexstar made itself a player on the flexible packaging scene.

16 2011 PAC Flexible Packaging “Gold” award winners

It’s simple: The Packaging Association of Canada selected ’em; our special Design Ideas segment profiles ’em.

features 17 ENGINEERING RESINS: Lightening up for new auto regulations

With the automotive industry facing tough new fuel economy standards by 2025, molders have never been more ready for advanced materials that can reduce part weight. The good news? New engineering resins can deliver on this and other challenges.

22 CHILLERS: The newest and coolest

Summer might be winding down, but the fight to keep process machinery cool goes on. We spotlight some new chillers that can help.

Cover photo by Mark Lichtblau, Haremar Plastic Manufacturing Ltd.

Visit us at www.canplastics.com www.canplastics.com September 2011 Canadian Plastics 3

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editor’s view Canadian Plastics magazine reports on and interprets develop­­ ments in plastics markets and technologies worldwide for plastics processors, moldmakers and end-users based in Canada.

Welcome to Canada, Operation Clean Sweep H ave you heard about Operation Clean Sweep?

It sounds like the code name for the latest coalition military offensive in Afghanistan, I know, but it actually hits much closer to home — especially if your home, at least during working hours, is a plastics processing facility.

And to continue the martial theme a moment longer, Operation Clean Sweep (or OCS for short) does have a mission, although it’s far removed from mopping up enemy insurgents: zero pellet loss.

The OCS program was initiated by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) more than 25 years ago in the U.S. In a nutshell, it’s a volunteer program whereby a processor, compounder or materials supplier — anyone who consumes pellets, in other words — pledges to handle those pellets carefully, so they don’t wind up on the shop floor (where they become slipand-fall accidents waiting to happen), or washed down drains (where they make their way into local waterways, lakes or the ocean). Companies that sign on get a manual containing guidelines and management tools required for successful implementation of the program. The SPI also helps out by offering guidance, tips and tools on the OCS website.

And it’s all free.

Well, OCS has now officially crossed the 49th parallel. At the recent Plast-Ex trade show in Toronto, the SPI, the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council, and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association announced that the program is now being made available to

www.canplastics.com EDITOR Mark Stephen 416-510-5110 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: mstephen@canplastics.com TECHNICAL EDITOR Jim Anderton 416-510-5206 E-mail: janderton@canplastics.com

Canadian processors. (It’s already in place in the U.K. and New Zealand.) That’s the good news. The bad — or maybe “disappointing” is a better word — news is that, free or not, the program has been slow to catch on in the U.S. How slow? According to the SPI, fewer than 200 processors have actually signed onto OCS in the quartercentury since it was launched.

This isn’t to blame the SPI — they can’t actually force anyone to get onboard.

But with the prices of even commodity resins rocketing into the stratosphere, it seems a little odd that more shops haven’t embraced a program that helps prevent them from literally flushing money down the drain. Part of the reason, I’m sure, is that many American processors already run very efficient operations all on their own (or think they do), but still...

And no doubt that 200 number dwindles when we turn our gaze to Canadian shops.

Again, I’ll bet most think they already run a pretty tight ship. Maybe they do, but there’s almost always room for improvement. I recently spoke with Charles Russell, leader of technical services with Nova Chemicals Corporation in Calgary. Nova took the OCS pledge years ago, and Russell had nothing but good things to tell me about the program, and about the improvements in efficiency and competitiveness that Nova has realized through it.

If you’re not familiar with OCS and would like more information about it, I suggest you check out the program’s website, at www.opcleansweep.org.

So welcome to Canada, OCS. After all, to modify the old Monty Python song about a certain bodily fluid, every pellet is sacred. It’s time more of us started treating them that way.

Mark Stephen, editor

mstephen@canplastics.com

ART DIRECTOR Andrea M. Smith PRODUCTION MANAGER Steve Hofmann 416-510-6757 E-mail: shofmann@bizinfogroup.ca PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER Phyllis Wright SENIOR PUBLISHER Judith Nancekivell 416-510-5116 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: jnancekivell@canplastics.com ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE Brayden Ford 416-510-5124 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: bford@canplastics.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Anita Madden 416-442-5600, ext. 3596 Fax: 416-510-6875 E-mail: amadden@bizinfogroup.ca HEAD OFFICE 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto ON M3C 4J2. 416-442-5600, Fax: 416-510-5134 CANADIAN PLASTICS is published 7 times a year by BIG Maga­ zines LP, a div. of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd., a leading Canadian information company with interests in daily and community newspapers and business-to-business information services.

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4 Canadian Plastics September 2011 www.canplastics.com

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ideas & innovations

Photo Credit: PepsiCo Beverages Canada

A green bottle that’s truly green little bubbles that make our favourite soft drinks fizzy put a lot of pressure on the plastics used to make pop bottles — so much so that, until now, a 100 per cent recycled bottle hasn’t been able to handle those pressures.

To manufacture the EcoGreen product, PepsiCo had to couple existing technology with the best sources of recycled PET and best-in-class processing techniques.

But aside from saying it spent three years on research and development to come up with 100 per cent PET plastic that could withstand carbonation pressure, the company isn’t elaborating on its processing technology. PepsiCo did say, though, that it invested one million dollars in production enhancements at its manufacturing facilities, including resin handling and inspec-

tion systems, to ensure the recycled PET meets the regulatory and quality requirements of food-grade material.

Shifting to recycled plastic bottles in Canada, PepsiCo said, will save six million pounds of virgin plastic per year. Studies published by the Washington, D.C.-based Association for Post-Consumer Plastic Recyclers indicate this reduced use of virgin plastic leads to a 30 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and a more than 55 per cent reduction in energy use, PepsiCo also said the EcoGreen bottle will look and feel like any other PET plastic soft drink product, meaning consumers won’t spot the difference to the packaging — also meaning they’ll probably never know just how green those green bottles in their hands really are.

CPL

P

epsiCo Beverages Canada might just have earned itself a spot on the Canadian packaging history shelf.

The Mississauga, Ont.-based beverage giant recently unveiled 7UP soft drink in bottles made from 100 per cent recycled PET plastic — the first such bottle commercially available in North America, the company said.

Available in stores since early August, the company’s 7UP EcoGreen bottle will be made in multiple PepsiCo manufacturing facilities across Canada.

Recycled plastic certainly isn’t new in the beverage world; it’s already found in bottled drinks like noncarbonated juices and water, and PepsiCo itself currently uses an average of 10 per cent recycled PET in its primary soft drink bottles in Canada and the U.S. The innovation in the EcoGreen application comes from having successfully introduced a carbonated beverage into a bottle made completely of recycled plastics. Turns out, all those www.canplastics.com September 2011 Canadian Plastics 5

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news

A PHOENIX RISES IN COTTAGE COUNTRY:

Niigon Technologies Ltd.

I

t’s funny how things live up to their names sometimes. Take Ontario-based contract injection molder Niigon Technologies Ltd. After 10 challenging years and a recent $10 million revamping, Niigon (Ojibway for “the future”) is finally securing its own future.

It wasn’t easy — but then, Niigon has been unique from the word go. Situated on the shores of Georgian Bay, near Parry Sound, Niigon is wholly-owned by the Moose Deer Point First Nation. The company was founded in 2001 with assistance from the provincial and federal governments and The Schad Foundation, a charitable organization set up by Robert Schad, founder and then-president and CEO of Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. Husky developed the 48,000-square-foot facility design and provided equipment, training, and managerial and technical support.

Power Clean and Still Feel green

Behind the project lay a simple idea: to provide long term career opportunities in a community that had seasonal unemployment rates as high as 65 per cent. “In addition to creating jobs and developing work skills, Niigon’s profits would be reinvested in the community — to help build a child development centre, for example,” Schad said.

EARLY UNDERCHIEVEMENT Given the expertise of Schad and his staff, Niigon should have been a slam dunk. But at first, it was more like an air ball.

“Operating in a remote community isn’t easy, and Niigon ran into technical problems from the very beginning,” Schad said.

Topping the list of headaches were constant power failures and poor water quality. “For years, the facility averaged 40 power outages a month — many caused by falling trees — and this meant 40 work stoppages a month,” said Steve Mason, Niigon’s general manager. “This problem alone prevented us from taking on new business.” The water situation wasn’t much better. “Initially, Niigon drew all its water from nearby wells, and it was full of minerals and not properly treated, resulting in molds plugging up due to scaling,” Mason said.

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It wasn’t until Schad retired from Husky in 2007 that he was able to take a second look at Niigon. He didn’t like what he saw, but he knew what he wanted. “My goal was to transform the company into an efficient and profitable lights-out operation,” Schad explained.

To attain this goal, Schad and his team made a slew of changes at Niigon. One of the biggest? Solving the company’s power problem. “We invested heavily in an uninterrupted power supply, or UPS, and backup generators,” Mason said.

