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In this issue
Volume 33, No 238
publlshed slnce 1985
A S l A’ S L E A D l N G m aga z l ne f o r the plastlcs and rubber lndustry
Features 焦 點 內 容 14 資源回收: 東亞國家啟動無廢物計劃 17 Recycling – East Asia is a harbinger of waste that is being generated at a rate faster than other regions, yet the cluster of countries has also found a way to bank on its waste management capabilities to surmount the problem
21 Composites –Composites are flying high, literally, in aircraft due to their light weight and high-strength properties, and performance for safety of flights
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11 業界新聞
Supplements 副 刊 Italian machinery/technology show Plast, held from 29 May to 1 June, resounded a successful showing, based on the higher number of exhibitors and visitors Witnessing a steadily growing market, rigid packaging has carved a firm niche in vital industry applications NuSil outlines the key factors for choosing silicone solutions in medical device lubrication
Asia is the largest consumer of rigid plastic packaging, which compared to flexible packaging affords features such as degradability, light weight and versatility in design
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Chinese Editor Koh Bee Ling
ISSN 1360-1245
5 Materials News
A S l A’ S L E A D l N G M A G A Z l N E F O R THE PLASTlCS AND RUBBER lNDUSTRY
Senior Editor Angelica Buan Email: gel@plasticsandrubberasia.com
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JUNE / JULY 2018
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Industry News
M&As • SK Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on the specialty materials, is to acquire New York-headquartered additives maker SI Group, which operates 20 manufacturing facilities on five continents with more than US$1 billion in annual sales and over 2,800 employees worldwide. • US compounder PolyOne Corporation has acquired PlastiComp, an advanced engineered materials innovator and producer of specialty composites. PlastiComp has steadily grown through its ability to replace metal and lightweight products with long fibre technology (LFT) composite formulations. • US-based additive masterbatch provider Americhem has acquired Indiabased Prescient Color, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sudarshan Chemical Industries, and a producer of masterbatches. • Germanyheadquartered applied measuring and process technology provider Schenck Process has acquired Raymond Bartlett Snow
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(RBS), specialising in the design, manufacturing and construction of size reduction, classification and thermal processing equipment. RBS operates locations in the US, India and Brazil, all of which will become part of the Schenck Process Group. • US private equity firm Arsenal Capital Partners, which invests in middlemarket specialty industrials and healthcare business services companies, has acquired Epoxy Technology, a manufacturer of specialty epoxy, ultraviolet, and hybrid adhesives. Earlier, Arsenal announced the creation of Meridian Adhesives Group as its new platform in adhesives and sealants and the concurrent acquisition of Adhesives Technology Corporation (ATC), a specialty manufacturer of adhesives for the infrastructure and construction industries. • US-headquartered medical products extruder Spectrum Plastics Group brings into its fold Fermatex Vascular Technologies, formerly Gore-Jersey Shore, and Adam Spence Corporation, from Vance Street Capital. Fermatex is a supplier of
reinforced medical tubing, catheter subassemblies, and specialty extrusions. With the integration, Spectrum is expected to benefit from the Adam Spence’s rebranding. • Ontario-based Crawford Packaging has completed the acquisition of Celplast Packaging Systems and BVM USA. Celplast is a Canadian shrink film, food trays and lids, lidding films and heat sealable films company; and BVM is the North American distribution arm of Germanybased BVM Brunner, which specialises in manufacturing of packaging machines. Celplast and BVM will continue to operate independently. • French oil/gas company Total and Novealis Holdings, a joint venture of Austrian polyolefins maker Borealis, and Canada-based Nova Chemicals, have obtained approval for a joint venture in petrochemicals on the US Gulf Coast. The company named Bayport Polymers is 50% owned by Total and 50% owned by Novealis. The joint venture includes the construction of a 1 million-tonne/ year ethane steam cracker in Texas; Total’s existing 400 kilotonnes/year PE facility in Texas; and
a new 625 kilotonnes/ year Borstar PE unit at Total’s Bayport site. The partners said that the venture will create a major player in the US PE market, adding that they will take advantage of low-cost feedstocks in the US. • Philippines-based Toyota Autoparts Philippines (TAP), a joint venture of Toyota Motor Corporation– Japan, Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation, and Aisin Seiki Japan, is to become a subsidiary of Japanese automotive components supplier, Aisin Seiki, as the latter raises its equity participation from 34% to 61%. Under the agreement, TAP will be renamed Toyota Aisin Philippines and will invest Php1.2 billion to set-up automatic transmission (AT) component production lines. • Austrian firm Starlinger Group has taken over the German business unit Barmag Spinnzwirn from Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibres segment that specialises in turnkey extrusion plants for the production of tapes and monofilaments This field of activity complements the activities of Starlinger, which supplies machinery
INDUSTRY NEWS for the manufacturing of woven plastic sacks, lines for the recycling and and rPET sheet extrusion lines. The Starlinger Group already includes Georg Sahm, a winding specialist. • US extrusion/ converting machinery
maker DavisStandard, which is majority owned by ONCAP, the middlemarket investing unit of private equity firm Onex Corp of Toronto, Canada, has acquired Ontariobased Brampton Engineering, a machinery maker
that provides multilayer AeroFrost air blown and AquaFrost water quenched film systems, film winding and many other film production solutions. • Germany’s Grammer, a supplier of automotive interior
New Plants/Capacity Expansions • Austrian polyolefins supplier Borealis has inaugurated its EUR15 million investment project in mtm plastics, a recycling machine manufacturer of mixed post-consumer plastic waste and one of Europe's largest producers of post-
consumer polyolefin recyclates. An additional EUR2.5 million will be invested this year in environmental protection and capacity expansion of sister company mtm compact. The investment project brings the overall
input processing capacity from 60 to 80 kilotonnes. • Machinery firm KraussMaffei Group is expanding its portfolio and digital offering with a stake in German secondhand machinery start-up GINDUMAC
trim and commercial vehicle seats that operates in 19 countries worldwide, is acquiring Toledo Molding & Die (TMD), a supplier of thermoplastic components in the North American automotive market, for US$271 million. (Global Industrial Machinery Cluster), which operates globally in the trading of secondhand metal and plastics processing machinery. Meanwhile, to commemorate its 180th anniversary, KraussMaffei has also set up a new business unit, Digital
Industry News
Service Solutions, to develop and market new offerings and also be home to the classic service offering. • Austria-headquartered Wittmann Group, which manufactures injection moulding machines, robots and peripheral equipment, has extended its facility in Nuremberg, Germany. Following the opening of the extension, the total amount of usable floor space in the office bulding is now 1,800 sq m.The production hall has a total floor space of 3,000 sq m, which includes a 300 sq m technical lab and 750 sq m of warehouse facilities. • Extrusion machinery maker Windmöller & Hölscher (W&H) has inaugurated a new show room for woven PP machinery in Taicang, China. It showcases the Convertex, which heat seals woven PP cross bottom bags and thus eliminates the need of glue for this type of bags. During the last ten years the output of the bottomer has more than doubled, from 60 bags/ minute to 140 in the latest model. Today, the product range features machines with capacities of 80, 100, 120 and 140 bags/minute.
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• German chemical firm BASF has inaugurated its new EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Application centre for Plastic Additives in Kaisten, Switzerland. The new facility, located in the existing BASF production site, includes a compounding extruder, stretch film and tape lines as well as an injection moulding unit capable of simulating the polymer production and processing technology. • DuPont Industrial Biosciences (IB) has officially opened the doors of its renovated global business headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware. The revitalisation of what is known as Building E353 is part of a more than US$200 million investment in DuPont’s Experimental Station campus, which began in 2016 and encompasses about 50 buildings, with over 2 million sq ft of space. • Japan’s Teijin has broken ground on a new carbon-fibre production facility at its wholly owned subsidiary Teijin Carbon Fibers in the US. The facility is expected to create some 220 jobs with
US$600 million worth of investments by 2030. • Dutch chemicals firm AkzoNobel has started production in its new EUR40 million powder coatings plant in Changzhou, China, touted as one of the largest of its kind in the world. It will also collaborate with one of AkzoNobel's largest technology centres based in Shanghai. • Ineos Oxide is constructing a 270 kilotonnes/year Ethylene Oxide (EO) and Ethylene Oxide Derivatives (EOD) facility on the US Gulf Coast, targeted to be operational by 2022. It is considering several sites and is well advanced in evaluating competing EO technologies. Confirmation of the investment location and technology partner are expected later this year. • German oxo intermediates/ derivatives maker Oxea’s new worldscale propanol production unit at its Bay City site in Texas, US, is mechanically complete. The new facility is scheduled for commercial production in the third quarter of 2018. With a nameplate capacity of 100,000 tonnes/ year of n-propanol,
it is currently one of Oxea’s largest investment projects. • Spanish thermoplastics manufacturer Elix Polymers is investing EUR4 million to optimise its ABS powder production facility, to have access for its own production of ABS and ABS compounds. It will also enable it to access new markets in the NAFTA region and Asia. The project is expected to commence this year and consolidate in 2019. • DuPont Safety & Construction, a business unit of DowDuPont Specialty Products Division, is investing US$400 million to expand capacity for the manufacture of Tyvek nonwoven materials at its facility in Luxembourg. The production expansion, which will add a new building and third operating line at the site, is scheduled to start up in 2021. • French chemicals firm Arkema is raising its specialty polyamides powders by more than 50% at its Mont site in France. The expansion is scheduled to come on stream in the second half of 2019.
A micron-sized ingredient in personal care products has moved the cosmetics industry to rethink the health of the environment, says Angelica Buan in this report.
Materials News
Cosmetics industry takes a hard stand against microbeads
M
ade of PE, PP and PS, these minute plastic b e a d s , k n o w n a s m i c r o b e a d s , w i t h s i ze s ranging less than 5 mm, are used in a number of products including cleaning agents, paints, and rinse-off personal care products, specifically for exfoliating or scrubbing off stains. Microbeads have been under public scrutiny ever since studies on the marine litter issue found that these specks of plastic in products can pass through filtration and sewage systems, given the size, enter the waterways, and potentially pollute the oceans. A more recent study carried out by UK’s Plymouth University found that every time a certain product like a facial scrub, hand cleanser, exfoliating soap, toothpaste, sunscreen and or shampoo is used, a n e s t i m a t e d 10 0 , 0 0 0 m i c r o b e a d s l e a ch i n t o t h e environment, thus posing harm to marine life. The study says this could result in 80 tonnes of microplastic waste entering the oceans from the UK alone.
