Canadian Plastics June 2012

CanadianPlastics www.canplastics.com

JUNE 2012

STEWARDSHIP, INNOVATION, RECYCLING & NEWCOMER AWARD WINNERS

LEADER of the YEAR

PAUL COHEN Bag maker extraordinaire

When (and how) to

DEDICATE YOUR CHILLERS Page 20

Take control of your

ROBOTS & AUTOMATION

Page 16

The latest, greatest

ENGINEERING RESIN APPLICATIONS Page 12

INSIDE:

MOLDMAKING SUPPLEMENT FOR I.M., MOLDMAKING READERS

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contents

Canadian Plastics JUNE 2012 VOLUME 70 NUMBER 3

LOOKING BACK...

Number of the month:

1,933*

* Total number of exhibitors at the NPE2012 trade show. (See pg. 6)

in every issue 4 Editor’s View: • Bag taxes and false choices 5 Ideas & Innovations: • Yes, there really is a plastic that “bleeds” and heals itself 6 News: • NPE2012 gets thumbs up reviews • Milacron bought by private equity firm, appoints new chairman • Supplier News & People 24 Technology Showcase 28 Plastics Data File 28 Advertising Index 29 Classified Ads 30 Technical Tips • Challenges in stretch blow molding with indexing machines

Visit us at www.canplastics.com

SPECIAL! Moldmaking Supplement

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Photo credit: Cover & this page: Sandra Strangemore

The December 1978 issue of Canadian Plas­ tics reported on an effort underway by the machinery division of SPI Can­ada — the predecessor of today’s CPIA — to convince Canadian equipment suppliers to start reporting their sales figures. “Voluntary quarterly reporting of machinery sales in the U.S. gives everyone a good indication of their market share,” Peter Stephen, chairman of the mach­inery division, told our man. “Knowing the market size here will allow the suppliers to make better management decisions about salaries, commissions, hirings, and layoffs.”

But most of the Canadian suppliers weren’t biting. “By submitting my sales statistics on equipment, I’d be setting myself up for the competition to shoot at me," one supplier said. "Why should I do that?”

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16

cover story 8

L EADER OF THE YEAR: Paul Cohen, film buff As the CEO of film extruder W. Ralston (Canada) Inc., Paul Cohen has helped lead the company to new heights in industrial film making.

Along the way, he’s pitched in on almost as many industry councils and committees as Stephen Hawking has had bright ideas. Small wonder that he's been selected as this year’s CPIA Leader of the Year.

PLUS: The skinny on a slew of other new CPIA award winners.

features 12 E NGINEERING RESINS: Innovative concepts + the right materials = cool new parts

This year’s International Plastics Design Competition shone a spotlight on some of the most original new part designs on the planet. We look at those that used engineering resins — including a couple of award winners.

16 R OBOTS & AUTOMATION: Control freaks

Got robots and automation in your plant? It’s not always all good. Fact is, they can become obsolete faster than you think, possibly hurting your productivity. Keeping up with the latest controls can help.

20 C HILLERS: A discrete question

Just because your chiller is portable doesn’t mean you can’t dedicate it permanently to a manufacturing production cell. Sometimes called a "discrete" chiller, it’s a strategy that can open up a world of cool benefits.

Market outlook, materials primer, new equipment & more!

Between pages 16-17 for moldmaking, IM readers. www.canplastics.com June 2012 Canadian Plastics

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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.

www.canplastics.com

Bag taxes and false choices T here’s another plastic bag ban brouhaha underway. What else is new, right? Well, before you start yawning, this one is particularly interesting in that it sets a new high in antiplastics lows.

The controversy seems to start with a movement in Toronto to overturn a bylaw that forces retailers to charge five cents for every plastic bag handed out. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford recently introduced a motion to squash the fee on the grounds that it’s hurting the plastic packaging industry.

Naturally, Ford is being dumped on by his many detractors for what they allege is his anti-environmental agenda — further reinforced, some whisper, by Ford’s former involvement in his family’s packaging and labeling business.

In my opinion, though, Ford is right about repealing the bag tax. The city claims (depending on which figure you believe) the bag fee has cut the number of plastic bags heading into landfills by about half which, even if accurate, is an insignificant part of the waste stream.

As a Toronto Sun editorial put it, “The bag fee helps the environment in the same way the city’s now-rescinded ban on holding the annual Sportsmen’s Show at Exhibition Place helped fight gun crime in the notorious Lawrence Heights district.” In other words, it doesn’t help at all. It’s just another meaningless, politically correct anti-plastics gesture. Anyone in Toronto possessing even an arm’s length relationship with reality knows the ease with which plastic bags can be recycled in blue bins.

There’s no doubt the tax has been successful financially; estimates provided by city officials state that retailers in

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Toronto collect more than $5.4 million in profit from the bag fee annually. But that’s not the point. Council’s job is to raise the necessary revenue to provide city services efficiently from taxes, fees, and levies; it’s not to impose fees on the public that go to private businesses.

Further, even if the city rescinds the bag fee, retailers will still be free to charge it and customers to pay it. If so, at least the decision will be made by the marketplace and individual choice, and not a meddling council which has no business helping supermarket chains boost their bottom lines at the expense of their customers.

But the story really starts earlier.

Ford’s motion was in response to one

by Toronto councilor Michelle Berardinetti, who believes the city should force retailers to hand over some of the money they collect from the plastic bags so the city can use it for greening initiatives, specifically for planting new trees. Berardinetti’s plan is a crafty piece of guilt-mongering that, I believe, gives the game away. By linking the tax with Toronto’s tree canopy, Berardinetti and the rest of the anti-plastics gang, not content with the fall-off in plastic bag use in T.O., are trying to drive the stake even further in by presenting consumers with a false choice: either plastic bags or trees. Remove the tax, they imply, and you risk turning Canada’s largest city into a western outpost of the Sahara Desert.

Trying to plant the seed in consumers’ minds that they have to cough up the equivalent of a sin tax for plastic bags or thousands of saplings won’t get planted is dirty pool. All the more reason for the tax to be lifted — before this either/or fallacy about bags and trees starts to take root.

Mark Stephen, editor

mstephen@canplastics.com

EDITOR Mark Stephen 416-510-5110 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: 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 SALES MANAGER 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: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto ON, M3B 2S9. 416-442-5600, Fax: 416-510-5134 CANADIAN PLASTICS is published 7 times a year by BIG Magazines 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.

2012 SUBSCRIPTION RATES

6 issues Canadian Plastics, plus Dec. 2012 Buyer’s Guide: CANADA: 1 Year $70.95 plus applicable taxes; 2 Years $115.95+ taxes; Single copy $10.00+ taxes.

USA: US$79.95; FOREIGN: US$124.95 B uyers’ G uide only : CANADA: $103.00 plus applicable taxes and $5.00 shipping USA & FOREIGN: US$103.00 plus $5.00 shipping.

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Canadian Plastics June 2012 www.canplastics.com

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Lower Operating Costs & Superior Performance

ideas & innovations

Yes, there really is a plastic that “bleeds” and heals itself I

Portable Chillers with

Digital Scroll Compressors

t sounds like something out of a grade Z sci-fi flick, but a new genre of plastics that mimic the human skin’s ability to heal scratches and cuts might just allow for self-repairing surfaces on some of the world’s most commonly damaged consumer goods.

Developed by researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi, and presented at an annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in March in San Diego, Calif., the plastic is made from water-based copolymers, and turns red when damaged and can self-heal with little more than exposure to light.

“Mother Nature has endowed all kinds of biological systems with the ability to repair themselves,” said lead researcher and professor Marek W. Urban, who reported on the research. “Some we can see, like the skin healing and new bark forming in cuts on a tree trunk. Some are invisible, but help keep us alive and healthy, like the self-repair system that DNA uses to fix genetic damage to genes. Our new plastic tries to mimic nature, issuing a red signal when damaged and then renewing itself when exposed to visible light or to pH changes.”

Urban foresees a wide range of potential applications for plastics with warn-andself-repair capabilities. Scratches to cell phones, laptop computers, and automobile fenders, for instance, might be repaired by simply exposing the plastic to intense light. Critical structural parts in aircraft might warn of damage by turning red along cracks so that engineers could decide whether to shine the light and heal the damage or undertake a complete replacement of the component. And there could be a range of applications in battlefield weapons systems.

Designed to address the longstanding issue of what to do with scratched or cracked plastic products, there have been two main approaches to developing selfhealing polymers. The first involves seeding plastics with capsules that break open when cracked or scratched and release repairing compounds that heal scratches or cuts; the second is to make plastics that respond to an outside stimulus — like light, heat or a chemical agent — by repairing themselves.