“Now when we have an outage, our UPS provides enough power for us to run the plant until the generators start up. The system has the added benefit of conditioning the incoming power to provide the plant with consistent voltage.”

The water problem has been sorted, too. “The community now has a modern water supply and treatment facility, and we’ve invested in systems in our own basement to further

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news

All photos courtesy of Niigon Technologies Ltd.

Opposite page — Niigon’s free cooling towers and four silos.

This page — Top left: Production floor with five PET and two non-PET systems. Top right: Niigon’s power generator. Bottom left: The lab features color spectrometer, shadowgraph, moisture analyzer, and automated preform inspection. Bottom right: Dedicated mold maintenance area.

clean the water,” Mason said.

Other improvements include a new 25,000-square-foot warehouse, climate-controlled mold maintenance and storage areas, a state-of-the-art quality lab, and a new energy-efficient resin handling and storage system. “Part of the revamping process involved increasing capacity in all areas, including chilled water, tower water, and compressed air,” Mason said.

“Because we’re more remote than most processing plants, it’s important to have redundant systems in place.”

Other changes built on some of the facility’s existing strengths. “The building was originally designed to be one of the most environmentally-friendly of its kind — with 42kW photovoltaic solar roof panels, for example,” Mason continued.

“We’ve continued to improve in that regard, by adding a free cooling water system that takes advantage of the cold weather to chill our water about 200 days per year.”

in on our vision of becoming a fully-automated facility that can operate for 12 hours a night with no production personnel present,” Mason said. “With the strong team we have in place, and the recent technical changes we’ve made, the company is finally realizing its direction for the future.”

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PEOPLE POWER Crucially, one potential challenge had been met successfully early on: the people. “There was a risk in introducing a new industry to an area that didn’t have a knowledgeable local staff,” Mason said. “Therefore, three years before the company opened its doors, a group of community members were sent to Humber College to train in injection molding, followed by two years at Husky to sharpen their skills. Today, three of those original trainees are on Niigon’s management team, and many other workers have been with the company from the beginning.”

With a staff of 22 full-time employees — more than half of whom live on the Reserve — Niigon is now emerging as a player in the PET preform industry and technical markets, and is hungry for other manufacturing challenges. “We’re closing

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news Nova’s ethylene feedstock plant in Joffre, Alta.

Nova Chemicals to build two new PE plants in Canada In a move designed to capitalize on emerging feedstock opportunities and growing North American demand, Nova Chemicals Corporation will build two new polyethylene (PE) production facilities in Canada — one in Alberta and the other in Ontario.

Calgary-based Nova hasn’t specified where the new plants will be built, or how much they’ll cost, but expects the completion of all engineering and feasibility studies by mid-2012, and completion of the plants between late 2014 and 2017.

The company currently operates ethylene feedstock plants in Corunna, Ont., and in Joffre, Alta.

The news received the thumbs-up from many in Canada’s plastics industry. “It’s

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very exciting that one of our resin manufacturers feels that Canada is the place where they want to invest in resin production, and it’s good for the entire plastics value chain to have that production here,” said Greg Wilkinson, interim president and CEO of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association.

Analysts, meanwhile, see it as a potentially transformative development.

“North America is now joining the Middle East as the most cost-advantaged production region in the world, and this will create a need for regional PE production,” said Peter Callais, a consultant with Houston, Tex.-based research firm Townsend Solutions. “Nova will be strategically located to supply a very large market for PE.” According to Chris Bezaire, Nova’s senior vice president of PE business, the company’s decision to locate the new plants in Canada came in large part as the result of a more favorable oil-to-gas price ratio in North America, which marks the reversal of a longstanding trend. “Less than 10 years ago, it was all doom and gloom for the future of North American petrochemicals, but the emergence of commercially viable shale-based natural gas and the associated natural gas liquids

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— ethane, propane, and butane — has led to lower energy costs and new and abundant lower-cost feedstocks for future facilities in Canada and the U.S.,” he told Canadian Plastics. “For the foreseeable future, it’s the oil- and naphtha-based producers who have higher costs than the ethane- and propane-based producers, with the result that North American PE producers have been very cost-competitive with the rest of the world, resulting in good export opportunities.”

A second factor in Nova’s decision, Bezaire continued, was access to provincial economic programs that made Canada a more attractive investment option.

“The Alberta government’s implementation of the Incremental Ethane Extraction Policy — nicknamed ‘IEEP’ — and its recent modification to accommodate more expensive unconventional sources of ethane are testament to their commitment; a number of the new ethane sources that we’ve successfully secured wouldn’t have been possible without IEEP,” he said. “In Ontario, meanwhile, the government helped us in 2010 with a $10 million loan as part of a $78 million investment in our Mooretown plant to replace aging equipment and increase production of low-density PE.” CPL

SUPPLIER NEWS – Auxiliary equipment distributor Hamilton Plastic Systems Ltd., of Mississauga, Ont., has appointed Dorval, Que.-based Lutek Plastic Equipment Inc. as its exclusive representative in Quebec and the Maritimes.

– Toronto-based processing equipment supplier En-Plas Inc. has been named the Canadian stocking distributor of granulators for Italy-based manufacturer C.M.G. – Vinyl veteran David Mallette has formed a sales and marketing agency offering PVC resins, plasticizers, compounds, and consulting services. Mallette Corporation is headquartered in Nobel, Ont.

8 Canadian Plastics September 2011 www.canplastics.com

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news

CPIA HANDS OUT 2011 INDUSTRY AWARDS

Using the recent Plast-Ex show in Toronto as a backdrop, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) staged its annual industry awards for outstanding individuals and sustainable initiatives in plastics.

First up, the Leader of the Year Award was given to Mark Badger, CEO of the newly formed clean technology company Switchable Solutions Inc., and former president and CEO of the CPIA. This year’s Plastics Innovation Award went to Montreal-based IPEX Inc., which manufactures integrated thermoplastic piping systems. It uses a new orientation process to make pipe with enhanced toughness and flexibility.

Ice River Springs won the CPIA’s Plastics Stewardship Award. The bottled water company, based in Feversham, Ont., is the first North American water bottler to make its own resin and produce water bottles made of 100 per cent recycled plastic.

And the CPIA’s new Recycled Plastics Product Award, for companies whose products or packaging contains at least 20 per cent post-use plastics, was given to three winners: Woodbridge, Ont.-based Gracious Living Corporation, which makes blue boxes from 70 per cent post-consumer material; Canadian Tire Corporation, for its Blue Planet Storage Solutions product line, which includes items made from at least 75 per cent recycled content; and Montreal-based Interplast Packaging Inc., for its egg packaging that contains a minimum of 25 per cent post-consumer recycled material.

CPL

PEOPLE – Chantler Packaging Inc., a Mississauga, Ont.-based flexible packaging manufacturer, has appointed Grant Ferguson as director Frank Kavanagh of sales.

– Auxilliary equipment maker Maguire Products Inc., of Aston, Pa., has promoted Frank Kavanagh to vice president of sales.

– Heat application specialist Stanmech Technologies Inc., of Burlington, Ont., has named Anthony Vovko Anthony Vovko as technical sales representative in Toronto, Northern Ontario, and Western Canada.

– Injection molding machine maker Toshiba Machine Co. America, of Elk Grove Village, Ill., has named Tom McKevitt as vice president and general manager.

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executive’s corner

The Eight P’s of Productivity

By Mark Lichtblau, Haremar Plastic Manufacturing Ltd.

I

n the May 2011 issue of Canadian Plastics. I wrote an article about what I termed “The Seven C’s of Success”. Since then, I’ve received quite a few questions about the piece, most wanting to know how to get a company ready to adopt the “C’s” in the first place.

My response is this article, which sets out the foundation that allows a company to build a rigid framework for day-to-day operations, with more structured guidance and less room for error. I call it “The Eight P’s of Productivity.”

1 2

PROCESS: The standardization of all activities that take place in the operational process flow of the business. If all staff members, on every shift, are to work cohesively and in synchronization, they all have to know how they interact and affect each other.

POLICY: The written formalization of various company policies, ranging from showing up on time to vacation requests to work standards. Having a written policy sets a clear, transparent understanding of the rules and expectations for every employee.

3

PROFITABILITY: It’s a simple word, but not so simple to formalize as a management strategy. But incorporating profit into your goals, objectives and strategies forces a company to act in a disciplined and forward-thinking manner.

4

PERFECTION: Again, another simple word. But ask yourself, “How do we ensure that our shipping accuracy, or our invoicing, is perfect every time?”, and you get a sense of the challenge. There’s a big difference between trying and succeeding.

5

PERSEVERANCE: The ability of management to develop an employee culture that’s resilient to increasing volatility, year over year. Great management isn’t about extracting every ounce of energy from your employees, but about developing your employees’ resources, including business stamina and endurance.