Microbeads are found to contribute to marine litter
Philippines spearheads Asia’s outlawing of microbeads In the billion dollar personal care and cosmetic products (PCCPs) sector, the Asia Pacific region has the second largest share of the market after Europe. Allied Market Research has reported that the region i s e x p e c t e d t o c l i n ch a v a l u e o f n e a r l y U S $ 1 2 7 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 4.02% from 2017. The issue on microbeads has prompted the industry to mak e their products environmentallyf r i e n d l y. O r g a n i s a t i o n s s u ch a s t h e P h i l i p p i n e headquartered ASEAN Cosmetic Association (ACA), a n o r ga n i s a t i o n o f m a j o r c o s m e t i c s f i r m s i n t h e region, are reiterating the call for phasing out of microbeads in PCCPs. The group stated that while there have been no findings that microbeads are adverse to human safety, they are still taking “a proactive stance in order to protect our environment and especially the water ways“. Along the same vein, the call to eliminate microbeads has been sought across Asia since 2017, with over 50 0 environmental and consumer groups making the appeal to ASEAN countries to ban the use of microbeads in PCCPs.
Group signatories to a petition sent to the governments and cosmetic regulatory agencies included the EcoWaste Coalition (Philippines), the Consumers' Association of Penang (Malaysia), and Balifokus Foundation (Indonesia). T h e E c o Wa s t e C o a l i t i o n m i c r o b e a d d r i v e o u t i s ga i n i n g s u p p o rt i n t h e P h i l i p p i n e s . I n 2 01 7, i t called on the Department of Health (DOH) and t h e P h i l i p p i n e F DA t o p r o h i b i t t h e m a n u f a c t u r e , p u r ch a s e , d i s t r i b u t i o n a n d s a l e o f P C C P s “ w i t h i n a reasonable time frame”, it said through its chief Eileen Belamide-Sison. Fifty NGOs including the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation, Conservation International, Greenpeace, Haribon, Marine Conservation Philippines, Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, Oceana, Save Philippine Seas and 3 5 0 P i l i p i n a s h a v e b a ck e d t h e a p p e a l . I n a l a t e s t d e v e l o p m e n t , t h e U p p e r H o u s e’s C o m m i tt e e o n Climate Change is drafting a bill that will prohibit the use of microbeads in the country. Global brands such as Unilever and Procter and G a m b l e ( P & G ) , w h i ch a c c o u n t f o r m a j o r m a r k e t shares in the Philippines, are also heeding the country’s position on microbeads. JUNE / JULY 2018
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Materials News
M e a nw h i l e , o v e r i n N e w Z e a l a n d a n d Ta i wa n , the ban on microbeads is also being enforced. According to the Environmental Protection Administration in Taiwan, the ban that will take effect from July cover s products lik e facial scrubs, body wash, soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, deodorants and toothpastes. Violating manufacturer s and retailer s of banned products will be fined from US$40 to US$10,000.
In a study conducted on personal care products sold in India, 67% of the facial scrubs were found to contain microplastics
The Philippines seeks to phase out microbeads in cosmetics and products like toothpaste, shampoo, and other rinse-off items
N e w Z e a l a n d ’s E PA h a s a l s o a n n o u n c e d t h a t starting early June, some products containing plastic microbeads will be banned from sale. Penalty for offenders is steeper and can go up to US$70,000. India, a step away from plastics-free cosmetics In a report forecast for 2018-2023 by TechSci Research, the India cosmetics market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 6%, underpinned by increased spending on grooming, robust demand from the youth population, increasing adoption of western culture and lifestyle and increasing number of beauty salons. On the flipside of this growth is the increase in the amounts of microplastics that are potentially released into the environment. A recent study entitled Eco Per sonal Care Product, Microplastics in Cosmetics by New-Delhi h e a d q u a rt e r e d e nv i r o n m e n t a l g r o u p Tox i c s L i n k found that numerous cosmetics sold in India contain microbeads, through its study of 18 per sonal care products covering 16 major consumer brands. Different categories of rinse-off and leave-on cosmetic products of varied leading brands were t e s t e d f o r m i c r o p l a s t i c s . T h e r e s u l t s indicate that 38% of the rinse-off products, 50% of the face wash products and 67% of the facial scrubs were found to contain microplastics. Meanwhile, microplastics w e r e n o t d e t e c t e d i n t h e l e a v e - o n s a m p l e s , Tox i c Link said, adding that PE is predominantly the microplastic type detected in the samples.
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Although the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) h a s c l a s s i f i e d m i c r o b e a d s a s “ u n s a f e” f o r u s e i n cosmetic products, there is no prohibition against its use. H o w e v e r, t h e M a h a r a s h t r a s t a t e h a s t a k e n t h e lead in banning microbeads, enforced since April this year, following a ban on single-use plastic bags in March, along with the 18 other Indian states that have imposed either partial or total bans on singleuse plastics. The Mumbai-based All-India Cosmetic Manufacturers Association (AICMA) has expressed its support for the proposed ban on microbeads. It foresees that the state’s ban is lik ely to become a precedent for a nationwide action. The organisation, which has a number of member companies based in Maharashtra, called for natural alternatives such as beads from almonds, walnuts and jojoba. Europe throws down the gauntlet on microplastics The G7 Summit held in June in Canada sealed the fate of microbeads in cosmetics. Tackling the issue on ocean plastics, leaders of five of the G7 countries, composed of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and UK, plus the European Union (EU), agreed, among other plastic-reduction strategies under the Ocean Plastics Charter, to work with the industry to reduce the use of plastic microbeads in PCCPs. The microbead ban has swept across Europe, f o l l o w i n g t h e l e a d o f t h e U S , w h i ch s i g n e d t h e Microbead-Free Water s Act of 2015 that demands companies to halt the use of microbeads in beauty and health products from July 2017. Sweden’s ban the on sale of rinse-off products that contain microbeads takes effect this July. Other European countries are currently embarking on the same route, including Italy, France, Ireland, Finland, Norway, and the UK.
Materials News The UK is enforcing the ban in phases and has started clamping down the manufacture of these products since January, while sales of these products have been prohibited since June 2018. Ireland expects to enforce a ban by end of 2018; while Scotland has undertaken the ban since midJune, and Wales has effected it from end June. F o r i t s p a rt , I t a l y h a s n o t i f i e d t h e E u r o p e a n Commission that it is also prohibiting the production and sales of rinse-off cosmetics products with microbeads starting 2020. Environment hard liner s have lauded these developments in the region. Specifically in the UK, the ban is seen as a milestone in curbing the accumulation of plastics that enter its oceans. Microbeads out, natural alternatives in The US Personal Care Products Council affirmed in 2014 that a number of personal care products companies have already committed to discontinue formulating with plastic microbeads in cleansing products. According to multinational Unilever, it has rescinded using plastic scrub beads (in some of its exfoliating products) since 2014, and is now using alternatives such as apricot kernels, cornmeal, ground pumice, silica and walnut shells. Another company P&G has started reformulating its facial and body cleansers, and toothpaste products, with the company stating that over 99% of its global product volume is now microbead-free and that it has an exit plan for the few remaining uses to be completed by mid2018. Major brands such as L’Oreal, Crest, Johnson & Johnson, and many others major PCCP players have started phasing out microbeads.
Other natural alternatives are: beeswax, rice bran wax, jojoba waxes, starches from corn, tapioca and carnauba, seaweed and silica, clay. There are yet other environmentally viable alternati ves that are being developed from plants, algae, and shellfish. A s t a rt - u p c o m p a ny b u i l t b y r e s e a r ch e r s f r o m Purdue University, SoyFoliate, has developed a soybased microbead, featuring the benefits of soy's b i o d e g r a d a b l e a n d hy d r o p h i l i c p r o p e rt i e s . A t i ny amount of oil is mixed into the soy bead to prevent wa t e r f r o m s a t u r a t i n g i t , d e c r e a s i n g i t s r i g i d i t y. SoyFoliate‘s technology received US$20,000 from the 2016 Soy Innovation Competition.
SoyFoliate has developed a soy-based microbead
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MODERN
PLASTICS INDIA
Materials News
Scientists and engineers from UK’s University of Bath’s Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies (CSCT), has developed beads made from cellulose, w h i ch i s t h e m a t e r i a l t h a t f o r m s t h e t o u g h f i b r e s found in wood and plants. In this process, the scientists dissolve the cellulose to reform it into tiny beads by forming droplets that are then “set”.
Nevertheless, there is already significant gain. A new study carried out by the University of Plymouth showed evidences of major companies taking action to remove microbeads in their products.
Latest study by the University of Plymouth indicated significant improvement in terms of the levels of microbeads found in sampled cosmetics products
Microscope picture of cellulose microbeads
These microbeads are robust enough to remain stable in a body wash, yet can be brok en down by organisms at the sewage treatment works, or even i n t h e e nv i r o n m e n t i n a s h o rt p e r i o d o f t i m e , t h e team said. T h e r e s e a r ch e r s a n t i c i p a t e t h e y c o u l d u s e cellulose from a range of “waste” sources, including f r o m t h e p a p e r m a k i n g i n d u s t r y a s a r e n e wa b l e source of raw material. Their study was published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. The microbeads from cellulose biodegrades into h a r m l e s s s u ga r s a n d t h e b e a d s a r e m a d e u s i n g a solution of cellulose, which is forced through tiny holes in a tubular membrane, creating spherical d r o p l e t s o f t h e s o l u t i o n , w h i ch a r e wa s h e d a wa y from the membrane using vegetable oil. The beads are then collected, set and separated from the oil b e f o r e u s e . T h e p hy s i c a l p r o p e rt i e s o f t h e b e a d s c a n b e t w e a k e d b y ch a n g i n g t h e s t r u c t u r e o f t h e c e l l u l o s e , f o r e x a m p l e , m a k i n g t h e b e a d s h a r d e r. The cellulose beads maybe developed for PCCPs, as well as agricultural applications. A winning cause To c a m p a i g n a g a i n s t t h e u s e o f m i c r o b e a d s i n PCCPs is hard work that is now paying off. Although already several countries worldwide have phased out microbeads or are in the process of doing so, still, there are countries that have not done so.