Combining to two camps, Urban’s group developed plastics with small molecular links or “bridges” that span the length of the material. When the item is scratched or cracked, these links break and change shape, forming a red splotch around the “injury.”

In the presence of ordinary sunlight or visible light from a light bulb, pH changes or temperature, the bridges reform, healing the damage and erasing the red mark.

And unlike self-healing plastics that rely on embedded healing compounds that can self-repair only once, this plastic can heal itself over and over again, Urban said.

The material is also more environmentally friendly than many other plastics because it’s water-based, rather than relying on potentially toxic ingredients.

The next step? Urban and his team are now working on incorporating the technology into plastics that can withstand high temperatures. Perfect for when you drop your iPhone into the oven.

CPL

Represented in Canada by:

Left to right: Before...after, with damaged red welt...and after, with no welt.

www.canplastics.com June 2012 Canadian Plastics

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905-895-9667 www.Chillersinc.com

22/05/12 8:23 AM

news

T

NPE2012 GETS THUMBS UP REVIEWS

NPE2012 in full swing.

he verdict is in on the NPE2012 trade show — and it’s a good one.

The event, which took place from April 1-5 in Orlando, Fla., after four decades in Chicago, substantially exceeded NPE2009 in size, and it attracted more participants from outside the U.S. than any other NPE in history.

According to show producer SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, NPE2012 attracted 1,933 exhibitors, more than in each of the three previous NPEs. The total exhibit space occupied at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center was 23 per cent greater than at NPE2009 in Chicago, which had been hurt badly by the Great Recession. “There was a 26 per cent increase in attendance, as 55,359 plastics professionals participated in NPE2012,” the SPI said. “These visitors represented 19,283 unique companies, as against 18,600 at NPE2009.” Of the total attendance in 2012, 26 per cent came from outside the U.S., with fully one-third of these interna-

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tional visitors coming from Latin America.

Also setting a new record for international participation was the number of exhibiting companies from outside the U.S. — approximately 750, or 40 per cent of the total. China set the high water mark, with more than 300, or 16 per cent of all exhibitors.

Canada was second, with 72 exhibitors — and most seemed happy with the show. “We were skeptical about the move to Orlando at first,” DMS Components’ Mike Hicks told Canadian Plastics. “But moving in was hassle-free, the staff were very helpful, and we were pleased by the quality and quantity of the attendees.” Maguire Canada’s Brian Davis echoed the sentiment. “The attendance was excellent, and the number of Canadians was surprisingly high,” he said. “We had a great deal of contacts, and laid the groundwork for a lot of future projects.”

The SPI confirmed that the next version of NPE will be back at the Orange County Convention Center, from March 22-26, 2015.

CPL

MILACRON BOUGHT BY PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM, APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN

A

venue Capital Group has sold plastics processing equipment manufacturer Milacron LLC to private equity firm CCMP Capital Advisors LLC. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

Cincinnati, Ohio-based Milacron manufactures and supplies machinery and turnkey systems through its two key business areas — plastics processing technologies and metalworking fluids. The company’s integrated business units include Milacron Plastics Machinery, Ferromatik

Milacron, DME, Uniloy, Milacron Americas Aftermarket, and CIMCOOL Fluid Technology. Milacron generated about US$780 million of sales in 2011.

Both Avenue Capital and CCMP Capital are headquartered in New York City.

Milacron’s new chairman is Ira Boots, the former chairman and CEO of packaging giant Berry Plastics Corp. Milacron’s management team will remain in place, and the company will remain headquartered in Cincinnati.

CPL

SUPPLIER NEWS — Flex Essentials Inc., headquartered in Caledon East, Ont., has been appointed as representative for Reifenhauser Inc., which has North American sales office in Danvers, Mass., and headquarters in Troisdorf, Germany. Flex Essentials will handle sales and service of Reifenhauser equipment for blown film, cast film, and cast sheet.

6 Canadian Plastics June 2012 www.canplastics.com

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news

PEOPLE

Brenda Williams

Rhonda Skinner

James Griffing

Jon Ratzlaff

— Resin distributor Channel Prime Alliance Canada, headquartered in Toronto, has appointed Brenda Williams and Rhonda Skinner to the positions of account managers.

— Industry association The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), headquartered in Newtown, Conn., has named James Griffing as its new president and Jon Ratzlaff as president-elect. Griffing will be succeeded by Ratzlaff in 2013.

Hans Ulrich Golz

Jerry MacCleary

Ian Verhappen

— Germany-based processing equipment maker KraussMaffei Group has appointed Hans Ulrich Golz as the new president of its injection molding machinery segment.

— Material supplier Bayer MaterialScience LLC has named Jerry MacCleary as president for the NAFTA region.

— Calgary, Alta.-based industrial automation and testing equipment supplier Yokogawa Canada Inc. has named Ian Verhappen as managing director.

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leader of the year

PAUL COHEN:

Film buff As CEO of film extruder W. Ralston (Canada) Inc., Paul Cohen has helped guide the groundbreaking company to new heights.

Along the way, he’s pitched in on more industry councils and committees than Don Cherry has sport coats. No wonder he’s been selected as this year’s CPIA Leader of the Year.

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By Mark Stephen, editor

F

or someone who prefers to fly under the radar, Paul Cohen has a habit of making the kinds of contributions that get noticed.

The CEO of polyethylene film extruder W. Ralston (Canada) Inc., Cohen has been at the front and centre of Canada’s plastics industry for over 20 years, and his fingerprints are just about everywhere: in addition to heading Brampton, Ont.-based Ralston, Cohen is currently the chair of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) Board of Directors, a past chair of the Plastic Film Manufacturers Association of Canada, a past member of the management committee of the CPIA’s Environment and Plastics Industry Council, and the recipient of a CPIA CanPlast award for outstanding leadership.

And now he gets to hoist one more banner to the rafters: he’s been selected as this year’s CPIA Leader of the Year.

Canadian Plastics June 2012 www.canplastics.com

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leader of the year

FILM FIRSTS Ralston is a privately held family business started in Montreal by Cohen’s father, Leonard, in the early 1960s. The company was actually the senior Cohen’s second manufacturing venture: ten years earlier, he’d founded Canadian Technical Tape Ltd., maker of the Cantech brand of pressure sensitive tapes.

Born and raised in Montreal, the younger Cohen obtained an Arts degree from McGill University and struck out on his own for awhile as a journalist before returning to the family business. “When I was 24, I got into the business through my father, who’s 92 and still involved with both Ralston and Cantech,” Cohen said. “I also have two brothers in the business, Howard and Aron. While I

weathered it fairly well,” Cohen said. “We currently have 225 people working in the Ralston division and another 200 employees at Cantech.”

The Great Recession aside, other barbs have been stinging lately, too. “Bag bans are definitely an issue for us, although most of the bans have been fought successfully in both Canada and the U.S.” Cohen said. “Although it’s only an issue for a narrow sliver of the industry, it tarnishes the plastics brand as a whole; the adversaries of the industry are good on public relations and have been able to generate a particular kind of image. The CPIA and its predecessor SPI Canada have been fighting this forever — and given the resources they have, they’ve done a good job. Having said that, the image is still somewhat tarnished. We’re spending a lot of time and energy on sustainability issues that are wide and diverse, and these efforts will hopefully improve the way in which people perceive the material itself.”

Photo Credit: Sandra Strangemore

“The award is as much in recognition of Ralston’s leadership position...and the many people in the company who’ve worked very hard to make that happen.” may be known more for Ralston, half my time is spent on the tape side of the business.”

Ralston’s history of producing polyethylene film in Canada is similar to other established manufacturers — starting small and local and then expanding onto a national landscape. The company first supplied jumbos of film to bag converters in Eastern Canada until it eventually began converting its own finished products. It was one of the first Canadian companies to produce garbage bags, offering a new, cleaner method of waste disposal for both household and commercial marketplaces; the first to manufacture linear bags in Canada; the first to get “Ecologo”certified for using post-consumer resins; the first to offer bags with anti-bacterial components; and the first with composting bags that used bioplastics. “As demand grew so did the company, and we expanded into our production facility in Brampton in 1968,” Cohen said. “In 1983, we opened a second manufacturing site in Drumheller, Alta., in order to be closer to the fast growing economy in Western Canada; one of our first production lines enabled us to produce wide rolls of construction film that’s used as a vapor barrier in new homes across the West. Besides the two main plants, Ralston also runs a small converting operation in Montreal.”