6

PRECISION: Think of this one as a synonym for “lean” or “efficient.” Challenging your staff to perform each act in the most efficient manner with the least amount of waste and error can have surprisingly good results.

7

POSITIVITY: The right attitude when communicating can be critical in business and in life. In other words, how you “message” something sets an important tone. Being positive can’t make bad news look good, but it can stop bad news from looking devastating.

8

PROFESSIONALISM: Professionalism has nothing to do with the size of a company, it’s about elevating your operation to the highest standard possible. Are you doing everything you can to act like a professional organization?

About 15 years ago, our company installed and commissioned our first multilayer line with a vertical oscillating discharge nip. The posted instructions read as follows: “Ensure the nip is level and aligned; ensure the air-turning bar is perfectly angled to discharge the nip; while running film through the production line, increase or decrease the angle of the air-turning bar to the centre web.”

The lesson? You have to ensure that everything is being carried out properly before you can fine tune a process. In the same way, take this editorial ahead of my editorial from May. When your company has mastered the P’s of productivity, then it’s time to tackle the C’s of success.

CPL Mark Lichtblau is the corporate vice president of Haremar Plastic Manufacturing Ltd., a Toronto-based mono and co-extruded film supplier. Visit www.haremar.com.

10 Canadian Plastics September 2011 www.canplastics.com

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packaging report

BLOW MOLDING:

Unpacking

ALL-ELECTRICS With the trailblazing success of all-electric injection molding machines in North America, you’d think all-electric blow molding machines would be as popular as Xboxes at Xmas. Not quite. Instead, they’re catching on slowly. Here’s why.

By Mark Stephen, editor

S

ometimes it’s better going second. Think about it: Do you really want to be the first soldier to charge up the enemy’s hill? Isn’t it a little easier bringing up the rear?

Along the same lines, the all-electric trail has been blazed pretty thoroughly by now in the plastics processing world by the makers of injection molding machines. From a perception point of view, then, all-electric blow molding machines — commercially available since the 1990s — should have a correspondingly easier job penetrating the market as alternatives to hydraulics or hybrids, right?

Don’t be so sure.

“Convincing customers can be a challenge, because a lot of them still aren’t familiar with all-electric blow molding machines, and don’t feel comfortable buying them,” said Robert Agnew, president of Moldpro Machinery & Systems Inc., the Canadian representative for Uniloy Milacron.

Perhaps that’s why North American suppliers of allelectric extrusion and injection-blow machines report a small number of users of their units so far. But things might change — and fast. All-electrics, and perhaps also electric/ hydraulic hybrid models, are beginning to draw attention from at least one industry: pharmaceuticals, where the machines are well-suited to cleanroom applications.

Coupled with improvements in pricing and in the technical capabilities of the machines themselves, it’s a trend that’s spurred the introduction of new models in recent years. Some electric machines were debuted at the NPE 2009 show in Chicago — that’s where Sipa North America introduced its SFL2 line of all-electric linear reheat PET stretch-blow models, and where Bekum America Corporation unveiled its E-Blow 307D twin station all-electric blow molding machine.

At K 2010 in Germany, meanwhile, Uniloy Milacron showed its new UMS 12E.D all-electric double station extrusion blow molding machine. And in July 2010, W. Amsler Equip-

ment Inc. — which builds only all-electric models — sold the first commercial unit of its new three-cavity L32 reheat stretch blow molding machine to a blow molder in Toronto.

“The machine has the same footprint as a two-cavity unit, and can replace it for a slight upcharge,” said company president Werner Amsler. “It has a 30-ton servo-driven mold clamping system and a servo preform indexing system, and offers unique advantages compared to hydraulics: high output per cavity, greater precision, smaller footprint, faster speed, reduced maintenance, and quicker mold changeovers.”

BENEFITS OR NO BENEFITS? Suppliers agree that a big draw of all-electrics is cleanliness.

“For blow molders vying to make pharmaceutical and medical applications, having an all-electric machine can be a requirement,” said Gary Carr, national sales director of Bekum America. “And even in industries where it’s not mandated, such as food packaging, a clean running all-electric is definitely an advantage because, obviously, there’s no oil leakage.”

A second big claim commonly made by suppliers is more debatable,

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packaging report

Bekum’s E-Blow 307D twin station all-electric blow molding machine.

come down sufficiently to make all-electric units competitive with hydraulics and hybrids,” Petrucci said. “Other than the usual differences between a European-made machine versus a Chinese-made machine, pricing really isn’t an issue any longer.”

Not according to some suppliers, however, who claim that price premiums of about 10 per cent to 20 per cent above comparable hydraulic blow molding machines are slowing the adoption of all-electrics. “Most purchasers are still going to pay a slight premium for an all-electric unit,” said Gary Carr.

PROS AND CONS Photo Ame Credit: B rica C e orpo kum ratio n

Photo Credit: Uniloy Milacron

however: energy savings. “Remarkable claims about energy savings are regularly made on behalf of all-electrics — 50 per cent to 60 per cent energy reduction — but such figures are hard to quantify,” Carr said. “By far the biggest energy draw in a blow molding machine is the extruder itself, and the drives on extruders have been electric for decades.” In the end, it might just come down to when a blow molding machine was made.

“Today’s hy­draulic machines are getting more and more energy-efficient, making the energy sav­ings offered by an all-electric unit seem modest,” said Gaston Petrucci, executive vice president of Com­pact Mould Ltd., which represents blow molding machine m a ke r s Plasti Mac Group and S i d e .

“Compared to a 10-yearold hydraulic machine, however — the type that many blow molders are looking to replace — the energy savings of allelectrics can be substantial.”

There’s also some disagreement about price. “The component costs have Uniloy Milacron’s UMS 230.D all-electric blow molding machine.

Suppliers are in better accord about gains in molding repeatability and precision. “To a certain extent, the performance of a hydraulic machine depends on the viscosity of the oil, which is affected by ambient temperature. Also, a hydraulic machine tends to run slower during the first few hours after startup, when the unit is cold,” said Werner Amsler. “By comparison, all-electrics always maintain accuracy and repeatability because of their electric servomotors.” According to Gary Carr, Bekum’s E-Blow all-electric units have a drive system that combines an electric servo drive for high-speed movement with a hydrostatic transmission for clamping force, and maintain positional accuracy to within 0.01mm without any mechanical stops.

An area where all-electrics can still be outperformed by hydraulics? Maybe the handling of higher tonnages.

“On higher tonnage closing systems, where the closing forces exceed the abilities of the electric actuators, it’s still necessary to have a hydraulic component,” Carr said.

“At Bekum, the current closing force threshold that our all-electrics can’t deliver is above 24 metric tons.”

In the end, it seems that charging second up the allelectric hill hasn’t yet shown full benefits for blow molding machines after all. “For some blow molders, there’s still a stigma attached to all-electrics, mainly because they haven’t tried them yet,” said Gaston Petrucci. “It’s the same hurdle all-electric injection molding machines faced; we’re just facing it a few years later.”

CPL RESOURCE LIST Bekum America Corporation (Williamston, Mich.); www.bekumamerica.com; 517-655-4331 PlastiMac Group/Compact Mould Ltd. (Woodbridge, Ont.); www.compactmold.com; 905-851-7724 Side/Compact Mould Ltd. (See above) Sipa North America Inc. (Atlanta, Ga.); www.sipa.it; 404-349-3966 Uniloy Milacron/Moldpro Machinery & Systems Inc. (Burlington, Ont.); www.moldpro.com; 1-800-330-1338 W. Amsler Equipment Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ont.); www.amslerequipment.net; 877-738-2569 www.canplastics.com September 2011 Canadian Plastics 13

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packaging report

PROFILE:

Flexstar Packaging Inc.

Leading from the WEST MORE LAYERS = LOWER COSTS? At this year’s Film and Bag Conference in Orlando, FL, Alpine American presented a paper on 5-layer films for traditional 3-layer applications. The 5-layer structures offered many advantages including better physical and optical properties, reduced resin costs and the ability to down-gauge. Additionally the versatility that a five layer line provides will open new opportunities for growth.

If forty is the new thirty then five is unquestionably the new three. Pay a little more in captal now for a lot more in return later.

“Alpine. When every pellet counts”

5 Michigan Dr. Natick, MA 01760 Tel: (508) 655-1123 www.halpine.com

By Mark Stephen, editor

A

Canadian manufacturer of custom printed, laminated, flexible rollstock and specialty films has filled in the last piece of its processing puzzle with the recent installation of a new Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corporation OPTIMEX three-layer blown film line.