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In an earlier study done in 2015, the University’s PhD student Imogen Napper and Professor Richard Thompson, Head of the International Marine Litter Re s e a r ch U n i t , s u b j e c t e d s i x p r o d u c t s t o v a c u u m filtration and subsequent analysis using electron m i c r o s c o p y s h o w e d t h a t e a ch 15 0 m l o f t h e p r o d u c t s c o u l d c o n t a i n b e t w e e n 13 7, 0 0 0 a n d 2 . 8 million microparticles. The latest study, however, indicates significant improvement in terms of the levels of microbeads found in the studied cosmetics products. S i m i l a r l y, t h e B e a t t h e M i c r o b e a d c a m p a i g n launched by Plastic Soup organisation has shown a positive traction. The International Campaign against Microplastic Ingredients in Cosmetics, a dri ve that is supported by 95 NGOs from 40 c o u n t r i e s a n d r e g i o n s , h a s r e p o rt e d t h a t t o - d a t e , 448 brands from 119 different manufacturer s have p l e d g e d t o r e m ov e p l a s t i c m i c r o b e a d s f r o m t h e i r products. Meanwhile, the European trade association Cosmetics Europe announced in May that over 97% of plastic microbeads have already been phased out from cosmetics, as a result of its campaign f r o m 2 012 t o 2 017. T h i s d e c r e a s e r e p r e s e n t s ov e r 4,250 tonnes of plastic microbeads substituted and removed. Loïc Armand, President of Cosmetics Europe, said that the efforts the industry has put into involves research, investment and reformulation – processes that are lengthy, complex and costly, Armand also said the availability of suitable alternatives has played a critical role. N o t w i t h s t a n d i n g t h e ch a l l e n g e s , t h e p o s i t i v e result shows that the industry is on track with its goal of removing all plastic microbeads in PCCPs by 2020.
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he healthcare industry in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at 11.1% in 2018, making it one of the fastest growing regions in the world, compared to the global healthcare average growth of 4.8% a year. The positive growth is fuelled by increasing adoption of technology, innovative healthcare access programmes and delivery of care outside traditional hospital settings, says research firm Frost & Sullivan. It projects the Asia Pacific healthcare market to grow to US$517 billion in 2018. Demand for healthcare in the region is growing due to three major factors: an ageing population, a growing population and the rise of the middle class, especially since a large concentration of two thirds of the global middle class will be in Asia Pacific by 2030. Meanwhile, Singapore is expected to inject more resources into healthcare. By 2030, almost 1 million Singaporeans will be over the age of 65, and elderly healthcare will rise tenfold over the next 15 years to more than S$66 billion annually. All of the above bode well for the MEDICAL FAIR ASIA show to be held from 29-31 August at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. The three-day exhibition is Asia’s leading event for all those involved in medical and healthcare, with a showcase of over 1,000 exhibitors and 10,000 medical products. While on the global digital healthcare front, according to Global Market Insights, the global IoT healthcare market is expected to exceed US$10 billion by 2024, while the global mHealth market is set to reach US$10.2 billion by 2018. Thus, technology is encapsulated in healthcare, where it goes beyond convenience, helping to save lives. At MEDICAL FAIR ASIA, technology will come alive with products and solutions with far-reaching implications for delivery of care for the future. At the forefront of MEDICAL FAIR ASIA 2018 is the Start-Up Park / Future 4 Health (FTR4H) Lab & Lounge. The Start-Up Park will feature exciting new companies launching their latest innovations. While the FTR4H Lab & Lounge is powered by MEDICA - powered by MEDICA - the world’s leading medical event held in Germany – an international showcase aimed at driving the digital health ecosystem that explores the effects of digital transformation (mobile, IoT, big data) to the healthcare industry as well as a presentation of technologies and solutions from the digital and mobile healthcare fields. From new mobile apps, hardware and software technology, the inaugural Start-Up Park / FTR4H Lab & Lounge is where healthcare meets technology. Further augmenting this focus on technology and future-ready solutions at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA 2018 is the inaugural Community Care Pavilion – a comprehensive platform focused on medical solutions for the silver generation which will include a full suite of geriatric medicine, products and solutions such as rehabilitative equipment, mobility products using robotic technology, assistive technology to smart fabrics and wearable technology.
BITCARE COMMUNICATIONS Singapore-based Bitcare Healthcare Communications System is a leading h e a l t h c a r e communications, audio & video intercom system provider in Asia.
It uses modern communication and information technology, utilising TCP/IP-based networking, further extending to mobile apps, to deliver clear and reliable visual and audio intercom functions between healthcare staff, patients and their family members remotely. Automated HIS information synchronisation further reduces the work burden of healthcare staff, as they are able to access patient information service via the BitCare display terminal, thus resulting in prompt treatment. The first in Asia and Southeast Asia, the remote communication function allows for convenience for the family to virtually visit the patient, and also ease the pressure of visiting in a hospital environment. Booth No: 1P21 MIRA Rehab UK-based company MIRA Rehab has a mission and it is to motivate people to get better in a faster, easy and fun way. As a software platform, MIRA turns physiotherapy exercises into video-games, using an external sensor to track and assess patient’s compliance, thus making therapy easier to follow, for patients recovering from surgery or injury. It asks patients to complete the games' objectives by doing the recommended exercises, while also tracking their performance.
MIRA is designed as a tool for physiotherapists, allowing specialists to customise it to fit each patient's needs. The system is used in over 70 institutions worldwide, 8 within the UK's NHS, with patients' ages ranging from 3 to 102 years old.
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Pressalit A/S Headquartered in Denmark, Pressalit Care has been providing premium bathroom solutions since 1954. The privately owned Danish firm offers a range of assistive hardware for the physically impaired that is engineered for use in the bathroom, kitchen and workspace in four critical areas of applications: showering, toileting, changing and washing.
Designed also to protect the caregiver, the solutions have a unique track system that enables flexibility and adaptability. Both horizontal and vertical adjustments in these care products benefit both the user and caregiver in almost any given healthcare situation. The company exports over 80% of its products and is represented in 45 international markets.
Booth No: 1Q14
Wu's Tech Co. Ltd Taipei-headquartered Wu’s Tech, a professional manufacturer of mobility products dedicated to help those with mobility needs and independent living, offers the four-wheel Eurocare mobility scooter OMEGA that affords users more foot room with great indoor manoeuvrability and enhanced stability.
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Atapy Co Ltd Headquartered in Bangkok, Atapy has innovated Sookjai, a novelty developed in response to the demands of the elderly. Sookjai is a genius assistance with its ability to properly take care of the elderly by automatically monitoring and providing warnings when, say, an elderly person takes a fall.
Children of elderly parents or caretakers can monitor their activities, sleeping efficiency, and basic health information of the elderly through the “internet of thing” technology and analyse from the machine learning technology. Moreover, it is simple to use with users needing only one click for emergency assistance or general communications.
Booth No: 2Q02
France Bed Co. Ltd Founded in Japan in 1946, France Bed is a manufacturer and wholesaler of beds, assistive products, and healthcare apparatus, which support Japan’s ageing society.
It also features a Delta tiller with wraparound handles, with a completely wireless disassembly. The company says the OMEGA “is the perfect compact scooter for users looking for a more luxurious ride.”
The company will showcase a range of unique products, for example, the powered turning bed, which has an “automatic turning support” function to prevent bed sores. The turning speed, interval, and inclination of the bed section can be set by controllers in advance. Lasting for a maximum of 24 hours, the function provides the patient with a high quality sleep and reduces the caregiver’s burden.
Booth No: 1J14 JUNE / JULY 2018
Booth No: 1Q07
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Recycling
East Asia embarks on wastefree game plan East Asia is generating waste at a rate faster than other regions, warns the World Bank. The region, however, has found a way to bank on its waste management capabilities to surmount its waste problem, says Angelica Buan in this article.
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o say that waste pollution is a twin of economic growth is a fallacy; and countries in East Asia are debunking this analogy. While it’s true that Asia, home to growing economies, is also home to the world’s largest marine litter offenders, according to a 2015 environment report identifying China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam that account for 60% of the total 8 million plastic waste entering the water systems, the region has devised ways to tackling the problem. Consulting and engineering company Pöyry offers that the increasing amount of waste generated by the growing economies in Asia requires a proper and environmentally safe disposal. The Asian region’s current average waste generation is approximately 0.9 kg/capita/day and is set to increase to 1.5 kg/capita/day as economies develop. That being said, waste disposal in this region will be one of the major challenges in the years to come. Waste management strategies, including the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle; and resource recovery through waste-to-energy (WtE), are some of the common practices to eliminate waste from the environment. The most popular application is municipal solid waste (MSW) processing followed by industrial waste. Being technology-driven, WtE requires investment, depending on the size, capacity, and output of the facility. Operators who cut corners have to deal with regulations on carbon emissions. According to a report by Million Insights, it costs around US$30 million to US$180 million to construct a standard incineration unit, capable of processing 10,300 tonnes of waste/day. Despite the cost, the global WtE market is expected to nearly double Waste disposal will be one to US$43 billion in 2024, of the major challenges for the Asian region in the from US$25 billion in 2015. years to come, says Pöyry Driving the market is the in its report growing environmental issues resulting from the staggering accumulation of mismanaged waste. The Asia-Pacific region follows Europe in terms of high market growth over the forecast period on account of increasing population and better living standards. German consultancy firm, Ecoprog, in its Waste to Energy 20162017 report, noted that there are over 2,200 active WtEs worldwide, having a disposal capacity of around 300 million tonnes/ year of waste. JUNE / JULY 2018
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recycling Between 2011-2015, over 280 thermal treatment plants with a capacity of nearly 80 million tonnes/year were built; and by 2025, it is projected that more than 600 new plants with a capacity of about 170 million tonnes/year will be constructed. Japan: scores in recycling, energy recovery approach An architectural eye candy, as far as thousands of visitors to Osaka are concerned, the city’s Maishima Plant is gaining popularity as a tourist attraction for its colourful exterior reminiscent of a Disneyland theme park. But behind the chimera of Maishima Plant, which is actually a garbage incineration facility, lies the grim reality of the waste problem that East Asia and the rest of the world are facing. Built by Japanese industrial and engineering company Hitachi Zosen in 2001, and managed by the environmental city partners of Osaka, Yao, and Mastubara, the 32MW-power capacity Maishima incinerator facility, processes about 900 tonnes/day of MSW into 300,000 tonnes/year of fuel. The modernisation in Japan comes at a dreary cost to the environment, that is an incremental rise in generated waste. Based on a World Bank (WB) data of worldwide MSW generation, Japan creates 144,466 tonnes/day of MSW, and by 2025, this is projected to increase to 146,982 tonnes/day.
State of Waste Management in Japan, Japan has been backing the construction of waste management facilities across the country. It has in place a national subsidy system to support waste management facilities and landfill sites that are required to meet the defined architectural standards. Hence, it comes as a surprise that Japan, together with the US, declined to be signatory to the 2018 G7 Ocean Plastics Charter pact with fellow member countries Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the UK. The charter sets specific goals of reducing single-use plastics and improving recycling; with 100% reusable or recoverable plastics by 2030 and recycling 55% of plastic packaging by 2030 and 100% by 2040. Although the reason has not been disclosed, the country continues to support its waste management initiatives with the implementation of incineration technologies. China: defeating waste through bans and incineration China’s move to unclog its waste generated domestically had an effect on countries that ship their waste into China for recycling. From January 2018, the country is not accepting shipments of recyclable waste, which includes 24 types of scrap materials. China has since then rolled out measures to boost its own waste management programme, and local recycling industry.