HANDLING THE HURDLES This isn’t to say that Ralston is immune to the slings and arrows of an outrageous economy. “The recession was a tough time for us, as it was for so many others, but we

NON-TRIVIAL PURSUITS If you think that holding leadership positions in two manufacturing companies would leave Cohen with precious little time for anything else — well, think again. In addition to the laundry list of industry association activities noted above, Cohen played a big role in a celebrated plastics project that’s known to any commuter on Toronto’s Don Valley Parkway: the “Elevated Wetlands” sculptures. Landmarks of eco-art situated alongside the Parkway, the Wetlands are giant recycled plastic planters, resembling huge teeth, which purify water from the Don River; Cohen was a key organizer and fundraiser for the project, and also worked on the design concept with the artist, Noel Harding.

Stepping outside the industry altogether, Cohen is currently on the board of The Walrus magazine, has served as treasurer on the Forest Hill Collegiate High School council, manages a community hockey team, and has recently started up a local whisky club. His wife Shelley Adler is a painter, while children Zoe and Ezra are both in university and Ruben is in high school.

Despite his serious credentials, selection as the latest Leader of the Year made Cohen slightly uncomfortable at first. “I generally try and avoid the limelight, and accepting an award like this doesn’t come naturally to me,” he said.

“But I think the award is as much in recognition of Ralston’s leadership position in our subset of the industry and the many people in the company who’ve worked very hard to make that happen. I’m proud to accept it on that basis.” CPL www.canplastics.com June 2012 Canadian Plastics

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CPIA awards

The CANADIAN PLASTICS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

picks a FRESH CROP of HONOREES

PLASTICS INNOVATOR AWARD

PLASTICS STEWARDSHIP AWARD

Dr. Mohini Sain, Centre for BioComposites and BioMaterials, University of Toronto

Stuart Clark, Simplas

If you haven’t heard of Dr. Mohini Sain, the odds are good that you’ve at least heard of his work. An internationally renowned expert in biocomposites, Dr. Sain holds several awards for innovation and contributions to industry, has published more than 275 referred journal papers and about 300 conferences papers, and has organized bioplastics conferences in Canada, the U.S., and Europe.

Dr. Sain’s breakthrough research on natural fibre reinforced thermoplastics is currently being commercialized by Mississauga, Ont.-based GreenCore Composites Inc. GreenCore’s “NCell” high-performance thermoplastics for injection molding and extrusion applications consist of a polypropylene or polyethylene matrix reinforced with up to 40 per cent natural cellulosic microfibres.

Dr. Sain is also one of the principal investigators for the Ontario BioCar Initiative, a partnership between the automotive industry and the private sector whose goal is to accelerate the use of biomass in automotive materials.

RECYCLED PRODUCTS AWARD Nuform Building Technologies Inc. Founded in 1992, Nuform Building Technologies Inc. — formerly Royal Building Technologies Ltd. — is producer of two polymer-based products that use recycled materials. The Woodbridge, Ont.-based company’s “CONFORM” product (pictured) is a permanent, pre-finished concrete wall forming system for the building industry. The extruded components slide and interconnect together to create a concrete formwork that can be easily erected in any climate.

CONFORM doesn’t require painting, resists ultraviolet radiation, is virtually maintenance-free, and is impervious to weather.

“RELINE” is an innovative, pre-finished, lightweight panel system for finishing walls and ceilings of new and existing buildings. The interlocking panels connect directly to an existing wall or truss ceiling. The durable finished surface won’t warp, rust or corrode, and never needs painting.

As the CPIA award category implies, the product’s polymer components — made with a minimum of 55 per cent postindustrial recycled plastics — are recyclable, energy efficient, and non-toxic.

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In 2005, after 12 years with PVC pipe and fittings manufacturer Royal Pipe Systems, a division of Royal Building Products, Stuart Clark established Simplas, a Mississauga, Ont.-based plastics recycling business. The goal was to capture and recycle plastic pipe products, such as sewers, water mains, gas mains, conduit and plumbing products, as well as vinyl siding, and sell it back to local manufacturers. To date, Simplas has diverted over 12,000,000 lbs. of post-industrial pipe and another 3,000,000 lbs. of post-consumer plastic pipe and siding back to local markets throughout Canada.

To encourage construction firms to divert their plastic waste in the first place, Simplas allows them to dump their plastic waste at the company’s site free of charge, instead of at landfills where they’d be paying tipping fees.

Simplas also opened a recycling plant in Edmonton in 2009, Clark having spent the previous three years pioneering a process to recycle composite plastic pipe used in Alberta that had previously been sent to landfill. The result will ultimately divert millions of pounds of this material from landfill and supply recyclate to the local economy.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR AWARD Groupe RCM Inc. Founded in 1981, Quebecbased Groupe RCM is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to create jobs for people with physical or cognitive limitations.

Since 2010, the organization, which employs 160 handicapped workers, has operated an innovative new processing line at its Yamachiche, Que., facility. The line uses a high-speed, waste-free thermokinetic process that transforms all elements of plastics bags, straws, and film into LDPE granules suitable for a wide array of applications, including the manufacture of flower pots, railway ties, and pallets. The 100 per cent post-consumer resin is available for sale throughout Canada and the U.S. Groupe RCM’s objective is to reach a total yearly processing volume of 12,000 tonnes within the next three years.

Canadian Plastics June 2012 www.canplastics.com

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engineering resins

New adventures in PART The recent International Plastics Design Competition, held during NPE2012, turned a spotlight on some of the most innovative new part designs on the planet. Here’s a look at those that used engineering resins — including a couple of award winners.

PNEUMATIC TUBE CARRIER MAKES HOSPITAL LIFE EASIER

WHAT: A new medical grade carrier assembly has been designed to lift the workload of hospital staff that use these carriers every day in the course of caring for patients. To be an improvement, the carrier had to fit all of the mechanical specifications required by a multitude of installed tube systems, handle the same payload as any current carrier, and be even easier to use.

HOW: Molded and assembled in the U.S. from 10 injection molded parts, the new carrier is lightweight, with an ergonomic exterior design that allows for easy and secure holding and operation. The exterior shape allows the carrier to be used in all existing hospital tube systems, including older systems with 36inch tube bend radii — current competitive carriers are made for the more modern systems with 48-inch tube bend radii.

The end design of the carrier acts as a convenient grab feature as well as providing a stable base when standing the carrier on end.

In addition, the design of the carrier end incorporates interchangeable end bumper inserts to provide protection for the carrier during Show, Best in ishings, s & Furn Building

R! WINaNnd E

ICONIC NAVY CHAIR SAILS AGAIN

WHAT: An exact rep­lica of the iconic 1940’s r e aluminum chair designed m u s n able Co Sustain ct awards for the U.S. Navy, the 111 Produ Navy Chair is molded from approx­imately 111 recycled soda bottles per chair.

HOW: This one was tricky from the getgo: since there were no computer-aided design files in existence — or even any surviving prints of the original chair — reverse en­gineering was necessary to duplicate the shape.

The new chair is molded in a single cavity using gas-assist technology to optimize cycle time and reduce overall chair weight. Extensive use of mold filling analysis was utilized to confirm knit line locations, minimize warpage, and prevent gas traps. Highend gas-assist simulation software confirmed 12

use in the tube system.

The twin rotatable latches provide secure closure and intuitive userfriendly operation, including visual, audible, and tactile feedback designed to provide the user with either a “Ready to Send” or a “Caution” indication.

For the main container housings, a bisphenol A(BPA)-free PET copolymer was chosen for superior impact resistance, chemical resistance, and clarity, as one-half of the housing remains clear so the user can see the contents and inspect for leakage prior to actuating the latches to open the carrier.

DESIGNER: MacLean-Blevins & Associates, Inc. MATERIALS: Eastman Chemical Company MOLDER: Seitz Corporation

gas penetration and optimized the injection molding cycle times. Non-linear finite element analysis was used in the design phase to confirm the chair’s structural integrity.

Innovative robotic automation was also used extensively. A six-axis robot demolds the chair and positions it for automatic degating and subsequent assembly. The chair’s structural H-brace, made from recycled PET, is press-fit into place, requiring no additional fasteners. With only four screws to remove, the chair can be easily prepared for end-of-use recycling. The chair is available in six colors: red, snow, flint, grass, persimmon, and charcoal. Each color is made from a paintfree molded-in color process.

DESIGNER: Emeco MATERIALS: BASF Corporation MOLDER: To Be Determined

NOTHING RUNS LIKE A POLYCARBONATE DEERE WHAT: Right and left hand tractor panels designed for John Deere’s 6.8 litre and 9.0 litre engine tractors. The fixed panel uses temperatureresistant poly­car­bonate, eliminating the need for a sheet metal cover close to the engine com­partment, maximizing cooling while keeping out chaff and debris.