For Richmond, B.C.-based Flexstar Packaging Inc., the installation caps a building process that began with the com­ pany’s inception in 2005, following an asset sale of the facility

by Sonoco Products Company. Until then, the 62,000-squarefoot facility had operated, in revolving door fashion, under more than half-a-dozen ownerships in less than 30 years. “The decision to buy the plant was a result of conversations I had with customers who said they had to go elsewhere, particularly east, for a full-service converter,” said Flexstar president and CEO Marc Bray. “There wasn’t a single full-service shop on the West Coast, and this left a real hole in the market. With 90 per cent of the former customer base agreeing to stay on, we were confident in having made a wise investment.”

ASSEMBLING THE PACKAGE Wise investment or not, the first priority was to replace the existing machinery. “It simply wasn’t a sustainable operation as

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packaging report

The OPTIMEX running at Flexstar’s plant in Richmond, B.C. Photo Credit: Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corporation

it was,” Bray said. “We started an extensive capitalization program to bring new technology into the facility to become a fullservice flexible packaging supplier.”

Capital investments have included a new SAP system, extrusion upgrades, a Nordmeccanica Super Combi 2000 and Super Simplex, a Uteco ONYX 876 press and 1107 press, and a PCG GQ pouch machine. Through the years, according to Bray, Flexstar has transitioned from PE-based converted products to high-quality printing, barrier laminations, and pre-made standup pouches.

The company prints on a variety of substrates including PET, OPP, coated barrier films, and PE. It uses solvent-based inks, and solvent, solventless or water-based adhesives. The finished products cover a wide variety of retail and industrial markets, including fruits and nuts, cereals, confectionery, coffee packaging, prepared foods, frozen foods, and specialty films for industrial applications.

Along the way, Flexstar also made moves to be a more sustainable business operation, including shifting to solventless laminations, which have substantially decreased VOC generation; implementing an active program to recycle all waste solvents and inks for use in the company’s wash-up systems; and purchasing recycled cores and reusable pallets in the plant. “We also started a plant-wide recycling program, and are now capturing and recycling 85 per cent of the total weight of what was previously landfill,” Bray said.

Staying competitive amid demands for shorter runs and lower process is also a priority. “We’ve developed more flexible supply and inventory programs to satisfy customer needs and improve the flow through the plant,” Bray explained. “We’re constantly looking for improvements to our supply chain to reduce material costs for the customer.”

THE LAST PIECE But one thing remained missing.

“We’d invested millions of dollars in equipment and processes during the past six years to become a full-service converter, but extrusion was the one area in this facility in which we hadn’t invested heavily,” Bray said. “Our extrusion department was made of three older lines.”

Enter the new Windmoeller & Hoelscher machine, which has been producing commercially at Flexstar since December 2010. The 71-inch OPTIMEX blown film line with grooved feed extruders (60/90/60.30D), a MAXICONE C die, and multifunctional FILMATIC O winder for surface and centre winding is also equipped with “Easy Change” and “Profile Booster” modules for automated changeovers.

The installation wasn’t entirely headache-free. “Installing the unit was obviously a big project, and necessitated raising the roof over the machine by 20 feet,” Bray said. “Also, we had to balance

the project with a parallel installation we were handling ourselves.”

But the effort has been well worth it. “The immediate, short-term benefit of the OPTIMEX machine was internal: We’ve improved quality and lowered our labor costs, which also leads to higher throughput on the other machines,” Bray said. “The OPTIMEX has opened up some new market areas for us, too, particularly in lidstock. Also, we’re now manufacturing our own pealable retort grade sealant films.”

The installation of the OPTIMEX line both compliments and fulfills Flexstar’s prime directive of being a fully-integrated, full-service flexible packager. “I believe the key to our success has been vertical integration,” Bray said. “Just the other week, a customer that had been buying pouches from overseas turned to us in a pinch. Once we had their artwork, it took only seven work days to extrude the film, print, laminate, slit, and make the pouches. It’s not a huge project, but it gives a good illustration of what we try to do best: solve packaging problems.”

CPL Flexstar Packaging Inc. (Richmond, B.C.); www.flexstar.ca; 604-273-9277

Proven Extrusion Solutions Maag is a leading supplier of continuous and discontinuous screen changers, melt pumps, static mixers, pelletizers, and systems comprised of these and other components.

We have over 30 years’ application experience in the extrusion industry and our products are known for their world class technology.

You can reduce energy and resin costs, and improve product quality. Call us to learn more.

Maag Automatik, Charlotte, NC 704-716-9000 MaagAmericas@maag.com www.maag.com Americas Switzerland France Germany Italy China Singapore

www.canplastics.com September 2011 Canadian Plastics 15

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packaging report • design ideas

The Packaging Association of Canada (PAC) held its annual design competition in June. With over 200 submissions in a variety of categories, the PAC judges had their work cut out for them winnowing down the entries to a select few “Gold” and “Silver” winners. Here’s a look at the three applications that took home the gold in the Flexible Packaging category.

1

Materials: Clear APET extrusion lamination for cupstock, foil with peelable sealant for lidstock.

Application: The Heinz Dip & Squeeze ketchup pack, manufactured by Germany’s Multivac Inc., is intended as a consumer-friendly, single-serve ketchup pack.

There’s a small back-story to this app: According to Heinz, over 60 per cent of consumers say they prefer dipping food in ketchup to the often-tricky task of squeezing ketchup onto the food. As the product name implies, the package’s dual opening facility gives the consumer the glorious choice of either squeezing the ketchup over the food or using the package as a dipping tray. If the consumer goes for the dipping option, the peel/seal material allows for easy opening.

The innovative pack is produced on Multivac’s fully automatic, turnkey end-to-end packaging equipment, on a horizontal/fill/ form/seal technology platform. If you’re wondering, laser technology includes a laser score for easy opening when tearing across the spout for squirting. The pack can also be code-dated via laser to allow for traceability, and has the new feature option of an expiration date.

On the sustainability front, the package is said to be more resilient to the slings and arrows of outrageous shipping conditions than competing dip cups.

Company: Multivac Canada Inc. (Woodbridge, Ont.); www.multivac.com; 905-264-1170

3

Materials: PET, BOPA nylon film, PE. Application: Co-designed for Yoplait by flexible packager Excel-Pac Inc. and Forthought Design Inc., the Yoplait Source and Yoplait Creamy containers are described as high-performance, triply-laminated pouches, and were designed specifically for this yogurt application.

The pouches are said to be highly puncture-resistant — good news for consumers who get sloppy with sharply-pointed objects — and have high opacity white in the sealant structure to give 100 per cent product protection from the light.

Also, the pouches are made with solvent-free adhesive coating, meaning there’s no residual monomer and, therefore, no risk of so-called aromatic amine migration — or, to you and me, the transfer of chemicals into food products.

Recyclable where facilities allow it, the pouch’s “no waste” design lets the consumer squeeze out every last iota of yogurt, while the incorporation of a spout turns the whole thing into a reusable package after being emptied.

Companies: Excel-Pack Inc. (Terrebonne, Que.); www.excel-pac.com; 450-628-4288 Forthought Design Inc. (Toronto); www.forthoughtdesign.com; 416-763-4465

2

Material: High-barrier Biax nylon film.

Application: The Canada Bread Dempster’s Oven Fresh par-baked bread package, manufactured by flexible packager Curwood Inc., is described as a unique high-barrier, shelf-stable package that caters to the busy consumer who wants fresh baked bread but doesn’t have time to make the product at home from scratch (and seriously, who does?). Instead, he/she simply unwraps the par-baked product, bakes it, and has fresh-baked bread in eight minutes.

A key part of the product’s success is Curwood’s high-barrier packaging, which offers a whopping 75-day shelf life. The result is a fresher product and minimal food waste when compared with most fresh-baked bread from the bakery. The two-loaf package easily separates, with provided perforations allowing for later use of the second loaf.

The end result is a product that Canada Bread can distribute nationally, as well as cross-market display in un-refrigerated areas of grocery stores.

Company: Curwood Inc. (Oshkosh, Wis.); www.curwood.com; 920-303-7300

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Photo Credit: SABIC Innovative Plastics

engineering resins

Gearing up for new auto standards

By Mark Stephen, editor

With the automotive industry facing tough new fuel economy standards by 2025, molders have probably never been more ready for advanced materials that can reduce part weight. Good thing they’re already available.

T

oday’s landscape looks anything but ordinary to automakers.

Sure, the automotive industry shows signs of clawing back from the economic cliff, but the clouds of a transformative change are already visible on the horizon: the Obama Administration’s new 2025 CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards, under which automakers will have to increase average fuel economy from 34.1 mpg by 2016 (currently mandated by law) to 54.5 mpg by 2025.

For automotive designers and engineers, the CAFE standards might spell nothing less than the realignment of the industry’s entire current materials portfolio. “The CAFE standard is set significantly higher than where we are today,” said David Glasscock, DuPont global automotive technology director. “New technologies, including advanced materials, must be developed quickly and cost-effectively.”