Mistaken for a tourist attraction, the Maishima plant in Osaka is an incinerator
Nonetheless, waste management disposal is addressed through various modalities, including recycling, energy recovery, and the like. As well, the country’s high economic growth lends to its fast urban growth that supports demand for new materials that are convenient, versatile, and durable. Plastics and other materials are popular choices and are manufactured in high volumes. According to the latest statistics by the Japan Plastics Industry Federation, plastic material production, across all resin types, totalled over 1.8 million tonnes, while plastic products are expected to total 909,352, in 2018. But due to the non-biodegradability and noncompostability of some plastics, the large amounts of discarded plastics are posing a threat to human and environmental health. According to Japan’s Environment Ministry report, History and Current
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China has extended the ban on foreign waste to include 24 types of recyclable materials
The country aims to recycle 350 million tonnes/year of waste, including steel, non-ferrous metals, plastic and paper by 2020, according to the State Council of the People’s Republic. Likewise, it plans to develop advanced systems for renewable resources and recycle about 23 million tonnes/year of plastic waste by 2020. Adoption of localised strategies is expected to keep China on track of its targets. In a district of Beijing, China’s capital, households are given incentives to sort out their trash, in exchange for points to earn prizes such as toiletries and other small household items.
recycling Other areas in Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongquing are also partaking in this sorting incentive programme. Of China’s 246 major cities that generated a total 185 million tonnes of MSW in 2015, Beijing was the largest domestic waste producer, followed by Shanghai and Guangzhou, according to a 2016 report by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. During the report year, the cities accounted for over 1.91 billion tonnes of solid waste from industrial production; of which, more than half was recovered through recycling and other recovery platforms, says the ministry. The country currently accounts for more than 520,000 tonnes/day of MSW and is forecast to generate over nearly 1.4 million tonnes/day of MSW by 2025, as its urban population rises to 822 million from the current 512 million, according to WB. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is looking to incineration as an effective means of thwarting waste from piling up. By 2020, it expects to burn 40% of its waste.
The WtE facility in Shenzhen is aimed at processing a third of the waste generated by the metropolis' 20 million inhabitants
As a matter of fact, the country is building what it claims will be the world’s largest WtE facility in Shenzhen, designed by Danish architects Schmidt Hammer Lassen and Gottlieb Paludan (Dubai is also building a 185-MW/day WtE facility, which is assumed to become the world’s largest by the time it is completed in 2020). In 2013, China awarded the contract to Babcock & Wilcox Vølund, a Denmark-based subsidiary of US headquartered Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises,to supply the 168-MW plant with equipment, including a DynaGrate combustion grate system, hydraulics, burners and other boiler components. The gargantuan facility, which is scheduled to begin commercial operation in mid-2019, will burn 80,000 tonnes of waste/year. Taiwan: making a case in recycling and burning waste Over in Taiwan, which has an ultimate objective of reaching zero landfilling and total recycling, MSW recycling has increased significantly. According to a paper published in 2017 in the MDPI Sustainability journal, from 1998–2016, MSW recycling increased from 111,753 tonnes to 3 million tonnes. Its findings also denoted that Taiwan generated nearly 7.5 million tonnes of MSW in 2016; nearly half of the volume was disposed of, and more than half of the total waste was recycled to produce secondary materials. On the other hand, incineration is also adopted as a means to get rid of the waste generated. The country’s capital Taipei has three municipal waste incinerators in Neihu, Muzha and Beitou, and one sanitary landfill in Shanzhuku, citing Taiwan’s Department of Environmental Protection. It also says that the rate of proper garbage disposal has reached 100%, and the waste incineration rate is now 99.23%. Other measures that are nationally implemented and found to be effective include kitchen waste recycling, Trash Per-bag Fee Collection policy, which has reduced the amount of garbage by nearly 67%, and the resource-recycling rate by nearly 48%.
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recycling
The Beitou incinerator in Taipei
Recently, Hong Kong-based Suez NWS, a joint venture between Suez and NWS Holdings Ltd; and Australian recycling company Cleanaway, acquired the Dafa hazardous waste treatment facility in Kaohsiung, located in southwestern Taiwan. The NT$1.3 billion acquisition will be operated by Cleanway Suez, a new joint venture of the partner companies, and Taiwanese engineering and construction firm RSEA. Suez NWS already operates the WtE plant in Renwu district and the Chengcing Lake water treatment plant. Built in 2004, the Dafa hazardous waste treatment plant in Kaohsiung has a designed capacity of 29,200 tonnes/year. It provides incineration services and combined physical and chemical treatment for various streams of hazardous waste. Cleanaway Suez says it will upgrade the plant's treatment facilities and build an extension to maximise its performance and treatment capacity. It will also build an advanced facility to treat the contaminated liquids produced by waste treatment for recycling as process water. This contract will optimise the environmental and economic performance of the plant, while complying with the most stringent regulatory standards, says Cleanaway Suez. South Korea: charges forward in curbing plastics use and converting landfills South Korea, coming to terms with the blow of China’s waste ban, is intensifying its recycling efforts amid the rising amount of waste forecast by WB to cross 580,000 in 2025 from the current 480,000 tonnes. Commercial retailers have since reduced their use of plastic bags with materials that are degradable and compostable like paper cups and reusable containers instead been offered as packaging. In a latest plastic ban effort, since May this year, Seoul has started eradicating disposable plastic bags. Projecting to rid of about 300,000 of plastic bags used as covers for wet umbrellas that are given free by retailers, the Seoul Metropolitan government is
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restricting plastic bags from stores with floor sizes larger than 33 sq m, including pharmacies and convenience stores. Violators are fined of up to US$280. The capital city is also converting some of its landfill sites into renewable energy power plants. In 2017, the Ministry of Environment and the Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corporation (SLC) disclosed plans to build solar energy power plants on landfill sites. Alongside existing biomass and landfill gas power plants, the planned power plants are expected to extend the city’s renewable energy source. SLC’s 250MW solar energy power plant will be built on two landfill sites, due to be completed in three phases by 2021, and will produce electricity for 80,000 households. The company has also planned to more than triple the generation of WtE from 23% to 86% by 2021. In light of the nation’s drive against trash, waste management systems firms are taking the cue for opportunities. Sweden-headquartered environmental technology and vacuum waste collection specialist Envac has been commissioned by Bang Bae 13 Reconstruction Association for its flagship South Korean regeneration programme to collect the waste of a library, kindergarten, care home, neighbourhood facilities and 2,296 mixed use apartments over a 32-acre site when it goes live in 2022.
Envac has been commissioned by Bang Bae 13 to collect the waste in the 32-acre project
Bang Bae 13 will see over 9 km of Envac pipework located underground and within the walls of multi-storey buildings that will transport waste using airflow from 88 waste inlets situated across the site. Upon completion, Envac will transport 1.5 tonnes/day of general waste and 2 tonnes/day of food waste from the waste inlets to a single collection station located on the periphery of the development. This will result in one single waste collection when each large container is fill, which further reduces the presence of waste collection vehicles moving around the site. Work on installing the system is expected to begin in the first half of 2019. Thus, as South Korea continues to squash its waste nemesis, its East Asian neighbours are making bold moves to achieve a zero-waste goal.
Composites
The route forward for aerospace composites Composites use is fused into aerospace design and engineering due to their light weight and highstrength properties, and performance for safety of flights, says Angelica Buan in this report.
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uel efficiency, decreasing emissions and reducing material usage are the current aerospace trends highlighted in the aerospace trends and new technology developments report by EWI, a North American engineering and technology organisation. Markets and Markets in its Aerospace Composites Market 20172022 report estimates the aerospace composites market to reach close to US$43 billion by 2022 from almost US$27 billion by 2017, growing at a CAGR of 9.85%. The commercial aircraft segment is projected to lead the aerospace composites market, in terms of both volume and value, during the forecast period. Factors that account for the composites market growth are increasing air passenger traffic, rising use of composite materials in emerging economies, and an increasing number of low cost carriers, Acute Market Reports states in its Global Aerospace Composites Market outlook 2017-2025. As the industry grows, the demand for customised and innovative solution is accelerating. Owing to composite materials’ stiffness and strength benefits, aerospace manufacturers are increasingly using it for lightweight structures to enable weight savings, lower fuel consumption and greater range, which enhance the performance of the aircraft. Furthermore, composite materials and products are a perfect fit for new generation aircrafts such as Airbus A350 XWB and A320neo, and the Boeing 787 and 737 MAX for use in components such as the wings, fuselage, aircraft interiors, and other aircraft structures that must survive high stress, shocks, and impact loads.
The FusePly is a composite bonding technology for aerospace application
Building with composites A specialist in composite products to improve performance and light weighting of aircraft structures, Belgian chemical company Solvay has developed FusePly, a new composite bonding technology for aerospace applications. Through the creation of chemical bonds, FusePly improves reliability, and thus enables part manufacturers to have increased confidence in bonded structures. Also as Solvay explains FusePly, compared to mechanical fasteners, offers higher performance since drilling holes into fibre-reinforced structures introduces structural damage and creates stress concentrations that ultimately reduce the load capacity of the part. JUNE / JULY 2018
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Composites As for light weighting, the reduction and replacement of fasteners with FusePly bonding will substantially reduce the overall weight of the aircraft. FusePly also offers greater design flexibility during manufacture and assembly at lower cost, as it can easily be integrated into existing manufacturing processes as an upgrade for traditional surface preparation methods. Solvay also serves companies engaged in space programme applications. Recently, it entered into an agreement with Swiss technology company RUAG to supply advanced structural composites for US and European space launcher programmes. Solvay’s MTM 46 composite products is to be used for the manufacture of large integrated structural components including payload fairings, stage and payload adapters, dispensers and separation systems on next-generation launchers. Solvay said that MTM 46 is an out-ofautoclave toughened epoxy resin system that meets space agencies requirements and can be used in light and stiff sandwich structures. It was specifically developed for extreme demand applications such as space programmes. Also a patron of Solvay products is US-headquartered business aircraft manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. Solvay supplies Gulfstream with a range of composite materials, adhesive and surfacing films out of its California, Texas and Maryland sites for the Gulfstream G500, G550, G600 and G650 programmes. Along the same vein, Gulfstream’s adherence to composites has yielded in 2015 a 2,787-sq m technical training centre that houses classrooms and laboratories dedicated to avionics, structures and composites.