HOW: There are four part numbers in this family. The largest panel is 197 cubic inches, and all four part numbers come from one mold running in a 3,000 tonne press. Due to material charac­teristics, molder Innovative Injection Technologies (i2tech) runs one cavity at a time, using the same manifold; they flip the manifold and switch from one cavity to the other, eliminating the need for another mold. When switching panels for the larger

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Compa appear The large p depth would would said. “A ing has was do remove DESIGN MATERI MOLDE

engineering resins

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INJURY-FREE WAY TO TAKE THE ZEST OUT OF CITRUS FRUIT WHAT: In case you didn’t know, so-called spin zesters are designed to safely and easily remove the desired “zest” from citrus fruits, minus the pits. (Traditional zest removal involves holding the fruit in one hand while managing a sharp knife with the other — not exactly the safest method.) Called the Zip Zester, this particular spin zester is designed to control the orientation of the fruit to the rasp while simultaneously removing your hands from the cutting area.

HOW: Made of a composite base, a variable tension spring arm, and an over-molded micro-etched stainless steel screen. The composite base is a one-piece molding of 60 per cent glassfilled polyamide, achieved through a complex mold consisting of multiple slides and lift cores.

The arm is molded out of Delrin 100, a material chosen for its flexural fatigue properties. The design has a curved, tapered beam that serves as an integral spring.

The stainless steel screen is photoe Choic etched to create the blade tines in the flat People’s

R! E N N I W Award

tractor, they also switch inserts.

Cosmetically, the part was designed with a new texture to match the painted surfaces adjacent on the tractor.

Working close­ly with Deere & Company, i2tech developed a specific texture to mimic the appearance of orange peel on a painted part.

The biggest obstacle? Maintaining a consistent depth on large parts. “The total material removal and actual texture depth are so slight that any deviation in the etching process would completely destroy the look, resulting in a tool that would need to be completely polished and retextured,” i2tech said. “Also, in order to maintain an ‘orange peel’ look, the tooling has to be polished to an SPI-A1 finish after texture. This was done in the texture house to ensure the texture wasn’t removed in the process.”

DESIGNER: Deere & Company MATERIALS: SABIC Innovative Plastics MOLDER: Innovative Injection Technologies (i2tech)

blade form.

The blade injection mold was designed to simultaneously over-mold the screen while bending the tines into position to serves as blades, thereby eliminating the blade formation as a secondary operation. The formed screens are inserted into a slot with 0.001-inch tolerance just prior to injection. The overmold material is 50 per cent glass-filled polyamide.

All parts were designed using SolidWorks Premium CAD software. The entire assembly was designed with snap-fits to eliminate assembly tools. Initial prototypes were 3D printed, and final functional prototypes were produced in glass-filled nylon using the SLS (selective laser sintering) process.

DESIGNER: GrassRoots Industries MATERIALS: EMS-Grivory, DuPont MOLDER: Cashmere Molding Inc. Continued on next page

For complete complete product product information information For Call Toll Toll Free: Free: Canada Canada 1-800-263-1942 1-800-263-1942 Call U.S.A. 1-800-263-7782 1-800-263-7782 U.S.A. or VISIT VISIT OUR OUR WEBSITE WEBSITE TODAY! TODAY! or

www.lorenz.ca www.canplastics.com June 2012 Canadian Plastics

CPLJun12 p12-14 Eng Resins.indd 13

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engineering resins

CONTAMINATION-PROOF SPORTS BEVERAGE CAP WHAT: The “Evolution” sports cap for beverage containers, designed to provide sus­tainability, functionality, and to be contamination-proof for aseptic filling.

HOW: The closure — which looks like a three-part assembly but is actually a two-part assembly — is molded on a twocomponent machine, and can be made of either HDPE or polypropylene. The polypropylene version can be made of a tinted transparent material, opening up possibilities for having a colored spout on the inside to differentiate plain and flavored waters or for different versions of so-called smart drinks.

The second part of the body is the overmolded “flip top tab”, made of a 100 per cent FDA-approved TPE which gives the hinge a 180-degree flex. The plug seal is integrated into the body of the closure to form the bore seal, and the TPE covers the top and forms the hinge area.

The spout of the closure is made of HDPE as a single piece and is then assembled into the body; it can be made with either round or oval openings to further enhance drinkability.

There are no loose pieces to cover the drinking surface, unlike on clear “dust caps” found in traditional push-pull closures; there are also no holes or recesses in the closure, which keeps out dirt or dust.

Finally, since tamper evidence was critical in this application, the Evolution has three thin sections of the closure body which provide the visual evidence of tampering — when the closure is opened, the thin section is visibly torn in the three areas.

DESIGNER: DPI International MATERIALS: To Be Determined MOLDER: To Be Determined

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR NETWORK SPE Ontario Board of Directors Wishing you a Safe and Wonderful Summer.

See you in September 2012.

June 8 –Golf Tournament Royal Ontario Golf Club 6378 Trafalgar Road, Hornby, ON Dinner Meetings: Social Hour 6:00 – 7:00 PM Dinner 7:00 PM Presentation 7:45 PM Members $45.00, Guests $55.00, Students $25.00 Tour: Member $55.00, Guests $65.00, Student $40.00 (Cash, Cheque or VISA) For More Information Contact: Christina Wilson 416-847-7000 ext. 258 chris.wilson@clariant.com http://speontario.com Please register for events on-line at www.speontario.com/upcoming-events

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Fast Plastic Solutions With

IMPROVING YOUR PROFITABILITY WITH INNOVATIVE POLYMERIC MATERIALS AND ON-TIME DELIVERY

Octothorpylene® 2830 was recently developed based on a Customer’s request to replace flexible PVC (polyvinyl chloride) in edge banding applications. The product criteria was to produce an edge banding material that had the same characteristics as flexible PVC that is currently the predominant material used in “T” edge banding. Our Customer’s Customers some of which are European have issue with PVC. Their issue relates to the end of life disposition of the edge banding. My understanding is that most garbage is incinerated in Europe and the burning of PVC is suspect to producing “bad actor” smoke such as dioxin. According to the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) research report shows that incinerating PVC produces no more dioxin than is produced by the burning of paper, wood or any other type of waste. Burning PVC does result in the production of HCl gas and other byproducts such as H2O, CO2, CO. Regardless of whether dioxin production from burning PVC is a fact there is sufficient bad press over the use of PVC and its incineration warranted the development of Octothorpylene® 2830. I personally believe PVC is an excellent material for many applications. Never the less we believe that Octothorpylene® 2830 is a very good replacement for flexible PVC in edge banding applications and addresses other factors such as cost. Cost includes the cost of the material but also the cost of producing.

Our customer also wanted a product with a recycled content. The direction that Pounds of Plastic Inc. took was to try and incorporate postconsumer materials into the formulation. Octothorpylene® 2830 is considered “green” since it can be recycled easily @ the end of its life cycle and is made partially from recycled feed stocks.

Octothorpylene® 2830 is a much lower specific gravity material than flexible PVC and the use of Octothorpylene® 2830 in edge banding will result in more feet per pound. If Octothorpylene® 2830 were priced @ the same price per pound as flexible PVC the potential to see 30% cost savings can be realized.

Octothorpylene® 2830 is olefin based and therefore semi crystalline. Octothorpylene® will yield faster line speeds than the amorphous flexible PVC. Faster lines speeds result in cost savings.

TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS SERIES #4

introducing Octothorpylene® 2830 edge banding Preliminary

OCTOTHOrPylene® Grade: 2830 Color: naTUral OCTOTHOrPylene® 2830 is an extrusion grade of polyolefin elastomer developed for replacing flexible polyvinylchloride in applications such as edge banding. Octothorpylene® 2830 has flexibility, toughness and scratch resistance relative to other olefin extrusion grades. Profiles extruded from Octothorpylene® 2830 exhibit chemical resistance against organic solvents, acids and bases. Octothorpylene® 2830 is offered in colors and is UV stabilized for the office environment. aSTm TeST meTHOD

UniTS

ValUe

NOTCHED IzOD IMPACT (1/8” BAR) TENSIlE STRENgTH @ YIElD

PHySiCal PrOPerTy

D1822 D 638

ft-lb/in.² Psi/MPa

115 3,500/24

TENSIlE ElONgATION @ YIElD FlExURAl MODUlUS

D 638 D 790

% Psi/MPa

11.0 110,000/759

D 1238 Shore A

g/10 min

1.3 90

D792

g/cm.3

0.99

MElT FlOw RATE (190 °C /16.0 kg.)