But it might not be as difficult as it sounds. New engineering resins, designed to carve ever-more weight from auto parts, can help the automotive industry gear up to meet CAFE standards without adding extra manufacturing costs.

LIGHTWEIGHTING LEADS THE WAY One of the most talked-about automotive developments in recent

years is the hybrid or alternative energy vehicle (AEV). The U.S. federal government’s Annual Energy Outlook 2010 estimates that hybrid vehicle sales will increase from 2.6 per cent of new lightduty vehicles sales in 2008 to a whopping 24.6 per cent in 2035.

And they’re already pushing the engineering resins envelope.

Take the new Chevy Volt. The vehicle’s trunk load floor is made from Baypreg polyurethane composite material from Bayer MaterialScience LLC (BMS). According to Bruce Benda, vice president, automotive and transportation with BMS, Baypreg is strong with high stiffness, but much lighter than traditional materials. Actually, the Volt is something of a Bayer tour de force. The headlamps feature an electric blue inner lens to provide a distinct appearance, a color created through Bayer’s Fantasia Color and Special Effects Technologies combined with the company’s Makrolon polycarbonate (PC). The Volt’s front grille, meanwhile, features plated Bayblend, which is a PC/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS) blend.

This doesn’t mean that only hybrids and AEVs will be capable of meeting the CAFE standards. The Cadillac will probably do it too, although it might not be your father’s Caddy by then. General Motors’ Cadillac CTS vehicles now have downsized, turbocharged engines that more than meet today’s fuel and emissions regulations. The trick has been to do it without sacrificing the famous Cadillac power, and with plastics that satisfy heat and pressure challenges. The vehicles’ Ecotec 2.0-litre Turbo engine cover is made from DuPont’s new lightweight Zytel PLUS nylon, which retains mechanical properties and surface appearance despite long-term exposure to hot temperatures — 180°C and above — common in turbocharged engines. Molded by Camowww.canplastics.com September 2011 Canadian Plastics 17

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engineering resins plast Polymer Solutions, of Richmond, Que., the engine cover earned the “Most Innovative Use of Plastics Award” from the Society of Plastics Engineers in November 2011, just 90 days after the application was introduced.

Turbocharged engines need, among other things, air ducts that won’t quit, and this is another opportunity for some of today’s engineering resins. “DSM’s new Stanyl ForTii, a high-temperature polyamide, is suitable for replacing aluminum ducting in turbocharged engines,” said Rick Fischer, automotive sales segment manager with DSM. “Available commercially in late-2012, the ForTii material has the highest heat resistance of any DSM engineering polymer. The material will support other new developments in under-the-hood applications for automotive electrical systems, and air-fuel and powertrain components.”

COMFORT ALSO COUNTS But the future of the auto industry isn’t all about meeting the CAFE standards. As always, drivers want vehicles to be comfortable and stylish, placing the onus squarely on automakers to improve the ride without racking up additional manufacturing costs. SABIC Innovative Plastics has two new engineering resins, designed for auto interiors, that can help. “The new Cycolac DL100LG compound is an ABS/PC intended to be the ideal material for automotive OEMs and tiers that are looking for a low-gloss material offering the cost-out and environmental benefits of a no-paint approach. Potential applications include trim

Photo Credit : DuP ont

General Motors Ecotec Turbo engine cover won a materials innovation award for adopting new long-term, heat-aging DuPont nylon just 90 days after launch.

components, door entry steps, and consoles,” said V. Umamaheswaran, SABIC’s director of automotive products and marketing. “And the Geloy HRA170D compound is a PC/acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) that repels dust with an additive that ensures anti-dust performance. Target applications include trims, interior mirror housings, and overhead consoles.”

Or take noises and vibrations. Auto parts maker Metaldyne, of Plymouth, Mich., recently reduced both in their balance shaft modules, which are designed to cancel the inherent shaking forces associated with in-line four-cylinder engines. According to Frank Ferfecki, technical program leader at VICTREX, Metaldyne used the company’s PEEK 450G semi-crystalline poly-

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engineering resins mer for the gears in the balance shaft modules, in an application that achieved a 69 per cent weight reduction per gear when compared to metal, 30 per cent reduction of system inertia, and up to nine per cent consumption improvement. And there’s also a manufacturing benefit. “Metaldyne’s lead time to set up the equipment to manufacture the PEEK 450G production gears was roughly three to four months, down from 12 to 18 months to manufacture production ground metal gears,” Ferfecki said.

WIRED FOR SUCCESS As motor vehicles get packed with more and more electrical and electronic devices, the wiring systems that connect them are increasing in complexity, size, and weight — to say nothing of price, as traditional wiring harnesses are expensive to produce, often requiring a lot of manual labour and little scope for automation. A new alternative product uses flexible flat cables coated with BASF’s new Elastollan 785A 10 HPM thermoplastic polyurethane (PU). “Elastollan 785A 10 HPM has temperature resistance that surpasses that of BASF’s Elastollan 11 series, and meets the requirements of temperature class D, as well as the more strict specifications of LV 112 for hydrolysis resistance,” said Stephane Morin, president of BASF’s Canadian distributor Alliance Polymers & Services LLC. “Alternative plastics that display a comparable performance in this respect are either considerably more expensive because they come from even higher temperature classes, or else they’re more difficult to process.”

Sometimes lost in the battle to replace metal with plastic is the war-within-the-war that pits one engineering resin against another. In the automotive seatbelts and windshield wipers market, for example, Ticona hopes its new Hostaform S series impactmodified polyacetal resin becomes the go-to engineering polymer. “The Hostaform S resins have superior mechanical properties to Ticona’s previous materials, with long-term stability and chemical resistance,” said Andrew Spicer, regional manager of Ticona distributor Channel Prime Alliance. “This is one of the biggest pushes that Ticona has given a product in years, and it’s designed to compete with DuPont’s Delrin impact-modified acetels.” CPL BASF Canada (Mississauga, Ont.); www.basf.ca; 1-866-485-2273 Alliance Polymers & Services LLC (Romulus, Mich.); 734-710-6700 Bayer Inc. — Division of Bayer AG (Toronto); www.bayer.ca; 1-800-622-2937 DSM Dyneema LLC (Stanley, N.C.); www.dyneema.com; 1-800-883-7404 E.I. DuPont Company (Mississauga, Ont.); www.plastics.dupont.com; 905-821-5193 SABIC Innovative Plastics (Toronto); www.sabic-ip.com; 1-800-323-3783 Ticona North America (Florence, Ky.); www.ticona.com; 1-800-833-4882 Channel Prime Alliance Canada (Toronto); 905-338-3980 VICTREX USA Inc. (West Conshohocken, Pa.); www.victrex.com; 484-342-6001

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ADVERTORIAL

THE EXTRUSIONEERS: 100 YEARS OLD AND STRONGER THAN EVER

Klaus, Bernd and Ulrich Reifenhäuser

Initially, Reifenhäuser was a forge shop, founded in 1911 by Anton Reifenhäuser in Troisdorf, Germany.

At the end of the 1940s, sons Hans and Fritz Reifenhäuser ventured into the field of plastics machinery manufacture, thus initiating the quick rise to being a world leader in extrusion equipment.

Today, Reifenhäuser is still purely a family business, even in these times of global conglomerates. Ulrich, Klaus and Bernd Reifenhäuser are the third generation to lead the company.

Over 850 patents confirm the innovativeness and spirit of the company, and they are not resting on their laurels. The family has a clear vision of what it takes to be successful in today’s market, and has positioned their company accordingly.

When Canadian Plastics recently interviewed managing director Ulrich Reifenhäuser, you could hear the energy and enthusiasm in his voice as he answered these questions.

What sets Reifenhäuser apart from other manufacturers of plastic film equipment?

The main difference is that we used the recent years of economic downturn to do tremendous development by implementing lean production and

lean management practices. The result has been cost savings, better quality control, more efficient management practices, and just-in-time delivery.

Plus, we have astonishing technical developments in the field of blown film. In July 2009 we bought a strong competitor, Kiefel. We took the best features of each brand to create a machine that’s even better than the old Reifenhäuser or the old Kiefel machines. And then we improved on the improvements. The result is our new Evolution line.

The market has shown that these improvements are appreciated. Since we started to sell the Evolution machines in January 2010, we’ve sold 70 of them worldwide. Customers are pleased with the performance. Our order income is much higher than the average of our competitors What are the benefits for plastics processors in doing business with Reifenhäuser?

Because of the merger, we have the widest range of film equipment available on the market – from tiny machines up to big agricultural film lines; from conventional dies up to complex stack dies. This means that we can provide you with the best solution for your particular need, not just what

we happen to manufacture.

Then there’s our R&D facility in Troisdorf, and our worldwide sales and service network.

What are the main challenges and opportunities for film manufacturers today and how can Reifenhäuser help?