The Gulfstream G550 uses composite materials, adhesives and surfacing films from Solvay
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Rolls-Royce's new Pearl engine has been purpose-built for the aviation sector
Also in the field of business aviation, British engineering company Rolls-Royce has launched a new engine family called the Pearl, which has been purpose-built and will be the sole engine for Canadian aerospace and transportation company Bombardier’s latest business jets, the Global 5500 aircraft and the Global 6500 aircraft. The Pearl 15 is the first of the planned stateof-the-art Pearl engine family for business aviation and marks the sixth new civil aerospace engine introduced by Rolls-Royce in the past 10 years. Keeping pace with high build rate with thermoplastics Global in-service commercial airline fleet is forecast to rise from nearly 25,000 aircraft in 2017 to over 35,000 by 2027, according to the ten-year Fleet & MRO Forecast by New York-headquartered management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. It reported that aircraft deliveries to airlines will cross 20,000 over the period. This accelerated rate of new aircraft deliveries will thus result in a massive technology shift. By 2027, 58% of the fleet will be new-generation aircraft, it said. With the increasing build rate, manufacturing time becomes vital; and this espouses the growing interest for thermoplastic composites as the material for larger series production, according to the Thermolastic Composites Research Centre (TPRC), an open innovation R&D centre for thermoplastics, based in the Netherlands. Thermoplastic composites offer advantages of production times that are lower by 20-30% compared to metals or other polymer materials; and lower overall costs, compared to the ubiquitous thermoset counterparts, as explained by Victrex, a British supplier of polymers. Meanwhile, Victrex said that in keeping with the increasing demand for thermoplastic for aerospace applications, it is partnering
Composites with aerospace OEMs and research centres, in particular around its Victrex AE 250 composites product family and related technology that would enable aircraft manufacturers to drive high throughput, while still meeting safety, quality and environmental requirements. Victrex is also investing in TxV Aero Composites, its joint venture with Tri-Mack Plastics, a US company specialising in high temperature engineering thermoplastics. It will build the necessary supply chain, which along with capacity are important criteria for increasing the amount of thermoplastic composites in future aircraft programme, according to Victrex.
Victrex AE 250 composites for aircraft parts and systems deliver weight savings of up to 60% compared to metals
For US advanced composites manufacturer Hexcel and Chinese aerospace parts manufacturer Future Aerospace, the timing is right for the recent opening of their joint venture composites test laboratory sited in Shanghai, China. Amid the uptrend in thermoplastics in aircraft construction, the Shanghai Future Aerospace Hexcel Commercial Composite Testing Carbon-fibre expert Hexcel has teamed Limited, up with Arkema located in to develop carbon Lingang, fibre-reinforced will provide thermoplastic tapes China with for aircraft parts an aerospace standard material test laboratory to ease material qualification and support certification for new programmes;
as well as offer testing services to commercial aerospace industries in China and Asia-Pacific. Operations at the new site are expected to begin in September 2018. Hexcel has also teamed up with French speciality chemicals company Arkema to develop thermoplastic composite solutions for the aerospace sector. The partnership, leveraging Hexcel’s expertise in carbon fibre and Arkema’s in PEKK (polyetherketoneketone), is developing carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic tapes to produce lightweight parts for future generations of aircraft. In addition to light weighting, these new composites will provide lower cost and faster production speeds for customers in the aerospace and the space and defence sectors. A joint R&D laboratory will be put up for the collaboration. Arkema is also scheduled to start up its new PEKK plant in Alabama, US, by end of 2018. Alliances propel adoption of aerospace composites Revenues in the global aerospace and defence (A&D) sectors are forecast to increase by 4.1% this year from 2.1% a year ago, according to Deloitte’s 2018 Global A&D industry outlook. Thus, this year, it is expected that global M&A (merger and acquisition) activity in the aerospace sector will remain robust amid pricing pressures from aircraft OEMs and their expansion of high-margin aftermarket services. This has pushed suppliers to consolidate for scale and cost effectiveness, Deloitte reports. India-headquartered market consultancy The Business Research Company (TBRC) points to North America as the largest region in the A&D market in 2017 in its recent report. The region represents a 38% share in the market and is driven by the strong air travel market in the US and Canada, as well as the presence of major aircraft manufacturers of components. The region’s M&A activities in the A&D segments are showing positive outcomes for the market, especially in harnessing the advantage of using innovative materials in next-generation aerospace designs. At the end of 2017, for instance, Californiaheadquartered AAC&A Enterprises Holdings, a provider of composite and metallic parts in the aerospace, defence, space and speciality automobile markets, acquired EnCore Composite Structures (ECS), a division of the EnCore Group. ECS, a designer and manufacturer of complex composite parts and assemblies for the Airbus A320, Airbus A350 XWB, Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 787, as well as several military programmes, is AAC&A’s second addon acquisition, after the 2017 acquisition of Applied Composites Engineering. ECS fabricates airframes, auxiliary power units, nacelle structures and wings. JUNE / JULY 2018
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Composites Henkel's benzoxazinebased high performance composites business has been acquired by Kaneka, a manufacturer of formulated resins used in aircrafts
The acquisition of the composites portfolio of Germany-headquartered chemical and consumer goods firm Henkel by US-based Kaneka Aerospace (KAE), a subsidiary of Tokyoheadquartered Kaneka Corp, at the beginning of 2018 takes hint of a year of more M&A activities. The agreement includes the transfer of commercial rights, technologies and patents of the benzoxazine-based high performance composites business from Henkel to KAE. Included are benzoxazine-based prepregs, film adhesives, and infusion resins. Kaneka, which manufactures formulated resins used in aircrafts, aims to achieve more than US$200 million in sales by 2025 in high performance aerospace composites. Meanwhile, the US composites operation of LMI Aerospace is providing American aerospace company Boeing with thermoplastic parts. LMI, bagged a multi-year contract following its qualification in 2017, and will produce the lightweight, affordable composite parts for Boeing 787 Dreamliner, 767 and 747 airplanes. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2019. LMI, a member of the Belgian aerostructures company Sonaca Group, says it is able to achieve cost savings by using automated technology in the production process and by designing tools so parts can be produced in batches. LMI’s Washington-based site performs composites testing, R&D, and manufacturing for US and international aerospace customers. In other news, EconCore, the Belgian firm that provides honeycomb sandwich materials for the aerospace sector, has partnered with MEAF in the development of a laboratory extruder for continuous production. At the heart of the line is a purpose-built 50-mm extruder, built by MEAF
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in the Netherlands, and equipped with a special 500-mm sheet die built by flat-die specialist EMO Extrusion Moulding in Austria. EconCore honeycomb structures are produced from a single continuous thermoplastic sheet using the company’s patented ThermHex technology. This involves a sequence of thermoforming, folding and bonding operations. Cell size, density and thickness of the honeycombs can be altered with simple hardware and/or process parameter adjustments. The process allows for inline bonding of solid skins to one or both sides of the honeycomb, to create an extremely cost-effective finished composite panel. Prior to the installation of the new extruder, EconCore was carrying out its honeycomb developments using sheet unwound from a roll and is now able to produce its own sheet in-line, allowing for flexibility.
EconCore is working on continuous production of its honeycomb sheets
It is also extending the potential of ThermHex technology by enabling it to be used with thermoplastics with improved mechanical and thermal performance (HPTs). Normally this would require the use of a second extruder, since the processing characteristics of polyolefins are quite different from those of HPTs. But with this purpose-designed extruder, it says it has so far managed to obtain excellent results on around ten different kinds of polymers. The previous year was referred to by Dutch aviation consulting firm To70 and the Aviation Safety Network as the safest year on record for commercial air travel. There were zero commercial passenger jet fatalities in 2017, they reported. While traveling by air is among the safest means of transport, the estimate that one per 16 million flight probability of fatal accident provides the push to develop safer aircrafts. Whether or not composites are used, aircrafts are required to comply with air worthiness. Needless to say, ensuring flight safety is of utmost importance, and advancing aerospace composites are helping make flying safer year after year.
Injection Moulding Asia Italian Machinery & Technology
Technology with an Italian flair The 18th edition of Italy’s Plast show, which
Italian materials firms spell out strategies Sustainability and the circular economy are increasingly a core part of most companies, especially with Europeans determined to play a key role. In this context, the petrochemical arm of Eni, Versalis, presented its new strategy at the show that spells out a new business model capable of responding “effectively to the needs of circularity and resource efficiency.”
took place at the Fiera Milano fairgrounds in
Rho-Pero from 29 May to 1 June 2018, was a success, according to organising associations Amaplast and Promaplast. This year, it was
packaged as four shows (IPACK-IMA, MEATTECH, PRINT4ALL, INTRALOGISTICA ITALIA), and known as The Innovation
Alliance, making it the country’s second largest trade show after the furnishing/design show Salone del Mobile.
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last 2018 had 1,500 exhibitors over 55,000 sq m of exhibition space, a growth of 20% compared to the previous show held three years ago, with a significant expansion of Chinese and Iranian exhibitors, said Amaplast. It also had over 63,000 visitors, with foreign visitors making up 27.5% of the total from 117 countries, with Spain, France, and Germany being the most represented.
Versalis’s eco-pallet is made of 35% of plastic material that cannot be recycled and is recovered from paper mills
Among the pillars of Versalis’s circular economy strategy are “the life cycle perspective and eco-design”, whereby the sustainability of products and projects under development are assessed over their entire life cycle. The Milan-based company also said it will work towards diversifying raw materials through the development of chemical platforms from renewable sources, in synergy with traditional production cycles. The company said it will also develop technologies to recycle polymers, with the aim of improving collection rates and recycled material quality. It gave an example of its Eco-pallet project, a pallet made of plastic recovered from industrial waste from paper mills and designed for transporting PE bags. Meanwhile, nylon materials maker RadiciGroup said it has been tough going in the engineering plastics market. “The polyamide market, in particular, is going through a very turbulent stage due to structural shortcomings in the supply chain,” pointed out Cesare Clausi, Global Sales Director. However, he pointed out that “demand is steadily increasing, even in mature markets like Europe”. He added, “In the last two years, Italy has started to grow again, maintaining its key position in Europe, second only to Germany.”