DUROMETER DENSITY

in regard to die swell and the cutting of a die please consult your Pounds of Plastic inc. technical representative.

Processing Conditions: OCTOTHOrPylene® 2830 may require drying prior to processing. If drying is required then a drying temperature of 140o F and duration of 2-4 hours is recommended. Drying also acts as a pre-heat.

Pre-heating/drying assists in plasticating OCTOTHOrPylene® 2830.

Melt temperatures between 350-380oF are recommended for running OCTOTHOrPylene®. Die temperature of 370oF is a good starting point.

Regrind levels of 10% can generally be used with confidence. Pigments may alter the physical properties of OCTOTHOrPylene® 2830.

The data contained in this document are based on our current knowledge and experience. As a result of the many factors that may affect processing and application of this product, these data do not absolve processors from carrying out their own investigations and test nor do they imply any guarantee of certain properties or the suitability of the product for a specific purpose. Any descriptions, data, proportions, weights, etc. given herein may change without prior notice and do not constitute the agreed contractual quality of the product.

additional information regarding Octothorpylene® 2830, please contact richard Pounds @ 905-286-9894.

INJECTION MOULDING • EXTRUSION • BLOW MOULDING • ROTO MOULDING • FILM

Distributors quality products: Omni Plastics LLC, Vi-Chem, Reinier • Antimicrobial thermoplastics (Kills bugs) Biodegradable thermoplastics (Degrades in Landfill) • Black colour concentrates • Reprocessed post consumer thermoplastics OmnilonTM OmniproTM OmnitechTM OmnicarbTM Many unique and specialized nylon 6 and nylon 6,6, polypropylene, ABS, PBT, PET/polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS compounds.

Rigid and flexible PVC compounds.

POUNDS OF PLASTIC INC. www.poundsofplastic.com

3130 Pepper Mill Ct., Mississauga, Ontario L5L 4X4 Canada • PH: 905-286-9894 • FA: 905-286-9893 • rpounds@poundsofplastic.com

CPLJun12 p15 PoundsofPlastics AD.indd 15

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robots & automation

U

A MATTER OF

nderperformance is a drag. Ever go to the movies and watch an actor clearly phoning in his lines, or to a concert and listen as the singer goes through the motions? Irritating, right? Now imagine that you’re a plastics part molder, with your business hanging in the balance, and your processing equipment is just going through the motions. That’s more than irritating — it’s serious stuff.

Unfortunately, it happens too often. Maybe even to you. Take your robots and automation. Most molders know they can offer savings by removing labor from the gate. But just because you have robots and automation operating in your plant, don’t assume that puts you ahead of increasing domestic and global competition. What was top performance yesterday might be uncompetitive today.

Having the right controls and programming software tools can be one key to better performance. “Many processors have the proper equipment on the floor, but don’t fully understand the controls and therefore don’t maximize their automation,” said Stephane Bourdages, vice president of Automatisation S.A.B. Inc., which represents Harmo. “They think their robots are performing effective pick-and-place operations, but in reality they have wasted cycle time in the mold area and a robot waiting over the mold when it could be adding value by trimming, boxing, inspecting, and assembling parts.”

16

Am er ica

LL C

CONTROL Ph ot oC red it: Se pr o

OKAY, HERE’S THE DEAL: Robots and automation can save labor and trim cycle times, but they can become obsolete fairly quickly and, if you’re not careful, actually limit productivity. Sidestep that trap by keeping current, including with control system advances.

By Mark Stephen, editor The good news? New control and programming software tools are being implemented continuously by suppliers, and they can help simplify control, enhance performance and flexibility, improve communication, and reduce maintenance.

THE RIGHT ROBOT The biggest causes of underperforming robots and automation systems are found in the machines themselves. In keeping with that old adage about the silk purse and sow’s ear, robot controls can’t make an out-of-date robot better.

“A few years back, molders used to brag of having robots that were well-maintained and lasted 12, 14, 16 years or more,” said Joe Varone, regional sales manager for robots with Wittmann Battenfeld Inc. “But because of the rapid change in robot technology, a robot more than seven to 10 years old is more likely making the molder less competitive than it could be by not optimizing the possible cost benefits. Even though those older robots have been through the accounting cycle and are paid for, they should be replaced if maximum performance and output are important to you.”

Newer linear and multiple-axis robots are faster, have less downtime through improved reliability and communication capability (messaging and networking), offer better communication to the operator (user graphics and interface simplification),

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robots & automation

and can perform 3D motions that conserve energy while reducing cycle time. In some cases, the robot can optimize 3D work paths automatically, a new leap in technology. The caveat, though, is that some of these capabilities can only be fully realized if the control units are fully integrated, and if the operator knows how to properly work the controls.

THE JOY OF INTEGRATION “Integrating the control units gives the user even more options for optimising the interplay between the injection molding machine and the robot or automation system,” said Johannes Brandstötter, head of sales with Engel Automation. “The integrated robot can access all of the machine parameters and start to remove parts before the mold is fully open, or perform robot movements in parallel to ejector movements, thus reducing cycle time and increasing productivity. We refer to this as ‘zero time’ communication because no time is lost for transmitting information via interfaces; instead the information is processed by a single CPU.” The integration is almost always easier to accomplish if the molding machine and the automation technology have been purchased from a single source, Brandstötter added, since it lessens the amount of data management work.

As with the robot and automation units themselves, it helps if the controllers are current generation. “A lot of the controllers

that processors are using are showing their age, and don’t have the required flexibility without having someone else program it for the processor,” said Rod Charlton, president of ODG Automation Inc. There’s no doubt, electronic controls technology is advancing rapidly and allowing performance and functionality such as vision guided robots and significant advances in messaging and networking. “Tracking information and communicating it throughout the organization is easily achieved and an added benefit of some of the recent advances being made,” Charlton continued. “It’s even possible for the manufacturer of your automation equipment to have electronic remote access and provide analysis and troubleshooting support to your maintenance staff when a technician can’t be dispatched immediately. Vision systems in automation and on robots can do more than inspecting and measuring your parts; vision is increasingly being used to guide robots so that they can locate parts for pick-and-place or to guide a robot for the assembly of components.”

KEEP IT SIMPLE Today’s generation control systems definitely aren’t kids’ toys, but most are noticeably simpler to master than their predecessors. “To allow for simple and fast programming and control of the robot, despite the complexity of the overall system, Engel’s RC 200 robot control unit offers the users different user levels,

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robots & automation

from a simple view, to a fully object-oriented visualization of the sequence,” said Johannes Brandstötter. “In other words, the control unit speaks the same language as the machine operator, the fitter, and the programmer. Machine operators can now handle many tasks themselves that previously required programmers to be called in.”

These new control systems are almost Star Trek smart.

“Yushin’s E Compact and E Touch II controllers feature ‘artificial intelligence’ for the speed and timer control, with the robot monitoring an injection molding machine’s cycle time and mold open time to automatically adjust the speed and timers to match it,” said Brad Lemieux, sales manager with Yushin representative En-Plas Inc. “Also, when the processor adjusts the injection molding machine’s cycle, the robot will intuitively and automatically adjust itself to match the changes, which makes the robot operator’s life a little easier.”

And they’re fast, too, and with a lot more to offer than just demolding. “Sepro’s new Visual 3 control operates at 20-millisecond speeds, which is five times faster than its predecessor,” said Jim Healy, vice president of sales and marketing with Sepro America LLC. “It also has a path tracking feature that allows our S5 line of three-axis servo robots to be programmed to move a part through a complex pattern inside or outside of the mold space, making it possible to remove large complex parts from tight mold openings, or perform motions

outside the molding area that might otherwise require an articulated-arm robot.”

Here’s something to keep in mind: “Going forward, most of the advances in robot technology will be in the controls,” said Joe Varone. In other words, without the right control and programming software tools integrated into the right robots and automation, your production work cells run the risk of just going through the motions — and costing you your competitive edge.

CPL RESOURCE LIST Automatisation S.A.B. Inc. (Varennes, Que.); www.automatisationsab.com; 450-652-9767 Engel Canada Inc. (Waterloo, Ont.); www.engelglobal.com/na; 519-725-8488 ODG Automation Inc. (Barrie, Ont.); www.odgautomation.com; 877-362-8669 Sepro America LLC (Pittsburgh, Pa.); www.seproamerica.com; 412-459-0450 Industries Laferriere (Mascouche, Que.); 450-477-8880 Shadow Automation Inc. (Uxbridge, Ont.); 416-464-2070 Wittmann Canada Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ont.); www.wittmann-canada.com; 866-466-8266 Ontor Ltd. (Romark Division) (Toronto); 416-781-5286 Yushin/En-Plas Inc. (Toronto); www.en-plasinc.com; 416-286-3030

TAKING

ECORESPONSIBILITY! Making a commitment. Acting on it.