With resin prices going up, you need to take care that you are not wasting any material. The best way to do this is to minimize tolerances. If you’re manufacturing film with 2 mil thickness, make sure that it’s always no more than 2 mils. Never have a positive tolerance.

Today’s markets are demanding quick changes of colors and products. So you need high technology to accommodate fast changeovers.

The best advice is to get out of commodities and concentrate on sophisticated films.

Examples are multi-layer structures, or film with exceptional optics and no, or very few, fish eyes. Reifenhäuser offers the high technology solutions needed to compete in such markets.

How do you see the future for Reifenhäuser?

We’re 100 years old, but we’re completely the opposite of antique. In my 25 years with the company, I’ve never seen such a time of success and growth!

Preserving our values; shaping our future

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S o

(

S:

Superior performance and operational integration

(Up to 9 Layers)

R

EVOLUTION – the newest generation of blown film extrusion technology from Reifenhauser-Kiefel offers you the highest degree of automation, user-friendly touch screen intuitive controls and absolute precision in performance. Our capabilities continue to expand based on our collective machine and process experience globally.

Whether for production of simple packaging applications, complex technical films or food packaging with high grade barrier properties, Reifenhauser-Kiefel will engineer the best

solution for your specific needs. Lines are available to produce mono-layer film and up to 9-layers. These 9-layer film systems represent the latest Evolution of technology in barrier films.

With EVOLUTION, you can configure your ideal system from our wide range of innovative modules. The EVOLUTION generation of blown film lines is able to facilitate your success with current and future demands according to our motto: “Our Solution – Your Success!”

OUR SOLUTIONS – YOUR SUCCESS Reifenhauser Inc | 27 Garden Street | Suite 3 | Danvers | MA | 01923 Tel: 978-412-9700 Email: info@reifenhauserinc.com

www.reifenhauser-kiefel.com

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chillers

COOL

offerings Summer 2011 is coming to an end, but the quest to keep process machinery cool isn’t. The latest chillers can help.

OUTDOOR, AIR-COOLED CHILLING

Advantage Engineering Inc.’s OACS (Outdoor Air-Cooled Chiller System) chillers use Copeland’s Digital Scroll compressors to provide energy-efficient capacity control down to 20 per cent of the unit capacity, thereby matching compressor capacity to the process cooling requirement.

The OACS chiller doesn’t take up floor space,

COMPANY’S FIRST NEW CENTRAL CHILLER IN 10 YEARS AEC Inc. is introducing their first new central chiller in over 10 years: the modular GC series, available in sizes ranging from 20 tons to 60 tons, and offering a leaving coolant temperature range of 20°F to 80°F (-7.5°C to 30°C).

In compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s newest, most stringent guidelines, the GC units use R-410A refrigerant, with the benefits of improved system efficiency and higher capacity rates.

A full suite of electronic sensors with digital readout includes leaving and entering fluid temperatures, compressor suction pressure, compressor discharge pressure, and condenser inlet temperature.

CONTACT: AEC Inc. (Schaumburg, Ill.); www.aecinternet.com; 847-273-7700

Equiplas (Toronto); 416-407-5456 AuxiPlast Inc. (Ste-Julie, Que.); 1-866-922-2894

RUGGED CONSTRUCTION HANDLES THE HEAT Designed to process cooling water between 42°F to 65°F, the Shini Canada range of environmentally-friendly water- and air-cooled chillers are available in ranges from three tons to 40 tons.

The units have rugged construction that includes an oversized condenser to easily tolerate operation in summer hot conditions.

and comes fully charged and ready to operate, complete with pumps and fluid reservoir.

Available in capacities from five tons to 210 tons, with one or two refrigeration circuits to cool a single process or an entire manufacturing facility.

CONTACT: Advantage Engineering Inc. (Greenwood, Ind.); www.advantageengineering.com; 317-887-0729 Chillers Inc. (Newmarket, Ont.); 905-895-9667

ADVANCED CONTROLLER MAKES IT EASY Thermal Care Inc. has just released the Accuchiller NQ series portable chillers with a new advanced controller.

The Panasonic PLC control system has multi-color, cleartext touchscreen interface, and expanded, easy-to-read display and control of multiple segments of the chiller’s operation. Multiple diagnostic screens provide detailed information, including pictures that indicate the exact location of the part within the chiller, and solutions to troubleshooting issues.

NQ Series portable chillers are available in aircooled, water-cooled and remote condenser models from four tons to 40 tons.

CONTACT: Thermal Care, Inc. (Niles, Ill.); www.thermalcare.com; 1-888-828-7387 Tantus Corporation (Pickering, Ont.); 647-258-9657 D Cube (Montreal); 514-272-0500

Standard features include hot-gas bypass, liquid line solenoid valves, thermal expansion valves, a stainless-steel insulated water tank, a powder-coated cabinet, main power disconnect switch, and industrial casters.

CONTACT: Shini Plastics Technologies (Canada) Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.shini.ca; 905-565-1602

22 Canadian Plastics September 2011 www.canplastics.com

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s

chillers

NEW SIZES IN AIR-COOLED & WATER-COOLED MODELS The EarthSmart portable chiller product line from Conair, among the first in the plastics industry to use new environmentally-friendly R-134A and R-410A refrigerants, has added three new sizes in aircooled and water-cooled models: 20 tons, 25 tons, and 30 tons cooling capacity.

All models are supplied with the same proprietary multi-function microprocessor control system, based on open architecture software, which provides both temperature control and logic capabilities.

Other features include two four-digit LED displays to present setpoint and actual (to-process or fromprocess) readings simultaneously; advanced diagnostics capabilities, including a built-in alarm history, which time-stamps and saves up to 40 alarm records to aid in troubleshooting; and a hot-gas bypass function that ensures precision temperature control even when the chiller is operating at as little as 25 per cent of rated capacity.

CONTACT: The Conair Group (Cranberry Township, Pa.); www.conairgroup.com; 1-800-654-6661 Dier International Plastics Inc. (Markham, Ont.); 905-474-9874 The Turner Group (B.C. and Alberta) (Seattle, Wash.); 206-769-3707

Y O UR PRO DUCTIV

CHECK L

IST

✓

Robots that are really fast and accurate Plus custom-designed automation cells that meet your toughest challenges

✓ Injection molding machines that are really precise

All-electric, 35T-1,000T. Environmentally friendly: no oil, no noise, energy saving.

✓

The best available hot runner controls

From a supplier with a 30-year reputation for innovation, robustness and quality.

MORE EFFICIENT THAN MOST Tailored to respond to various production needs, Piovan’s Eco­Smart range includes three lines: the CA series air-cooled chillers, the CW series water-cooled units, and the CR series remote condensers, with cooling capacity that varies from 150 kW to 900 kW, depending on the model.

According to Piovan, the efficiency of an EcoSmart chiller over a standard chiller with screw compressor of the same size can be seen by comparing the coefficient of performance (COP) under identical conditions. At room temperature 15°C and water cooling temperature of 15°C, the condensation point and boiling point of a standard chiller are, respectively, 40°C and 9°C; for the EcoSmart chiller, the values are 25°C and 11°C, respectively. Accordingly, in the case of the standard chiller, the COP is 4.31 and, with the EcoSmart chiller, 9.43. Furthermore, at a partial load of 50 per cent, the COP drops to 3.9 in the first case, while it rises to over 10 in the EcoSmart unit.

CONTACT: Piovan Canada (Mississauga, Ont.); www.piovan.com; 905-629-8822

ITY

✓ Chillers that save you money and improve productivity

Chillers with free cooling capability and thermolators for precise control of process parameters.

For YOUR productivity solutions, contact: Automatisation S.A.B., Varennes, Que. 450-652-9767 www.automatisationsab.com Plastic Automation, Toronto 416-938-3648 email: pae.inc@rogers.com www.canplastics.com September 2011 Canadian Plastics 23

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chillers

CHILLERS FOR I/M, IN-MOLD LABELING

OUTDOOR CHILLERS WITH UP TO 40 TONS CAPACITY New from Mokon, the Iceman OA series outdoor air-cooled chillers offer one ton to 40 ton capacities, and ambient temperature ranges of -25°F to 105°F. Designed for exterior installation, the OA series are meant to look good for a long time. “Instead of a standard powdercoated painted surface, which rusts over time, the OA series units come with a special polymer-type paint that can be used outdoors,” said Alan D’Ettorre, Mokon’s engineering manager. “And as an option, Mokon offers a stainless-steel design.”

The OA series also feature scroll compressors for efficiency, enhanced reliability, and quiet operation.

Engineered and designed to provide lower life cycle costs and increased reliability, the chillers are compact and completely factory-wired, with easy lifting provisions for quick and trouble-free installation.

Wittmann’s CoolMax line of air-cooled chillers are designed and developed primarily for the requirements of the injection molding and in-mold labeling processes.