The Plast show was 20% larger than the previous show three years ago
The core of the exhibition was machinery, equipment and moulds for plastics and rubber processing, with over 3,500 displays. Industry 4.0 technology was also well represented, and the topic of discussions in the many conferences augmenting the programme of the trade fair. 1 J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 8
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Injection Moulding Asia Italian Machinery & Technology He also said that Radici is also embarking on a further expansion in production capacity, set to be completed by this summer and primarily involving its plants in Italy.
in PP in a cycle time of 11 seconds. Handling and assembly of the part was performed by a Multilift V40 linear robotic system with a loadbearing capacity of 40 kg. It was also equipped with the company’s new intuitive Gestica control system that looks like a smart mobile. With the Easyslider control element, movements can be simply and precisely controlled and displayed via variable-colour LED technology during set-up. Acceleration and deceleration can be controlled with a “swipe of the finger” along a bar at the edge of the screen. According to Arburg, in the future, all the familiar Selogica functionalities will be integrated into the Gestica control system step-by-step. The Allrounder 1120H comes with the Gestica control system as standard. All the further machine types converted to the new design, currently the size 920H and 820H machines, can optionally be equipped with the Gestica control system. Furthermore, the choice of control system – Selogica or Gestica -- has no effect on the performance of the machine, as the only difference is the “Human Machine Interface” (HMI), which, in the case of the Gestica, is modelled on the look and feel of smart mobile devices. Italy’s Negri Bossi launched its Nova range of machines that replace the Vector range of machines and are available in 700, 850 and 1,150 tonnes, with injection capacities ranging from 2010 to 6107 cu cm. The range was launched in two versions, servo hydraulic (Nova s) and hybrid (Nova i). To complete the line-up, is a full electric machine (Nova e) offered in the range of 50-350 tonnes.
Nylon maker RadiciGroup says demand is steadily increasing, even in mature markets like Europe
Machine companies showcase new advancements German machinery company Arburg presented its newly designed hybrid Allrounder 820H with a clamping force of 4,000 kN for the first time outside Germany. According to Arburg, sales of the machine will start after the Fakuma show in October this year. The Allrounder 820H comes on the heels of the Allrounder 1120H (6,500 kN), which was launched at the Fakuma show last year, and 920H (5,000 kN) machine, becoming the third one in the portfolio to feature a “new look”, which is being done in progressive strides. The exhibit was shown producing a 300-g bucket (9 l)
Negri Bossi launched its Nova range, replacing the Vector range
One of the key features is a new X-design toggle system that provides increased strokes, tie bar distances and platen speeds in a compact footprint. The range is also equipped with a new automatic filtered lubrication system in a closed loop, hydraulic control. The machines are driven by latest generation servo motor and pumps, providing higher modularity and offering greater flexibility across the range, said the Milan-based company.
Arburg used the Plast show to launch its hybrid Allrounder 820H, its third in the line-up of a new design, complete with the new Gestica control system
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Injection Moulding Asia Country Focus
Italian Machinery & Technology
The range is also equipped with a brand-new controller, Motus, which will be available across the full range of Negri Bossi machines.
particularly injection moulding applications such as thinwall products and closures. The cooperation will initially cater to European markets and will then be gradually stepped up to accommodate other global regions, said the companies. At Plast Milan, Piovan technology was running on Sumitomo Demag’s machinery displays. At the press conference, the company also officially announced the opening of its new Italian subsidiary in Turin, which is headed by Roberto Sallemi, the former Owner/Managing Director of Macam, which represented Sumitomo Demag machines in Italy. Another company that boasted high sales growth is Italian auxiliary equipment firm Moretto, which said its turnover rose 22% in 2017, compared to the previous period, adding that the “Italian market is in very good shape”. Present with offices/facilities in eight countries (Germany, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Brazil, US, Russia, India and China), and by the distribution network, which covers 74 countries, the Paduaheadquartered firm also said that its exports are “increasingly growing and represent 75% of the business.” The company also has five plants and over 75,000 sq m of production in Padua, plus is adding on 20,000 sq m, which should be ready by 2019 and will house Moretto’s new 4.0 company, a training room and permanent showroom. At Plast, Moretto showcased its Moisture Meter, which it claims is the only system in the world able to measure precisely and in-line the exactly residual moisture of a polymer in ppm and even to manage automatically the drying process.
Machine makers boast good growth Meanwhile, Japanese-German manufacturer of machines Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has had good turnover in Europe, said Gerd Liebig, CEO, adding that in 2016, turnover was EUR235 and it increased to EUR261 million in 2017, with expectations of EUR300 million in 2018. The company is also riding on its parent firm Sumitomo’s extent in all-electric machines and expects a leadership in this position. At Plast, it showcased the new second-generation IntElect S (Speed).
At Plast Milan, Piovan technology was shown running on Sumitomo Demag machines displayed
It also used the show to announce that it has selected Italian auxiliary maker Piovan as the preferred supplier of peripheral technology and auxiliary equipment. Both companies will continue to operate as independent suppliers, catering to different markets, with Piovan supplying its downstream technology and Aquatech cooling systems to other machine manufacturers. As part of this decision, Sumitomo Demag will offer a variety of Piovan downstream solutions from all product ranges. This way, sales outlets and representations will be able to provide machines and downstream equipment from one source. In addition to this, both partners will join forces in their efforts to accommodate target segments such as the packaging industry,
Moretto showcased its Moisture Meter
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Injection Moulding Asia Rigid Packaging
Sturdy market for rigid packaging Witnessing a steadily growing market, rigid
million tonnes, according to Smithers Pira’s market report - The Future of Rigid Plastic Packaging to 2022. Reports on rigid packaging always compare it with flexible packaging, being degradable, more lightweight, and offering versatility in design, and other beneficial features. Food is the largest end-use market for rigid packaging, accounting for a projected 37% consumption share in 2017. The healthcare sector is forecast to grow at the highest rate, followed by other food markets, drinks and cosmetics.
packaging has curved a firm niche in vital
industry applications that constantly require
innovation, says Angelica Buan in this report.
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lobally, the rigid packaging market size is expanding and is projected to witness a CAGR of 6.7% from 2016-2025, according to Grand View Research, estimating the value to be worth US$848.7 billion by the forecast year. Rigid packaging, which essentially secures products so that it reaches the customer intact, finds applications in industries like pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, electronics, personal care, and many more.
Medication compliance with blister packaging Pills and other forms of medications are rendered safe and free of contaminants, aiding in patient compliance to medications and providing longer shelf-life with blister packaging made especially for pharmaceutical products. Pharmaceutical packaging combine intelligent application aims to address patient’s compliance more efficiently, especially when used to facilitate clinic trials of drugs. Schreiner MediPharm, a Germany-headquartered speciality labels producer, says that clinical trials are normally conducted on an international scale and require high accuracy. Conventional, non-automated processes are frequently error-prone. Medication adherence by participating patients, however, is a key factor for the successful outcome of clinical trials, but often difficult to track. Hence, Schreiner MediPharm, together with Dutch technology company Experts in Communications and Connectivity Technology (ECCT), has developed a smart blister pack for digital patient compliance monitoring to enhance medication adherence by clinical trial participants.
Global rigid plastic packaging consumption, percentage share by geographic region, 2017 31.4%
Asia
22.7%
North America
20.0%
Western Europe Rest of the world
10.3%
Eastern Europ
7.7%
South & Central America
7.7% Source: Smithers Pira
From a regional perspective, emerging economies are expected to grow rigid plastic packaging demand at the highest rates across 2017-2022. , says UK research firm Smithers Pira. Asia is already the largest consumer of rigid plastic packaging, accounting for a projected 31.4% consumption share by volume in 2017. North America is the second largest, with 22.7%, followed by Western Europe with 20.0%. Asia is forecast to continue growing at a faster rate than any other world region with an annual average growth rate of 5.8% for the next five years. Material-wise, plastics dominate the rigid packaging segment, securing nearly 40% of the total market share in 2016, according to Esticast Research and Consulting. Plastics are likely to reign over the forecast period from 2016-2024 owing to the material’s low costs, low weight, and least breakage properties. Volume consumption of rigid plastics globally was 52.9 million tonnes in 2017, and is projected to grow over the next five years at an annual rate of 3.7% to 63.4
Schreiner MediPharm and ECCT have developed a smart blister pack for digital patient compliance monitoring to enhance medication adherence by clinical trial participants
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Injection Moulding Asia Rigid Packaging The system works by pressing a tablet out of the blister pack that generates data in real time such as the type of medication, the time of extraction and the respective cavity. This information is automatically stored in the smart package and transmitted to a database via a smartphone app or reader. Compliance of the respective patient is thereby tracked. Additionally, it is possible to send the patient a reminder to take the medication, to adjust the dose and to assist trial participants with interactive communication between the physician and patient. The smart packaging solution includes printed electronics, without impacting the packaging design. A database platform enables diverse data transfers and analyses. Growth of co-injection technology Similarly, co-injection technology is finding new market traction via single-serve capsules, according to industry consultants AMI Consulting in its recent report, adding that it is able to replace traditional packaging (metal and glass). Single-serve capsules have become the key contributor to growth of high barrier solutions that offer functionality and aesthetics and the potential to re-vitalise mature markets such as ambient soup, canned fruit, vegetables and fish. Applications have tripled in volume since 2013 with further growth expected, but tempered by competing non-barrier formats servicing the low-priced compatibles sub-segment. Single-serve capsules are fuelling not only demand for barrier thermoforming, but also enabling barrier co-injection projects, barrier IML and coatings to develop. The volume realised with barrier co-injection technology has accounted for a marginal share of the market so far, especially in recent years. The renewed interest is driven by the developments in projects like Jabil Packaging’s K-Cup pod design; Germany-based Menshen’s barrier capsules compatible with Nespresso and Nescafe Dolce Gusto systems; and Switzerland’s Lapp Tec’s barrier capsule compatible with Nespresso. It is expected that co-injection technology will gain market traction over the next five years.
Menshen’s barrier capsules are compatible for coffee
Outside of capsules, co-injection technology is expected to increase its penetration via US firm Milacron Holding’s Klear Can concept commercialisation. Last year, Milacron saw its Klear Can hitting the shelves in Asia, in partnership with S&W Fine Foods International, a Del Monte Pacific company. The Klear Can, which allows consumers to see through the packaging, is available in South Korea and China. Milacron developed the Klear Can, which is a patented co-injection moulded, PP/EVOH plastic can, as an alternative to metal cans for fruits, vegetables, soups, meats, and other products. www.injectionmouldingasia.com
Injection Moulding Asia Rigid Packaging 2014 Nielsen Global Survey on Corporate Social Responsibility, which polled 300 global respondents from 60 countries. Based on the survey, 52% of the respondents said their sustainable purchase decisions are influenced by packaging, according to research firm Nielsen, adding that a significant number of respondents were willing to pay extra for sustainable products and labelling. Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence, in its 2018-2023 market opportunity outlook reports that sustainable packaging market is projected, to grow close to US$342 billion by 2023, up from US$234 billion in 2017. Light-weighting, reducing material usage without impairing pack performance; increased use of recycled plastic feedstocks and investigating the use of bioplastic packaging are some of the challenges in this area.