The Canadian Plastics and Composites Industry is doing its part to reduce its ecological footprint and improve its value chain.

Our ECOleaders, staunch supporters of the principles of sustainable development, are shifting into ECOperformance mode—the model for the future.

With ECOrEspOnsibility, everyone’s a winner. try it and see for yourself!

Information: info@fepac.ca or 450-641-5309

www.ecoresponsible.net

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Evolution.

noun \e-və-'lü-shən\ A process of continuous change to an advanced state of development.

Introducing the SE-EV — the Evolution machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag.

•

Advanced all-electric technology and Z-molding control capabilities for new levels of precision and molding stability

•

New, award-winning plasticizing system that reduces shear heat

•

Standard injection speeds up to 550 mm/sec, with an HP model offering speeds up to 1000 mm/sec

•

20% reduction in energy use over previous all-electric models

•

50% reduction in grease consumption

•

Intuitive, easy-to-use controller available in 15 languages

•

50% reduction in control setup items

•

10% smaller footprint

Call or visit www.sumitomo-shi-demag.us today to see how the advanced state of development of the SE-EV redefines injection molding.

Global expertise. Local support.

CPLJun12 p19 Sumitomo AD.indd 19

Norcross, GA PH: 678-892-7900 sumitomo-shi-demag.us

Strongsville, OH PH: 866-491-1045 vandorndemag.com

22/05/12 9:16 AM

chillers

A

DISCRETE question Just because your chiller is portable doesn’t mean it has to roll from application to application, sometimes operating below capacity. Dedicating one as a permanent part of a manufacturing cell can open up a world of cool benefits.

A

By Mark Stephen, editor

s every plastics processor knows, there’s only one alternative to a central chilling system: portable chillers — small units mounted on casters that can roll from application to application.

Right? Actually, no.

Another option goes by several names — usually either “discrete” chiller or “dedicated” chiller — but the idea is simple enough. Think the opposite of portable: stand-alone units that are attached permanently to a specific work cell or use point, cooling a single process or processing machine.

It’s a set-up that’s more common than you might think.

“We sell hundreds of portable chillers and the majority of them are for dedicated applications, although they’re still on wheels and can be moved around,” said Bob Smith, director of plastic markets with Thermal Care Inc. “We don’t call it a discrete chiller: we call it a portable chiller for dedicated use.”

Call them what you will, they’re not always the same, from a technical point of view, as a portable chiller that’s simply left in place with one application. “A discrete chiller can have an outdoor remote condenser, which isn’t very portable, or an elaborate ductwork system to exhaust warm air in the summer and provide supplemental heat in the winter, which is also not very portable,” said Jon Gunderson, vice president of sales and marketing with Advantage Engineering Inc. “Also, a discrete chiller can provide 30, 40, or 50 tons of cooling capacity, making the units larger than traditional portable units.”

GET FLEXIBLE So why, if you’re not going down the portable road, might it make sense to dedicate chillers to manufacturing cells rather than simply cool with a central system? In a word: flexibility.

“Discrete chillers offer the advantage of unique fluid setpoints for each use point, which can eliminate the need for having both a central system and separate mold temperature control units that are often required to tweak the bulk fluid temperature provided by the central system,” said Jon Gunderson. “In addition to saving capital costs, 20

this option also allows the processor to select the best temperature for each process, without compromise. If you change to a new m o l d , you simply change the temperature to accommodate that mold’s particular needs.”

A second advantage relates to easy information access.

“A discrete chiller’s control system provides processors with information on parameters such as to-process fluid temperature and pressure at the use point, which lets them address fluctuations more quickly,” said Giorgio Santella, global marketing director with Piovan SpA. “Also, some discrete chillers can provide additional data, including flow rate and from-process temperature, allowing the molder to truly understand what’s going on in the process to optimize cycle time and part quality. A central chiller system often lacks this information at the use points or requires an additional investment in components and installation costs.”

And then there’s the question of minimized risk and exposure in the event of equipment trouble. “If you have a problem with a discrete chiller, it impacts the production of only one machine,” Jon Gunderson said. “Even with multiple refrigeration circuits, a circuit problem with a central chilling system can take multiple machines out of production.”

Discrete or dedicated chillers also offer certain control and flow capacity advantages. “A processor with a central system has to run it as cold as the coldest required temperature. Also, if one or two machines in a central system require very high flow rate, the entire pumping system has to be sized for that higher flow rate — which means that you’re over-sizing your pumping system, and over-pressuring everything else, just to satisfy the two hungry processes,” said Bob Smith. “Since a dedicated chiller is close-coupled to one process, the fluid flow and temperature are consistent and not dependent on other machines operating in the plant, providing more consistent production rates and process quality.”

EASY INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE In these post-recession days, when business is beginning

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chillers

Photo Credit: Thermal Care Inc.

to pick up again, discrete chillers take less time for your supplier to produce and can be installed relatively quickly and inexpensively. “Many discrete chillers are available from stock or with short lead times and require only power and hoses to get into production, whereas central systems require vast, expensive piping networks and long lead times,” said Jon Gunderson.

And once installed, discrete chillers usually require little in the way of maintenance, even compared to their portable counterparts. “Even if it’s running 24/7, a properly-sized dedicated system generally receives less wear and tear than a portable unit, especially when the portable unit is operating at 20 per cent capacity, for example, with compressors cycling on and off,” said Tim Miller, heat transfer product manager with The Conair Group.

And while it’s true that having a number of discrete

chillers escalates the parts count relative to a central system, these components are generally much smaller on discrete chillers, and therefore less costly to repair. “Also, the complexity of a central chiller system, with high-level PLC-based con­t rols and specialized compressor technology, often requires highly skilled and hard-to-find refrigeration technicians,” said Jon Gunderson.

Finally, there might be a processor or two out there who leans towards discrete chilling because it complements their management philosophy. “Using dedicated chillers instead of a central system satisfies the cell management/ownership mentality that a lot of processers have, by giving them slightly better control over operational problems,” said Tim Miller. “They feel more aware of what’s going on, and the operator gets a sense of ownership over the production process.”

Continued on next page

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CAN

PLASTICS TV

for interviews with industry experts, coverage of plastics industry events, and more!

New episodes every two weeks.

These 5-minute information packed videos are produced by the editors of Canadian Plastics. To view them, go to our web site,

www.canplastics.com and look in the upper right corner of our home page.

SponSored by:

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CPLJun12 p20-22 Chillers.indd 21

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chillers

THE DOWNSIDES This isn’t to say that dedicated units are the silver bullet solutions for every processing situation. “Redeploying a discrete chiller can be problematic if the production cell changes,” said Don Berggren, president of Berg Chilling Systems Inc. “In a lot of cases, a discrete cooling unit is probably a single-pump design. If your demand for cooling a new production cell is up and down, that fluctuation might negatively influence the efficiency of the cooling unit or limit the performance of a production cell if moved to another application.”

And then there’s the all-important issue of dollars and cents. “A few discrete chillers with total cooling capacity of around 60 tons or less can often have initial cost for equipment and installation that are far lower than a small central system,” Jon Gunderson said. “But for larger system capacities, the cost of multiple discrete chillers is often higher than a comparable central system.”

In the end, the central system isn’t about to be replaced by row upon row of discrete chillers anytime soon.

“When considering discrete versus central chilling, do

what’s best for your facility, production re­quirements, and budget by clearly defining the expectations of the unit, and the variation it will have to handle,” said Don Berggren. “And remember to use your industry resources whenever you can.”