The nominal cooling capacity of the product line covers a range from 10 kW to 89 kW. The units can cover virtually any type of weather: Standard versions of CoolMax chillers can be used at ambient temperatures of up to 38°C, while others have been adapted to semi-tropical conditions of up to 42°C. The units are equipped with centrifugal pumps that feature calibrated bypass circuits, eliminating the need for recurring check-up and readjustment of the valve notch, to ensure maximum safety.

The feed line and return line each contain a temperature sensor.

The sensors check the temperature of the water entering the respective injection molding machine and the vaporizer outlet, making it possible to react in time if a malfunction occurs that causes freezing of the condenser. Also, the large condenser has copper tubes and aluminum fins with clearances of 2.1 mm to simplify cleaning and prevent contamination.

CONTACT: Mokon (Buffalo, N.Y.); www.mokon.com; 716-876-9951

En-Plas Inc. (Toronto); 416-286-3030

CONTACT: Wittmann Canada Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ont.); www.wittmann-canada.com; 1-866-466-8266

Federation of Plastics

Alliances Composites

The Canadian Business and Innovation Network

PROUD FOUNDERS

A LEADING VOICE of businesses and industrial organizations dedicated to competitiveness and innovation in the plastics and composites industry.

CATALYST OF THE INDUSTRY to better network together and to collaborate on venture projects to succeed both on national and international markets.

THE FASTEST GROWING LEADING ORGANIZATION of stakeholders and decision-makers in the plastics and composites industry.

JOIN CPC NETWORK AND VISIT US AT WWW.FEPAC.CA fepacAD_demipage_plastex2011-V7-110809-V3.indd 1

24 Canadian Plastics September 2011 www.canplastics.com

CPL Sept11 p22-24 Chillers#2.indd 24

11-08-09 14:01

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New 2011 Sept RESIN CONFAd

8/12/11

11:20 AM

Page 1

Resin supply, demand and pricing forecasts

ON TARGET! Since resin accounts for up to two-thirds of your manufacturing cost,

you can’t afford to miss the mark.

Get the information you need by attending the

16th Annual Canadian Plastics Resin Outlook Conference Thursday, October 6, 2011 Doubletree Airport Hotel, Toronto, Ontario Hear forecasts from experts on supply, demand and pricing for the major commodity and engineering resins: polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, styrenics, PET, nylon, polycarbonate, plus biopolymers, and recycled resin.

BONUS: Plastics processors registered for the conference may attend, at no extra charge, a workshop on the afternoon of Oct. 5 on “How to Negotiate the Best Deal for Your Resin Purchases”.

Investment per person: $395 until Aug. 31; $495 after Aug. 31 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 A limited number of sponsorships and tabletop displays are still available.

For more information, contact: Judith Nancekivell, Tel: 416-510-5116, Email: jnancekivell@canplastics.com www.canplastics.com/Conference/ SPONSORS TO DATE:

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

Polymers INC.

CPL Sept11 p25 Resin Conf AD.indd 25

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technology showcase

AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT

High-vacuum pumps decrease energy consumption

New from Novatec Inc., the MVP (MaxFlo Vacuum Pump) series and UVP (UltraVac Vacuum Pump) wseries pumps for high-vacuum polymer conveying applications are designed to generate higher vacuum levels at a modest price premium compared to traditional positive displacement pumps.

Intended to eliminate plugged conveying lines, starved machines, and insufficient throughput capacity, the MVP and

plastics data file

UVP also convey more material over longer distances: up to 1,000 equivalent feet or more compared to conventional pumps, without increasing line size.

The heavy-duty MVP series is rated for operation up to 16 inches of mercury (Hg); exclusive spiral flow pump technology minimizes sound emission substantially versus traditional positive displacement pumps, so no noise reduction blankets are needed.

The UVP series, meanwhile, is available in six- and nine-HP, and is rated for operation up to 26 inches (Hg).

Maguire Canada/Novatec Inc. (Vaughan, Ont.); www.maguirecanada.com; 1-866-441-8409

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

CHILLERS

Wittmann Innovations

For 62 years, IMS has been a trusted supplier of products, technical assistance and custom solutions to the plastics processing industry.

IMS’ expanded chiller line suits a wide variety of multi-industrial uses. Backed by over 170 years of combined technical experience, let us size the right chiller for your application.

IMS Industrial Molding Supplies 10373 Stafford Road, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023-5296; Tel. 1-800-537-5375 www.imscompany.com/CPChillers.htm

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

advertising index Advertiser

Page

Telephone

E-mail

Website

AceTRONIC Automatisation S.A.B. Inc Berg Chilling Systems Inc. CPA Canada Canadian Plastics Basics of Plastics Workshop Canadian Plastics CanPlastics TV videos Canadian Plastics Resin Outlook Conference Chillers Inc. Compact Mould Conair The Dow Chemical Company FEPAC Hosokawa Alpine American Maag Macro Engineering & Technology Inc. Maguire Products Canada PCS Company Reifenhauser

Slide Products SPE Ontario Vortex Valves Wittmann Canada Inc.

6 23 9 18 11 8 25 27 30 2 OBC 24 4 15 28 31 19 20, 21

7 14 10 5

800-803-8871 450-652-9767 416-777-2221 888-777-4390 416-510-5116

416-510-5116 905-895-9667 905-851-7724 724-584-5500 800-441-4DOW 450-641-5309 508-655-1123 704-716-9000 905-507-9000 866-441-8409 800-521-0546 978-412-9700

800-323-6433

785-825-7177 888-466-8266

sales@acetronic.com info@sabgroupe.com bergsales@berg-group.com Andrew.Spicer@ChannelPA.com jnancekivell@canplastics.com

jnancekivell@canplastics.com sales@chillersinc.com info@compactmold.com

info@fepac.ca JimC@halpine.com maagamericas@maag.com sales@macroeng.com info@maguirecanada.com sales@pcs-company.com customer.service@reifenhauser.com

info@slideproducts.com

rbarragree@vortexvalves.com info@wittmann-canada.com

www.acetronic.com www.automatisationsab.com www.berg-group.com www.channelpa.com www.canplastics.com www.canplastics.com www.canplastics.com/conference/ www.chillersinc.com www.compactmould.com www.conairgroup.com www.dow.com/equilibrium www.fepac.ca www.halpine.com www.maag.com www.macroeng.com www.maguirecanada.com www.pcs-company.com www. reifenhauser.com, www.reifenhauser-kiefel.com www.slideproducts.com http://speontario.com/ www.vortexcanada.com www.wittmann-canada.com

26 Canadian Plastics September 2011 www.canplastics.com

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technology showcase

EXTRUSION

Gearless medical modular extruder

The newest generation gearless medical modular extruder from American Kuhne Inc. doesn’t require a gearbox, and is well-suited for cleanroom and/or controlled environments.

A flexible and energy-efficient extruder design offers clean, quiet, gearless operation. The gearless technology eliminates contamination from drive belt dust and gear oil, offering the reduced potential of contamination in a cleanroom environment.

This newest generation modular extruder has a synchronous AC motor with integral thrust bearing that directly drives the screw. Also, the combination of the permanent magnet motor and elimination of the gearbox increase the machine’s energy efficiency by at least 10 per cent when compared with competing products.

American Kuhne Inc. (Ashaway, R.I.); www.americankuhne.com; 401-326-6200 Romark Technologies — Div. of Ontor Ltd. (Toronto); 416-781-5286

threaded nozzles eliminates the need for support/centre rings at the nozzle head area, thereby preventing any heat release in the critical area where the melt changes direction from runner to nozzle.

Because of the challenges of molding lens materials like polycarbonate, special gate geometries and tip materials were developed for the optimal aesthetic surface finish on the molded part. Also, highperformance heaters with integrated thermocouples are used near the gate surface, along with stainless-steel cooling bushings, for superior hot/cold material transition.

For rear light lenses with 3D surfaces and multiple colors (usually clear and red), the product offers direct gating onto the lens surface, which is normally molded from PMMA. For front light lenses, which are typically molded from polycarbonate, the cold runner solution and direct gating options are available.

Synventive Molding Solutions Canada Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.synventive.com; 416-619-5965

Nozzles for side gating applications

HOT RUNNERS

System for auto lighting applications Synventive Molding Solutions has introduced a new line of hot runner systems specifically designed for automotive lighting applications, in particular the molding of lenses used on the front and rear exterior of vehicles.

These new valve gate plug-and-play systems feature threaded nozzles (12E/16E/22E models, depending on the application) with pneumatic cylinders. Using

The new Multi Shot Z10440 nozzles from Hasco are designed for side gating, and are well-suited for articles such as sleeves and cannula tubes.

Due to the product’s modular design, there’s no need to divide the mold inserts, making assembly easier, and lowering the cost. The individual nozzle tips can be exchanged without loosening the remaining gates, even on the injection molding machine when cold.