Milacron says the extruded can offered by the competition suffers from die mould streaking, affecting clarity while the Klear Can is also IML (In Mould Label) compatible, using the same industry standards for filling, seaming and retorting machinery as metal cans. Longer shelf-life means no food wastage It is not surprising that convenience store counters offering ready to eat meals are enjoying brisk business. Snacks, delis, and convenient foods Milacron’s Klear are sustaining the growth of the Can has been used packaged food market, which Allied to package tropical Research Market has forecast to fruit for the Asian garner US$3 trillion by 2020, at a market CAGR of 4.5% from 2015. Packaged food is the result of society’s changing, fast-paced lifestyle requirement for easy cooking, consumption, and handling; and safety from external tampering and contamination. Thus, materials used for packaged food must be convenient for carrying, displaying, opening and closing. As well, they must ensure longer shelf-life for food to remain fresh upon consumption, with oxygen-barrier solutions. An example of a latest product using the oxygenbarrier innovation is the Naturcrem IML packaging of Spanish food producer Dulcelol. Spain-headquartered packaging manufacturer ITC Packaging and Belgiumheadquartered in-mould label supplier Verstraete IML addressed the issue of packaged food freshness in Dulcesol’s single-serve organic soups using a packaging that features a pentagonal base and round, open top; and a decorative IML oxygen barrier label from Verstraete. The 100% recyclable packaging ensures that the soups have a shelf-life of up to a year, without refrigeration.
Unilever is leading the way forward towards lighter and more recyclable containers
Brand owners are also employing more recycled and recyclable packaging. Last year, multinational Unilever pledged to ensure that all of its plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. The company had already committed to reducing the weight of its packaging by one-third by 2020, and increase its use of recycled plastic content in its packaging to at least 25% by 2025. US packaging company Sealed Air Corporation has partnered with Japanese chemical company Kuraray America to offer food packaging materials derived from its Plantic bio-based resins. Starch obtained from hybridised corn is Plantic’s primary feedstock. It undergoes a chemical process, transforming it into a more pliable material, similar to a thermoplastic, and thus making the resulting material suitable for packaging. Through this new cooperation with Kuraray, Sealed Air will offer Plantic materials to package perishable foods such as poultry, beef and seafood in the US, Canada and Mexico. The materials provide an effective oxygen barrier that is Plantic’s primary also cost competitive feedstock is starch with traditional obtained from rollstock barrier hybridised corn films.
Dulcelol taps ITC Packaging’s recyclable packaging and Verstraete’s IML oxygen barrier label for its organic soup
Verstraete says that the OTR value, the extent of the oxygen permeability, is up to 100 times less compared to packaging with a standard IML label. To withstand pasteurisation, the IML label utilised a combination of specific inks, a special lacquer, and a special pasteurisation-resistant oxygen barrier film. Consumer satisfaction with sustainable packaging Sustainability of packaging is becoming a crucial point for purchase for most consumers. This is asserted in the 6 J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 8
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Injection Moulding Asia Rigid Packaging Meeting the industry requirements for improved recyclability and increased sustainability, US speciality polymers company PolyOne has enhanced the sustainability and design freedom offered by its barrier additives; at the same time providing benefits like extending shelf life and lightweighting options for packaging manufacturers.
Tri-Seal’s Sniff Seal technology enables scent permeation through an induction seal closure liner
purchase, without having to open the packaging seal. It enables scent permeation through an induction seal closure liner, said to be a novelty in packaging in the retail aisle, yet it does not compromise the seal or the product contents, says Tri-Seal. How about a bottle that hums? Indian mineral water supplier NourishCo Beverages has launched a limited edition bottle for its Himalayan Sparkling with the ‘Sound of the Himalayas’.
The shelf life of light-sensitive dairy products in PET bottles can be extended with ColorMatrix Lactra SX
PolyOne’s Lactra SX technology protects lightsensitive dairy products such as ultra-pasteurised milk and protein-enhanced yoghurts from photo-induced degradation by providing 99.99% UV and visiblelight blocking. In addition, it allows design-friendly, single-layer PET containers to perform on par with multi-layer bottles and laminate paperboard cartons, requiring less material and reducing production waste for increased sustainability.
NourishCo’s bottle for its Himalayan Sparkling features a sound cap with built-in chip that plays nature sounds reminiscent of the Himalayas
Innovative closures for sensory experience An essential component of any packaging, caps and closures are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the product packing. As industries rely heavily on plastic caps and closures, being cost-effective sealing solutions, the segment’s global market is expected to reach almost US$3 trillion by 2023, up by almost US$1 trillion from 2017, according to a Mordor Intelligence report. The caps and closure segment uses PET, PP, and PE as the primary raw materials for manufacturing. Innovations in caps and closures, likewise, drive the growth of the market. Technology advancements not only enhance the functions that caps and closures deliver but also their innovative value. The Sniff Seal technology of liners manufacturer Tri-Seal underscores this point. It is said to be the first liner to enable scent permeation through an induction seal closure liner, without affecting the seal or compromising the contents. Apart from delivering unique product differentiation, Sniff Seal also enables customers to take a whiff of the scent prior to
The concept of this innovation is to allow consumers to experience the water’s Himalayan source. The bottle with the technology designed and developed by J. Walter Thompson (JWT) India, features a ‘sound cap’, which has a built-in chip that is triggered when the bottle is opened; the sound is “turned-off” when the bottle is closed. The technology allows the bottle to play the sounds of whistling winds, melting mists, drop-by-drop percolation and rare rock surface liquid percussions. JWT says it recorded the sounds by radio transmitters and underwater stream synthesisers. With all the new technology on hand, it is not surprising, thus, that the rigid packaging market is set on course for a higher growth in coming years. And despite these opportunities, this packaging segment is also dealing with challenges. None of these is more disruptive than the emergence of flexible packaging types, and the growing importance of sustainability. 7
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Rubber Journal Asia Industry News • French tyre maker Michelin has completed its acquisition of UK-based conveyor-belt maker Fenner for about US$1.7 billion. The deal, announced in March this year, is aimed at expanding the French tyre manufacturer’s mining equipment business and moving into non-rubber materials. The tyre maker will also gain access to Fenner’s reach into Latin America and Asia. • Bridgestone HosePower, a US wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Tokyoheadquartered Bridgestone Corporation, is expanding its hose solutions business in the Northeast by acquiring Industrial Rubber Co, a hydraulic and industrial hose sales and service company based in New Jersey. The acquisition brings Bridgestone HosePower to 44 US locations and one location in Mexico. Industrial Rubber has a strong presence in the marine and chemical processing business. Its second location in Bridgewater is also included in the purchase. • South Korean tyre company Hankook Tyre has acquired a 75% share of Model Solution, a South Koreabased digital prototype solution company, for US$62 million. The acquisition is in line with the company’s strategy to secure new growth engines by aggressively acquiring companies with advanced technology and design capabilities. The 75% stake includes 51%
share ownership of UK electronics company Laird and 24% shares that are owned by global private equity Crescendo Equity Partners. • Sun Tyre & Wheel Systems (SUN-TWS), a division of Sundaram Industries that in turn is part of the US$8 billion TVS Group of India, has acquired Denmarkbased Starco Group’s tyre plant in Sri Lanka. It is SUN-TWS’s fifth manufacturing plant and, in addition to expansion at its existing plants in Sri Lanka and India, increases the company’s overall capacity by 40%. Chennaibased SUN-TWS will take over the Starco Lanka operation, including the facility, equipment and employees. • Succeeding the first MOU in 2014 to expand and collaborate on the development of synthetic rubber (SR) solutions for high-performance tyres, South Korean tyre maker Hankook Tyre has signed a second MOU with Netherlandsheadquartered SR producer Arlanxeo to co-develop technologies for high-performance tyres. Under this agreement, the two companies will jointly study the development of new high-performance SR grades and applications, which will increase the performance of tyres from early stages of product development. The partnership between Hankook Tyre and Arlanxeo, a joint venture of German chemicals
firm Lanxess and Saudi Aramco, started in 2008, with the supply of raw materials such as solution styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR) and neodymium performance butadiene rubber (Nd-PBR). • US carbon black manufacturer Cabot is expanding its global capacity by over 300,000 tonnes. It will add approximately 160,000 tonnes of capacity through an expansion at its facility in Indonesia. The new capacity will serve the increasing carbon black demand in Southeast Asia, which is growing at 4-5% a year. Products from this expansion is expected to be available for sale starting in late 2020 or early 2021. In addition, Cabot is investing US$50 million in debottlenecking projects and operational improvements across 18 of its carbon black facilities. This programme will provide an additional 150,000 tonnes of increased carbon black capacity, which will be available for tyre, industrial rubber and specialty carbon customers. To date, Cabot has completed approximately one-third of this capacity expansion, with full completion expected by 2021. These investments will increase Cabot’s global carbon black capacity to 2.5 million tonnes. • South Korean automotive maker Hyundai plans to invest US$388 million to build a plant in Alabama, US, scheduled to be operational by mid-2019.
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Rubber Journal Asia Industry News The 24,000-sq m plant will include an engine head manufacturing plant, and it will also utilise this investment to enhance its assembly plant in Montgomery. The investment is Hyundai’s biggest in the assembly/ manufacturing plant since it opened its US$1.7 billion plant in 2005. The investments will support operations for making new models of Sonata and Elantra sedans. • North West Rubber, a Canadian manufacturer and distributor of recycled rubber solutions in North America, is opening a recycled rubber mat manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas, in 2019. It has manufacturing locations in Ontario and Beijing. • Dow Polyurethanes, a business unit of Dow Chemical, has debuted a new Systems House in India, further expanding its network of more than 20 sites for production, development and technical service across the EMEAI region. The opening of the new Systems House in Lote further builds on Dow’s investments in the region following the recently inaugurated Dow India Technology Centre (DITC) in Navi Mumbai, housing a dedicated lab for PU application development that will help accelerate innovation and collaboration with customers in the region. • Yunnan Yun Manganese Group, a China-based latex manufacturer, is considering establishing
a factory to manufacture rubber products in Thailand’s southern province. The factory will produce various types of rubber-based products. The firm, which engages mainly in mining, hydropower, real estate development, property management and rubber, recently signed an MOU with the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) and Prince of Songkla University to develop health-related products. Moreover, the company is building a 20 billion baht, 400,000 sq m-mall in Chenggong, Kunming that is expected to be completed in three years. • Cooper Rubber Processing Plant (CRPP), the first 100% Liberian-owned plant that will manufacture retreaded tyres, roofing materials, electrical insulators, fixtures PVC pipes, fittings, rubber gloves, and other rubber products, was recently inaugurated. The plant is located in Blagai, Bomi Highway. Among other benefits, the plant is expected to hoist price for raw rubber to favour local farmers, and enable knowledge transfer specific to rubber manufacturing from foreign rubber manufacturers to Liberians. • Finnish tyre maker Nokian Tyres has launched the construction of a 3,000,000 sq mtesting and technology centre in Toledo, Spain. The first test tracks
will be completed next year, and the technology centre is expected to be fully operational in 2020. Nokian Tyres currently operates two test centres in Ivalo and Nokia, Finland. The third testing facility and technology centre in Spain’s warmer climate allows for year-round testing of summer, allseason and winter tyres. In addition to testing, the technology centre aims to accelerate sustainable product development and innovation. In 2017, Nokian Tyres started a research project on the utilisation of the guayule plant for more environmentally-friendly tyre manufacturing. • The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) is constructing a closedcourse test facility to develop automated vehicle technology at the Michigan Technical Resource Park (MITRP) in Ottawa Lake. Operational this October, the new site will be used by TRI to replicate demanding “edge case” driving scenarios, too dangerous to perform on public roads. The TRI facility, to be built inside MITRP’s 1.75-mile oval test track, will include congested urban environments, slick surfaces and a four-lane divided highway with high-speed entrance and exit ramps. It expands TRI’s closed-course testing capabilities, adding to partnerships with GoMentum Station in California, and Mcity and the American Centre for Mobility in Michigan.