CPL RESOURCE LIST Advantage Engineering Inc. (Greenwood, Ind.); www.advantageengineering.com; 317-887-0729 Chillers Inc. (Newmarket, Ont.); 905-895-9667 Berg Chilling Systems Inc. (Toronto); www.berg-group.com; 416-777-2221 The Conair Group (Cranberry Township, Pa.); www.conairgroup.com; 800-654-6661 Dier International Plastics Inc. (Markham, Ont.); 905-474-9874 Turner Group (B.C. and Alberta) (Seattle, Wash.); 206-769-3707 Piovan Canada (Mississauga, Ont.); www.piovan.com; 905-629-8822 Thermal Care Inc. (Niles, Ill.); www.thermalcare.com; 888-828-7387 Tantus Corporation (Pickering, Ont.); 647-258-9657 D Cube (Montreal); 514-272-0500 CP Equipment:Layout 1

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®

YOUR #1 SOURCE FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT • Material Handling – Loaders, Tumblers, Material Storage Bins and Dryers • Production – Chillers, Water/Oil Circulators and Temperature Controllers • Post-Production – Lime Buster, Conveyors, Granulators and Static Eliminators To learn more about IMS Industrial Equipment , please call or visit us on the web at:

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Phone: 1-866-467-9001 (US & Canada) Phone: 001-888-304-1307 (Mexico) Fax: 1-888-288-6900 (US & Canada) sales@imscompany.com

A trusted source for Molding & Extrusion Supplies, Mold Components & Supplies, EQUIPMENT & Engineering Services

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Canadian Plastics June 2012 www.canplastics.com

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From Materials to Machinery, Find Your Plastics Processing Solutions HERE! November 14–15, 2012 Palais des congrès de Montréal • Montréal, Québec

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technology showcase

AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT

Sweeper empties bulk boxes completely, prevents downtime Maguire Products Inc. has eliminated downtime for changing from an empty bulk resin box to a full one by developing a dual control system for its Sweeper, designed to empty containers without wasting operator time or resorting to cumbersome box tilters.

The Sweeper can be supplied in a size that accommodates European-style “octobins”, which hold 1,000 kg of resin. Maguire also now offers its original model, sized for Gaylord boxes that hold 450 kg to 680 kg (1,000 lbs. to 1,500 lbs.), in two versions that accommodate vacuum line hoses with 1.5-inch and 2.5-inch (38 mm and 64 mm) diameters, respectively. The larger octobin-sized model accommodates 64 mm hoses.

In both single- and dual-unit installations, each Sweeper continuously sweeps the length and breadth of the top level of resin in the container, reaching into every corner as it uses vacuum to transfer the resin to a processing machine or dryer. Because the Sweeper removes resin from the box without unwanted interruptions, there’s no need for operators to stand by to ensure that the processing machine doesn’t run out of material.

Novatec Inc/Maguire Canada (Vaughan, Ont.): www.novatec.com/moisturemaster; 866-441-8409 Barway Plastic Equipment Inc. (Vaudreuil-Dorian, Que.); www.barway.ca; 450-455-1396

Ultra compact volumetric loader for small machines

The new MC12-Micro from Movacolor B.V. of the Netherlands is one of the smallest dosing units on the market. It stands just seven inches high and can fit in the palm of your hand.

With a throughput of 10 lbs. per hour, it was designed especially for small injection molding machines, 100 tons or smaller.

Accuracy is ensured because the unit is driven by a stepper motor. It’s equipped with a quick release coupling, allowing for easy color changes.

The unit can be supplied with an optional hopper loader for the main material. Adapters are available for different small injection molding machines. Also available is a relay mode for extrusion applications, such as tubing and laboratory extruders.

The unit is available in Canada from Hamilton Plastic Systems Ltd. Hamilton Plastic Systems Ltd. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.hamiltonplasticsystems.com; 800-590-5546 24

Automated resin manager uses robotic actuators to route material

A new material selection station from The Conair Group uses robotic actuators to route plastic material from one place to another based on digital instructions entered in any of the company’s central material conveying system controls.

The patent-pending Automated Resin Manager selection station incorporates two manifolds: a bottom manifold includes inlet ports for 32 different sources of material; and above it, an outlet manifold with 16 ports corresponding to various destinations (processing machines, blenders, dryers or other storage vessels). If required, the system can be optionally extended to double the number of sources and destinations.

Operators use the material handling control interface to identify source and destination, and the robotic actuators and valves do the rest. Positional feedback from the actuators delivers automatic inherent proofing to confirm that the connections made actually match up with the source/destination information entered by the operator.

The Conair Group (Cranberry Township, Pa.); www.conairgroup.com; 724-584-5500 Dier International Plastics Inc. (Unionville, Ont.); www.dierinternational.com; 416-219-0509

INJECTION MOLDING

Edrive series now available in North America

Arburg’s new fully-electric Edrive series is now available in North America.

These machines are primarily designed for the efficient manufacture of standard items, such as technical molded parts, making them the electric alternative to basic hydraulic machines.

This new series comprises a total of four machine sizes, which can each be equipped with a variety of injection units.

The spectrum ranges from the Allrounder 370 E with a clamping force of 600 kN (66 tons) and size 170 (3.7 oz) injection unit, to the Allrounder 570 E with a clamping force of 2,000 kN (220 tons) and size 800 (15.3 oz) injection unit.

As with all fully-electric Arburg machines, the high efficiency of the servo electric drive and the toggle-type clamping ensures energy savings. Servo motor energy recovery during braking also has a beneficial effect on each unit’s overall

Canadian Plastics June 2012 www.canplastics.com

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technology showcase energy consumption.

Arburg Inc. (Newington, Conn.); www.arburg.com; 860-667-6522 DCube (Montreal); www.dcube.ca; 514 272-0500 Dier International Plastics Inc. (Unionville, Ont.); www.dierinternational.com; 416-219-0509

Wittmann Battenfeld’s EcoPower shows versatility

The functionality of Wittmann Battenfeld’s EcoPower units has recently been demonstrated on two machines from this series with 110-ton clamping force.

In a single-cavity mold supplied by Wittner, a front panel for a coffeemaker was manufactured on an EcoPower 110/350 with insider solution, a machine where a Wittmann robot for parts removal, a conveyor belt, and peripheral equipment for upstream and downstream processing were integrated in the machine frame to produce highgloss visible parts made of PC/ ABS. The parts were produced by a variothermic process using BFMOLD technology, in which the entire space below the cavity is used for heating and cooling; this enables even and quick cooling of the mold area.

On the second EcoPower, an EcoPower 110/130, locking devices for the foldaway tables on the backs of airplane seats were manufactured from ABS in a two-cavity mold within a cycle time of 30 seconds. A Wittmann W821 robot was used to present the metal pin for fastening the lock to a camera, to check its straightness, and subsequently place it into the mold for insert molding. The robot also removed the finished parts, presented them to a second camera to check their length, and then deposited them on a conveyor belt.

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

EXTRUSION

Nine-layer blown film die for barrier films Macro Engineering’s latest nine-layer blown film coextrusion die is an adaptation of the manufacturer’s TaperPack stackable die design, which Macro uses on smaller diameter blown film lines as well as its double- and triple-bubble lines.

The key adaptation to this latest design is that the extruder adaptor heights are all level, which means that extruder centreline heights don’t need to be staggered to accommodate the die’s adaptors. This simplifies installation and frees up space in the extrusion area.

As with previous versions of the TaperPack die, this new die has the versatility to run the majority of today’s polymers. With a short residence time and the ability to carefully control tempera26

tures and layer thickness, the die provides the processing flexibility that allows for a wide array of product changes, including barrier structures comprised of PA and EVOH. The die is available up to 11 layers, and can be outfitted with IBC hardware and Macro’s ACCUPRO automatic gauge control die lip heaters.

Macro Engineering & Technology Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.macroeng.com; 905-507-9000

BLOW MOLDING

Integrated take-out system for bottles

Proco Machinery Inc. has developed a take-out system with an integrated deflasher and leak tester — an “all-in-one” multifunctional system for extrusion blow molded bottles.

The system incorporates the company’s patent-pending Robopik Plus, which is an upgrade of its original Robopik model. The Robotpik takes a container and transfers it directly from the deflasher, where the tail and top flash are removed. An optional spin trimmer is also available to remove any dome flash. After deflashing, a special telescoping vacuum conveyor extends into the deflasher and retracts with the container in an upright position. The container is leak tested on this same conveyor.

Featuring a conveyor height of 34 inches, the new system has two servo drives and fewer moving parts, and can handle bottletype containers with any number of mold cavities.

Proco Machinery Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.procomachinery.com; 905-602-6066

HOT RUNNERS

Premium consumer and electronics hot runner systems Synventive Molding Solutions has introduced two new styles of its Plug ’n Play hot runner system: the 06e and the 09e, both of which are designed for molding small and medium-sized parts up to 250 grams shot weight per nozzle.

These systems are available with a wide variety of open flow and valve gate tip styles to suit a particular part application.

Synventive’s Plug ’n Play hot runner systems for premium consumer and electronics part applications are also newly available. These systems are fully pre-assembled and tested prior to shipment, providing fast, easy installation. They’re designed for easy assembly, disassembly, and serviceability.

Canadian Plastics June 2012 www.canplastics.com

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New 2012 June RESIN CONFAd

5/15/12

12:40 PM

Page 1

Resin supply, demand and pricing forecasts

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BONUS: Plastics processors registered for the conference may attend, at no extra charge, a workshop on the afternoon of Oct. 2 on “How to Negotiate the Best Deal for Your Resin Purchases”.