Two, four or six gating points offer the possibility of grouping cavities together economically in clusters, which simplifies the design of manifold tools.

Additionally, a selection of different nozzle lengths is available to satisfy www.canplastics.com September 2011 Canadian Plastics 27

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technology showcase various design options. The individual lengths are coordinated to Hasco standard plate thicknesses. The thermal expansion in the overall length is compensated in the nozzle cover, and through fixation of the nozzle head, precise concentric positioning in the gate is guaranteed.

Finally, good color change properties are achieved through the low melt volume in the nozzle and an undivided melt stream in the nozzle tip.

Hasco Canada Inc. (Toronto); www.hasco.com; 888-244-5110

SHOP FLOOR TOOLS

All-electric servo presses for hot stamping and more

New from Cassco Machines, a line of all-electric servo presses for both hot stamping and heat staking/ insertion are designed for energy savings, precision, multiple program storage, and reliability.

Well-suited for higher production levels, the presses offer return on investment in as little as a few months.

Available in sizes up to 20 tons, the presses are completely programmable, and repeatable to one-thousandth of an inch.

Cassco Machines (Toronto); www.casscomachines.com; 416-445-6262

Height-adjustable robot pallet wrapper GaleWrap recently introduced the GW-4100 robot pallet wrapper with height-adjustable mast for easy movement throughout a warehouse.

Used with GaleWrap’s oriented film to eliminate load failures, this robot pallet wrapper offers good product pro-

tection and wrapping consistency, less waste, and improved employee safety.

The GW-4100 handles up to 37 loads per hour, and features a telescoping mast for accommodating loads up to almost seven feet in height.

Other features include an automated wrap-up/ down cycle, a built-in film cutter for safety at completion of the wrap cycle, a “Push/Pull” mushroom emergency stop button, simplified control panel functions, and a safety contact edge.

The carriage is optimized for GaleWrap’s oriented film, and tension-adjusts electronically from the control panel.

GaleWrap (Douglasville, Ga.); www.galewrap.com; 1-866-425-3727

CONVEYING TECHNOLOGY Redesigned slide gates can handle the load

The redesigned E series slide gates from Lorenz Conveying Products are able to handle up to 15 psig in pressure conveying systems, regardless of size.

The redesign has resulted in a cleaner gate, with no side ledges to collect material. Fewer fasteners make it simple to maintain, and the lighter design makes it easier to handle and install. Also, the shorter design saves space in tight quarters.

Featuring 3/8-inch-thick top and bottom flanges for improved sealing capability, the slide gates are designed for increased pressure on the seals, with greater torque on the plates.

The E series slide gates are constructed with a lightweight aluminum body and polished stainless steel blade.

28 Canadian Plastics September 2011 www.canplastics.com

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technology showcase Lorenz continues to offer two-week standard delivery time.

Lorenz Conveying Products (Cobourg, Ont.); www.lorenz.ca; 905-372-2240

The program can send automated level alerts to a cell phone or via email whenever a bin level reaches a predetermined high or low level, and then allows for vendormanaged inventory to enable replenishment

SOFTWARE

Web-based bin monitoring system New from BinMaster, the BinView machine-to-machine cloud-computing inventory management solution allows businesses to monitor inventory in their bins, tanks and silos via the Internet, on demand.

Using the Sprint wireless network service, the system lets each user configure their dashboard to select the locations and bins they need to monitor.

of critical materials.

The BinView program is very scalable, and can be used to monitor over 100 bins at single or multiple locations.

BinMaster (Lincoln, Neb.); www.binmaster.com; 402-434-9102

classified ads MATERIALS

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

When purchasing your next Chilling System

CHECK US OUT! Plant wide chilling systems complete with pumping packages, filtration, system design incorporating existing equipment, installation and start-up.

Portable chillers air and water cooled with load sizing and chiller selection, double pumps, water by-pass valves and motorized valves for precise temperature control.

www.temperaturecorporation.com

877-513-8310

INJECTION MOLDER

To place your classified ad here, contact: Brayden Ford, Advertising Sales Representative 416-510-5124 or bford@canplastics.com www.canplastics.com September 2011 Canadian Plastics 29

CPL Sept11 p26-29 Techshow_class.indd 29

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view from the floor

Mulling over mold maintenance

By Jim Anderton, technical editor

M

anufacturing with resin has one thing in common, regardless of process, material, part or price: it’s a series of smooth-running time periods interrupted by downtime.

Personally, I think mostly about the downtime, since it’s the pressure part of the job, but that’s not really fair to the PM (preventative maintenance) side of operations. Take injection molds, for example. With less and less human intervention at the open mold and faster cycle times, are your cavities and parting lines really clean? The whole point of the precision-machined surfaces of the mold halves is to eliminate the parting line, but that smooth-matched pair of surfaces is highly vulnerable to accumulated gunk and resin.

IN WHICH I GET STUMPED I once struggled to diagnose a parting line flash issue with a short-run, four-cavity mold running PP —a simple tool but, as it turned out, pure misery. Depending on the press, the mold would either run beautifully or flash so badly that the engineers considered a second op trim station to avoid the cost of repair-

ing the mold. This went on intermittently for weeks while I scratched my head and tried to figure out why it behaved differently in different presses. I checked setpoints and temperatures, and had the thermocouples calibrated and calibrated again. The running logs showed no correlation by individual operator, so it wasn’t a human being messing with settings. We were using a manually sprayed mold release agent, but it was the same product from the same lot in each run. Operators seemed to be using about the same amount each cycle, and I couldn’t find any evidence of them using screwdrivers or hooks inside the cavities to free up sticking parts. The pins and slides were all fine, and the mold opened and closed cleanly and smoothly.

The breakthrough came when I thought about the difference between the presses. Smooth runs came from the higher tonnage machines, which at our shop were the newest, but there was more than enough tonnage on the older machines; and besides, QA’s capability studies showed that it shouldn’t have mattered which, with the undemanding simple mold. “Back to square one,” I thought, until I closely examined the parting line with a strong light and a magnifying glass.

The results surprised me. The parting line had several areas where what I thought was mild discoloration was in fact regions where buildup had brinneled the crap into the mating faces like a gear hob. The higher tonnage presses, which were overkill for the tool but used sporadically when there was open time, simply smashed the old mold shut with enough force to partially compensate for the irregular parting line finish. Lots of mold release played a part too, as small bits of trash, likely picked up by a poorly filtered blowoff, stuck to the surface and were stamped into the parting line.

IN WHICH I LEARN SOME LESSONS

At Compact Mould, we offer: • • • • • •

Blow moulds: injection, stretch, extrusion Product design Rapid proto-typing Auxiliary equipment and machinery Parts, service & mould modifications Downstream automation

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I learned several lessons. One was to stop thinking of the simple, small tools as no-brainers and work the problem through the same way I did with the high-volume “bread and butter” jobs. The other was to rethink tonnage. Instead of regarding clamp force minimums, I began to ask how much tonnage a mold really needed, not just throwing it into the next bigger machine that’s available on the schedule. Of course, a more sophisticated operation would never use overkill machines for small jobs like that one, but in job shops everywhere, those smaller pain-in-the-a** jobs are often slotted in where there’s press time available, just to get them out of the way.

In this case, there wasn’t any real choice but to split the mold (which we unfortunately owned) and send it to the shop for repair —even if we could have continued to cheat it by running high clamping pressures in bigger presses, the cost of tying up a big press for a small job was prohibitive. We likely lost money on the job, but I learned later that it was a “quid pro quo” thing to maintain a good relationship with a major Tier 1, so we simply sucked it up. Swearing helped.

Wondering what shop I’m talking about? I’m not telling — some of the people involved might still be around...

CPL

30 Canadian Plastics September 2011 www.canplastics.com

CPL Sept11 p30 View from floor.indd 30

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Turn your Purgings into Profits.

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Imagine what you could save in recovered purgings across your entire operation. You could easily pay for this unit itself within the first year. The Maguire Purging Recovery System runs about $30,000. Prior to this, size reducers would commonly cost about $150,000 per unit. So don’t throw away those purgings in some landfill, regrind them, recover those resin costs. It’s a new way to find money (savings) within your current system. A small outlay with a quick payback. And it’s the right thing for the environment.

The Purging Recovery System (PRS-20) is a unique, yet simple two-

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With nearly 150 patents in the U.S. and internationally, Maguire is committed to developing unique products and systems for plastic processing. It’s backed by a five-year warranty for your protection. This is another way that Maguire helps you find new profits in your plant.

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CPL Sept11 p31 Maguire AD.indd 31

16/08/11 1:05 PM

No matter what you make, Dow Ecolibrium makes it GreeNer. ™

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CPL Sept11 p32 Dow AD.indd 32

17/08/11 11:09 AM