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Rubber Journal Asia Silicones
Key factors for choosing silicone solutions in medical device lubrication This article is by Brian Reilly, Business
Biocompatible silicone lubricant In working with various medical devices, such as needles, syringes, trocars, cannulas, guidewires, catheters and valves, medical device designers must account for friction in the form of insertion, drag and break-loose forces. It is for this reason that biocompatible silicone lubricant can significantly reduce friction at interfaces between components and between components and human tissue. Silicone has a long and proven history of use with medical devices. When choosing a lubricious silicone for an application or a specific device, it’s important to consider several key factors to ensure the lubricant properties deliver the expected result for both the device manufacturing process and the end use.
Development Director – Biomaterials NuSil – part of Avantor Carpinteria, CA.
T
here are no lagging moments for the medical devices market worldwide, as demand is growing, against the backdrop of expanding healthcare expenditure as a result of universal healthcare reforms; as well as technology advancements; and ageing population and chronic diseases. The market for global medical devices is expected to cross nearly US$410 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 4.5% from this year to 2023, as forecast by Lucintel. In keeping with the uptrend, access to safe medical devices is ensured by regulatory agencies. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been keeping a watchful eye on how products classified as medical devices perform and how safe products are for consumer use.
Different lubricants for different substrates A main consideration is to understand the nature of the various substrates that need to be lubricated and identify why the materials and surfaces require different types of silicone lubricants. Medical devices can incorporate a variety of substrates, including silicone, metal, glass and plastics. Each material has different characteristics that can pose unique lubrication requirements. Silicone substrate The surfaces of cured silicone elastomers often exhibit a high coefficient of friction (COF). These surfaces can be tacky, causing problems when molded or extruded parts must move or slide. Silicone elastomers also tend to block, meaning they stick to each other due to chemical affinity. Blocking is particularly evident in slit valves, where the two sides of the silicone part touch each other and “heal” or close the slit. Considerations for silicone parts: • Surface interaction factors: Consider a lubricant with a low chemical affinity to the elastomer For moulded silicone parts, it is important to account for the difference in chemistries between the part and the lubricant itself. Otherwise, the lubricant may diffuse into a chemically similar material, and the moulded component will swell. If this occurs, the fluid is depleted from the surface, which will reduce or eliminate the lubricating effect. Most silicone components are produced using a dimethyl silicone elastomer. Choosing a fluorosilicone lubricant, which has minimal chemical affinity to the dimethyl silicone, will result in minimal diffusion into the substrate.
Device designers should be sure to consider high-purity, medicalgrade silicone lubricant products supported by Master Files with US FDA and international authorities, which include biological tests conducted on each product
FDA describes medical devices as ranging from “common medical supplies (bandages, hospital gowns) to complex instruments that help save and sustain life (heart valves, artificial pancreas); and tools that aid in the detection of disease (MRIs, in vitro diagnostics) and digital technology that is driving a revolution in health care (medical apps, surgical planning tools, closed loop drug delivery devices)”.
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Rubber Journal Asia Silicones • Viscosity factors: Consider a higher-viscosity fluid for longer lubrication periods Since diffusion or the chance of migration decreases as the silicone lubricant’s viscosity increases, higher-viscosity fluids may lubricate a silicone elastomeric surface for a longer period of time than lower-viscosity types.
or penetration in human tissue, friction damages the substrate surface and, of course, makes the patient uncomfortable as the metal penetrates tissue. To counteract penetration and drag forces, the design of a component can play a role. For example, hypodermic needles are tri-beveled with an elliptical opening, followed by an elongated tube. This shape makes penetration easier and prevents coring effects, but the metal substrate still exhibits surface friction that prevents a smooth, more comfortable, puncture.
• Curable coatings: Consider alternative technologies to eliminate the need for a traditional lubricant Technological advances have resulted in some alternative options. One specific example is a curable, non-migrating coating that when applied to a substrate’s surface, reduces the COF. Once cured, these coatings chemically bond to the underlying substrate and mimic its mechanical properties. The result is a durable, flexible coating on moving, sliding and rubbing parts that substantially reduces the COF. Specific formulations are available for platinum-cured or tin-cured silicone substrates.
Considerations for metal: • Surface interaction factors: Consider penetration frequency and lubricant longevity To minimise the effects of surface friction, silicone lubricants can be applied to lower the COF of the metal surface without compromising penetration or cutting efficacy. For applications involving repeated use, the lubricant must be robust. Taken together, factors that reduce friction include lowering puncture force, lowering drag force, reducing rub-off and providing consistency throughout multiple uses.
• Reducing processing time: Self-lubricating silicone elastomers Self-lubricating silicone elastomers may be chosen to reduce the number of processing steps. They do not require the additional processing step of adding a lubricant, coating or grease to the surface of a component or device. Instead, the lubricity is built into the silicone elastomer which yields a lubricious surface on the final moulded component, eluting over time. The elastomer can be chosen with the physical properties and level of lubrication needed for the application.
• Formulation factors: Consider dispersion and bonding behaviour Dispersed silicone formulations minimally bond to the metal substrates they coat, making them ideal to lubricate needles. Polydimethlysiloxane (PDMS) fluid is typically considered for this substrate. Inert PDMS fluid dispersions function as generic lubricants for various penetration and cutting surfaces. They improve lubricity but are more suitable for one-time use. For multiple usages, a dispersed high-viscosity fluid is more advantageous.
• Moisture sensitivity factors: Consider ambient humidity When working with one-part dispersed silicone fluids that readily de-volatise, it is important to remember that they are moisture-sensitive. Consequently, if adjustments are performed to optimise viscosity or solids content, they should take place in a moisture-free environment.
• Other general factors Consider either applying the lubricant directly or dispersed in solvent. To reduce migration compared to fluids, also consider using a silicone grease to help mitigate potential migration issues.
• Other general factors When planning the device manufacturing process, consider either applying the lubricant directly as an oil or dispersed in solvent to provide the coverage needed for the required properties. To reduce COF and enhance abrasion resistance, consider thin, wettable coatings. To minimise break-loose forces, consider thicker greases.
For devices used multiple times, a dispersed high-molecular weight polymer is more advantageous; as the solvent flashes off during the lubricant curing process, strong adhesion occurs with the metal to accommodate multiple punctures
Metals The metal surfaces and edges of hypodermic and suture needles, scalpels or other cutting edges have an inherently high surface friction. During incision
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Rubber Journal Asia Silicones Glass Silicone fluids have a silicon-oxygen chemical structure similar to glass, quartz and sand. Consequently, they tend to bond very well with glass. Cross-linking to enhance bonding over the glass substrate may be achieved by heating the silicone beyond its operating temperature.
To enhance gliding with plastic and plunger stoppers, for example, consider using a silicone grease to lubricate the device. In these applications, the grease provides a lubricant that is less likely to migrate when applied to a plastic surface.
• Other general factors Consider either applying the lubricant directly or dispersed in solvent. Consider a combination with a PDMS fluid for enhanced/customized lubricant properties.
Considerations for glass: • Formulation factors: Consider a hydrophobic lubricant To reduce drag forces in glass pre-filled syringes, for example, the insides can be coated with a PDMS silicone oil. Hydrophobic coatings are available for syringe barrels to promote container drainability.
Other key considerations Biocompatibility: Lubricious silicones used in medical applications should be biocompatible and in conformance with ISO 10993. As an inorganic material, silicone lubricants are chemically inert and stable over extended periods of time. The molecular backbone of silicone fluids is much stronger than the carbon-to-carbon chain in hydrocarbon polymers. Consequently, silicone lubricants are more resistant to chemical attack, oxidation, shear stresses and extreme temperatures. Silicone can be readily sterilised by ethylene oxide, dry-heat or autoclaves, or other standard techniques without degradation. Device designers should be sure to consider high-purity, medical-grade silicone lubricant products supported by Master Files with US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and international authorities, which include biological tests conducted on each product. Manufacturability: Application methods include dipping, spraying or wiping. If a very thin film is desired, silicone fluids may be further diluted down as far as 1-5% silicone solids in a compatible solvent. Methyl polymers may be dispersed in nonpolar organic solvents, whereas fluoropolymers (and copolymers) may be dispersed in chlorinated hydrocarbons and ketones. Dispersion to a lesser extent can also be accomplished in aromatic hydrocarbons, mineral spirits and isopropyl alcohol. For convenience, some medical device manufacturers select polymers predispersed down to a specified percent solids content. Be sure the silicone material selected can work with these options. As medical device designers evaluate lubricants, it is important to note there isn’t a one-size-fitsall silicone solution for each application. With the many factors involved in lubricant selection, device designers and manufacturers may wish to collaborate with suppliers of medical-grade lubricious silicone to meet the unique force reduction and material requirements of their particular medical device.
• Curing factors: Consider high-temperature heating to activate cross-linking Keep in mind that PDMS fluid by itself is nonfunctional and does not cure. However, this may be compensated by exposing the syringe to extremely high temperatures to activate polymer cross-linking, as previously described. The result is a functional interaction between the siliconised lubrication of the glass barrel and plunger stopper to make the system operate efficiently. Dispersed silicone formulations minimally bond to the metal substrates they coat, making them ideal to lubricate needles, while hydrophobic coatings are available for syringe barrels to promote container drainability
• Other general factors Consider either applying the lubricant directly or dispersed in solvent. To reduce migration compared to fluids, consider using a silicone grease. To enhance durability, consider heat treatment. Plastics A wide variety of plastics are used in medical products such as valves and stop-cocks. Friction points in these applications may benefit from silicone lubricants. Considerations for plastics: • Formulation factors: Consider a very-high-viscosity grease
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