Investment per person: $399 until Aug. 31; $549 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.

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technology showcase

SOFTWARE

Single platform for an entire production facility The Plug ’n Play systems also feature Synventive’s threaded nozzles for leak-proof operation. They feature good temperature uniformity, and can be used for virtually any molding application.

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

plastics data file 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

Siemen’s new Sinamatics S120 drive platform provides a single, plant-wide communications network without limits to a specific network type.

The software has been enhanced to include Profinet, Ethernet TCP/IP and Ethernet IP, as well as Profibus — this means that, regardless of the control brands on the plant equipment, the Sinamatics drive platform can be used to link all data devices and quickly expand a network.

Total cost of ownership is reduced, and there’s no need to match the existing drive network. Integration of all legacy controls is easily achieved.

Siemens Canada Limited, Drive Technologies Div. (Burlington, Ont.); www.siemens.com/eip; 800-879-8079

MATERIALS

Bioplasticizer with USDA “BioPreferred” certification New from PolyOne Corporation, reFlex 100 is a fast-acting bio-based plasticizer produced from rapidly renewable plant-based feedstocks developed in collaboration with the

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 above.

advertising index Advertiser

Page

CPA Canada Canadian Plastics Resin Outlook Conference CanPlastics TV videos Chillers Inc. Conair FEPAC IMS Lorenz Conveying Products Maguire Products Canada Niigon Technologies Ltd. PCS Company Piovan Canada Plastics Process Equipment, Inc. PolyOne Distribution Canada Ltd. Pounds of Plastic Inc. SPE Ontario Staubli Corporation Sumitomo(SHI) Demag

7 888-777-4390 Andrew.Spicer@ChannelPA.com www.channelpa.com 27 800-268-7742, ext. 6833 mpaquin@bizinfogroup.ca www.canplastics.com/Conference 21 416-510-5116 jnancekivell@canplastics.com www.canplastics.com 5 905-895-9667 sales@chillersinc.com www.chillersinc.com IBC 724-584-5500 www.conairgroup.com 18 450-641-5309 pfillion@fepac.ca www.fepac.ca 22 866-467-9001 sales@imscompany.com www.imscompany.com 13 800-263-1942 sales@lorenz.ca www.lorenz.ca 11 866-441-8409 info@maguirecanada.com www.maguirecanada.com 6 705-375-0770 sales@niigon.com www.niigon.com 14 800-521-0546 sales@pcs-company.com www.pcs-company.com IFC 905-629-8822 trodrigues@piovan.ca www.piovan.com 25 800-362-0706 sales@ppe.com www.ppe.com OBC 888-394-2662 www.polyone.com 15 905-286-9894 rpounds@poundsofplastic.com www.poundsofplastic.com 14 http://speontario.com/ 17 800-845-9193 connectors.usa@staubli.com www.staubli.com 19 www.sumitomo-shi-demag.us; www.vandorndemag.com 23 416-572-7684 www.expoplast.org 22 877-884-3129 ultrapurge@ultrapurge.com www.ultrapurge.com 21 888-466-8266 info@wittmann-canada.com www.wittmann-canada.com

UBM Canon – Expoplast Show UltraPurge Wittmann Canada Inc.

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Telephone

E-mail

Website

Canadian Plastics June 2012 www.canplastics.com

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technology showcase Archer Daniels Midland Company. In addition, it’s one of the first bioplasticizers to be awarded recognition by the USDA’s “BioPreferred” program, which has granted reFlex 100 a “Biobased” label. reFlex 100 can be an alternative to conventional plasticizers such as BBP, DBP, and benzoates, many of which have come under regulatory pressure. Further, with reFlex 100, customers can improve productivity, reduce the amount of plasticizer and stabilizer required, and eliminate defects for greater operational

efficiency and profitability. reFlex 100 can be blended into both traditional phthalate and new non-phthalate systems, providing a formulating tool that helps reduce costs by improving productivity, eliminating defects, and reducing consumption. In addition, customers can leverage the Biobased label on this product to expand their offerings with differentiated solutions.

PolyOne Distribution Canada Ltd. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.polyone.com; 888-394-2662

classified ads

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

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To place your classified ad here, contact: Brayden Ford, Sales Manager at 416-510-5124 or bford@canplastics.com

MATERIALS

EndusEr Top pricEs paid for Post Industrial LDPE/LLDPE Scrap Film Mixed colour/Clear.

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technical tips

Challenges in stretch blow molding with indexing machines

By Ottmar Brandau, Apex Container Tech Inc.

T

here are three types of reheat stretch blow molding machines used to convert preforms into bottles: rotary machines, linear machines with continuous perform motion, and linear machines with indexing perform motion.

There are particular challenges with the third type of machine, very common in low and medium-volume applications. They have a low capital cost outlay and are easy to install and operate, making them attractive for small companies that want to get into the PET business.

The particular issues can be classes into three groups: reheating of performs, control and sealing during blow, and feed and unload.

sible. Potential buyers should therefore inspect offers from suppliers carefully.

2. CONTROL AND SEALING DURING BLOW

Preforms are placed on spindles mostly made of aluminum. As they’re inflated, the internal air pressure must be sealed in. This is accomplished by holding the necks in from the outside with steel mold inserts while sealing the inside with either O-rings or by pushing the preforms up against the sealing surface.

In this situation, the force of the blow air is pushing against the inside of the neck increasing with the square of the diameter. This part of the preform is not oriented and therefore weaker, espe1. REHEATING OF PREFORMS cially as the spindles, and with them the preform necks, heat up in In these machines, a set of performs commensurate to the machine the course of continuous operation. PET loses some of its solidity cavitation is loaded at one time. Next, the transport chain indexes long before it reaches the official benchmark where it becomes to make room for the next set. Preforms are therefore standing rubbery, the so-called “glass transition temperature” that’s often still and moving while they travel through the oven system, spin- cited as around 72°C for PET. This becomes especially important ning all the while. On cavitations for necks larger than 28 mm that can over 2, it’s difficult to make sure all become enlarged or ovalized. Keepperforms stay in the oven system for ing spindles at a low temperature by cooling them between take-out the exact length of time. and in-feed and avoiding to cycle the However, this is actually not the machine without preforms does help. main problem. To better understand Another helpful feature is lamps that how performs are heated, we need turn to a lower voltage when no preto look at the output of the infrared Thermal image of part of an IR lamp in operation. forms are present. lamps. Lamps used in all reheat blow machine are short-wave and medium-wave infrareds that emit different wave lengths dependent on the input voltage. What 3. FEED AND UNLOAD is characteristic for all used lamps is that the emitted radiation To load preforms and unload bottles, most machines feature power is not consistent along their lengths. Instead, the centre of devices with three cylinders plus one gripper cylinder for each the lamp emits more radiation and is measurably hotter than the cavity, or two additional cylinders that move all grippers. One parts towards the ends. There are heat differences along the lamp moves the device forward and backward, one turns, one moves up that may result from small inconsistencies of the wire and the and down, and the cylinders that move the grippers. Each cylinder halogen gas exchange that actually carries the radiation, but the comes with two flow controls and various grease points. Maintemain difference seems to come from the fact that the terminals nance is therefore a constant concern, as well as operators making need to be cooled to prevent them from melting. flow adjustments that may or may not be necessary. These devices It’s therefore impossible to guide preforms through the oven therefore reduce the efficiency of the machine and require addisystems with all of them receiving the same amount of heat; tional resources. Maintaining them by replacing worn parts on a instead, temperature differences of up to 8°C are not unusual. timely basis is critical to running a smooth production.

These temperature variations make it difficult to have preforms In summary, while indexing machines are a low-cost entry inflate in the same way and transform into bottles with the same point into stretch blow molding, careful investigation of machine wall thickness, because even small changes in temperature can features before the purchase and meticulous attention to mainteinfluence preform stretching behavior. While this is unavoid- nance are paramount for a successful business.

CPL able with these types of machines, it’s paramount that each blow cavity has its own set of blow valves. This allows independent Ottmar Brandau, president of Apex Container Tech Inc., is an timing and flow control of the pre-blow air that can partially com- internationally recognized expert in the fields of blow molding pensate for any temperature variations in the preforms. Unfortu- and injection molding of performs. He has written and edited nately, many of the less expensive machines use only one set of three books and numerous articles on the subjects. He can be blow valves for two or even more cavities, making this impos- reached at 705-429-1492, or apex@blowmolding.org.

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Canadian Plastics June 2012 www.canplastics.com

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01-6400-CON-CoolItCanadianPlastics_Layout 1 5/10/12 3:23 PM Page 1

COOL IT

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